5 of the most fabulous bakeries and pastry shops in Rotterdam

Jordy Klootwijk was born into a baker’s family. In 2011, he opened his own bakery and lunchroom. People queue here to buy sourdough bread, but you can also sit down and enjoy a toasted sourdough sandwich. Finish your meal with a macadamia cookie or a brownie.

Every morning the scent of freshly baked breads, cakes and muffins wafts through the street. In this urban bakery you can buy your daily bread, but also sit down for a nice slice of Dutch apple pie, carrot cake or luscious chocolate cake and watch the bakers at work. Everything is handmade and ‘pure’: no colourings, no additives.

Californian native Sereni Horton moved to Rotterdam for love and started her own pastry shop where she combines American staples like cookies, brownies, blondies, and lemon bars with a Rotterdam no nonsense attitude. People who’ve tasted her magic cookie bar, made of pure and white chocolate, cranberries, raisins and pecan nuts keep coming back for more.

Mother and daughter team Elena and Anastasia de Ruyter only bake and serve what they like, because life’s too short to eat bad food. They use local and organic produce. They serve breakfast and lunch, but are most famous for their afternoon tea with breads, cakes, chocolates, scones, quiche and a Russian samovar. Reserve ahead.

Jeroen and Petra opened their own bakery in 2015 and quickly gained a loyal and expanding clientele. Jeroen is renowned for his sourdough bread. He lets the dough rise for 12 to 24 hours, then bakes it at a high temperature to get a hard and crispy crust. The result is a light, but filling bread. Jeroen also gives regular sourdough workshops.