Witte de Withstraat is one of central Rotterdam’s best-known streets for art, restaurants, bars and nightlife. Running through the Witte de Withkwartier between Schiedamse Vest and Eendrachtsweg, it brings contemporary art spaces such as Kunstinstituut Melly and MaMA together with busy terraces, restaurants and late-night bars including De Witte Aap.
The street runs for roughly 320 metres through the city centre. It was laid out in 1871 as part of the new street plan for the Cool district and was named after Rotterdam naval officer Witte Cornelisz. de With. Since then, it has moved through several distinct identities, from newspaper street to troubled nightlife strip and, eventually, one of Rotterdam’s best-known cultural areas.
From newspaper street to cultural axis
In the 1950s, Witte de Withstraat acquired the nickname Rotterdam’s “Fleet Street”, a reference to London’s newspaper district. Newspapers including NRC and De Rotterdammer had premises on the street, while other newspaper businesses were clustered nearby.
By the 1970s, the street had developed a much rougher reputation, associated with dubious cafés and illegal gambling houses.
The area changed markedly during the 1990s as Witte de Withstraat developed into part of Rotterdam’s cultural axis around Museumpark. The predecessor of Kunstinstituut Melly opened at number 50 in 1990, and cultural organisations increasingly helped establish the district’s present identity.
Today, the Witte de Withkwartier mixes contemporary art, independent culture, restaurants, bars and busy street life in a compact part of the city centre.
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Art on and around Witte de Withstraat
Kunstinstituut Melly, at Witte de Withstraat 50, is one of the street’s main contemporary art institutions, presenting exhibitions, commissions, publications and public programmes.
It is normally open Wednesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 18:00 and until 21:00 on Friday. Standard admission is €10, while its ground-floor MELLY Bookshop and Café is free to enter.
MaMA, at Witte de Withstraat 29-31, provides another experimental contemporary art space, with a programme particularly focused on emerging makers and new ideas.
Just off the street, WORM on Boomgaardsstraat and V2_ on Eendrachtsstraat extend the cultural cluster. WORM works across music, film, performance, visual art and nightlife, while V2_ explores connections between art, technology and society.
One of the easiest ways to explore these organisations is Kunstavond. On the first Friday of each month, Kunstinstituut Melly, MaMA, WORM and V2_ open free from 18:00 to 21:00, with exhibitions, performances, talks, installations and music depending on the programme.
Art is also visible outside the institutions. At Witte de Withstraat 2, blue neon letters display the famous Andy Warhol line about everybody being famous for 15 minutes. The artwork has been part of the street since 2000.
Restaurants, bars and nightlife
Witte de Withstraat is as well known for eating and drinking as it is for contemporary art.
Bazar, at number 16, remains one of the street’s most distinctive restaurants, combining a colourful interior with a menu drawing on Middle Eastern and other international influences.
Nieuw Rotterdams Café, usually called NRC, occupies number 63 and connects the street’s newspaper past with its present nightlife. It serves food and cocktails during the day and evening, with a stronger nightlife focus at weekends.
Café De Witte Aap is still one of Witte de Withstraat’s best-known bars. Its international reputation received a major boost in 2009, when Lonely Planet named it the world’s best bar.
Beer drinkers can also stop at Bierboutique, at number 40B. It specialises in more than 90 beers alongside food and bar snacks and stays open late from Thursday to Saturday.
The atmosphere changes noticeably through the day. Afternoons tend to revolve around galleries, coffee, lunch and terraces. As evening arrives, the pavements and bars become much busier, particularly towards the weekend.
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Shopping, street art and people-watching
Witte de Withstraat is not a conventional shopping street. Its attraction is the mix of independent businesses, cultural organisations, restaurants, terraces, public art and nightlife rather than a long chain of retail stores.
That makes it particularly easy to combine with nearby Museumpark, the Westersingel sculpture route and the rest of central Rotterdam. You can visit an exhibition in the afternoon, stop for dinner and stay on the same street for drinks afterwards.
The area can become crowded on Friday and Saturday evenings. If you prefer to explore the architecture, art and shops at a quieter pace, daytime and the early evening are better choices.
Getting to Witte de Withstraat
Witte de Withstraat is within easy walking distance of much of central Rotterdam. The closest metro stop is Eendrachtsplein, served by lines A, B and C. Beurs is also within walking distance and connects with metro lines A, B, C, D and E. Tram 6 stops at Eendrachtsplein, while tram 8 stops at Museumpark. From Rotterdam Centraal, you can also walk to Witte de Withstraat in around 15 to 20 minutes.
Cycling is straightforward, although you should use designated bicycle parking rather than leaving your bike where it obstructs the pavement. If you drive, APCOA Parking Westblaak at Hartmansstraat 24 is close to the street. Central Rotterdam has paid parking, so public transport, walking or cycling is often simpler.
Whether you come for contemporary art, dinner, a terrace or a late night out, Witte de Withstraat remains one of the easiest places to experience several sides of central Rotterdam within a few hundred metres.
