ROTTERDAM, 15 January 2026 – A new restaurant has opened on Leuvehaven, right by the water in central Rotterdam. Calan Restaurant & Bar is part of Haven Hotel Rotterdam, Curio Collection by Hilton, bringing a menu that blends European cooking with flavours linked to the city’s communities.
If you like exploring Rotterdam through food, Calan is now one more reason to wander over to Leuvehaven, with dinner service running Wednesday to Saturday in the new Haven Hotel Rotterdam.
Calan Restaurant & Bar Rotterdam opens at Leuvehaven
Calan Restaurant & Bar is now open at Haven Hotel Rotterdam, Curio Collection by Hilton, on the historic Leuvehaven waterfront. The restaurant positions itself around Rotterdam’s mix of cultures, pairing food, drinks, interior design and music as one experience.
You will spot that intention in the menu’s direction: seasonal ingredients, classical European techniques, and international influences brought together in single dishes, without turning the meal into a theme park.
Calan Restaurant & Bar is now open at Haven Hotel Rotterdam
Haven Hotel Rotterdam at Leuvehaven adds a new dining option
The restaurant’s name is a nod to Pieter Caland, the 19th-century engineer associated with the New Waterway (Nieuwe Waterweg), the shipping route that strengthened Rotterdam’s connection to the wider world. Calan uses that reference as a framing idea: a place where people come together around food and creativity.
Inside, the look and feel is contemporary and polished, with a prominent bar and an interior that leans on warm tones and graphic accents, fitting the hotel setting without feeling like an afterthought.
Michael Verhagen leads Calan’s kitchen in Rotterdam
The kitchen is led by Executive Chef Michael Verhagen, known in Rotterdam for his work at the Michelin-starred Fitzgerald. Head Chef Marouane Dekaoui works alongside him, and the restaurant’s dishes are presented as a culinary portrait of the city, shaped by personal influences and international roots.
Rather than sticking to a single “fusion” label, the approach is dish-by-dish: technique first, then flavour combinations that reflect Rotterdam’s layered food culture.
Zeeland hamachi served with dashi vinaigrette and Turkish apricot chutney
Signature dishes at Calan bring global flavours to Rotterdam plates
Examples from the dinner menu include Zeeland hamachi served with dashi vinaigrette and Turkish apricot chutney, and a “Charlotte Potato” built around slow-cooked potato with kombu, Surinamese masala and Indonesian seaweed. A dessert pairing cantaloupe with sakura and umeboshi takes inspiration from Japanese hanami traditions.
The point is not novelty for its own sake. It is about recognisable ingredients and careful cooking, with flavour references that feel familiar in Rotterdam, where many kitchens have long lived side by side.
“Charlotte Potato” built around slow-cooked potato with kombu, Surinamese masala and Indonesian seaweed
How to get to Calan at Leuvehaven 77 in Rotterdam
Calan sits right on Leuvehaven, an easy walk from the city centre and the Erasmus Bridge area. From Rotterdam Blaak station you can reach it on foot in roughly 10 to 15 minutes, following the route towards the Maritime District and the water.
If you are coming by metro, Leuvehaven station is nearby, and from there it is a short walk along the harbour edge to the hotel entrance. Address: Leuvehaven 77, 3011 EA Rotterdam.
Calan’s opening hours are Wednesday to Saturday, 18:00–23:00, with the kitchen open until 22:00. Reservations can be made here: https://bookings.zenchef.com/results?rid=378889 and you can also check the restaurant’s own site at https://restaurantcalan.com/ or follow updates via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calanrestaurantbar/
