Grand Café do. opens in former Brasserie Engels at Rotterdam Centraal

Grand Café do. has opened inside Rotterdam's Groot Handelsgebouw, bringing a combination of Vietnamese and French cuisine to the former Brasserie Engels location. The new restaurant from Little V founder Tan Do and creative director Tim Wes offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks throughout the day, alongside an interior featuring work by Rotterdam artists and designers.

_{Image: The dining room at Grand Café do., which opened in the former Brasserie Engels space on 27 October 2026. Photograph: Daniel Sars.}

ROTTERDAM, 27 October 2026 - Six years after Brasserie Engels closed its doors, the familiar corner of the Groot Handelsgebouw overlooking Stationsplein and Weena has a restaurant again. Grand Café do. officially opened on Tuesday 27 October, occupying approximately 1,500 square metres on the ground floor of Rotterdam's post-war architectural landmark.

The new venue combines an all-day restaurant, bar and event spaces. Behind the concept are restaurateur Tan Do, known for Little V in Rotterdam and The Hague, and creative director Tim Wes. Together, they have developed a contemporary interpretation of the European grand café, drawing inspiration from French café culture, Vietnamese cuisine and the creative community of Rotterdam.

From Little V to Grand Café do.

Tan Do opened the first Little V in The Hague in 2006, introducing Vietnamese cooking to a wider Dutch audience. The restaurant was followed by a Rotterdam location near the Laurenskerk, where Little V became an established part of the city's dining scene.

Twenty years after opening his first restaurant, Do is taking a different approach with Grand Café do. Rather than concentrating exclusively on Vietnamese cuisine, the new restaurant combines influences from Saigon and Paris.

The menu includes familiar elements from both traditions, sometimes appearing together in the same dish. A Saigon croissant, for example, comes with Vietnamese sausage, fried egg, whipped La Vache qui rit cheese, watercress, fermented hot sauce and pickled vegetables.

There is also a vegetarian bánh mì with mushroom pâté, crispy annatto tofu, pickled vegetables and coriander mayonnaise. Other dishes include chicken liver parfait with plum and pink peppercorns, clams prepared with Vietnamese beer, ginger and lemongrass, and steak haché served with chips, butter lettuce and sauce verte.

For dinner, the menu includes Saigon-style pork belly with garlic, tamarind, Vietnamese herbs and pickled vegetables.

The restaurant is open from the morning onwards, so visitors can also stop for coffee, pastries, breakfast or lunch without committing to a full evening meal. The concept is intended to suit different moments of the day, from a quick visit before catching a train to a longer dinner or late-night drink.

Tan Do, restaurateur and founder of Grand Café do., pictured with creative director Tim Wes (right). Photograph: Daniel Verolme.

A new chapter for the former Brasserie Engels

The choice of location brings a familiar Rotterdam address back into use. Brasserie Engels occupied the corner of the Groot Handelsgebouw for decades before closing in 2020. Its history stretched back well beyond the building itself, and the restaurant was closely associated with the area around Rotterdam Centraal.

For the past six years, the prominent ground-floor space has remained largely unused. Grand Café do. now gives it a new purpose.

The Groot Handelsgebouw was completed in 1953 and designed by architects Huig Maaskant and Willem van Tijen. Built during Rotterdam's post-war reconstruction, it became one of the defining buildings of the area around the central station.

Its concrete structure and large interior spaces provide the setting for Grand Café do., where the original architectural character remains visible alongside contemporary furniture, lighting and artwork.

An interior shaped by artists and designers

The interior has been developed by MASA Architects in collaboration with design studio Fundamente and a group of artists and designers, including Sabine Marcelis, Kim Mupangilaï, Moon Seop Seo, Sotiris De Wit, Eyal Reches and Casper Faassen.

Instead of following one decorative style, the project brings together furniture, artworks and objects from different periods and backgrounds. Vintage pieces sit alongside newly commissioned designs, while marble, wood, metal and warm lighting introduce different textures throughout the space.

The design draws inspiration from Parisian grand cafés, the atmosphere of old Saigon and the work of architects including Geoffrey Bawa and Lina Bo Bardi.

In the dining room, marble-topped tables, upholstered seating and sculptural wooden objects create smaller areas within the large interior. A long bar provides another place to meet, while a separate lounge uses warmer, darker lighting and contemporary furniture.

The interiors have been designed to accommodate everything from individual visitors and small groups to larger gatherings. The restaurant also includes spaces for private dining, meetings and events.

A lounge and bar area at Grand Café do., featuring contemporary design and warm lighting. Image: Grand Café do., supplied press material.

Food, art and room to meet

Beyond the restaurant itself, Tan Do and Tim Wes want to create opportunities for artists, designers and other creative professionals to contribute to the venue.

The intention is to introduce changing artworks, cultural activities and collaborations over time, allowing the space to develop after its opening rather than remain fixed around a single interior concept.

For visitors, that means Grand Café do. is intended to function as more than a place to book dinner. Its location opposite Rotterdam Centraal also makes it accessible for informal meetings, lunch with colleagues, drinks after work or a meal before travelling.

The cultural programme is still developing, so visitors interested in specific exhibitions or events should consult the restaurant's announcements.

Opening hours and practical information

Grand Café do. is located on the ground floor of the Groot Handelsgebouw, directly opposite Rotterdam Centraal. The restaurant is a short walk from the main entrance of Rotterdam Centraal, which is served by national and international trains, metro services, trams and buses. If you are arriving by car, public parking is available inside the Groot Handelsgebouw and at other parking garages around the station.