ROTTERDAM, 18 April 2025 – A citywide search is underway to uncover the pubs that still hold the heart of Rotterdam’s neighbourhood life. Residents are being asked to nominate their favourite 'brown cafés'.
Image: Cafe Voorheen Companjen. On the left: Nicole from Wijkcollectie, on the right: Léontine from Museum Rotterdam. Photo credit: Marijke Gips
In search of Rotterdam’s most authentic pub
Museum Rotterdam and Stichting Wijkcollectie have launched a new initiative to map and honour the city’s traditional pubs—known locally as bruine kroegen—as part of an effort to preserve Rotterdam’s living cultural heritage.
The initiative follows a motion passed by the Rotterdam city council in December 2024. With rising pressure from gentrification and changing nightlife trends, many of these long-standing neighbourhood bars are disappearing, often replaced by modern cafés and boutique venues. In response, the council called for an inventory of brown cafés that may qualify as Echt Rotterdams Erfgoed (“Real Rotterdam Heritage”).
At present, only one venue—De Schouw—has ever received that designation. Though it no longer exists in its original form, its legacy lives on. Now, a new chapter begins.
A living room for the neighbourhood
Traditional brown cafés have long served as more than watering holes. Their wood-panelled interiors and timeworn beer taps have hosted friendships, reunions, and countless everyday conversations. In some neighbourhoods, these cafés act as informal community centres—open to all, familiar to many.
“A brown café is more than a place to drink,” said Nicole van Dijk, director of Stichting Wijkcollectie. “It’s a neighbourhood living room. People come together here, stories are shared, and problems are sometimes solved. That kind of accessibility is vital to the social fabric of the city.”
Léontine Meijer-van Mensch, director of Museum Rotterdam, echoed the sentiment. “Rotterdam is always evolving,” she said. “But some parts of the city’s identity are worth holding on to. Brown cafés often have a long family history and play a unique role in their communities.”
How pubs will be selected
The team is now visiting pubs across the city, focusing on those nominated by residents. Selection will be based on criteria such as social significance, continuity, and connection to the neighbourhood. All findings will be documented visually, and an advisory council will review which pubs are ultimately added to the Echt Rotterdams Erfgoed collection.
This process is not entirely new; over the years, Stichting Wijkcollectie has already added more than 100 stories to the heritage collection through similar grassroots contributions. The current campaign simply shines a spotlight on a specific part of city life—pubs that may not look like much from the outside, but tell a bigger story within.
Preserving the soul of Rotterdam’s café culture
Once recognised as heritage, each pub’s story becomes part of the city’s public record—sometimes via exhibitions, and always with the aim of honouring everyday places. Past efforts to document pub life have included photography by Otto Snoek, whose early 2000s portraits captured the atmosphere and regulars of the city's cafés. His work is now part of Museum Rotterdam’s permanent collection, along with vintage pub signs, beer glasses and advertising memorabilia from the Oranjeboom brewery, which once operated in the city centre.
The project hopes to celebrate these spaces while they’re still alive—rather than only remembering them after they’re gone.
Nominate your local
Anyone with a favourite brown café is invited to contribute. Whether it’s a pub where generations have gathered, or simply a place that never fails to feel like home, nominations are welcome by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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