For many Rotterdammers, the name Villa Kakelbont still rings a bell. The café, once a well-known nightlife spot at the Oude Haven, has now returned to the city with a new home in the centre. This time at the Halvemaanpassage, just behind the Meent.
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Step inside and it almost feels like time slowed down a little. The new Villa Kakelbont presents itself as a vintage “living room café” for the city: relaxed, welcoming and slightly nostalgic. With board games scattered around, a bar you can easily slide into and a menu full of familiar comfort dishes, it’s the kind of place where you might arrive for a quick drink and end up staying the whole evening.
“We want people to walk in and feel like they’ve been coming here for years,” says co-owner Thom van Zanten. “Just Rotterdam at its best: down-to-earth, warm and a little old-fashioned in the best possible way.”
A familiar name returns
Villa Kakelbont first opened in the 1990s at the Oude Haven and grew into one of the most recognisable nightlife spots for a generation of Rotterdammers. It was a place where evenings often started and rarely ended according to plan.
Now the name returns on a new Rotterdam façade, just a short walk from the Meent. Not as a replica of the original café, but as a modern interpretation of the same atmosphere.
“We mostly asked ourselves where we would like to go for a drink,” says Thom. “Not a place with a strict concept or where everything needs to be perfect, but somewhere with warmth, character and life.”
The café aims to attract a broad crowd: from after-work drinks during the week to long evenings with friends at the bar, but also families stopping by for dinner.
The return of the ‘daghap’
The menu deliberately avoids complicated dishes or overly refined presentations. Instead, Villa Kakelbont focuses on classic café food done well. Expect dishes like grilled entrecôte, pork tenderloin and hearty bar bites such as smoked sausage. A weekly changing “daghap” is also part of the menu, offered for €16.95 and announced through social media. Rather than a simple traditional stew, these are proper daily dishes prepared with care.
“You don’t have to explain the menu here,” Thom says. “These are dishes people genuinely feel like eating.”
Behind the bar, the selection also leans towards familiar classics. Pilsner Urquell, Guinness and Paulaner are on tap, alongside a small list of straightforward cocktails.
Vintage interiors and a living room atmosphere
The interior is intentionally far from new. Old wood panelling, stained glass details, marble café tables and vintage seating have been collected from different places across the country, giving the space a lived-in feel.
“We didn’t want a sleek or perfect café,” says Thom. “That mix of different pieces gives it character.”
The venue can host around 200 guests, spread across cosy corners, large tables and a central bar. Pool tables, dartboards and board games are part of the experience, and there’s even a small play area for children.
During the day, guests stop by for a drink or a game of pool. In the evening, the café slowly fills up with people settling in for the night. Or as Thom puts it: “It’s a place for everyone, the living room café of Rotterdam.”
Location and opening hours
Villa Kakelbont is located at Halvemaanpassage 1, just behind the Meent in the centre of Rotterdam.
The café is currently open Monday to Thursday from 15:00 until midnight. On Fridays the doors stay open until 02:00, while Saturdays start earlier at 13:00 and continue until 02:00. On Sundays, Villa Kakelbont welcomes guests from 14:00 until 23:00!
