You’ll only come to De Ballentent for one thing: the best meatball in Rotterdam. Delicious with bread, peanut sauce or chips. The cosiness of a brown port bar and a view of the Maas river are thrown in for free.
‘Let’s have something to drink at that ball joint.’ This statement (uttered in a Rotterdam accent) gave rise to the name of this brown port bar. It was the gathering place for people working in the port. Now, it’s one of the few port bars left in town, making it all the more special. The maritime interior with photos, paintings and attributes from the Holland America Line are great. In addition to the best meatball in Rotterdam, the menu features many more typical bar dishes, such as fried eggs.
Nice to know!
The building that houses De Ballentent had various owners. It started out as a customs depot, following which it housed the Central Office for Motor Vehicle Testing. According to the stories, it didn’t take much to get your license. Driving over the dock without any glitches was enough.
| De Ballentent | |
| Address: | Parkkade 1, Rotterdam |
| Open: | see website |
| Online: | deballentent.nl |