Dudok — Restaurant in Rotterdam

This review is solely for the coffee I had at Dudok. I ordered a Flat White. A Flat White is a more ‘modern’ style of coffee, coming into fashion since the 1980s, associated with what is called ‘third wave coffee’. Third wave coffee is noteworthy for being a refinement of traditional coffee making practices, namely, but not exclusively, a lighter roast (not dark roast), careful extraction (grind and timing) and when milk is used, it is heated to the point where the natural sugars are made present and not ‘cooked off’.

This brings me to the flat white I received at Dudok. First impression - a sponge may have been dropped into the coffee before it was brought to me. I will include a photo. The foam had splashes of burnt crema and was not a typical presentation.

On tasting the coffee the extremely hot temperature was again noteworthy. Hot enough to burn my tongue, I’d guess 90++ degrees. The natural sugars in the milk were long gone. The coffee was presented with a package of refined sugar, sadly necessary to make this brew palatable. This is very common in old style coffee shops. The coffee itself, despite the addition of milk, was bitter with a burnt caramel taste. Not enjoyable even by less modern standards. I took two sips, one on the coffee arriving (scalding hot) and the other after it cooled a little so I could give it a second assessment. Frankly it was awful. I drank no more. As an experiment I left the barely touched 4€+ coffee sitting beside my plate to see if the staff would enquire to why I had not really touched it. There was no interest in why I ordered something and left it untouched. This probably brings us to the real issue here. A long established place with tried and true methods, that just don’t get revisited or reassessed. It’s no longer a vanguard restaurant changing the landscape of eating out in Rotterdam, it’s a institution and profit machine. This place is a ‘safe’ choice (as long as you don’t order an espresso drink), not a great choice.

To the owners: please consider hiring someone to update your coffee setup and offerings. It’s really not great. Perhaps the guy who makes the coffee at FiveFiveFive – Coffee in Rotterdam could be hired as a consultant. Their coffee...

I visit this café whenever I get the chance, and it’s become one of my go-to spots for a quick and simple meal. The food is straightforward and uncomplicated, perfect for when you’re craving something casual. One of the highlights for me is the apple crumble, which is always fresh and delicious—definitely worth trying if you have a sweet tooth. Another great aspect is that there’s usually no problem finding a table, which makes it a convenient choice when you’re looking for a place to sit down without too much hassle.

The service, however, can be a bit hit or miss. While some of the wait staff are genuinely friendly and helpful, answering questions with a good attitude, others seem less engaged. It’s clear that many restaurants in the Netherlands hire young staff who often lack the training or passion for hospitality, and this café is no exception. I’ve noticed that this seems to be common practice, which can sometimes impact the overall dining experience.

On the plus side, the coffee here is quite good, and it pairs well with their dessert offerings. It’s a nice spot for a quick bite if you’re in the area and want something low-key. That said, I have to mention that the prices are on the higher side. For what you get, I don’t find the value to be great, so I don’t come here as often as I’d like. While it’s a pleasant place, the cost doesn’t always justify the experience, especially considering the simplicity...

Came here for breakfast, since their egg toasts were always good, but this time a bit disappointing. The quality and quantity have visibly significant gone down. Smaller portion, thin and small toast, less eggs.

When coming in, no one was there to serve you, but there is a sign to wait before seating. So we waited 5min, still no one came. In the end we went to the chatting staff if we can just pick a table and sit down, we were told “ok, you can sit here” (which was near the frontdoor). It was not too busy, so some managing staff were too busy chatting instead of supervising and serving. Missing drinks or mixed up servings were all happening next to the neighbouring tables. One tall young girl was doing her best to make up the errors of her colleagues, but still it felt wrong.

There is not a lot of choices on the menu, more basic and simple dishes, like toasts, Dutch croquettes on a bread and cakes. Dudok is well known for it’s apple pies. You can even buy them in the next store as take away (separate Dudok cake store) since most of the time it can be very busy at the Dudok cafe.

For conversation while eating this is not the place to be, when crowded and busy it can be quite noisy inside the Dudok cafe. It is hard to...