The building that currently houses Hotel New York, while a recognisable landmark in the Rotterdam skyline, is anything but spectacular. Stand near the building, and its two green-turreted clocktowers become hidden. It’s striped red and white awnings are easily overlooked.
But ten stone steps separate the outside from the inside and inside is a whole different story.
Hotel New York is located in the former head office of the Holland America Line. It’s one part hotel and one part restaurant with a little space borrowed from both to accommodate a nostalgic barbershop, and in the basement, a new, second restaurant, aptly named NY Basement.
Upstairs, the breakfast buffet in Hotel New York’s namesake restaurant starts at 7 a.m.—hot and cold dishes all served with a river view. Dinner—a mixture of hearty meat dishes, more delicate seafood ones, and a splash of vegetarian options—can be ordered until 11 p.m. If you miss out, you can grab one of the small dishes on the menu until midnight. We skirted in by the skin of our teeth to qualify for the smaller, lighter lunch menu and a Hotel New York Angus burger on a brioche bun. At €15.50 this is apparently no ordinary burger, but one featuring a fried egg, fried mushroom, Cheddar cheese, crispy pancetta, and truffle mayonnaise.
The building of Hotel New York has been a national heritage site since 2000. Photo Credit: TasfotoNL/Shutterstock.com
There’s a buzz in the air at Hotel New York, akin to the buzz of a cruise ship departure hall, but fancier. Wooden tables and chairs fill the semi-compartmentalised sections under high ceilings cross-crossed with decorative and functional metal. Barely do we have a moment to admire the surroundings nor the double date drinking wine nearby because our meal arrives.
To be fair, service isn’t always the fastest at Hotel New York. So it is a semi-surprise (and worry) when our hamburgers arrive in no more than eight minutes. And while the burgers appear to have fared well it is evident after a few bites that not all of the fries have had time to cross the fine line between potato and french fry.
Both burgers arrive swimming in sad looking buns. Almost as if each bun feels bad for being so much bigger in size than its hamburger counterpart. As we bite into our burgers, one with all the toppings, the other with the egg, mushroom, and mayonnaise removed as requested, a debate begins on whether you can complain about flavour when you have actively removed part of the intended burger.
“Yes, but the burger itself should be well seasoned; the toppings complimenting and enhancing the flavour.”
“No, they are part of the burger. If you take them away, the overall effect is diminished.”
“Well, either way, I find the burger a bit bland.”
And bland, even if cooked exactly to your specifications and only with the requested toppings, is not what you want in an almost €16 burger. But the buzz in the air and the feeling of being somewhere special helps take away some of the sting. [clickToTweet tweet=”Hotel New York is located on the Wilhelmina Pier in #Rotterdam, the Netherlands.” quote=”Hotel New York is located on the Wilhelmina Pier, where modern-day cruise ships depart nearly every week.”]
In addition to the atmosphere, there is at least one other reason to eat at Hotel New York. The crème brûlée. If you are a fan of this classic dessert or even if you think you aren’t, this is the place to indulge in the €8.50 dish. Ignore the “Plain Jane” presentation, eat the small scoop of accompanying ice cream (or strawberries in summer) if you must, and dig in.
The custard of Hotel New York’s crème brûlée is silky smooth. The flavour delicate and non-eggy, as some versions can be. And the crunchy caramel on top? The perfect thinness to not break your teeth while complementing the layer beneath.
This. This is the dish worth waiting for and the dish worth returning for.
Rotterdam Restaurant Review: Hotel New York in Rotterdam, the Netherlands | Koninginnenhoofd 1, 3072 AD Rotterdam | 010-439-0500 | www.hotelnewyork.nl | Open Daily from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. | Reviewed: February 2017
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