#ibcom

Ever wanted to dine in a restaurant with a couple of Kat von D’s behind the grill? Well, you can! In Rotterdam, on the Meent, at Burgertrut (Dutch for: ‘Bourgeois-bitch’ [sic]). Don’t let the name fool you, these tough ladies will serve the most exhilarating and healthy burgers that we at gROwDAM have tasted yet. Burgertrut will change everything you think you've known about burgers. Mainly because they have a large range of vegetarian patties, and fresh, pure juices to go along with them.

Burgertrut is part of an art initiative called Roodkapje Rottterdam (Yes three T’s, why? Nobody knows!). Right next to the restaurant you can step into a world of artistic expression, and extrinsic experimentation. Roodkapje Rottterdam is engaged with all facets of art, and provides quickly changing exhibitions, that are both approachable as well as critical.

On top of their soft spot for culture, Burgertrut takes care of the world we live in. Their produce is either organic, local, seasonal, Fair Trade, or animal friendly. Full but not done eating? Doggybag! Another important asset: The toilets are water-smart. 

Quickly back to gastronomy! Whether you order the “Seitanic Kebabs”, (Seitan skewers with fresh mixed salad and a dangerous garlic-coriander-yoghurt dip), or the “What’s up doc?” (A carrot burger on a bed of julienne salad and curry sauce topped with cheese all between a crisp bun) doesn’t matter, you know you are eating original, high quality food, that you don’t even have to feel guilty about. Besides these health crunches, you have your regular (organic) beef burger and your classic cheeseburger (“Texas Cheese Massacre”). The prices are very fair, and definitely student proof (all veggie burgers €5,50). Besides that, their well-earned profit entirely goes to Roodkapje, so you are doing good yourself and the Arts at the same time. All in a low key setting, with a different bouquet of flamboyant flowers on every table, a great open kitchen to behold the fierce grilling, and a very pettable doorkeeper (their brave Jack Russell).

There is only one point of critique for Burgertrut and that is the absence of a terrace. As a compensation, they throw open their front door for some fresh air. Welcome, but with this beautiful weather people are going to want a little UV. So I’m going to use this opportunity to say: Kat, put some of those solid picnic tables on the pavement, and we will come running for your burgers like there is no tomorrow!   

Opening Hours

Tuesdays from 17.00 till 22.00

Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11.30 till 22.00

Sundays from 14.00 till 20.00

Contact

Burgertrut

In stores and on this website, you have probably come across different yet similar terms like ‘eco-friendly’, ‘organic’ and ‘biological’. These terms all tell you something about the way a product is doing something good for the environment. Chances are however, that you do not know how and if these terms differ exactly. We also understand if you don’t feel like doing research on it right away.

Therefore, we present to you: ’s list of Green Terms.

1. Green: Besides a lovely color we used for our logo, it is of course commonly associated with nature and the environment. Green products are ideally products that cause no harm to the environment when they are created, used and disposed of. However, there is a risk that products are ‘green-washed’, therefore it is always smart to check products for eco-logos.   

2. Environmental friendly:  Means ‘not being harmful towards the environment’, and therefore is a very broad term. Organic materials are for example eco-friendly, but not everything that is eco-friendly is organic.

3. Eco-friendly:  Is often used interchangeably with the previous term, and also means that it does not harm the environment.

This vintage shop for both men and women lives up to its name: Cheap Fashions sells cheap clothes. However, the quality varies. In this shop, you can find a great-looking coat for only €30,-, but they also sell old shoes that have clearly seen better days. Clothes are arranged in neat categories, jeans are even ordered by size. The amount of accessories is impressive, including nice hats, scarves, bags, you name it.

  The yellow-painted walls of Cheap Fashion are covered in posters, upbeat music playing in the background: the shop has a fun vibe, that gets even stronger when you go downstairs. Skim through the shoe department and the sales section, and go to the back of the area downstairs, where a whole variety of dressing-up stuff is waiting for you: kimonos, pink fluffy stuff, tiger prints and a lot of latex. If you’re going to a costume party, we suggest you to browse through this part of the shop. All in all, a nice alternative to the mainstream fashion scene.

 -IS

Opening Hours

Mondays closed

Tuesdays through Thursdays from 9.30 till 17.30

Fridays from 9.30 till 20.30

Saturdays from 9.30 till 16.30

Sundays closed

Contact

Cheap Fashion

Want to get to know the gROwDAM Team?

We went to New Fork on Wednesday afternoon at around 13:00 to find out it was quite popular since almost all the tables were taken. However, the service there is pretty fast so it didn’t take long to find a free table.

When walking into New Fork you can already tell that it is an environmentally friendly restaurant. The whole lunchroom radiates a kind of green and healthy energy. The restaurant is quite light due to the simple clean uncluttered concept and the big windows separating the different spaces. Not only does New Fork provide a nice space for a quick lunch but also for meetings since they provide free wifi and an outlet at every table. It is also a great place to kick back and relax in one of their lounge chairs enjoying the jazzy music while waiting for your food, which after ordering at the counter will be, brought to you.  

They offer a wide variety of sandwiches/salads/yogurt at a reasonable price (€2 - €6) and a lot of other healthy snacks such as smoothies, freshly squeezed juices and fruits. The sandwiches are amazingly good and you can tell just by looking at them that they are made of healthy and fresh products. And make sure you’re hungry because you get a nice big sandwich, which is definitely your money’s worth!

All in all, New Fork is a great place to have healthy honest lunch or snack in the shopping center of Rotterdam. No time to sit and enjoy your lunch at New Fork? No problem! At New Fork you can place your order and get your food delivered!

-SDJ

Opening Hours

Mondays through Fridays from 09:00 till 17:00

Saturdays from 09:30 till 17:00

Sundays from 12:00 till 17:00

Contact

New Fork

Serving the seasons! That’s what Het Lokaal stands for. They do not only use products that are specific to the time of year (like pumpkin in autumn, and red fruit in summer), they also respond to the different needs that people have depending on whether leaves are dropping, snow is falling, little crocuses appear, or the sun is burning. 

This means that when the cold is  creeping under your clothes, you can get a warm cup of cocoa (not to be forgotten, one can  choose from 10 flavors!), a nice Dutch “stamppot” (one of them prepared with truffle!), or a stack of comforting traditional American pancakes in the morning.   

 In the late spring, Het Lokaal  slowly transforms into a respectable ice cream parlor for hot summer days. This is where they take up a unique place within the Nieuwe Binnenweg, as they are the only ones offering the joys of ice cream. For those of you who are frightened by the idea of having to choose between the 16 different flavors, a wonderfully “shaken” iced tea can be a nice and welcome alternative. 

Het Lokaal offers you a calm and cozy place to sit and read the paper accompanied by a solid cup of coffee, or to enjoy a nice pot of fresh tea (at the moment: mint or ginger) over a good old chat with your friends. The feel inside brings back that little bit of nostalgia from the primary school, with the typical chairs and tables. However, they don’t take this classroom atmosphere too far. The spacious terrace (that does need to be prepared for warmer days) and the exposed brick wall, give Het Lokaal a grown up, and sophisticated edge. This upscale ambiance is supported by pleasant jazz and soul in the background. And to top things off, from now on, every last Sunday of the month Het Lokaal opens its doors all through the early evening for you to enjoy a nice drink while listening to soul provided by a selection of guest DJs.

Pricing is very fair, and the menu is always changing and full of interesting, surprising dishes. This makes Het Lokaal the ideal stop at the end of the longest shopping street of Rotterdam. No matter what the weather is like, you will find whatever you are craving for and more, at Het Lokaal!   

-AB

Opening Hours

Mondays from 11.00 till 18.00

Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10.00 till 18.00

Sundays from 12.00 till 18.00

Contact

Het Lokaal