restaurant review #121 – Gare du Nord is a vegan bistro in Rotterdam (the Netherlands) not so far from the main train station. The restaurant is in an old restaurant train coach, with plenty of outdoor seating in front. For those not so fluent in French: Gare du Nord literally means ‘the train station of the north side‘. Gare du Nord was closed for a while in the passed year, but has reopened again in Spring of 2017.

We were here a couple of weeks ago for lunch. It was a blooming hot day, and we were relieved to see there were large parasols outside so we could sit in the shade. It would have been impossible to have lunch inside the train coach, as it seemed even hotter inside than outside (I went in to have a look and take some pics).
The train coach is permanently stationned on a town square, with a herb garden next to it. Although it is not so far from the busy city center, it was very quiet and tranquil, hardly any passersby.

We were a bit disappointed that the menu for lunch only consisted of a handful of snack options. They were written on the chalkboard in front of the train coach: one burger, two sandwiches, bread with spread, quesadillas and soup.

Asked about the wines whether they were vegan and got confirmation. For drinks we had a bottle of sparkling water (33cl, 2,75€), a glass of wine (4€) and a beer (3,25€).

We ordered the Burger al la gare du nord (9,50€) and the sandwich with avocado (6,50€). The burger was made from red beets. It was nice, but didn’t really have a ‘burger’ consistency or bite.  Would have liked some more salad on the side too. The sandwich with avocado was nice and very  refreshing. Just the type of thing for such a hot day!

Service was swift and friendly. We also enjoyed the music. The wooden benches are not so comfortable and don’t invite for long dining.
I forgot to take a pic of the toilet. It is inside the carriage and a typical old school ‘train’ toilet (being rather small), but unlike many train toilets, this one was clean and tidy.
Keep in mind that the restaurant room and the toilet is in the train carriage itself (very high/steep steps) and might be inaccessible for  people with mobility problems.

We had a nice, light lunch. A bit of a bummer that the lunch menu only has some snack items (but is a bistro after all). There are more options on the dinner menu (with appetizers and dessert too). Maybe for our next visit to Rotterdam!

Gare de Nord, location

Anthoniestraat 2,
3032CP Rotterdam
010-3106288

website: http://www.restaurantgaredunord.nl/

See our lists of restaurants where vegans are welcome in the menu section of The Bruges vegan! List restaurants in Bruges and outside  Bruges.