Niko's Bar and Kitchen

The pasta with homemade pesto made by famous Mama Stern was simply the best I ever had!

Very interesting place on the map - i wish I get the chance to experience the real Dutch cuisine there cause what I tried so far in other restaurants was disappointing. The place is always fully booked so I am looking forward the first free slot I could get. High expectations!

I saw this new dining option pop up nearby and thought to myself “What’s better than a bar and restaurant in a small student apartment building? I’ve got to give it a try!”. So one evening I suited up to test the waters at this new establishment conveniently located at the crossroads between upper-class, family-values Kralingen and alcohol-fueled student Kralingen.The disappointing evening starts upon entry - you have to walk through the kitchen to get to the seating area. Few seating places are available, leading me to believe they aim to be an exclusive establishment, despite their clear flaws. Once I was seated I noticed the interesting decor and furnishing, merging ‘restaurant’ with ‘bedroom’ and a touch of ‘living room’ - some may call it avant-garde, I call it confusing and concerning.Instead of a menu or buffet, the hosts provide you with their choice of meal for the night - this lack of selection extends to the wine list, which has very little variety and quality. However, a relatively well-stocked liqueur selection goes a little way to making up for this. Nevertheless, at certain points in the evening I was made to fetch new drinks for myself, as the staff chose instead to sit down and dine with us, the guests! In all my years I have never experienced service like this.The restroom (sickeningly located just through the kitchen) has both positives and negatives. It is adequately stocked with quality 3-ply paper, outdated Dutch-language magazines and a wide selection of laundry detergent. If you’re not Dutch, cellphone games or Reddit are an absolute must. No toilet paper on the floor, little-to-no smell of malted urine and a squeaky clean sink make this as attractive as a dining area as the dining area itself. However, the common theme of disappointment indeed extends to this room. The lack of a urinal makes splash-back a real risk, and a finicky door lock almost led to me being stuck in the restroom! And with the staff all lazing in the dining room who knows how long it would have taken to free me!The ambience was also disappointing - the lack of live entertainment proved a sore point. I found myself wishing for anything to cover the construction noise from next door and the antics of the nearby student association.Despite its above-average food and friendly hosts, I certainly feel there are more pleasant dining experiences in the nearby area. The only way I will be returning to this establishment is through some sort of Floo network error.

Heerlijk eten! Niets dan lof

Tijdens het zoeken naar een nieuw restaurant kwam ik dit pareltje tegen op Google Maps. Vanaf het moment dat je binnenkomt wordt je blij verrast door de authentieke uitstraling van het restaurant. De open keuken biedt daarnaast een unieke kans om tijdens de bereiding van het eten mee te kijken.Het eten is een interessante mix, die bijna te beschrijven is als een Duits/Zuid-Afrikaanse fusion. Ruime keuze uit een gevarieerd menu en de bar is goed gevuld. De zelfgemaakte koffie is niet te overtreffen.Al met al een geweldige ervaring, waarvoor ik zeker ga terugkomen!

Lovely restaurant, had THE BEST coffee in Netherlands here. It had wonderful atmosphere, very homey. Highly recommend, unfortunately bookings are not always available.

Dit restaurant is heel lekker en leuk. Dit is een beetje verborgen maar het eten is super.

The food was super nice but the place is a bit hidden, I got some speakeasy vibes which I really enjoyed! Will definitely come back :)