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hand picked restaurants

The Western Haldersterrein complex was built in 1894 at the initiative of a number of traders from Rotterdam. The facade alternates between large openings framed by heavy wooden doors and small windows, while the spacious interior is crowned by a large glass dome.

Abacanto, a splendid place serving international cuisine with an Italian twist, is situated at the back of this building. It features a covered outdoor area for al fresco banquets, a bar and a dining room with a view of the kitchen. The decor is a mix of classic and contemporary with highlights of abstract paintings and projections of surreal forms on the wall.

The restaurant provides a mix of fun and serious dining for customers through its various offerings. Whether you want to just enjoy a drink while listening to live music - which ranges from solo piano performances, to jazz bands, to the latest techno tracks spun by reputed DJs - or dance the night away, it should fit pleasantly with whatever mood you?re in. The specially equipped bar is a good spot to start your evening with cocktails and snacks before moving on to satisfy your gastronomic aspirations.

Carpaccio of shellfish and satay, or tapijtschelpjes in white wine, spicy cherry tomatoes, parsley, garlic and toasted bread is a good starter. Biancaneve, a pizza with thin, crunchy crust generously topped with buffalo mozzarella, Parma ham, thinly sliced rocket parmigiano is a good option for main course. Cassata siciliana with cake, ricotta, cinnamon or chocolate, candied fruit and marzipan for dessert brings down the curtain on a good meal.

The gauchos of Argentina, the equivalent of the American cowboys, are symbolic of some of the metaphors that describe this arid and beautiful country. Lean and fit, they roam the Pampas on horseback and have become iconic, representing a reaffirmation of love for culture and roots. The Gauchos Grill, a chain of over twenty restaurants across the Netherlands and England, brings these concepts to the fore and has achieved both success and popularity.

More than thirty years have passed since the first restaurant began but even now the same standards are maintained, and the beef is vacuum packed, not frozen, so it retains moisture. The intense flavour could be attributed to the grass fed cattle that wander freely on the Pampas, herded by the gauchos. When it does arrive at its various destinations, taking as long as six weeks, the meat is rich and very tender.

In Rotterdam, the breathtaking beauty of the Berges lakes is a precursor to the simple but delightful meal you can experience at Gauchos - Weissenbruchlaan that is located at the foot of Mount Voorplas. The panoramic view, that greets guests as they sit down on the terrace for a spot of al fresco dining, is attractive and pleasing to the senses.

Before ordering one of the typical carnivorous options, you could head for some starters such as the large tangy prawns with garlic mayonnaise, or maybe the empanadas, traditional savoury pasties filled with delicious caprese, blue cheese or corn. Seafood is represented in this 'meaty' menu with a ceviche of scallops, cured with citrus juice, and served with red onion, chilli and coriander.

Although for some a visit to Gauchos is irrelevant without steak, you could take a look at some of the other mains such as the matelote, a parcel of three types of fish with white wine, steamed in tin foil, or the gemarineerde kipfilet, succulent chicken breast in a lemon marinade. But it takes just one bite of the succulent bife de lomo, a tender fillet, or bife ancho, a marbled rib eye steak, for you to probably agree that it is one of the best you have had.

The cooking process involves using the chimichurri marinade, a piquant mixture of chopped parsley, coriander, garlic and oregano, oil and salt to the meat, which is then flash grilled over the asado, Argentina's national barbeque, and turned over just the once. This retains the juices and flavours while preserving the texture admirably.

To culminate such a hearty meal, consider some of the desserts such as whipped ice cream with whisky and nuts, fresh fruit fondue with hot chocolate sauce, or an Argentinean favourite, crêpes with dulce de leche ice cream are indulgent and decadently fulfilling.

The wine list is extensive and merits some careful contemplation as you decide whether to go for the reds and whites from Spain and Italy. Wines from the renowned Bodega Norton also make their appearance along with local organic and bio-dynamic varieties, and the Malbec Mendoza, an Argentinean Bordeaux variant, tops the list.

Lepels Eten en Drinken, located in Short Haven, serves contemporary French and Mediterranean cuisine. The space there is divided into three parts: the lounge, which sports a comfortable setting where you can order either aperitifs and snacks, or an after dinner coffee; the dining area, where black and white colours set the tone and timber and other natural elements give it a warm aura, and the boat, a recent addition, which promises a unique experience.

The place offers beautiful views of the Short Harbour and the properties within and you can sample the now renowned Limburgs leaven bread with olive oil as you watch the sunset or listen to your companion's latest exploits. When weather permits, you could enjoy sunshine and food on the lovely terrace.

Marc Smeets and Kim Hilbink, the founders, identified this magnificent building on the bank of the Schiedam canal for their venture. They also had two clear goals in mind when they designed their product: the fare should change daily and customers should be able to choose between full and half portions. Today, their patrons revel in the opportunity to tuck into a wider variety from the menu, providing proof of the concept's success.

Expect to find cold choices such as coquille, which is gazpacho soup - a cold soup made with local ingredients which include broken bread, olive oil, vinegar, garlic and water - with fried cherry tomatoes, salad of king crab from the Bering Sea and strips of spring turnip, and raw tuna served with jelly broth and sweet and sour ginger vinaigrette. Others can try the tartare of beef with summer truffles and crispy fried lobster with cream of champagne vinegar.

Steaming hot offerings could include poached sea bass in broth, saffron, ravioli stuffed with serrano ham and filet of griet, a kind of flatfish, with a jus of crustaceans and beetroot, and crispy pancetta bacon. For vegetarians there is artichoke and morbier cheese, grilled green asparagus and mushrooms with sauce of red peppers.

Whatever you choose, an evening out there is bound to leave you with a pleasant aftertaste and make you long for another visit as soon as you get a chance.