Tips from Esmeralda

Esmeralda started since the opening of The James as our Front Office Supervisor and now she is working as our Junior Front Office Manager.

Describe Rotterdam in a sentence?
Rotterdam is a city for everyone! Whether you like art, food, architecture, culture, nature or adventure, it doesn't matter, Rotterdam has it all!

What is your favourite hotspot?
My favourite places are Thoms on the Meent in winter and Aloha Bar in summer. I like Thoms because I think it is the perfect night out because they have a restaurant and bar for snacks and drinks and also a fun bar in the basement if you feel like dancing. Aloha Bar is the ideal place in summer to enjoy a nice cocktail by the water with a view of the Erasmus Bridge. It is also a bit nostalgic because it used to be the Tropicana swimming pool where I also went with my grandparents, you can even see the remains of the pool now and walk around there, how nice!

Aloha - low waste foodbar

Aloha is gevestigd in de oude Wildwaterbaan van Tropicana. De contouren van het oude zwemparadijs zijn nog duidelijk zichtbaar in de architectuur en inrichting van het restaurant en schitterend terras. Met innovatie als belangrijkste drijfveer serveert Aloha de beste lokale gerechten en dranken met een low-waste werkwijze zoals nergens gedaan wordt. Het betere bar food word hier gecombineerd met shared dining gerechten die het seizoen en de omgeving representeren. De cocktailbar van Aloha werkt met een low-waste principe, eigen infusies en dranken, planten en kruiden die alleen uit Nederland afkomstig zijn.

For a fun day out with the family or with friends, what would you definitely recommend?
I personally love Blijdorp, Rotterdam's zoo. A day trip to Blijdorp is always fun and I definitely think it is one of the nicest and most beautiful zoos in the Netherlands. Moreover, it is also one of the oldest zoos in the Netherlands, so it is really fun to see parts of the old park mixed with the new. I would like to get lost in the different continents in the zoo, and especially in the Oceanium I can have a great time in the underwater world. It is definitely recommended to go here with the family but also as a couple or with friends it is a really fun day out.

Rotterdam Zoo

Delicious food and drinks in a casual atmosphere? What do you definitely recommend visiting?

The place I definitely recommend is Little V. This Vietnamese restaurant not only looks fantastic but has delicious food on the menu. The traditional Vietnamese dishes are a great choice for both lunch and dinner and I always have a good time there. The atmosphere is relaxed and with the absolutely beautiful interior, you'll feast your eyes and it really gives you that holiday feeling.

Little V