Restobar Vista Rotterdam opened by the owners of Vista Willemstad
v.l.n.r. Nikki Bijtenhoorn, Pieter van Hoof, Ingrid en Henrie van der Heijden, Kimmo Geus.- credits Lyan von Furth
Exterior Restobar Vista - credits Lyan von Furth
Interior Restobar Vista - credits Lyan von Furth 
Interior Restobar Vista - credits Lyan von Furth 
Interior Restobar Vista - credits Lyan von Furth 
Vista Eel brioche - credits Lyan von Furth
Vista Linguine with a farmers egg - credits Lyan von Furth
Restobar Vista - Pêche melba - credits Lyan von Furth
Restobar Vista - Tiradito, sea bass - credits Lyan von Furth
Opening – Ingrid and Henrie van der Heijden opened Restobar Vista in Rotterdam on July 15th 2024. It’s the second restaurant of the couple, who also own Michelin star restaurant Vista in Willemstad. Guests at Restobar Vista Rotterdam dine with a unique view over the water of the Nieuwe Maas river, the Erasmus Bridge and the skyline of Rotterdam. The new establishment is run by chef Kimmo Geus and hostess Nikki Bijtenhoorn.
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Restobar Vista | Grand views and grand hospitality
Vista stands for the panoramic view over the water, for grandness in hospitality, culinary delight and for freedom. For their second Vista, SVH Meesterkok Henrie and hostess Ingrid van der Heijden chose the formula of a restobar: an à la carte menu with high-quality bites and dishes in a casual ambiance and with attention to good wines. Restobar Vista is located on the ground floor of building De Rotterdam on Wilhelminapier at Rotterdam’s Kop van Zuid. The restaurant seats 60 people plus 10 at a dinner bar.
Kimmo Geus and Nikki Bijtenhoorn run Restobar Vista
The new establishment is run by chef Kimmo Geus (28) and hostess Nikki Bijtenhoorn (22). Henrie van der Heijden says: “Kimmo has been my sous-chef in Willemstad for a long time and previously worked as sous-chef at top establishments such as Meliefste in Wolphaartsdijk, Perceel in Capelle aan den IJssel and Parkheuvel in Rotterdam. Our daughter Nikki also has her roots in Vista Willemstad and she and Kimmo will run our Rotterdam establishment according to our philosophy. Maître-sommelier is Pieter van Hoof, who has extensive experience at top restaurants in the regions of Eindhoven and Rotterdam. Our base remains in Willemstad, but in the first months we will be in Rotterdam almost daily to help build the business.”
Plenty to choose from their à la carte menu
That Restobar Vista also stands for freedom is also evident from its menu. Instead of a fixed multi-course menu, the focus is on the à la carte menu. It includes dishes such as carpaccio, vongole with green curry, langoustines à la plancha, North Sea sole fried on the bone, ribeye with bearnaise sauce, tournedos and Vista classics such as linguine with farm egg and truffle and the Vista oyster. They also have a menu of distinctive bites and a three-course lunch menu.
Interior of Restobar Vista with a wink to the water
As in Willemstad, they chose Jeroen Smeele of SMEELE Design for the interior design. He designed a soft, light and stylish interior with shades of blue and pink in the lead and in which the blue refers to the water. Ingrid van der Heijden says: “The water is reflected in the blue tones of the wall coverings and the upholstery of the chairs. The semi-circular benches are covered with soft pink upholstery and both shades recur subtly on the table in water glasses and side plates and more prominently in various accessories. Eyecatchers are the special elongated white pendant lamps in the shape of spindles, the flower bouquets and the cart on which we present the cheeses.
Sitting at the bar, you have a view into the open kitchen, making the bar also a chef’s table. For private dining, the rear part of the restaurant is suitable; here there is room for up to 20 people. We are also very happy with the terrace! You can enjoy one of the most beautiful views of the river the Maas and Rotterdam while dining.”
A wine list with 300 wines, cocktails and mocktails
The wine list has around 300 wines, mostly from Europe, South Africa and North America are also represented. Ingrid van der Heijden says: “The wine list reflects our own taste and includes older vintage wines of Burgundy. Furthermore, we pay a lot of attention to cocktails, both with and without alcohol.”
Bringing the Vista feeling to Rotterdam
Ingrid and Henrie van der Heijden are proud of their new restaurant. “Together with Nikki and Kimmo and the team, we are really looking forward to bringing the Vista feeling to Rotterdam. Based on the positive reactions we received in the first week, we are very confident that we will succeed.”
Restobar Vista is open from Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. An additional opening day will be added in due course. Check out their website here!
About Ingrid and Henrie van der Heijden
Hostess Ingrid and chef Henrie van der Heijden previously worked together in top establishments, before running their own top restaurant ‘t Raadhuis in Heinenoord from 2011 to 2016. They outgrew the space in Heinenoord and opened restaurant Vista in Willemstad in 2016, which was awarded a Michelin star in December 2017. In 2020, Henrie achieved the title of ‘SVH Meesterkok’ (culinary master chef).
Website: Restobar Vista Rotterdam
