De Witte Aap in Rotterdam Centrum

I visited on Saturday, great atmosphere, professional security 👌

Best pub in the Netherlands!!!! This is where I met my husband. There might be something special in the air here, because I happen to know other couples for whom the spark ignited at De Witte Aap. We dropped by spontaneously during our wedding to take a few photos and were welcomed with open arms. It was a very nice visit! If you ask me, De Witte Aap has the nicest, most enthusiastic, funniest, and most hospitable staff in the city. It is always cozy and pleasant at De Witte Aap. We visit a bit less often now, because our first love child could be born at any moment. But I look forward to our next visit!

After a delicious bite at Casa T. on Witte de Withstraat, we decided to continue the evening with a nightcap at De Witte Aap. It was one of those lovely, sultry summer evenings where the entire Witte de With comes alive. Consequently, the terrace was completely full. We, however, chose to sit inside so we could hear each other clearly and have a bit more space. We found a nice spot at the high tables in the back. By then, we were in quite a silly mood, and the staff knew exactly how to match that. We ordered a bottle of red wine for two and received good advice to go with it. And to be fair, that advice certainly did not disappoint. A delicious wine that suited the moment and the evening perfectly. But an extra compliment really goes to the staff. I had a bit of trouble getting onto the high stool, and the bartender asked with a straight face if I needed to go to the toilet regularly. Naturally, I jokingly went along with it. Not even a moment later, a crate appeared next to my stool so I could get on and off more easily. See, that is exactly my kind of humor. All joking aside, that is precisely where good hospitality lies for me. Looking at your guests, sensing what someone needs, and responding to that in a relaxed and natural way without making a big deal out of it. With a joke and a laugh, but at the same time being attentive and helpful. They have mastered that here. De Witte Aap has actually always been one of my favorites in Rotterdam, and an evening like this confirms exactly why. Good wine, a great atmosphere, Rotterdam coziness, and service that understands its guests. I will gladly return here.

I have mixed feelings. Great music, great service, but... I don't recommend it for women - the ratio of men (not Dutch) to women is 20:1, like a sheep in a cage with wolves. I don't recommend it for men either - you want to dance, talk to a woman... but the ones who are there are cornered... I tried it twice and it was the same both times. So... 🤷

Cozy cafe on Witte de Wit. For years. I could write a lot about it, but you just have to go.

Had a drink after dinner in the city center. Nothing special, just sitting comfortably and enjoying the people before you...

Not a pleasant place, often waiting too long before you are helped or not helped at all.

great place for a warm evening social

I was approached this evening in an extremely unprofessional and almost aggressive manner by the staff of De Witte Aap; absolutely to be avoided on Witte de Withstraat.

Simply because Paulaner exists

Always tasty and cozy. The beer needs to be blow-dried too 🤪

We visited you on Sunday evening, May 31, 2026. We spent our final evening in Rotterdam with you, and the evening—complete with our livestream—was truly lovely. We can only say thank you and highly recommend you to others

Great place for a beer with friends!

Cozy bar with extremely friendly staff. Smiling faces everywhere, worth a visit. The Salmari and Limoncello shots just kept coming! Great!

Truly the most arrogant club in Rotterdam! And mega woman-unfriendly and men are just allowed to do their own thing.. typical. Definitely don't go there if you are a group of women!

The attendant was very polite. The outdoor area has heating!

A very relaxed local spot, a bit pricey but good.

Complete bullshit. I went there to party with my friends and they denied the access to one of my friends because they said he was “too drunk”. Mind you he was not drunk at all. They did not want to listen at all, we had to go away in the end. Our night ruined and your time lost.

...A lovely terrace on the lively Witte de Withstraat... a great selection of beers to try. Quick and friendly service! A great place!

We gathered for our friend's birthday and found a nice spot in the corner outside. There were about 10 of us, and we kept ordering drinks. They were served quickly, and we paid around €250 in total, which is a good price for 10 people.

Top venue, they really know how to throw a party.

One of the nicest pubs in Rotterdam

Lots of choice, had a drink, people watching, fast and friendly service, would love to come back again.

Great bar, staff regurarly checking if we need something 🙂

The staff is super nice and friendly😄

This is a really overhyped cafe. The people at the door are unreasonably difficult, even if you are with only women. They also let way too many people in, making it so cramped inside that you can't move or walk anymore. The music is okay. Limited drink selection if you don't like standard beer or wine.

I think this is a great place, only the tiles outside are loose.

Received unpleasant service and thought highly of themselves!

Bad staff pushes you away out of nowhere while you are quietly having a drink. Then came back angry because I told him to calm down.

Today I was kicked out of the club! The bartender felt the need to push everyone standing in his way. He said nothing, just pushed. After I asked what he was doing, the bartender told me to get lost. He said: "I'm working, what do you mean, what am I doing? I need to get past you, so you have to move aside." After that, he grabbed me by my shirt and pushed me through the crowd. After I explained this to the security guard outside, the guard agreed with me, but I wasn't allowed inside. I didn't want to go inside anymore anyway, because it's a weird club. Weird guys, weird security guards, and weird bar staff. It involved a dark-skinned bartender with glasses, weird guy!

A seriously mediocre café that doesn't seem to want to create any atmosphere when it's quiet. Moving two bar stools to a high table so four people can sit together is already asking too much. We had to ask politely if we wanted to renovate the entire patio. When there are 10 people on the outdoor patio and moving two stools is already a challenge for a bartender, that speaks volumes, in my opinion.

What fantastic service again! The bartender with the long black hair was simply perfect. You absolutely have to go here if you want a great night out in Rotterdam!

Great place. I've been coming here for years and will continue to enjoy it. Great bartenders too!

Great place! I've been coming here for years and always have fast service. The staff is very welcoming and relaxed!

Fantastic tent, forgot cigarettes, just got them back, not normal

Moved here a few years ago, always have a great time… friendly people, friendly faces and great drinks and party!!! Would highly recommend

Very friendly staff! Busy and cozy, highly recommended for a night out in Rotterdam! ❤️

We arrived with about six people at the White Monkey, where there was currently nothing to do. When we moved two chairs, we were immediately told that we would be rebuilding the entire terrace, which wasn't the intention. When we asked what the problem was, we were immediately asked to leave the terrace. Or rather, good hospitality when there's nothing to do...

Still something to have, even years after your student days....

We only stopped for a drink. The beers are very good. I recommend the Rotterdam IPA. Prices are high, as in Europe.

"Overall, the venue is lovely and enjoys a vibrant atmosphere on weekends. However, I’m rating it two stars due to the unprofessional and rude behavior of one of the bar staff members. I believe a place of this caliber should prioritize hiring more professional personnel."

What a great place! The atmosphere is exactly my style: relaxed, cozy, and with a lovely vibe. The service was excellent! Friendly, fast, and attentive. You immediately feel welcome. A perfect bar to relax and enjoy yourself. I'll definitely be back!

I used to come here almost every weekend, and it was always a great place. There's been a new security guard for about a month now, and for no apparent reason, I'm no longer allowed in. His behavior feels discriminatory to me. It's a shame, because this used to be a great bar.

There's a very racist security guard; he's from Türkiye. I visited this place, and the staff are very good, but without this racist, the place would be amazing.

The people working here are rude and nasty to the customers, pushing them and being arrogant, very disappointing :((( could be a very nice place if it wasn’t for that

Met some great people in the bar when I visited Tuesday (12/08/25) and even connected with them on socials, I am English but people there was happy to teach me Dutch and speak English to me, the bar staff are amazing, great music and even the security guard on that night was amazing, checked my ID and considering it was a British passport he completed it very quick and wished me a good night, definitely will visit again when I am back next month and also in October when I come back again.

One of the nicest places in Rotterdam.

Cozy terrace and great service.

Last Monday evening, I went here for a drink with some friends. We were helped quickly, but the young man who took our order was rude. I wanted to order a half-liter of wheat beer and started my sentence with "I'd like a half-liter...", but before I could finish, I was arrogantly interrupted and told, "We don't have any half-liters, except wheat beer." It was exactly that half-liter I wanted. I actually wanted to go somewhere else, but the rest of the group wanted to stay. It was a shame, it left a sour taste in my mouth.

Great service by the team, bear collections are worth..bit snacks and food varieties seems bit less. But still u enjoy the ambience if you are with your gang.

On January 21, 2025, I visited here from US . I had ordered two drinks, one of the staff members unexpectedly asked me out without any prior explanation. When I declined, the staff member became violently aggressive, throwing me to the ground. As a result, I sustained swelling on the left side of the back of my head. This was the most violent incident I have ever experienced in my life. They also refused to let me take my scarf!

Great place to come and have drinks on a weekend night. It is quite a loud place though so not for those who want somewhere quiet to sit and chill. The outside heaters were great under the freezing winter temperatures.

With a group of colleagues. 4 of us were already allowed through, but suddenly I get stopped. Wearing streetwear pants by The Northface X YINKA ILORI worth €250 with a nice Pleasures shirt on top worth €180, but according to the guy who calls himself a "security guard," I'm wearing a "tracksuit" and I'm not allowed in. PURELY because the North Face brand is on my pants??? What a dump; definitely go there if you're looking for discrimination, a trashy atmosphere, and pathetic characters ❤️

What a fantastic pub! You can now have a beer here as a woman without being bothered. The staff are so friendly and attentive! Long live Rotterdam! ❤️

Very unpleasant staff. A small man with a mustache is rude to customers, giving the establishment and atmosphere a cold feel. A shame. Because of this, I went to the competitor 10 meters down the road, where I received a warm welcome and the staff were friendly. It is downright sad how grumpy and irritated this person comes across to customers. Do something about this.

Always a fun evening there, no matter what day of the week 👍

A rip-off for drinks! A 25cl pint at almost the price of a real pint! A tiny glass of hard liquor! A money grab! Avoid at all costs.

I didn't have a nice experience at De Witte Aap this weekend. At the bar, they act as if they don't see you. And if you ask the bar staff if you can order a drink, you are seen as a difficult customer and they show you the door. And with a rude attitude, too. I have never been to such an unwelcoming, bad pub.

Terrible music. They need to sort out their playlist..there is no consistency and Ruin the mood

Bad service, security doesn't know what they're doing.

Horrible bouncer at the door. He thought one of the six friends in our group had had too much to drink and roughly dragged her out of the bar (she hadn't had too much to drink at all). I see there are many similar stories—I would skip this bar.

Pure discrimination. It's outrageous how badly they treat people based solely on their appearance. NEVER GO HERE, it's outrageous.

Discriminating staff against women. They use violence to shut people out. Don’t come to this bar. Pure discrimination. Would give zero stars if I could.

Nice cozy terrace with delicious Witte Aap beer

Watch out when you leave here. They put 109 euros instead of 19 euros when you use your debit card. Like, "Oops, mistake." What a bunch of characters.

On the always lively Witte de Withstraat, this spot has been a favorite for years. A no-nonsense bar with friendly staff and good music.

Kinda odd biased door entry situation. After drinking previous.

Delicious beer during the summer carnival parade.

It worth more that its size.. People have fun together, drinking ,laughing ,dancing...couldn't you make it bigger?

It was very quiet. Friendly staff.

No service in the evening. The place is a bit slumped. Reminds me of 90s Renesse. Very small, too many people. And I never found that monkey.

I've been to Witte Aap several times, but the security guard told me I'm not welcome because I'm Jewish... very bad. And this is something this place should address. I'd love to hear about it! Or does this not happen?

The White Monkey. A Rotterdam institution. The service is excellent. It's open until late. The seating is well-arranged, and the lighting is atmospheric.

Popped in for a few pints—friendly staff and perfectly located on Rotterdam’s main party street.

nice but expensive....the beers

Nice bar with music and a very lively atmosphere. Its nicer late night and surrounding areas are nice as well.

Nice place in a street very popular with young people. Good beer and very welcoming atmosphere

Great bar, good food. Beautiful atmosphere

Cozy cafe to drink a beer! You also have a place where you can dance. It is always cozy busy, be on time or you have to stand outside in line.

Worthless staff, blond guy ran into a buddy. He then throws him out of the shop.. very sad!

Worthless staff, runs into you and then throws you out... scandalous staff

Nice place with good service, but nothing extraordinary

Cozy tent, when I enter it feels like something dirty is floating through the air. All in all a simple bar. Music is your typical marquee music.

Nice terrace, perfect for drinking beers with snacks

The DJ on Friday could just as well have been at the campsite in Kamperland. It's really that bad. A typical "camping DJ". Previous times it was quite good, hence the 3 stars, but today (Friday) it was really dramatically bad.

Beautiful Rotterdam where the conviviality 020 cannot compete with

Nice service, only serve half pint glasses though at 4.,20.

The man behind the bar was acting very arrogant

Just had drinks at the bar, but it was quite nice.

Teething, sweaty. What a laugh!

Great variety of all sorts of beers, from IPA, blonde to dark-anything you like. Also the wine menu is quite alright, prices are very fair aswell. Important side note: you should definitely try the vegan (!!!) bitterballen plus mustard with your drink!

Super chill vibe, best beer selection in town. Best allround djs on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Try their witte aap special brew

Nice place to spend a Friday night. The music is the same every week, though, and there are lots of old hits. Good atmosphere.

Bad business, little customer friendliness. Were cursed out of the business, these are the people you should stay away from

By far the best pub in Rotterdam!

Just not a great place to visit at night, to crowded, to many people, and it smells like old rotten beer in there

It’s the witte app. Only thing I can say is the bartenders are very nice

Thought I would have a beer in this place after City's 3-3 draw against Feyenoord. I am rudely reminded that I have to take off my sweater with the mini Feyenoord logo. Absolutely not recommended.

Nice (but there are no monkeys)

Cozy as it was 20 years ago, still cosy