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To get your bearings in the Rotterdam party scene, look out for glossy fliers in cafés. The best nights tend to be Thursday–Saturday. Many venues including some bars have DJs working the crowd once food service has ended. There is a wide gamut of nighttime entertainment. West Kruiskade (also known as Chinatown) is the place to go if you want lively bars and music from around the world. Nieuwe Binnenweg and Witte de Withstraat have many busy late-night cafés and clubs. Oude Haven is particularly popular with students, and the Schouwburgplein is favored by visitors to the nearby theaters and cinemas. Stadshuisplein has a number of tacky discos and bars.
Part of the Fenix Food Factory, a former warehouse just across the water from the Hotel New York, this taproom of the Kaapse Brouwers brewery is one of Rotterdam's best hangouts for craft beer lovers, and has spectacular views of the city skyline from its waterfront terrace.
This one-room café a few minutes' walk east from Blaak station is a favorite among Belgian-beer enthusiasts, with a menu that tops 200 varieties, but best of all, it has an open log fire in winter. If it gets too crowded, there's a sister bar, Locus International, two doors farther west with the same menu.
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