Worst bistros in Rotterdam: Café Wilskracht

Anyone who regularly travels east from Campus will end up at Station Alexander every once in a while. At which point you need a sizeable helping of perseverance. And the owner of Café Wilskracht (‘Willpower’), which can be found next to the station for 25 years already, must have drawn the same conclusion.

We’re a bit wary after seating ourselves in Wilskracht’s outdoor area to sample that lasagne. Still, if you ignore the view, there’s not much to fault with this sun-drenched terrace. When you step inside, it feels as if you’ve entered a somewhat dated ‘brown café’ – despite the modular ceiling. The waiter is in a good mood, friendly and in for a chat. Nice guy.

The lasagne is no longer on the menu, unfortunately. For sake of comparison, Tim decides to order the pasta formaggi with mozzarella, goat’s cheese, Parmesan, basil and antiboise – against his better judgement: “Pasta is a dish you either need to make at home or order in an Italian restaurant.” Elmer goes for a safer option: the ‘Wilskrachtburger’. “With a name like that, you’d expect them to serve a three-pound hamburger.” It’s not that big, fortunately. In fact, it’s as ordinary as you can get: a bun, some lettuce, tomato, onion rings, cheese and a rather heavily-seasoned hamburger patty. “Nothing special, but nothing wrong with it either, and good fries.” The pasta is a different story (although we do notice it’s made from fresh ingredients). After taking his first bite, Tim nearly chokes on the mozzarella. The tagliatelle are covered with a thick slab of solidified cheese. “As if they placed a whole ball of mozzarella on top and put it in the microwave.” The critic on TripAdvisor is right: it’s more like a wad of old gum than cheese. And the next morning, Tim still has the stomach ache to match.

Other all-time lows

• Worst bistros in Rotterdam: K&B Kralingen
• Worst bistros in Rotterdam: Het Wapen van Delfshaven
• Worst bistros in Rotterdam: Drank- & Spijslokaal Lust