Cafeography
Utrecht · Zuid

Cafés in Zuid

The Vaartsche Rijn, Rotsoord, the Rivierenwijk and the Kanaalweg along the Merwedekanaal.

Photo: Krijn Siefken, Pexels License

South of the singel, the Vaartsche Rijn leads out of town with Rotsoord on its east bank, and the Rivierenwijk fills the wedge between it and the Merwedekanaal to the west.17 This is residential Utrecht, a mix of streets laid out after the First World War, converted factories and new apartment blocks by the water.367

Cafés here keep daytime hours, and none stays open past 18:00. They cluster on the Kanaalweg, where Cupp, Keet and Bar Pleur are a few minutes apart, and around the Rijnlaan, where Ohøj roasts its own coffee.

Local tip: Start at Ohøj on the Rijnlaan, which closes at 13:00 and is shut on Monday and Tuesday, then walk over to the Kanaalweg, where Keet stays open until 18:00 on weekdays.

At a glance

12Cafés listed
11With opening hours
08:00Earliest opening
18:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Bar Pleur, from 08:00 (Wed–Sat 08:00–16:00).
  • Closes latest: Cupp, until 18:00 (Mon–Thu 08:00–17:00 · Fri 08:00–18:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–18:00).
  • Most common features: outdoor seating (58%), indoor seating (33%), wi-fi (33%).

Ohøj Coffee Roasting

  • Rijnlaan 27
  • Wed–Fri 08:00–13:00 · Sat–Sun 09:00–13:00
  • +31 6 57821403
  • Partial wheelchair access
  • Specialty
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Getting to Zuid

Station Utrecht Vaartsche Rijn sits where the tracks cross the canal and the Westerkade, and took its first trains on 22 August 2016; Sprinters stop here, and trams 20, 21 and 22 have called since 16 December 2019.2 Cupp's bar on the Kanaalweg is a couple of minutes by bus from the center or a 25-minute walk.6

Koffie Leute, at Westerkade 30, is a short walk from the station. It opens at 08:00 on weekdays and 10:00 at weekends, closing at 17:00.

Along the Vaartsche Rijn

After the Kromme Rijn was dammed in 1122, Utrecht began digging the Vaartsche Rijn as a new route to the river, starting at Tolsteeg.1 From the Middle Ages its banks filled with shipbuilders, potters, lime kilns and brick and tile works, starting at the Ledig Erf.1

Rotsoord, on the east bank, has changed from a business park into a district of housing, culture, creative firms, small businesses and hospitality, and the city is reworking its streets with more green and rainwater storage, with the last handover planned for 2027.3 Nieuw Rotsoord, a city farm with goats and chickens at Rotsoord 24, runs a theehuis (tearoom) open weekdays 11:00–17:00 and weekends from 13:00, closed on public holidays.4

The Kanaalweg and the Merwedekanaal

The Merwedekanaal was dug between 1880 and 1893 by polderjongens (navvies) who lived in temporary huts called keten, which gave Café Keet its name.5 Keet, at Kanaalweg 30, is the café of the Kanaal30 complex and has a large, sunny terrace; it opens weekdays 09:00–18:00 and Sundays from 13:00.5

Cupp opened its second bar at Kanaalweg 59 in a new building among apartment blocks and houseboats. Owner Peter Braakman sources the main espresso beans together with Keen and rotates Dutch and European roasters on the second grinder.6 Bar Pleur, at number 50, opens Wednesday to Saturday 08:00–16:00.

The Rivierenwijk and further south

The Rivierenwijk was built after the First World War on land that had held only factories and workers' housing, and the Rijnlaan is its unofficial main street.7 Ohøj, at Rijnlaan 27, is a neighborhood place where owner Kevin Ayers roasts and brews everything, with a few seats inside and more on the terrace.8 It opens Wednesday to Sunday and closes at 13:00.

East of the canal, Lavett on the Gansstraat opens Wednesday to Saturday at 08:00, and Tinto on the W.A. Vultostraat serves daily 08:00–17:00. The Table, at Croeselaan 182, keeps the shortest hours: mornings on Wednesday and Thursday, and 12:00–15:00 on Friday.

Sources

  1. Vaartsche Rijn, Wikipedia (Dutch), accessed October 2026
  2. Station Utrecht Vaartsche Rijn, Wikipedia (Dutch), accessed October 2026
  3. Rotsoord opnieuw inrichten, Gemeente Utrecht, accessed October 2026
  4. Nieuw Rotsoord, Nieuw Rotsoord, accessed October 2026
  5. Café Keet, Café Keet, accessed October 2026
  6. Cupp: the harbour of flavours at Merwede Canal in Utrecht, European Coffee Trip (October 24, 2022), accessed October 2026
  7. Rivierenwijk (Utrecht), Wikipedia (Dutch), accessed October 2026
  8. 7 of the best specialty coffee spots in Utrecht: An expert's list, Part 1, The Coffee Vine (May 22, 2025), accessed October 2026
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FAQ

Zuid cafés: questions

How do you get to the Kanaalweg cafés in Utrecht Zuid?

Cupp's bar on the Kanaalweg in Utrecht Zuid is a couple of minutes by bus from the center or about a 25-minute walk. Station Utrecht Vaartsche Rijn, open since August 2016, is nearby, with Sprinter trains and trams 20, 21 and 22. Keet and Bar Pleur are on the same street, at numbers 30 and 50.

What is Rotsoord in Utrecht Zuid?

Rotsoord is a former business park on the east bank of the Vaartsche Rijn in Utrecht Zuid. It has become a district of housing, culture, creative firms and hospitality, and the city is reworking its streets with more green. Nieuw Rotsoord, a city farm at Rotsoord 24, has a tearoom open daily from 11:00 or 13:00 to 17:00.

Which café in Utrecht Zuid roasts its own coffee?

Ohøj, at Rijnlaan 27 in the Rivierenwijk in Utrecht Zuid, is run by owner Kevin Ayers, who roasts and brews everything himself. It has a few seats inside and more on the terrace. It opens Wednesday to Friday from 08:00 and at weekends from 09:00, and closes at 13:00.

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