Elio

Elio is Rotterdam's cheerful new queer bar, opened in April 2025 as the younger, more laid-back sibling of the city's famous Ferry, and quite possibly home to the largest bright-pink-painted bar in the Netherlands. Set in the beloved former premises of the 22-year-old gay pub De Regenboog on Van Oldenbarneveltstraat, it's decked out entirely in pink, with all mirrored walls, pale-pink bar stools, and a dreamy, renaissance-with-a-modern-twist look, named in homage to Call Me By Your Name. Where Ferry is known for wild nights, Elio is the relaxed spot to sip, flirt, and stir up a little trouble before heading out: every night brings entertainment, from Messy Wednesday drinking games and Thursday's tongue-in-cheek anti-karaoke to Friday drink-and-snack deals and Saturday drag bingo, with good bar bites like bitterballen along the way. Cozy, welcoming, and fabulously pink, it's the perfect place to start the night in gay Rotterdam.