As all Amsterdammers know but many visitors don’t, Indonesian food is widely eaten in the Netherlands due to the two countries’ intertwined history. The Dutch colonised Indonesia (as the Dutch East Indies) for roughly 350 years, ending only in 1949, and during that period the colonists developed a taste for Indonesian food. After independence, waves of migration brought Indonesian cooks and cuisine to the Netherlands, which is why it’s now so deeply embedded in Dutch food culture. Hence when you’re in Amsterdam, checking out one of the Indonesian restaurants is an absolute must.
In this article, I’ve focused on the Indonesian restaurants in the city, where you can turn up for a proper sit-down meal with wine (or whatever your poison may happen to be). But there are of course plenty of tokos offering takeaway Indonesian food in Amsterdam, or holes-in-the-wall where you can sit down to eat a quick meal without alcohol.
Planning your trip to Amsterdam
Before you can start indulging in Indonesian food, you’re going to need to get here! Below are a few trip essentials, but my Amsterdam travel planning guide covers everything from transport to the best time to visit.
- Getting to Amsterdam: Schiphol airport is well-connected, and Expedia and Omio are good starting points for comparing flights and rail options. If you’re coming from London, Paris or Brussels, the Eurostar is a relaxed alternative to flying, though Dutch national carrier KLM has direct flights from most major cities in Europe, the US and beyond.
- Getting around: Amsterdam is compact enough to walk, and public transport covers everything else. Skip the rental car unless you plan to leave the city – use GVB to plan your route, or do as the locals do and rent a bike!
- Where to stay: From canal-side luxury (Pulitzer) to boutique quirkiness (Hotel Not Hotel), there’s plenty of choice. Browse the full range on Booking.com or visit my neighbourhood guide for specific hotel recommendations.
- Tours and experiences: A canal boat trip is a must – find options on Viator or GetYourGuide. For food tours, I recommend Eating Amsterdam plus any of the other Amsterdam tours and experiences in my dedicated article.
- Further reading: For restaurant and wine bar recommendations, grab a copy of my Amsterdam Restaurant Guide or Amsterdam Wine Lover’s Guide. And if you’re looking for other Asian eats – from Sichuan to sushi – take a look at my guide to the best Asian restaurants in Amsterdam.
Where to eat rijsttafel in Amsterdam
You absolutely mustn’t leave the city without trying a rijsttafel (literally: “rice table”): dozens of small, shareable dishes ranging from mild to spicy, in all colours of the rainbow, served with rice. Although something of a Dutch invention (locals in Indonesia aren’t eating rijsttafel), it’s a great way to try lots of dishes in one meal. Satay skewers – generally chicken and goat – are a staple, as are various curries (meat and fish), boiled eggs in spicy sauces, vegetables in peanut sauce (named gado-gado) and fried bananas. But there’s much more besides, depending on the particular restaurant’s selection of rijsttafel. Here’s a curated list of my favourites:
Blauw
Restaurant Blauw has been going strong for decades – and I’ve been a fan ever since I first visited in 2009. I like its split-level interior and bold décor that eschews the kitschiness that often goes along with Asian restaurants. I like the fact that it’s a bit of a trek – down at the bottom of the Vondelpark on the Amstelveenseweg – which means it isn’t full of tourists. I also like its rijsttafel, which comprises a huge selection of boat-shaped dishes ranging from mild to super-spicy. It includes classics like beef rendang and various forms of satay (chicken, goat and shrimp) but also more interesting dishes like fish mousse with a spicy yet fresh green sauce. For those with a sweet tooth, Blauw’s desserts don’t disappoint, with favourites like spekkoek and mango ice cream, as well as more adventurous flavours like durian parfait and chocolate fudge laced with cayenne pepper.
The boat-shaped dishes at Indonesian restaurant Blauw
Tujuh Maret
More central (it’s on the Utrechtsestraat) is Tujuh Maret – a family-run restaurant that’s not much to look at but absolutely delivers. When we first looked at the menu, we weren’t sure they served alcohol (shock horror!) but when we asked they were happy to keep carafes of house wine flowing. The “Minahasa” rijsttafel costs under €40, which is cheaper than many, but is just as extensive. And (wait for the best bit) several of the dishes are actually properly spicy. Not uncomfortably so, but I’d have a few friends whose eyes might water a little. And that’s a good thing because it’s been regrettably hard to come by in the gathering of this list. It’s difficult to pick out favourite dishes because I enjoyed them all – even the tempeh, which I usually can’t stand.
Tujuh Maret’s spicy rijsttafel
Blue Pepper
Blue Pepper is essentially serving the fine-dining version of rijsttafel: instead of all being plonked on the table at once, you can expect your dishes to arrive in several distinct courses. That’s not to say that the atmosphere is stuffy or pretentious, but the service is a cut above your regular Amsterdam restaurant, the presentation of the food is fancier, and you can order paired wines with everything. Needless to say, the price tag matches the experience.
Upscale rijsttafel at Blue Pepper
The evening we visited, our first course was a delicate scallop dish with orange, macadamia nuts and samphire. The second course comprised three mini-dishes in one: a pulled-goose fried spring roll with a sauce fragrant from cloves and cinnamon; a palate-cleansing fruit combo of pineapple, mango and cucumber with a sweet sauce; and a spicy guinea-fowl curry that was pleasantly hot on the tongue. With the satay course, we were back in more familiar territory: chicken satay came with the requisite peanut sauce, while lamb satay came with a soy-based sauce. Next came a traditional selection of four rijsttafel dishes: spicy prawns, beef rendang, gado-gado and pickled vegetables. I’ve seen restaurants try to posh-up rijsttafel before, and the flavour suffered as a consequence. But at Blue Pepper, you’ll still find the punchy flavours and chilli kicks you’d expect from the best Indonesian food but in an upscale atmosphere.
Editor’s note: I was invited to eat at Blue Pepper as a journalist, and I didn’t pay for my meal. Obviously I try to be as objective as possible, but I always disclose when I’ve had a freebie.
Ron Gastrobar Indonesia
Chef Ron Blaauw has a series of restaurants in Amsterdam showcasing everything from classic fine dining to Oriental specialities. But it’s worth taking a trip to Ouderkerk aan de Amstel (around a 40-minute cycle ride from the south of the city centre) to try the rijsttafel at Ron Gastrobar Indonesia. Notable dishes included the satay – the chicken and goat meat were perfectly moist yet charred on the outside, and the sauces spicy yet sweet. Both the eggs and the fried shrimps were the perfect level of chilli heat. And all the curries were succulent and distinctly different in flavour. My only criticism is that I’d have liked it if a few more of the dishes were on the spicy end of the spectrum.
Ron Gastrobar Indonesia – worth the bike ride
Sampurna
In contrast, old-timer Sampurna is right in the centre of Amsterdam, just off the bustling flower market on the Singel canal. Yes, it may be full of tourists, but the food is still good and reasonable value given the location. It’s been in business for over 35 years – so they must be doing something right!
Kartika
The first time I went to Kartika, we were forced to order our food before we’d even sat down, and were hustled out the door less than an hour later. But because the food was actually pretty good, I ended up going back. The manager there called me out on what I’d written the first time (he actually remembered me, amazingly), which was awkward but at least we both got to say our piece. Suffice to say that the second time the service was much more leisurely, and the food was just as good.
Beef rendang had excellent warm spices and a rich sauce; gado-gado was fresh and fragrant, not cloying with peanut butter as is often the case. Two chicken dishes were good and distinctly different from each other: a hotter version in a thin, chilli-based broth; and a milder version in a sweet, soy-based sauce with plenty of aromatic anise. And Kartika also serves one of the cheaper rijsttafels in Amsterdam, which is handy for those on a budget.
The record-time rijsttafel at Kartika
Dèsa
Similarly speedy was the rijsttafel at restaurant Dèsa in De Pijp, which is good value at under €30. It includes some tasty chicken dishes: I particularly liked the spicy ayam rica-rica and the chicken in coconut milk and turmeric. I was less impressed by the beef rendang, which could’ve been stewed for longer to make the meat more tender. But overall, Dèsa is a solid contender, especially for the price point. The service was also top notch: we had one small complaint that was immediately rectified and we were offered a free round of drinks. A rare occurrence in Amsterdam!
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Beyond rijsttafel: other Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam
Visitors to Amsterdam a decade ago would have been forgiven for thinking that rijsttafel was the only Indonesian speciality ever served. But of course Indonesian cuisine is much more diverse than that – and nowadays you’ll find Indonesian restaurants serving brunch, street food dishes and more. This list is a work in progress, and I’ll be adding to it over time.
Bali Brunch 82
Despite its name, Bali Brunch 82 does a lot more than just brunch from its skateboard-vibe location on the Stadhouderskade. We tried three of their shareable “bites” and found lots to love: chicken rica-rica involved crispy fried chicken with a spicy red-chilli sambal; breaded shrimp came with a green coriander-based sauce and creamy mayo; while chicken and vegetable dumplings swam in a thin peanut sauce. All were fresh and flavoursome, and I’d love to go back in the evening to try one of their main meals with a cocktail or two.
Indonesian bites at Bali Brunch 82
Omahe
On a rather ill-fated corner straddling De Pijp and Oud-Zuid, Omahe is an Indonesian brasserie that hopes it has what it takes to make its location work. Based on the food we tried, I think it will: vegetable fritters were feather-light and perfectly seasoned; fried chicken had a crunchy-spiced coating and came with a moreish mayo; beef satay was pleasingly medium-rare, with a sauce that was sweet but not only sweet – umami soy and cool lemongrass cut through the glaze.
Omahe Indonesian brasserie
For mains, we tried the “Dendeng Balado”: more beef, this time cooked slowly, served with an excellent chilli sambal. Meanwhile, “Terong Kriuk” comprised breaded, deep-fried wedges of aubergine, also served with a chunky sambal fragrant with lime leaves. I also loved the tropical-sour kalamansi punch, though not so much the sweetly synthetic lychee negroni and the patchy service. Worth a visit, so long as you’re not in a rush! (But then again, why rush?)
Café Kadijk
Essentially an Indonesian eetcafe, Café Kadijk has been offering simple, hearty meals for years now – with bonus points for its expansive, west-facing terrace just north of the Plantage neighbourhood. If you’re the kind of person who wants to try a bit of everything, order the “Indisch Bordje” to get a taste of several dishes: beef rendang (warmly spiced beef stew), ayam boemboe Bali (chilli-laced pulled chicken) and smoor daging (beef in a sweet, ketjap manis-based sauce) plus gado-gado, pickled cucumbers and krupuk. The quality isn’t quite up to the level of some of the other places on this list, but it’s good value and in a lovely location.
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