Coming to the Netherlands for the first time, I had no idea that Indonesian cuisine is just as much the Dutch national cuisine as is croquettes and hotsput. If you're in Amsterdam, in addition to experiencing how amazing Dutch gouda and shrimp croquettes are, you absolutely need to head here to round out the Dutch Trifecta of cuisine. I came here with a large group and we experienced their Rijsttafel style of Indonesian tapas - which was perfect; allowing me to try veritably everything on the menu. Absolutely every single item I tried was delicious! From the shrimp [Great Scott! the largest I've seen!], to the tofu, chicken, madura beef, pork, et al - everything was superbly flavorful. This place is also right around the corner from the Museums in Amsterdam - perfect place to fuel up after a long day admiring the amazing Dutch Masters! read more

We had a great dinner here! Our first time with this style meal, so we had no idea what we were eating, but everything was delicious. It was so fun to taste all the different things! The service was no nonsense, though they did explain to us what to do, but we stayed till the end of the night and made friends with them- very nice people. Honestly a very fun experience and delicious food close to the museums!! read more

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I can't believe this is actually happening.... but I'm giving an Indonesian place three stars..... I mean.... normally they are so good I will vomit out stars for them, but Sama Sebo.... We had clients over for work and none of them had ever had Indonesian rijsttafel. If you've ever seen my face get worked up and animated while talking about rijsttafel, it's because I want to change my last name to McRijstTafel and spend the rest of my life with this amazing concept. So I tell these clients that rijsttafel will change their life forever so with no further discussion, we are eating Indonesian!! I work near the Rijksmuseum and since the clients didn't have bikes, we decided to walk to a close one.... Sama Sebo.... I've never heard of S^2, but I'm usually happy with most rijsttafels, so I didn't think much of it. Bottom line, it was bad, but it wasn't great. So meh to the point that I couldn't stop dreaming of my other favorites in the city. Luckily most rijsttafel virgins are tight and don't know better places so they like the food. They were however disappointed that there was no Bitang (Indonesian beer) At the end of the day, I won't go here again and definitely won't take RT virgins here! read more

Cozy, charming, authentic and delicious. The owner is the sweetest man who is also incredibly attentive. If you are not super hungry but want to have the Rijstafel experience, go for the combination platter. Fried rice over noodles is my pick - just so perfect. I could go there everyday just for the amazing shrimp crackers with the tastiest peanut dipping sauce I ever had. The outdoor seating is adorable, inside is a bit loud when they get packed. Definitely casual and comfortable. Best Indonesian food I had in Amsterdam for sure. read more

Sama Sebo came highly recommended for Rijsttafel, so we made a reservation for dinner during our visit this month. As promised, the place was packed and it was a good thing we had a reservation. The service was good and the dinner was pretty good, but not the best we've had in Amsterdam. It didn't have the variety of dishes that other restaurants we've had the dish at and it wasn't nearly as spicy. If you're in the area, I wouldn't say not to go, but I wouldn't say it's worth waiting for if there's a wait. All-in-all a solid dinner. read more

If you need sustenance after museum-going, rijstafel (many small dishes, served with rice) here will certainly do the trick. We hadn't make a reservation, but they obligingly offered us seats at the cozy bar. There, the friendly owner somehow managed to arrange all the plates, squeezing and stacking and rearranging them into a dazzling arrangement. I'm sure it was a pain for him, but it was crazy fun for us. (Less so for our immediate neighbors.) The food was tasty and varied, and we were unable to come close to finishing it. Nothing was particularly spicy, but everything was flavorful. No one explained what all the different dishes were, and things were so harried behind the bar that we didn't dare ask. I can't speak to the authenticity of any of the food, but that concept may be beside the point. Rijstafel was invented by Indonesians for the colonial-era Dutch, who also weren't clear on what they were eating but liked it anyway. read more

Came here with my group of 7 people for our first dinner in Amsterdam. We shared the rijsttafel, an enormous and delicious selection of marinated beef, pork, and tofu, fried chicken and meatballs of beef, various preparations of vegetables, seasoned nuts, spicy sauces, fresh and fried fruits, and of course the steamed and fried rice. My only complaint was that they didn't have any still water (even tap water), so we had to buy several bottles of sparkling water for the table instead. However, that was a minor blip on the radar for this fantastic experience! Cozy, warm decor and friendly service. I do recommend getting a reservation in advance, as we still had to wait a few minutes on arrival due to how busy the restaurant was on a Friday night. A worthwhile visit for some traditional "local" fare. read more

I had been interested in a restaurant serving rijstafel, but never had the chance to go. I got lucky, however, and by chance some local people I was visiting took me here. May not be true, but we were told by the locals that this type of Indonesian meal is unique to Holland. In particular, although you'd find each of the dishes in Indonesia, you'd never find a restaurant in Indonesia that would serve so many dishes at once. This was a fun place to go and the food was was consistently good. Service was also incredibly fast, and it's nice that the waitstaff takes complete control of arranging the dishes throughout the meal. I'm not sure how many dishes we tried, but it must have been between 10 and 15. Was much less expensive than I expected (30 Euro pp). Seems like it's best to go with a larger group (there were 8 of us). Not sure how it would work out if you went by yourself. Seems like it's very important to make a reservation. read more

I was a little worried after reading some of the more negative reviews but this place turned out to be great. We came for dinner and ordered the rijsttafel. There was a very good assortment of dishes all with nice flavors that went well together. Service was friendly and efficient. We were able to walk in at ~7:30pm and get a table for two with no reservation although this is in October, not peak tourist season. read more

Definitely a place you should have a reservation and luckily we had one. Very busy, lively place. We had the rijst tafel and it was great! A nice variety of food, wonderful flavors----think coconut and peanut sauces. It is fun to see all the dishes of food spread out on the table. Definitely a must do when in Amsterdam! I went with my brother who lives in Amsterdam, my sister-in-law, and 8 yr old daughter. The staff was friendly and made my daughter feel special. read more

Extremely rude host. We went there for lunch and even though a significant part of the restaurant was open said there was no space. Asked us to try come back at dinner time to see if they have space. I guess they think are god's gift to mankind ! Well we can take our spending elsewhere and I hope with a couple of similar reviews they will need total ether business elsewhere read more

Had Indonesian food for the first time yesterday at Kantjil & de Tijger - afterwards, decided that I am a fan! Then had Indonesian food for the 2nd time today at Samo Sebo - now, I am not so sure. Compared to Kantjil & de Tijger, the portions are more generous, but the food itself lacks freshness. Most dishes are very oily, and the meats taste like salty grease. Disappointed. read more

This place was so bad it was comical on one hand and such a bummer that I wasted a meal in Amsterdam. If "0" stars were available, that's the prize Sama Sebo would win. The evening started well enough when we sat down at the bar and inquired about dinner - service starts at 5pm and they had availability. I had planned the day with an afternoon at the Rijksmuseum then Indonesian fare (rijstafel) just a block away - perfect! The bartender was friendly enough but distracted in setting up shop for the evening. At 5:05 we were told our table was ready so we walked the 5 feet over and sat down. This would be my second rijstafel and I was excited. Then the server - an older man of Asian descent - came over and in a very aloof-bordering-on-arrogant way he put down the silverware and asked, "Drinks?" while looking away from us. Ok...so I asked what kind of wine he had. "Red, white, rose," he said impatiently. Maybe that was a stupid question so I asked for red which was pretty good. 10(!) minutes later I finally had drink in hand. "Food?" he then asked. Now I know he spoke English because he has been tersely conversing with the table across the way so I was legitimately puzzled at his attitude. Surely we hadn't been there long enough to insult him. "We'll have 2 rijstafel please," we said and without a word or nod or semblance of acknowledgement he grabbed the menus and away he went. By then we got the gist of how it was going to be - fodder for a story later on. The dishes came one by one and as each was laid out my disappointment grew. We had eaten at Sampurna last trip to Amsterdam but this food was not on the same level. Very basic, nothing interesting looking, and not a single thing that tasted memorable. If anything, it was cheap cafeteria food and at €36 each it was not a cheap meal. Well, it is what it is and even a bad experience is an experience. My main takeaway from dinner was how poorly represented the Dutch were by the servers in this place. The Dutch are some of the nicest people on the planet but apparently the riff raff work here at Sama Sebo. The only logical explanation for why this place is still in business is because of the captive audience in Museimplein (museum district) where there aren't many restaurants in walking distance. If you're reading this looking for a nice meal, I'm not expert enough to tell you where to go but avoid this place at all costs. read more

A friend suggested this place and we were glad we went. I'll start with the location and decor... this place is super close to the Rijksmuseum and other sites, making it a great evening after some tourist stuff. The decor was a bit surprising to us. It was dark wood, lots of items hanging and displayed, sort of like an old TGI Friday's. Not bad, just kind of strange. We made a reservation which was a good thing since they are packed. The good news is they are efficient! We arrived early and decided to get a drink at the bar which was packed. They quickly welcomed us and found us a spot to squeeze into and took our drink order. Just as it was getting closer to our reservation time, someone asked if we were waiting on a reservation, and we were seated a bit before our actual time. The seating is snug, but they have it all laid out just so. It works. You have the table you are eating at plus they add on small side tables to hold the extra food, which makes sense after you eat there! We did the full menu thing (not sure what it was called) for like 30 Euros per person. I knew it would end up being too much food, but it was a great way to try the dishes and gave us lots of variety. If you have never had Indonesian food, the flavors (based on this ONE meal I had) are pretty accessible. I can be a bit picky at times and I truly enjoyed almost every thing I ate. Think peanut sauces, touches of lemon grass, plum sauce and other mild, savory flavors. Plus items are all seperate, so you can pass on things you really don't like and adjust your meal to your tastes. Here is how the food worked. We got a seasoned rice and plain rice. You start by putting a nice size pile of it in the middle of a large bowl. Then you surround the bowl with various items that add flavor, like peanuts, coconut, fried crispy potato strings, pickled cucumber, chili sauce, etc. Then you pick your meat and add in the flavorings to the bites as you go. It was really fun to try out different combinations. For the meats we got: chicken skewers with a peanut type of sauce, fried chicken, stewed beef (seemed to have a bit of lemon grass), pork in a mild sauce, and fried meat balls. The place was pretty rowdy, partially due to some large groups of business men (we came on a week night). Other tables offered us suggestions since we were new to being there so I enjoyed the fun atmosphere. The service was FAST and good and friendly. Overall, really glad I went! Memorable meal! read more

On the recommendation of a friend we met in Belgium - we called and got a late (9PM) reservation one night while we were in town. We arrived a little early, they took our coats and we moved to the bar. Ordered a drink and minute later the table was ready. We had to try the RIJSTAFEL - Rice Table. 2 of us. So much food. Everything was great and could be seasoned to your liking (with lots of sauces and spices). The service was great - always checking on drinks, having friendly conversation (about HOW MUCH FOOD we had in front of us). Had some cake and tea for dessert and pretty much closed the place down. I would recommend this place to anyone visiting the city - a definite Amsterdam experience. Wanted to bring home a box of matches (they are continuously lighting candles for rijstafel) and the hostess gave me a couple boxes (a cool souvenir!) . read more

Sama Sebo - Rijsttafel - for 2 - Indonesian Near Me - Amsterdam, New Hampshire

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Omg, the food here was incredible. My friend and I are on a short trip in Amsterdam and happened upon this place by chance. A nice couple we met on a canal cruise recommended this place. We were not disappointed! We went in the evening but they allowed us to get the lunch special which was a sampling of a bunch of their most popular dishes. The food was heavenly!!!! Seriously, so flavorful and delicious. The staff was incredibly kind and gracious and gave us good recommendations. read more

Sama Sebo - Delicious food! - Indonesian Near Me - Amsterdam, New Hampshire

I was excited to come here for dinner because considered one of best Indonesian restaurants around. I was disappointed. Lots of food definitely but quality mediocre- most dishes over cooked . Nice wine list. read more

Sama Sebo - Indonesian Near Me - Amsterdam, New Hampshire

Consistent in great food and service. A must visit when you are in Amsterdam. I always try to do at least lunch and than I order the nasi goring. A rijst Tafel at night is a must! read more

Sama Sebo - Indonesian Near Me - Amsterdam, New Hampshire

The online reviews suggest this is one of the better Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam... unfortunately, it is not. We had just arrived in town and were tired and hungry. My wife and I had a simple lunch streetside on bistro seating (we were two of only four customers). The food was marginal at best and a bit on the spendy side for what we ordered. The less than exciting dishes were plated up and put on the table with virtually zero presentational pizzazz. Having eaten Indonesian food many times, we found the flavors lacking and the dishes reflected little care in preparation. Service was just okay and the facilities were rather old and tired. We got the definite sense that this is primarily a tourist clientele and that this establishment lost its glow long ago. Better alternatives are certainly available. We can suggest dinning at nearby Puri Mas -- very nice restaurant with yummy dishes at reasonable prices. Or better yet, if you're headed toward Haarlem, you'll get the real deal at very modest prices at Anak Blitar. It's a simple family-run buffet with an amazing selection of truly authentic dishes all handmade by the Indonesian chef (fabulous). Sadly, our recommendation regarding Sama Sebo is to dine elsewhere. read more

Overpriced for average quality. Looks and tastes like a tourist trap. Whenever I go to a new place I'll always ask for tap water first to see how they react. The waiter replies: we don't have tap water this is a restaurant. I replied that I wasn't a tourist and that it's illegal for a restaurant to deny a glass of tap water. He then pretended he had misunderstood my initial request and gave us the water. Avoid. read more

I was very disappointed with lunch at this restaurant and the service was not very good. The food tasted warmed up in a microwave and I had to send the chicken back because it was so dried up. Unfortunately, they just brought out more dried out chicken. I had some kind of Indonesian combo plate and everything was subpar in taste and seemed old. read more

This is probably the worst Indonesian restaurant I ever had. The food was bland, a bit cold, and no way close to an actual Indonesian food. Even any of my friends could make a better Indonesian food than that. The service was OK, not great. Given it is a fine dining, ~30€ per person, I expect something more from these kind of restaurant. Such a disappointment. I would never recommend this place. read more

Although this place looks tiny from the outside its alot bigger then you think. The menu here is a little confusing. The servers didn't really do a great job explaining the food or concept, pretty much a set menu you chose if you want noodles or rice. In the end the food was great, flavorful, and good deal, as most Indonesian food is! read more

Hands down my favorite Indonesian restaurant in Amsterdam. The food, the people and the atmosphere all make for a unique and amazing evening out. The Rijstafel is, in my opinion, with out a doubt the best one in town. read more

If there was a .5 that's what I would rate this place. Unfortunately I didn't get to eat bc the service was so bad, we couldn't stomach paying money for the food. While our original waiter was a complete sweetheart, there was a bit of a language barrier when it came to describing the menu. Which was ok, and we were trying to look up the names of the items and trying to make it work. Apparently, we were taking too long for one of the workers there (not sure if he was the mgr or bartender & we were literally there all of 10 minutes), and he rudely told us to hurry up and order. He could have been helpful since he spoke our language, but instead decided to be annoyed with and hurry us up. At this point we decided to leave. What's the point of eating at a restaurant where you aren't helped with the menu and treated like an annoyance. Won't ever eat there after this experience. read more

Had a great meal at Sama Sebo. Unfortunately we had to sit at the bar which was pretty cramped. The food arrived very quickly and was awesome. We got the smaller Rijsttafel, not the full deal after seeing someone's table that did- WOW that looked like a lot of food! Our varied meal included a chicken drumstick, pork on a stick in a fabulous satay sauce, rice and many other yummy things to try. We were told by the host with whom we were staying (who was half Indonesian) that Sama Sebo leaned more towards Western tastes than true Indonesian. We had never eaten Indonesian so it is difficult for us to have an opinion about that. Our host recommended a newly opened Indonesian restaurant called Bird but we didn't get a chance to try it. We were thrilled to find such a good restaurant so close to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Concertgebouw. Give it a shot if you're in the area- you won't be disappointed. read more

It is overrated for me but I can see non Asian person may like their style, good presentation but the food taste ok

This was a god introduction to Indonesian rice table. Efficient by friendly service. Arriving at 6 pm on a Thursday, we were seated immediately. All 2 of us ordered the rice table. Soon the table was covered with dish after dish of tasty small bites. A bit pricey at 33 euros per person, but no one left hungry. The table next to us had vegetarian diners, and they were cheerfully accommodated. read more

Our waiter was super nice. I'm a vegetarian and when I told him that he listed several options for me that weren't on the menu. There was good food in large amounts. Nothing to complain about except the check took a while to come. read more

My friends and I got caught in a torrential downpour one day on our search for dinner. We happened to be going to another Indonesian place, but ended up at Sama Sebo because it was closeby and we needed to get out of the rain. We were greeted by a bartender who at first said they had no tables, then told us we could have a table if we left by 8pm (it was 7) - not a problem! We were happy to be out of the rain and getting a meal and everything looked interesting here. We honestly had no idea how to order as the menu was confusing, but the waiter helped us and suggested we each get the lunch meal. We were confused because it was dinner time, but we just went with it. My friends got the traditional meal with rice and I got some vegetarian meal with noodles. Honestly, the food was interesting...definitely unlike anything I've ever had before. I'm not the most adventurous of eaters so I didn't love it, but it was fine and the place was lively. Overall I had a good experience here and if you're into Indonesian food, then it seemed to be the place to be. read more

THE classic Amsterdam restaurant for a rijsstafel feast. Must dine here once each trip to town. Limited beer menu. read more

Sama Sebo - Rijsstafel - Indonesian Near Me - Amsterdam, New Hampshire

My previous five visits were great. Fabulous selection of dishes, all loaded with flavor. My last visit was terrible. Squeezed me in a 1/2 table by the door after making me wait two hours to get seated. My food was all jammed on one plate, no separate dishes like before. No personal service at all. I felt like I was intruding on them. Will have to think twice about going back ever. read more

Good experience to try the rice table once. A bit pricey to do it again, but I'd go back and order some a la carte items because it was good. Wait staff was super nice! read more

Overall fantastic place! Amazing food, warm friendly service and cozy ambiance - this place is great for dates ;) Good idea to book in advance though, they get very busy. read more

We picked this place because it was close to our hotel and we were weary tourists... Forgot to check Yelp and now I regret it. Only hoping my review will warn other travelers to go further and find Indonesian somewhere else. The place was packed and since we didn't have a reservation we had to sit at the bar. Not a problem until the bartender turned out to be a friggin a-hole. Very rude, judgmental about all of our naive questions, kept rolling his eyes and disapproving of our choices of drink. He was pushy, and kind of forced us to make a decision about which rijsstafel to order. I had an urge to just get up and leave and I wish I had! My Dutch friend back in the states tells us this dish is transformational and will ruin us to all other Asian foods. Not so, Jeroen. This tasted about like the lamest Chinese buffet in some mall in nowhere, USA that I've ever had. The meat was grey and unrecognizable, and the sauce bland. Some of my meat was pure fat and inedible. Not sure if it was even beef. Possible it was cat or possum... Run away!! read more

We were a walk-in. Got seated right away. Steered towards a rice bowl that was kind of a sampler of most things. Now that we know better would have preferred the rice table. None the less food was one of the best meals I had in AMS. Would highly recommend. read more

I'm a fan of Malaysian and Indonesian food and this is not worthy of the reputation.... two local friends recommended it and I'm not sure why. The food was plentiful but relatively bland, with dry, overcooked meat (except the ayam), and I think much was prepared ahead and just plated - not cooked to order. Greasy and unexceptional. Resting on its laurels and not the fresh, crisp flavors I expect from good Indonesian food. read more

Perhaps some people don't get out of the house enough. As Sama sebo was close to the museums we stopped by for lunch and had their lunch special. This was just ordinary S.E. Asia street food. Perhaps different to many people, but nothing out of the ordinary back in the homeland. Not really "restaurant " food. read more

Sama Sebo is the best restaurant for authentic classic Indonesian food in all of Amsterdam. The restaurant is best known only to locals and has been around for ages. Make sure to reserve and order the 'rijsttafel', which is a complete selection of the most important Indonesian dishes. Try get a table at the windows. Nothing beats the location, within walking distance of the "Leidseplein' area, the true 'downtown' of Amsterdam, with theatres, restaurants and other entertainment everywhere and the large park 'Vondelpark' nearby.. read more

I can't recommend this place to anyone unfortunately. I feel like they were very pushy during our whole interaction and would not allow us to order anything but the rice table. It wasn't comfortable experience in the food was just so so. There are plenty of Indonesian places in the city and I would just decide to choose a different one. read more