I was disappointed with another Indonesian restaurant a few days earlier, but Soenda Kelapa's food…read moreblew me away with the dishes bursting with flavors and spices. Every. Single. Dish. And we had about 15. Four of us selected Rijstrafel / Rice Table for three people and it filled us up. We ate everything. It is probably the best Rijstrafel I've had in Amsterdam. Even the Spekkoek layered cake dessert was delicious. Coming for dinner on the night of World Pride canal parade, the restaurant was slammed. They found us a table near the kitchen. It understandably took awhile for the food to come out, but the owner was very talkative and friendly as were the other staff. It felt like we were at a family gathering in an intimate setting. Do yourself a favor and get the Rijstrafel, even if you're going solo. It's a gastronomic Dutch Indo experience!

Sweet owners, and the most delicious food, bursting with flavor. Definitely worth a stop.read more

We decided to try this place to get the full experience of the Rijsttafel dish in Amsterdam…read more They have multiple versions and we decided to do the medium size version of this food spread. There's a lot of food to share and almost all dishes can be ordered vegetarian or vegan. Service was outstanding. Highly recommend.

we went rather late, but i'm so thankful they still let us order. i'm usually too shy to come near…read moreclosing but i was starving that evening. the place was cute, i had to google about an indonesia restaurant in holland and found out the netherlands and indonesia has a little bit shared history (colonization, but i digress). but i think that's why this food was sooooo good. seriously i highly recommend the Dendeng Batokok (Lightly fried beef in red pepper sauce) i can't wait to visit amsterdam again!

Kartika serves good Indonesian rijsttafel (multi-dish sampler of spicy meats, vegetables, rice, and…read morenoodles). I don't have Indonesian food where I live, so was excited to try this in Amsterdam. I thought the dishes were all flavorful and gave a good mix of meat, vegetable, and rice dishes. The individual servings were small, but filling enough because of the heavy coconut milk used in most dishes. 1 star off: The attitude of the waitstaff was abysmal. First of all, their website does not offer reservations and they rarely answer their phones. So my family and I arrived at restaurant opening to get a table. The first thing they said to us was "Do you have a reservation? If you don't, I can only give you a table if you get out by 6:30PM." in a stern way. We said okay. The group that came after me also raised the issue that no one at the restaurant answers their phone for reservations. The waitstaff did not respond to that, but begrudging seated them. 1 star off: While we were ordering food, the waitstaff noticed that my son had a water bottle with him, and proceeded to give him a lecture that water bottles are not allowed and that we have to order water from them. He is a teenager...he does not know he was supposed to conceal his water bottle at this restaurant. We all ordered drinks, including water, but the experience left my family feeling unwelcomed.

We had a great meal and very friendly considerate service. Great option for someone dairy free, I…read morewas able to eat everything.

What a gem! If you're looking for authentic Indonesian food and are near Centraal, this is the…read moreplace to go-- the food is incredible, the restaurant is lovely and clean, and the service is very kind. Most of the reviews here are talking about rice tables, where you get small portions of 10 different dishes to share and try; if you haven't had Indonesian food before or are looking for a sampler to eat a lot of favorites, this is certainly the way to go! If you're looking for a more substantial portion of your favorite dish, though, they also have full sized portions of favorites! Highly recommend: rendang Padang, gado gado, nasi goreng, or Soto ayam. If you're feeling like you want some crunch, don't miss out out on their chips! They're not on the menu, but at the front counter where you order they also have bags of emping (seed crackers) and krupuk (shrimp crackers) for sale. Dip or munch into these alongside your meal. Yum! Will definitely be back next time I'm in Amsterdam.

Really enjoyed this family run establishment. Authentic Indonesian food (though the spice level…read morewas clearly moderated for local palates) in a very vibrant part of Amsterdam. Their young son worked the front of the restaurant - so polite, focused on the customers and putting forth his best effort. When in town, we won't hesitate to return.

Food is good but not authentic. Restaurant is small and crowded and very popular. It's worthwhile…read morevisiting once but I wouldn't return

Amsterdam had wonderful Indonesian food and if you know the history, you will know why. The…read moreconcierge at the hotel guided us to this restaurant and I am glad they did. Note that it's a tiny restaurant so you definitely want reservations. The food and service were excellent, I am a huge fan! Going to look up Indonesian restaurants when I get back home to the States.

One of the most intriguing meals I kept seeing for years before I visited Amsterdam was the…read moreRijsttafel and knew I had to get it. I went with 6 other friends on this trip and talked it up for days. Some were apprehensive since it's out of their comfort zone but I'm happy to report this was almost everyone's favorite meal throughout Europe! We decided on the Rijsttafel Special which was 15 courses laid out in order from mild to spicy, perfect since there were some who don't do heat. There was a mix of different vegetable, fish and meat also perfect for the non meat eaters. The flavors of everything was so insanely good but my favorite was the Babi Kecap, pork braised in soy with cinnamon and star anise. The portions given was exactly the right amount for us all and the service was very kind. Definitely a must go for travelers!

Great service and food. A nice open dining area with lots of space in the middle of Leidseplein…read more You need to walk up the stairs, so not very handicapped accessible. I fist went here in 2009 while on a work trip. It was also featured on a Rick Steve's Europe episode one time! It's a great choice if you didn't plan on anything, need a warm table, away from the crowds in the center of Amsterdam. As far as the food goes, I loved it all...but I don't have much experience with Indonesian food.

If you have time for only one Surinamese meal while visiting Amsterdam, Warung Spang Makandra is a…read moregood choice. The food is excellent, they have English menus for us tourists, they're affordable, and they have a nice beer list and plenty of tables -- making them maybe unique among Surinamese places. It is helpful to make a reservation, but if you didn't ... they have a lot of tables, and many turn over fast, so get in line and wait, you'll get a table eventually. They have a really good selection of vegetarian dishes, so much that you won't feel restricted at all. Spice levels are moderate, so if you're a pepper-head, order some sambal on the side. Do order some of the side dishes; I'm especially fond of the bara and the teloh with salt cod and peanut sauce. Warning, though: Surinamese food uses nuts heavily, so do not go here if you have a nut allergy.

First time trying Surinamese food. I looked up Indonesian and this restaurant popped up. When we…read moregot to the restaurant, we were very surprised at how busy it was. We were able to get the last table and were given the English menu, which was good. However, it took 30 minutes for our food to come out. The portions were big and the flavors were bold.

Thank you to my friend, Keandra, who recommended this beautiful restaurant for a Rijsttafel, known…read moreas a rice table. Definitely make a reservation as the narrow restaurant has limited seating. They turned away several parties on an early Thursday evening around 7 PM. A rijsttafel is an elaborate Indonesian meal that was adapted by the Dutch who colonized Indonesia. It consists of many, many side dishes served in small portions that are accompanied by rice prepared in several different ways. Although the dishes served are undoubtedly Indonesian, the rijsttafel's origins were colonial. The Dutch introduced the rice table to impress visitors with the exotic abundance of their colony while showcasing foods from different regions. Rijsttafels strive to feature an array of flavors, colors, degrees of spiciness and textures. The dishes may be crispy, crunchy, chewy, soft, hard or velvety. Such a beautiful display. A feast for the eyes as well as the palate. Ordered both the large and small Tujuh Maret's rice table. The larger rijsttafel includes all the specialties of the chef, composed of 18 different dishes. The smaller rice table can be ordered as mild-medium or medium spicy including chicken and tofu satay, yellow rice, jasmine rice, sweet and sour salads and prawn or rice crackers. Chicken dishes included (from least to most spicy): Ajam Opor-Chicken in a mild sauce of coconut and kurkuma. Ajam Roedjak-Chicken in a spicy sauce of red peppers and coconut. Ajam Rica Rica-Chicken in a spicy sauce of assorted peppers. Beef dishes included (from least to most spicy): Daging Smoor-Beef in a mild soy sauce and nutmeg Daging Rendang-Beef in a spicy sauce of various peppers and coconut Daging Belado-Beef in a spicy sauce of red peppers and tomatoes. Satay dishes included: Sate Ajam- Chicken satay with peanut sauce. Sate Tahu- Tofu satay with peanut sauce. Side dishes included: Gado Gado-Mixed vegetables with peanut butter sauce. Sambal Goreng Telor-Boiled egg with spicy sauce. Atjar Kuning Menado-Sweet and sour salad. Krupuk-Prawn crackers. Emping-Vegetarian crackers. Seroendeng-Grated coconut with peanuts. Nasi Putih-Steamed Jasmine rice. Nasi Kuning-Yellow rice with coconut and lemongrass. Although everything was delicious, it was definitely hard to remember what was what, even after our hostess was graciously described each of the 30 dishes that were on our rice tables. Labels would have helped. Finished with a Pandan crepe filled with coconut. A beautiful way to end a really nice evening in Amsterdam.

Delicious meal in AMS…read more According to Google, rice table, or rijsttafel, is a traditional meal that combines dishes from different Indonesian food cultures and is served with rice. The Dutch adapted the dish during their colonization of Indonesia (1602-1942), basing it on the Indonesian feast nasi padang from West Sumatra. The word rijsttafel is Dutch and translates to "rice table". I was only visiting this beautiful city for a short time. My friend made a resy for us to enjoy a quaint and yummy meal at one of her go-to spots in the area. If you decide to forgo a resy and just walk in, you may have to wait, as there's very limited seating. We walked here and it was easy stroll, enjoying all the little shops & scenery along the way. When you walk in your greeted by a yummy smell of spices. It's definitely a family business. Tiny euro style restaurant. Food - we ordered the Rice table for 2. And bring your stomach space, because it's alot of food. We came hungry and still had leftovers. It's a progressive meal, from mild to spicy dishes. But I believe you can chose your level of spice with the server. 18 dishes come out all at once. Consisting of fish, chicken, beef, veg etc dishes plus rice. All with unique flavor and textures. Would highly suggest it if in the area. Even if it's not in your wheelhouse foodwise, still an interesting experience.

I was told that we had to try Rijsttafel when in Amsterdam. Rijstaffel is a meal consisting of…read moreseveral smaller portions of different dished served with rice. We selected Dèsa in De Pijp because it was a good value and quite convenient to the public transit from where we were staying. We tried the full (non-vegetarian) option, and the verdict was ... "fine". Service was friendly, with the owners very chatty and attentive. The rijstaffel meal consisted of 8 dishes, with both steamed and fried rice, for 28 euros per person (cash only). I enjoyed the beef with sweet soy dish because the beef pieces were tender. The accompanying sauce was an umami, salty, spicy gravy--a flavor combination one does not often encounter in US Asian restaurants. I also enjoyed the chicken in coconut milk and saffron--tender pieces of chicken and mild spice. I was psyched to have beef rendang because it is THE famous Indonesian dish, but the beef wasn't as tender as I had hoped. The gravy was a balanced spicy / herb (lemongrass + turmeric + galangal) / coconut flavor as I expected. Quite good.

The food was just so so. You do not have a choice except meat sampler or vegetarian sampler. All of…read morethe dishes had the same spice just different meat. Not exciting. I really like Indonesian food but this did not deliver.

We got late night reservations at this restaurant at the recommendation of our Jordaan food tour…read moreguide. I was put on a waiting list when I tried to make a reservation the day of and luckily was able to get off the list shortly. The inside has a downstairs and an upstairs. The tables are kind of close to each other. The staff was nice and recommended the tasting menu that had a little bit of everything. We were absolutely blown away by how flavorful and delicious everything was!! I would definitely come here again and get the exact same thing.

Went here on a week night. We did not have a reservation and only outdoor seats were available. The…read morefood still came out at a good pace and it was interesting to sit in the narrow Amsterdam streets for dinner. We chose the two course chefs à la carte. We had asparagus w. salmon and tempura shrimp for starter and the chicken and lamb dishes for the main deal. All of it very tasty and well made. Obvious why they are so popular.