I was told that we had to try Rijsttafel when in Amsterdam. Rijstaffel is a meal consisting of several 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. read more

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

I should have looked at the critical reviews more closely.. this wasn't too far from where we were staying and saw it reviewed on a travel vlog but this was awful. The vegetarian dishes were inedible--difficult to eat, I've had peanut dishes and these tasted overly sweet, and limited variety. Some of the meat dishes had overly tough meat. The family seemed nice running the restaurant (a grandson was helping his grandparents serve) but feel taken advantage to have paid so much when there are so many better options. read more

Apparently Indonesian food is big in Amsterdam, so we had to try it. We ordered the Indonesian rijsttafel (rice table). We got the meat version. This was our first time having a rice table. The meats were good. Our biggest complaint was that the food was a little cold when they brought it out, and the warmers they placed it on didn't make much of a difference. I don't think I'd go back, but I'm happy I tried it. The staff was super nice. read more

Dèsa - Meat rice table - Indonesian Near Me - Amsterdam, New Hampshire

We loved! Gluten free food. So many choices for a not crazy price. So cute inside and friendly people. There was three times of red meat and two chickens and veggies and delicious food. read more

We managed to pop in around 8:30pm without a reservation and they managed to seat us. To keep it simple, we ordered the rijsttafel. And it was a wonderful array of dishes that came with a plain rice and a fried rice. Staff and service were wonderful. Make a reservation. Cash only! read more

See all

So so so good. Just come. Select the tasting menu. Order the Lumpias. There is no bad dish. Everything is great! read more

Dèsa - Tasting menu and Lumpia. - Indonesian Near Me - Amsterdam, New Hampshire

Ate here for dinner with my sister to try this place out. We had only ordered the rijsttafel to share and it tasted good and delicious except we didn't ate the peanut sauce ones 'cause we both had severe allergies to the peanut sauce. The service there was also really good and efficient. Finally, I would definitely eat there again next time maybe in the future when I visit Amsterdam next time and bring my parents there to try it out and speak possibly Indonesian while ordering it! :) read more

Came here after searching for a rijsttafel, rice table, since it was suggested as one of the things to do when in Amsterdam! I had no idea prior. I called a popular one in town but they didn't have room until a few hours. Dèsa came up nearby so we decided to check it out. We had a lovely dinner here. It wasn't crowded at all, but our waiter said usually it's more lively. We didn't mind. Our waiter was very prompt and polite. We ordered the rice table for 2 (the one that was meatier). Love the small plates and sharing. Don't underestimate the size, both the SO and I were stuffed after. All the flavors were on point. Our favorite was the spicy shrimp, can't put my finger on it but it tasted like mama (instant noodles). After our meal, we had a nice cup of jasmine tea. I enjoyed the music they played. Definitely serene and peaceful--reminded me of getting a Balinese massage. Then the food coma commenced. read more

Dèsa - Rice table for 2 - Indonesian Near Me - Amsterdam, New Hampshire

My travel friend was eager to try Indonesian for the first time, and this was the perfect place, with great options. We opted for the Rijattafel Istimewa which was the priciest and meatiest of the Rijsttafel options. I described it to her as a set menu of Indonesian tapas and she said it was apt. I've not seen many places with Indonesian Rijsttafel (other than in Indonesia) in my travels so was eager to have some again! Given the history of the Nederlands I figured the food here would be pretty authentic and I think it was! My mom is Chinese but was raised in Indonesia so many of the flavours here felt familiar and homey to me. FOOD: quite good and a nice variety! The Rijsttafel we chose had a variety of dishes including shrimp, lamb, beef and chicken - satays, curries and stews. There was only one vegetable dish but it was really good. The set also came with an unremarkable egg roll, two large bowls of fried rice (spicy) and saffron rice (yum!) to share, and peanut sauce and toasted coconut on the side. Our "surprise" dessert was a refreshing cendol (pandan-flavoured tapioca threads and mango in a sweeter cold coconut milk) and pandan cake. I've had Rijsttafels which had more fresh and innovative offerings, but if you're craving comfortable and tasty Indonesian food you'll be happy with what Dèsa offers. SERVICE: everyone was nice enough, but we kinda had to work to get attention. Some of the dishes were too spicy for me, and I had to slow down until I could get them to see us waving for water. When they brought it though, they left us with a pitcher which was helpful. We also asked for more saffron rice and they happily brought us more. We also had to work a bit to get a bill in the end. Definite room for improvement here. AMBIANCE: the front of the house is really lovely; nice lighting, elegant decorations, Indonesian instrumental music at a just-right volume that was audible but you don't have to talk over. If you get one of these tables the ambiance is classy - nice but not pretentious dinner out. A little later in the evening, on three separate occasions, tour buses pulled up with what I am guessing are Indonesian your groups. It did add to the feeling of authenticity but it did make the place rowdier (and I think the service less attentive). When walking back towards the toilets the place morphs into a home-office, grandma's dining room and neighborhood pub feel with snapshots on the wall and and a whole other room in the back where they accommodated tour groups! VALUE: given that we paid half the price of this Rijsttafel for a burger the day before, I'd say this is a good value in this town. We left quite full, and enjoyed tasting lots of different dishes. OVERALL: I would recommend this place and experience to anyone interested in trying Indonesian cuisine! Make a reservation for one of the tables in the front for a quieter and more elegant experience, and come hungry! read more

Dèsa - Indonesian Near Me - Amsterdam, New Hampshire

See all

We ate here as we were visiting Amsterdam and craved Indonesian. This family owned and run little gem was everything I could have wished for. Our host and server (and the daughter of the owner and cook) was delightful, kind and helpful. The food was delicious, perfectly prepared and beautifully presented. I craved something not on the menu and asked if it would be possible. Our server checked with Mom and a beautiful plate of mie goreng was brought and Mom came out to check on us. All in all, a perfect place!! read more

We were staying in de Pijp and looking for Indonesian food close by, and this place was a delightful find. It really does not look like much from the outside but inside is cozy and colorful with lots of photos and art. The food was delicious--I regret we weren't hungry enough to order the larger sampler menu; we instead had the tofu with bamboo shoots and coconut milk, and the red pepper chicken. Both scrumptious! read more

What a delightful restaurant. Charming and clean. The food was an experience that was so rewarding I wish we could go back again. If you have never had Indonesian rice table it was MAGNIFICENT. The flavors were divine and the smells from the kitchen were wonderful as we waited for our dinner. Try something new!!! Worth your while. read more

Sounded better on menu than what was delivered We ordered a sharing dish for 4 but it was the same portion as for 2 Dishes were also blend Nothing special Staff quite friendly though (hence the 2stars) read more

This was my first introduction into Indonesian food and I have to say it was lovely. We went for the rice table option which is for 2 people or more. We were two vegetarians and two omnivors but they were perfectly happy to give us two different rice tables. Basically it was a large bowl of rice and then lots of little dishes to go with it. I think we had something like 15-18 dishes between the two orders. There were so many fun things to try, like jackfruit in coconut. Nothing was too spicy which we were a little sad about so they brought us some nice hot sauce. At the start they bring you some shrimp chips and peanut sauce, but they also have a veggie version of the chips made from beans if you tell them you are vegetarian. The atmosphere is very serene and very nice for a family dinner. The only reason for the 1-star less than perfection is that they said the beer we ordered wasn't cold and suggested a different beer, but that beer turned out to be 2 euros more each, which kinda bummed us out when we got the bill. Overall, a memorable experience and very delicious. read more

Dèsa - Rice Table for 4 - 2 veggie (18 euro pp) and 2 not veggie (15.50 eruo pp) - Indonesian Near Me - Amsterdam, New Hampshire

Rijsttafel, a Dutch word that translates to "rice table." Perfect for hungry people, especially tourists, itching to try a wide variety of Indonesian food in a convenient way. I came across Dèsa in the Lonely Planet pocket guide for Amsterdam provided at our airBnB. It claimed Dèsa to be an affordable Indonesian restaurant to try rijsttafel. We happened to be in the neighborhood one evening and, fortunately, were able to snag a table without having to make a reservation (we found that most upscale restaurants in Amsterdam won't seat you unless you have a reservation). At 19.80 Euros per person, and a minimum of 2 people, the RIJSTTAFEL DESA is a steal. I had Yelped other Indonesian restaurants who had price tags of 30 Euros upward. Service here is quick and pleasant. We started off with a pot of tea at 3.50 Euros before a big basket of complimentary shrimp chips found their way in front of us. We nibbled on a few before the huge spread was brought out before us: 1 appetizer, 7 entrees, 2 rice dishes, 3 side garnishes, and 1 dessert. 6 of the 7 entrees were served in small bowls that they kept warm on a heating plate in front of us. Everything else was off to the side, including the gado-gado (vegetable salad with homemade peanut sauce--was okay), sate ayam (roasted chicken on a stick--did not like, but boyfriend did), nasi putih (white rice), nasi goreng (fried rice--guh I love fried rice), the 3 side garnishes of sambal goreng kentang (sweetened fried potatoes), serundeng (spiced and fried shredded coconut), and acar (mixed sliced vegetables in sweet and sour dressing). They also kept the dessert of pisang goreng (fried bananas) off to the side, which was quite cold and soggy by the time I got around to eating it. Did not like. Wish they had brought that out later. As for the entrees, best to worst IMO were the ayam besenger (chicken cooked with saffron and coconut milk), anak sapi kecap (stew veal in soja sauce), ayam rica-rica (chicken with red pepper sauce), sambal goreng buncis (beans in spicy coconut sauce), daging rendang (beef in spiced coconut sauce), and sayur lodeh (mixed vegetables in coconut milk sauce). We barely touched the beef, probably because we were so full. Pro tip: pour the coconut milk sauce on your rice to make it taste EVEN BETTER. All in all, a great Indonesian meal at a great price tag! read more

See all

Wonderful family Indonesian restaurant in the De Pijp area of Amsterdam. It's on a long, busy artery in one of the still authentic feeling neighborhoods in the central area. You are welcomed by very gracious hosts, and there is a definite warm family feel to the whole operation and they treat you like a guest in their home. They have rijsttafel, but as I was there solo I just ordered a bunch of dishes and all of them were freshly made and tasty! The decor is cute and service is efficient but they don't rush you. I'll definitely pop by again if I'm back in the AMS. read more

Dèsa - Tasty, well-presented food at Desa! - Indonesian Near Me - Amsterdam, New Hampshire

Hunting for rijstafel in Amsterdam, we decided on this place mostly because it was close to the Rijksmuseum. At 7 pm-ish, we were seated immediately. Beverages are predominantly wine and beer, although they do have a basic bar. They have 3 rijstafel menus, the basic for 19.50€, the larger menu for 35€ and the vegetarian. We went with the larger menu. The soup was the best dish of the meal, with lots of flavor and a generous serving. Everything after that was just okay. Nothing horrible, but nothing stood out. It was a perfectly adequate, okay meal, but one I could have had at any number of restaurants in Amsterdam. Also, at the end of the meal, they said they didn't take credit cards, but we saw them take a card at another table. They then accepted our card, and told the table next to us that they didn't take cards. The table next to us said, "you just took their card." Is this something that goes on all night? Weird. Not terrible, but not worth a return. read more

See all

From the outside, doesn't look like much, Christmas Day, not kuch open and luckily Desa was!! The best meal I have had in a while! The tasting menu was unbelievable, the spices was out of this world! This family owned business is def a must try. If you don't, you are def missing out! Thank you for an amazing meal!!! read more

See all

Having an Indonesian background myself, my standards for Indonesian food are very high. A good friend of mine and I dined here last week. We ordered the standard "rijsttafel" which honestly was plenty of food for two people but being two guys with big appetites, we also ordered extra sate kambing (goat) and sate udang (shrimp). We (or other really hungry people) probably should just have ordered the bigger rijsttafel which has even more dishes. Many Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam serve the "rijsttafel", which is a plethora of smaller dishes and allows you to sample Indonesian cuisine. I have eaten many of them and their version was a good solid offering with tasty versions of familiar Indonesian dishes. I could nitpick and point out some dishes of which I have had better versions but truth be told, it was all well prepared and tasted good. Service was fast and friendly too. A good place to sample Indonesian food. read more

Absolutely delicious, we had the set menu desa extra. Everything was really good and the service excellent. Best Indonesian meal I've ever had. read more

Dèsa - Indonesian Near Me - Amsterdam, New Hampshire

Very clean and nice place. We took the rastafel for 2 people for 30€. Very small dishes and not tasty enough for the price. read more

Amazing Indonesian food; I had the orange beef and my mom had the veggie and shrimp skewers. Perfect hot food for a chilly rainy day. Service was fast and very friendly and we had no problem getting a table (we arrived as a large group was leaving). Price was very reasonable. Not too far a walk from team lines or the museumplein area. read more

This was HANDS DOWN the best meal I ate on a month-long visit to Europe. Come hungry, order the "rijsttaffel," and prepare to be amazed. It is a smorgasbord of epic deliciousness. I almost wept with joy as I ate it. No joke. read more

Hubby and I arrived upon opening for an early dinner. We have never had Indonesian food, and was excited to try it. The service was not warm or friendly, but we were promptly served. We tried the 2 people rice table with 8 dishes, 2 rice dishes, and cake. Each dish was a small sample dish, but there was a lot of food in totality. Most of the dishes were good, especially the coconut sauced dishes, but the spicy dish was a little too hot. The basket of crunchy chips were tasty. Unfortunately, except for the meal presentation, the food is not memorable. The meal was €45.20 and an unique experience. read more

Top notch! First time trying Indonesian cuisine and we found the best place to be introduced. Ordered the Rijsstaffel for two and every dish was absolutely delicious. We're huge fans of peanut sauce and coconut and there was plenty of it. Such a great variety of flavors and textures. Great little mom and pop restaurant and I would highly recommend! read more

Cheap menu and cozy atmosphere. We found some of the dishes were cold in the middle though like they've been sitting and haven't been heated through properly. Food all tasted okay. Nothing memorable. Friendly staff and service though. read more

We searched for Rijsttafel, and found this gem! Hole-in-the-wall from outside, but nice and simple inside, and a simply wonderful meal (we got the meat rice table). I am a total spice avoider, while my husband loves it, and we both had things we said "do you want more of this, because if not I'm going to finish it". As usual in Europe, took forever to get the check, but that seems to be because they really are happy for you to sit and enjoy the restaurant. read more

This was my first time in Europe and I had heard that Amsterdam service may not be as attentive to their guest but when me and my boyfriend went here we were welcomed and seated immediately. We ordered the rijstaffel option and it was delicious. So many small plates and varieties of food and it was perfect portions as well as fantastic flavors of curry, coconut, peanut sauce, etc. We really enjoyed it there! read more

We chose this place based mostly on the fact it was close to our airbnb apt. We ordered the standard "rijsttael" which was more than two people could finish, no matter how hungry they are. Small dishes were presented on a warming tray and each wad explained in detail by our waittress. We knew we had picked the right spot when an entire busload of Indonesian parliamentary officials arrived at the restaurant and settled into the hugh back room. Don't miss this if your looking for great food at a reasonable price. read more

Went there last night with a big group of colleagues and it was delicious, really! We ordered rijstafels with meats and their sauces, vegi dishes and I got a nice glass of white wine. Well, when I go back, I'll do the same!! Cosy place and good service, thumbs up! read more

The food here is amazing and the staff very friendly! It has a cosy "homecooked" vibe