For a rijsttafel in Amsterdam, book Blauw in Zuid. The spread arrives plated with a modern hand, and the spicing keeps its depth. Indonesian cooking with more personality means crossing to Cafe Warung Pas in Noord or heading out to Ron Gastrobar Indonesia in Amstelveen. Past Indonesia, our list covers a ramen tasting room in Oost, a sake bar in the Rivierenbuurt and a pan-Asian room on the Zeedijk.
The short list
6 places, in the order they appear below.
- 1BlauwA modern rijsttafel, with the vegetarian selection addedZuid
- 2Cafe Warung PasRotating regional Indonesian dishes, many with tempeh or tofuAmsterdam Noord
- 3Ron Gastrobar IndonesiaIndonesian small plates for a groupAmstelveen
- 4Fuku RamenA seasonal tasting menu that ends in ramenTransvaalbuurt
- 5Utage Sake BarSmall-brewery sake with Japanese sharing platesRivierenbuurt
- 6A-FusionSharing across Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Korean cookingNieuwmarkt
Where can you eat a rijsttafel in Amsterdam that is worth it?
Blauw, in Zuid, is our pick for rijsttafel. The kitchen holds on to the depth of the traditional spicing but plates the spread in a sleeker, contemporary way. The room is dark and stylish, far from the old colonial dining rooms. Come here if you want the tradition on the table without the dated setting around it.
Order the rijsttafel and add the vegetarian selection, so the table gets both sides of the menu. The crowd is local and mixed, and weekends fill up. Book ahead for a Friday or Saturday.
Blauw
Hours: Mon–Thu 17:00–22:00 · Fri–Sat 17:00–22:30 · Sun 17:00–22:00
Address: Amstelveenseweg 158-160, 1075 XN Amsterdam, Netherlands
Where do you eat Indonesian food in Amsterdam beyond the rijsttafel?
Two places on our list cook Indonesian food outside the fixed rijsttafel format, and they suit different nights. Cafe Warung Pas in Noord is a family-run warung with a short menu that moves across Indonesia’s regions. Ron Gastrobar Indonesia in Amstelveen is far more polished, with sharp flavours on small plates built for a lively group dinner.
Cafe Warung Pas takes up the first floor of a cultural clubhouse that looks over the water. Coffee sachets and herb packets brought back from Java cover the walls. Ika Petra Moerbeek grew up near Yogyakarta and cooks from all over the country, so ayam geprek, rendang and bakwan jagung can turn up on the same list of about five starters and three mains. Nearly everything comes with a tempeh or tofu option. The menu rotates, so order the dish of the day. The room is small: book before you get on the ferry.
Cafe Warung Pas
Hours: Mon–Tue closed · Wed 17:30–21:30 · Thu 17:30–22:00 · Fri 17:30–22:15 · Sat 17:00–22:30 · Sun 17:00–22:00
Address: Noordwal 1, 1021 PX Amsterdam, Netherlands
Don’t come to Ron Gastrobar Indonesia looking for a rijsttafel. The kitchen sends out sharing plates, presented in a modern way, in a smart room. Bring a group and order widely. If the table can’t agree, the kitchen will put together a tasting spread for everyone. Expect an affluent crowd from the south side, out for the same kind of evening.
Ron Gastrobar Indonesia
Hours: Mon–Sun 12:00–22:30
Address: Amstelzijde 51, 1184 TZ Amstelveen, Netherlands
Where is the best ramen and Japanese food in Amsterdam?
For ramen, go to Fuku Ramen in Oost, where the bowl is the last course of a seasonal tasting menu. Getting a seat takes planning. For Japanese food in a looser setting, Utage Sake Bar in the Rivierenbuurt pours sake from family-owned breweries alongside Japanese plates for sharing. You can stop in for one drink or stay for dinner.
Seats at Fuku Ramen are few. Midweek evenings run a six-course seasonal menu that builds to the ramen. On Saturdays it turns casual, with rotating specials and plates to share. Bookings open in monthly blocks two months ahead and are gone in seconds. If you miss one, get on the waiting list: openings go out to everyone at once, and the first to reply gets the table.
Fuku Ramen
Hours: Mon–Tue closed · Wed–Fri 18:00–23:00 · Sat 13:00–19:00 · Sun closed
Address: Ingogostraat 14A, 1092 HZ Amsterdam, Netherlands
Utage has a half curtain at the door, sandy plaster walls and big windows onto the neighbourhood. Let the staff pick the sake. They walk you through the list and match a pour to whatever plates are on the table, and there are highballs and handmade cocktails if you’d rather. Groups of more than eight need to email ahead.
Utage Sake Bar
Hours: Mon–Sat 17:30–23:00 · Sun closed
Address: Lekstraat 11, 1079 EK Amsterdam, Netherlands
Where can a group eat across Asia in one sitting in Amsterdam?
A-Fusion, on the Zeedijk in the old centre’s Chinese stretch, covers the most ground. Sushi is cut at the front counter of the long room, while dim sum, wok and barbecue kitchens work further back. The cooking pulls from Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Korean traditions, and plates stay small so a table can get through a good part of the menu.
Order in small rounds, not all at once. A-Fusion has been open for well over a decade.
A-Fusion
Hours: Mon–Thu 16:00–22:45 · Fri–Sat 12:00–23:30 · Sun 12:00–22:45
Address: Zeedijk 130, 1012 BC Amsterdam, Netherlands
How do these Asian restaurants in Amsterdam compare?
It depends what you’re after. Blauw is the one for rijsttafel. Cafe Warung Pas and Ron Gastrobar Indonesia do Indonesian cooking outside the rijsttafel format. Fuku Ramen pays back advance planning, Utage works for a drink or a full dinner, and A-Fusion suits a table that wants to share widely. Here are all six side by side.
Most of these kitchens open for dinner, and a few close early in the week, so check each card before you go. Book Fuku Ramen weeks ahead, Blauw for any weekend night and Cafe Warung Pas every time. The more flexible rooms can wait for the evenings you decide on later.
