De Lachende Javaan in Oude Stad

Very friendly and efficient service. The rijsttafel (rice table) was delicious, with a good variety of dishes. The price below includes a bottle of rosé. In short: a very tasty meal. A fantastic experience! We will definitely be back.

Amazing good and great service! Best food we had on months.

In a word, perfect! Vegetarians can also enjoy a delicious meal here. Booking in advance is highly recommended!

We had a very tasty meal, but we received very little. Nice place.

A cozy and pleasant place to eat. The service was friendly and efficient. The food was fine and tasty, but the price-quality ratio left something to be desired in our opinion. The wine list was extensive and included some lovely personalized notes. A nice place to grab a bite to eat.

Incredibly good and authentic restaurant with Indonesian cuisine. I've never eaten such comparable and delicious food outside of India! You'll almost think you're back in Jakarta or Bali. We'll definitely be back! Even the trip from Germany just for the food is worth it for this experience!

An indescribable taste experience! We chose the RIJSTTAFEL KUNING. One highlight followed the next, and all the dishes were freshly prepared with love. We can't remember the last time we ate such incredible food and such a variety! The staff are also very attentive and friendly. We'll definitely be back and highly recommend the restaurant. :)

The best Indonesian food I’ve ever had! A highlight of my trip. Friendly staff. I was able to get a sample platter to try a bunch of dishes. The daging rendang was my favorite. Appreciate both meat and veggie options. I would recommend a reservation.

Lovely, cozy restaurant, delicious rijsttafel (rice table), and attentive service. Highly recommended!

Fantastic restaurant, friendly staff and delicious food

We experienced an authentic, very delicious Indonesian food here. Highly recommend! It's expensive though.

We didn't have a reservation, but a table was quickly set up. The food was delicious, a rijsttafel (rice table) with a wealth of dishes and wonderful flavors. The service at the table was impeccable and friendly. We will definitely be back!

Great restaurant, always busy, always delicious food. We had a delicious Kuning rice table.

As part Indonesian you are quite skeptical. Especially if your own Indian grandmother was a cook. The food was okay. The tjendol not as it should be. That was a shame. Service is friendly and fast.

We had a large family dinner and shared dishes. It was wonderful! Everything had a great spiciness level. I highly recommend.

One of the best dining experiences ever! The hospitality and amazing food is a an experience I will always remember.

Friendly service and owners! Also a lot of choice at the vegetarian rice table and also tasty (although one was tastier than the other). Recommended! And very nice old original KLM posters.

Loved everything about this place! The food was better thanI ever had in Indonesia, or any other Indonesian restaurant. Best meal I have had in a very long time!! Service was lovely, very personable and warm Thankyou xo

Absolutely great! Rijsttafel, as was always done in the past, with rechauds on the table. Tasty and extensive, friendly service. Top address

A fantastic little beautiful eatery. When you enter you can already smell the delicious smell of food, and the food is fantastically good, I have never eaten so deliciously. The meat, the rice, the rendang is divine whichever you take. The service was super delicious spontaneous girl, good explanation of the dishes. In short, I will come back had a great evening.

We popped in here without a reservation on a whim, as the reviews are great. The table was immediately rearranged and a table for four was set up! Ordering was quick, partly because the friendly and cool server spoke excellent German! The drinks arrived quickly, and after we helped choose our food, it was also very quick! Everything was beautifully presented and simply delicious! We haven't had such a good meal in a long time! A definite recommendation! A reservation is recommended, though! ...

We had a fabulous meal. Since one of us is vegan, we ordered a vegan rijstafel for three. The food arrived really quickly. It was beautifully cooked, delicious and varied. The waiter explained what each dish contained. The quantities were very generous. The staff were friendly as well as efficient. We were made to feel welcome. I would definitely recommend De Lachende Javaan to anyone visiting Haarlem.

We had the large rice platter with meat, and our expectations were exceeded! We haven't been this impressed by a restaurant in a long time—the food was delicious and authentic! We're both big eaters, and the portions were perfectly adequate—you'll definitely be more than full! The service was also excellent! If we go to Haarlem again, we'll definitely come back!

Fast correct service. Delicious food

Try authentic Indonesia food, nice ambience, friendly staffs. Very recommended.

Delicious food, nice place and friendly service. Will definitely come back when I am in the area again.

Incredible food. Great portions. Delightful staff. Couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to Indonesian food.

This Javanese restaurant is really great. The rice table is highly recommended.

Wonderful evening and very tasty food.

Been twice now. Authentic Indian food, prepared with care, delicious. Good pace of service, good portions, good price. Make a reservation! Guaranteed satisfaction when you look for this.

What a special place! Authentic Indonesian food served in a beautiful old restaurant. The set menus are amazing value for money and you get to the lots of diffferent curries and a selection of meat and veg dishes. I found the whole experience very unique! You should definitely go here.

Cool, colonial-style art in an authentic, warm atmosphere and with a no-nonsense style, this is the best Indonesian I've found yet. I didn't even mention the food yet - which was really really good.

for a longer time one of the nicest restaurants I have been. Great food, atmosphere and service!

Combination of tasty food, cosy ambiance and friendly staff! Excellent

I visited for the 2nd time on a Saturday evening and I had an excellent meal. We took the vegetarian rijst meal which was a perfect amount of food. There's loads of small portions - perhaps 10 to 12 dishes. So you get to try a range of dishes with a really diverse mix of flavours and textures. A fine example of how vegetarian food doesn't have to be boring. The banana fritters are also excellent - a very light batter. So if you have space for dessert that's a good choice. The service is fast and friendly for the rijst meals. We were in and out in an hour on a Saturday night. When I had dessert that did take a lot longer.

Perfection in abundance, abundance in perfection

Don't miss the richness of flavors. Unfortunately I experienced it as peppery or bland. Because I am vegetarian, the fact that I only have vegetarian dishes may also have had an influence.

Best Indonesian restaurant in Haarlem. Delicious food, friendly and fast service and a nice atmosphere. Top!

Delicious food. Friendly service and good atmosphere. Definitely try it once.

My favourite rijsttafel restaurant. Love it!

Absolutely delicious with great flavors. Best satay we have ever had, full stop. The only thing they could have done is turn up the spice!

To our own surprise, we didn't know this restaurant yet, but what a surprise! We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, really delicious tasty Indian food. The employees were very friendly.

'We had a really good meal here last night. Ikan Bali, ketoprak, beef rendang, sambal beans and nasi kuning with flavors that I recognized from back home. We don't often eat Indian/Indonesian food outside the home, because I often cook it myself. But I couldn't have improved this! Nice, cheerful service, you immediately feel at ease. Just a pity that there was no lontong; you must order this in advance. This restaurant is highly recommended!

Very tasty meal. Pleasantly busy.

We ordered Rijstafel and I was surprised by the amount of dishes we got. They laid lots of food warmers on the table and they served all the dishes at once including starters, main courses, and desserts. All in all, it was a pleasant experience. ... We ordered rice table and I was surprised by the amount of dishes we got. They put many warming containers on the table and served all the dishes at the same time, including starters, main courses and desserts. All in all it was a pleasant experience.

Food was ok, not special. It is very noisy, we couldn't have a normal conversation.

Best Indonesian restaurant in Haarlem. Great food, great service. Always full, reservation suggested.

Wonderful scents greet you. Authentic flavors and dishes. Beautiful posters of 100 years of scheduled flights Amsterdam-Jakarta.

Super nice restaurant, love coming here!

Super nice and atmospheric restaurant, great service and, above all, a delicious Indonesian rice table. Would definitely recommend this nice restaurant.

First experience with Indonesian food, and I couldn’t be happier. The food was incredible, amazing flavors and you can really tell it was beautifully marinated. The rice table is a great experience, specially if you never had it before. Also, don’t skip the banana dessert!

Fantastic food, cozy place! Nice family business. Affordable!

We have had a great experience from start to finish! I emailed back in December about purchasing a gift voucher for my parents from the VK. Frans responded very promptly and the voucher was send within a day. Last Friday we visited De Lachende Javaan, and what a lovely atmosphere, setting and service. Staff can't do enough for you, are friendly and efficient. We decided on one of the Rijst Tafels and we were not disappointed. Although I might have not looked enough for 3 people, there was plenty for the 3 of us. I loved that there was no music giving their customers the change to chat, giving the restaurant a nice buzzing atmoshphere. Well done.

In my experience, this is one of the best restaurants in NL

I recently ate at the laughing Javanese in Haarlem. As an Indian child who grew up with my grandmother's dishes, I am always a bit skeptical about Indian food outside the home - you know, it often lacks that "grandmother's touch." but let's be honest: this restaurant knows how to do it. the rice table was top notch, with dishes that tasted just as good as at home. highly recommended (although my grandmother's kitchen remains number one of course 😉)

We have been coming to this restaurant for decades (about twice a year). In recent years it has happened a few times that the food was served far from warm, including on January 17, 2025. The food (rijsttafel kunig) was served in cold dishes. As compensation we got the coffee for free??????!!!!!

We had such a delicious meal here, fantastic!

Very authentic Indonesian restaurant. The staff are very smiling, friendly and helpful. The food too is very delicious, and very tasty. If you have been to Indonesia you will dream back to the wonderful country and cuisine.

Very friendly and courteous staff, the atmosphere is very colorful but not overloaded.. the food is unique and always an experience (rice table), if you are in Haarlem, it is definitely worth a visit to this restaurant

It was very cozy and fun and delicious

Excellent, plentiful, delighted with this experience! 😁 Photo of the meat menu at €30 per person. 👌

We had a fantastic meal again, the two of us had the Kuning rice table, we absolutely loved it, everything stood out and that says enough. Service very friendly, atmosphere excellent.

Always good food and pleasant service

Very pleasant restaurant (place and staff), excellent cuisine. But reservation required a few days before because it is in high demand, because it is very famous.

An intimate and cozy restaurant with authentic flavors, where you will be surprised by a true taste explosion with the first bite. According to one of the employees, it is also a popular place for famous Dutch people and musicians to dine. The service is friendly and always up for a chat, which creates a warm and homely atmosphere. An absolute must for anyone making a trip to Haarlem. Tip: Book in advance to be sure of a table!

Small cozy tent. Neat service. Food very tasty. A short walk from the parking garage.

Indonesian food has never been as good as in Laughing Javaan! Super friendly service, amazing food and a lovely atmosphere! It was very busy when we were there but it was still extremely pleasant and beautiful!

Wow, the food is so good there. Went there for the first time last night and had a fantastic meal. Also compliments for Delano; he is modest, extremely friendly and knows what he is talking about! We'll be back soon.

Delicious food in a cozy restaurant, absolutely great.

A great Indonesian restaurant with a lovely living room atmosphere, very attentive service with humor. Choose from the standard rice table, an extensive rice table, a fish rice table or a vegetarian rice table. And you can order various dishes separately, we have already had a fantastic meal there twice. This restaurant is highly recommended for lovers of a great rice table. NB. Because of the centenary of the air connection with what was then Batavia (now Jakarta), the owner has hung his unique collection of authentic KLM posters in the store. Very nice.

Delicious food, also vegetarian options. Nice casual atmosphere. There is sufficient space between tables

Good and tasty Indonesian food. Rijsttafel that was more than sufficient. Very complete and full of flavour. Good service and fast service.

Our group of Netherlands-Indonesian decent visited ‘De Lachende Javaan’ ‘The Smiling Javanese’. Our expectations are high as we travel to the Indonesian archipelago several times a year. Our reference is not the European hotel style Indonesian cuisine, but the traditional local Warung. This restaurant ‘De Lachende Javaan’ truly deserves a 5 star.

We ate a delicious rice table and were given some leftover food.

Good service, hospitable, flexible. Right space to sit intimately with a large group (10 people); for drinks, the Es Cendol is recommended.

Fantastic! Very hospitable. Delicious food, refined flavors. Nicely decorated. Never before have I had such delicious Asian food in the Netherlands. Really exceptionally good. Recommended!

Really for the enthusiasts. Delicious. Make a reservation.

What a joke, I can make a better rice table than these clowns. This is Indonesian food for Dutch people who don't know what it should really taste like. Management doesn't understand it either 😂

Amazing service & great food. A vibe!

We were treated incredibly rudely, we sat next to a very noisy group and no one took us seriously. Ultimately we had to move to another table where it was very drafty and we became overstimulated by the large space. The kitchen looked very unsanitary.

The food was delicious, a beautifully decorated room, a great menu with attention to telling a beautiful story. Extremely friendly staff. I will definitely come back here. We are also very grateful for how a problem regarding nuisance from a group within the restaurant was resolved by the friendly owner. It turned out to be a very nice evening after all. Thank you very much for the good care ❤️

The food was delicious, especially in terms of price/quality ratio. Service was definitely good. The only drawback was the acoustics within the room.

Beautiful restaurant, delicious dishes. Friendly staff. Very tasty food.

Delicious food. Nice service. Nicely decorated.

We ordered the vegetarian rice table and were extremely impressed with the quality and quantity. Great atmosphere with details and very friendly service… gladly again

An entire restaurant with an eye for detail, both in the service and the restaurant itself. The food is refined and very tasty. Reservations are almost always necessary.

Nice, surprising family restaurant with very tasty food. I would always go for a rice table there, because then you really get the tastiest dishes on the table.

Attractive restaurant with a suitable interior and fast, friendly service. The food is sublime. Highly recommended. I'll definitely be back!

Incredible food and wine selection. One of the best meals we’ve ever had. Great selection of vegetarian options and the staff were lovely and took the time to explain each dish to us.

Heel lekker eten, heerlijke rijsttafel en aardige bediening die alles leuk en uitgebreid uitlegt wat er in de rijsttafel zit. Locatie midden in het centrum van haarlem in een mooi straatje. De aankleding van het restaurant is authentiek. Je zit er gezellig.

Heerlijk gegeten! Genoten van vis rijst tafel, goed gevarieerd en verfijnde smaken, echt super. Favoriet kabeljauw ketjap! Wij komen zeker nog eens terug.

Recently visited this restaurant for a retirement dinner with Dutch colleagues. Fabulous rijsttafel served by welcoming and attentive staff. Thoroughly recommend this restaurant if you are looking to try authentic Indonesian food.

Delicious food with spontaneous good service.

Great restaurant with amazing food aan very friendly staff.

We had dinner here on Tuesday, September 24, on the recommendation of a friend of my sister. We ate a delicious rice table, and it was really tasty. Staff very friendly and above all cheerful. If you really want to enjoy Indonesian dishes, the Lachende Javaan is highly recommended. De Lachende Javaan can count on four regular customers, because we are guaranteed to come back.

Great place ...one of the best Indonesian restaurants around!!

What a beautiful restaurant, cozy, delicious food, nice service! Top restaurant!

We enjoyed the rice table for three. Be warned - it is a lot of food! But it was delicious and we enjoyed the experience very much. The staff was friendly and helpful and the atmosphere is nice.

Came here for Rijsttafel (Rice Table) and was not disappointed! A cool experience and we were certainly full by the end. So many tasty dishes!

Had an amazing dinner here. Food was delicious, and the service was super friendly. Great atmosphere too!