Restaurant Asmara in Nieuwmarkt/Lastage

The culinary world rediscovered... Isn't that what we're all secretly looking for as we get older? After what we all had in childhood!? The discovery of the new!!! For me it was definitely extremely exciting to get to know completely new spices and taste completely new flavors. But it wasn't just the spirit of discovery and the inspiration of the "new" that now makes me rave so much; No, the food was really exceptionally tasty and also very filling. On my next visit to Amsterdam I will definitely reserve a table here again and that will be quite soon. Now I've raved so much about the food that I almost forgot to praise the really friendly hosts who made your stay in this wonderful restaurant pleasant in every way.

ive been trying ethiopian/eritrean food in every city i go to and this is by far the best ive had in europe. first one that matches the quality of my fav place in new york. the owner is also so friendly and said the biggest difference is the food being made with love <3 highly recommend!!

Delicious food, a mixed plate can be tailored to your wishes. Planted based and gluten free options

cozy, perfect atmosphere+ music and interior, super friendly owner and amazing food

A very tasty and pretty unusual cuisine. Friendly staff and moderate prices make this restaurant a very attractive place!

This is unacceptable. I arrived on December 31, 2024, having reserved a table for three people online via TheFork, at 5 p.m. The restaurant was supposed to open at 4 p.m. However, when we arrived at 4:50 p.m. the door was closed. We saw two people inside, and waited for them to open, since we had a confirmed reservation and the restaurant was supposed to be open since 4 p.m. When they saw us, the people inside changed places without speaking to us or giving us any explanations. It is unacceptable to travel all the way after reserving a table, only to end up standing outside for 20 minutes without any response.

This is a bad, irresponsible restaurant. We arrived at 4:50 p.m., it was open, people saw us, but the staff didn't even dare to open the door to explain to us what the problem was.

amazing experience !!! the food is made with magic, and is addicting to eat and eat! thank you to the staff for such a wonderful service

A kitchen unlike any other. Well seasoned. Good beers from Eritrea. Super friendly service

Small cosy place, food is unique and to fall for, cheap, great service... What else to say. If I could give it 6 stars I would

Great culinary discovery, we enjoyed ourselves. And the staff was very welcoming. I highly recommend. And the prices are very fair

Great service! The food was great and we felt very comfortable

Very nice and warm staff, very delicious Food.

Food was excellent. Very authentic and delicious. Friendly staff. Warm and inviting atmosphere

Super super tasty and great atmosphere, not too expensive either!

This place is the real deal. Wonderful food. Humble, unassuming, kind staff. Fantastic restaurant.

The restaurant was almost full, which is why the boss/cook couldn't offer anything in the near future. That was completely understandable. Unfortunately, the whole thing went without a greeting and with little friendliness.

Great authentic food in a cozy atmosphere. We had a selection of vegetarian dishes and each was better than the last. A real taste explosion. Great recommendation!

Amazing, tasty, food, and great service. No problems catering for vegetarians, gluten-intolerance, and making suggestions to get the most of the visit. I would certainly recommended a visit.

Tasty food and very intimate atmosphere. Attentive service and sound advice.

Great African food, flavourful and nutritious. Several vegan options and great beer served in a coconut bowl!

the host is super friendly and the food is amazing! been here three times already

Sososo good food! Great atmosphere, we celebrated the birthday of a friend and it was the perfect place, all the staff is super friendly :) highly recommend

One of the best BEST restaurants in Amsterdam!

Tasty food and lots of vegan options. We had seven vegan dishes that we shared, with options for meat or fish as well. The owner was nice, and the Eritrean beer in special glass was a nice addition. Recommended!

Amazing food, absolutely great way to discover Eritrean cuisine. Very friendly people and nice vibe too

Super yummy and authentic Eritrean food. Great service. I recommend eating with your (clean) hands for full experience 😉 Vegan menu is fantastic!

Awesome food! Superb quality, very delicious, very friendly staff. Best in town, so far

Good food, friendly service. Definitely will visit again

Asmara offers authentic Eritrean cuisine with rich flavors and traditional dishes. The food pairs well with African beers, and the warm ambiance makes it a must-visit.

The food was amazing and we tried their traditional combo with mango beer. The service was good.

Went spontaneously on a calm Saturday night, the food was amazing - perfectly filling, very tasty, and the owners were very charming and took well care of us. We ordered tasty African beers as well which were served in coconut shells, a great experience. The dessert with yoghurt and figs was also really nice. Really good value for money - paid about €25 per person, we shared a big taster plate and two desserts. Very happy 🥰

Every time I am in Amsterdam the Asmara Restaurant is on my list, to visit. The food is amazing and it is thoughtfully made by the cook and the staff. The waiters are such lovely people and welcome you with open arms. Love love love the restaurant🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Fantastic vegan meal with a group of 10, atmosphere is very relaxed, so waiting times are quite long. If you don't come expecting to be in and out quickly, and have let the owner know when and how many you are coming, this is the best restaurant I know in Amsterdam. At the end I received a digestive from the owner, 10/10.

Amazing good, great service, and just an amazing experience overall.

Amazing place, with fantastic food! I loved It. Highly recommended

Something different than usual. You can taste pure and only fresh ingredients. Super friendly service that makes the longer waiting times quickly forgotten.

Even before ordering, they offered to surprise us by choosing for us. Even though we were hesitant, we accepted and were positively surprised, despite the high expectations. We received a large, full and varied plate to share, from which we could eat with our hands. Unique experience that was worth the wait, modest price and food so good that once we finished we hadn't even opened the cans. They offered us grappa and even gave us a generous portion of samples to take away!

Without a doubt some of the most delicious food I have ever eaten. Honestly, I was absolutely blown away. We chose the vegan combination plate and every single bite was mind blowing. I’m only sad I discovered it our last day in town, otherwise would’ve eaten here every day.

Internet promised a reservation that didn't go through, but we were seated anyway. Asked for help for vegetarian meal for 5. Everything was amazing (4 of us are not vegetarian)! Authentic and savory.

A very tasty place. We ordered beef and lamb - very tasty. In addition to meat, the dish also includes very tasty side dishes

We were lucky enough to find this gorgeous restaurant when we visited an old friend in Amsterdam. The lovely staff made us so welcome, and it was wonderful to catch up over a shared plate between the 6 of us. We tried fish, chicken, beef, mixed veg, and jackfruit. The flavours were just divine. We all ate a little more than we should have because no one could resist another bite until the plate was empty! It was excellent value.

Delicious food!, the best Eritrean restaurant so far. Service is very customer friendly and nice atmosphere with Eritrean music in the background. Definitely worth repeating 🇪🇷😍

Without doubt.. the best meal I ate all year so far. Wonderful food… I went for the vegetarian combination, all of which CH were so fresh, so flavoursome and genuinely delicious. I noticed there were also a large number of vegan options and some meat dishes on the menu. it was an outstanding meal and the owners were so friendly, so kind and really welcoming. you will wait for the food but then… So you should with all that wonderful stuff coming out of the kitchen fresh. Very reasonable prices. I cannot recommend highly enough

A different than normal restaurant. Delicious food cooked by someone who loves cooking for people. Don’t expect the norms of Amsterdam restaurant culture.

Super nice staff! We came in early without a clue In the world what to get. (Presumably) the owner came to take our order, which he did for us. Our food was spectacular, many flavors and tasted that can’t easily be found in some places. Tons of vegetarian options too.

Very tasty, good service. The honey wine is highly recommended.

Sympathetic tent with excellent cooking. Large plates with many different excellently seasoned dishes. Also wide choice of exotic beer.

Really delicious Eritrean restaurant. One of the best in Amsterdam.

Una experiencia verdaderamente maravillosa - - no solo la comida (excelente) , sino también el ambiente sociable. El personal es amable y servicial, la comida es realmente la mejor comida etíope / eritrea que hemos tenido (y hemos comido en un *montón* de restaurantes etíopes durante muchos años) , y la experiencia general hizo de esto un punto culminante de nuestro viaje a Amsterdam ... y eso es decir mucho!

We were very lucky to have found this restaurant, I would recommend it for anyone who loves good food and a special coconut beer!

I never put reviews but this deserve one. The food was absolutly excelent and the service even better. This is my new favorite place in Amsterdam.

Although it is a small restaurant with a very basic set up and fairly cheap, this is one of those experiences in terms of food that you won't forget! Highly recommended!

The food was amazing, authentic. Nice relaxed atmosphere, the manager and staff were very friendly and welcoming. Definitely coming back on my next visit!

The food was amazing and the owner was very helpful when ordering. Would highly recommend eating here, and trying a mix of the vegetable options. The coconut beer was a nice touch too.

Wonderful experience, amazing food and very nice staff. Absolutely recommended.

Amazing food, great service! Enjoyed every minute there.

Great food, takes a little patience to prepare.

We were there on a Thursday evening and enjoyed it a lot. We had the mixed combination allowing to try a variety of tastes.

Amazing and fresh food, great service and very nice and unique atmosphere. Ate there a few times and will continue to come back. Besides the great food there is a unique selection of beers.

Small quiet restaurant. The owner was quite friendly and we loved the food --- he chose the vegetarian dishes based on our likes.

Delicious food and friendly staff

Delicious, authentic food! Good atmosphere. We'll be back.

SO GOOD! Definitely get a combination dinner, you'll get to try more dishes and they're all delicious. Our favorite was the pumpkin.

GREAT taste of unusual cuisine. Staff very friendly and make sure you get the Eritrean experience. Well-priced for the quality too.

Loved everything about Asmara! The beautiful decor, yummy food and the owner is such a delight to talk to.

Small but fantastic Eritrean. Friendly and relaxed service and superb authentic food. Would certainly return

A very good surprise! The dishes were at the top (spices but just enough) to discover Ethiopian cuisine rich in taste. The service is very pleasant and efficient, all in a simple but colorful decor. I recommend!

Nice food, all seemed good until sadly we left quite upset, after being asked to pay a total that was not the same we calculated and seeing no check that proved it. When asked, the guy who helped us came up with the explanation that he added his own tip and concluded "money does not matter anyway, no?" This caught us off guard so bad that we just agreed to pay and left. For sure not to come back.

Excellent, nous conseillons. Portions peut-être insuffisantes mais bon c'était très bien. Bon accueil et prix corrects

Delicious food! Lots of choice in terms of meat, fish and vegetarian. And very cozy.

Perfect in every way. The owner’s service, the food, wine, price, experience and atmosphere. I suggest the sample platter. Excellent job.

Food was great. But there was only 1 to choose from 😅 I was a bit overwhelmed due to the small group. But he was still friendly

Amazing authentic “homestyle” Eritrean food! Loved it so much, staff is also very, very friendly and helpful. Definitely would recommend for anyone in Amsterdam, wanting some authentic African/Eritrean food.

We went there as a group of 8 people and as we ordered our foods, the waiter told us he would make the best plate for us. He was right about it - we got two large plates with our preferences, so that we could enjoy what we had ordered, but also other people's dishes. It just looked gorgeous and was also really delicious. I found it also quite cheap for what we got. Unfortunately the toilet was not quite the cleanest one, but that seems to be the standard for Amsterdam, so I wouldn't lower my evaluation for this.

Delicious, wholesome food served by a warm and kind family. It was a highlight of our trip to Amsterdam to spend an evening here.

Very friendly staff and delicious food! Only reason why it is a four, is because I was still hungry after diner

Abundant dishes and good, friendly but slow service

Food was absolutely delicious and the service was really "interesting" 😇

Family-run business, all dishes are individually and freshly prepared. It may take a while if it's busy, but it's worth the wait! The food was exceptionally delicious!

Exceptionally good food, nice staff.

Delicious Eritrean food. A little bit slow to arrive, but the service was friendly and it was worth the wait.

fantastic food, very fine ethiopian. Service not optimal for lack of personell, but very friendly nonetheless. Recommended for the sublime food!

Uitstekend! Beste Ethiopisch dat ik ooit gegeten heb. Bediening bleef een beetje achter: heel vriendelijk en attent, maar lang wachten door duidelijk personeelstekort. Echter zooo lekker eten maakt echt alles goed. Hier komen we zeker terug

Really delicious food, and the owner is super friendly. Recommended!

Very good place. Nice Food. Very good service.

Based on the good reviews, we reserved a table here and we completely agree with the good reviews! We asked the chef if he wanted to put something tasty on the table for us, and that worked out well. We really enjoyed both the food and the atmosphere. We will definitely come back again!

I'm in ecstasy, such a good experience. Above satisfied. Will be going back for sure.

Too bad, wanted to eat early with 2 African children, at 5 o'clock. They opened at 6am when site said 4am.

By far, the best restaurant we visited on our short break to Amsterdam. The food did not take long to come and was piping hot, made fresh. The combination vegan platter was very affordable for 3 adults and so filling. The owner/worker recommended us nice traditional drinks which were great. the atmosphere in the restaurant was also great, seemed like a good hidden spot for locals. First time trying Ethiopian food as it is not common where I live, and everything about the restaurant was amazing, will be coming back soon!

Héérlijk gegeten, elke keer weer! Dankjewel! 🙏🏼

Always impressive! Again a very nice experience and great service trying to fulfill Special dietary needs!

Food was delicious, chef was extremely kind

Lovely place with amazing decorations 😍 we ate with hands which was super cool(they will wash your hands before) and food was tasty and fresh, a little too spicy for me but it was worth it❤️

Phenomenal meal and service in a full cozy environment. Special thanks for taking us in last minute too.

Very nice relaxed place. Friendly. Food nice. Drinks not totally clear but turned out OK.

Saved my stomach on a Sunday night! Food was absolutely delicious and the portion was big enough for two people. Also ordered the yogurt dessert and it was yummmmm!

Amazing experience and time at this small restaurant off the beaten path near the Jewish museum. The owner and chef is delightful. Just ask him to make something for you - you won’t be disappointed!

Delicious flavours, fresh ingredients, beautifully served. Loved it, despite the slower service as it is a one-person restaurant.

The food is amazing, and the experience of eating with your hands is well worth it. Service is a bit slow, but that is because the restaurant is run by one person only. Highly recommended.