Semai Restaurant & Lounge — Restaurant in Amsterdam

The food is good. Well spiced and even a good size. There was unfortunately not enough sauce (which makes the injera so juicy).

The main problem is that it took over 30 minutes to get the dishes we ordered. Ethiopian food is precooked for hours - so it just sat somewhere and when we got it - it was cold.

In addition, the service was good but very slow. We didn't get our drinks and then I had to go to the bar to ask for them and when they arrived (after probably sitting there for quite a few minutes), they weren't cold anymore. Also when we wanted to pay, we waited for long time - until I went to the bar to pay.

The injera was hard on the side. Probably also not that fresh anymore.

Pity - since the food was good. We took the vegetarian mix (22.50 euro) and the meat mix (25 euro). The beers were Hertog Jan (3.50) and Asmara (4 euro), both were ok. Altogether we paid 55 euro + tip. Not cheap but...

First time I came to this restaurant was completely by chance. We had been to Amsterdam Noord, it was about 22:00 and we found Semai, open and with vegan options. What an amazing surprise! The vegan food there is absolutely delicious. The atmosphere is cozy, the hosts and the overall service is super lovely. It's the kind of food you know is made with love and care. So tasteful and heartwarming, offered at affordable prices. Semai also has great opening times, specially considering that restaurants tend to close quite early in Amsterdam. I recommend this place to absolutely everyone, I have taken friends there a few...

This is an outstanding Eritrean-Ethiopian restaurant -- the best in Amsterdam, hands-down. Possibly the best in the Netherlands. We've eaten at Eritrean-Ethiopian restaurants around the world, including Washington DC and Oakland, California, where there are large Eritrean and Ethiopian populations and great restaurants. Semai is up there with the best of these. We had the doro wat (spicy chicken) and the vegetarian sampler. A must for anyone who loves this cuisine or wants to try it out. (Also-- a very lovely and...