Helai — Restaurant in Rotterdam

Me and my husband we have decided to try on new cuisine for our dinner out on Sunday at this Afghani restaurant. The restaurant is pretty new in the city of Rotterdam and it’s located nearby the cinema Pathe de Kuip and nearby the Feijenoord football stadium.

Because we like cooked dishes and not just simple fried cooked stuff, we saw on Helai’s website they have a so-called “Rijst-taffel menu” ( Rice table menu) with cooked dishes of different meat and veggies, so we decided to try that on. As a starter, we were brought the Afghani meat dumplings topped with a spicy sauce and crème fraiche, then the big round platter/tray with smaller dishes was served. To our surprise, we were told it’s actually an “all you can eat” small dishes: meaning that once one small bowl is finished we can ask for a refill. Well well well, we have asked for a refill for our “besties” foods of the night: aubergine, tender lamb and beefmeat balls. Next to these, there were also a chicken dish, pumpkin dish, potato dish, salad, creme fraiche, spinach cooked with chickpeas, and afghani spicy parsley citrus sauce.

The dessert they served was super over our expectations! Lava cake with icecream and a pink sour-ish sugar strip 😋.

Serving was superfast, we were done eating in almost 1 hour haha.

One thing to remark is that the place looks very posh and it would be nice to dress up accordingly when going out to eat there, otherwise you’d feel a bit awkward or unappropriate if walking with your Nike’s on 🤓. But, personal preference maybe only. Feel free to go try this amazing Afghani food! It’s worth the money ! 28 euro per person is what we paid to have all these as in...

Newest Review (2025): (6/5 stars) The food is AMAZING. We ordered the all you can eat platter for 6 people and the quantity and quality of food is out of this world. The kebabs, the shrimps and the grilled chicken with the Afghani rice are just exceptional. Although on the pricey side, the mocktails are also definetely worth it. The service was fast and staff friendly. The new ambience with the lights and music is perfect for a nice evening dinner! Highly recommend.

New Review (2023): (5/5 stars) Much better service. Everything was on time, friendly waitresses who asked on time if anything else was needed. The food was also better this time, cooked properly and served warm.

Old Review (2022): (3/5 stars) Even though the food was reasonable.... The quality of service and environment do not live up to the price and standards. You order once bottle of water, you either won't get it or you get two...after 15 minutes. Service was so slow. The whole restaurant was filled with smoke. Would...

What an absolutely beautiful restaurant Helai is! I visited last weekend and was truly impressed from start to finish. We were warmly welcomed and received outstanding service throughout our evening.

A special thank you to Suhail, who guided us through the menu with such care. He explained the dishes clearly, gave us great recommendations, and made us feel right at home with his friendliness. Haris was equally amazing. So attentive and professional, managing everything with ease and making sure the experience was flawless.

And then the food… simply wow. Every dish was not only delicious but presented with incredible detail and artistry. The flavors were outstanding, but the presentation elevated the experience to another level. You can really tell how much thought and passion goes into every plate.

Thank you, Helai, for the wonderful evening, the exquisite food, and the impeccable service. Without a doubt, one of the best dining experiences in Rotterdam. Highly...