Semai Restaurant Amsterdam: family recipes & fragrant coffee in Noord

S emai Restaurant Amsterdam is located on the first floor of a seemingly simple building in Amsterdam-Noord. But as soon as you walk up the stairs, you enter a completely different world. A world of fragrant spices, warm colours, soft music and genuine hospitality. You join a sweet Eritrean-Ethiopian family, where mother cooks, father serves and the children occasionally bring a dish to your table with a big smile. And you can taste that – in everything.

What you should definitely try at Semai Restaurant Amsterdam? The beyaynetu's. Large round injeras - airy, slightly sour pancakes made of teff - with three meat or vegetarian dishes of your choice on top. The vegetarian version (€32.50 pp) is colorful, richly filled with lentils, pumpkin, chickpeas and spinach. The meat version (€35.75 pp) comes with beef stew, spicy chicken or lamb in a deep, warm berbere sauce.

You eat together from one plate, tear off pieces of injera and dip them in the various stews. You drink a cold African beer with it – Mongozo mango or banana (yes, really!). And to top it all off: during our visit it smelled wonderfully of fresh beans roasted over an open fire, by the mother of the family herself. Then came small, intensely strong cups of coffee with a hint of spices. For a moment it felt like we were sitting in a living room in Addis Ababa.

The space is small, warm and atmospheric – no stiff fine dining or trendy frills, but a place where you come together to share. To really taste. You eat from the same plate, drink traditional coffee and experience something special. The service is friendly and personal, as if you were in someone's home. The children help out and bring the dishes with a sincere smile.

Here you can feel the love in every detail. Semai Restaurant Amsterdam Noord is, in our opinion, the perfect example of a family restaurant that moves – without having to shout loudly.

Amsterdam-Noord is buzzing with creative food concepts, and Semai Restaurant Amsterdam forms a warm and authentic contrast. The location? Close to the Noorderpark, within cycling distance of the ferries at Buiksloterweg and NDSM-werf. Perfect to combine with a walk or a day of wandering around the industrial NDSM site.

This hidden gem in Amsterdam Noord does not surprise with visuals or neon quotes, but with scent, taste and hospitality. And that is exactly what makes it stick.

Semai restaurant Papaverhoek 35, Amsterdam (Amsterdam-North) semai.nl