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Blissfull

5 Posted on 11 / 06 / 2012

We ate the first time at the Deshima and we loved the food:
All healthy, fresh made, organic, macrobiotic , vegan stuff!
There are to different sizes of plates and you can choose from
a buffet with soup, salads, and warm dishes: all really good and healthy!
The place where you can sit to eat is very simple and calm.
The Deshima is a must visit in Amsterdam, it's like a little macrobiotic oasis!
And last but not least: you have to try the oatcookie, it's awsome!

Pros: Healthy, Mostly glutenfree, Friendly staff

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Good cafeteria-style vegan restaurant

4 Posted on 10 / 21 / 2012

We ate in Deshima two times. One time we arrived after 3pm and therefore the lunch hour was over (this should be posted in the description of the restaurant), so there was no hot food or soup left, but we still could have a plate of food from the cold food. We had enough selection. Though it is cafeteria-style, I would say that the price is a bit high for what you get. But the food was tasty, pleasantly presented (you serve yourself), the restaurant was clean, and the staff was super-friendly. We were told that everything there is vegan.
The second time we came there, we came during the lunch hours and we had some of the hot dishes. We were pleased - all very tasty, and once again found the staff very friendly.
The tables/chairs are very simple, but the place is clean and orderly and gives a cheerful and pleasant feeling.

Pros: Tasty food , great for vegans, very friendly staff
Cons: limited hours

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Wonderful.

5 Posted on 09 / 21 / 2012

I love this place. Great and healthy food, friendly and helpful staff, delicious tofu sandwiches and tofu and tempeh sushi, wonderful desserts ("Hazelnut dessert" is absolutely incredible), cakes and cookies.

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Way too expensive for what it is

3 Posted on 04 / 18 / 2012

OK, so it won't break the bank, it's not the most expensive meal in town, but at 13 euro for a plate that's a bit much for, essentially, vegetables and a grain. Amsterdam has a huge lack of organic shops with cafes in them (taking the train 2.5 hours to Brussels and you have at least 4 or 5 type places), and Deshima is, as far as I know, the only one of its kind in the city. That makes you want to go there often, but with the price of a plate at 13 euro it's hard to do that, especially since it's only eat-in for lunch. You can get a smaller plate or a bowl for less, but at that point I'd rather just make a salad. If you don't mind the price then the food itself is good, I will give it that, but with vegan dinners in Amsterdam available for around 5 euro at places like MKZ and De Peper, a 13 euro lunch is pricey.

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Lots of healthy stuff

4 Posted on 03 / 31 / 2012

This place is definitely unique, the selection of food is good and the staff are friendly. I guess this place is good for a healthy snack, but I wouldn't go here if I wanted to have a nice lunch/dinner with friends, as seating is quite uncomfortable.
Also, food is quite expensive. However, if you are into macrobiotic food, this place is definitely worth visiting.

Pros: Tasty and healthy, Quite small
Cons: Expensive.., Could be cozier

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Great vegan place.

4 Posted on 08 / 10 / 2011

Great place. Self service. Place also very suitable to eat alone. Vegan organic food. Come early afternoon, when the food is just freshly made.

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Tasty food but not worth the price

3 Posted on 07 / 04 / 2011

Food was pretty good, so was the variety of options. I was really surprised to find natto in the chilled section.

That said, their system was quite confusing. I thought small plates were for salad only and large ones for salad + warm dishes; but after we took our seats and started eating I saw someone grab a small plate and spoon everything on it, and I also saw somebody go to the salad bar for a second helping. Staff didn't seem to care. There was also a sign on the wall that apparently told people not to pile up their plates.. I mean, what are they thinking?

My partner and I just followed the supposed rules. He got a bowl for the salad and I got a large plate for the hot food and we shared. The total came to €24, which both of us found fairly expensive for what we got, and the size of the plate wasn't even that big to begin with. Overall it wasn't bad experience; but once is enough for this place.

Pros: variety, tasty
Cons: pricy, confusing system

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Pumpkin Day

3 Posted on 02 / 25 / 2011

After a long walk following Prinsengracht on a cold rainy day we eventually found this large 3-levelled place just off Leidseplein. Probably wont be going back but that's not a bad thing. Nothing actually wrong with it, just a standard self service experience with no frills. The food was fine; lots of variations of pumpkin (roasted, soup, battered and grilled) plus various hot and cold dishes which are paid for based on the size of plate chosen (small, medium or large) - make sure you pile the food on to get your money's worth. Glad to have been and worth a punt if you happen to be in town. There appears to be a nice community atmosphere here and I hope it's there for many years to come.

Pros: ethical
Cons: location, food, plain

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Expensive. Very.

2 Posted on 01 / 30 / 2011

This is a self-service establishment with 4 or 5 different choices plus soup. The first thing that comes to mind is the price for the buffet. Can't understand why it's listed as inexpensive. A dessert size plate is 7.50e, and from then it goes to 13.50e and 15.50e for a medium size, which is quite excessive. The food was kind of plain and didn't look that good, although it was ok once you start eating eat (nothing disgusting. Well, except for the miso soup, perhaps. My partner thought it was nice though, so it can be just me).
We were told that everything was vegan, although the sushi on display said vegetarian sushi(?).
Apart from that, I couldn't see any dried fish as warned in the description.
I guess the place is alright if you don't mind expending so much money for such little and plain food.

Pros: All vegan (or so they said)
Cons: Very expensive, Not that tasty

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great food

4 Posted on 09 / 26 / 2010

This is the first time I've tried macrobiotic food and it was really good. I felt great the entire afternoon after having lunch there. I also liked the grocery store downstairs.

Pros: Great food, Good selection of entrees, good portions

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Excellent Quality, but Expensive

5 Posted on 09 / 08 / 2010

It cost 13.50 euro for a buffet plate, which when combined with the bus fair, was a bit more than I wanted to pay (btw bus 10 drops you off right outside the restaurant). The food, however, was fantastic! They had lots of homemade choices and you can sample a little of everything. I went back 3 of the 7 days I was in Amsterdam and each time there were different kinds of food on the buffet line. Everything is 100% vegan, and almost everything was delicious. Would highly recommend going at least once if you're ever in Amsterdam. It was worth the 15 minute bus ride and the 13.50 euro each time. Also, they stop cooking at 4pm and only have takeaway after that, so go before 4.

Pros: 100% vegan, fresh, homemade
Cons: cost, hours

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nice to see amongst the pasteryville

3 Posted on 07 / 21 / 2010

The prices of the plates are a bit high (around 12 Euros for cafetaria style at a super casual place, aka eat at a counter or one of 2 tables), but the ready made items are well priced. Nice to find in a sea of pastries in Amsterdam. I had a pretty yummy tofu sandwich.

Pros: tasty, health food store below
Cons: not huge variety

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awesome place for nourishing food

5 Posted on 07 / 10 / 2010

I just love this place altough it is a bit expensive. The food is all vegan and macrobiotic. The stuff is very friendly. There is always a place to seat. You can choose from diffrent raw veggies and make your own salad. Then you have some grains most of the time is brown rice ( with sth) , tofu or tempeh, tempura sometimes ( very delicious), blanched greens, yummy soups, bean casserole. And desserts. They are the best on this world. Especially cakes . Some of them are also made without flour. Desserts are relatively cheap. Downstairs you have a tiny shop where you can find everything which macrobiotic practicioner should have. A wide choice of foods there is ground breaking. So genreally i do recommend this place for those who are new to macrobiotics because they can very easily fall in love with it.

Pros: macrobiotic, tasty, quiet
Cons: expensive

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Limited and Bland

3 Posted on 06 / 26 / 2010

The people working at this establishment were very kind and helpful. However, if you are more interested in food than service, avoid eating here.

The menu is set up as a pay per plate size (small: 12.50 eur, large: 14.50 eur).
Self serve from a limited hot and cold table with food derived from a 70's cookbook. Bland and expensive.

I would not return here.

Pros: vegetarian, macrobiotic, lots of seating
Cons: expensive, limited options, not tasty

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Wonderful vegan food

5 Posted on 06 / 09 / 2010

We ate there twice and went back to pick up food for our plane ride home. The food was fantastic. Although Happy Cow calls them vegetarian, we were told the food was all vegan and it certainly seemed to be.
There's a hot and cold buffet, which has good variety and a case of take-away food which includes sushi, sandwiches (the tofu sandwich was divine!) and baked goods.
My nonvegetarian husband loved it as much as I did.

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i had no idea it was a macro biotic academy!

3 Posted on 07 / 17 / 2009

We hopping in to grab a bite and realized we'd already had their food at the BioMarket down the street. They make these giant sushi rolls! Also, in the basement there is a nice little biomarket. Best time to go is during lunch.

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Tiny vegan haven

3 Posted on 10 / 25 / 2008

I visited at lunchtime, when €12.50 allowed me to fill a large plate from a selection of salads and hot items - a main course (stir fried tofu and vegetables) and a number of sides, including brown rice. Other possibilities included small plates or bowls for salads only. Soups, drinks and desserts were extra.

The space is tiny, with very little seating available. It was also not immediately obvious what the system was, or which end of the counter was which. The food itself is macrobiotic, and entirely vegan as far as I could tell. It was also solid and wholesome, although a little bland - though as we were there prior to a beer festival, this was an advantage.

The meat-eating partner opined that he was satisfied, though he wouldn't rush there himself.

The shop downstairs is full of interesting Japanese stuff, including kuruma-fu, which I've never seen outside Japan before.

Pros: brown rice, healthy food, vegan desserts
Cons: Not much seating, confusing at first, bland food

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Deshima

5 Posted on 10 / 02 / 2008

Deshima is a self-service cafeteria which is in and part of the Kushi Institute of Amsterdam (which also includes a macrobiotic/organic food shop and macrobiotic courses). The food includes a section with about half-a-dozen appetizers, about 5 main dishes and a wonderful and sinnfull variety of freshly made desserts, cakes and cookies. The price is by weight. The food is made daily by macrobiotic cooks and covers a variety of ingridients and cooking styles and tastes wonderful. I could eat there every day!

Pros: Central Location, Great Food, Good variety
Cons: A bit cramped when full