{"id":23973,"date":"2025-01-12T06:30:05","date_gmt":"2025-01-12T06:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/amsterdam\/9-of-the-best-italian-restaurants-in-amsterdam-for-every-occasion\/"},"modified":"2025-01-12T06:30:05","modified_gmt":"2025-01-12T06:30:05","slug":"9-of-the-best-italian-restaurants-in-amsterdam-for-every-occasion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=23973","title":{"rendered":"9 of the Best Italian Restaurants in Amsterdam for Every Occasion"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Italian food in Amsterdam still hasn\u2019t quite reached the same regional level as it has in Italy (as in, here, Italian restaurants exist. In Italy, only Roman restaurants, Florentine restaurants, Sicilian restaurants, and so on, exist). But, that aside, there\u2019s some very well-prepared, fresh, homemade Italian cuisine to be found. And while the regional split still isn\u2019t that strong, there\u2019s certainly differentiation among Amsterdam\u2019s Italian restaurants. Whether you\u2019re looking for a simple but perfectly formed pizza, a hearty bowl of pasta, generous aperitivo<\/em>\u00a0or fine dining for a special occasion, Amsterdam has something for every Italo-phile.<\/p>\n

Want to eat more than just Italian food in Amsterdam? Download my Amsterdam Restaurant Guide<\/a>:<\/em><\/h3>\n

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All-round authentic Italian food in Amsterdam: Brio<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By the same team behind Little Collins, Brio<\/a> has brought Italian food to the spot once occupied by Bar Fisk in de Pijp. I stopped by for dinner with five hungry friends, which meant we managed to work our way through most of the menu (not to mention a chunk of the wine list, too!). Everything was spot-on, which is going to make it hard to pick out just a few dishes to mention. On the antipasti front, bruschetta may sound simple, but in this case the excellent focaccia was topped with earthy Jerusalem artichokes, finely sliced whole lemons and shavings of comt\u00e9 cheese: a usually summery dish made wintery. Loved it. You could just pop into Brio for a plate of pasta and a glass of wine (in which case you\u2019d spend a lot less than we did!). If you like it spicy, I\u2019d recommend the stellar fettuccine with salsa piccante, burrata and basil: a bright, sparkling, pick-me-up of a dish. The pappardelle with a meltingly slow-cooked beef ragu was also dreamy (in the foreground below).<\/p>\n

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Pasta four ways at Brio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n


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There were only two secondi on offer \u2013 one meaty pork Milanese with stewed quince, one seabass with mussels and puttanesca sauce \u2013 both of which were wolfed down, despite the fact that we were quite full by this point. And then there was just enough room for a hearty wodge of tiramisu. The wine list leans heavily Italian, as you\u2019d expect, and we were big fans of the Pecorino from Marche and the Nebbiolo from Langhe in Piemonte. All in all, a fantastic Italian feast.<\/p>\n

Amsterdam\u2019s cosiest Italian caf\u00e9: Koevoet<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When in Amsterdam, it\u2019s all about the gezelligheid<\/em> (cosiness). In the picturesque Jordaan neighbourhood, Koevoet <\/a>looks like an ancient brown caf\u00e9, but serves some excellent primi<\/em> and secondi<\/em> from what feels like your grandmother\u2019s living room. I particularly like their carbonara and ravioli, but they have plenty of non-pasta dishes that are heavier on the protein side.<\/p>\n

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One of the best carbonaras outside Rome at Koevoet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sicilian food in Amsterdam: Le Due Sicilie<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While I mentioned that most Italian restaurants in Amsterdam are not regionally specific, there are a few exceptions. A little off the beaten track in Oost is Le Due Sicilie<\/a> \u2013 a Sicilian restaurant with all the warmth and sunshine in their food and in their manner that you\u2019d expect. On various visits, I\u2019ve tried the pulpo<\/em>, the swordfish, the parmigiana di melanzane,<\/em>\u00a0the ziti<\/em> pasta and many more \u2013 all of which were spectacular, especially when washed down with a well-rounded glass of Nero d\u2019Avola.<\/p>\n

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The mouthwatering pulpo at Le Due Sicilie<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Venetian cicchetti in Amsterdam: TOZI<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Located in the Park Plaza Hotel<\/a> next to Vondelpark, TOZI <\/a>is tucked away in one of those huge bay windows that characterises the architecture in Amsterdam\u2019s grand Oud-Zuid neighbourhood. The evening I visited, it was one of those rare 32-degree summer days, so I was grateful to sit in the calm interior and enjoy the aircon and a cold glass of prosecco. TOZI\u2019s concept centres around cicchetti<\/em> \u2013 the Venetian answer to tapas \u2013 which means lots of small, shareable dishes. I\u2019d recommend ordering the \u201cBest of TOZI\u201d menu so you get the chance to try as many dishes as possible. We ate everything from soft-shell crab to San Daniele ham (the prosciutto was excellent), and from cod croquettes with aioli to ricotta ravioli with freshly shaved truffle. Not to mention the tiramisu and Italian cheeses (not on the same plate!) for dessert. TOZI offers a wine pairing arrangement as well, which means three glasses of wine \u2013 one with each \u201cround\u201d of cicchetti. Again, highly recommended.<\/p>\n

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Buffalo ricotta and truffle ravioli at TOZI Amsterdam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pizza in Amsterdam<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s been much debate about where to find the best pizza in Amsterdam\u2026 There are the purists, for whom only a Neapolitan-style pizza will do. There are the experimenters, who aren\u2019t afraid to go untraditional when it comes to toppings. And there are those looking for convenience, who are happiest with their neighbourhood takeaway pizza. In the end, I struggled to pick one favourite of my own, so I wrote a whole article about my top five pizzerias in Amsterdam<\/a> \u2013 which pizza restaurants make it into your top five?<\/p>\n

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Spoiler alert: nNea features high on the list!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pasta in Amsterdam: Spaghetteria<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Top of the pasta pops is the aptly named Spaghetteria<\/a>, now with several locations in Amsterdam (as well as Utrecht and Rotterdam). Not limited to spaghetti, they serve up three classics that are always on the menu and three other traditional dishes, which change on a daily basis. The ingredients themselves are top quality, and the dishes are both authentic and imaginative. I absolutely loved their slow-cooked deer rag\u00f9<\/em> with broad ribbons of freshly made pasta and lashings of parmesan.<\/p>\n

Cocktails, cicchetti and chic: Cecconi\u2019s Amsterdam<\/h2>\n

Way back in the day, I used to study at the Universiteit van Amsterdam, and in 2002 the Bungehuis on Spuistraat was where I attended many of my English tutorials before browsing the all-important literature library. But it\u2019s subsequently been restored to its glamorous 1930s former glory, and is now home to elegantly atmospheric Italian restaurant Cecconi\u2019s<\/a>. The restaurant, while open to the public, is part of Soho House Hotel<\/a> \u2013 so you can expect chic young creatives to people-watch while you dine. Cecconi\u2019s does a lovely line in cocktails (try the Negroni or the Dolce Vita, if you like strong drinks) and specialises in cicchetti<\/em> \u2013 small shareable dishes like fried zucchini or panzerotto<\/em>. But it also offers tasty pasta dishes, pizzas from the wood oven, and grilled meat and fish. The food is all pretty safe, but you\u2019re really here for the impressive location and glamorous atmosphere.<\/p>\n

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A negroni is the only sensible way to enjoy the sumptuous interior at Cecconi\u2019s<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Italian fine dining in Amsterdam: Momenti<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The smarter sister restaurant of La Maschera del Lillotatini (which I\u2019ve not yet been to but heard is lovely, cosy and traditional), Momenti <\/a>is flexing its culinary muscles a little harder by combining tradition and creativity in a larger space on the Herenstraat. The evening I visited, the restaurant was offering four fixed menus, each with a different theme \u2013 traditional, creative, vegetarian and truffle \u2013 and seasonally changing dishes. We kicked off with a board laden with regional charcuterie<\/em> \u201cCinta Senese\u201d and cheeses, all of which were excellent but I especially enjoyed the truffle-laced pecorino. The trompe l\u2019oeil<\/em> \u201cTonno Tonnato\u201d was a take on the traditional vitello tonnato<\/em>: in this case, pork that resembled tuna, with a sauce of mayonnaise, capers and anchovies. Ravioli with truffle was rich and decadent, while another version of ravioli stuffed with wild boar and topped with chocolate sauce and candied orange peel was not one for the purists but certainly worth tasting. The tricks of the eye continued at dessert, with tiramisu-inspired flavours that had been fashioned to look like a mushroom. Service was warm and professional, and since Momenti is still not that well-known, you\u2019re in with a chance of scoring a table<\/a> at the last minute on a Friday night.<\/p>\n

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Is it a mushroom? No, it\u2019s tiramisu at Momenti!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Italian sandwiches in Amsterdam: Dough Studio<\/h2>\n

After being away for five months at the start of 2024, I was very happy to come home and discover Dough Studio<\/a>, just down the road from me behind the Weesperzijde, serving enormous\u00a0schiacciata<\/em> (aka Italian sandwiches). We ordered the porchetta with truffle pecorino, rucola, mayo and caramelised onions, and split it because it was so big (which made it good value at \u20ac11 between two). Both the fillings and the bread itself were fabulous!<\/p>\n

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Italian porchetta schiacciata from Dough Studio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Editor\u2019s note: I was invited to eat at both Momenti and TOZI as a journalist, and I didn\u2019t pay for my meal. Obviously I try to be as objective as possible, but I always disclose when I\u2019ve had a freebie.<\/em><\/p>\n

Want to eat more than just Italian food in Amsterdam? Download my Amsterdam Restaurant Guide<\/a>:<\/em><\/h3>\n

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On your travels and want to use\u00a0this article offline with GPS-guided navigation? Download the\u00a0travel guide app via\u00a0GPSmyCity<\/a>!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n