Italian food in Amsterdam still hasn’t 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’s some very well-prepared, fresh, homemade Italian cuisine to be found. And while the regional split still isn’t that strong, there’s certainly differentiation among Amsterdam’s Italian restaurants. Whether you’re looking for a simple but perfectly formed pizza, a hearty bowl of pasta, generous aperitivo or fine dining for a special occasion, Amsterdam has something for every Italophile.
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All-round authentic Italian food in Amsterdam: Brio
By the same team behind Little Collins, Brio has brought authentic Italian food to 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 comté 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’d spend a lot less than we did!). If you like it spicy, I’d 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).
There were only two secondi on offer – one meaty pork Milanese with stewed quince, one seabass with mussels and puttanesca sauce – 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’d 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.
Italian fine dining in the Canal Belt: Pianeta Terra
Tucked down a tiny side street between the Singel and Herengracht canals, Pianeta Terra has been going strong since 2000. Its split-level interior is simultaneously modern and rustic: local artwork adorns the walls, while angular lighting punctuates the brick-lined walls and wooden-beamed ceilings of the old canal house.
Diners can choose a four- of five-course chef’s menu (with optional wine pairing) or select from weekly changing à la carte dishes. We started with a cannolo of Arctic char wrapped in nori, atop black Venus rice, shaved fennel and pomegranate – a flavoursome bite of the North Sea with a Garganega from Veneto. Next, cod cooked three ways: baccalà confit, in fishcake form, and raw skrei with salty monk’s beard (Italy’s answer to samphire). Pasta featured in the form of tonnarelli with Dutch shrimp and cockles: an equally salty but tasty dish, cut through by an unfiltered Catarratto from Sicily. The meaty main was meltingly tender, slow-cooked lamb shoulder with the welcome bitterness of radicchio and a long Italian green pepper (whose name I can’t remember!). An Aglianico from Salerno offered a sturdy, tannin-rich counterpoint. Dessert was an Italian take on bread & butter pudding with orange curd and ricotta ice cream, plus an amber-hued glass of Passito di Pantelleria. With accomplished cooking and personal service, it’s clear why Pianeta Terra has been in business for over 25 years.
Refined Italian cuisine near Centraal Station: Giò Cucina Italiana
There aren’t many restaurants that I’d walk down the Nieuwendijk hellscape to reach, but I’ll make an exception for Giò Cucina Italiana. A stone’s throw from Centraal Station, it’s a haven of culinary calm amongst all the souvenir shops and weed stores. Inside, it’s small but plush: green velvet and golden napkin rings; stone accents and wine bottles lined up against the bare brick walls. The voices behind me are Italian, which is always a good sign.
The menu is made up of starters, pasta and mains – as you’d expect in an Italian restaurant – but dishes are a cut above regular fare. Roasted octopus with squid ink, mandarin sauce and parsley oil looked a picture and tasted every bit as good. (Be sure to order some bread to mop up all the sauce.) Piedmont-style ravioli was stuffed with a beefy, cheesy filling and served with a rich jus (black truffle optional). And tiramisu was a perfect sweet-meets-creamy-meets-bitter end to the meal.
We sort of created our own wine pairing, matching a peachy Greco di Tufo from Campania with the octopus and a sun-kissed Sicilian Nerello Mascalese with the ravioli (arguably, I should’ve gone for something from Piedmont, but that’s the benefit of hindsight). Chef-proprietor Giorgia Ozzano is a gracious host who gave everyone the same warm welcome she gave us.
Amsterdam’s cosiest Italian café: Koevoet
When in Amsterdam, it’s all about the gezelligheid (cosiness). In the picturesque Jordaan neighbourhood, Koevoet looks like an ancient brown café, but serves some excellent primi and secondi from what feels like your grandmother’s living room. I particularly liked their carbonara and ravioli, but they have plenty of dishes that are lighter on carbs and heavier on protein.
Italian wines, cocktails and sharing plates: Bar Bellini
It would seem rude to frequent a bar called Bellini and not order its eponymous cocktail! And Bar Bellini’s mix of Prosecco and peach purée was a lesson in Bellinis: softly sparkling, gently peachy, and in a sophisticated cut coupe. I liked their wines, too – from the light but earthy Langhe Nebbiolo to the smoothly fruity but not yet jammy Puglian Primitivo. The food menu is shareable and short, which I see as a benefit rather than a drawback (so long as you’re not with picky eaters). I particularly enjoyed the peppy beetroot and radicchio salad and the accomplished vitello tonnato – although I should’ve ordered some bread to mop up all the creamy tonnato. By this point, my body was craving carbs, so I ordered a bowl of pasta to myself: casarecce with sausage, sage, brown butter and plenty of parmesan, forming a silky emulsion with the pasta water. Bar Bellini’s service was friendly in all cases, although some servers clearly knew more about the wine list than others (understandable in Amsterdam’s restaurant staffing crisis). But everyone was happy to let us have a taste before deciding what to order. In short, a lovely experience that I suspect would please many an Italophile.
Sicilian food in Amsterdam: Le Due Sicilie
While I mentioned that most Italian restaurants in Amsterdam are not regionally specific, there are a few exceptions. A little off the beaten track near Amstel station is Le Due Sicilie – a Sicilian restaurant with all the warmth and sunshine in their food and service that you’d expect. On various visits, I’ve tried the pulpo (octopus), the parmigiana di melanzane, the ziti pasta with a rich, meaty sauce, the tagliatelle with prawns and pistachio (a typically Sicilian pasta dish) and many more delicious dishes. Everything has been spectacular, especially when washed down with a well-rounded glass of Nero d’Avola.
Venetian cicchetti in Amsterdam: TOZI
Located in the Park Plaza Hotel next to Vondelpark, TOZI is tucked away in one of those huge bay windows that characterises the architecture in Amsterdam’s grand Oud-Zuid neighbourhood. TOZI’s concept centres around cicchetti – the Venetian answer to tapas – which means lots of small, shareable dishes. I’d recommend ordering the “Best of TOZI” 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 – one with each “round” of cicchetti. Again, highly recommended.
Cocktails, cicchetti and chic: Cecconi’s Amsterdam
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’s subsequently been restored to its glamorous 1930s former glory, and is now home to elegantly atmospheric Italian restaurant Cecconi’s. The restaurant, while open to the public, is part of Soho House Hotel – so you can expect chic young creatives to people-watch while you dine. Cecconi’s does a lovely line in cocktails (try the Negroni or the Dolce Vita, if you like strong drinks) and specialises in cicchetti – small shareable dishes like fried zucchini or panzerotto. 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’re really here for the impressive location and glamorous atmosphere.
Pizza in Amsterdam
There’s been much debate about where to find the best pizza in Amsterdam… There are the purists, for whom only a Neapolitan-style pizza will do. There are the experimenters, who aren’t 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 – which pizza restaurants make it into your top five?
Italian sandwiches in Amsterdam: Dough Studio
After being away for five months at the start of 2024, I was very happy to come home last summer and discover Dough Studio, just down the road from me behind the Weesperzijde, serving enormous schiacciata (aka Italian sandwiches). We ordered the porchetta with truffle pecorino, rucola, mayo and caramelised onions, and split it because it was so big. Both the fillings and the bread itself were fabulous!
Transparency disclosure: I was invited to eat at Pianeta Terra, Giò Cucina, TOZI and Cecconi’s as a journalist, and I didn’t pay for my meal. Obviously I try to be as objective as possible, but I always disclose when I’ve had a freebie.
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