9 of the Best Italian Restaurants in Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

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, fine dining for a special occasion, generous aperitivo, or even live music with your meal, Amsterdam has something for every Italo-phile.

The smarter sister restaurant of La Maschera del Lillotatini (which I’ve not yet been to but heard is lovely, cosy and traditional), Momenti is flexing its culinary muscles a little harder by combining tradition and creativity in a larger space on the Herenstraat. The evening I visited (in early 2020) the restaurant was offering four fixed menus, each with a different theme – traditional, creative, vegetarian and truffle – and seasonally changing dishes. We kicked off with a board laden with regional charcuterie “Cinta Senese” and cheeses, all of which were excellent but I especially enjoyed the truffle-laced pecorino. The trompe l’oeil “Tonno Tonnato” was a take on the traditional vitello tonnato: 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’re in with a chance of scoring a table at the last minute on a Friday night. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).