Santa Maria Pizzeria & Steakhouse — Restaurant in Amstelveen

Recently I had read the reviews (almost 5 stars, with more than 1000 ratings!) so I thought we had missed out on a local gem for too long and decided to give it a shot. First red flag: there must be about 150 dishes on the menu including pizzas, steak, burritos, pasta, fish and more. The place is quite small (25 seatings or so, and on a Saturday evening it was half empty) and from what I saw, 2 waiting staff and one cook. You do the maths… Our order of 1 pizza and 3 steaks took 1hour to be served. The pizza was tasty although very cheesy to our liking. Steak was very pricey (advertised as Argentinian on the menu) but the quality was just average, all served with poor quality sides (cheap yellow snack bar-like-fries, or luke warm oven potato in foil). We ordered a first bottle of Chardonnay (not much wine choice there, one Chardonnay bottle on the wine list). Ordered a second bottle later, but were served a different and very average-of taste Chardonnay (with a cork bottle plugged in as it had been opened before). Soft drinks (ice tea green) were served directly by the glass (as opposed to individual branded glass bottle). Women’s washroom and toilets were scruffy and dusty, wash basin holds 3 different hand soap bottles, there are no hand towels, and the door lock doesn’t lock. To obtain the bill you will have no choice than to walk to find the staff at the back of the restaurant and ask but also wait until it’s given to you (witnessed this not only for our table but for 3 other tables) if you want to leave as a respectful paying customer and before closing time.. There is no atmosphere. You can hear the staff arguing in the kitchen, and it’s impossible to not notice that other customers around you are getting frustrated along their dinner. Funnily enough, when the restaurant was at its “fullest” during our visit, one staff walked back and forth with a camera filming the tables. We found it odd (privacy?).

Overall Santa Maria did not match expectations based on Google reviews at all, and I can only strongly doubt the veracity of many reviews displayed. We will...

To be honest, I don’t understand why this restaurant has such a high rating. I ordered a mojito and paid about 11 euros for it. Since when does water with sweet syrup cost 11 euros?! That's the mojito in the photo. The pizza was very mediocre in taste. The owner is a nice woman. I don't recommend this place.

UPDATE:

Dear Santa Maria Pizzeria & Steakhouse, you have made more than enough effort to correct your mistake. Your apology is accepted. But I want your future customers to know the truth. And the truth is that I WAS STALKED FOR MY HONEST (negative) REVIEW. First on social media. Later my husband was stopped in the middle of the street by the restaurant’s stuff to explain my comment. Then we received a message from the restaurant ASKING US TO CONSIDER DELETING MY NEGATIVE COMMENT. I can’t delete it because I don’t think it’s fair to treat the future customers that way. People may not like your food and that’s okay. It’s also okay to leave a negative review online. WHAT IS NOT OKAY IS STALKING YOUR CUSTOMERS, MANIPULATING THEIR OPINIONS AND LYING THAT YOU PAY GOOGLE FOR NEGATIVE REVIEWS. You are obviously so focused on getting stars in your ratings that you would be better focusing your efforts on making really good food and providing attentive customer service. And I don't understand how a barmen can make a mistake making the simplest cocktail from the menu, and the waitress brings it to the customer and also doesn't know what a cocktail from your menu looks like! Isn't this a very strange mistake for an impeccable restaurant with a rating of 4.7?! Have you set yourself a high bar and can't live up to it? Instead, you chase after “inconvenient” clients and manipulate their opinions. It's not my honest reaction that ruins your rating, but your annoying persecution does.

AVOID THIS PLACE, DEAR VISITORS, IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE PERSECUTED LATER FOR YOUR...

I came here because of the great reviews, and I can confirm: they are absolutely true. Honestly, I don’t understand why some people leave 1-star reviews. Santa Maria is not a fastfood restaurant, so people shouldn’t expect it to be one.

Upon arrival, I was warmly welcomed by the hostess, which instantly made me feel at home. I then enjoyed a delicious, freshly made cocktail, followed by pasta and a salad. The mozzarella was wonderfully fresh, the tomatoes tasted just like in Italy, and the pasta was so good I could easily eat five portions of it. The servings are generous, and the price quality ratio is more than perfect.

The dessert was equally delightful. From start to finish, I felt welcomed and cared for. For me, this experience deserves not five, but ten stars. Santa Maria is a beautiful family-run business where they cook with the same love and attention as if it were for themselves. An absolute must-visit for anyone who truly wants to enjoy good food and warm...