Formosa Argentina — Restaurant in Amsterdam

Disappointing Overall, With a Few Minor Positives

We visited this restaurant with some expectations, but the experience fell far below what you’d hope for from a steakhouse in Amsterdam.

The steaks were acceptable, but they arrived very late and were overcooked, most likely because they had been refired. This took away any enjoyment from what could have been a decent main course.

The tapas starter was particularly weak — onion ring, chicken wing, a few ribs — all lacking seasoning and flavor. It felt like no real effort was put into preparing it.

Service was another problem. At one point, we waited 18 minutes for the staff to clear the leftover bones and plates from our starter. I also asked for the salad without dressing, but the request was ignored completely, which shows a lack of attention to customer preferences.

The ambiance was mediocre, and overall the place felt disorganized. The one positive was the Corona beers, which were enjoyable — but that’s not exactly something the restaurant can take credit for.

There are many good steak places in Amsterdam, and unfortunately this wasn’t one of them. A few things were okay, but overall the experience was disappointing. ————

(Update – Response to the Owner’s Comment) Since the owner replied with statements that don’t match what actually happened, I want to clarify a few points.

When the steaks were first brought, there was no space on the table because the appetizer plates were still there — they were left for 18–19 minutes after we had finished them. We never said we “hadn’t finished the tapas”; the plates were simply never cleared. This is visible in the photos.

It then took another 10 minutes to clear the table and about 20 more minutes for the refired steaks to return, which explains why they arrived late and overcooked.

The photos also show the lighting and ambiance — strong blue LED lights that don’t match a typical steakhouse.

We gave feedback repeatedly throughout the meal, so asking “is everything okay?” didn’t reflect the situation at the table.

And finally, finishing food does not automatically mean the food was good — sometimes guests eat simply because they’re hungry or don’t want to waste what they’ve already waited a...

I'm really quite surprised at the reviews for this restaurant. Between them and the website I was looking forward to a really good meal in what I assumed would be a really nice restaurant last night but was bitterly disappointed if I'm honest. The place itself is very narrow and awkwardly laid out. Our table for 2 had me sat alongside an extremely hot radiator which just wasn't comfortable. Ir has a front and back entrance and people were using it as a walk through from street to street while we were there! The staff are very young and what I would personally class as unprofessional. The breads to start that we're ordered never arrived. We had to ask for condiments and they are all served in sachets in a littke plastic bowl. A glass of wine ordered never arrived. On the wine front their selection is dreadful. Supermarket brands at ridiculous prices. I had a bottle of Carmen merlot that was around €39. €10 in the shops. Similarly a bottle of trapiche is around €49 and €12 in the shops. Cheap generic supermarket brands no thought put into it whatsoever! Then the food. I had a 400gm fillet steak. Now don't get me wrong the steak wasn't bad but wasn't great either at €50. There's no chargrill or any other flavour off it really. It was bland and unseasoned. The missus had a sirloin that let's just say she didn't finish. Bland and very very chewy. The owner picked up on this and when he asked I explained to him it was very tough but he did no more about it. The steakhouse chips you pay extra for are just cheap frozen supermarket fair and the onion rings cheap frozen breaded supermarket fair not even the battered ones! I ordered pepper sauce and there wasn't very much in the jug that came out. It was also that thick that you had to spoon it out it didn't just pour. I asked one of the waitresses if I could get a little bit more and was charged for a second one on the bill. If your looking for a good steakhouse please look further afield people this is most...

This was honestly by far the worst restaurant I have ever ate it. My friend and I were on a euro trip, and were trying to find a steak restaurant to go to for dinner. Searching the map and the web for options, this restaurant with a high amount of positive reviews and a good intuitive websites looked like a good option. In addition, the menu looked diverse and unique, so we decided to try this place out. We started by ordering the tapas platter - onion rings were burned, chicken wings had hair on the coating, and sausage was undercooked. In my head I was thinking, “whatever” - maybe this place (being a steakhouse) will shine with its steaks. Proceeding onto the next course, I ordered the 400 gram steak medium rare. When I first got it, it was over cooked extremely. In the range of well - well done. Seeing this, I called one of the servers over, and they saw this. Firstly, they tried to tell me I ordered the steak medium, and not medium rare. After this conversation they replaced it for me. When I got the steak for the next time, it was raw. I am not talking medium rare, I am talking it looked like it went on the grill for 4 seconds on each side. The fat was not rendered, and it looked the same way a tuna sashimi would look. Also, the flavor of the steak was watery. It also had an overall “rotten” taste to it. We ended up paying 61€ each to a meal we took 3 bites of. Terrible food, terrible service, terrible experience. Photos of steak...