Il Pacioccone — Restaurant in Amsterdam

Well, I was perhaps not the luckiest one when visiting this restaurant. The restaurant is very small and cozy, however, there was no paper menu. I had to find the restaurant on Facebook to check their dishes, or I was offered to have a WhatsApp message sent with it. For elderly people this could be hard…

The tables were really simple arranged, with some paper towel, a fork and knife on the side. For the the restaurant price, it could be a bit better. Not luxurious, but just more attention to detail…

There were two waiters at the time. The gentleman was extremely kind and was able to provide a very good service, however, the lady could not care less and did not seemed happy at all. As an example, when I ordered a wine glass refill, she came with a bottle almost at the end, filled in less than a 3rd or my glass and walked away. When ordering a glass of wine, you would expect at least half of it full. But, that was not the case.

The menu had a starter, first and second dishes, plus a desert. The portions were enormous! A starter to share, and one of the first dishes is already enough for two.

The pasta had lots of parmesan cheese, making it extremely heavy and salty. Lots of garlic and seasoning as well, which for sensible people could be a problem…

I would not go back, however, it was good for...

A cozy Italian joint with welcoming staff. I ordered the carpaccio for an appetizer , ravioli as the pasta course and the Umbria Pork for my main. The food was disappointing, sadly. The Parmesan cheese on top of the carpaccio was sprinkled on- not shaved or even shredded- but the shake on processed stuff. But at least the meat was tender and good. The ravioli was served barely warm but at least the flavors were excellent. The pork was terrible. It was literally a ham steak with balsamic drizzled on top. I ate 2 bites. It was expensive as well. The roasted potatoes and salad accompany each main as a side. The potatoes are perfectly roasted but not seasoned well. The greens were fresh and dressed with olive oil- and they were the best thing on the plate. My husband had slightly better luck. The caprese salad was his appetizer- the cheese was creamy and delicious though the tomatoes were green/ unripe and hard. His linguine with shrimp was good and his lamb decent. The staff never checked in on us as we were eating. Overall, not worth the price at all. By far the most we spent on a meal in Amsterdam and the least enjoyable. We spent 220EU. If you want to try it based on the other 5 star reviews, I would suggest skipping the main course and stick to the pasta and hope it...

"This is not a fake Italian restaurant is the statement on top of the menu you will receive when seating at one of the terrace or inside tables of this tiny and cozy restaurant: promise kept. As doubtful as an Italian Foodie can be when seeing "Ristorante Italiano" outside Italy, I appreciate the short list of appetizers, primi piatti and main courses, always a reliable sign for food freshness.

A very kind Italian waiter informs us that fresh fish has just arrived so we all pick the spaghetti col polpo, just after a crunchy and fresh bruschetta appetizer with tomatoes onion and basil.

Spaghetti arrive, and they are excellent: the pasta is perfectly al dente, holding cooking and perfectly embracing the perfect taste of the fresh octopus, that has kept his tenderness and flavour, carefully attended by what seems to be a caring and very capable chef's look. Excellent, creamy anchovies dripping and a generous sprinkle of fresh, hand picked parsley complete the generous yet not exaggerate dish delivering a food experience that could easily exceed some Michelin Starred restaurants pasta. I'd never thought that I'd have eaten one of the best pasta in my life in Amsterdam. Check this place out, especially if you are...