La Casa Di Michael — Restaurant in Amsterdam

I came here to eat last November on a solo trip. I was staying at the XO hotel. It was a cold and rainy night so this place was perfect as it is only a short distance.

In November, Amsterdam is cold and even being outside for 5 minutes felt like, in my half-baked state, I had been on an Arctic expedition. I sat next to the window and watched the rain outside. I ordered the Quattro Formaggi pasta.

No kidding. This is the best pasta I have ever tasted.

This dish, served with penne pasta and topped with fresh parsley. You crack a little salt and pepper on the top and you’re in business. It has a light coating of the most amazing sauce on top but then it pools near the bottom like a fondue, letting you dip each piece of pasta into this creamy, cheesy liquid masterpiece so moorish I was scraping the bowl with my fork just to savour it.

My only disappointment was that I had finished the plate. Don’t get me wrong this ain’t a small portion. But this pasta was too delicious.

The waiter comes over and asks me “Do you want anything else?”

F* it I thought to myself. “I’ll have another.”

I sat and ate another plate that night. Something about travelling solo lets you really listen to yourself without any social pressure. What I wanted was to eat another main course of this gold mine pasta.

It’s now August, I arrived back in Amsterdam with my partner. I tell everyone this story back home whenever they ask about my trip so my partner really wanted to see what the fuss was about.

We ordered two plates of Quattro Formaggi pasta. I also would like to add that I was sober.

Let me tell you something, sometimes it’s a fluke to eat a great dish then when you re order it again, fuelled by nostalgia, it never hits the same.

Not this dish, it tastes the exact same as it did all those months ago. My partner agrees with me that this dish is serious.

If you have read this far, go and eat this pasta. If you’re nearby, go and eat this pasta. If you’re looking for the best underground munchies in Amsterdam- go and...

I wish I could comment on the food. Unfortunately I can only comment on the total and complete lack of service. This restaurant is across the street from my hotel. Arriving jet lagged and hungry, I walked over and stood for several minutes at the door examining the menu. When a server appeared, I asked where I might sit for dinner. He waved his arm expansively and told me to sit anywhere I would like, so I sat down at a table right beside the door. The server disappeared and never returned.

After 15-20 minutes of being completely ignored by every other server who passed by, I finally stood up to leave. As I was walking away, a young lady ran up to me very apologetically and told me they didn't realize I was there to eat. I asked what it is they think people come to a restaurant for? She said she thought I was there to possibly pick up some take out food. Perhaps, but aside from having told the first server I was there for dinner, I wonder how long I might still be waiting for my "take out food" since no one at any time EVER approached me to ask me why I was there or what it was I wanted.

The down side is that after being ignored to the point where I felt I had to leave, I ended up having to walk an extra mile or more in each direction to find a place where I wanted to eat. It took an extra 3 hours and cost at least twice as much. The up side is that I ended up having the best pasta frutti di mare I have ever had at a restaurant I will review separately. I won't kick these guys while they are down by mentioning their competition, but I will say don't bother coming here unless you have all night to waste without...

Being an Italian, I had the pleasure of savoring the truly authentic Italian cuisine offered by Papa Michael. It evoked a flood of memories from my childhood when my grandmother would prepare mouthwatering focaccia using fresh ingredients grown in our backyard, nurtured by the genuine Sicilian sunlight. I vividly remember enjoying that fragrant bread as my sole meal after an entire day spent harvesting those ingredients. The atmosphere of the place reminded me of my grandfather's cellar, where I spent the first 14 years of my life until the rusty chains finally gave way. Bellissimo!

In fact, I consider Papa Michael to be one of the great thinkers of our time. Not just anyone can conceive such a brilliant focaccia made from yesterday's pizza dough. This remarkable talent extends beyond mastery of Italian cuisine; he also possesses an extraordinary skill in crafting hamburgers and meat dishes. What a talented and remarkable individual he is! And let us not forget the enchanting singing that accompanied the experience—truly nourishing for both my ears and soul. Grazie mille,...