La Contessa, Ristorante Italiano & Gelateria — Restaurant in Amsterdam

I would not recommend eating at this restaurant. I travelled out from the centre of Amsterdam which took around 40 mins (around the same amount of time I ended up staying in the restaurant). I was greeted at the door and told my table was not ready yet and I was asked to wait at the bar which was full of dirty plates, cups and wine glasses. These were later removed however the bar remained very sticky. I was then told that I would be sitting at the bar to eat and not in the dining area before being handed a small card with a QR code on it which was to be scanned to access the menu. Some cutlery and another QR code was then put down directly onto the bar (no napkin or coaster). It took a very long time for my drink order to be taken and even longer for it to be made - I could see it being made very slowly over a period of around 15 minutes! I was required to get someone’s attention to be able to order my food and when I did eventually get someone they lent over the bar whilst also in conversation with another staff member. Once I eventually got my drink my food came pretty quickly after. The drink was nice and the food was okay but I wouldn’t say it was worth the price tag. The whole time I was there the ‘live dj’ was playing a very random mixture of songs very loudly from the corner of the room (closest to where I was sitting). The level of noise (similar to that of a nightclub) made it very difficult for staff to communicate and all of the customers I could see seemed to be shouting to one another. I would usually buy a dessert after dinner but I did not want to stay in the building any longer.

All of the staff appeared run off their feet. They seemed to focus all their attention on the biggest tables/ those ordering the food most food/drink and several of them also helped themselves to beer from the taps on numerous occasions.

I was expecting more from an establishment which required a...

First of all, I arrived thirsty and ordered sparkling water. The moment they poured my glass, an insect decided to take a dive into my drink. Considering that a large bottle only serves about three glasses, one was now ruined. I informed the waiter, expecting a fresh bottle. But no—they simply changed the glass, as if that could erase the memory of the bug floating in it. I came to eat, not to chase pests. I let it slide and ordered pasta aglio e olio with shrimp and chili flakes. Big mistake. The spiciness was so extreme it obliterated any flavor, made my eyes water, and set my mouth on fire. I begged for milk or something to calm the burn, but their “solution” was to pour cream on top and return the same dish, now a greasy shadow of what it should have been.

To finish, I ordered panna cotta. I expected something smooth and sweet; instead, I got a lackluster 4/10—bland, joyless, as if it, too, had lost the will to live.

I thought my ordeal ended there, but no. Three or four hours later, back home, the nausea began. I vomited—once, twice, three times… and today, a day later, I’m still at it, my body exhausted and my suspicion growing that this wasn’t just bad luck, but food poisoning. An unforgettable memory, not for its quality, but for how it burned itself into me with fire...

I recently dined at La Contessa restaurant in Amsterdam, and unfortunately, my experience left much to be desired.

First and foremost, the pricing of the food was quite steep, and the quality of the dishes I sampled was merely average, failing to justify the high costs. It was evident that the restaurant leaned towards the overpriced end of the spectrum.

What further exacerbated my disappointment was the service. The lady attending to our table appeared disinterested and wore a perpetual grumpy expression throughout our meal. It was apparent that she was not in the mood to provide genuine service, which significantly detracted from the overall experience.

The atmosphere within the restaurant was rather lackluster, contributing to a rather boring dining environment. What struck me the most was the lack of engagement from the staff; no one bothered to inquire if we were enjoying our experience or if we required any additional assistance.

All in all, my visit to La Contessa was an extremely unsatisfactory one, particularly considering the exorbitant prices. Based on my experience, I cannot in good faith recommend this restaurant to others, nor do I have any intentions of...