Quattro Gatti - Ristorante e Pasticceria — Restaurant in Amsterdam

• disappointed but not d€ad ** MISLABELLED MENU ITEMS Well, this place has two clearly labelled ‘vegan’ dishes. Unfortunately, it seems the chef/owner simply doesn’t grasp vegan. When asked if we could switch a sauce (labelled vegetarian, and which would naturally be vegan) the server was confused and offered ‘gluten free’ pasta, when asking for clarification on what would be vegan. Server declares “all the pasta is made with eggs.” I point out the two dishes (that I have had many times) that are clearly labelled vegan. She shrugs. We sit, assume it’s a language barrier. Another server comes over, who has served us many times before, we again ask for clarification on what is/isn’t vegan, she says she will check, comes back and also says “well all the pasta has eggs in.” I explain that ‘cross contamination’ of a potential allergen in such a small kitchen is understandable, but I’m vegan, so I don’t eat eggs. I explain that listing potential allergens and using them as an ingredient are two different things. She says she will again ask the chef (known for his cantankerous and rather fiery attitude; look up some of the responses to bad reviews), he comes over, puts a list of allergens on the table, and points aggressively, says “this is no secret!”. So we sit there thinking, they seem to be getting allergens and ingredients confused, as there are two very clearly marked vegan dishes, with pasta expressly listed as egg free and freshly made to order. I mean, this is the guy who said that the focaccia wasn’t vegan because it has yeast in, I mean, I don’t remember the last time I drove past some yeast in a field and waved or shouted “yeast!” and pointed, but here we are 🤷🏻‍♀️ you only have to look at the opening times to see that this guy walks his own path, with the inconvenience of customers thrown in, but we figured that was just this quirky Italian thing going on. So anyway, we order, having ordered many times before, thinking there was a certain confidence in a dish clearly labelled ‘vegan’. It was only upon reflection after that my fiancé pointed out that his pasta (a non vegan) was clearly the same as mine. It appears that Milo thinks that listing a potential allergen means that he has carte Blanche to just throw it in the dishes to make his life easier. It’s very disappointing, as this is a traditional pasticceria in the heart of Amsterdam, in the quaint Nine Streets, where I am fortunate enough to live in very close proximity. I urge you to think twice about eating here if you’re an ethical vegan or have any kind of allergy, given that they just throw ‘allergens’ in as main ingredients. Disappointed, but fortunately not d€ad.

EDIT there was no fuss or tantrum, I asked if the basilico sauce was vegan, as I had had the two “VEGAN” options on many occasions. These options say very clearly that the pasta is freshly made and vegan. I was confused by being repeatedly offered ‘gluten free’ pasta. I thought I had some level of confidence that the menu was clearly marked vegan and egg free freshly made pasta on these two particular items. A customer asking a polite question is by no means anyone having a tantrum - I’m British, I don’t like fuss or public scenes, so that’s a total nonsense. I don’t know how MILOS saw my shoes, which is a very strange response from a restaurant owner lashing out because he is possibly breaking food regulations, but I haven’t worn leather for many years, and indeed don’t own any, but I’m glad that he thought my shoes were real leather, such is the quality of vegan shoes these days 🤣🤣 the guy obviously has issues. And one thing I am not, is impolite, or a liar. But I guess if you can’t defend your actions, then your only option is to attack the (calm, reasonable, polite, quiet) person writing the review. All this guy needs to do is serve what he lists on his menu, instead he would rather spend his time and energy ‘fighting’ people on reviews. Just fix it; serve vegan pasta on your “VEGAN” dishes. Don’t eat here if you have any kind of food allergy, or indeed, if...

What a gem!

We were warmly greeted by the lady of the restaurant and served a delicious (complementary) aperitivo while we looked through the menu.

Starters: Burrata, and an octopus salad. Both were beautifully presented, and the taste matched up to it too. Very delicate and refined flavours , especially the polpo which was so perfectly cooked - juicy and tasty. I remember my husband and I commenting on how the taste was very sophisticated.

Mains: We shared a shellfish pasta , which was in a simple olive oil based sauce . The sauce was simple but so richly flavoured. Transported me back to my pasta-drenched Italian holidays in cosy Italian restaurants , enjoying dishes that were simple but with such fresh ingredients .

Two side stories: (Disclaimer: These stories are not about the food, but even if these 2 incidents had not happened, I would have still rated the food 5/5, because it was just THAT good.)

About 10 mins after we were seated, a lady came in, looking slightly frazzled . She asked the lady of the restaurant if she had any change for €20 . I’ve seen this happen before where the wait staff usually turn the person away because they’re either too busy or uncaring to do so, especially when that is not a patron. It totally warmed my heart when the lady offered her change without any hesitation and talked to her so kindly.

Just before we got our mains , I started feeling a little ill. I remember hearing cooking in the kitchen, which was most probably our main dish, as we had been the only ones who had ordered at that point. However I was feeling so ill and my husband went up to the lady, told her what happened and next thing I know, the chef is coming out to see what's wrong and how he can help. He also suggested we step outside for a while to get some fresh air. Fast forward to when we came back in, and I apologised because I was so embarrassed , but the lady was very sweet and non-judgmental , saying ‘it’s okay, as long as you’re ok’. She asked us if we still wanted our pasta and I said yes because I was feeling better , and I believe they actually started cooking it from scratch again, because when it came out it was piping hot and the pasta was al dente. They had even split our dish into 2 separate plates as we had ordered it to share. These people were absolute angels and although some parts of the night were a bit of a haze, their kindness left a deep impression on me.

Grazie mille Quattro Gatti, for your warm hospitality and amazing food. I will definitely visit again the next time I’m...

Quattro Gatti gets its name from the Italian for 4 cats, an expression which is used to describe a small but intimate venue, a very fitting description. Space is very limited and reservations are highly recommended, particularly as this is one of the city's finest Italian restaurants.

The restaurant's owner and Chef cook, Milos Pesole, is passionate about Italian cuisine. He scours the markets for the freshest possible ingredients and makes his own pasta and specialty breads daily. A sign by the entrance advises would-be diners that cheese is not served with fish or seafood and that cream and butter are not used in the preparation of fish dishes as these would mar the delicate and exquisite taste. It further states that a traditional Italian menu consists of 3 courses: Antipasti, Prima Piatti (pasta and risotto) and Secondi Piatti (meat and fish), with pasta being the most important part of the meal and therefore pasta and risotto are not served as side dishes. Finally, there is no Cappuccino, Caffelatte or Latte e caffe at dinner time, as drinking milk after a rich Italian dinner is too heavy for the digestion, but Espresso and all over types of coffee are available, together with a great selection of liqueurs

Food is prepared in an open kitchen and it is a delight to watch the master at work, while the senses are aroused by the delicious aromas. The menu changes quite frequently so as to highlight specialties of the day. These might include lamb cutlets roasted on top of glowing lava stones covered with fresh herbs and prepared at the table, wild boar ragout or grilled whole fresh fish of the day, which can be filleted by request. There are many options for gluten free, vegetarian and vegan dishes. As befitting of such a stunning menu, there is a superb selection of fine wines and delicious cheeses. Besides being a restaurant, this is an outstanding patisserie with desserts to die for, Quattro Gatti was among the first restaurants in Amsterdam to be awarded the coveted Marchio di Qualita from the Italian government. Excellent food and...