Farina - Italian Comfort Food — Restaurant in Utrecht

Time for a long overdue review to this hidden gem! I have to admit I did not know of this small Italian takeaway until very recently and I kind of regret having missed out for this long...

As an Italian myself and a quite picky person at the same time (together with a bunch of other flaws), I usually steer clear of "Italian" food avenues because it has been far too common in the past for me to be disappointed when I ultimately realized that there was very little "Italian" to be had, from the lack of atmosphere, with often not even a single actual Italian speaker serving the customers, to the food tasting generic and without personality due to it being adapted to appease so many different palates it stops being really anything, let alone Italian.

Not here, though.

First of all, both the owners - who also work there - and all of the employees (in the front as well as the kitchen) are Italian; moreover, the people working at the front are great at dealing with the customer and have a warm, bubbly, welcoming personality that makes you want to interact with them, something that to me is really important especially for people working in hospitality.

The food... Well, the food is great of course! For such a small location, the variety is good as they offer several different sandwiches, pinsas (a peculiar type of pizza) and gnocchi with good choice of sauces, as well as a few typical desserts such as sfogliatelle, pasticciotti and cannoli. What really stands out though is the incredible quality of the products (some of which are directly imported from Italy), as well as the way they are combined in order to make a whole that is bigger than the sum of its part and feels original while still feeling distinctively "Italian". Also, the ricotta used in the cannoli is absolutely DE-LI-CIOUS, by the way, I strongly recommend trying them ;)

Finally, prices are - in my opinion - fair enough considering the amount and quality of the food you get in exchange; I'd say that on average one would end up spending between 10 and 20-25 euros per meal, which seems perfectly fine for Dutch price standards.

To sum it up... I will definitely find myself coming back periodically!

TL;DR: Lovely Italian takeaway, genuine food made with high-quality ingredients and nice variety of options to try for such a small location; very positive vibes from the owners...

5 eur Sfogliatella - the most layered pastry I've ever eaten; with a very rich tasting cream containing candied orange(?). Sfogliatella is sometimes named lobstertail. This one crunches the entire bite, an unreal sensation; it's as if biting through an entire stack of pringles in one bite, every bite. Although it looks sweetened, it is much milder than cannelloni. The taste of the cream is dominated by fruity notes and it has a playfulness that moves you.

The place has a confidently hit-or-miss marketing direction. I don't particularly care for this vibe; still the person behind the counter greeted us nicely despite the line, which overshadowed the marketing print outside. The service was smooth, quick and professional.

Hot day, from the main station it's a 25 minute walk, but there's several places that serve iced latte on the way. We got some from Darra's but you might want to order from Wakuli a short walk north. The pastry pairs amazingly with latte, bringing out an entirely different taste profile from the pastry not unlike pairing dinner with a good wine. We finished the pastry just after passing Wakuli on the way back, which is the only downside I can think of -...

🥙A True Italian Gem in the Netherlands

Farina is one of the best places I’ve discovered in over a year of living in the Netherlands. The panini I had was perfect—crispy, fresh, and packed with flavor. The owner, a true Italian, was incredibly welcoming and generous, even offering me a complimentary pastry that was deliciously crusty and flavorful.

What made the experience even more special was the genuine atmosphere. I had a lovely, heartwarming conversation with both the owner and the cook, which added a personal and authentic touch to the visit. The service here is exceptional—rare to find in the Netherlands—and makes this place truly stand out.

I highly recommend Farina, especially for the panini, and I’m excited to return to try their gnocchi and pizza. This spot is a real gem, and absolutely...