Toscanini

We had a lovely dinner at Toscanini, as well as picked up items at the deli next door the previous day. It is worth getting on two weeks in advance to book a reservation. Delicious, sublime, and elevated atmosphere.

Sadly, a big disappointment. I booked a table (and paid a deposit) counting on delicious Italian food and exceptional hospitality. Unfortunately, the entire experience since the first minute wasn’t great. We arrived on time and were asked to wait for our table (third ones in a row!) while it has been booked. What’s the point of reservation system if you need to wait to eat? We were eventually sited at the and the drinks were proposed to us - naively though it is a free option as a reward for waiting. No, it wasn’t. Next, the service is friendly but not exceptionally attentive or hospitable. I would expect more given the prices. When the waitress asks who ordered that dish, it is a level of bistro/ bar. Food. Biggest disappointment. Although beautifully presented and inviting with some creative combinations, it is simply not great cooking. We ordered a salad and burrata with a deep fried courgette flowers as starters, two types of pasta as mains, and truffle ice cream plus merengue for dessert. A salad was tasteless and bland, not 19€ dish. Burrata - a simple position that is hard to be spoiled - was a supermarket burrata, sour and bad quality product that has been masked with overdone seasoning - too much salt and soaked in an oil (didn’t even taste like an olive oil). A plus for courgette flower - nice addition, but would be better if any stuffing was there. Mains: both pastas were simply not good, neither true Italian (god forbid to say, Toscanini taste). Ravioli lacked any aroma (was supposed to be served in a butter and lemon sauce). Eadible, but nothing more. The other pasta (called alla Sicilians), seasoned with mackerel and fennel, was barely edible. Sour and salty only, no aroma, herbs, whatsoever was simply not good cooking. Thank god my partner was very hungry and decided to finish it instead of me. Desserts - tartuffo ice cream mainly sweet, no other experience or aroma. Merengue- okay, but that’s all. The only great point of the program was wine. We chose Lugana, and as much as almost 12 euros for a glass is on an expensive side, it was very good. Mineral, dry with an elegant deep taste. Others: plus for an ambient and hot water in the bathroom. Overall: I would like to give it a second chance as there are so many good reviews (maybe a chef had just a bad day), but I am hesitant to risk taking into account that this experiment costed us 150 euros for 2 ppl. For 25 euros more per person, you can get fine-dining experience that leaves you mind blown. Overpriced and overhyped.

I went to an amazing dinner with a group of friends. Everyone (8 people) were super satisfied, despite that we took different options: fish, pork, vegetarian pasta and vegan pasta. Food was super tasty, from the starters through the mains, to the various desserts. Wine list is endless, our wine was great. I was the only vegan person but restaurant catered to it flawlessly. There was no vegan main in the menu but the staff suggested few options that could be made on the spot from which I could choose from. I had delicious artichoke pasta. That day they had vegan brownie so despite being full I found some space for this dessert and did not regret. Service was great, the food was coming slowly which gave us some time for digestion before the next “round”. We also got bread at the start and throughout the evening waiters were filling the drink water on our table.

This is the second time I have visited this restaurant the first time was 3 years ago and I remembered it with very high standards. I was worried that after so much time I was going to be disappointed but it was just as I remembered it. Delicious, creative, cozy and fair prices. I would highly recommend it, however it is very difficult to get a table.

Had a wonderful birthday here. The staff is very friendly and will go out of their way to satisfy your needs. Big recommendation is to ask the staff to divide the course in 2 portions so you can enjoy a lot of dishes together. Wonderful wine menu is a highlight, only eclipsed by the delicious dessert.

I had high expectations for this restaurant, but unfortunately I was disappointed. Firstly, the food was very mediocre - for the price you pay the food was quite bland. I ordered the pasta Amatriciana, which I thought was a simple and easy dish to make that could be turned into something delicious and flavoursome. However, it was quite the opposite of this, instead there was a lack of creativity or authenticity to the dish. This counted for the other duck tagliatelle dish, which was also very bland. Secondly, I noticed one of the owners walking around the restaurant seemed to have had one too many drinks. He came to our table and put down the Parmesan cheese on our table once we all finished eating - he even admitted that it was too late to give it but he still found it appropriate to leave it on our table. I found this quite unprofessional to be frank. And to add to this, we noticed a staff member pouring glasses of wine back into a wine bottle. I found this quite surprising as this was done in a very noticeable place where guests could see this happening. In general, the atmosphere of the restaurant was nice and quite cosy. The crowd is nice and if I could come back for just drinks I would, however I didn’t think the food was worth it.

Outstanding Italian food, great atmosphere, friendly staff. Had a great time at Tiscanini. The wine was good but expensive.,

You have to book a month in advance as they’re always full and I can see why. Delicious, fresh food, plenty of Italian wine choices and really great service. Perfect combo! We sat in the back amongst the wine fridges and wine boxes. We loved it! We’ll be back for sure.

Recommended by Eaters Amsterdam, Caffe Toscanini definitely delivers! We just spend days in Paris, our bar is sky high and we are so pleased with the amazing food, the attentive service and the beautiful decor of the restaurant. The new sky light that is in the majority of the restaurant makes it very inviting and bright. Loved by locals and tourists, Caffè Toscanini is renowned for its consistent, high quality, seasonal Italian cuisine. We listened to our server who let us know the daily specials that you won't want to miss. He said the pasta special (which is a fish pasta) is amazing and yes he is 100% correct! Also we try the rabbit and the house made cold cuts, both amazing. The restaurant is fully booked 6 weeks in advance for the later night seating (assuming you like to eat late at 8:30pm) so the tip is to join their waitlist ahead of time!

Ah-mazing job from Chef Pacenti! We were taken through so many different regions of Italy with every bite. The meal was so lovely from the olives, to the cheese charcuterie, to the sorbet each course is so thoughtful with so much Italian flavor and flair. The wine list is fabulous with over 60 pages of options to pair with any pallet, it is truly the hidden pearl. The service and knowledge of staff is impeccable! The sea bass, bread, and pasta was cooked to perfection. Fine dinning with a grandma's kitchen feel. I will definitely recommend and return. Thank you Toscanini for the wonderful experience!

We enjoyed a beautiful lunch here and thought the food, service and atmosphere was everything you could ask for from an authentic Italian meal. Pasta was perfectly al dente and sauces were well done. The arugula salad and baked ricotta with pumpkin were also our favorites. I would love to go back for dinner, and with a bigger appetite. I wish we had room for desert!

BOOOOOO! Learn how to be a good person and a good neighbor to your community and customers. We live across from this restaurant and have for many years enjoyed having the staff as neighbors. Unfortunately, I recently had an extremely aggressive and unnecessarily hostile experience with the owner Maud. I politely emailed and asked her to turn off the street organ they'd been blasting during an otherwise peaceful Sunday afternoon. Of course some noise is always expected on our busy and vibrant Lindengracht, but I explained to her that this noise coming from her terrace was excessive and severely affecting my ability to work. Instead of a neighborly response one would expect from a business that's meant to specialize in hospitality, Maud (who I've never met before despite being her customer and neighbor for years) proceeded to not only refuse to do anything about the blaring noise then or in the future, but also stated that I was no longer welcome at the restaurant. She then had the street organ continue play on. I could've just called the police like many other neighbors did that day, considering Maud was blatantly breaking the law blasting a street organ for multiple hours in the same spot. However, I thought it'd be better to email the restaurant directly and have a conversation. I've learned my lesson and next time I will call the gemeente directly instead of expecting a neighborly exchange with Toscanini. And if you're wondering about the food -- no great chef lacks a sense of humor or empathy.

Make a reservation for this lovely place! The food was exceptional, and the service was kind and attentive. We shared a salad with beets that was really delicious! I ordered the ravioli with potato and pecorino for my entree and it literally was melting in my mouth. Definitely one of our top meals in Amsterdam! The wine list is extensive and the waitress made a great suggestion for a nice dry white wine.

One of the top foodie restaurants in Amsterdam, and with good cause. A delightful dinning experience completed by exceptional table service and an incredibly knowledgeable staff. The food - well, it's exactly what you'd expect - we'll designed, aesthetically appealing and bursting in flavors. The ambiance - super cool, and yet laid back. An approachable space with European sophistication and an open floor plan. What made the meal so special was the attentive and kind service. From the moment we were seated, the focus was on making an evening to remember. That's pretty darn special! One thing - make a reservation! This is not a stop-by and hope you can get a table kind of place. You need a reservation. And, one way is to 'waitlist' - you'll be surprised at the convenience of the restaurants reservation app and the ease with which you'll get messages when a table is available. Make a point of going, you will not be disappointed!

Lovely, but the coffee is always too cold! Try using a thermometer until you get the feel?

Great food, great ambience and super nice service. All the above for a great food experience with traditional Italian flavors ... with a great new style and attention to details. Cloth tables and all non paper waste... proper knives and forks for the plate served and the right glass for the wine served. Spritzer as it should be to start your dining experience. Nothing went wrong. The gnocchi Al Gorgonzola were the top. Going to be around more... next time for dinner.

Sheer heaven. I would eat exactly the same meal again right now! We started with a huge, 5-plate antipasto, followed with primi of risotto of oxtail, secondi of agnello al modo nostro (lamb 2 ways, ragu and chops), followed by dolce of semifreddo and panforte. The pictures will not do justice to the food, but look at the antipasto and let me know if you EVER find another this size for 21 euros. Great wine, great service...oh I wish they were closer to my home.

Amazing restaurant - great food, great service. The server suggested we share a few courses and the only thing I would have done differently is order more food and request they bring some of the food at once - while I know this isn't traditionally the way things are done in Netherlands, but we are not used to sitting for dinner for over three hours. The food was cooked to order so it was the freshest most amazingly delicious meal we have had on our entire trip overseas. The bartender was really kind as was the server who suggested we try what they had and not a red sauce or "rustica"-- she was right and this was better than any meal we had in Italy. Bravo with this place. Enjoy.

The best Italian food in Amsterdam! This vibrant place is always busy, so if you want to eat here, make a reservation a few weeks in advance.

Cosy, neighborhood restaurant in the Jordaan--the perfect date ambiance. It's a nice restaurant without the pretentiousness. Feels like you're in a converted rustic garage/home/greenhouse. The fixed meal prices are worth it and the portions are just right. Be sure to make a reservation well in advance. They can accommodate a special diet if you mention it in the reservation. Everything I've had there has been on point. Right now, my favorite restaurant in Amsterdam.

Homemade Italian cuisine, just delicious! We had 2 of the pastas on the menu with bread and they were outstanding. We also very much enjoyed talking to our waitress who was the wife of the owner. I highly recommend this cute restaurant.

Fantastic place! Enjoyed a lovely lunch during our pandemic summer weekend in Amsterdam. The food is absolutely delicious, the staff very friendly and eager to give information about the drinks or the food.

This has been our favorite meal on this European trip. Thank you staff and chefs for making this a memorable experience.

Can't say enough good things about Toscanini. The restaurant was recommended to me by a family member who visited Amsterdam the previous year. They did not disappoint. Great food, good service. All staff are smiling, helpful and friendly. The restaurant boasts an open kitchen. 3 course dinner and a few glasses of wine was about $100 euros. Very reasonable and left satisfied. All their desserts are hand made. The dark chocolate sauce on mine was decadent. Reservations are recommended.

Undercooked spaghetti and risotto. I'm sorry, risotto should not be crunchy! I had been warned that the food in Amsterdam could use some work but I didn't think that would apply to basic Italian. I think this place is more known for its meat dishes because it surely isn't the pasta. Plain ambiance. A regrettable meal. Not that pricey, at least.

A classic Italian gem hidden away from the tourists of Amsterdam in the Jordaan neighborhood. From the white linen table clothes to the wine list and to the risotto of the day, everything screams that this place is as good as it can get. Our waiter was thorough with the menu, making sure everyone knew about all the specials. The antipasti, and we have ordered a few of them, were all excellent. My risotto with asparagus and prosciutto was heavenly. A couple bottles of a 6 year old Sangiovese did complete the magic of our visit. This is definitely a keeper for me!

Excellent everything. Not your typical pasta dish heavy menu but exquisite light Italian cooking. Everything was delicious. Service was excellent and venue was lovely casually chic!

Love this place. The place always has a brilliant menu and the food is delish! I have been here plenty of times and its always great. So, let me break it down for you - Good stuff - Ambience - Perfect, cozy, casual and quite romantic I say Service - Its always good except last time we had to wait quite a bit and the server couldnt pair the wines well with our food Food - I have tried quite a bit of the menu. The chargrilled octopus and the Burrata is my all time fav. The meat and fish is splendid but I havent tried any pasta or rissotto here. The skewer of home-made sausage (free range pork) and veal liver, with lentil salad is great but beware its VERY heavy. Now for not so good stuff - You have plan wayyyyy in advance. At least 3-4 weeks so thats quite painful. Its very very busy on friday and saturday evenings and can be a little noisy for some people. All in all , I definitely recommend it. Would have given it all stars but the waiting and booking period is a lil much. Oh well, its worth the wait!

Amazing date spot. Can't wait to come here again during my next trip to Amsterdam. The atmosphere and location is super nice, the service is also incredible!!

We celebrated Sharon's birthday here last night. We chose the six course tasting menu. When we asked what was on it our waiter said, "it's a surprise". And oh what a meal. Every course was better than the last. Let me emphasis this was an incredible meal. If you are willing to try great food this is a place for you.

Great place, great food, superb service and the atmosphere you only find in a true Italian environment!

I had a fantastic birthday dinner here. It was a wonderful memory and an amazing meal. Between the two of us we had pasta, steak, swordfish, appetizers, dessert and wine -- I would order everything we had again. Our server was also great. I would most definitely go back and highly recommend the restaurant to anyone that wants a special dinner out. Reservations are a must if you have limited availability.

Yesterday my partner invited his family and me to dine at his most favorite Italian restaurant in Amsterdam. The steaks were high: his parents love Italy and throughout their life they vacationed there over 30 times, and he chose Rome for our second date. As I was smitten by his Italian language skills, history, cuisine and fell in love with him there, I was excited to dine at the restaurant he appreciates so much. For me, Italian food was always "pizza/pasta" and I am sure I just offended an Italian guy or gal with my profanity, I apologize and let's move on. For dinner, we each had an appetizer and the main course, followed by the dessert. - Calamari Alla Paistra, pan-fried calamari with romanesco cauliflower, Tropea onions, and capers - Tuna Tartare - the daily special - Pasta alla Norma - the daily special. I, by mistake, ordered this dish, because I read eggplant (my favorite vegetable, but did not pay attention that its actually pasta), in the end, I switched the plates with my partner who had amazing tuna tartare. - Beefsteak for 2, medium rare with a bone marrow, side of potatoes. - Fegato Di Vitello Al Balsamico - pan-fried veal liver with Tropea onions, jowl bacon, tomato and balsamic. My favorite dish! I ordered it, and it was loved by everyone at the table. - Grilled Lamb with Lamb Sausage. - the daily special, the lamb was very delicate, while sausage paired up with much stronger flavors, was delicious - Panna Cotta Al Caremello - Tartufo - marvelous! - Pasticcini Siciliani - 3 Sicilian cookies. To conclude, after nearly 2,5 hours of dining, this restaurant was loved by his parents, they gave it a stamp of approval and I think I also got stamped as well ;) For me, if not for my poor choice of pasta appetizer I will be much happier, but thankfully everyone shared their food, so I was able to taste everything. My personal favorites were: tuna tartare, steak, and veal liver. I loved the dinner and enjoyed the company. His mom recommended to try Bussia, so we are going on Sunday to presumably overeat on 8-course meal.

To be fair I never got to dine here. I went in last night around 9pm and asked for a table for one (I am on my own here in Amsterdam). The man behind the bar just shook his head. That's it. I said, "no tables?" He said no. I said "not even at the bar?" and he said no. Now, I'm not upset that there were no tables as I had read on the review that it was busy and to make reservations. However, its just common courtesy to give a little more information, offer some suggestions for other places to dine, offer to make a reservation for the following night etc... I was put off enough to write this review and hope the staff is less rude to their customers. The definitely lost a potential customer in me!

reviews Reviews from the web Iens7,9/10184 votesFoursquare8,9/10218 votesEet.nu8,4/105 votes Google review summary 5 4 3 2 1 4,3 103 reviews Google reviews Most helpful Kevin Stadmeyer in the last week I really dont understand how this place has good ratings. The staff was incredibly rude, my wife and I were reading our menus and he walked up and just cleared his throat instead of a simple "hello", a disgusting phlemy sound was used. The salad was litterlly just arugula, and spicy greens drowned in cheap balsamic. No effort was made to cut or tear the leaves to reasonable sizes. The pasta with speck and beans came out with a broken sauce. When the waiter came around he said "oh what you don't like it?" To which I honestly replied that the sauce was broken and show the disgusting puddle of oil the pasta was sitting in. He just picked up the plate and walked away without another word. I only wish I had a picture to illustrate the level of incompetence. Toscanini is a tourist trap, plain and simple.

Went here for my 40th birthday whilst on holiday in Amsterdam. We where recommended the restaurant by our hotel bar manager who booked a table for us (important to book as the restaurant is always busy even midweek). Busy atmosphere the style is kind of modern mixed with traditional, the restaurant also has an open kitchen. To start with had antipasti with Prosciutto and mozzarella which was lovely and for our mains my wife had pumpkin risotto and I had a seafood stew followed by pistachio ice cream. I asked the waitress why they didn't do pizza and she replied that there are certain kinds of restaurants that serve pizza and they where not one of them! All I will say to that is that if you think your too important to serve pizza your aren't. Nice food but overpriced and probably not as good as they would like to think. Also got charged for a couple of things we didn't actually receive, so deducted money from the tip. However better than average service by Dutch standards.

Ah. Light, well prepare pasta in Amsterdam. The restaurant is in the Jordan area, but tucked away from tourists. The dishes have the freshest of ingredients and the pasta is clearly prepared freshly. You can't go wrong with the minestrone soup either (and who the heck recommends minestrone soup - it's that good). Reservations are not easy to come by, so book in advance.

Cool atmosphere, delicious food, attentive staff. Makes for a special evening. It's a simple place but has a scene-y feeling (in a good way), and good people watching. We got there early and had a drink at the bar, and immediately liked the energy of the place. When we sat down, they brought out a gratis amuse bouche that was better than most meals. We had a wild goose pasta, the eggplant, asparagus, mixed veggies and bruchetta (which was the only thing we didn't love). Typical selection of italian liquors (fernet, grappa, etc.) and really nice wines at decent prices, considering the venue. It has been my boyfriend's favorite local spot for over a decade.

One of the best meals I have ever eaten in Amsterdam. The food was fantasic. I had specials: risotto with saffron and venison, and salt crusted fish. Amazing. What was really stellar was the service...no looking around for a waiter, they were there but not overbearing. Incredibly professional. Lovely space, too. Perfect for a date or celebration dinner.

I am very difficult to please when it comes to Italian food. Had a very good first experience at this restaurant. The appetizers were very nice and I loved the al dente raviolis. My one complaint is that the risotto should have been cooked a bit more. The ambiance is great. When making a reservation ask to sit in front of the open kitchen.

We went there for dinner one night. It was recommended to me from a colleague of mine. We had forgotten to book a table, but we're able to share a table with a couple of business men. Immediately we were recognized and acknowledged by the stag. They constantly checked to make sure our food was great, drinks were full, and that we were happy. The chef had even come out at one point to check if we enjoyed the food. Great food, excellent service. I will recommend this place to anyone travelingn to Amsterdam looking for a great evening.

Definitely the best italian restaurant in Amsterdam!!! Good prosciutto and guanciale, amazing variety of primi piatti, incredible wines and lovely atmosphere!

I had not known that when I go to Amsterdam I would have Italian food, but I did. Great Italian restaurant, food was amazing.

Great vegan Italian food! So authentic, fresh and mind blowing! The chef and owner Leonardo came to my table and created dishes which were not on the menu: mixed greens salad and sautéed vegetable spaghetti with olive oil, herbs and chili flakes. The spaghetti was perfectly al dente. He also helped me select a red wine which would accompany the dish. Overall, it was a phenomenal experience. This is a hidden gem in Amsterdam.

If you are looking for a special noteworthy dining experience, then Caffe Toscanini is the place for you. It's perfect for a romantic date or celebrations of all sorts as it's ambiance is intimate, cozy and relaxed. The service is excellent, the staff is on point and knowledgeable. The food is outstanding and every dish seemed to be better than the next! Overall Caffe Toscanini will make sure that you have a fantastic memorable evening.

Great italian restaurant in Amsterdam with delicious food and a good vibe. Looking forward to go back one day.

Regarding to our travel guidebook this should be the best italian restaurant in amsterdam. We tried to get a table without reservation several times before, so this time we made one to finally check out this venue. We went there with a group of seven to have our dinner and ordered the three-course menu for this evening, which includes antipasti as starter, choice of fish, beef or pork for the main course and a dessert. The starters where really good, and very much, too. A lot of plates with different kind of antipasti, so it could have been a main course as well. After that I chose the beef, medium, as I like it. The dessert was not so much, but also good. Little pieces of tart and some ice cream. Some bottles of wine included, this evening was definitely not our cheapest in amsterdam, but a really good one. A one point deduction because this restaurant is really a little bit expensive and may not necessarily be suited for everyone.

Solid dining experience. Very busy - but service was good. Had the four course meal with 7 others and it was intimate - with plenty of variety to satisfy all tastes. First plates of antipasti were outstanding. Main meat dishes were excellent - including my veal and my wife's ribeye.

Great food, awesome local environment. Menu is traditional Italian so it is built to order more than 2-3 courses. Atmosphere is much like an average restaurant in an old building nothing fancy but food was absolutely amazing, great service as well