Mappa

Once again Unilocal directed us to another wonderful restaurant. Everything about Mappa was excellent. From the greeting at the door to our last sip of their homemade Lemoncella is was a magnificent night. The clam appetizer was spicy and sexy. Not enough focaccia to absorb all the flavor. Spaghetti Carbonara was full of flavor and huge fresh leaves of basil. A smooth bottle of Italian red wine made the night just perfect. Get out of the Red Light district and find Mappa for your own lustful evening of food and romance.

I had a wonderful meal at Mappa, a casual restaurant located not far from my hotel, The Grand Sofitel.
I give it five stars for the arugula salad, one of the best I’ve ever had, perfectly fresh «rucola» blended with a peppery balsamic vinaigrette and lusciously shaved grana padano cheese.
On the server’s recommendation I had the «spicy sausage» pizza, not at all like American pepperoni. The cheese and sausage were delicious. I only downgrade the crust to a four-​star, however, because it was almost like a soda cracker, it was so thick and breakable. I admit that I enjoy a firmer and doughier crust. But I ate every bite of crust that had any topping on it, so it must have been pretty good.
I don’t have dessert, so I can’t comment on it.
The service was five-​star; as a sole diner I often feel left out. I sat at the bar and the bartender and server were both amazingly chatty and made me feel welcome and comfortable. When I asked for a glass of wine from a bottle opened that day, the bartender happily complied and served a very decent chianti reserva that went very well with the food.
This isn’t fancy dining, so I’m basing the five-​star overall response on the way I was treated and that amazing salad.
The Grand Sofitel is in a touristy area (a fantastic hotel that I’ll rate separately on Trip Advisor – definitely five-​star) but the neighborhood borders the red-​light district so most of the restaurants cater to tourist tastes (a lot of street food that isn’t half bad), but if you’re looking for something that won’t break your pocketbook but with great staff, I don’t think you can go wrong with Mappa.

Hands down one of my favorite restaurants in Amsterdam. Delicious Italian style thin crust pizzas — try the spicy salami — and great pastas.
Nice waitstaff and located almost behind Dam Square, so convenient for tourists, but not at all a tourist trap.

Excellent food, good service, and American friendly.
Great selection of food, wine, and beer for our group of ten.
Relax and enjoy this laid back gem.

Excelent food. Great Ambiance. The Staff is friendly and helpful. The Pumpking Soup is delicious, sweet, salty savory and spicy. Compliment to the chef. Very Close to Rho Hotel were we stayed. So it was perfect for our last dinner in Amsterdam before we hit Paris. I must say i am a fan :)