Renato’s Pizzeria

Oh no! New management starting Nov 1. Best pizza in town. Not a traditional trattoria, but once you get over that, it is a delightful place with great pizzas. No take out, because it ruins the taste.
The pizza Cicciolina is a spicy (obviously) favourite.
Let’s see what happens in November.

Overpriced hyped place.
First of all Trattoria in Italian means family owned restaurant (
) which should offer a full menu, even if short, with different dishes from starters, first, second and dessert. This is not a Trattoria but a Pizzeria as the only thing they serve, apart from few starters, is pizza.
We started with tagliere starter (as they run out of burrata mozzarella which was one of the 4 other starters). Okish. The Parma Ham was good and also the bread with over garlicked pesto. The percorino cheese was really average and the mozzarella di bufala was not even close to the good one you can get at any AH supermarket.
Pizza was very average if not on the lower side. Small with an over crusted side and not too much stuff on it… again I did not know at ordering that bufala was so poor other way I would have change my order.
The others took pizza with anchovies… very salty. but really salty and the mushrooms one had 4 slices of champignons on it… really?
They use standard electrical oven for pizza which can be good normally, but some how they do not do a good use of it.
Prosecco was very average and the white dry wine from Puglia priced at 26 Euro a bottle was really not that special… really not worth 10 Euro at Gal&Gal.
You need to reserve as the place is really small. To make the experience even more unpleasant, the waitress switched off the heating around 21.30, and as outside it was –12 C, it got cold very fast.
The 2 starts then are deserved. Nothing special. From ingredients to execution and I do not think it was a bad evening.
Service was ok.

According to my Italian-​to-​the-​core dining partner, it is more of a «crostone» than a pizza. More of a crunchy crust and less soft. No brick or wood oven but it was still good. It isn’t a super classic Italian menu for pizza but to a non-​Italian I think you’d be happy. The ingredients were fresh and of good quality. For Amsterdam, the service was good and fast.

I’m going to regret reviewing Renato’s. It’s already so hard to get a table here: this is a fabulous food destination in Amsterdam that simply calls itself a pizzeria.
I was told about this restaurant by a renowned pastry chef who was first dragged here by one of his homesick Italian colleagues who promised that this was the best pizza you could get in Amsterdam. After dining here, I believe him.
One of the first things I noticed was the family vibe of the restaurant. Relaxed, friendly, flexible staff. The dining room was very busy but not too loud.
We had made a mistake in booking our party, but they somehow reshuffled us for a little later that evening so that we’d have a big enough table. As we were leaving for the bar the staff suggested for our short wait, I noticed a small sign outside (on a Wednesday night!) saying that sadly they were fully booked. How nice, real service already.
The décor is relaxed and a little bit rustic but with plenty of room between tables. The buzz is never too loud or close by when the restaurant is full, which seems to be most of the time.
The wine selection is fun to explore with well-​known regions and less frequently seen wines, all with an understandable Italian focus, and the pricing is very keen for an Amsterdam restaurant. Drinks were served quickly and with a minimum of fuss.
I have to say that the food here is just superb.
We shared an antipasta platter between us: toasted artisinal breads, traditional cured meats, cheeses and pepperoni was as good as anything I’ve enjoyed in Italy.
I liked the melon and prosciutto between courses very much.
We also shared a number of vast pizzas — they’re big, they’re affordable, they’ve got the finest crust I’ve ever eaten and the toppings were perfectly proportioned to leave you wanting another bite. Elegant and fascinating flavour combinations were evident, it’s not your father’s pizza restaurant at all.
Service during the meal is friendly, but not in your face, and when the conversation is running at your table, dishes just magically appear and disappear without any interruptions. Awesome.
Desserts were adequate, but didn’t shine for me like the antipasto and mains, although I’m not a great fan of tiramisu, which I’m assured is excellent here. I do like their sgroppino, but I’ve never yet met one I didn’t like!
I’ve been back a number of times and had a comparable experience every time.
This place is a real find. Sadly many other people think so too which means that reservations, alas, seem now to be mandatory. If you go, you’ll see why. Oh, and there’s no take-​away.