Segugio

I came across this great little restaurant by accident (I was staying at the Notting Hill Boutique Hotel nearby, highly recommended). It surprised me, because the exterior is rather unassuming, but looking in the window it looked quite cozy and upscale… so I went in. Boy, am I glad that I did!
The restaurant is inviting in a minimalist way that is inviting: white starched table cloths, candles, light wood floors, etc. It felt that the focus was on comfort, the diners, and the food. And it was.
The menu is creative. In a brilliant way. It also was just long enough (or brief enough) to engage you. Ditto the wine list, with a great selection available. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about the specials (though sadly, the veal chop turned out later to be out). He was knowledgeable about wine pairings, and friendly in a professional way. He was sweating lightly, but I have that effect on people.
The food: so I ordered the buratta, with tomato sorbet. AMAZING! Seriously, the sorbet was perfect, and even looked like one! (See picture). Divine! The tagliatta was equally amazing, but come on… tomato sorbet that looks like a freaking tomato with the vine. Incredible.
Anyway, I could drone on as I usually do, but seriously: if you’re in Amsterdam, go!

I was going to start this review with what I imagine to be classic Italian exclamations — «Mama mia!, Bellissimo!, Bravo!» but that just unfairly likens Segugio to the terrible ‘Italian’ restaurants you find speckled about Amsterdam with their little red and white chequered tables, serving little more than pieces of a 40 lb, pre-​made lasagne and boil-​in-​a-​bag carbonara.
This place is the REAL DEAL. The door to the restaurant is barely visible on the beautiful Utrechtestraat, but leads to 2 floors of a small, but not too cramped restaurant. In true Italian fashion the service was, well, Italian speed (and I don’t mean the Ferrari kind of speed) which was difficult for us, as we were starving. As each course came out though, I was more and more willing to wait as every bite was sumptuous and perfect. The saffron risotto with root vegetables and sausage was one of the best risottos I have ever had in my entire life. We also had another pasta filled with beef, served in a parmesan broth (WHAT? A CHEESE BROTH YOU SAY? WHY HAVE I NOT HEARD OF THIS!?). The mains were equally as good, my partner enjoyed the lamb special and I partook in the less adventurous, but equally delicious beef with vegetables.
The food here is fantastic but it does come at a price. If I remember correctly the wine list starts around 35 euros. With those facts, you need to be prepared to dish out some money here but you will not be disappointed in the food. Service could have been a tad faster but this is a solid 4 stars — would love an affordable lunch option though! (They are currently only opened for dinner).

Despite writing that I never give five starts, this place deserves it, too. The food was absolutely exquisite (imagine blueberry risotto), very nice wine, very attentive service. Highly recommended. Don’t let the street fool you… this place is a gem.

Good Italian restaurant in one of the nicest streets in Amsterdam (especially now that they finished with road works!!).
The restaurant is mall, two floors, not many tables but ample space between them and the ambiance is kind of classy /​romantic.
Menu is short but has choices for any type of taste… bare in mind portions are quite small despite the pricey list.
My starter of Bundle of ricotta cheese and chestnuts in spicy broth was very yummy and tasty and my friend’s Squid stuffed with capers, olives and anchovies starter was also very very good. Both very well prepared.
I went then for the risotto of the day which was black truffle one… very good… not as I would prepare it… but still very well done and definitely a risotto :) The Pappardelle with musseles, grass pea and pecorino di Fossa cheese were also fierce!
We step then to the dessert… nice! Caramelised meringue, spiced biscuit and apple compote and chocolate soufflé with milk ice cream were very very good.
They have all sort of Italian amaros to end your dining experience… I went of course for the very classic Fernet Branca !!
For the price, not an average every week place but really a nice surprise.

Delicious meal and great experience. Overall, definitely a restaurant I’ll return to for another evening. Wine pairing was spot on. Partridge antipasta was delicious along with Pecorino wine. Home-​made guitarra pasta noodles with cacao and pheasant — mmmm! And then wild boar stew was made with a thick consistency and steamed veggies. All around solid cooking, presentation and service.
The only reason they lost the 5^th star was because their tiramisu was just too creative. It was more of a pair of fresh cookies along with dried fruits, some filling, and a few capers. Maybe I missed the creative genius in it, but I really wanted something decadent and instead it was more of an art piece.
My rating is really 5 stars, minus a bit for the dessert — and truth be told, I don’t mind the chef taking a creative license on this one, the rest of the meal was fabulous.