Go: La Maschera Lillotatini

There is a lot of complaining about tourism in the capital. And indeed, there are neighborhoods you would rather avoid. Tourist areas with a tailored offering. Yet you can also miss out on gems. Like the small Italian trattoria La Maschera Lillotatini in the middle of a (tourist) dining street, right in the heart of the Jordaan.

On a sultry evening, everyone is sitting outside on Tweede Anjeliersdwarsstraat. Not the original Jordaan residents, but mainly tourists. They fill the makeshift terraces on the sidewalks outside the restaurants. Tourist traps, you think as you walk past. But nothing could be further from the truth. Those who take a closer look at the street will see a stream of Italian establishments – from artisanal ice cream parlor Monte Pelmo to one of the best pizzerias in town, La Perla. And from Hostaria to La Trattoria di Donna Sofia. All excellent places.

Venetian masks

For two years now, La Maschera Lillotatini has also been part of this lineup. A small trattoria that, at first glance, seems mainly aimed at tourists, with its Venetian masks (la maschera) on the walls and Italian tunes playing through the speakers. Walk straight past, you might think. But you shouldn’t. Go inside right away is better advice. Ignore the interior, tolerate ‘Senz’ una Donna’ coming from the speakers, and order.

Don’t expect fancy modern Italian à la Massimo Bottura

Don’t expect fancy modern Italian à la Massimo Bottura from Modena, but simple trattoria fare arranged according to the classic Italian menu structure: antipasti (three different ones), primi (3), secondi (3) and dolci (3). Good homemade pasta is still not a given in Amsterdam. Especially not filled with potato and garlic. Or covered with pike-perch, anchovies and Taggiasca olives. Yes, rabbit is also on the menu, as are crostini with chicken liver mousse and marinated sardines. All delicious and super-Italian, apart from the non-Italian prices. But if you order something here from the owners from the province of Umbria, let it be a pasta at least. The kitchen is open until eleven in the evening, so if you want to avoid the tourist crowds, come early or late.

Thanks in part to La Maschera Lillotatini, Tweede Anjeliersdwarsstraat is an Italian strada, right in the heart of the Jordaan. A shame to let the tourists eat everything.

La Maschera Lillotatini, Tweede Anjeliersdwarsstraat 6hs, Amsterdam. 

Image: Marjan Ippel