Staycation #1: Italy in Amsterdam

Whether it’s at a street food market in Vietnam or straight from the French hypermarché: food always tastes extra delicious on vacation. This summer I’m staying home in Amsterdam, but luckily there are plenty of places where you can imagine yourself abroad for a little while. This summer I’m taking you along on my staycation, and this week we’re going to Italy.

I spent my entire childhood going on vacation to Italy. My little brother, sister and I were squeezed into the back of the car, and somewhere in Italy we would get out again. Often in a small village, where we would first look for ‘our’ little bar to get a cioccolata and a sweet pastry every morning. Whether I’m in Rome, Siena or on the Amalfi Coast, I’m always happy in Italy. When I want to bring back that feeling in Amsterdam, I cycle to De Pijp, because that’s where L’Angoletto is.

Makrout: semolina cookies with date filling

You could easily walk right past the restaurant on the corner (angoletto is Italian for corner) of Hemonystraat and Govert Flinckstraat, but once you’re inside, you never want to leave. This is the only place in Amsterdam where I really feel like I’m in Italy for a little while. Besides the fact that the food is simple but fantastic—I’d love to hear if you can name a place in the city where the food comes closer to the real deal in Italy—the chef is a huge grump. Somehow, I always find that makes it even more gezellig.

No reservations

If you come in at 6:00 p.m., there’s a sign saying ‘reserved’ on every table. Yet you really can’t make a reservation here (and you can’t pay by card either). The signs are removed for the guests trickling in, for most of them, anyway. Some people are simply sent away again, pointing at the reserved signs. I have no idea what this selection is based on. Maybe they don’t want tourists, or some people’s faces just don’t appeal to them, but it’s funny to watch. Once you’re seated, that is.

Arguments

The menu is simple: antipasti, primi, secondi and dolci. Oh, and you can also have pizza, which comes from the wood-fired oven. The menu also clearly states that pasta with fish is absolutely not served with Parmesan cheese; they’re very strict about that here. If you ask for it anyway, you’ll get an earful. It’s even perfectly normal to be asked after visiting L’Angoletto whether you had an argument with the chef. In some people’s eyes, you haven’t really been there otherwise.

We don’t get a choice of wine. Well, red or white, and your chosen wine is placed on the table in a carafe. A basket of unsalted bread (sorry, but you’re in Italy) and focaccia with tomato also arrive at the table. It doesn’t really matter what you order here; the tuna and octopus carpaccios are a fantastic start to the meal either way. With good olive oil and lemon, wonderfully flavorful and fresh. Every day there’s a piece of grilled meat of the day that you can see turning deliciously over hot coals beforehand.

Homemade pie

You can’t go wrong with the pastas here either; the one with just tomato sauce is already so good that you’d come here for that alone. Or go for agnolotti (filled pasta parcels). If you still have room, order a slice of homemade pie and an espresso for dessert, and your Italian evening will already be over. Buona notte!

L’Angoletto
Hemonystraat 18
Amsterdam