Da Vinci

Da Vinci brings the Italian Riviera to the Amsterdam canals, trading the Ligurian sea view for a canal-side one without losing the coast's easy elegance. This is authentic Ligurian cuisine — herbaceous, olive-oil-driven, quietly refined — served in a Smart Casual room that has earned both a Melius Badge and a solid score for its fidelity to a region too rarely represented abroad.

Chef Matteo Vitale learned his cooking along the coast between Genoa and the Cinque Terre, and he sources with the help of Qualitalia International to keep it genuine. His trofie al pesto is the dish to order: hand-rolled pasta tossed with a Genovese basil pesto made to DOP standard, green beans and potato, exactly as it is served in Liguria. A thin, molten focaccia di Recco filled with stracchino and a fragrant branzino all'acqua pazza complete a menu that stays close to the water.

The list favours bright, food-friendly whites and sparkling wines — a mineral Gavi di Gavi from Piedmont and a fine Franciacorta from Lombardy — chosen to flatter pesto and seafood rather than overpower them. Single-estate Tuscan olive oil and aged balsamic reinforce the kitchen's commitment to real Italian provenance.

Ligurian cooking rewards restraint, and Da Vinci understands that better than most. Welcoming to vegetarians and attentive to detail, it is the place in Amsterdam to eat the authentic cuisine of the Italian Riviera, verified through Melius and served with a view of the water.