I have complained extensively about the lack of quality neighborhood Italians in Amsterdam. And I would certainly not have suspected them in de Pijp with its focus on trendy concept restaurants with a short lifespan. But I have just been proven wrong again! Fa. Pekelhaaring joins l’Ozio, an artsy Italian with a rural Piedmontese menu, and Renato’s, one of the top pizzerias in Amsterdam, as the third quality neighborhood Italian in de Pijp!
To add to the confusion, the name “Pekelhaaring” is rather misleading, suggesting pickled herring rather than rural Italian cuisine. A quick look at the menu reassured us that we were in for a broad and non-standard selection of Italian dishes. There are sandwiches, salads and deep-fried snacks of which we liked the arancini – small deep-fried saffron balls with a pepper mayonnaise. We almost missed out on them since the deep fryer was broken the day we went. But the chef managed to produce fantastic arancini anyway using some combination of shallow frying pan and determination.
The focus of the menu at Pekelhaaring is antipasti, pasta and grilled meat. The antipasti are standard choices like Parma ham and vitello tonato, presented nicely in a glass showcase. The pasta variations are more daring. We liked the ravioli with haricots and ricotta. The gnocchi with salted cod also sounded interesting. All pasta is available in small and large portions – ideal for lunch also. The mains off the grill include rib-eye, mackerel, and an enormous hamburger made of tasty meat and cooked just right.
The design is clean and modern and creates some sort of über-dimensional living room atmosphere – stylish and welcoming at the same time by way of a rather idiosyncratic combination of styles. The dining room feels spacious with its open kitchen and is very light because of the large windows on the entire Van Woustraat side.
Johannes van Dam awarded Fa. Pekelhaaring a well-deserved 9 out of 10 (Dutch), praising the quality ingredients and great team work of the two brothers that run it.
I find Fa. Pekelhaaring a perfect all-day long destination. You can enjoy sandwiches, salads or a small plate of pasta for lunch, have a multi-course dinner or enjoy a cappuccino or some snacks any time in between. They advertise free wireless on their site, although I have not tried it.
Disappointed by this place! Took a party of five for dinner there today, and while the food was average (good fish, dry raviolis, and an underwhelming lasagna), the service was so dismal that eventually it killed the vibe for everyone.
Now I know well that Amsterdam is not known for its sense of service but come on – after waiting for more than an hour between starters and main course (they had “lost” our orders), we did not even get as little as an apology, and the owner had the nerve to argue with us that this is just how things are. Clearly he did not seem too concerned about us returning to his place ever, as the place was packed that particular night… Bad!
So while it might be good during daytime,in the evening, this place is understaffed for its size, and the management has definitely got some things to learn in the way of customer service… Unfortunately as it stands I cannot recommend this restaurant as there are much better and friendlier italians in A’dam!
Hi MP!
Thanks for your detailed feedback. And very sorry to hear that you had such a disappointing experience!
It’s so irritating when restaurants not only have bad service, but then have the guts to argue about it, make excuses or – best of all – blame the customer. Super annoying!
I was at Pekelhaaring for lunch. It was not busy and service was fine. Have heard a few other complaints already.
–dutchgrub