Amsterdam Pizzas: Giving the Dutch Another Chance

Table of Contents

Introduction

As promised, I’m trying to catch up on some overdue pizza reviews. This time we’re heading to Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Amsterdam is famous for canals, bicycles, tulips, and tourists wandering into bike lanes. It is also known for stroopwafels and enough fried snacks to keep a cardiologist busy for years. Pizza, however, has never been the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Amsterdam.

Back in 2022, I reviewed a pizza in Amsterdam and let’s just say it wasn’t exactly a life-changing experience. I gave it a NOT GOOD rating and moved on with my life. You can revisit that adventure Click Here if you’d like.

Fast forward to 2025 and 2026. Since my wife is of Dutch heritage, I found myself back in Amsterdam, I figured it was only fair to give the city’s pizza scene another chance.

The good news? The pizza was definitely better.

The bad news? Amsterdam isn’t, and never will be, Napoli!

What I discovered was a pair of highly regarded pizzerias serving good pizza, impressive atmospheres, and prices that occasionally made me glance at the bill twice just to make sure I was reading it correctly.

Let’s start with nNea (New Neapolis – Neapolis is the original, Greek name for Napoli from 3000 years ago +/-).

Podcast Version

Here’s a 2 minute podcast version of this review those who prefer to listen (AI created – 95% representative of my text below).

nNea Pizza – Amsterdam, April 2026

If you’ve spent any time reading pizza rankings, you’ve probably come across nNea.

The restaurant regularly appears on lists of Europe’s top pizzerias and receives praise from pizza enthusiasts around the world. Eventually curiosity got the better of me, and I decided it was time to see what all the fuss was about.

The restaurant has a fun, energetic atmosphere. I grabbed a seat at the bar with a perfect view of their massive yellow oven and spent part of the evening talking with fellow pizza lovers from several different countries. Pizza has a funny way of bringing people together, especially when everyone is waiting for their dinner to arrive.

I ordered the Margherita.

When it landed in front of me, it certainly looked the part. Bright tomato sauce, beautiful moozedell, and a crust so large and puffy it may have qualified for its own Amsterdam canal district.

The dough had a wonderful tang from the long fermentation process, but the heavy char on the crust was more than I prefer. I enjoy a little leopard spotting on a Neapolitan pizza, but this one crossed the line from charred to distracting.

The sauce was fresh and flavorful, though slightly too salty for my taste.

The cheese, however, was outstanding. The fior di latte was creamy, rich, and easily the best part of the pizza.

The value – Then the bill arrived.

Somehow Amsterdam had managed to produce another pizza that was very good and surprisingly expensive. A pattern was beginning to emerge.

This was actually the most expensive pizza I encountered during my European trip. Considering the reputation and rankings, I expected a pizza that completely knocked my socks off.

It didn’t.

Would I Go Back? No.

nNea serves a good pizza and provides a fun international dining experience. However, when you combine the reputation, rankings, and price, I expected something truly special.

Instead, I got a pizza that was good, but not great. And my socks remained firmly in place.

nNea Amsterdam – Quick Stats

- Style: Neapolitan
- Rating: Good
- Dough: Great tang, a little too much char
- Sauce: Fresh tomato flavor, slightly over-salted
- Cheese: Outstanding
- Value: Meh

Next up was another highly-rated Amsterdam pizzeria that many people consider one of the best in Europe.

Pizzeria Vincenzo Capuano – May 2025

There I was in Amsterdam, walking into a beautiful building in a prime location where the monthly rent probably costs more than my first house.

Pizzeria Vincenzo Capuano regularly appears on lists of the world’s best pizzerias, so expectations were naturally high. Fortunately, the restaurant gives you plenty to look at while you’re deciding whether the pizza will live up to the hype.

The first thing that caught my eye was the SSC Napoli memorabilia. Hanging prominently on the wall was a signed Giovanni Di Lorenzo jersey, bringing a little piece of Naples to the Netherlands. The restaurant’s logo proudly displays the phrase “Vivere di pizza è meraviglioso” — living on pizza is wonderful. That’s a philosophy I can get behind.

Then came my favorite part of the evening: the gold scissors.

Instead of handing you a pizza cutter, they present a pair of shiny gold scissors in a fancy sleeve and invite you to cut your own pizza. While some people might see it as a gimmick, it immediately reminded me of how Aunt Theresa and Grandma Maouri used to cut pizza. Suddenly this trendy Amsterdam pizzeria felt a little more familiar.

The pizzas themselves looked fantastic. We enjoyed one topped with prosciutto, arugula, and shaved cheese, along with Margherita. A bottle of Sangiovese completed the meal because, at this point, we were fully committed!

The pizza was good. The atmosphere was fun. The gold scissors made for a memorable evening.

But the value – MEH. The bill reminded me that I was dining in one of Amsterdam’s nicer neighborhoods, and while I enjoyed the experience, it felt more like a one-and-done visit than a place I’d return to regularly.