In the Bungehuis, a 1930s art-deco building right next to Dam Square, sits a restaurant that's easy to overlook if you don't know it's there. Cecconi's opened in the summer of 2018, at the same time as Soho House Amsterdam, and has been running on steam ever since. No membership card required: anyone can just walk in for lunch or dinner.
The kitchen is headed by chef Lorenzo Zanaga and executive chef Andrea Cavalerie. The two work with a menu that traces directly back to London's parent establishment in Mayfair, founded by Soho House founder Nick Jones. Pasta here is made by hand. The menu includes spaghetti with lobster, tomato, chili and basil, and pizzas from the wood-fired oven, such as those with ricotta, chili honey, oregano and lemon. Pasta here is made by hand, and you can taste it right away.
The property is worth paying attention to. The dining room has a retractable glass roof, so in the good months you sit overlooking the Singel and the sky above you. The interior has those typical Art Deco details associated with a 1930s building. Quiet, warm, not overly embellished. There is also a separate private space, Little Cecconi's, available for private dinners, screenings and branded events.
Pasta here is made by hand, and you can taste it right away.
On the last Sunday of each month there is the Italian Sunday Feast, a monthly Italian feast menu that is slightly different from the regular menu. Cecconi's is open Monday through Saturday from noon to midnight, and on Sundays until 11 p.m. on Sundays. Pasta here is made by hand, and you can taste it immediately. And that glass roof over the Singel makes everything just a little more pleasant.