De Baarsjes has no shortage of places to eat, but Faam has something many neighborhood restaurants lack: a clear story. An Italian chef, a wood-burning oven and pizzas made the Neapolitan way. That means a thin, soft base with those signature air bubbles at the edge, high heat and a short baking time. No magic, but it does require craftsmanship, and that's present here.
The chef behind the wood-fired oven has his roots in Italy, and you can tell. Not in the form of an overpriced ingredient on the menu or a story on the menu about generations-old recipes, but simply in how the pizza tastes. Fresh ingredients, a dough that has been given time to rise, and the calmness of not making it more complicated than it needs to be. The Neapolitan style is one with little room for error, and Faam puts it down as it should be.
The building itself fits into Reinier Claeszen Street the way a neighborhood restaurant fits: not conspicuous, but pleasantly present. Inside, the atmosphere is relaxed. Tables close together, the sound of a wood-fired oven warming up, and the smell that already starts at the door. It is an eatery in the original sense of the word: you go there to eat, you stay there for another glass. Italian wines and cocktails ensure that a visit to Faam easily spills out.
The Neapolitan style is one with little room for error, and Faam puts it down as it should be.
With a rating of 4.6 on Tripadvisor based on nearly one hundred reviews, Faam has won over the neighborhood. De Baarsjes is a neighborhood that knows well what it wants, and a neighborhood restaurant that holds its own in such an environment has something to offer. Faam is no longer a new discovery for those who already frequent it. For those who haven't been there yet: the wood-fired oven is on every night.