Rufus is an Italian-Albanian neighborhood restaurant in Amsterdam-Zuid, run by a family that previously lived in Tirana. You can tell by everything that there is a very distinctive cuisine here. The menu revolves around Apulian dishes from southern Italy, complemented by Albanian influences from the family history. No standard Italian bistro cuisine, but a mix of two food cultures that you won't find on every corner here.
The foundation is homemade pasta. That's the beating heart of Rufus: dough made in their own kitchen and then combined with recipes passed down through the family. Think southern Italian flavors with tomato, olive oil and herbs, which then have just that Albanian twist. As a result, it feels at once familiar and new. The kitchen is small, but clearly focused on attention to preparation and product.
Rufus is not only a restaurant for lunch and dinner, but also a place for coffee or tea during the day. Convenient if you work or live nearby and want to sit down for a while without the hassle. The in-house tea blends stand out here: special teas and house blends taken as seriously as the wine list. For those who prefer something different to drink, there is a selected range of wines on hand, to match both Italian and Albanian dishes.
Rufus is not only a restaurant for lunch and dinner, but also a place for coffee or tea during the day.
The name Rufus is a tribute to the family's dog and close friend, which says a lot about how personal this place is. Not an anonymous concept, but a family restaurant that doesn't hide its roots in Puglia and Albania. In South, that means a fresh addition to the existing offerings: a multicultural cuisine to explore in a relaxed setting, whether you come for a plate of pasta, a glass of wine or just a cup of tea.