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Jordaan · Amsterdam · Netherlands

Caffè Toscanini

Regional Italian cooking in Amsterdam's Jordaan, built on organic produce, an in house bakery and a strongly seasonal kitchen led by intuition.

The essentials, at a glance

◐
Impact score
3 - Endorsed
→
Documented practices
Local sourcing
Seasonal cooking
Sustainable meat/fish

Cuisine
Italian
Mediterranean
Good to know
Wheelchair accessible

The delicious details

Toscanini has occupied the Lindengracht since 1990, when it outgrew its original Goudsbloemstraat space. Chef Leonardo Pacenti, a South African with Italian heritage, leads the kitchen with an approach rooted in improvisation and seasonal availability. The open kitchen, flooded with natural light, lets guests watch the team shape pasta, pull bread from the oven and plate dishes that shift daily.

The cooking draws on regional Italian traditions, from Sicilian seafood preparations to Tuscan meat dishes, presented with a personal inflection rather than strict replication. Vegetables from organic farms sit at the centre of most courses, and the menu reads as a response to whatever the market and the season have offered that morning.

An entirely Italian wine list emphasises small, lesser known producers. The companion Toscanini Deli around the corner extends the kitchen's reach with sauces, fresh ravioli and speciality products for home use.

Menu
What's on the table, and what's left off

Classic Italian à la carte (antipasti, primi, secondi) with daily specials. Fresh pasta and bread are made in-house each day. Vegetables from organic farms are central to most courses; fresh daily fish and meat come from an organic butcher. Vegetarian and vegan adaptations available.

Cuisine
Italian
Mediterranean
Dietary options
Vegetarian options
Vegan-friendly
Gluten-free options
Allergies handling

Gluten-free alternatives, including pasta, bread and biscuits, are available; staff are knowledgeable about coeliac needs. Vegan and vegetarian adaptations can be arranged on request. However, the kitchen is not a dedicated allergen-free facility and is not suitable for those with coeliac disease.

Coeliac diet: This kitchen is not a dedicated allergen-free facility. It may not be safe for those with coeliac disease.
Impact score
How this restaurant rates
3 - Endorsed

Organic vegetables, sourced from local farms and selected personally each morning by chef Leonardo Pacenti at the market, form the foundation of the menu. Some ingredients also arrive directly from Italy for regional authenticity. Fish arrives fresh daily and meat comes exclusively from an organic butcher.

The menu changes frequently with daily specials that respond to seasonal availability rather than a fixed repertoire, reflecting a kitchen built around what the season and the market offer.

Toscanini supports the Slow Food movement and works with small scale producers. The restaurant received Gault & Millau's Mediterranean Restaurant of the Year award in 2025, with a score of 14.5 out of 20 and two chef's hats. Gambero Rosso rates it at 2 Forchette.

The impact dimensions
Local & direct sourcing✓
Seasonal cooking✓
Low waste & circular practices
Sustainable animal products✓
Plant-forward menu

Vegetables from local and organic farms, fresh daily fish and meat from an organic butcher; chef personally selects produce at the market.

Vegetables from local and organic farms, and meat from an organic butcher, are confirmed by multiple independent sources including Iamsterdam and Amsterdam NOW. Chef Pacenti personally selects produce each morning at the market, with emphasis on local seasonal availability. Some ingredients also come directly from Italy for regional authenticity.

The chef has stated that products should be grown as locally as possible, questioning the need to import vegetables that grow naturally in the Netherlands in season. This principle shapes the daily menu and the morning shopping.

Strongest sourceIamsterdam ↗

Menu changes daily with seasonal availability; the kitchen is structured around what the market and season offer each morning.

Seasonality is described as foundational to the kitchen. The menu changes frequently with daily specials that respond to the morning's market and seasonal availability rather than a fixed repertoire. Multiple independent sources—Iamsterdam, Amsterdam NOW and Gambero Rosso—all independently describe this approach.

Chef Pacenti personally selects produce each morning at the market. The kitchen structures its cooking around what arrives, not around a static menu card. Seasonal ingredients are described as non-negotiable.

Strongest sourceIamsterdam ↗

In-house bread and pasta reduce packaging waste; Slow Food commitment implies reduced processed-food reliance.

In-house bread baking and pasta making reduce the packaging waste from bought-in products. The Slow Food commitment and the scratch cooking philosophy imply a reduced reliance on pre-processed and packaged inputs.

Strongest sourceRestaurant submission

Meat from an organic butcher (specifically organic pork confirmed) and fresh daily fish; multiple independent sources corroborate.

Meat comes exclusively from an organic butcher; Iamsterdam specifically mentions organic pork. The claim is corroborated by multiple independent editorial sources including Amsterdam NOW, providing evidence beyond the restaurant's own website.

Fish arrives fresh daily from suppliers selected each morning by the kitchen team.

Strongest sourceIamsterdam ↗

Vegetables are central to the menu; strong emphasis on fresh, flavourful produce from organic farms.

The restaurant is described by multiple sources as strongly vegetable-centred, with vegetables from organic farms playing a prominent role in most dishes. Gambero Rosso notes a strong emphasis on fresh, flavourful vegetables.

The menu works within a classic Italian framework of antipasti, primi and secondi, with daily specials that respond to seasonal market availability.

Strongest sourceGambero Rosso ↗
Sourcing signals
✓
In-house preparation
✓
Low-impact beverage program

In-house pasta and bread daily; the Toscanini Deli sells fresh ravioli and house-made sauces.

Entirely Italian wine list with focus on small, independent producers.

Visit & practical info
Address, price, and more
Address
Lindengracht 75, 1015 KD Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Open in Google Maps ↗
Price
€€€
Format
À la carte with daily specials; reservations encouraged
Hours
Monday18:00–23:30
Tuesday18:00–23:30
Wednesday18:00–23:30
Thursday18:00–23:30
Friday12:00–01:00
Saturday12:00–01:00
SundayClosed
Good to know
Wheelchair accessible
Web
restauranttoscanini.nl
Reviewed by My Treats
Last reviewed 26 Apr 2026
Reserve
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How we score
The My Treats impact scale

Every restaurant is assessed against SEERO, our six-dimension sustainability framework — covering sourcing, seasonality, waste, animal products, social impact, and plant-forward cooking. Each finding is weighted by how strongly it is corroborated. The combined result is translated into a planet rating from 1 to 5.

The five levels

SEERO is an acronym for Starting, Engaged, Endorsed, Recognised, Outstanding:

Starting First verified signals of sustainable practice.
Engaged Credible practice across two dimensions.
Endorsed Meaningful practice across three or more dimensions.
This place
Recognised Strong practice across four or more dimensions, with independent corroboration.
Outstanding Top-tier practice, confirmed by recognised third-party audit.

How a level is reached. Each level needs two things together: a minimum number of dimensions covered, and a minimum overall strength of evidence across them. A dimension only counts once its evidence is specific and substantiated — a passing mention doesn't qualify. Meeting only one of the two keeps a restaurant a level lower.

Ratings of four or five planets require human validation and, at the top tier, an external audit. Scores are based on publicly available evidence and restaurant submissions at the time of assessment.

Full methodology→
Impact dimension
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How this dimension works
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How evidence is weighted
Self-declared Stated by the restaurant on its website, menu or in a submission. Plausible, but not yet independently corroborated.
Researched Found through independent research; one credible third-party source backs the claim.
Vouched Corroborated across more than one independent source. Some gaps may remain.
Audited Fully corroborated across independent sources or by a recognised third-party certification.
What the sourcing checkmarks mean
✓ Full check — independently verified: corroborated across more than one source, or audited / third-party certified (vouched or audited).
✓ Light check — self-declared or from a single source. Not yet independently verified.
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