Recently, I made a reservation at Volterra for 6:00 p.m. on a Friday night. My date was a bit late to pick me up due to traffic, so I called the restaurant to advise that we were at 4th & Blanchard... More

Recently, I made a reservation at Volterra for 6:00 p.m. on a Friday night. My date was a bit late to pick me up due to traffic, so I called the restaurant to advise that we were at 4th & Blanchard which was still at least 10 minutes away, and asked whether we should bother driving out. The hostess said that that was no problem, encouraged us to come out, and said that she would hold our table. She advised that the only caveat is that we would have to vacate the table by 8:00 p.m. for the next reservation. I promised we would and we headed over there. Literally, the minute we pulled in front of the restaurant, my cell phone rang and it was the hostess calling to tell me that she gave our table away because they “couldn’t hold it any longer”. To say I was livid would be an understatement. I asked to speak to the manager on duty, which happened to be David. I reiterated my entire conversation with the hostess to David. David was completely unapologetic and parroted that they held our table as long as they could and had to give it away. He tried to justify himself by saying that “any restaurant in town would have done the same thing”. David claims it’s the company policy. Yikes! I was aghast at David’s nonchalant attitude. No other restaurant that I know of would promise customers to hold a reservation then give the table away before you arrive and call you after the fact. Not only was this fiasco completely embarrassing to me in front of my date, my blood was boiling after my dead-end conversation with David. With so many fabulous restaurants in Seattle who actually know something about customer service, I would never spend a dime at Volterra. Ever. Better choices to Volterra - hands down - are Bizzarro Italian Café (1307 N 46th St) and Asteroid Café (3601 Fremont Ave, Seattle), both of which are about 7 minutes from Volterra by car. Bizzarro and Asteroid are long-standing restaurants that are totally reliable for fresh and delicious meals, and their customer service skills are outstanding.
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Last night was a fab evening out. The 26th of Sept. is my husband and my anniversary. 14th to be exact! We decided to give Volterra a shot and we were not let down. We arrived promptly at 7:25 for... More

Last night was a fab evening out. The 26th of Sept. is my husband and my anniversary. 14th to be exact! We decided to give Volterra a shot and we were not let down. We arrived promptly at 7:25 for our 7:30 reservation and were greeted warmly by the hostess. After being seated at a cozy corner table our waiter appeared. A lovely couple at the table next to us offered their suggestions from the menu. One being the polenta app. and the other the wild boar. From the oil soup, which my husband raved about, to the pear tart we shared for desert, everything was perfect. Prompt service, kind, helpful staff, warm ambiance. We will go again, and suggest this restaurant to friends.
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After meandering around Ballard this afternoon, my husband and I stopped into Volterra for lunch. We were seated out on the patio which was lovely on a nice summer Seattle day. I am a photographer... More

After meandering around Ballard this afternoon, my husband and I stopped into Volterra for lunch. We were seated out on the patio which was lovely on a nice summer Seattle day. I am a photographer and pay a lot of attention to light... it was beautiful out there. The food was decent. I had the Ceasar Salad (asked for chicken and they said they only have whole chickens, yet my husband's dish had minced chicken...), and he had the Chicken Bowtie Pasta. My salad was unremarkable, pretty much like any other salad I've had elsewhere. The bowtie pasta wasn't great either, although I must say that the asparagus was cooked perfectly. I may come back at some point to give dinner a shot, but definitely not lunch. Our waiter was extremely busy and therefore unattentive.
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I'm amazed by two things: 1. How good wild boar is 2. How accurate the other JB reviews were in describing the experience, especially Suzanne's. If you're still deciding whether or not to go... More

I'm amazed by two things: 1. How good wild boar is 2. How accurate the other JB reviews were in describing the experience, especially Suzanne's. If you're still deciding whether or not to go to Volterra, read the other reviews. This review is intended to help you get the most out of your experience. A few tips: - the parking lot next door to Volterra isn't theirs, but the neighbor that owns allows Volterra customers to park there after 8pm. - get the wild boar with gorgonzola sauce. If you don't get it, make sure someone in your party orders it. It is spectacular when prepared medium rare. - don't be suprised by the wine steward. He isn't dressed like the staff (he was wearing a hawaiian shirt when we visited), and will just walk up to the table and ask if you'd like help with the wines. - order the mushroom tart appetizer. Very good, distintive dish - I've not tried anything like it elsewhere. Although pricey, Volterra is far from a high end restaurant ($20 entrees). Don't expect world class service - just expect great food and friendly if imperfect service.
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My girlfriend booked a dinner at Volterra for the 4 of us. I was already feeling the pain of another overpriced bad italian restaurant...as most in Seattle. Instead I found it pretty decent. ... More

My girlfriend booked a dinner at Volterra for the 4 of us. I was already feeling the pain of another overpriced bad italian restaurant...as most in Seattle. Instead I found it pretty decent. The apetizers were ok. The pasta was overall good, although not consistent. Each of us ordered something different and I had a chance to try them all. One of the dishes was well done, but the other 3 were good, although not exceptional. If you want to go Italian, this is definitely a good spot.
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Perfect food. Only complaint I could have is it was so noisy that it was hard to talk to my friends. Wine steward was great! PS. Try the grapefruit martini if you are so inclined.

Perfect food. Only complaint I could have is it was so noisy that it was hard to talk to my friends. Wine steward was great! PS. Try the grapefruit martini if you are so inclined.
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I've been here three times. Not tons and tons, but enough to appreciate the consistently good fare and the fact that Volterra offers both modern twists (sweet salt on the gelato!) and classic dishes... More

I've been here three times. Not tons and tons, but enough to appreciate the consistently good fare and the fact that Volterra offers both modern twists (sweet salt on the gelato!) and classic dishes (the peasant-style lamb shank). I've always had good service and wine recommendations, too. All I need to bring me back yet again.
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One of the best meals I've had in Seattle in a while was at Volterra last week. This quaint, romantic little place was nearly perfect from beginning to end. The service was excellent, they were... More

One of the best meals I've had in Seattle in a while was at Volterra last week. This quaint, romantic little place was nearly perfect from beginning to end. The service was excellent, they were both excited and knowledgeable about the food without being pushy. The flavors in every dish we had were just lovely. The portions were generous without being overboard. Volterra will have a dish for anyone, either adventurous (try the Wild Boar with gorgonzola) or conservative (any of the pasta dishes will serve you well). We had many of the evenings specials and the duck ravioli was to die for.
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After reading all of the rave reviews locally and nationally, I was very excited to dine at Volterra. It was my birthday last weekend and my husband made reservations several weeks ago to get a few... More

After reading all of the rave reviews locally and nationally, I was very excited to dine at Volterra. It was my birthday last weekend and my husband made reservations several weeks ago to get a few of my closest friends together. I'm pleased to report that our dining experience exceeded our expectations. The restaurant is beautiful with rich wine colored walls, dark wood and a gorgeous stainless steel bartop. We were seated in the dining room which displays black and white pictures from Volterra and the owners wedding. Our server, Anthony, provided impeccable service and shared the story of the restaurant with us. The wine steward, David, helped us pick a reasonably priced Brunello from the wine list. He was very knowledgable and professional. We started with the Bruschetta, Wild Mushroom Tart, and Mussels with Sausage. The bruschetta was like none I've had. Instead of tomatos and basil, it was topped with wild mushrooms and truffle puree and grilled artichokes. The mussels with sausage were fresh and the spicy sausage and tomato broth were delicious. We also tried the Wild Mushroom tart topped with Truffle Cream. Can you tell we are mushroom fans? The tart was my favorite of the appetizers and simply sinful. For salads, we tried the sauteed spinich with pine nuts and currants which was a nice combination of savory and sweet. We also had the prawn salad which was topped with jumbo prawns and had been seasoned with Volterra's Fennel Salt. I bought the Fennel Salt at Metropolitan Market a few weeks ago and have been experimenting in the kitchen with it. Great stuff. Entrees, we had a variety of dishes. Everyone devoured their meals. I think the favorites at the table were the Wild Boar Tenderloin, Kobe Beef Sirloin, Tagliolini with Wild Mushrooms and the Veal Chop. We were too full for dessert but we did have a lovely bottle of Dinderello to top off a wonderful meal. I will definitely recommend Volterra to all my friends.
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