Volterra

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5411 Ballard Ave NW (at 22nd Avenue NW)
Seattle, WA 98107

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(206) 789-5100
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Volterra - Seattle, WA
Volterra - Seattle, WA
Volterra - Seattle, WA
Volterra - Seattle, WA
Volterra - Seattle, WA
Volterra - Seattle, WA
Volterra - Seattle, WA
Volterra - Seattle, WA
Volterra - Seattle, WA
Volterra - Seattle, WA
Volterra - Seattle, WA
Volterra - Seattle, WA
Volterra - Seattle, WA
Volterra - Seattle, WA
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Reviews
( 151 )
( 26 )
( 18 )
( 9 )
( 25 )

Best

I recently attended a big birthday bash for a close friend of mine at Volterra and I was very impressed with the restaurant, food, and service. I started with the Oil soup which ...

Worst

I found this place in the top ten places for brunch in Seattle and was excited to take my friends. The location was great and the place has a wonderful environment. The menu was...

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volterra shmolterra 11/7/2005

OK, I admit it, the food was good. In fact very good. But the service was so bad at Volterra that I have a hard time imagining going back, and it takes a lot to dissuade me from a delicious meal opportunity. My party and I sat down for our bimonthly tradition of a four hour meal with lots of chatting, eating, laughing and drinking - we were really looking forward to the Volterra experience. Admittedly, one of us was late (OK, it was me), so it took us awhile to order. Soon after we ordered, around 7:30 or so, our waiter informed us that we needed to clear out by 8:45 since our table was reserved for another party. We were taken aback, but pressed on. Then our entrees came on top of our appetizers - we hadn't even finished eating the starters when the entrees were plopped down. The waiter skipped bringing the dessert menu, hoping we didn't have a sweet tooth, and once we passed on dessert and paid, the hostess scurried over to our table to inform us we were now being asked to leave. If I didn't know us, I would have assumed we were being disorderly - I've never been asked to leave a restaurant before! I guess I just expect a little more from a restaurant billing itself (and us!) as a fine dining experience - the hustle out the door maneuver was an amateur one, and I hope Volterra learns better reservation etiquette in the near future. If they do, let me know... more
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Tucany in Ballard 11/6/2005

We love this new hot spot in Ballard! I don't know I just don't get excited about going out for Italian....but Volterra is definitely and exception to my rule. My husband and I have eaten dinner several times and always find the food to be superb quality, the menu is sophisticated yet simple, the staff and service are great, and the atmosphere is comfortable, warm and relaxing. A true contemporary fusion of Italia meets the Pacific Northwest. I believe it is currently, the best secret in Seattle for brunch, it is divine and there are no lines (it is only a matter of time before the word gets out and then there will be a line out the door)! When going for brunch if you arrive early it is chilly in the mornings, so bring a sweater. Call ahead for reservations for evening dining as there is usually await and the cozy, but small bar is usually hoppin! http://www.volterrarestaurant.com more
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Tuscan Transplant 8/30/2005

Dear GOD! This place is good. No, it's sublime. And I'm not some Applebee's kinda guy. It takes a lot to ruffle my feathers when I go out - I expect a lot. The only negative thing I could say is that the Gelato was in fact sorbet (BIG difference!). But enough about the "Gelato". When you go, order yourself the Cinghale alla Gorgonzola (Wild Boar with Gorgonzola). I am always skeptical of a plate with gorgonzola because it usually means (Applebees anyone?) that it is the only flavor you're going to taste. But C'mon! Wild Boar! Can you resist the temptation? Neither could I. I pray the kitchen staff never loses their knack because right now they are on fire! It came out rare, tender, and with a side of perfectly crisped, dainty (yet robust!) little cubes of yukon gold potatoes. The dish also comes with a side of market vegetables which, in this case, was a lightly sauteed bed of pea vines. Innovative, transcendent Tuscan, beautiful plating, even the coffee service is something to behold. I'm moving to Ballard! more
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Great Tuscan Cuisine in Ballard 8/15/2005

Normally, I tend to be extremely skeptical of Italian restaurants in Seattle. And this was no exception, especially since we tried Volterra for the first time about a month after returning from two weeks in Tuscany. In this case, however, we were pleasantly surprised. In fact, we were blown away. The menu contains more authentic and inventive Tuscan creations than we could try in one sitting. The wine list was large, but in many cases off the beaten track (with a nice selection of by-the-glass options as well as bottles). The staff was friendly and extremely knowledgeable, especially about the wines, but not in an unpleasant or overbearing way. They were welcoming and friendly to the children in the room. And the food itself was outstanding, fresh, inventive, and excellently prepared. The room was also surprisingly large and elegant, much more than one would expect from looking at the restaurant's humble storefront in Ballard. Highly recommended. more
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A great find in Ballard 8/4/2005

My wife and I had the rare night to ourselves (twin 4-year olds got to stay at home with Kyla the sitter.) Looking for a chance to sit down and have a meal where we weren't doing the cooking, the serving, the cleaning and the monitoring was welcome. We wanted to be sure we could find a place worthy of the task. We made reservations for a Tuesday evening at this place down in Ballard, and hoped for the best. Volterra did not disappoint. Great atmosphere, not too crowded or crammed into the small space they have, and an enjoyable place for some friendly adult conversation. The menu was a broad selection of Italian dishes, with a leaning to Tuscan-style cooking. Lots of offerings outside the typical pasta bowls. A very expansive and polished wine list to boot. On top of it, the wait staff was outstanding. The service was very very good, both in terms of execution as well as menu knowledge and recommendations. We had reservations, so we were good when we showed up. They have a decent size lounge where you can grab a full meal, but the place was full both when we arrived and after we left. If you want to go, I highly suggest reservations, otherwise you'll be waiting for a seat. This was a great find for us, we'll return again as soon as our sitter is up to the task. more
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Menu for Volterra


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Top Italian restaurant on Historic Ballard Avenue

Owner Message

  • Inspired by the warm, traditional Tuscan hilltop town by the same name, Volterra features the bold-flavored, Tuscan-inspired menu of award-winning Chef Don Curtiss.\nChef Curtiss has a long history and following in the Northwest. He received acclaim as "One of America's Most Innovative Chefs", from Wine Spectator while serving as the opening chef of Andaluca. He was also named "One of America's Top 26 Chefs" by Italian Cooking and Living.\n\nVolterra's dining room is inviting with rich red walls; chocolate-brown leather and textiles; and dark woods offset by alabaster light fixtures hand-carved in Volterra, Italy. \n\n"Don Curtiss' lush, imaganitive eats bring a breath of fresh air to the local Italian restaurant scene." Zagat America's Top Restaurants 2006\n\n"That fine tuned quality is part of the welcome suprise that is Volterra." Nancy Leson, Seattle Times

Editorial

  • The Scene
    Named after the Tuscan hill town where the owners were married in 2004, this upscale trattoria re-creates the town's atmosphere through framed photos, Italianate wall sconces...

  • 9/22/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon-Thu 5pm-12am Fri 5pm-1am Sat 9am-2pm, 5pm-1am Sun 9am-2pm, 5pm-9pm
  • Payments: Visa, American Express, Discover, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Ballard, Adams
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