Volterra

Our group went for dinner on a Saturday night, and greatly enjoyed the experience. Lovely handmade pastas, wonderful meats, the Porchetta - wow! Ingredients are of the highest quality, and the service was excellent from moment we walked in and received a warm smile at the door to the exquisite dinner to the kind and knowledgable wait staff. more

It was my second time visiting Volterra and I was excited because my first time was so delicious. Right off the bat the waiter was short and provided no value in describing the menu. The highlight of the night came when my one of my party member?s Crab Linguini came and it reeked at tasted like bad fish. This was not a pallet issue there was something very wrong with the meal. When I told the waiter that their had to be some mistake and that there is no way the dish is supposed to taste like these he treated me as if I was some ?bridge and tunnel? tourist and said ?I asked the chef and he said everything back in the kitchen is fine?. I asked him to please remove the meal and he provided no remedy for the situation except removing the meal from our bill. People I am not kidding, any restaurant that would put a plate out that made you physically gag when you tasted it is not worth patronizing. If you must dine there please avoid the Low-Tide Linguini. more

I dropped in for a quick dinner at Volterra last night after shopping in Ballard. I hadn't been before and I was shocked to see lights and camera crews all around the bar. The host said that Rachel Ray just finished filming a tv show. While I was eating my YUM-O Veal Tenderloin with Truffle Sauce at the bar, Rachel stood talking to the Chef just a few feet away from me. The staff were friendly and the Chef even stopped by to check and see how I enjoyed my dinner. more

Volterra is by far the best Italian food in town. The owners have brought typical Italian fare found in Northern Italy to Seattle using the freshest local ingredients, very high quality meats, and unique products imported from Italy. Its brilliant. The wine list is very extensive with the best prices anywhere. It's packed on weekends so save yourself some frustration and make a reservation or plan on waiting for a table. more

My company had our holiday lunch at Volterra and we had sucha great time I took my fiancee there the next night for dinner. THe staff treated us like royalty. They created a special cocktail for our group and it was delish. The attention to detail was impressive given such a large group. Alot of times the food isn't good in a banquet set up but my meal was great. I had the poleta with mushroom sauce, lobster ravioli, wild bore with creamy gorgonzola and the carmel apple tart. On my 2nd visit we had the lamb ragu with wide noodles and the braised lamb shoulder with creamy polenta and the carrot torte. Everything was divine and our server and wine steward was terrific. Definitely my new favorite restaurant. Pros: Food, Atmopshere, Service Cons: Parking more

This place is so over-rated, it's not even funny. The food was mediocre at best -- we had to return our main courses because they were cold, not even lukewarm; the sauce on the pasta was literally cold. The busy bartender (we ate at the bar) must have left them sitting in the kitchen for a while. This was just one example of the bad service. We sat with empty glasses several times, trying to get the bartender's attention. And once we were able to order, it took too long to get drinks. One of the desserts we ordered (carrot torte and squash mousse) was frozen solid. It had the consistency of frozen orange juice concentrate, with about a tenth of the flavor. The bartender said it was supposed to be that way, but I think by that point, he was just trying to save face since the service and food had been so poor. In fairness, it did appear that the bartender was over-worked, making drinks for the entire restaurant and for the bar, not to mention serving food to the bar customers. But even with better service, it would still have been a disappointing experience. This place is all hype. Not worth the money. Pros: Good bellinis Cons: Bad service, mediocre food more

I've been to Volterra 3 times and they were all equally wonderful. The food is fantastic, even the simple dishes; my husband ordered the Sauteed Spinach salad twice on one night because he liked it that much. I personally loved the Tomato, Cucumber and Bread salad I had the last time. The Wild Boar, Beef Medallion, Veal Scallopine and Lamb Loin were all delicious. The only thing I ever ate on Volterra that I thought it was ""just ok"" was the Spaghetti with Dungeness Crab. It's unfortunate they don't have the Warm Lentil and Pork appetizer anymore! We always order the Gelato and Sorbet for dessert and the waiters always have good wine recommendations. And last but not least it's a good-looking restaurant, it makes for nice romantic dinners. Pros: Great food, good ambiance Cons: Parking, crowded - always make reservations more

I went to Volterra once...we had a large group and the restaurant did an excellent job of accomodating us. Everything we had was wonderful...beet salad, mussels, wild boar, pasta, dessert....everything. I would recommend it to anyone, especially for a date spot or a night out with a couple friends. Pros: Great Food, Ambience, Unique Menu Cons: Parking more

A group of 6 of us celebrated a special occasion at Volterra last night. The bar was packed when we arrived and people were waiting outside the door. I thought we would have to wait for our table but we were seated within minutes. The bar was lively and bustling while the dining room was dimly lit and romantic. The alabastar light fixtures glow against the deep red walls. This is a great place for a date. The daily antipasti selection came on a large platter and was a wide variety of interesting bites. The WIld Boar was awas devoured by our table. The creamy sauce was unbelievable and you could cut the boar with a fork. All of the pastas were delcious and special lobster ravioli was just perfect. The huge wine list is very impressive. There is something for everyone and the wine steward was very helpful. more

with an overrated series of reviews, I literally came back from Italy and the town of Volterra, hoping for a repeat experience. Instead of hospitality, I found a slick waiter who was arrogant and inattentive and kept trying to push expensive wines on us. While the oil soup was quite good, the wild boar did not approach what we had in Lucca, and we had great difficulty reading their sophisticated menu because there was no light. I think this place is incredibly overrated and I am shocked to see the 9.8 rating above. I will not return. We were processed like Kraft cheese. more

I absolutely love Volterra and always know that I can satisfy my yearning for a beautiful meal there. The food is delectable, unique and flavorful to the roof! The cocktails are delightful and I've never had a mediocre glass of wine there. My one complaint: The women at the host stand are never very welcoming or sympathetic. The greeting on a busy night rings too much of ""We are busy. We are popular. Tough. Deal with it."" and not enough of ""Welcome! We want to make you comfortable while you wait for a table! We are glad you are here!"" My table service is usually acceptable but there are definitely times when I feel a little ignored or rushed. So, the moral of the story is... Wonderful food, atmosphere and libations-- Less that wonderful service. I get the sense that Volterra's ego is getting out of hand that can spoil a restaurant. Keep your heart Volterra! I'd hate to see your service ruin your place in Ballard! Pros: Delicious food and libations, Nice ambience Cons: Rude hostesses, Unreliable table service more

Volterra has an amazing array of drink flavors and specialties. The service was fantastic and the white pear martini was AMAZING! I would reccomend going with a date or with family, unless you live in Ballard! Its not too easy to get to. The food is so delicious. Pros: excellent food and drinks Cons: parking more

I've always experienced great service, great wine (try the Volterra Red) and great food at Volterra. Last night, my gf and I ordered the daily Antipasti and Polenta with Mushroom Ragu to start...the server was very friendly and thorough. He explained the specials and offered good recommendations. My gf had the Wild Boar Tenderloin with gorgonzola and I ordered the taglioni (sp?) with wild mushrooms. Both dishes were really flavorful and delicious. And we ordered the carrot cake with squash mousse for dessert and it was addictive. Another great meal and one of my overall favorite restaurants in Seattle. Pros: Food, Service, Staff Cons: Parking more

This quaint, elegantly casual dining spot reminded me of the trattorias Ive visited in Italy. Our experience was perfect from start to finish. We arrived promptly for our reservation at 7:00 on a busy Friday night and the hostess wished me a Happy Birthday as soon as we checked in. We were seated within in 2 minutes of our arrival. Very impressive because the place was packed. The couple seated next to us were regulars and told us we had to have the Oil Soup. It was a white bean soup drizzled with extra virigin olive oil. It had a fresh grassy taste which I loved. It was very hearty so I could only eat 1/2 of it. We split the Apple Salad which had greens, balsalmic apples and goat cheese. It also had some type of vinaigrette which was a little bit sweet. For entrees we tried the Lamb Shank with a creamy polenta and the Seafood in parchment paper. The seafood dish was very fresh and delicious. Warning though, the plate was very hot and it took a while for it to cool down. The lamb shank was a very large portion and wonderful. Our server brought me a complimentary birthday dessert with a candle- it was a apple tart with carmel ice cream. The service was prompt and everyone kind and helpful. We will be back soon. more

We had the scallops on a bed of black rice as an appetizer, lamb sauce with ribbon pasta, and ear pasta bolognese...all of it was fantastic. The Panna Cotta for dessert had a nice consistency, although the hazlenut infused honey that they drizzled on the plate was not enough to lend the dish any real flavor. Pros: Excellent food Cons: Insistence on the fennel salt is a big turnoff more

Lately, I've been experiencing a veritable epidemic of poor service at local restaurants, and Im pleased to say that Volterra has no signs of this disease. Whereas my friend Karen and I didnt have a Saturday evening reservation two weekends ago, Volterras hostess and owner were both gracious and warm, perfectly agreeable to calling my cell phone once a table had opened in the bar area. Thus, we had just enough time to enjoy a drink at a nearby bar before being summoned back to Volterra for prompt seating. Our server was delightfully flamboyant, with many helpful opinions about the menu. Karen settled on a salad topped with thinly sliced apple, I chose the Insalta di Bietole (roasted beet salad). While both salads had excellent flavor and were really quite large, I did find them to be dressed in more oil than I would have preferred. For the entree, I had the orrechiette with duck ragu and found the ducks flavor to excellent but the overall dish to be excessively salty. Karen enjoyed her ravioli filled with Kobe beef, one of the nights specials. Having just read Plum Sykess Bergdorf Blondes novel, I was keen to try the peach bellini and the panna cotta offered at Volterra. The bellini was superb, and the panna cotta deliciousthough I will warn the faint-of-palate that the rich dessert was dressed in chestnut honey. Chestnut honey is not for everyone!!! It has an earthy and slightly bitter flavor which might not suit every tastebear this mind as you peruse Volterras dessert menu, but dont be afraid to dare. The service at Volterra was exquisite until the end, and I would happily go back to sample more of their fare. UPDATE - I returned to Volterra in April, this time for brunch, and was again delighted with the food and service. Great flavor in the bowtie pasta with chicken (although my recommendation to the chef would be to stick with chicken breast only) and the baked egg-bread dish was sublime. Pros: Exceptional service, lovely atmosphere, great cocktails Cons: Seasoning/dressing of dishes sometimes be a little off more

Volterra is my favorite spot to drop in at the bar for a glass of wine and bowl of pasta or my 1st pick for gathring my friends for a leisurely dinner. The lamb ragu and wild boar are unbelievable. Huge Wine list and nice glassware. Service is always friendly and the lively atmosphere make this a huge addition to Ballard. more

Great Food - Boar, Eggplant Pasta, Beet Salad, Chocolate Cake!!! Pros: Food! Service! Lighting in Dining Room Cons: Parking in Ballard more

We got there at 5.35pm and the minute we sat down, our waiter told us that he was expecting another reservation at 8.30pm. Is this mandatory at Volterra? I would say yes just by reading the previous reviews. more

After reading the raves, I drove all the way from the Yakima Valley to eat at Volterra and it was worth it! more