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...

Thoughts from a regular... 11/1/2005

I live in Ballard and support local businesses. Ive been going to Volterra nearly every week since they opened. The addition of Volterra has brought dining on Ballard Avenue to a new level. Volterra has support from the Ballard locals and from all over the city which brings more business to the shops in the neighborhood. They consistently put out delicious tuscan food with love. The owners are genuine, kind people who always take time to say hello even though the restaurant is always packed. It's not a huge restaurant so reservations are a good idea. Often I eat at the bar or go to Portalis for a glass of wine while I wait. The place is warm, welcoming and buzzes with great energy. The food, the people, and the warmth have made a regular customer out of me. Pros: Tuscan Food, Service, Owners Cons: Parking more
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A trip to Tuscany 11/1/2005

Volterra has brought a glimpse of Tuscany to Seattle. I'm a big a fan of Tuscan wine and dining here brought back great memories of a wine tour in Tuscany that I went on last summer. I was impressed with the reasonably priced, excellent quality wines that were featured. Someone has spent alot of time to put the wine list together. The pasta with chantrelles and truffle butter was cooked perfectly. The braised lamb shank made the perfect fall meal since it was served over creamy polenta. The dining room is warm with rich red walls and the alabaster light fixtures are stunning. It was worth waiting a week for our reservation. Beautiful decor, great service, excellent food at a good value. Pros: Good Value more
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Worth a look 10/31/2005

We have been several times over the last four months and Volterra's popularity has quickly grown. Having spent time around Tuscany and the city of Volterra I find the food very authentic. I think the service is excellent though Volterra is experiencing the nominal growing pains of succeess - with crowds and wait time. The food - especially the wild boar is quite exceptional. The wine is excellent. There have been a few slips on the menu - the buckwheat pasta being one - but over all I think owners Don and and Michelle have hit a solid home run. Pros: Great friendly staff, great wine, authentic Cons: a little loud more
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Wonderful Find in Ballard 10/31/2005

I had the first of many experiences at Volterra and it was an evening I won't forget. The food was outstanding and the wine list is impressive and afffordable. We started with the Polenta filled with fontina cheese topped with a Wild Mushroom and truffle sauce. The flavors were unbelievable. We also had the housemade papparadelle with duck sauce as an appetizer. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente. For entrees, my wifes beef tenderloin with chianti demiglaze was so tender she didn't need a knife and the Wild Boar tenderloin was fantastic. Volterra is unique for Seattle its authentic Tuscan cuisine. You will not find spaghetti and meatballs or lasagne here. It's the same food you would find in Italy today. Unfortunately, most Italian restaurants in Seattle serve americanized Italian or Southern Italian food so it's taken as the norm. If you appreciate high quality food, go to Volterra. Pros: authentic, excellent value, service Cons: parking more
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Underwhelmed 10/30/2005

Our unpleasant experience was a bummer considering that it was our first anniversary. The whole atmosphere in the place is dull and sterile. We were on the phone for 5 minutes just to figure out if they could give us a reservation. When we got there they couldn't find it. They made it seem like they were doing us a big favor (when it was their fault that they lost our reservation). The food wasn't worth the trouble that we had to face to dine at Voltera and it was expansive. Cons: Service, Expansive, PseudoItalian more
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Absolutely Authentic and Outstanding 10/26/2005

A friend took me to Volterra on Friday and I am extremely impressed with the authenticity of the food. It reminded me of home. My mother grew up in Arrezo, not far from Volterra. I grew up in L.A. but spent each summer in Italy. Since I moved to Seattle, I haven't found any Italian restaurants that have impressed me until Volterra. The special of home made fettucine, fava beans, morels and pancetta was cooked to perfection. The linguine vongole was just like my grandma's. The Wild Boar exceptional. It's obvious that care was taken to highlight Tuscan specialities- porcinis, Wild Boar, Pan Forte, etc. The Italian wine list is excellent and priced at a big value. Many of the bottles are $20-30 less than you find in other restaurants. Large selection of wines by the glass. Knowledgable friendly service. If you want to experience authentic italian food go here. Pros: Food, Wine List, Take Reservations Cons: Parking, Loud more
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Can't even get a table 10/23/2005

So I call on Saturday to reserve a table for 12. Am told I will get a call back from the caterer to discuss a ""menu"", apparently my odds will be narrowed if i bring in business. Don't receive a call back after two days, so I call to at least confirm that my reservation was made. After I call back I am informed that they are booked, and have no room for my reservation. Look if you can't get me in the door to eat your food, or at least book my damn reservation you're sure as hell not going to get my business. Pros: no money lost Cons: service more
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Incredible 10/23/2005

A neighborhood gem. The buckwheat pasta with beef tenderloin and morels was divine & the Wild Boar with gorgonzola sauce knocked my socks off. Server was friendly and extremely knowlegable. He helped us select the perfect wine to accompany our meal. The dining room is warm and charming. Truly a special place in Seattle. more
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Most Authentic Italian in Seattle 10/19/2005

I had the good fortune of experiencing Volterra last night and had an incredible meal. The food is extremely authentic just like I enjoyed while travelling in Northern Italy. The flavors are bold yet the ingredients simple. I cannot believe that their prices are so reasonable when they use organic meats and produce. The 14 oz Delmonico steak was delicious and melted in my mouth. It was the best $24 I've spent on a steak in the city. I hope they don't raise their prices since they are so busy. The housemade pasta is glorious. I am already craving the taglioni with chantrelles and truffles. We ordered a 1/2 order as an appetizer. The craziest thing is that we had a bottle of Gaja Sito Moressco for only $68. I've paid almost double that another Italian restaurant in town. Highly recommended for any foodie. Great job, Volterra! more
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Lovely Visit to Volterra 9/8/2005

I read about Volterra in the New York Times and when I noticed they were on the front page of Seattle Citysearch, I knew that it had to be on the top of my list for my next trip to Seattle. I'm in the process of moving from L.A. and am thrilled to have found such a charming, warm, authentic Italian restaurant relatively close to my new 'hood. The menu had so many things I wanted to try, it was hard to make a decision. The Capalacci special was delicious and beautifully presented. Great Wine List. The service was great. The owners are wonderful people. more
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Yumm! 8/21/2005

A beautiful space and the best pasta I've had in Seattle. This is not a sloppy red sauce joint. The beef tenderloin melted in my husbands mouth and was cooked perfectly medium rare. Large selection of wines by the glass. I treated myself to a glass of Woodward Canyon and enjoyed every drop. Pros: Reasonable Prices, Food, Wine Cons: Parking more
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Delicious! 8/18/2005

It is worth driving to Ballard to dine at Volterra. Our dinner couldn't have been better. The seafood in parchment was extremely fresh and like nothing I've had before. And the fresh ravioli filled with pears was inspired. The helpful waiter recommended an incredible bottle of wine in our price range. Pros: Outdoor Dining, Food more
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Excellent Experience 8/15/2005

My group of friends had a superb experience at Volterra. We arranged a 40th birthday celebration for a group of 20 and everyone raved about the evening. They worked with us to create a pre fix menu beforehand that made things move along as smooth as silk. The food was excellent and I cannot wait to try more items on the menu. I highly recommend Volterra and will be back again and again. Pros: Accomodating to grps, Food, Service Cons: Parking more
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Memorable meal 8/8/2005

just returned from a 4 day trip to seattle. i read the article on seattle in the new york times before i left home and naturally had to check out the dining recommendations. we had an outstanding meal complimented by a top of the line bottle of ornelia. the portions were generous, menu very interesting and fun to peruse, but most important the flavors were delightful. the sauce on the boar and lamb loin were exquisite. prices were extremely reasonable. the staff made us feel welcome and went out of their way to accomodate our special requests. more
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Will Be Back 8/8/2005

Just a wonderful new restaurant that has a different flair than so many other places in Seattle. As a fan of Tuscan wine, I was impressed with the reasonably priced and highly rated wines that were available. The spinach salad reminded me of a similar dish at Harvest Vine, and was good. The risotto was cooked perfectly and made a good dish to split with friends as a pasta. The beef tenderloin was cooked a perfect medium-rare, and melted in the mouth. Prices of the food were on par with other Seattle fare. All in all, a place to experience when you are in the mood for a Tuscan evening. Pros: Wines, Food Cons: No Air Conditioning more
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Brunellos, Barberas, Barbarescos, OH MY!!!! 7/29/2005

Just moved to Seattle a year ago and happened upon Volterra during a visit to the Ballard Farmer's Market. I hadn't spent any time in Ballard prior to this visit but the restaurant was highly recommended by several people. Let me tell you, they have one heck of a wine list. There must be at least 125 wines and all of them are top drawer. The best prices I've ever seen for the caliber of this list. The food was outstanding- very authentic, delicious and excellent service which was attentive but not obtrusive. Volterra is one of the best restaurants I've experienced in Seattle. Pros: Wine , Food, Service more
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Can't figure it out 7/28/2005

I really don't know what happened. We (party of 4) were very disappointed in this resturant. After reading review and recommendations I was looking forward to trying it. The food was bland, the service was just OK. Reading the menu was fair more interesting then actually eating the food. The place was packed, so I am hoping maybe it's just growing pains from having good reviews and then dropping the ball because of high volume traffic. They need to step back and re-group, I will not go back nor recommend it. I love the location, hope they can get back on track.. Pros: location more
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Volterra is addicting 7/19/2005

I can't remember when I've eaten a better meal. Our appetizer (wild mushrooms over a polenta custard) had the most fabulous sauce, as did the sauce with my beef tenderloin. And the mashed potatoes made me swoon, they may have been truffled. The only con was our waiter. He kept disappearing, plus when he took our drink order, he asked ""would you like some sparkling water?"" and we said yes, not realizing until later that we could have had plain ice water for free, instead of a $6 bottle of sparkling water. Despite that, we love this restaurant and will go back often. We've been to brunch too (excellent, and better service). Pros: exquisite sauces, ebullient hostess, great coffee Cons: lack of parking, absent waiter, a bit noisy more
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The best new Italian restaurant in town! 7/5/2005

From the incredible food to the perfect wine list, Volterra is one of the best Italian restaurants to grace the Puget Sound area in years! The service is was perfect as well. Pros: Food, Wine List, Customer Service more
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very nice 7/4/2005

Very good restaurant. I'm medium on Italian food to start but thought they did a very nice job. Lots of bread, good wine selection, good food. No complaints. Very tasteful decorating in an old building. Pros: good food Cons: parking 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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