Serafina

Dear Serafina:

We want to complement your management staff: Maxine, Jody and Solomon, as well as your chef Dillon, whose attention to detail and professional committment resulted in a fanstastic event. Our friends and family continue to comment about the quality of the food and the ambience of the restaurant. The staff was attentive and were definitely part of the celebration.

We felt as if we were entertaining at our home in Italy. Each dish was very typical of some particular region of Italy. The dessert display on the patio was absolutely lovely, as we sipped our port and dipped our biscotti. It was a wonderful way to start the multiple special events of our beautiful wedding weekend.

We chose Serafina after three trips from Sacramento in our search for the perfect venue for the rehearsal dinner. We dined at six other restaurants and decided that the cuisine and ambience at Serafina met our desire to create "una bella Italiano festa" for our family and guests.

Ci vediamo in Seattle.

Michele and Patrizia Klein

Pros: Food, Service,Attention to detail,Excellent wine list

Cons: We wish you were in Sacramento

Posted 09/22/09

why make a reservation if you still need to wait 45 minutes to get seated??? No one apologizes, no one seems to care that half our party (who I do admit were chefs) didn't eat their dinners. Way too oily, salty, minuscule portions and pricey. Does have a nice cozy feel so I guess if you're not too picky about food quality or service and don't mind being crammed up against other diners it's the place for you. And by the way that's not the Italian way...

Pros: don't bother with a reservation

Cons: Pricey, noisey, average undependable food, BAD service

Posted 09/21/09

My wife and I have been going to Serafina for 12 years.

During that time, there have been changes in managment and in the chef. The wonderful thing is that it has been and continues to be a uniformly great restaurant, true to its values and responsive to its customers throughout that period.

"Old favorites" are reliable. New items and daily specials are ... well ... special! While there are many aspects of the restaurant to call out beyond the excellent food and helpful service, two stand out: (1) the lovely patio dining (6 months out of the years) and (2) the authentic and fairly priced wine list. The latter is especially rare.

We try to dine there once a month or perhaps a little more frequently and are always pleased and flattered when the staff remembers our names and makes a special effort to say "Hello".

Recently, the restaruant acquired the architecturally -interesting building directly behind the main restaurant (it was formerly the HQ of a small architectural firm) and soon we will have some additional options to try, as that facility will have its own menu. We're looking forward to it!

Pros: Specials are really special ...

Cons: Parking is a short walk away ...

Posted 08/30/09

Everything was great, even the cocktails and the wine. But... why was the food average or below?
We ordered the eggplant dish and it was not very tasty.

Cons: food not delicious

Posted 07/19/09

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle. I've been coming here for years and it is always fantastic. The service is impeccable, and the live piano music and twinkle lights create a warm, cozy atmosphere. The setting is intimate and comfortable and still upscale. It's a perfect place for a romantic evening or to impress guests. The ingredients are fresh and I'm always impressed with the food. It's my go to restaurant - I know I will never be disappointed!

Pros: Service, fresh delicious food, romantic atmosphere

Cons: Long wait/crowded, parking sometimes tough

Posted 07/09/09

I began with the Insalata Con Uovo, Lightly toasted crouton, mixed greens, truffle oil and a sunny side up egg. The egg was cooked gently and offered a rustic crisp edge on the white of the egg, not a placid french ordeal. The portion size and balance of this dish was perfect, stimulating my palate for the dishes to follow!

I had the Special Carne the Bisteca Con Panzanella, I will admitt to being sceptical when I saw the steak was being served with a panzanella salad. Great, I thought, they have old bread! NOT SO! A few gently grilled pieces of bread acented the salad greens, olives, roasted peppers, & onions. The choice to use a semi soft pecorino rather than a mozzarella with this salad was key to creating a distinctive companion to the Kobe Eye of Ribeye Steak that was one of the greatest pieces of beef I have ever eaten, putting Daniel's and El Gaucho to shame!
The new pastry Chef is doing great work here! The Torta Di Fromaggio, a rich cheese cake with a brownie crust and fresh cherries crowned this perfect dining experiance.

Pros: Perfectly prepared food, attentive service, casualy ellegant

Cons: None

Posted 06/23/09

I have never been so rushed through a meal. The food wasn't even that good. I was surprised because I have seen so many good reviews. I will not be back nor will I ever recommend this place to anyone.

Pros: Get you out fast

Cons: Over priced and bad service

Posted 04/05/09

For a nice evening out in a beautiful neighborhood setting. The food and service was wonderful - our waitress Jen was superb!

A little pasta, a little bread, a little wine - nice. This summer we are going to try and get a seat on the patio - it looks beautiful.

Pros: Food, service, atmosphere

Cons: parking

Posted 01/29/09

I love this place. The food is great everytime and the staff is always friendly and knowledgable. It's a little on the cute/romantic side so it's perfect for a date but I wouldn't go in a group - seating is very close together. The first time I went I had the clams which were swimming in some sort of heavenly bacon/butter/seasoning concoction and it was very difficlut not to order them again (everything sounded good but those were so delicious!). Parking is difficult - there is no lot and street parking is always a pain.

Pros: super tasty food and nice atmosphere

Cons: parking is lame

Posted 01/22/09

My wife and I decided to go check out serafina last monday, because a coworker had told us about it. Serafina did not disappoint. We walked in and were seated right away. The server arrived promptly and was very attentive despite how busy he was. The food was delicious, the wine our server recommended was perfect and the ambiance was very romantic. We will definitely be back!!

Pros: Ambiance, service, food

Posted 01/20/09

I love the food here it's simply amazing. And the bar tender let me try one of the infused liquors they had...Persimmon Vodka... it was amazing! Great all the way around. Thank you!

Pros: Food and service is awesome!

Cons: None

Posted 12/25/08

Serafina is an icon of the Lake Union and Seattle area, it has withstood many economic storms and is a survivor because it is excellent !!! I absolutely love their menu, staff and attention to detail. If you ever have a propblem the management will go above and beyond to make it right. We often give gift certificates to Serafina's as gifts and I have had nothing but Kudos from all recipients...... who are now dedicated to Serafinas for the Classic Italian Fare. I would recommend Serafinas without hesitation and you will love your meal, the staff is exceptional and the ambiance, GREAT WINES!. Its a Classic for a reason....

Michelle ( Former 42 year Resident of Seattle... now Park City, UT) I miss Serafina's Big Time!

Pros: Food Quality for the Price

Cons: Parking can be a challenge but not often

Posted 11/28/08

It was a perfect weekend morning and we were at one of our favorite Seattle Restaurants, Serafina Osteria and Enoteca. What is there to like about Serafina?

1. Live jazz duet - piano and saxophone, this time ? while you dine at Sunday Brunch
2. Food that is so complete and alive with flavor that you need not add your own condiments. It would be an insult to the chef if you did. It is what it is and ?Oh, how it is!? The food is as well prepared as any upper end restaurant in downtown Seattle.
3. The courtyard with the morning sun penetrating through the cover of trees and shrubs, the sunlight highlighting the old green painted window and door frames and the cedar trellis with the wisteria cover.
4. The staff who make you feel like someone special and who make sure you are well attended because they have a fondness in serving their customers. If it isn?t right, they will make it right. You feel invited to return.
5. The location in a residential neighborhood along Eastlake above Lake Union and away from the bustle of downtown Seattle.
6. The charm and ambience of the space situated as it is in a residential neighborhood. It has an eclectic feeling with its five separate spaces and its anti-modern architecture.
7. Criticisms? Well, it is two million light years to the Great Nebula in Andromeda. That is significant. Any issues with Serafina are insignificant.

Posted 11/09/08

on a beautiful summer night in seattle, we were seated near the patio with the refreshing breeze flowing over us. our hostess was extremely courteous , and the wait staff was very knowledgeable about everything on the menu. i had ordered the handmade agnolotti (a delicate handmade pasta filled with a robust roasted pork shoulder) complimented with a chive butter sauce. this was absolutely the best meal i had ever eaten. from the bread and delicious olive oil before our meal, to every last drop of sauce on our plates. we left the restaurant entirely satisfied and gluttonous. we had no room for dessert, but plan on going back to try Mei-I Funtanilla's desserts . i can't wait to eat here again!

Posted 07/29/08

I love this place. Warm, busy, great food, lovely wine. I could go on. Sat on the patio and it was beautiful. My server was lovely, smart and informed. we had caprese salad, 2 kinds of ravioli, a great lamb dish. I come here 4ish times a year and have NEVER been dissapointed.

Pros: Food and wine, cute waitstaff

Cons: parking

Posted 07/27/08

Talk about snobby wait staff! When we arrived without a reservation at 5:25pm (they start seating for dinner at 5:30pm) they acted like it was a huge inconvenience to find a spot for us even though there were only about 3 other small parties waiting as well. We were able to sit at the bar and were rudely directed to close our tab so they could seat us right at 5:30pm in the dinning room. I do have to say our waitress was very pleasant and if it weren?t for her it would have been the worst dinning experience of my life. I should have listened to my sister when she warned me about this place but I unfortunately had to experience it myself. Never again!

Pros: Nice ambience

Cons: Bad customer service

Posted 05/31/08

Having been to Serafina before, we knew it was a great place for a special occasion. Therefore we decided to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday and bring his family along. When we arrived his father walked up to the hostess desk and stated we had reservations at 8pm. The main hostess rudely told him that it was not 8 yet (it was about 7:55, and we of course would rather be early rather then late) and to come back to her when it was time for our reservation. I was mortified when he came back and told us what had happened. We then had to cram into the small waiting area with the other bar patrons. When his father spied an empty small table in the bar he sat down to wait and had me come over. The hostess did not wait one second to push her head over us and tell us that table was reserved and we were not allowed to sit there. After standing for more then half an hour after our reservation we were finally seated. From there on out the service from our waiter was fantastic, the food was amazing, wine, etc. everything else was great! But to have an evening start off due to bad service has made me very unlikely to return to this establishment. If they cannot hire proper employees and teach them how to speak appropriately to guests, I would rather take my money elsewhere where I am made to feel welcome.

Pros: The rabbit was the best I've had!

Cons: The horrible hostess lady

Posted 04/07/08

My first visit to Sarafina's was a disaster. The green salad was bitter, the eggplant signature dish was far too salty. The restaurant was profoundly noisy and the waiter could care less......so I contacted the manager next day and she repsonded immediately.

I returned and was delighted. The service was wonderful, the food was very good.

Totally enjoyable.

Cons: expensive wine list

Posted 03/28/08

I had dinner with 3 other girlfriends on a Friday night. The restaurant was definitely crowded, but the staff did all they could to get us a(fantastic) cocktail while we waited. BTW--I think Matt & Chris are the best , most creative bartenders in town. Their special infusions absolutely rock!
I had the sea scallops with a sort of grapefruit sauce which I think are some of the best scallops I've ever had. Huge, tender, moist-wow. The table shared a quail salad with a lush raspberry dressing that had us all groaning. One of the others had pasta with lamb ragu that tasted just like a dish I've had in Rome.
And the desserts were spectacular. We ordered 3 and shared and they were all homemade, seasonal and wonderful. The service was good throughout and some lovely Brazilian music started around 9. this is where I take all of my out of town guests.

Posted 03/21/08

Small setting, nice small bar, very romantic and intimate for a couple or small family. Food is impressive and servers are very knowledgeable on wine selecton.

Pros: very romantic

Cons: no parking

Posted 01/22/08

My boyfriend and I just went out to Serafina for a romantic/fun outing and we can't wait to go back!
While it was my boyfriend's first visit, I had been there once before in the summer months, and was able to enjoy the lovely patio dining on a warm evening. This time around, we went for a late dinner on a Saturday night, looking forward to the live music that is scheduled on weekends.
I must admit, that after reading so many reviews from people who were disappointed with the whole experience, I was a little worried-however, as my first experience had been a positive one, we went in hoping for another good time, and we weren't disappointed.
We were seated promptly, about 5 minutes after being greeted at the door, right on time for our reservation. Our server was friendly, was able to help us with the wine selection and, as a small but important thing, was able to let us know ahead of time that one dish was in short supply-it's always annoying when you have your heart set on something, and you don't find out it's unavailable until you're placing your order-glad we avoided that pitfall!
Our appetizer (the bruschetta with a fun twist) and bottle of wine was served by the executive chef, which, in our eyes, made the service all the more special. The entrees arrived in a good time frame-we had just enough time to enjoy our appetizers and soak up the live music a bit before being served the next course. Since it was a busy night, we were both glad they weren't rushing us to empty out another table. The pasta was great (as it should be in an Italian restaurant) and the beef in the Gnocchi di Patate dish melted in your mouth!
We both had a marvelous time-our server was attentive the entire evening, the live music was a fun way to liven up a regular dinner date, the food and wine were quite enjoyable, and the cozy restaurant, complete with twinkling with lights, was the perfect setting for a romantic evening together.
Serafina was a wonderful experience!

Posted 12/15/07

One word sums this place up. Horrible. My girlfriend and I have been to many downtown Italian resteraunts, and this was one of the worst by far. It had some good reviews (I don't know how or why) so we wanted to try it. We didn't have to wait too long, but we were shoved at a two person table stuffed very tightly between other tables. The entire time we were there we could barely move, not to mention it was so loud that we could barely hear each other. My back was literally touching another persons back several times. Since we are all about authentic Italian, we decided to go with a classic Italian starter, bruschetta. Perhaps we were expecting too much by not carefully reading the description before ordering, but we never expected something as simple as bruschetta was able to be completely slaughtered. I'm still not sure what the three "toppings" were, although I'm pretty sure one of them was tuna. Half of the bread was soggy. We were so disappointed with the service and atmosphere by this point, we left. It took us nearly 10 minutes to track down our waiter simply to let him know we were leaving and to get our bill. He didn't ask why we were leaving or seem to even care.

If you're looking for a nice romantic dinner, this is not the place to go. It might be ok if you are going with a large loud group, although you should expect way overpriced food for the quality and service you get. I know I'm never going back.

Cons: poor service, bad food, horrible atmosphere

Posted 12/07/07

Tasty food goddamnit
Service so crappy the night i was there i was sad.
We got there and were seated promptly
our waitress was really good looking and stylly
But she didnt know much about wine so she had to summon
the bartender who i wished was waiting on us
nuff said
ok i will probably be back
i just hope i dont have the same waitperson

Posted 11/28/07

Things I like about Serafina: The gorgeous dining room, the cheap wine during happy hour, the pasta dishes. Here's what I don't like: The slow, slow, slow service (I've been here many times and never had good service), the inconsistency in the menu (some items are great, some are blah, once I got mussels and about half of them hadn't opened at all), the happy hour food items that sound good but the portions aren't very big.

Posted 11/12/07

Serafina is one of my favorite restaurants. The restaurant is fairly small, but has very good qualities. The dinner can be very romantic, and the happy hours can be very tasty.
You can sign up for wine tasting nights, and 2007 was full last time I checked. There is plenty of candlelight and are live bands that come in throughout the week to play jazz and blues. The inside dining area is kind of small, but there is a very nice patio that is best enjoyed on cool summer nights.
The happy hour from 4 to 6pm has a nice selection of Italian small plates for $5 each. I highly recommend the Bruschetta Duo. The house reds and whites are $5. The lounge area is pretty small: there are a couple of tables and the bar. The food is very rich, very tasty, and presented nicely. The menu changes seasonally.
I don?t have any complaints about the service or bartending. The worst quality about Serafina is the street parking.
I highly recommend Serafina for an Italian happy hour or romantic dinner with live music.

Pros: Happy Hour, Live Music, Ambience

Cons: Street Parking, Kind of Cramped

Posted 09/16/07

I had one of the most special evenings last night at Serafina. I was visiting from NY and my friend suggested we dine at her alltime favorite spot in Seattle. We sat in their beautiful courtyard and felt immediately transported to Italy. We shared everything - from their delicately prepared calamari (not the rubber band rings you get in many places) to the pasta special with fresh chantrelles, all served with grace and style by a warm and knowledgeable server (cannot remember her name). Their pastry chef is genius as well, and we were dissapointed that we were so satiated we were only able to taste the blueberry financier. Oh well, I guess we will have to go back, and back, and back again. Bravo Serafina.

Pros: menu, ambience, service, location, hours

Posted 09/14/07

Our party of 5 had high hopes for Serafina's sunday brunch. Unfortunately, the series of events that followed after walking through the door slashed all our high expectations. We called in and made reservations and ended up having to wait 10 minutes anyway for a table in a half empty restaurant. Then after being seated, it took 15-20 minutes to get our coffee (which was WAY too strong and tasted burnt... we're all coffee drinkers and none of us could stomach it). After another half hour or so, our waiter non-chalantly took our order with the kind of enthusiasm you'd expect from a night shift Denny's waiter. A good hour later our food came. And during that excruciating wait, our table was completely ignored, except for the guy who refilled our waters one time. The portions were small and expensive, and two of us recieved our food 5 minutes after the other three. When we were all just about done eating, waiter came by and asked if we needed any ketchup or tabasco. We said no, that we were almost done. Another large chunk of time went by, so we asked for our check and it never came. Anyway, to sum it up, this place completely infuriated us. The service was poor and unapologetic, the food was just ok. I will NEVER go back, and I'd definitely never recommend this place to anyone. It's really upsetting when a restaurant thinks they can charge those kinds of prices and provide lackluster service. At that point, who even cares about the food?

Pros: Nice atmosphere

Cons: Where do I begin...

Posted 09/05/07

The patio is killer! Get there early, they don't reserve outdoor seating. Chill, yet perfect service, a no lose menu. We had 6 in our party, and shared all around. Everything was so good! Try the lasagne, grilled lamb, Caprese salad, Blackberry semifreddo. Wine recomendations from the sommelier/chef were perfect (and funny). I'll be so sad when the patio closes for the fall.....

Cons: Crowded

Posted 08/27/07

Serafina is the quintessential neighborhood bistro - a place for the locals, who never mention it to the tourists - and one that no city person should ever, take for granted. There are nights when you just want to go out to eat, and Seattle has plenty of choices for that. But when you want to have the whole experience of dining out - the transporting atmosphere, the nuanced service and, of course, a truly exceptional meal, Serafina should be the destination.

Much has been written about the atmosphere, as it is almost becomes another one of your dining companions. The colors and decor instantly evoke an intimate Italian bistro, and you at once feel like a welcomed regular. There isn't a bad seat in the dining room, which is small but not cramped, but I prefer the outdoor patio, where you can suspend your disbelief and imagine you are in Tuscany.

The entire service staff is simply polished - knowledgeable, efficient, congenial and unobtrusive. I have taken the recommendation of my server on nearly visit and each time, the dish lived up to its description. Most recently, I had the crostini (topped with arugula and mozzarella) and the house cured pork belly (Pancia) as appetizers. The crostini was a great start to the meal, but the real star is the pancia - roasted, salty pork atop a bed of a creamy and savory corn salad. It is an amazing combination of flavors and one that you will order every time you return.

The entrees were equally well executed. The Kobe beef special was tender and perfectly cooked, as was the unbelievably thick pork chop. What really stands out at Serafina is the freshness of the flavors and herbs that season, but do not overpower, the main attraction. You find yourself understanding the meaning of the phrase "savoring your food" better than you did before you sat down. If my experience is a guide, on future visits, you will probably order much more than you can eat, just to see what else they can do.

Posted 08/04/07

Very disappointed with this restaurant. Called up, and got a reservation for 8:45. Showed up 5 minuntes early, checked in, and were told it would be at least a 30 minute wait. In my book, this is something you just don't do. Who cares about the food. We won't be back.

Posted 07/07/07

Serafina has a beautiful garden patio and when the sun comes out I always have a glimmer of hope that the food is going to be better this time and give it another shot. However, I think they have finally run out of chances. The last several visits, the food has really been mediocre to poor in execution and taste. My pasta dish was way over cooked and the steak was tough and flavorless. Service was extremely casual and the waiter didn't know alot about the wines on the list. For me, a restaurant can win back a few points with a killer dessert. However, I was extremely disappointed with the desserts we ordered. The profiteroles tasted like they came out of a box from Trader Joe's and the Panna Cotta had way too much gelatin and was inedible. Maybe the pastry chef was on vacation? The desserts were so incredibly bad. Worst part about it was that the waiter didn't seem to care that both desserts were barely touched and quickly brought us our bill. Arreviderche Serafina.

Pros: Courtyard

Cons: Food, Dessert, Service

Posted 06/25/07

I've been here several times with a small group and loved it every time. Especially in the summer when the outside seating is open and all the little christmas lights are twinkling, it is really lovely. I decided to try bringing a larger group of people here for my sister's birthday, hoping it would still be great despite the fact that the place is quite small. Everyone especially loved the live music. About half of us ordered from the 24for25 menu, and everything was delicious! I'm so glad to see that they're using the Columbia City bakery's bread, I think he makes the best baguette in the city. Apparently they were a bit short-staffed and the guy who's usually the bartender waited on us, and he was a little less graceful than a seasoned waiter, but still o.k. In the end, everyone gave a BIG thumbs-up and they all want to go back for another special occasion.

Posted 04/11/07

A bustling, somewhat noisy neighborhood favorite. Food is absolutely superb. Try the make-your-own bruschetta with rustic grilled bread and three lively and flavorful toppings. Lentil soup was superb, lighter and more flavorful than expected. Rabbit roulade was delightful, great dessert choices. Excellent wine list, including numerous half-bottles. Be patient to reap the rewards of this neighborhood gem.

Posted 04/10/07

I had a friend from out of town (and let's put it this way, she's not my friend anymore! ;) Just kidding! Brought her to Sarefina to impress her with Seattle cuisine but the food and service left us staring at each with smirks on our faces the entire time. She was pregnant and so upset that she didn't have a good meal.... First, I asked about wine and the waiter started pushing the glasses for $12 dollars, and that wasn't quite as much as I wanted to spend so I finally had to take the menu back from him, and told him I'd 'keep looking', but still felt his pressure to select the higher end.. Then we ordered Casa salad for $7.00 each, and it literally was 4 large pieces of lettuce with swirl of red onion on top...nothing else! We laughed, we couldn't believe it.. So then the waiter suggest to my friend that she get this free range chicken dish. (Interesting that the restaurant should care about chickens, since their menu is LOADED with VEAL! I had to double check and make sure I was still in progressive Seattle) Her dish was literally disgusting.. it had little clumps of rubbery chicken with bones and no meat, and little unpasturized cheese lumps, (that were really soft and gross), and uncooked potatoes.. I took a bite and could understand why she didn't touch it. My halibut was pretty good except for the fact that the vegies that came with, looked suspiciously right out of a BAG! It has peas and carrots in it... With the halibut, it was small for the price, with seemingly frozen vegies and no rice or anything else.. It was very expensive for being as terrible as it was, not to mention that the waiter is clearly trained to "upsell" and is snooty, and the water person walks by constantly. The waitrons literally circle around without stopping over and over. When we were seated, the hostess asked if we want bottled or tap water.. I can't believe this experience. What a waste of a great space!

Pros: beautiful ambience

Cons: greedy waiters, poor preparation

Posted 03/23/07

I celebrated my 40th Birthday at the restaurant last week. Such a big birthday means high expectations, and the crew of Serafina met all of mine. To be honest I hadn't been in years and didn't know what to expect, but the experience couldn't have been better. I just returned home from a year in NYC, and the food at Serafina took me back to a dining experience at Babbo. Try the Pork Belly. Try the ravioli. Try everything. Our waitress was gracious and helpful. One of my dinner companions is a wine maker and brought his own bottle to the meal. Often restaurants grumble about this, but our server was perfectly happy to open and decant the bottle for us. I could go on and on, but I'll stop here. If you haven't visited Serafina lately, you are missing out!! Make a reservation soon.

Posted 03/12/07

Serifina is highly over priced and over rated. We had reservations for 11 and the restaurant really did not know how to handle a party that size. I was bumped into by the staff at least 25 times over the course of two hours. My entree was under cooked and small with very little flavoring. My entree was supposed to be their specialty and it was not that special. There were also a couple of people who felt ill after we finished our dinner. To sum up this place, I am surprised that they are still in business.

Posted 03/11/07

I was going to post a quick review of Serafina for people from out of town and was shocked by some of the negative comments I saw here. Honestly, it motivated me to be a little more specific in this review. I have been to Seafina many times and have found it to be some of the most elegant, well thought out Italian food in Seattle. The food is hearty, homey Italian with fresh, bright flavors, subtle, complex sauces, lots of herbs and handmade pastas. It looks like they use a lot of local purveyors and organic ingredients, too, which I like. This is what I think of as "clean" food.

Serafina is the place for a special occassion dinner, although the conversation level can get pretty loud after about 8:30. Be sure to try the pumpkin ravioli, anything with pork--- and the fish is always perfectly cooked.

The bartender, Matt, is a a real artist. Try the Pomegranate Smack--I think he invented it. Wowee.
And the wine list is outstanding. Interesting (mostly Italian) wines from small winemakers at mid range prices. The waiters typically seem to be very knowledgable about the wine list and I've been steered to some great new finds .

Pros: ambience, service, food, wine list

Cons: parking (their lot is a block away), can be noisy on a weekend night

Posted 03/06/07

Typical night at Serafina - lively, busy, people seemed to be having a great time. After a short wait at the bar - which was crowded but friendly, our gracious host (rachel?) sat us. I loved the wine list - I think it just won a Wine Spectator award - big range, interesting Italians, and a good though brief selection of regional NW wines. With the help of our server, we picked a Dolcetto, which matched our food beautifully. The food was outstanding and prompt - I had something I'd never had before - a pork belly and what seemed to be a mostarda - or type of marmalade. What a match - sweet and tart against the salty, luscious pork.
It was a great night - highly recommend it.

Posted 02/24/07

Serafina is always one of my favorite places to go for a nice lunch. I love the ambiance. It's a casual neighborhood place with rustic and kitschy decor and very comfortable. However, I have been disappointed with my experiences at dinner the past 6 months or so. The service seems off. I haven't had a server lately that has been educated about the menu or wine list nor have they been more than adequate at meeting the basic needs of taking orders and refilling water. It seems that the water and wine glasses are always empty and noone ever checks back to make sure the meal is satisfactory. I had a cold pasta dish on my last visit that I wanted to send back but my waiter never checked on us so I just ate it out of desperation. i will continue to go for lunch and avoid dinner.

Posted 02/11/07

Our hopes were high, we'd heard great things about Serafina. We were looking for something exactly as advertised.

But here we are, a Tuesday night and we're still feeling the 'sting' of a shockingly rude and disturbing experience at Serafina Restaurant last Friday evening.

In fact, my husband and I were certain we had starred in a new version of Bloopers . . .

Here's what happened: We asked our server for his wine recommendation and ordered a bottle. When two glasses finally came, we 'laughingly' said, "oh, we thought we ordered a bottle." "Well, it costs the same," he said.

OK. So, we ordered the antipasti for two, and entrees of free range chicken and a pumpkin ravioli. "Good choice," he said.
The antipasti arrived after the wine was long gone, so we ordered two more glasses. We tried to enjoy the sad offering of olives, a parmesan crisp, 2 small and unremarkable dolamatess -- pricey, meager, not even good. Still no wine; just ignored for 20 minutes, (or longer?).

We talked, we laughed, we got uncomfortable.

We had been there 45 minutes. Our server noticed us and said, "have you ordered yet?"

We should have gracefully left; ; but no, we ordered all over again. No apology from him, at all.

Finally, we received: cold, pasty ravioli -- dry, almost fillingless, served with possibly three hazelnuts. The free range chicken should have been free.

The hefty bill was hastily plopped down, unsurprisingly reflecting nothing for the forgotten order, the wine mistakes, and needless to say, the poor pacing and neglect.

We found ourselves on the street, hungry, feeling a bit abused, and wondering what had just happened.

It had to have been Bloopers; had we been pranked? Can we just say it was a joke?

Until the final 'reveal' -- let's just say Serafina must be some odd version of The Emperor's New Clothes. Truth is: Serafina Restaurant on 1/26/07 for us was perfectly terrible, and that's all there is to it.

Pros: versatile menu

Cons: service, preparation and presentation, pricing, uncomfortable seating

Posted 01/30/07

I would like to take a moment to express my disappointment at a recent visit to Serafina. My daughter specifically requested Serafina for her birthday dinner as she had never been and had heard great things about it.

Our waitress began by asking if we wanted something to drink. I asked for some suggestions for a bottle of wine in the "$30 range". She proceeded to inform us, rather snootily, that "$30 is on the lower end and we have a very limited selection". She then began pointing out bottles in the $45 - 60 range, which was clearly more than what we wanted to spend. We ended up ordering by the glass.

We ordered the antipasti appetizer, which at $7.50 per person, I felt was overpriced for the small amount of food that was on the plate - 4 thin slices of salami, 2 small piece of cheese, some other cheesy thing and a small bowl of olives. Then, before we were completely done with that, our entrees were brought out. We felt rushed.

We were seated at a small 2-person table and another 2-seater was right next to us. During the course of our meal, another couple was seated next to us. As our waitress served them, she squeezed herself between our two tables and on more than one ocassion, her rear-end was literally in our faces. This made for a very unpleasant and awkward meal. She never apoligized, never excused herself. Our meal took just a little over one hour. Again, we felt extremely rushed...a special occasion dinner in a fine restaurant should certainly take more than 60 minutes.

The food was bland and the presentation less than exciting. Extensive wine selection was almost overwhelming.

As we got up from our table to leave the restaurant, we walked right by our waitress who was not busy, but just standing...she looked right at us as we walked by and did not smile, did not thank us for coming in, not a peep. I found that extremely rude.

Unfortunately, overall we were not impressed with the food or the service.

Pros: Cozy atmosphere

Cons: Service, parking, value

Posted 01/27/07

Ate there over the holidays with some friends. It was better Italian food than chain restaurants but not great. Their signature dish with eggplant showed no respect for or knowledge of how to prepare eggplant...the sauce was watery, with what seemed like canned diced tomatos, we couldn't find the eggplant in the dish because it was so thin and inside a burnt hard fried coating and then overpowered by heavy glomps of tasteless cheeses. The other five dishes which should have been quite varied all had a weak sauce that tasted the same on the meatballs, fish, seafood, veal. Service was a roller coaster...overly attentive at times like when they tried to remove the bread and appetizers we had just started eating ... to nonexistant for long periods of time like when we tried to wave people down and eventually got up to seek out more water.

Pros: Maybe the outside dining in nice weather

Cons: tasteless food, erratic service, awful parking

Posted 01/08/07

I?ve been going to Serafina for more than 5 years. It?s always been a bit of ?event? dining, but 2 hours for 2 appetizers and a couple of glasses of wine!? A 9:15 reservation and we were finally seated at 9:40 (even though there were several open tables. What?s the logic of this?). Waiter took another 20 minutes to get to our table. 30 minutes after THAT we finally get a bread basket. We ordered three plates, received two (not sure where the other one went) and got a second glass of wine delivered AFTER we were already finished. By the time we got out of there (still hungry and much more stressed out than when we arrived ? so much for a relaxing meal) it was 11:30. It wasn't even a weekend night. The food just isn?t good enough to make up for the miserable service. Bye Serafina!

Pros: None

Cons: SERVICE, attitude, parking

Posted 12/21/06

My boyfriend and I went with two other couples to take advantage of the 25 for $25 at Serafina. We ended up waiting in the bar while our table was prepared. The bartender was very nice and prepared some very good drinks for us (I had the Bayberry Drop). Then we were seated at a round table in the back corner of the restaurant so we could enjoy the live music but still hear our conversation at the table. We all ordered off of the 25 for $25 menu and the food did not disappoint. The appetizer (toasted harvest bread with goat cheese & fruit chutney) was a very good mix of flavors. Just enough to leave you satisfied, but not full. The entree (baked penne in a four cheese sauce w/ sauteed mushrooms topped with bread crumbs) was very good. I had asked for it without mushrooms, but they had accidently mixed them in the first time. We got our waiters attention and they apologized and took it back. The replacement entree came out extremely quick and was incredible. I love cheese so this was the perfect dish for me with chunks of goat cheese mixed in with the penne. Amazing. For dessert I would definitely recommend the panna cotta. The perfect dessert to follow a rich entree, sweet and surprisingly light. I also snuck a bit of the chocolate hazelnut napoleon which was very good as well. The entire staff was extremely nice and accomodating. I would definitely recommend this place for a romantic evening out.

Pros: great food, great atmosphere

Cons: our waiter could have been a little more attentive

Posted 11/13/06

In town on business and got a recommendation from the staff at my hotel to check out Serafina. It did not disappoint! While the weather did not permit eating outdoors, the ambience indoors was just as lovely - really warm and comfortable and inviting especially on a chilly fall night. The waitstaff was attentive (but not overly so) and the food was delicious. Sesaonal fare that was well-presented and flavorul. I definitely recommend!

Pros: ambience, location, food selection

Cons: lighting was too dim to read for this solo diner

Posted 10/08/06