Volterra

I went here once with friends and sat outside on a day that wasn't too busy and my experience was ok - not remarkable but OK.

The second time I went was with my gf and we sat inside. The tables are so close together that it is impossible to have a private conversation of any kind - in fact you are almost literally brushing shoulders with the other guests. The smoked chicken pasta was tasteless with dry chewy chicken and the lamb polenta was more like lamb soup (The polenta could not be eaten with the forks they provided to eat it with because it was too runny!!!). You will find the staff churlish and they rarely visit your table. The manner of the staff and the taste of the food certainly did not seem authentic in any way to the many experiences I have had in Italy. The owners' attitude seem to be of the opinion 'like it or leave it', and I would happily recommend everyone leave it - it really is not very good, and it really is not worth the risk of going there and having the experience myself and my gf had. I can honestly say that this is one of the worst dining experiences I have had anywhere.

Volterra has been on my list of places to try for ages. My friends rave about this place and so we went for my boyfriends birthday and it was the perfect choice. I asked the hostess for a romantic table and I think they gave us the best table in the house. It was in the corner of the banqette and so we were able to sit side by side and watch the hustle and bustle of the dining room and Ballard Ave. The place was hopping and filled with great energy.

Great cocktail list. I loved the Michelle Cosmo and the Limoncello Rosemary Drop. BF had the Fennel Crush and the Manhattan with the slight hint of Hazelnut. Big wine list at all prices. We had the house wine which was great and only $32. Wine guy was cool and didn't make us feel like schmucks for ordering the house wine.

The food was the highlight. Chef's Antipasti which was a bunch of Italian style tapas. All were very tasty. Polenta Custard with oozy cheese and mushroom and truffle ragu- YUM. Grilled Scallops with a dollop of garlic aioli- fresh and delicious. Crab and Mascarpone Raviioli in a spicy tomato cream sauce - sinful. Wild Boar with Gorgonzola and Mustard Sauce -dreamy. They brought us a suprise tiramisu with a candle and we also ordered the pistachio cake with lemon gelato. Both were great.

Service was also great. Our waiter was there when we needed him but didn't encroach on our romantic night. We told him we wanted to take it slow and so he paced our meal just right.

I will start with this statement: I love breakfast food. Brunch is by far one of my favorite times to dine. BUT, the problem is that is that in Seattle most restaurants that offer brunch do the same old boring fare.

Last weekend I went to Volterra and have found my new favorite place. They are the only ones that know how to to it right. Everything from the fresh fruit , perfectly cooked scrambled eggs ( nothing worse than soggy eggs), Bowtie Pasta with Goat Cheese to their Peach Bellini's was perfectly prepared! Also, the service was top notch! Our server, Rhonda, was attentive and very helpful in choosing the perfect meal! Needless to say we will be back not only for brunch but for dinner!!

Ive been searching for a good authentic italian restaurant for a long, long time and finally my co-worker brought me to volterra recently. I cant believe it took so long to find this place. its in trendy Ballard which isn't necessarily a positive for me but holy cow the food is to die for and was impressed with the overall experience.

We often treat our out-of-town guests to dinner at Volterra because of the great service, wonderful food, and splendid atmosphere. Our guests are not only pleased with Volterra but also find the surrounding community an unexpected surprise. We have attended two special events at Volterra - a New Year's Eve dinner event and a wine/dinner pairing - the food was excellent at each event and Volterra remains high on our list of favorite places to spoil ourselves.
Make sure to call ahead for reservations or you might be out of luck.