Volterra

My favorite restaurant in Seattle is Volterra because the food is exceptional and consistent every time. Not many restaurants anywhere can pull off the same high quality food night after night like the staff at Volterra. The prices are reasonable and when you factor in that most of the meats and produce are organic or natural, i don't know how they can afford to keep the prices that low. The service is professional and friendly. Small details like the trampetti olive oil on the tables, glassybaby candles, european style coffee service set them apart. Don't miss the set of Chihuly drawings as they are quite rare. I eat at Volterra as often as I can and on a graduate student budget I'm still able to go monthly. All of the accoloades are well deserved.

Pros: Food, Service, Location, Ambiance

Cons: None

Posted 06/01/07

Ambiance: cozy. Service: good. Food: good but not good enough to come back. The signature wild boar and the beef cheek ravioli were good, but not spectacular. I had to send the caramel napoleon (dessert) back. The puff pastry layers were raw and unbaked. There was no caramel flavor at all. We liked Volterra, but didn't love it.

Posted 05/31/07

We recently had brunch at Volterra and had an excellent meal. The french toast was awesome, the chestnut pancakes were great, and Volterra served us perhaps the most amazing bacon I have ever eaten. Everyone in my party enjoyed their meal and I know I will definitely go back.

I can think of no drawbacks; we were seated promptly, the staff was friendly and helpful and the ambiance is very nice. I look forward to trying their dinner menu.

Pros: Great Food, Great Service

Posted 05/28/07

I am disappointed to see that some people have had substandard experiences at Volterra. My fiance and I absolutely love this restaurant. We started going their when it first opened and have gone countless times since. Their food is always delicious, my fiance swears by the wild boar whereas I like to mix it up and try something new each time. We generally just order a glass or two of wine and sometimes a cocktail, but never a full bottle of wine, and we have never been treated as second rate clients. In fact the sommelier always recommends great wine pairings for our individual meals. I took my mother there for brunch and the wild mushroom eggs benedict are wonderful, just enough truffle oil to leave a light lingering aroma in the mouth.

Pros: Impeccable food, ambiance and service

Cons: reservations generally required

Posted 05/21/07

When we got to the restaurant to celebrate our anniversary, we were ushered in like VIPs and were seated at a table that was in the corner allowing us to have easy conversation. The service was friendly. Courses came on time, water glasses were filled quickly, and thankfully no one said, "I'm Joe and I'm going to be your server tonight." The pork belly appetizer was amazing. The lobster risotto with tomato sauce was perfectly cooked but the highlight of the night was the Veal Chop. It was so thick, cooked perfectly and had a mushroom and slightly truffle flavored sauce. I could not beleive how reasonable the prices were. The Veal Chop was only $25. The sommelier suggested the Volterra Syrah (house wine) which they had just gotten in and it perfectly complemented the Veal Chop. Luckily we left room for the chocolate pate and the chocolate and cherry napolean and espresso. This was the most beautiful coffee presentation I've ever seen. We were completely satisfied with our wonderful evening and would return to Volterra in an instant.

Pros: Food, Service, Wine LIst, Staff

Cons: Parking

Posted 05/14/07

After reading so many reviews of Volterra, I would say the food and overall experience definitely lived up to the hype.

Started with the truffle custard with culatello served with micro greens salad on top. It was really good. We then had the special appetizer which was a BLT with brown sugar cured pork belly on brioche with heirloom tomatoes, romaine and garlic aioli. Yum.

Next came the tagliolini with morels, fava beans, giuancale and truffle butter. The portion (even when split) was generous. This dish was so good it's inspiring me to do some experimenting at home to try to recreate it. We then had the Wild Boar Tenderloin, which the waiter said was his favorite dish. The gorgonzola mustard sauce was incredible. The Beef tenderloin with lardo and chianti demiglaze.
If our reservation had been earlier, we probably would have eaten more, but I thought this was the perfect amount of food to share in order to leave full but not stuffed. I was pleasantly surprised not just by the food and ambiance, but by how helpful the sommelier and waiter were in paring the wines, how they encouraged us to sample wines they suggested. There are a lot of wines by the glass so that we had the perfect wine for each course, by the waiter's suggestion to split courses so that we could sample more and eat at a more leisurely pace, and by what I considered to be a very reasonable price tag in the end for what we'd had.

Pros: Food, Ambiance, Service, Wine List

Cons: Parking, Hard to get in without reservation

Posted 05/14/07

I went for the first time yesterday, it was delicious. I wasn't especially hungry, so the wife and I skipped the appetizers and we each had the house salad, which had plenty of cheeses in a unique and tasty Chianti vinaigrette. My entree was eggplant stuffed in pasta with a spicy red sauce which was just perfect. And for dessert, the Chocolate Pate with the berry salad was one of the best desserts that I have had in awhile. We were seated immediately (we arrived just before 6PM on Friday, it filled up quickly after that), and the service was prompt and friendly.

Pros: Great food, prompt service, large wine list

Cons: nada

Posted 05/12/07

I love great food and obsess about it all the time. And yet, when the experience is a little too formulaic and the service is cold, bordering on rude, that ruins any good work from the kitchen. While the food was tasty enough, no dishes made me want to return for more. What really bothered me however was the attitude of our server. Pleasant enough at the beginning, when it was clear we weren't going to order multiple courses, I knew we were in for second class treatment. When one of our guests (an onwer of numerous successful resaturant establishments) attempted to order a $50 bottle of wine, the server quickly said 'well that's a decent wine, but what about a $125 bottle that we only have 3 bottles remaining?" All in the name of quality I'm sure. The 'taste' this left in my mouth was that the server was more interested in their personal bottom line through a large bill, than our experience. Following our order of food and apparently second class wine, the food came out FAST. From there it was downhill....a poor entree for one of our guests and curt replies to gentle criticism from someone who is as gentle and kind as a rabbit, made me think 'I hate this place'. So Volterra is not so 'Greaterra' in my book, contrary to the numerous accolades you may hear. Personally I think that the biggest downfall is greed. Volterra makes every attempt to make cash while it can - and the sheep will follow. In final assessment, the word 'Corporate' comes to mind. A restaurant you might visit in a city you don't know. Perhaps at a convention of dentists, where money is available, but taste in lost in the mix.

Posted 05/12/07

We went to Volterra for the first time this week and were quite impressed. Our wine person helped us pick the perfect wine in our price range and was extremely helpful pairing it with the menu items we ordered. The polenta was out of this world! We were alittle afraid to order the sauted salad with anchovies but, to our surprise we loved it. I didn't even know I liked anchovies. The best dish was the wild boar tenderloin that we had heard so much about. The sauce was rich and the prefect compliment to the meat. Our server was also very attentive and made sure we had everything we needed... Hamid was his name. We'll be back to try some other things. Great Job!

Pros: Beautiful Room, Nice People, GREAT Food

Cons: Parking in Ballard!!!

Posted 04/05/07

The food is excellent, place is beautiful, and the service is good. We went early on a Saturday right at 5pm because we couldn't get in at any other time. The waitstaff was very attentive, knowledgable, and professional! The restaurant itself is beautiful. It's not a white linen type of place. It feels more like an upscale trattoria you find in Milan or Florence. The seating for 2 looked a little close to each other but very European. This was the best bread I've ever had in my life, which sounds silly, but all the bread is baked fresh that day. From Breadsticks (soft breadstickes topped with seasalt and rosemary), unsalted tascan bread, and foccaccia served with olive oil and fennel salt. We started with the peach & thyme bellinis which were delicious . Then there was the Chefs Little Bites antipasti, which were cured meats, cheeses, a few different pates, pickled vegetables, grilled prawns and some type of friend polenta. We were a group of 4 and shared some risotto as a starter (made with saffron rissotto and a fresh red sauce) with Lobster. . I had the swordfish special then theothers had, pasta and wild boar. All were very good. For dessert there a complimentary birthday tiramisu which was light and airy.. All in all it was a perfect meal. well-paced, comfortable and delicious.

Posted 04/05/07

I'm jealous of all the people who seemed to have good experiences here. We've been to Volterra twice. The 1st time was just ok, & the 2nd was terrible (we only returned b/c all the nearby restaurants had a wait & they didn't). The waiter took forEVER to come over. By the time he did we already knew what we wanted to order but he took off so fast we couldn't tell him. He didn't even have time to properly answer our wine questions! It was like that all night. He was in a huge hurry and the place wasn't even full, it was midweek. I had the apple salad which was the best thing we ordered. My friend had the small bites appetizer which was just that- small bites of weird, unidentifyable things which would have been ok if any of them had tasted good. But only the cheese tased good. Then the terrible main courses. I had the only veggie option, eggplant pouches, which was totally undercooked so that the top part of the pouches where all the dough comes together was almost crunchy. The flavor of the sauce was like store-bought. But worse was the beef tenderloin. The menu said it was grilled but apparently it had been at least partially oven-roasted which robbed it of all the flavor that should have been there. On top of that, we ordered it medium and it came quite well done. The sauce over it was very strange too. The only good part of the dish were the mashed potatoes. Then dessert: The tiramisu is a big pile of whipped cream with one or two lone pieces of cake hidden inside. I could have just squirted some ready-whip into my mouth. The caramel napoleon was so tough I had to ask for a knife to cut into it - it tasted quite old and stale. The filling was bland and probably mostly whip cream, and there was only a tiny swirl of decorative caramel on the edge of the plate. I cannot understand what people like about this restaurant. For a place where you end up spending well over $100 for two it's just an absolute rip off. We'll never go back.

Pros: Cute building

Cons: Bad food quality & preparation, service, parking, overpriced

Posted 04/05/07

I experienced Volterra last night and had a wonderful time. The service was warm and hospitable and they really knew how to take care of a guest. The menu was thorough, clever and enticed me to come back to try more. And the food was amazing! The scallops were fresh and bright which made me feel as though I had seen a glimpse of summer. For dessert we had the Caramel Napolean....you can't miss it....the crisp phyllo dough with the airy caramel pastry cream was light yet so sinful! Volterra is a fantastic place to relax and experience dining out in Tuscan style.

Posted 04/04/07

I just planned a corporate dinner for several very high profile clients at volterra. the catering person was great to work with and came up with a 4 course menu that was exactly what i was looking for. our food was incredible and the server didn't miss a beat. our wine glasses were always full and there was the perfect amount of time between courses. my clients are still talking about the truffle custard and the wild boar tenderloin. one of my clients said it was the best italian meal they have had. my guests were blown away and i looked like a star. what could be better? i highly recommend volterra if you want to impress!

Posted 04/02/07

My husband and I went to Volterra early last Satuday. Everything was wonderful! Our server was great, and the food was fantastic. We had the chef's small bites appetizer which was interesting and allowed us to try many different tastes and textures. The brushcetta volterrana was amazing! The flavor of the truffles was so rich. I had a mushroom stuffed porkchop w/blue cheese and mustard sauce that was placed on top of goat cheese laced mashed potatoes. I enjoyed everything on my plate, there were so many different flavors, but they blended very well. My husband had the beef tenderloin medallion. I think his steak was the best I have ever tasted, it was amazingly tender with a great flavor. We will definitely be visiting Volterra again!

Pros: fun neighborhood for an after dinner stroll, server was fun and helpful, romantic setting

Cons: can't think of any

Posted 03/10/07

I am a jaded Bostonian who studied in Milan and relocated to Seattle recently. I have been disappointed by the Italian restaurants in Seattle until I found Volterra. Last night had dinner here and was amazed by the food, service and overall atmosphere. Great experience and would highly recommend this restaurant. Everything from the bread service to the large wine list to food (from appetizers to salad to main course to dessert) show attention to detail and quality. Service was excellent and I felt welcomed like a friend.

Pros: Quality Food, Details, Service, Atmosphere

Cons: Parking

Posted 03/09/07

Lastnight I was fortunate enough to have an early Valentine's Day dinner at Volterra. Walking by numerous times in the last year, it has always been busy and had heard it was a wonderful restaurant from family and friends. Without reservations we were promptly seated (it was a Thursday) and waited on hand and foot. Beginning with tasty bread and fennel salt (a first for me) and a delicious Rosemary Lemoncello, I was in Tuscan heaven! The server's friendliness was unsurpassed, even when I sent my entree back. Trust me, I NEVER have done that and was pretty nervous to do so. He simply stated, "I will take it right away, and what else may I bring you." His demeanor was unwavering, even after such a request. He was wonderful the entire evening, attentive but not pushy. I've never had a waiter ask me if I would like to split a salad with my companion. That's the vibe at Volterra, fine dining but casual service and not at all pushy. We will be back soon!

Posted 02/09/07

My girlfriend went to a charity event at the chihuly boathouse and discovered volterra as theye the caterers there. She raved about the food that was served so we visited the restaurant last weekend. It was extremely busy on Sat night, I heard the hostess tell people who walked in that it was a 2 hour wait but luckly we had reservations and were seated within 3 minutes of our arrival. Despite being so busy everything ran very smoothly. Our server was very friendly and gave us an introduction to the restaurant and menu. We had the Volterra House Red and it was one of the best house wines we've tasted. The polenta with wild mushroom sauce, Wild Boar,Monkfish and Carmel Napolean were all outstanding. We will now be regulars at Volterra.

Posted 02/06/07

This is our second time for brunch. (Our first experience was better.) Our server seemed half asleep and could not even recall what herbal teas were available. My husband's pancakes (buckwheat & chestnut flour) were dry. The wild mushrooms that topped my eggs benedict were stringy in texture and unappealing to look at. Our server never checked back with us and never offered water or coffee refills. I noticed her conversing with the hostess and other servers at the bar in the other room. And the dining area was only half full with customers. We would never go back for brunch again.

Pros: Ambience

Cons: Service

Posted 02/04/07

Food was fantastic..However I agree with some of the other users...the hostess was "a little too big for her britches"...refused to add one additional person to our table, even though we called ahead...very short with us...however...when a local celebrity came in she fell all over him. Maybe a lesson in common courtesy would be helpful here....again...the food was fantastic.

Posted 01/30/07

Though I did not think so for the first 50 minutes, this is a great place for a romantic dinner! Took the wife there for our anniversary dinner, & (in the end) was not disappointed.

Let me address the faults first, & get that out of the way. When we arrived 10 min early for our reservations, our table was not ready. No big deal, we'll sit at the bar & have a couple of cocktails; 45 min later I approach the hostess, & she had forgotten about us. We had to wait an additional 10 min or so to be seated. Secondly, in an effort to squeeze in an extra table or two, mgmt has left little room in between tables along the wall, making it difficult to get in and out.

Beyond these items, the experience was excellent. The wait staff was attentive w/o being instrusive (often a hard balance to find), and helpful in every way. The food was exquisite. The assorted antipasta was both interesting and delightful, a good recommendation from the wait staff. For entrees, I had the house specialty (wild boar tenderloin with gorgonzola sauce) & she had the Beef Tenderloin Medallion; both of us were impressed from the first bite.
I would recommend this restaurant for anyone's special occasion!

Pros: wait staff service; food selection and quality

Cons: little distance between tables; when full, a little noisy for "romance"

Posted 01/28/07

On my recent 2nd visit to Volterra (the first being an early weeknight, ouside on the patio), my husband and I were extremely disappointed. Our experience started to go down hill as soon as we sat down and the wine steward pounced on us. We didn't even have our coats off, and he wanted our order. The waiter was on his tail immediately. Ok, we could already see that our quiet, relaxing night was not meant to be. We placed our order and finally relaxed. Our appetizer came, and was followed promply by our main courses. We never received our salads. The server (not our waiter) offered to bring them still, but we kindly asked her to cancel our salads, and we'd just enjoy our main course. When our waiter finally came by, noticing we didn't get our salads, we told him the error and that we had therefore cancelled the salads. At this point, he rolled his eyes!

As if this wasn't enough, the waiter hurredly checked back again and rattled off the dessert menu. We had to remind him of the cheese plate, and ordered that. It came, and was immediately followed by our check, which included several expensive cocktails we never had. We told the waiter to kindly take the drinks off, and he acutally argued with us that we did indeed have them. I should have told him this is impossible, we haven't been here long enough! So, in just under an hour, we racked up a $160 bill (the wine "guy" talked us into a mediocre $90 bottle).

Anway, the evening was very rushed, food was probaly good, we just didn't have time to really enjoy it. We will take our business elsewhere in the future. There are much better places to go for better Italian food, where you are treated with respect and have ample time to relax.

Pros: location

Cons: parking, noisy, rushed, loud, service

Posted 01/17/07

One of the best dining experiences I can remember. Emphasis on Northern Italian fare; the mussels and sausage are worth it just for the sauce to dunk your bread in. And you've never tasted mashed potatoes like this. The braised Lamb shank fell of fthe bone and was perfect. For dessert try the rich chocolate cake with chocolate mousse. The wait staff are very accomodating, knowledgable and friendly. Lovely atmosphere. A special grazie to the Wine Steward for making our anniversary such a memorable one by selecting the perfect bottle of Barolo for us. The wine list is big and prices very reasonable.

Pros: Food, WIne LIst, Service, Atmopshere, Affordable

Cons: Parking, a little cold by the window

Posted 01/17/07

I am usually not a huge fan of going out to eat Italian and find a lot of it kind of boring. I never order a tomato sauce dish out (even lasagna). It's usually something simple I could make at home. However, this experience was not like that. This was the best Italian food I've ever had. I would say it even rivals some of the best French food I've ever had (my favorite cuisine).
I had the Wild Boar Tenderloin with Gorgonzola, and it was one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life!
The service was great and we appreciated all the little touches, including the wine steward. Plenty of staff.
The only down sides would be that the bar is SO small. It was just a bit cramped overall, and there is no waiting area, (which is not good when it's as cold as it has been) but we appreciate that they get in as many people as they comfortably can in such a small space. Might I recommend expanding?
The decor seemed like a cross between "old school steakhouse" (think dark wood) and modern (stainless steel). I think they could have gone with a "warmer", more European/Tuscan look and had a better ambiance for the cuisine.
But, we will definitely go back often and rave about this place to all our friends!

Pros: Food!!! Prices were reasonable; service was great.

Cons: Limited wines (Italian & Domestic only), COLD (temperature in there)

Posted 01/13/07

I came here for dinner on a Friday night with a group of 6. The hostess seated us the moment we walked in and from then on everything went perfect. We were seated at a fantastic booth in the rear dining room which was fairly private. Service was friendly and attentive. The decor is beautiful and I love the gorgeous glowing lighting. The ambiance is fun and lively with a diverse crowd. The music playing was a funky jazz and provided a really nice energy. All of the food was delcious and the portions generous but not gluttonous. I went with a group of very pick people, myself included, and everyone was quite impressed and satisfied with the experience.I will definitely be going back.

Pros: Wine List, Food, Ambiance

Posted 12/27/06

I went to Volterra for dinner last weekend with a friend. We both knew very little about the restaurant going in and we enjoyed a truly exceptional meal. The front room/bar was cozy and easy to have a conversation in, the dining room looked beautiful and was packed (Definitely make reservations!) Appetizers (fried eggplant and mussels with sausage) arrived quickly and were delicious, the main dishes (wild boar and crab spaghetti) were distinctive and memorable, and the desserts (carmel apple tart and chestnut honey pana cota) were scrumptious. Service was efficient, helpful, and friendly throughout the meal. The wine list is extensive, as is the variety on the menu.

Pros: Delicious Food, Varied Menu, Warm Service

Cons: Parking

Posted 12/26/06

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.

If you're looking for cliche italian food (Spaghetti and Meatballs, Pizza, Fettucine Alfredo) and someone to sing That's Amore- go somewhere else. Volterra is the real deal.

Posted 12/22/06

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.

Posted 12/21/06

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.

Posted 12/13/06

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.

Posted 12/09/06

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

Posted 12/09/06

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

Posted 12/08/06

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

Posted 12/04/06

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

Posted 11/20/06

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.

Posted 11/11/06

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.

Posted 11/09/06

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

Posted 10/29/06

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

Posted 10/29/06

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

Posted 10/29/06

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.

Posted 10/29/06

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.

They have a special fennel salt at Volterra (indeed, fennel is featured heavily menu-wide). This tastes nice, and complements the breads well, but is not necessarily what I wanted. I asked for regular salt (there is no regular salt or pepper on the table) and never received it. Apparently their sense of taste trumps their customers'. That's not gourmet, that is just pure snobbery. When I asked the waiter if the fennel salt contained fennel pollen, a rare gourmet ingredient, he didn't even seem to know what I was talking about. If you are going to be a food snob, at least have the food knowledge to back it up.

House wine was quite nice, fennel cocktail (yes, they even put this stuff in a martini) was, er, interesting.

Pros: Excellent food

Cons: Insistence on the fennel salt is a big turnoff

Posted 10/25/06

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

Posted 10/11/06

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.

Posted 09/25/06

Great Food - Boar, Eggplant Pasta, Beet Salad, Chocolate Cake!!!
Great Service - Anthony was the best.
Beautiful Dining Room!
Volterra moves to the top of my list. Give it a try.

Pros: Food! Service! Lighting in Dining Room

Cons: Parking in Ballard

Posted 09/25/06

Probably the best meal we've had in years. My wife (the food critic of the family) always has a nit pick about every restaurant we go to. This is the 1st time she thought everything was perfect from beginning to end. The food and service were both spectacular. Every dish was flavorful and the ingredients were so fresh. We never wanted for anything the entire meal the waiter showed up at just the right time to fill our wine, our napkins were re-folded when we went to the bathroom and plates cleared as soon as we were done. Impressive since the place was full. Highly recommend making a trip to Ballard.

Pros: Fresh Ingredients, Authentic Italian, Great Service

Cons: Parking, Parking, Parking

Posted 09/24/06

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.
They couldn't even add pieces of CHICKEN to your ceasar salad! Would they give it to me if I were Emeril Lagasse? We lost our appetite and never want to return.

Posted 09/24/06

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

There is a large menu which appeals to both the adventursome or picky eater. The entree special- Lamb served three ways- was inventive and beatifully presented. The wild boar with gorgonzola was to die for. Even my kids noodles with butter and cheese were gobbled up in a minute. The portions were generous without being too much. This isn't the kindof place where you have food left over for 3 days. Its one of the few places to offer food that you would actually eat in Italy.

The service was excellent. Our waiter Stevie was knowledgeable about the food and excited about the restaurant. He made us feel like guests instead of a couple of people just eating dinner.

Posted 09/24/06

Great meal and great service. Everything we expected and more. Polenta app is amazing!!Cocktails were delicious and service attentive but not intrusive. Everything on the menu sounds great. We'll be back to try it all. Highly Recommended if you like good food.

Pros: FOOD!

Cons: Parking

Posted 09/17/06

Amazing food at an appropriate price. Treat yourself to sauces infused with morels or the taste of wild boar. By the time your meal is over, you'll feel like a Roman after the feast.

Pros: Delicious food. Amazing chef.

Cons: The main dining room is too noisy to have a conversation.

Posted 09/17/06

My boyfriend took me to Volterra to celebrate my birthday. We were seated immediately at a great table in the corner, our waiter was charming, the wine steward picked out a perfect bottle of wine for us and the bus boys were so efficient my water glass was never empty. As we were waiting for our dessert, the power went out. The staff did not miss a step and instantly began bring extra candles to the tables and doing what they could to make the situation comfortable for everyone. The power was out on the entire street and thanks to the staff, noone panicked A few minutes later, our dessert arrived and it looked like the kitchen was able to get all of the customers fed despite the black out. We thought the darkness really added some excitement to the night and even ordered another glass of wine. Huge props to everyone at Volterra. They really handled the situation with the utmost professionalism. This is a birthday I will never forget and I look forward to going back again soon.

Pros: Menu, Food, Professional Staff

Cons: None

Posted 09/17/06

After reading on City Search that this was supposed to be a very romantic and fabulous place to eat, I quickly made reservations and was expecting something great. My husband, father-in-law, and I celebrated my birthday here and found that it was not up to par. My bread plate was chipped, badly, and dirty, so we switched it with the adjacent table and ended up with just a dirty plate instead. There is nothing "romantic" about this place. It was small (which is good) and noisy and the ambiance just wasn't there. The food was good, though, but nothing exceptional that warrants the big accolade.

Posted 09/16/06