Perche No Pasta & Vino

The pasta is made on site and the chef /owner is an unbelievable chef. From the salad to the desert it was fantastic. A really great dining experience

Pros: The food is great

Cons: Street parking only

Posted 10/04/09

David and Lily make you feel as if you are special family members. Their staff treat you the same way. You are special guests, and they treat you to the most wonderful Italian food. The pasta is made on site every day, and the chefs are geniuses. We love to sit upstairs so we can view the kitchen as we wait for our meal to arrive. It's like a ballet the way they move together while preparing all the special dishes in a small kitchen. The menu items are fabulous, but the special offerings are over the top. Always!! If you haven't been to Perche No Pasta and Vino - you are missing a great evening! Not to mention the live music they often have!! Call them for a reservation...... NOW!

Pros: Amazing daily specials and wonderful people

Cons: Can't think of any!

Posted 10/04/09

Perche No has been my all-time favorite Italian restaurant for nearly 7 years. The individual flavors shine without anything being overbearing and each meal I have tried are perfect every time! Everything from their prosciutto to the wine, interior design to the individual appearances made by the owners, truly created an atmosphere that can't be matched! They shine above any Italian restaurant I have come across be it West Coast or East Coast.

Pros: Fantastic food and unpretentious atmosphere

Cons: I now live in the UK and don't get back enough

Posted 09/01/09

The food here is the most authentic Italian food I have had in the states, which is not surprising because the chef and his wife go to Italy every summer to take cooking classes. The owners (the chef and his wife) treat everyone like family, making sure to talk to each table personally and taking photos of you and your group (which they e-mail to you). On many evenings they have a pianist on site. Perfect place for dates or large gatherings. If you have a big group you can opt to do 'Family style' and the chef will ask what foods you like/don't like and will create a 5 course meal for everyone. AMAZING!!!

Pros: Best Italian food in the states

Posted 08/18/09

This is our favorite resturant. Our family has been going here for at least 15 years when they still had their old place on lower Queen Ann. The owners, David

Posted 08/03/09

I went for a birthday party for a small group and the attention to detail and our group by the owners made us feel important, welcome, and appreciated. The pizza and pasta were terrific and well seasoned. I loved the wine list and the beer selection was great too.. It is very relaxed place for either a high-end italian dinner or pizza.....nice owners that always make you want to come back too....

Pros: great pasta and wine/beer list

Cons: can't go more often

Posted 06/13/09

At first when I read all the negative reviews i was very skeptical- how bad could it really be? I LOVE italian food and consider myself somewhat of a purist. We got the fried artichoke for an appetizer(pretty tasty, though didn't come with enough sauce), seared scallots with sea urchin(scallops were rubbery and the sea urchin texture was awful). for dinner we gt the tomato faviloi stuffed with portobello mushroom and truffle sage butter sauce- it sounded amazing..... but i was thoroughly let down by it. The pasta is homemade, yes, but doesn't make up for the fact that the raviolis were thin and falling apart. There is an obvious lack of communication at the restaurant- the same busser/server/whatever was walking around going from table to table asking if a plate of raviolis belonged to them... this happened about 4 times. I will try going here again... but so far i am not very impressed. I would recommend going to Marcello's on 65th and Roosevelt, or La vita e bella in Belltown- a little pricier,,, but much better service and food.

Pros: wine selection is amazing... and they give nice full glasses, tons of pasta, desert selection is good

Cons: crowded, loud, Small portions, poor service, lack of true variety on menu (no chicken? only beef/lamb and pasta?!?!)

Posted 02/13/09

I live in Sammamish now and don't get to this area much anymore but when I do, I always want to stop in here. Whether for cockails or dinner, I just think this place is great! The owners are so friendly and the food is amazing. There aren't many restaurants where the owners and chefs come out and visit with you and truely want to know how the experience is for you. The only downfall was the waiter we had - Ryan didn't give much of an opinion on anything and didn't seem too excited about being there. His delivery of the specials was poor. I love the open kitchen and how clean and inviting the whole restaurant is. The homemade, fresh pasta and infused vodkas and brandies are such a treat. Try the Lemonchello. I'll be back many times!

Pros: Food is fabulous. Owners make it a point to enhance your experience and make it great!

Cons: Waiter that didn't seem too excited about ANYTHING. No recommendations etc.

Posted 01/13/09

The other night we had the good fortune to Perche'No Pasta &Vino. We had very personable and good service and the food was absolutely wonderful. We let the chef choose the selection and we were not dissapointed.

We started with an antipasta selection or fresh olives, perfectly cooked portabella mushoom, artichoke hearts and marinated cucumber. We then proceed to wonderful and very large raviolis with wonderful flavor. Then 3 different kinds of beautifully tender and cooked meats...pork, beef steak and venison. Also a terrific mixed salad with a wonderful ceasar type dressing but very mild. Lastly was a selection of 3 types of desserts including a chocolate 'lasagna' in rasperry sauce that was a house original, also tiramasu and gelato

I think all in the party would recommend this restaurant to others who want a very special italian dinner. We will be back!

Posted 11/29/08

This establishment is our family's "special place". Want to get the family together for mass-birthdays? Perfect! Meet with friends you haven't seen in a while and enjoy the company, wine and food? Ideal!

The word "friendly" doesn't do justice to the feeling you get as a diner. Yes, it's noisy (when busy) and yes,
it's a tight fit (also when busy), but for great food and a good warm and fuzzy, Perche yes! My favorite is
the squid ink risotto and the chocolate lasagna is as tasty as it is beautiful.

Pros: Food and friendship

Cons: none

Posted 11/09/08

I second Dixie11's review. Four of us dined here this week, after a long hiatus from the time before when I decided to give the place a chance to improve. The service was....well.....back in the day when I was waiting tables, if I was that stone-faced and non-conversational I would have made no tips. The service seemed mostly canned. The kitchen very loud. The important thing is the the food was very so so and the experience just devoid of fun. As stated before, with all the restaurants to go to, why not spend your money someplace better? Once again, another disappointment.

Pros: not enough to return

Cons: don't have to drive downtown

Posted 10/19/08

Just returned from dinner at this restaurant. Not quite sure what to say or where to start. .. it was like going to a bad italian restaurant in the old days - service was lazy and not an ounce of charm from the waiter. SImply dropped off the dishes with not the least of interest. Dirty tablecloth and a miss mash of dishes/cutlery on the table. The food was marginal at best, and there were 5 of us, so we has a good sampling.
Would not recommend this restaurant to anyone - especially nowadays when people have been
exposed to a certain degree of finesse in cooking - especially in italian dining.
With the cost of dining out these days, they have a long way to go to make anyone want to eat here.

Pros: can't think of any really

Posted 08/12/08

We just can't say enough about the meal we had there last night. The service was prompt and friendly without being invasive. We were treated like family. The food was as good as anything we have had in Italy. The pasta was phenomenal, the risotto with squid ink was the best ever!! Everything was fresh and fabulous!!!!

Pros: Great food and service!!!!!!!! A++

Cons: none

Posted 08/09/08

This was a sad experience. Indeed, the owners are very friendly. They kept telling us we'd been there before, when we hadn't. Kind of odd. The wait staff is very friendly and helpful as well. Unfortunately, they deserve a better quality restaurant to work in.

The cardinal sin of an Italian restaurant is overcooked pasta, and we got two plates of it. Just not good. I had boar fillets, which were fairly tasy, served with a raisin, pine nut, marsala wine sauce. Strangely, this was plated with two slices of beets and a little blop of the overcooked pasta in an orange sauce. The beets were too earthy tasting to go with the flavorless pasta and the whole plate was really unpleasant to look at with it's combination of brown, purple and orange food.

My vegan friend asked for a simple plate of rigatoni and marinara sauce. The overcooked pasta really ruined even this dish.

Another consideration is the noise level. I like bustle and that New Yorky feel, but this place is really, really noisy. We had a hard time talking to each other over the clatter.

A decent wine selection didn't make up for the rest of the meal. I would never spend money here again.

Posted 06/06/08

I dream about eating the food here it is a must every-time I drive to Seattle, The owners are so personable and sent some great pictures of the birthday we celebrated there.

Pros: so much flavor not your typical bland restaurant food

Cons: they get so busy that it can be hard to get in or get parking

Posted 02/19/08

Dined with 8 people, we got seated right away and had homemade bread while we waited to order dinner. The bread was heavenly (and filled me up a little too much). I had the vegetable risotto and it was done perfectly, it was light, flavorful, and filling. My husband had the cappelini pasta dish with anchioves in it and he loved it. He said it was very tasty and not fishy at all, plus he could tell the noodles were homemade. My sister had the meat risotto which was average, however the rest of our meals were great and very authentic. My brother in law had the mushroom ravioli and it was just rich enough, but a little spicy. I would definetely go there again....Oh yeah, and for dessert we had some creamy lemon drink (don't remember the name of it). I don't know why this place has bad reviews, we found it very authentic. Great wine list and some of the best caprese salad I have had.

Pros: Great food, decent prices

Cons: the piano man playing "tiny dancer"

Posted 01/05/08

We read the reviews for this neighborhood restaurant which list several red flags. I'm not sure why we went anyway but we did. All of the numerous pros and cons listed are accurate, from the over the top friendliness of the owners, to the shouting at the staff coming from the central kitchen (This guy has a problem). My partner had the prawns which were good enough. I had the linguine pescatore (spaghetti and seafood). The serving was large but nearly inedible. The clams seemed a little too fishy suggesting they weren't fresh enough, this combined with a thick gluey pasta and bland sauce made for a disgusting mess. We did not try the appetizers, the prosciutto hanging above our table was as close as we got.

Pros: Crazy chaotic place -- Like Italy!!

Cons: Better off with frozen Italian from the supermarket

Posted 12/31/07

I signed up for a citysearch account specifically to dispel what appears to be a pernicious rumor regarding Perche'no: "the food is really good."

Well, it's not.

In fact, the food is actually bad. It has no flavor. The ingredients used are poor quality. It is poorly prepared. And, on top of all this, they charge premium prices for it.

An example: the prosciutto-wrapped fresh mozzarella with balsamic reduction. The prosciutto is thick, tough, and utterly lacking in flavor. In fact, there were several parts that were so thick and tough I literally could not bite through it. The mozzarella is watery, flaccid, and flavorless. I don't know how the chef managed to make the balsamic reduction flavorless, but somehow he did it. The final insult was the price: $9 for four bites. Not to mention that the entree (equally flavorless) arrived BEFORE THE APPETIZER, with no apology and no change in the bill.

Let's move onto the beer menu for further evidence of Perche'no's culinary and business ineptitude. A relatively extensive (and expensive) beer list ostensibly shows a decent selection of local micros.

Perfect.

But wait before you order that Elysian IPA--although the menu would lead you to believe your $6 beer will be from a freshly tapped keg, it's not. It's from a bottle. That is something that MUST be mentioned on the menu. Inexcusable.

And then the restaurant itself. They have packed so many tables into such a small space that anytime the wait staff or other suckers walk past your table, they have no choice but to brush your arm, knock your table, or rearrange your plates with their hip.

In summary: Perche'no is poorly run, poorly cheffed, overpriced, too small, and just generally BAD. In fact, I would say it's terrible. Save your money and your sanity and go elsewhere. If even one person takes this advice, the world will be a better place.

Perche'no = Perche'no thanks.

Pros: I didn't feel sick after eating there.

Cons: Overpriced, flavorless food. Tables crowded together. Misleading beer menu.

Posted 11/17/07

I visited Perche'no a few months ago. We ordered a perchuto ham appetizer. I'm not sure if it was cooked. Light red with white marbling throughout. I had seafood pasta for dinner. Food came out quickly, but the pasta was cold. Some of the shellfish had not opened up which suggests they were not boiled or steamed nearly long enough. Not recommended...

Posted 09/08/07

okay, i don't pretend to be an expert food critic but i do have taste buds. the food at perche no's did absolutely NOTHING to them. i agree with the rest of the reviews about the owners...they're super nice and the service is great. unfortunately thats not enough to keep me coming back. the food was bland and probably one of the most uneventful meals i've had in a long time. you're better off making pasta at home or going to mama malinas.

Pros: owners are very nice

Cons: FOOD :0(

Posted 09/05/07

In Seattle there is a HUGE number or mediocre Italian restaurants and a handful of great ones unfortunately this falls into the former. We checked this place out based on the recommendation of a friend and all 4 of us left thinking "why would we ever go back?? The food had no flavor, they would not make any changes to the dishes we requested and although the owners where very nice to us (I'd venture to say a bit over the top) they belittled their employees right in front of us!

Posted 08/21/07

I was a customer of the old Queen Anne location. We enjoied the best Italian food we found in the US, several times. My knowledge of Italian food donesn't come after visiting "Italian" restaurants around here. I spent 45 years of my life in Italy, being born there.
So if someone tells me that going down the block to Bizzarro would have been a better choice I can't help but seriously question the palate of the reviewer!
Occasionally I found lousy service even in five stars restaurants. New staff is unattentive and under the pressure of performing in a new job. Everyone knows how hard is to select employees and how long it takes to size their skills. So give the owner a break! They work hard, they charge less than other more pretentious but inferior places.
The food is good, sometime exceptional.
If you prefer the Olive Garden, Bizzarro, Vince's, the Spaghetti House or Romeo.... then you might as well buy yourself a TV dinner and microwawe it while watching American Idol.

Pros: Food quality, owners, wine.

Cons: Few glitches having to work on creating the ideal staff

Posted 08/10/07

I went out on a limb and had my birthday party here after smelling the garlic wafting from the open doors as I strolled by one day. I took a chance, seeing as it was a large group of people and I had never been there before...they didn't skip a beat. Every single person in my party of fifteen said they would come back. Not a complaint in the room about any of the food. The table ordered a wide variety of appetizers, entrees, and wines. The waitress was highly knowledgeable, very attentive, and was just really on the ball, all 15 dinners arrived at the same time as well. The owners are kind and spoke with us shortly to make sure we were all satisfied. One minor issue that arose was the $20.00 fee we incurred for the use of plates and forks while eating the cake my friend baked for the party. The hostess convinced us to let her chill the cake and the waitress brought it out when we were done...I understand (sort of) the need for the charge, which still was cheaper than actually ordering dessert, but a mention of the charge would have at least been nice...However, honestly, this was some of the best food (not just Italian, but food in general) I have ever had, I will definitely be going back (without a cake)...

Pros: Wonderful atmosphere, incredible food

Cons: Cake fee

Posted 07/29/07

I'm a long-time fan of Perche'no (I frequented the previous establishment before it closed) and have never been disappointed by their service and food. I would strongly recommend this restaurant!

Pros: Service, Food Quality, Value

Cons: Parking

Posted 07/28/07

Unfortunatley, I have not been able to make it to the new location yet, but ate so many time before a show in the past that it felt like a special home away from home. David and Lily take so much pride in what they do, there is nothing else like it in Seattle. David has made very special dishes for us and has always taken the time to make sure that the wines I enjoy are on hand and he has also introduced me to more. The is a MUST restuarant in Washington State, forget just in Seattle!

Pros: The Owners

Posted 07/16/07

A good friend turned me on to their restaurant on Queen Anne. When they moved to the new location we had lunch there and the ambiance and decor was great. We like to sit upstairs along the railing to watch the cooking arena below. The service was beyond incredible. The owners are very hands on and he greeted us warmly at the door and she came to the table and talked with us. In other words they really "CARE" about you and want your dining experience to be one you won't forget. Every single dish was beyond fabulous. The pastas were to die for. We have been to Italy and this really took us back to the wonderful month we spent in that country. It was so good that after lunch we were going to have a birthday dinner in Seattle at a new place we couldn't get in to (something like Tavola?) so I decided I wanted my birthday dinner to be at the same place I had lunch that same day. All six people in our dinner party raved and said they all want to come back again and again.

Pros: service, ambiance, great dishes

Cons: no cons - just a long drive from Bellevue but really worth it!!!!

Posted 06/09/07

Charming family-owned restaurant with very friendly people who seem to genuinely enjoy serving the delicious food that owner, David Kong, has compilated from families in Italy. Lily Kong is always chatting with tables, and people become enraptured with her charming conversational abilities. It has a wonderful atmosphere that makes you feel at home. Highly recommended.

Pros: extensive wine list

Cons: parking

Posted 05/08/07

David & Lily are great hosts who make you feel welcomed and valued. Service was great, with firendly and helpful service. I love the portabello appetizer... and the "Wine Flight" taster is a great way to end an evening at the theatre.

Posted 02/27/07

i was really impressed by this restaurant for the food it offered and the patrons who ran it. david and lilly kong took a special interest in what we ordered, gave us a personal tour of their new restaurant, and even recommended a better bottle of wine for the same price point. i started with a cesar salad, which was good excpet ofr the croutons, which were stale. the signature veal porterhouse is a must have, if you like veal, although it is a bit pricey at $35. the sides that came with it were not exceptional: the eggplant was pooled in oil and the pasta was bland. we had the chocolate lasagna for dessert which was visually delicious and flavorful - but the veal made the meal and the evening. the restaurant is a three story new construction, and i thought they could have done a better job with the decor. it seemed a bit olive gardeny and cheap for a restaurant that puts out this quality level of food. regardless, i will be back.

Pros: veal, veal and more veal; wine list is good, too.

Cons: decor and side dishes

Posted 02/27/07

I had an ok experience at the Queen Anne location and this was just disappointing. While the owners are really nice, (they talk to you more than your waiter), I just can't recommend this place. The service is really poor for starters and the food is so bland it's not funny. Honestly, Olive Garden would have been better. Our bread was plain and uninteresting, the salad had so many non-Italian ingredients that I thought I was at a cafeteria. Our pasta and chicken marsala show up and wow, I could have made better for 5 bucks from QFC.

I want savory and exciting flavors when I go out to Italian, this place just doesn't do it.

Pros: Prices aren't bad on the menu.

Cons: No Parking (street parking), servers are slow and not attentive, food bland and uninteresting

Posted 01/13/07

Even self proclaimed Italian-Americans can't cook Italian food, so don't feel bad about it. The menu represents that of stereotypical Italian recipes that I never once came across when living in the boot-shaped country, but nevertheless it tasted good. That is why I've given the restaurant above a five, because that is what will have me coming back, as much as I will critique. And the prices ain't half bad. The Kong family (chef, owner, etc.) are SUPER nice, too, and actually come out to make sure everything is A+ (I just had to lie about the food...she was too sweet!). How many times has that happened to you at a restaurant recently?
Nice atmosphere, a little chilly (but then it was 20-something degrees outside)

Pros: Flavorful food, very friendly staff/owners

Cons: Parking, unoriginal menu, slow service

Posted 01/12/07

Looking for a great night out? Don't come here!
Looks beautiful on the outside, service is very disappointing on the inside. The hostess, who's job is to greet customers, didn't even notice us standing in front of her. We ended up sitting upstairs in the loft-like dining area overlooking the kitchen. This would have been very impressive if it weren't for the kitchen vents blowing cold air on us. We wore our coats the entire time. Our wine came 20 minutes after ordering it. We sat looking down at the kitchen, mouths watering, wondering when our food would come. 30 minutes later the food and my soup was luke-warm on arrival. Our waiter didn't seem to care because we didn't see him until the check came. Don't waste your time or money at this restaurant! We have a bet going on how long they will be in business!

Pros: Our bus-boy was awesome! We asked if he could be our server...

Cons: I woulnd't go back here if someone paid me

Posted 11/05/06

We asked to be moved before eating, to avoid hearing the chef berate the kitchen staff. Sitting upstairs was better than near the kitchen. Two of three were served in a normal amount of time, the third waited as the meals of the first two cooled. People around us were aplogised to about the tardiness of their meals and the wait staff seemed confused as to which table was to be served which meal. The food was good when it arrived. Perhaps with a little more time they'll get their groove.

Posted 09/23/06

I can only assume that one of the previous reviewers visited Percho No within the first few days of opening. I have eaten at Percho No more than ten imes sine they opened and have unequivically found the food to be some of the best Italian food in all of Seattle. I have traveled extensively through Italy and find Percho No to be extremely authentic. The wine list is very broad and well representative of Italy but at the the same time it contains some of the best valules in the city. I have found wines for $27. that can be purchased at QFC for $29. The wait staff is well-informed and gracious and I have never been welcomed in another restaurant like I have at Perche No. The dishes are well thought out and have interesting twists. The mushroom risotto is unbeatable.

Give it a try, but please don't tell anyone else because I would like to fiind a table open next Friday.

Pros: Mushroom risotto, hand made prosciutto, mozzarella from Tuscany.

Cons: NOne at all!

Posted 09/14/06

It is wonderful to find such fabulous Italian food in a neghborhood restaurant. Within walking distance, this is some of the best food around. David and Lily Kong have created another masterpiece. Their homemade prosciutto is to die for and the just imported mozarella birngs a smile anytime I can order! The pasta dishes are wonderful-especially the ravioli with truffle oil. The mushroom risotto can't be beat. David's signature dessert drink of lemon sorbet nad limoncello is the best end to a meal. I have also ordered to go and the food is just as wonderful at home.
Visit Percho No in Greenlake and you won't be disappointed. The line some nights is out the door due to the fabulous food!!

Pros: mushroom risotto, scrapino

Posted 09/14/06

I watched this restaurant being built across the street from my house and was pretty excited about a new place so close by. And I love Italian! Finally got to it last night... SO not worth the wait. My Carbonara was dry, too salty, and tasted burnt. My friend's risotto was so salty he drank three glasses of water... probably would have been more if the waiter had been paying attention.

The food's cheap, and the wine was pretty good, but if you want Italian, go a few more blocks and go to Bizzarros instead. We did, for dessert.

Pros: cheap and empty

Cons: poorly educated waitstaff couldn't pronounce the italian dishes, and the food was pretty bad

Posted 09/08/06

We are big fans of the Queen Anne location, so were very excited to see this restaurant open in our neighborhood. In short: It was some of the worst service we've had at a restaurant in Seattle. Our waitress was unattentive, knew nothing about the menu or wine list, and forgot several items. Several of the wines listed were unavailable, and one of the glasses served to us had turned. Another had a plethora of cork floating in it. For a restaurant that prides itself on food/wine pairings, this was inexcusable. The food was fair... nothing special. In the future I'll make the trip to the Queen Anne location, or go to one of the many other great Italian restaurants nearby rather than return here.

Pros: None

Cons: Poor service

Posted 08/27/06

My husband and I recently celebrated my birthday at Perche'no. Our waiter was attentive and friendly. We enjoyed one of their wine flights, a great way to sample different wines. On their menu they have a system that identifies what types of wines go best with whatever item you may select. I ordered the fettucine perche'no, a cream sauce with tiger prawns. My husband thought the prawns were a little overdone but I didn't notice. Best of all, the cream sauce was perfectly seasoned - no salt required. Only downside? Every entree is pasta. If you are on a carb free diet, you are limited to salads, there seem to be no meat or veggie only dinners.
Despite its large size, Perche'no feels like a quaint neighborhood restaurants. Friends and strangers were treated like family. We will definetely be back.

Pros: Delicious food, attentive service, ambience

Cons: Can't think of any

Posted 08/23/06