Tulio Ristorante

I first went to Tulio's because my sister knew the GM. I thought, how different can this place be from other Italian restaurants, maybe I was extremely hungry that day, but I really enjoyed the food. I've been back a couple more times and the food has been great each time.

The service is a mixture of good and bad. I've had a really great server and I've had the laziest server. So depending on which section you are seated at, the service may not be up to par. It is also very crowded both inside and out, it's hard to get around tables.

Pros: good food

Cons: crowded

Posted 04/22/09

We went to Tulio for Valentines day ('09) and were disappointed. The service was good and the atmosphere was nice. The food was not that great and extremely expensive. For being such a fancy restaurant it did NOT live up to the hipe. Save your money and go somewhere else.

Posted 02/22/09

I have been coming to Tulio's for about ten years now, and have never been disappointed. Very nice atmosphere with pleasant personal, especially in the Bar area. Excellent bartenders with great knowledge in wine and mixology. My favorites are the Calamari and the Ahi Tuna, to be finished with the addictive Pistachio Semifreddo. Highly recommended 4.5 stars

Pros: Great Consistent service and food

Cons: Parking is not easy to find

Posted 02/08/09

The food --- SoSo. The service ----- SoSo The ambiance ---SoSo
There are just to many good restaurants in the Seattle area for me to waste $100 dollars on a SoSo experince. When I go out to eat I want something better than I can do at home ---- That is the question I always ask myself --- in this case the answer is I could make a better meal at home than I had at Tulio's.

Posted 11/27/08

We were celebrating my mom's 55th birthday and a belated Father's day since my parents live overseas and were finally here for a visit. This was the last day of their trip and was meant to be a very special occassion. The staff knew of the celebration (thru Open Table reservation + the waiter actually confirmed what we were celebrating!) yet, did nothing special for us. Why indicate you want to know about a special event if you do nothing about it? The gnocchi and my mom's main course (the salmon Ravioli) were wonderful. But my husband's Tagliatelle was almost tasteless and my veal chop was overcooked. The veal was supposedly stuffed with mozarella, but we didn't see much cheese. For the most expensive item on the menu and a Chef's speciality, we were very disappointed. The waiter didn't seem to notice (or care?) that more than half of my dish remained uneaten after him making such a big deal about what a great dish it was. Being that half the food we received was sub-par, I doubt we will be returning. It's a shame too because the rest of the restaurant was quite nice - cute place, not too noisy, fairly gracious staff. But none of that matters if you don't enjoy the food you are spending your hard-earned money on. Much less the embarrasment that this was the "nice" restaurant I took my parents to. It's not like we could do a "do-over" and go somewhere different later in the week since it was their last night in town. I shouldn't have to apologize to my guests for the restaurant's shortcomings.

Posted 07/06/08

The food is phenominal. Every bite I take is like magic in my mouth. When I want to try something new I do it here. I know it will cooked the best. The prices are very reasonable for dinner. Have a drink in the bar, it is memorable.

Pros: Food, prices

Cons: I live too far away!

Posted 02/09/08

I have been a loving patron of Tulio since the days of when Seattle was a beginning culinary powerhouse as well as the grunge capital. In the many years I have dined there I have never had a less than perfect experience , and that is saying a lot. In my opinion, Tulio is the Italian version of Canlis. Creative menu options, and many homemade pastas show the chefs commitment to quality, A lamb filet and pork shank that both border on perfection, and management and wait staff that show genuine pride in the job they do. My only gripe would be that the last time my wife and I dined there she fell in love with my George Clooney stunt double waiter. Oh well, at least I ate well that night.

Pros: Yes

Cons: No

Posted 11/27/07

I've never had a less-than-perfect experience at Tulio. The service is always impeccable, the food is perfect, the wine list excellent, the desserts top-notch. This sounds a little over-enthusiastic, but Tulio is really one of those rare places that I always know exactly what to expect and it always delivers. Birthdays, important dinners and quiet nights at the bar have all been happily spent here. And great stop for downtown lunch!

Pros: Great service, tasty pizza

Cons: Can be hard to park

Posted 11/08/07

This place is exactly what you think of when you think of great Italian fine dining. The dishes and flavors are familiar, but exceptional, and there is the occasional unique twist. My favorite part (other than the sweet potato gnocchi -- to DIE for) is that it FEELS like an Italian restaurant. They didn't spend a million dollars on custom pendant lighting and glowing wall features like everywhere else in this city. It's perfect.

Pros: Feels like a great Italian restaurant, and delivers

Cons: Not perfectly consistent (but always good)

Posted 06/06/07

I agree with exhusky, I've been going to Tulio ever since Tulio himself used to be there, and food and service are always solid. And agreed, 14 years is a long time to keep consistant in the ever changing Seattle restaurant scene. A final thought, if you list free bread as a pro for a restaurant, you probably don't belong at Tulio.

Posted 03/24/07

I have had the pleasure of dining at Tulio since they opened which is proably coming up on at least 14 years now, and I can say with absolute honesty that this restaurant has remained consistant the entire time. Food and service have always been great, and that's a long time to retain that track record. That being said, and as a disclosure, my daughter used to work at a "25 for 25" restaurant, you will never be able to experience the restuarant when having the 25 menu.The kitchen is mainly focused on keeping up, the servers don't like what this promotion brings, and they're service for the most part reflects the way they are being treated. Don't believe me? Ask a server in a 25 restaurant. And finally, if you review 8 restaurants in the promotion, and dislike every one, maybe you should STOP going to the 25 for 25 restaurants. I think most would give up after 3, but perhaps you enjoy the agony.

Posted 03/23/07

After hearing so much praise from the secret diner on the lavender pork, I had to try Tulio to see if the hype is consistent. I used the 25 for $25 special and ordered the asparagus soup, lavender pork and the chocolate cake. I paid extra for the calamari because a reviewer said it was wonderful.

The asparagus soup was wonderful but the goat cheese dollop could have been more pronounced because it gave the soup a zing.

The calamari should have been labeled garbanzo beans with a side of calamari. You only get a few grilled pieces and a whole lot of beans.

The lavender pork was prepared medium well due to ignorant customer complaints who don't know how pork should be served. Thank you chef for compromising your culinary values. These people probably go to Ruth Chris and put A1 steak sauce on their steak. Please trust in your chef, they were professionally trained to ideally serve perfectly prepared meats. Do you go to a sushi place and ask the chef to cook your sashimi?

I returned the pork and ordered the bland linguine with clams. Whoever mentioned that Tulio serves homemade pasta don't know what fresh pasta tastes like because the linguine tasted like it came from Barilla. I received two closed clams which was a major faux pas.

The best part of the meal was the chocolate cake. Thank god the pastry chef didn't compromise his talents and overcook it.

The service was mediocre at best. The waitress never did serve me my plates therefore what was she doing in the mean time? Who knows..because my empty plates sat there staring at me for quite a while. It took a long time to receive my bill, I wonder what the waitress is doing? Overall, a so-called famed Italian restaurant compromised their culinary talents to produce a lackluster menu special. Please don't participate in the special if you are not going to give it your best. I guess Campagne and Tulio had a meeting because the experience was similar.

Pros: Free Foccacia Bread

Cons: Overcooked Lavender Pork, Bland Store Bought Linguine, Mediocre Service

Posted 03/18/07

We went to Tulio's and right from the start were disappointed by having to pay $13.00 to park our car to eat dinner. Wait staff was non interested in getting to our table even though he looked over at us but went on to do other things that seem unimportant. He did not make suggestions and took our order without offering any salad's or starters. Our meal we had Duck was good but side dishes that were served were not very tasty. There are to many other good restaurant's in Seattle for us to go back, we were disappointed.

Pros: on main street

Cons: high cost to park your car while dining

Posted 03/16/07

I tried Tulio for the first time tonight and I can't wait to go back. We were out on a business dinner and several of us enjoyed the 25 for $25 prix fixe meal while others ordered off the regular menu. The chicken with carmelized garlic was delicious as was the cherry tomatoes and mozarella starter. Though the restaurant was small and got completely full as the night wore on, the initmacy was not lost. The dim lights and dark leather reminded me why I enjoy fine dining so much and I'm happy to find a restaurant that isn't uncomfortably modern like many other Seattle dining establishments.

Pros: Good food, intimate atmosphere

Cons: Lack of parking

Posted 11/13/06

I recently read a review on this restaurant claiming that the food wasn't worth the money, the bill was too expensive for two (100.00), and they didn't give a free dessert for his wife's birthday... for this person I have a suggestion: go to the Spaghetti Factory, where the food is cheap, the service is artificially contrived, and they give you free spumoni ice cream for dessert every day of the year (I'm sure their delicious Inglenook house wine will be right up your alley... or perhaps a Keystone Ice would be your drink of choice)

There is a reason why this restaurant is consistently busy for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner 7 days a week all year round. The food is consistently perfect; handmade pasta, traditional pizza, succulent meat dishes (ranging from organic veal, aged ribeye, stuffed chicken, slow braised Pork, and Duck confit), the salads are some of the best in the area in regards to the freshness of the produce, and the seafood arrives daily(the scallops are to die for and the calamari is one the few in seattle that is not breaded and deep fried, but skewered and grilled).

The servers at Tulio are professionals: they know their wine, food, and people. They can acclimate to any situation (business, romantic evenings, lg. tables, etc...) and have always treated my wife, family, business colleagues, and myself with the utmost of respect and care.

I moved to downtown Seattle three years ago and I have dined at numerous restaurants in the greater seattle area. Tulio may not be THE BEST restaurant in Seattle, but it is definitely one of the best in it's price range (max entree price:30.00)... and without a doubt it is THE BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN SEATTLE.

Thank you Tulio

Pros: Everything.

Cons: Not kid friendly

Posted 07/23/06

i took my wife to Tullio on sunday night for her birthday, and we were treated very poorly.
our waitress was very rude and didnt eve offer her a birthday dessert, and the food is definately not worth the Money!!
very expansive wine list also. dinner for 2 was over $100.
i cant believe people would comeback to a place where you are paying top dollar for food, and have to pay $ 10 to park.
the only positive thing was the atmosphere

Posted 07/19/06

I have eaten at Tulio once every two-three weeks since I moved to Seattle in 2004; I have consistently received fantastic service, and the food has never been anything but perfect. Additionally, my family and I had dinner there on Friday night and the restaurant was packed - nevertheless, neither the quality of the service (prompt, friendly and personal) nor the quality of the food suffered. There were six of us, and having worked in fine dining myself, I know how difficult it is to maintain such high standards for a large party in the midst of Friday night chaos. Whether it is for a business lunch or a romantic dinner, this restaurant is outstanding!

Pros: This restaurant is perfect!

Cons: None!

Posted 07/18/06

I loved the atmosphere of this restaurant. And we (my husband and I) were were pleased to get in on a Friday night after making the reservation that afternoon. Unfortunately, the food and the service will keep me from returning. The food was good - although my portion was a bit small. My husband's pasta dish was an ample serving but average tasting. Although we were in no hurry, the kitchen was extremely backed up and we did start to notice it was taking a while to get our meals. The server was friendly although not particularly effective. Overall, in a city with plenty of choices as to where to spend money on a great dinner, this place didn't quite measure up.

Pros: Atmosphere

Posted 07/16/06

went there with mother in law (from germany), she selected pork shank and praised it as best ever eaters. this compliment from a german pork nuckle specialist is probaly the hightest you can get.
the whole experience (servise, ambience, and food) was very pleasant.

Pros: quality of food, service

Cons: none

Posted 04/22/06

I had dinner at Tulio's with two of my closest friends to celebrate a few momentous events. We could not have picked a better italian restaurant, or finer dining experience!!! The fish special was halibut -- a large portion, cooked to moist perfection, with a creative topping of roasted beets, baby artichoke, frisee, and dollops of fig puree on the side. The gnocchi was piping hot, lightly crunchy on the outside, and as an appetizer, a meal in itself. The calamari was also divine---fresh, sweet, tender, and served with lightly spiced chickpeas. This is a restarant that Knows how to create the finest in italian cuisine, and serve memorable meals. The wait staff is also impeccable in its treatment of customers, and recommendations of wines to complement your meal.

I'll go back in a heartbeat and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to create long-lasting and happy memories.

Posted 04/09/06

I had dinner on my birthday. It was the best birthday ever. Good food, wine, dessert ;). 110% excellent service.

Posted 03/21/06

I've heard wonderful things about Tulio but my first experience wasn't so remarkable. I ordered the smoked salmon ravioli. The ravioli's weren't cooked entirely and the sauce did nothing to enhance the flavor of the smoked salmon. I would give it another shot but was disappointed with my first time.

Posted 03/09/06

A very beautiful setting. Excellent service, delicious entrées, possibly one of the best restaurants in Seattle.

Pros: Food, Ambience, Service

Posted 10/08/05

We got a recommendation to eat at Tulios from our concierge. It was truly a great eating experience from beginning to end. The food was really really good and the service was top notch. Everything from the salad to the main dish (lamb sirloin) to the dessert was filling, relatively large portions and extremely tasty! For the price which was above average, this was definitely worth every penny of the money spent.

I would recommend anyone that is in Downtown Seattle give this place a shot.

Posted 08/07/05

Not sure why the hype - brunch took almost an hour to arrive with most of the food arriving cold. We were too hungry to ask for it to be reheated or remade so we ate it cold. If the food had been hot it would still only have been average.

Hotel and restaurant staff were pleasant if somewhat inefficient.

Pros: Staff

Cons: food

Posted 04/16/05

We went and had a nice time, but we mentioned the bit of advertising on this website, "Free - Mention Citysearch, receive Chef's Special Hors D'oeuvres" When we did, our waitress acted surprised, and what we recieved as our "Hors D'oeuves" was two small crostini (think smaller than a matchbox) with a spoonful of tomato on top. So, don't go expecting to get something special or of any real size if you mention you saw their ad on Citysearch.

Other than that, our meal was good. The restaurant's decor was beautiful. The staff are great. Yet, the oversall experience left something to be desired.

Pros: decor, fab pasta, wine list

Cons: , misleading ad

Posted 01/15/05

We were just there for a holiday dinner for a party of eight. The service was great and the food was out of this world.

Everyone was impressed.. Ask for Dirk as your waitor.

Pros: Great Service, Great Food, Romantic Atmosphere

Posted 12/05/04