Salvatore Ristorante
6100 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98115
Salvatore Ristorante Menu
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Address :
6100 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA, 98115 - Phone (206) 527-9301
- Website https://www.salvatoreristoranteitaliano.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :Closed
- Mon : Closed
Tue
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Romantic
Noise Level : Average
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
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Becky B.
I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. I hesitated before I decided to write this review, because I honestly don't want the word to get out about this place. It's almost like my little secret. But, I do realize that business is good for restaurants, and I want this restaurant to succeed, because they deserve it. Big time. In the rare moment you can't be seated right away, they will serve you drinks/wine in the waiting room. Bonus. The servers here are so nice and accommodating, even if they're running around like chickens with their heads cut off. It's pretty impressive to watch them recite the specials of the day off the top of their heads, because the list is long, my friends. The list is LONG. And delicious. When you think of Italian food, you probably think of chain restaurants. This is SO not that. You can actually taste the authenticity in this food. It's the closest I can come to actually being in Italy. Bathrooms are large and stylish. +1 point. Family owned! I always get desert. I'm not a sweets person, but it's soooo goooood.... Perfect Italian getaway. It's wonderful.
(5)Matt R.
Our family went to Salvatore last Saturday, following a (lovely!) wine tasting at 8 Bells Winery nearby. Last Saturday Salvatore apparently had a problem in the kitchen. We sat for about 90 minutes after ordering. We realized that our waiter had said nothing to us, when we mentioned the delay he didn't offer anything other than to say our food would come soon. Soon our dishes arrived, one by one, I think it was about 10 minutes before everyone had a plate. My sister had ordered a traditionally spicy dish, Putanesca, but found it to be inedibly spiced. The waiter offered to have the dish redone, it came back in about 5 minutes sort of watered down I guess (my sister didn't eat it, the dish was taken off our bill). My pasta dish was over-cooked and chewy, we were all tired due to the long time we were at table. As we walked out of the restaurant, my partner spoke to the owner about our experiences with the food, the wait time. Rather than apologizing for the experience, the owner puffed out his chest and said that he's been doing this for 25 years and must be doing something right (implying that we had done something wrong? I didn't understand). I see that there are a lot of positive reviews, I think maybe we had a unique experience (and not the good kind of unique ;-). I saw/heard other plates that night returned to the kitchen, so I don't think our table was alone in our dissatisfaction. We won't be going back ~ probably would have, but the parting shot delivered by the owner was enough to prevent that.
(1)Clint W.
This is one of my buddy's hangouts. She used to eat here all the time before moving to the eastside. We met here after work to get some serious food. She and I met here and opened up a bottle of wine before her husband and another friend showed up. It was a nice, quiet relaxing time before we headed to our table. We all had pasta, which was awesome. I can't remember specifically what I had, but I think I was chasing lil peas all over my plate trying to eat up all the goodness! I'm sure the wine had a little bit to do with my skills here. Great pasta, great wine, great service. It was homestyle but yet somewhat upscale to me. It was a nice pleasant evening. I gotta head back!
(4)Super M.
We were hungry, we checked Yelp - and we made a hasty decision - and we knew it from the moment we walked into Salvatore... bread basket filled with ice cold bread. Both the Puttanesca, and the Tiger shrimp pastas arrived within three minutes of ordering, swimming in bowls of grease. We fled soon after, managing to eat only about halfway through our bowls.. Yelp can be incredibly helpful, but I'm finding the best way to check if a restaurant is truly going to suit you, is to take a quick scan of the profiles of those who love it the most, and find out what their taste is based on their other reviews... We didn't do that this time, and we made a $46.00 mistake for two horrendous pasta dishes and one glass of wine. If you like the Olive Garden, or Lombardis, or Buca Di Beppo, or any of the old style american type Italian restaurants, i.e. Italians who make food for americans, you will be at home at Salvatore. If you like are the kind of person who loves the food at Tavolata, or Spinasse, or the old Asteroid Cafe, (back when it was in Wallingford), or Brad's Swingside Cafe, you should stay far away from this place.
(1)Mike S.
Holy crap the Wild Boar and Spinach Fettucini was good. This is the Italian place I've been looking for since coming here from the east coast. They know that they're doing. It's in the next neighborhood over which is even better. Wife had a delicious Seafood Risotto with shrimp, mussels and clams that was scrumptious as well. I tasted it for about 3 minutes but then had to insist on taking back my plate. Appetizers were also excellent; we tried the Prosciutto with Cantaloupe along with the Mozzarella di Bufala with Tomatoes and Basil. Awesome. Great Tiramisu and Spumoni finished off our excellent meal. I also think the prices were very fair. I don't mind paying for quality. Also, the waitstaff was friendly and they really knew what they were talking about. I agree that you need to pay attention when they rattle off the specials .. so many to choose from. In our case, we ordered nothing off of the menu except dessert. We'll definitely be heading back there frequently. Next time I try the Sunday gravy.
(5)Chris L.
I love the food here. It's always top notch. The atmosphere and the wait staff are also very good. The number of specials they have is simply amazing as well. I've been here a few times and I have nothing bad to say about this place.
(5)Mike O.
Rude host at the door. At 4:55PM The doors were open, and there was plenty of space at the bar for drinks, etc. But then host (who looks like Moby) told my wife and I that we should wait outside on the sidewalk until the restaurant tables were ready! Ridiculous. He should have let us sit at the bar which had lots of room. We just went to Marcellos.
(2)Austin D.
Meh. Not impressed. Had one of the pizzas. Bread wasn't very good, and the flavor was below average. I also tried some of that famed wild boar. Tasted like stewed beef. Like...the kind I can make at home from supermarket ingredients.
(3)Liv L.
This place is GREAT. I have lived in the area for years - yet never stopped in for dinner here. I tried it and have been back another time (plan to go next week too) & it's been fab both times. The staff is wonderful - the meals 9 different items, have all been good. My kids even like this place - definitely a plus.
(4)Kim C.
[CARBONARA SCORE: 4/5] Salvatore is, hands down, the only Italian restaurant in Seattle (that I've eaten at) that reminds me of being in Italy. Period. We found this gem by accident - I went through a brief stint owning a fish tank and had been buying supplies at the Fish Store across the street, and noticed Salvatore. Upon asking for takeout I was denied (they were too busy I guess - this annoyed me, and meant I didn't go back to try the food for about a year); but nowadays, we frequent Salvatore at least twice a month, if not more. The menu is varied and eclectic, and contains many Italian favorites. Easily my favorite dish is "fettucini della casa" - fettucini with a tomato cream sauce (reminds me STRONGLY of Italy), with baby artichokes and mushrooms. The hearts of palm salad is also remarkably good, with simply a light lemon vinaigrette on top and a few tomatoes (I always ask for extra tomatoes!) Salvatore's list of specials is massive, and my one constructive criticism is that it really would be a good idea to have a whiteboard within view for people to see (or at least, a printed document). There are so many specials that while the waiter is rattling them off, it's hard to remember what you've heard so far. Usually the specials aren't so much specials as seasonal offerings, and tend to not change much from visit to visit (including the wild boar pasta). They will also make custom things for you, depending on what it is. In my quest to find authentic carbonara, I asked if they are able to make it for me. Happily, Salvatore so far makes the most authentic I've ran across. It's not PERFECT (the bacon is crispy instead of soft/wine-saturated, which is good for me because I like crispy bacon; and also, the sauce is a little less cheesy / grainy than it should be) but it's hands down insanely delicious. The wait staff is eccentric and completely awesome - there's a British fellow, a guy from southern Italy who is completely friendly, and a few others; all of them recognize / chat with us by now, and that's a great feeling to have. Salvatore's ambience is also outstanding. The walls are painted to look like a building and sky, and regulars have little pictures of themselves put into the artwork. Recently I was told we could bring in our picture, too! ^_^ Hands down, Salvatore is my favorite Italian restaurant in the city. The food kicks ass, the ambience is great, the wait staff is personable and awesome, and the prices are VERY affordable (11-13ish for pasta).
(5)Sandy d.
Fantastic, authentic, ridiculously great Italian food. Friendly service, neighborhood restaurant where you're always welcome. We travel extensively and this remains our favorite Italian restaurant by a mile!! No question you need to try Salvatore!!
(5)Nina N.
Why salvatore why? I really really really wanted to love you, but I didn't :( like but not love.. first experience : The service was remarkable, and I felt very special, but damn the linguini el bianco was just ok, the shrimps were smaller than bay shrimp, and the oysters & clams overpowered the sauce. :( So in the end the pasta tasted like the sea.... So I had to give up and eat my margherita pizza which was decent. nothing that made me go omg..the best pizza ever!!! The espresso, and wine that I had was good though hahahhaa :) my second experience : again service was amazing, and the food was better :) ravioli salmone :) --- I have figured out that the specials is the way to go!!!!! HOOORRRAAAYYYYYY ----- So I don't know if I can give a four star or three star review, since the first time was a blaheahhhaha and the second was amazing.... No rounding off for this review, but I must say that if the regular menu is a no go it shouldn't be a four star review... maybe third times a charm ;)
(3)Patty C.
Living just a block away from Salvatore makes me the luckiest--and poorest--person on earth. Everyone else raves about the food first, so I'll start with the staff. Funny, attentive, and never rushed (even when they ARE rushed). We took our best friends there to celebrate their engagement and were treated to the best service we'd ever had, possibly because our waiter (who reminded us of Ricky Gervais) was so entertaining. We ordered Limoncello for desert and he took it upon himself to tell us a story about why Limoncello is such a bad thing. Because he was so busy, he would tell a little of the story and then leave us hanging for a few minutes while he attended to other guests, then come back to tell us more. The guy should do stand up. We felt special, and a little sore from the laughing. The atmosphere is interesting. It's dimly-lit space, which makes it nice for a romantic dinner, but you feel comfortable coming as you are. You'll often see people dressed up to celebrate something special sitting right next to the schlubs like us who walked over in our jeans and t-shirts. In true Italian style, they're very kid-friendly and will go out of their way to make something special for picky eaters. The food? Consistently good. You can't go wrong with anything you order, but if they have it on special, DO try the chicken dish that has the copa ham on it. [Insert obscenity here], yes. It's that good.
(5)justin c.
Ordered the carbonara hoping to enjoy what I have been hearing was the best carbonara in town. I will say it was the most unique carbonara I've had with what looked to me like sausage instead of the usual pancetta that I've had in the past. Or maybe it was just a different type of pancetta I'm used to. Don't get me wrong, it tasted great. I would come back in a heartbeat. I would say best italian I've had in town, but I don't think that's saying much for Seattle. Service was great too (eastern european lady). Watch out for the specials. There's a ton of them and they're all more expensive than everything on the menu but they generally sound good. Wild boar, veal, swordfish, lamb, etc.
(4)Jim G.
Three of us stopped in quite early on a weekday evening (about 5pm). The place was completely empty. First we were asked, in a somewhat withering tone, whether we had reservations. When we answered no, we were seated at was clearly the very worst table in the place. We were still the only people there when we got our check. The food was not memorable, but the attitude was. I have never been back.
(2)Amy B.
Went to Salvatore's for Valentine's Day with my boyfriend. Since we called ahead to see about reservations (that they do not take), it was suggested that to avoid a long wait, we should arrive close to opening. We did and we were seated immediately :)!! The bread and olive oil was very good but the Bruschetta was incredible! (Get the Bruschetta for the appetizer! It's only $4 bucks and tastes superb!) The entire evening was really splendid and we didn't feel rushed at all. It was kind of nice that it took awhile to get our entree because my boyfriend and I were able to enjoy our fine company and the wine. :) I will absolutely visit again! Everything from entry to exit was fun.. but then I had an amazing date so that always helps!
(5)S M.
The best authentic Italian food in Seattle......hands down. The waiters and staff have all been there for years and years and they know their stuff. The food is always consistently good. We live right by so we go there quite a bit and never had anything that wasn't amazingly good.
(5)G. G.
I've only been twice, but both times were overall good. The first time we were seated near the front by the window, and the heat from the kitchen was a little intense. But the food was good. The last time, which was two weeks ago, we arrived a bit late (say, 8?), and we had to wait a bit in the "cafe" area which is just a barren room with some tables next to the host desk. We were not offered menus to look at while we waited or water or anything. One of the employees came out and ate his dinner (or a snack?) at the "bar". This felt odd, but all was forgotten a few minutes later when we were taken in to the actual restaurant and seated. We ordered salads that were definitely a "side". A few pieces of iceberg lettuce and some tomatoes and Italian dressing. Good but seriously tiny. Bread came too, but nothing spectacular there. I'm embarrassed to say I don't remember what I ordered. I know it was second on the list of pasta dishes, --it was linguine, meatless, and had a red sauce. My husband got whatever was first under the pasta dishes. Mine was so good, if a bit oily. I couldn't stop eating it. That's what earned this place that third star. That and the desert..coming up. During the meal one of the busboys was LOUDLY talking to a couple behind us about the movie "The Life of Brian". I'm not sure if he had a recent hearing accident and didn't know how loud he was, but it was so loud that it was funny. I turned around and looked at him and he just kind of looked at me like, "What?" We ordered some ice cream/brownie desert and it was good. My only other issues were our server has these bangs that hang over his face and as I'm a germ-phobe who often ends up with hair in my food when eating out, this scared me. Also, when we left, our server and various other employees were hanging out outside the FRONT door smoking. The food was still so good I actually was nice to him on the way out. I ate my leftovers the next day, always a good sign.
(3)Michelle M.
Good food, attentive service, nice ambiance. I got the frutti di mare which was quite tasty. It was a bit on the greasy side, but hubby looooved it. He wants to go back just to order my dish again. Hubby ordered the chicken carbonara which he said was good. My little sister ordered some creamy seafood ravioli which she liked. Our friend got the wild boar tagliatelle and he enjoyed it. We also ordered the grilled prawns appetizer which I thought was just okay and needed more seasoning. I always look forward to bread at Italian restaurant (to sop up my saucy pasta), but this was the most disappointing bread EVER. I'd rather have bread from any of the major Italian chains (Pasta P, Olive Garden, Mac Grill, etc.) than the dry, flavorless stuff they served at this restaurant. Their profiteroles were pretty good though!
(4)Chris M.
I have been eating at Salvatore's Ristorante for 9 years. I have never once been in there and had anything less then the best Italian food I have ever shoved into my pie hole. The latest meal was nothing less than spectacular. I took my wife and her parents out for dinner and it was their first time. And needless to say they are hooked for life. We got our table after a little wait and just my luck I got my favorite Waiter Steve who is British but I always ask him if he is Australian just to piss him off. We ordered the grilled shrimp and also the Mozzarella and tomatoes for an appetizer. And you know it was good because my father-in-law was mopping everything up with bread. For the main course I ordered the risotto special. It was creamy and the rice had a little bite to the tooth that I love. My in-laws ordered the linguine pescatore and enjoyed the spicy shrimp dish like it was their last meal on earth. Once again I left trying to figure out the next night I can come back to feast at one of my favorite places to eat in Seattle. And if you catch me around the house I more than likely be wearing my Salvatore's t-shirt. Enjoy!!!
(5)Becky R.
This place is wonderful! I enjoyed everything thoroughly, the service, the food, the ambiance mostly. I ordered the special "Portabello stuffed ravioli" and to my demise, it was covered in Gargonzola cheese sauce, which really killed the flavor of the mushrooms - too bad since portabello is one of my most mouthwatering flavors to enjoy. The portion size was on the lighter side as well, given it was being shared, I was a tad disappointed, but it was pretty rich. My friend and I arrived rather late and having read Yelp reviews of the Tiramisu and come for that specifically, the fact that they were out kinda bummed me out. We opted for the Chocolate covered profiterolles (sp?) and they came filled with ice cream, I didn't enjoy them too much either, strange combo when accustomed to custard filling. I offer 4 stars,a s 3.5 is not available, and the - .5 is due to the fact that I could smell the cigarette smoke wafting to my table from the back door past the kitchen. Less than appetizing for certain. I will go back to try the tiramisu and a different dish. The caesar salad was great and well portioned, and I also enjoyed the bread and olive oil. My friend enjoyed the wine too. This time, I'll come earlier to make sure I get a piece of that mouth-watering, fresh made tiramisu. :)
(4)David V.
This used to be a regular stop for us, we prefer neighborhood restaurants due to the extra care and detail. Unfortunately we will have to scratch Salvatore from our list, there are just too many quality alternatives. First the hostess put dirty menus on our bread plates rather than the table and then we were served stale bread. Appetizer portions were generous and the wild mushrooms were tasty but on the other hand the prosciutto and melon was nothing special and priced as an entree. The wine by glass was reasonably priced for the quality/quantity but the raves about the boar pasta were mis-placed from our experience, the pasta was very over-cooked and the boar minuscule, although the sauce was flavorful. The bus service was attentive but in away that was intrusive and annoying, such as snapping his fingers to hand him a plate or asking if one was finished with half the pasta on the plate and in mid-bite. The hostess was also our waitress and seemed stretched to handle both duties. There are numerous specials without pricing, which allowed great discretion on the bill. Overall this could be a 2 or 3 star experience depending on the night but we saw nothing that warrants some of the glowing reviews although the reviews have been trending down and we would agree. About $45 per person with app, entree and alcoholic beverage.
(2)Francesca S.
As soon as we walked into this place, we should've walked out. The smell of this place is not of rich sauces, bread, all the yumminess that typcially comes with Italian places. It smelled like dirty carpet. It was late, the reviews were good so we decided to check it out anyways. First off, the waitress tells us the specials (that were so many I lost count), I felt like I was getting a teaching lesson not an enticement to eat their food. THEN while she is telling us the specials she adjusts her bra straps. One word-TACKY!!! We ordered the prosciutto and prawns as an appetizer. The prosciutto was bland and the prawns were under cooked. My boyfriend ordered the bolognese and I ordered the seafood pasta. The pasta was bland on both of our dishes, the bolgonese was just ok, definitely did not have that rich taste of a sauce that's been cooking for several hours. My dish was ok, the flavor of the sauce was decent but the seafood was terrible. Who serves bay baby shrimp in their seafood dishes anymore? Definitely shows to the quality of the place. If you think this place is authentic, you must not know true Italian food and I beg you to check out other places throughout Seattle. Those places will knock your socks off!
(2)Erika O.
I really like this place. Very cute and cozy inside. I went with my boyfriend tonight to celebrate New Years Eve, and I was quite impressed. I loved the ceasar salad dressing that came with the salad, the shaved parm and they also give fresh grated parm to add yourself. I got the tortellini with cream sauce and my boyfriend got a chicken dish with with red sauce and italian ham. They were both very tasty. The wait staff was friendly and we will definently be going back.
(4)Laramie H.
We had a very sweet server.... that said, he forgot half our drink order and was hard to catch once food was served. Service was a bit slow and the food less than mediocre and way overpriced. Although it's in my neighborhood, I likely won't return.
(2)Kellye Y.
My boyfriend and I LOVE Italian food and wanted to find a good Italian place near the U-District. A friend recommended coming here to eat delicious Italian food, and I am so thankful that he told us about this place, because the pasta dish I ate was literally one of the best Italian dishes I EVER had! After doing some research on Yelp, I was still conflicted about what to order when I got to the restaurant since everything seemed to be really good. Luckily, our waiter came by and told us about the specials they had (which were about 6 or 7) and one of the dishes he described just stuck to me. I don't remember what it was called since it was too complex of a name to remember, but the dish was a squid ink pasta in a cream sauce with scallops and pancetta. Each bite was so heavenly, and I could not stop eating it. Seriously, if you come to Salvatore Ristorante ask the waiter about getting this dish!! You will NOT regret it :) I already told me boyfriend we're coming back here for his birthday, and I will most likely end up getting the exact same thing.
(5)Elaine H.
We had to wait a while for our table on a Friday night, but we were able to sit in the front area of the restaurant while we waited and order wine. We got a bottle of house red, which was tasty. Once we were seated our waiter went through a long list of specials that was a little tough to follow. I had to focus in on the one I liked and then stop listening so I didn't get distracted. I had the special portobello mushroom ravioli in a cream sauce. I guess I didn't pay close enough attention when our waiter was talking because I wasn't expecting it to be as heavy as it was. The ravioli were basically swimming in cream. It was delicious cream sauce with walnuts, but wasn't exactly what I was in the mood for. The ravioli was really good and tasted fresh and mushroom-y. The decor was kind of cheesy Italian with ivy and murals of brick on the walls, but cute and not over-the-top obnoxious. The tables are pretty close together but the candles on the tables make it feel cozy. A place you could dress up for or be in jeans. Overall a good date night experience.
(4)J R R.
I really enjoyed the veal scallopini. It was so tender and delicious, served with a penne pasta. I love Italian food. Evan, my son, opted for a seafood linguine,. I never heard another word from him. We finished off this fine meal with a profiterolli, a puffed pastry filled with vanilla ice cream, and topped with a lil' chocolate ganash and whipped cream. JR
(4)Tom H.
Salvatore is beautiful! They make better food than I do. Fabulous and extensive wine list with lots of Piemonte wines and Aglianicos. Penne Puttanesca is a favorite and they have fabulous little pizzas. Costs a bit more than the Olive garden but really not too spendy. Highest plaudits are in order.
(5)Michelle C.
We've been traveling from Kirkland to Salvatore in Seattle (a 30 minute drive) for 20 years and it's been worth the trip almost every time. For consistent quality, variety, service, ambiance and generally delicious food, I can't think of an Italian restaurant in Seattle I would more highly recommend. There are others that are more sophisticated for a special night out, and others that might have similar menus and service, but this restaurant has rarely let us down and is always good. We've been to Italy twice, and it's not exactly the food in Italy, but it's pretty darn close . Thanks, Salvatore.
(5)MyBabyLove R.
Salvatore is a five star authentic Italian Cuisine. The service of the wait staff is exactly what you would expect if you were in Roma, Firenze, Perugia, or any major Italian city. My friend and I walked in on a Friday around 6pm, and were able to secure a table, but minutes later nearly the entire place was jam-packed. The restaurant seats around 40-50 people. The wine list is fabulous. I ordered a 2003 Amarone from Negrar (in Valpolicella just northwest of Verona) for $50. As far as price goes, this is quite amazing, since the markup from retail for this wine is only about $15. They also have the Cesari Amarone too, which is very nice. To compliment the wine, my friend had the osso buco, which was served on a bed of peas. I had the wild boar served in fettuccine, and it was assolutamente perfetto. The tiramisu will not let you down, and the coffee was perfect too. The price matches the service and experience.
(5)b r.
SUCH A HUGE FAN. love the waiters, they've all been here for years and are hilarious and really great servers. The food is delicious, especially the beef medallions in the gorgonzola sauce with penne on the side with a green salad. HOLY CRAP it is so good. the meat melts in your mouth, and the sauce definitely is heart attack-inducing, its worth it! a good amount of $, but worth it and not over-priced.
(5)T P.
Finally the best Italian we've had in Seattle so far. I will say I was not impressed with the bread which was sliced and something you might find at Costco. The olive oil was mixed with water and had no flavor. We had the meat and cheese appetizer which was not fresh at all. However, the service and our main couses were out of this world! Portion size was generous for the price. It's more like a 3.5. We will go back.
(4)Ray A.
I've been pretty hard pressed to find Italian that is "kick in the ass" good. In my personal experience either the places sucked butt, i.e.- the Spaghetti Factory, or they are just O.K. i.e.- The Olive Garden...kinda shows you the caliber of Italian I've had. Now there have been the exceptions like this one Italian place on Lake City Way (I can't remember the name at the moment)that we ate at at the turn of the century that I remember didn't dissapoint and should I count pizza places? Which brings me to Salvatore Ristorante. I of course "Yelp"ed this place and at the time it was a solid 5 star. After reading all those reviews I knew I had to give it a try. Months and months passed and just this last weekend I had the opportunity eat at this place. First off this place doesn't take reservations so it's best to find out the best times to go. We decided to go on a Saturday between 1700 hrs and 1830 hrs, which proved to be a perfect time as there were few people and lots of seating, then like a switch, between 1830 hrs and 1930 hrs, every seat in the place was filled and there were people in the wait in their small lobby/wait area. So timing is crucial! First impression, it was a lot bigger than I was expecting. I think that I remember someone mentioning that it was small. Well, small to me is like Thai Tom on the Ave...don't know what I'm talking 'bout?, you should visit that place on any given night, not only small, but always crowded.... Anyhoo, It was small enough to feel cozy but big enough not to feel clausterphobic. Our server was personable, knowledgable of the food, beverages and specials, and somewhat attentive (we had to share his attention with others the more busier it got.). So the food. Now if you've read some of my reviews, you probably know that I have litmus tests for new places. In this case, it's Italian so the basic test for me here is the spaghetti with meat sauce...BUT he mentioned some specials that sounded just too damn good to resist. In the end I ordered the spaghetti w/meat sauce AND some dish with boar in it. We started off with the bruschetta and stuffed mussels & some Italian beers. The beers...good, I could've drank 'em all night long...then there's that seemingly authentic German bar right next door...I'll save that place for another night. The bruschetta was excellent, but the mussels were a bit hit and miss. I ate one and it was good! Went for a second and it smelled alittle like low tide. It was like that through the whole plate. There might've been a mix of old with new stock, but over all it wasn't too bad, I ate 'em either way with that beer chaser...now I wasn't "shellfish"...I did share 'em...;) Okay, so the main dish. First off the serving sizes was pretty decent. Then again I had two main dishes in front of me. I must've looked like I was starving with a plate-o-spaghetti & plate-o-boar/pasta thingy infront of me. So I start with the spaghetti with meat sauce.....first off, the spaghetti, cooked to perfection! I'm a real stickler when it comes to my pasta..I'd rather have it over cooked than under cooked, and too many times eating out the pasta was overly al dente. The sauce, not just something that was thrown together in the last hour, the sauce and meat tasted to me as if it's been stewing for hours and hours....like a good chili or stew in a slow cooker....perfect! So Salvatore passed the litmus test, now for the second main course...and I really wish I could remember the name of it...I know the name was VERY Italian so I couldn't pronounce it anyways...the boar with this flat green pasta in a red wine reduction sauce thingy...it was GOOD! The pasta cooked perfect, decent portions of boar and perfect sauce to meat and pasta ratio! So we finish it off with tiramisu...good, but not "I'm coming back just for the tiramisu" good...ya know what I mean? So, though I believe that I've finally found a decent Italian restaurant, you ask me...why only four stars? Though four stars is not bad you'd think I would've given this place a five star. Well, there's 1/2 star off for the mussels being hit or miss, and because I am a big seafood fan this was a consideration...another 1/2 star off (and I was taking into consideration that it was wicked busy and there was only like 4 or 5 servers for the entire place so I tried to be understanding here) because our server took forever to get back to us after we had finished our dinners, again after we finished our dessert, & then when we were ready to square up the bill. Usually I'd take a full star off for something like this, but he was nice, personable, and I don't believe that he was being malicious 'bout it because it was pretty darn busy there and if he wasn't at our table, I saw him at others. Even Jaida de la"BIG HEAD" would be impressed with this place...because she is so Italian and stuff. I will be back to try the veal and lamb dishes!
(4)Josh N.
This place is excellent, from the food to the service. Our server was extremely friendly and attentive to our needs even though he was swamped with people. The food was very good and very inexpensive for such a nice restaurant. 6 glasses of wine, an appetizer, and two entrees for under 100. I will definitely go back and would highly recommend.
(5)Tim G.
I need to update because I found this place to be super expensive. The food is good don't get me wrong but please lower your prices....
(3)C. H.
Salvatore's is fantastic. The waitstaff, the food, the ambiance - everything about this place rocks. I go here every year for my birthday and I try to weasel it in to other special occasions, too. I can't recommend them enough - I just wish they took reservations.
(5)Joseph T.
Eh, this place makes me miss Italian Restaurants in New York. Like many folks have said the service was amazing... however.. the food was just alright. I wish I was able to transport Arthur Avenue to the Pacific Northwest. Still haven't found an outstanding Italian spot. The affogato here was delicious.. and a huge serving big enough for sharing. Maybe I'll go back and check out the pizza.
(3)Dan L.
The food that we got at this place was a solid 3.5-4 star. The service was terrible. We were waiting for 20 min before anyone even said hello besides the bus boy who got us some water. By the time our waiter did come he went over the specials which there were about 9 of. Like the other reviewers I can echo the thought that it would be much better to print up a little menu nightly if you are going to have that many specials. I forgot what #3 was by the time he was on #7. Also, my GF is a vegetarian, whats with not having a veggie special? Since we had been waiting so long we wanted to eat. We gave the guy our drink, appetizer, and dinner order all at once. He didn't write anything down and we were impressed with his memory... until he forgot I ordered beer instead of wine and brought us the wrong appetizer. I ordered the beef tenderloin with Gorgonzola and it was very rich and tender and tasty. It wasn't until I got the check that I realized this dish was $30. Ha! Suddenly I found myself thinking it should have been much richer, more tender, and tastier! I expected it to be expensive, but I just got a little Sticker shock. No biggie though, because having a vegetarian girlfriend keeps the bill low. I think her dinner was a little over $10 lol. She got some pasta with a few pieces of veggies in it that was extremely oily. She did say it was good though. Lets talk about pepper for a second. Many of you have probably seen the sketchs/ heard the jokes about getting fresh ground pepper at a nice restaurant. They are not supposed to stop grating until you say stop. Out waiter came with the pepper when we got our salads and asked if we wanted pepper. He started with me (odd) and I kid you not did a single twist and then looked at my date and said "that already has some pepper on it, you won't need any more". We got a good laugh out of him deciding how much pepper we like. When the meal arrived we both asked for pepper again and again we got the weak single turn of the mill. Then there was the issue of the guy making weird sound effects any time he came to the table. By the time we heard the "bing" sound effect come from this guys mouth when the bill came we'd had enough. despite the reviews saying to stick around for dessert we bolted. I will edit this review if we ever go back there. They probably deserve a second chance.
(2)Adam B.
I had the seafood pasta. The pasta was very fresh but the sauce tasted just like tomatoes and lacking creativity. The mussels were also not fresh and smelled very bad (I eat mussels all the time). The service was very good and friendly but that's not enough to get me to go back.
(2)Kiran C.
The secret is out. When I started on yelp a few years back, this was the only place I refrained from posting about. It is an absolute gem and a great place for a special occasion. My girlfriend and her family have been going here for years. The pasta is hand made and tastes pretty special. Amazingly, the waiter remembers people and what they like to order even after months of not seeing them. Now, that is quality service. I can't recommend Salvatore's enough. The food is pretty rich but the taste makes it worth it. The incredible service is a big draw here.
(5)G T.
Very disappointing food but great atmosphere. My wife and I went there for dinner Saturday and both were happy until they started bringing out food. The bread (served with olive oil) was stale and crumbly and should not have been served period. Had the "Linguini in bianco" (seafood linguini) and it was one of the most overpriced dishes I've had in a long time at $15.90. Menu says it included prawns, clams, scallops and fresh tomatoes but in reality it included 1 prawn, 4 tiny clams and a handful of miniature shrimp and bay scallops (obviously came frozen from a bag). The shrimp and scallops were sooooo tiny- think "fish food"; There weren't any tomatoes as far as we could see. The waiter asked how our food was and I politely told him that the lack of seafood in the pasta was really bad but he said the chef told him "that's how we make it." He asked again later and I again told him the food was very disappointing but he never offered us anything to make up for it; just gave us our tab and that was it. We definitely won't be going back and on the way out we saw another patron walk up to the owner and say "our server is the worst server we've ever experienced at a restaurant". Our server was fine aside from the apathy he showed for our dissatisfaction with the food but apparently some other server was pretty lousy.
(1)Aimee E.
Salvatore, wil you marry me? This restaurant is superb. Italian is my favorite cuisine and I'd venture to say this place has the best in Seattle. The ambiance is classy yet comfortable, and the service is top-notch. Try the wild boar, you won't be disappointed. And dessert! Please do not forget to order dessert. I have been there many times and only recently did I make room for dessert (the three of us ordered separately and shared). Hello, lemon gelato! Such zing! And the coconut gelato! So fresh! And that amazing creampuff-like pastry drizzled with dark choclate syrup! Is Salvatore Italian heaven? I think it might be...
(5)David H.
I love, love, love this place. One of my faves. In my parents 'hood, so we go now and again. Go early-ish to avoid waits, as there are no reservations taken. I would give 5 stars, but I want to be choosy. The desert menu could use some refining. Lovely. Dinner for four was $136 (apps x 2, espresso x 2, hot tea x 2, and desert x 2, entree x 4). A fair price.
(4)T C.
This could be a great place to eat IF they let you season your food. Should be renamed SALTATORE'S. Three meals and three salads came to $80-- should be perfect. But the pastas and the beef dish with sauce were too salty to enjoy without a lot of water. Good bread, atmosphere and waiter. And the owners should read about what sodium does to their customers bodies. See nytimes.com/2011/12/27/h…
(1)mandy m.
their menu was disappointing at first glance. i was in the mood for italian but nothing they had listed. bummer. then the waiter came over and rattled off a zillion delicious specials... hooray. its scrumptious (i love this word) and cozy and has great service. its also within walking distance, so theres that.
(4)Jeff L.
I find it important to always have a go-to Italian joint. Some casual neighborhood place with little style but lots of warmth, waiters who recognize you after a couple of visits, and a chalkboard with a bunch of specials on it. After trying lots of decent Italian in Seattle (long-gone Salute, both Pasta Bella's, etc) this is our go-to spot when we have a hankering for pasta and a glass of Montepulciano. I can't recommend the grilled prawn appetizer highly enough. Other than that, I don't believe we've ordered from the regular menu (in something like 12 visits)...just specials. Everything has been fantastic. Not as refined as Tulio or Il Terrazzo, but great sauces and perfectly cooked pastas. We've also had good luck letting the waiters choose cheap bottles of wine for us. Desserts are limited, but pretty good, and the sorbets are fun to eat out of the fruit shells. Service is warm, but can be slow if the place is busy. We usually show up around 7:30 on weeknights, and rarely have to wait, but I can't speak for weekends.
(4)Lauren S.
This was AMAZING italian!! I would compare it to food I have eaten in Rome. We both ordered off the "specials menu" and both LOVED our dishes! The owner Salvatore was a great guy, talked to him about my travels to Rome, he was actually interested :) GREAT food I'd reccomend it and will be going back soon!!
(5)Sean K.
this place is awesome italian food. if you like veal try the vitello al fungi... simply amazing. There are usually 10+ specials on the menu each day. (its almost laughable but so delicious at the same time) best i've had in seattle for shizzo
(5)Lana B.
The food here is decent enough but the ambiance is really lacking. The waiter was very knowledgeable and accommodating but when one of the chefs walked out and shouted to another chef to put the gnocchi to boil (my order) I was a little turned off. I would be willing to come again and give it another try, but I wasn't very impressed.
(3)Josh B.
There is a huge difference between good Italian food and great Italian food. Salvatore's food is GREAT! Something about the sauces just taste richer and more authentic.
(5)Gordon S.
It's one of our favorite neighborhood spots in Seattle. Great service, great food, good pricing. Love it.
(5)Joan T.
Okay, I love this place, why??? The people, the service, the food, how can you ask for anything more, oh yes, the Wine is very very good!! For starters, the waiter is more than a waiter, he definately explains what the Chef is cooking and you can almost taste it before he brings it to you! the Chef, Salvatore himself, is one of the best in Seattle! You do not get designers portions and the food is so good, I will always come running back for more, either for a birthday, anniversary, or just to go out and eat and not have my husband cook! Those who know me, know I really don't cook, but what I do, is eat and I eat very good food, my hubby is a excellent Chef, it runs in the familia - I want to give Salvatore a A PLUS for everything, they're awesome and if you want a good meal with some good dessert and good wine, PLEASE do not hesitate when looking for a nice fine italian restaurant.
(4)Dawn A.
We went to Salvatore last night to celebrate our anniversary. In the past we have opted for a downtown restaurant for such a occasion, but thought we'd give a local restaurant a try. Atmosphere: Delightful. Nice ambiance and comfortable seating. Service: It is so refreshing to have a restaurant in the US with the European style of dining. No pressure, no time constraints. Its and experience and not a race. Food: We ordered off of the special menu and found the wild boar delightful. Its the first time I had boar (tastes like pot roast). Served with fresh parapadelle. Delightful. Wine: The waiter, Manuel, was beautiful. That's the word he used to punctuate every interaction. He was gracious when we asked if he could cork a bottle of expensive Champagne that we brought with us and provided a full set up. Later, he recommended a delicious red to go with the boar and the tenderloin medallions. I'd definitely go back. Not a five star or four star in my opinion, but for the proximity its on the rotation list.
(3)srikanth s.
We liked the place very much. Nice and cosy. Friendly wait staff. The food was great. Has good number of veggie options. Service was very quick as well.
(4)Kendall B.
This place is amazing for Italian food. I always recommend it to people looking for a good Italian place in Seattle. It's a bit on the pricey side, but very nice and cozy. Good date spot for sure!!
(5)Verne V.
Friday night, 19 Sep 2008, was our first visit to Salvatore. What a terrific surprise.. The staff at Salvatore is the absolute best. The food is incredible. This was one of the most pleasant experiences we have had in a very long time.
(5)Jen T.
My husband has been coming to Salvatore's since he moved to Seattle in 1989. He brought me here on our first date in 1994 and we've been coming here ever since. Quite often Salvatore himself will greet you as you arrive. The decor and atmosphere is festive and romantic. The food has always been wonderful. We've tried many different things on the menu and they always offer a wonderful variety of specials. I can tell every meal I've eaten here has been prepared with care and expertise. Always delicious! Never bland or too salty. By far my favorite italian restaurant in Seattle, so far!
(5)Lindsey T.
I've been in Seattle about 3 months now, and I've probably come here 10+ times. We love it! We dine in and we order to-go regularly. The service is good, the staff are super friendly, and the food is awesome. When we order to-go, the owner now knows my boyfriend, his likes/dislikes, etc...it's kinda sad actually; I should cook more! Here are some of our favorites and/or things we've tried: cuori di palma- this heart of palm salad is delicious. The dressing is awesome. It's a small portion size, which I like, but I always order it to-go and it holds up nicely. insalata verde- I ordered this once, and it was inedible as there was way too much dressing on the salad for my taste. I would order it again, but I'd ask for the dressing on the side. fettuccine della casa- this is a regular I order. The sauce is like a vodka sauce. The artichokes and mushrooms aren't overpowering. It's a large portion size. fettuccine al pollo- my boyfriends' regular. He orders it 90% of the time. Very creamy and delicious. penne alla puttanesca- ordered this once. Very delicious sauce. Slightly spicy, but not overwhelming. Not crazy about penne pasta, but I assume I could ask for different noodles. portobello ravioli- this is very tasty. I ordered it to-go once. It is heavy and has a lot of EVOO, but the portion size is small. I highly recommend. gamberi alla deliziosa- this was the only thing that I ordered that I didn't LOVE. the prawns were delicious, but I just wasn't a huge fan of the herbs. It was also saturated in EVOO. I would not order this again, and I don't recommend it. Some specials we've tried: asparagus risotto- i highly recommend! It was delicious! My boyfriend gets the steak with bleu cheese sauce sometimes, and he loves it. I've had a bite of the mushrooms, and they were delicious. I am not a huge bleu cheese fan, but if you are, you will love it! Tagliatelle pasta from scratch is also very good! Can't remember the sauce that came with it, but it was vegetarian, and I loved it. Also, for dessert, you must order the tiramisu. It is unbelievable. It's the best I've ever had. I actually wasn't a tiramisu fan until I had theirs, and I order it every single time! It's delicious. The mascarpone layer is so creamy. The ladyfingers are soaked perfectly. The espresso is present but not dominating. I highly recommend this restaurant. I am not giving it 5 stars overall, as a few of the dishes weren't perfect (like the caesar salad or prawn entree), but the regular dishes we order deserve 5 stars!
(4)Rebecca R.
I have been enjoying Salvatore's for as long as I can remember, although it's been about ten years since my last visit. It was wonderful to show back up and see the same charming spot of my childhood memories. The marinated calamari was exactly what I remembered and delicious, just the right texture and with enough sauce left over to dip the bread in. The processco by the glass is quite good, but I'm honestly not a connoisseur. On the other hand, if you're looking for a non-alcoholic beverage, the Italian limonata is yummy. The pollo gorgonzola I ordered came promptly, along with my family's dishes, right when the appetizer was cleared. My portion size looked small compared to everyone else's heaping bowls of pasta, but the serving was perfectly sized for the overall richness of the dish, and I even took some home. I can't recommend this dish specifically, because everything here is wonderful. Charming service, although some wait times are drawn out. Example, it took us 15 minutes and flagging down a hostess to get our first water service. They do not accept American Express.
(4)Gary W.
I've come here a few times now and have always come away feeling quite satisfied with the quality of the service and food. What really stands out is the value of fresh italian food and service for the money spent. I've never felt being overcharged and able to get appetizer, entree, wine, dessert and coffee without feeling I've overspent for the value received. As for the service, you get personal treatment where they spend a lot of time explaining the multiple specials and just the right about of service at just the right times. The location is in an eclectic part of Seattle and it's a very comfortable old school Italian atmosphere. Seems I aways find some special to order and never really order an entree from the menu. The dishes are prepared simply, fresh and I feel some of the best meals are not overly complex. The last time we where there I got the veal shanks that was just incredible and should be shared. Too bad they are one of the specials, so don't expect it to be on the menu. Typically, we finish with one of the desserts and the bread pudding here is really good with a glass of moscato followed up with a double shot expresso. My recommendation is get all the courses of the meal, wine and dessert. Try to pick from the specials as they have so many you'll definitely find something you'll like.
(4)Dick B.
As you can no doubt see, the preponderance of reviews is favorable as it should be. No matter the place, there are going to be times when something or another just doesn't click. My interest was piqued perhaps 10 or more years ago while driving by and curiosity getting the best of me we tried Ristorante Salvatore and were immediately big fans. We've been back dozens of times. The menu is terrific but the specials are the place to be to sample Salvatore's best creations. You've probably read a bunch of favorable reviews of peoples' favorites and I'd agree with their evaluations. We keep coming back because what we like is consistently presented by a great staff that is not prone to pressuring the customer, only assuring their satisfaction. Salvatore himself, ever the character, does want to know the good or bad, so don't hesitate to critique or compliment. He's almost always on hand to oversee the operation and ensure that his recipes for the food and standards for service are upheld. It's the reason we keep coming back for the dependably great meal. When you want good Italian cooking, think Salvatore!
(5)Tylonda B.
The kind of food you dream about. No really, I have actually dreamt of Salvatore's. We were introduced to this place after a gift card was given to us along with a recommendation of it being "the best Italian place in this city". Pretty tall order right? Salvatore's went above and beyond what we expected and has became our go to place when we are craving Italian. The ambiance is very cozy and intimate. Candles on the table, interestingly painted walls to bring a rustic Italian feel to the dining room abd if you look closely there are personal pictures incorporated into the wall decor. The service is excellent and authentic. The specials are detailed from the server and also listed above the window looking into the kitchen. If the Gorgonzola Filleto is available, do not pass it up! Beef medallions smothered in a creamy gorgonzola sauce that practically melt in your mouth. Served with pasta of course. The bruscetta is exquisitely flavored with a perfect grill on the bread. The Ravioli Alla Bolognese is a classic my little one enjoys,and the Gnocchi Al Gorgonzola with walnuts is delish. For dessert we go for the chocolate cake and the tiramisu. I can not recommend this place enough!
(5)Bonnie C.
Good food freshly made and service with a nice attitude. Everything tasted great and we never had to wait very long for our food to come out. It was a quiet night with only two other groups in the restaurant, so I expected that we would have attentive service and indeed we did. The atmosphere is a little strange. The interior could use an update and I would think anyone who's not running a liquor store would have learned by now that garlands of fake grape leaves are really two decades ago. For music there was what sounded like three greek folk songs on repeat which got really annoying after a while.
(4)Esther H.
Always great food and service. We are never disappointed. If you ask the owner for wine advice he always has the perfect one. Don't be afraid of the wait because you get seated reasonably quick. If you liked something on the special of the night and it isn't there next time. Ask! They have made it for me every time. I liked the fresh pasta with wild boar. Hearts of palm are excellent.
(5)C M.
EXQUISITE Wild Boar with freshly made spinach papparadelle pasta. It's so phenomenally tasty I may never order anything else at this restaurant to which I will return as frequently as possible. Wonderful wines by the glass and a delicious Caesar salad. I think this is the best wild boar sauce I have ever tasted - anywhere even in Italy. The menu is wonderful and I'd like to try some of the more classic dishes, but the specials (all six of them) were mouth watering. Yes, there was indeed a healthy wait for our entrees, but it was well worth every second. I'd wait even longer for food this well prepared. Bravo!
(5)Laura B.
I've tried to eat here a number of times. Once it was too hot. Once no one greeted us at the front door and we stood there for five minutes and then left. Once we ate there and I can't remember anything good about the experience.
(1)Elizabeth D.
My husband and I came here thinking we'd find delicious Italian, we did not. The service was terrible, we were seated in the middle of the restaurant and then promptly forgotten about. We waited at least five minutes for water and I asked twice for bread (both times I basically had to get up for the waiter to acknowledge me), we never actually got bread. We were going to order wine but never got a wine list so gave up on that. We ordered Caesar salad, bruschetta, and a pizza. We waited a VERY VERY long time and then was served everything at once, the pizza was almost cold. It was not busy. Food: Bruschetta- lovely, very garlicky, fresh tomatoes, good bread. Nothing amazing but definitely the best part of the meal. Caesar salad- expensive, tiny (like, not even half a head of romaine), and the most boring dressing I have ever tasted. Sausage pizza- in addition to not being hot, only had 4 tiny sausages and they were all on one side of the pizza. We had to pick them up and move them to each quarter of the pizza, it was weird. We were pretty much starving and angry by the time we ate after having waited so long and being ignored. We would have forgiven them if the food was good. We asked for the check as soon as our food came and it took three more reminders and about 30 minutes to actually get the check. If we were the type, we would have just walked out. Would I recommend or give this place a second chance? absolutely not, a waste of money.
(1)Lisa D.
Oh Salvatore's, a lovely authentic Italian restaurant where I could eat every night, if calories didn't exist! The service was great from start to finish - our waiter was very attentive and made useful wine suggestions. He was very personable too without being overly chatty/friendly. The bread, oil and Parmesan cheese that comes to the table was nice, but we decided to start with bruschetta as well. Great choice - the tomatoes were fine (and come on, it is February in Seattle - we're doomed to 11.5 months of uninspiring tomatoes), the bread was well crisped and oily delicious. It made for a very rich and decadent bruschetta; I ended up sopping up the extra oil with my plain bread. The boar with the pappardelle was superb - it is a special but one they have often, so do not be hesitant to ask about it. Pollo basilico was also excellent; nicely crisped but still tender, and wonderfully garlicky. The side of penne is red sauce was also quite good - the sauces all tasted bright and fresh. Prices are in line with what one would expect for a higher end Italian restaurant. Wine selection was very good
(5)Mairead R.
Salvatore's serves up traditional italian food from the Godfather era. (Read classic, not experimental.) This hole-in-the-wall seems to have a cult following. The table next to us sat down and told our waiter, "Feed us. Your choice." Said Italian waiter was charming and served up some fine fare. The specials were all outstanding, though menu choices like cheese ravioli and bruschetta seemed to be the most popular. They've got a tremendous menu. My favorites were hte burratta with fresh tomatoes and roasted mushroom appetizer.
(4)Brian G.
On the east coast Salvatore would be just another neighborhood Italian joint, but there aren't many of those in Seattle so they really standout. The service is amazing - so warm and family-like. The entrees are outstanding. Pasta, not so much, which is disappointing. I would also like more wines by the glass. But overall, I love this place.
(4)Conor K.
Phenomenal food, great setting, comfortable atmosphere. I've tried Salvatore's ravioli bolognese, wild boar, pizza, and more, and everything has been delicious. For those who have been upset with slow service: this isn't a carryout place. This isn't a place for quick meals. If you want to relax after a stressful week in a calming atmosphere with a delicious meal, this is your place. If you came in with different expectations, you can't blame the establishment.
(5)Gordon W.
We are finally writing a review over a dinner date we had here during Valentines day weekend. The first thing we noticed was how small the place was! But we were promptly greeted by the owner! He was very friendly and welcoming as we waited to be seated. We ordered the bruscetta, the seafood pasta, and one of the pizzas. The food was all great! The bread was really good! The service was fast and friendly! The waiter was very nice, in that he was very easy-going, relaxed, and always had a smile on his face! For a Valentine's day date for 2, we ended up spending under $40 for appetizer and dinner. No dessert. We'll be back to try the tiramisu! :)
(5)Brad D.
I haven't been to Salvatore's in over ten years, and my memories of this place are very fond. Unfortunately, it appears that times have changed, and not for the better. Our waiter was tall and Italian, and while my daughter thought he was somewhat cute, he could barely get the daily specials straight. While the salads were o.k., we had to wait over an hour for our food, and the place wasn't even busy. When our entrees arrived, they were nothing special (little meat and lots of pasta), and while we asked for silverware, it was clear after five minutes that we were on our own. We literally got up and grabbed silverware off of other tables. Mr. Salvatore was there, and while he apologized to another couple for the waiter, he made no effort to compensate us for the wait or lousy customer service. The irony of the evening is that when we called, we were told that there was 'no wait'. The bill was fairly high for three people who didn't eat or drink a lot. I will never return. There are just too many other choices out there, and I cannot risk ruining another evening on this place. Beware.
(1)Sarah A.
What an awesome find! I can't believe I hadn't bookmarked this place long ago. It was a great experience and I will be back for sure. The service was divine. How this man could remember 10+ specials and rattle them off for minutes was beyond me. Lord knows I lost track after a few seconds...squirrel! We started with a buffalo mozzarella caprese. Extremely fresh and straightforward. Everyone raving about the complimentary bread is right on the money too - that was a great addition. Husband had the Carbanara and I had one of the specials - a veal shank. This was really where they shined. I had little experience with Veal before, but after watching Gordon's Ramsey's F word (pretentious as it may sound, the BBC version of Ramsey is much better than the phoney Fox version we have here) - I had been dying to try veal done right. This did not disappoint. It was dripping off the bone and left my mouth watering for more. We split a house made tiramisu to finish up the night. Yum! We had plenty of wine and were pleased to see several moderately priced bottles. Sadly no bar, but the wine selection was fine. Overall feeling - this had a great neighborhood, family restaurant feel. Wonderful service and it was heartwarming to see the staff sit down to a large meal together at the end of the night. There were a few moments where the salt was a bit heavy handed and the prices erred a bit on the high side. That said - Final tally is a win - we will be back!
(4)Eileen D.
I love this neighborhood restaurant. I usually have the boar pasta there. Others had the chicken marsala and the squid ink - both were just as delicious. I have not been disappointed with their dishes from any of my visits. The service is excellent. We came in close to closing and they still sat us down - most places would turn us away. I highly recommend this gem on Roosevelt!
(5)Randy J.
This is our favorite Seattle Italian Restaurant. The marinara sauce is the best in the city - rich, thick and flavorful. My favorite appetizer is the mushroom sautee....usually three different mushrooms. It's a sweet place for a celebration and also just a good quiet lovely delicious neighborhood restaurant. I have brought out of town foodie guests here too.
(5)Aprameya R.
Again, this is that gray area between three and four stars. The positives first - The gentleman who served us was delightful. He was cheery and charming and given a little more time would have wooed the pants off the ladies in the group. He knew his wines and his recommendations were good. That coupled with the decor and the ambience give you the feeling that you picked the right place for dinner with friends to catch up on. We had a nice long meal, eating and drinking wine for a couple of hours or so. At no point were we hassled or pushed which was a good thing. Now, usually that coupled with good food would be enough for me to give four stars. However, the food was okay, not good and definitely not great. The olive oil and the bread was delightful. The bruschetta was found wanting though. It still makes me wonder how, the best Bruschetta I've had is in a restaurant in Edinburgh. The entrees were okay. Not bad. Not good. And that unfortunately is why the three stars. It is also a little on the pricey side but I wouldn't really hold it against the place. Overall, go here, you will have a nice and pleasant time. An excellent place for a date or just for catching up with friends.
(3)Archer B.
I have dined here many times in the past and I have always had a great meal. The wait staff are golden and food is fabulous.
(4)Lucy G.
Great food, perfectly sized portions, and fresh ingredients! Wine was great too. I had the tortellini with mushrooms in a cream sauce that was killer. The wait staff was down to earth, but still professional. It had a family restaurant feel with an upscale twist. Our waiter was Wade, if we heard the name correctly, and he couldn't have been more attentive, funny, and helpful. I've been to this restaurant a few times years ago, and it is good to know that the quality is just as good as it was back then. It is definitely worth the price!
(5)Amanda K.
This place has a great authentic Italian food with comforting atmosphere. It is not too fancy it is not too casual. It has a charming classical calmness. The food is AMAZING. They have mushroom appetizer on special menu which is highly recommended. I liked there pastas - fettucini with tomatoes, carbonara, Vongole, they were all good. I like Pollo Al Forno too. Highly recommended. I am giving four stars because sometimes the service gets a little slow - it sometimes seemed like its a little understaffed.
(4)Tom F.
The boar was a little gamey, but I guess there's no getting around that. Spaghetti al pomodore was good. Not as good as I've had in Tuscany. Service was kind of slow. I will not return any time soon.
(2)Kenny V.
Really enjoyed Salvatore! Even midweek, this place gets reasonably busy in the evenings. Service was knowledgeable, friendly, and humorous. Their sauce is everything that is good. Marinara for the calamari, white for the tortellini, and meat sauce for the lasagna were all delish. Had the bread pudding and espresso ice cream which were tasty as well. As others noted, the bread was nothing spectacular. All in all, Salvatore has great food, service, and that Italian family-run feel everyone desires. Highly recommended!
(5)Manda C.
We LOVE Salvetore's. As in: it's our go-to special occasion restaurant. We SAVE it for special occasions! We almost always order off the specials menu because we've found those to be our favorite. I can't remember the name, but the special with gorgonzola in it--oh, SO GOOD! Oh, and if you like wine, the waiters always know what to suggest and it is ALWAYS WONDERFUL. We LOVE this place. And Salvetore is an actual person, and he's always there. GREAT restaurant.
(5)Robert G.
Wow. I see a lot of 5 stars. Yes, it's very good but I don't remember "seeing stars," except for about 4 of them. Kudos to Salvatore's for being an established, authentic, and tasteful Italian eatery in the popular Ravenna / Roosevelt neighborhood, one of a few enclaves north of the downtown core that has good restaurants for discerning eaters. This restaurant is a standard in the area and was here before all the other trendy Italian eateries mushroomed. The entrees have been delicious, the portions were appropriate, the service was good and friendly in a courteous and restrained manner, and the prices were right where they should be for this type of restaurant. Salvatore's is a Seattle Italian restaurant I have trusted, from the very first time I ate there with a friend from the Bronx who "discovered" this place yet has never lived in Seattle.
(4)Alice R.
They are still my all-time favorite neighborhood italian restaurants. Service is always friendly and there's a familiar comfortable feel about this place. I usually go with the server's recommendation and I have not been disappointed in the last dozen or so times I've come here with my hubby. It's our go-to date night place when we can get a sitter or family friend to watch the girls.
(5)Kate M.
Wow, it's going to be hard to not eat at Salvatore's every weekend! Truly a gem - we had no issue getting in on a Friday night (though I guess we were late and missed the main rush). ORDER BRUSCHETTA. I don't care how much you love regular ol' bread and olive oil - you need this bruschetta. I'm not the bruschetta queen by any stretch, I usually find it mediocre... not this. Oh lord no. It's succulent. The oil seeps into the bread, the tomatos and basil are the pinnacle of fresh... we seriously almost got another order once it had been devoured. The entrees were great, also. Not hold-the-phones amazing like the bruschetta... but still lovely and well-prepared. In my opinion, the standout dish was the spaghetti agio e olio, which was seasoned more perfectly than I could have imagined. My typical rule at Italian eateries is to only order what I could not prepare myself at home... but my brother was in the mood for simplicity, and what he received defied any notion I had of how good a simple home-prepared spaghetti with quality olive oil, tons of chopped garlic, and seasoning could be. I will definitely be ordering it for myself next time. The boar and spinach pasta my FI had was tasty, and my own carbonara was nothing to sniff at, either.
(4)Leslie L.
Food was OK. I would recommend Salvatore to those looking for old-school Americanized-Italian cuisine and decor. For the price we were hoping for fresh originality, but just weren't at the right place for that. Perhaps we should have done our homework and been better prepared for the traditional "classical" menu and slightly-worn atmosphere. The hearts of palm salad was a blast-from-the-past 1970's-style dish, my husband's Caesar salad, while not inspired, was tasty. The scallops on my papparadelle pasta were well prepared, the sauce a little heavy and bland. The house merlot was not top quality, spring for a bottle if you can (selection seemed quite good). Wait staff was pleasant, service fine and timely. Salvatore is obviously a beloved neighborhood mainstay in a city of constantly-changing restaurant storefronts. Go here if you're looking to recapture childhood memories of basic pastas and pizzas, Puccini in the background and a even hints of cigarette smoke from times-gone-by.
(2)Sara F.
I will start with the good things: the food was good, not amazing, fairly good! The service was good, the waiter was very knowledgeable and helpful. But the bill was super high, i am not the kind that complains about high bills, but this one was really high for the amount of food we ordered. It came out $180 for 4 people and 2 babies. We ordered 4 plates, one glass of wine and 2 mini pasta plates for our 1 year olds. I was really disappointed, i felt like we were ripped off. I am so sorry to say that but i am never going there again, i don't want to get broke!!
(2)Anne N.
I usually never order bruschetta when eating out but my friend went ahead to order one anyways. And I'm glad that he did because it was delicious. The bread was perfectly toasted and I loved how much evoo they used. For our entrees, we ordered a spinach pappardelle served with tender chunks of wild boar in a red wine reduction (delicious!) and a penne alfredo (very rich!) with about 4 oz of beef tenderloin on the side. My friend inhaled that dish within 15 minutes. Service is a little slow but very friendly. We'll be back soon!
(4)Linda K.
Food was Great! However....on a Wednesday night, for a 6:30 seating: 1. Service was SLOW. 2. Noise level was HIGH. 3. They ran out of bread so there was none during our meal, and offered no other substitute. (I also had to ask twice before we were told that that ran out.) But food was DELICIOUS.
(3)Richy M.
Excellent Italian food. Had the green peppercorn steak with pasta and my GF got the pasta that with meat sauce that had bone in braised ribs. Both were delicious. Our server was very friendly and managed to remember the dozen or so special that were offered that night. I will definitely be returning
(4)Adrianne S.
We recently enjoyed a lovely meal at Salvatore Ristorante. The food was excellent. The flavors were authentic and the preparation of delicate items like prawns, filet, and lobster was top notch. However, the best thing about our experience was the excellent service. Christopher was attentive and made sure every detail of our experience was taken care of promptly and considerately. He made fantastic wine recommendations and managed the trick of impressing two former fine dining servers, which is hard to do. I highly recommend this restaurant for a romantic night out!
(5)Lisa N.
This is the bf's favourite restaurant in Seattle and with good reason. He has been talking about taking me here for months (it's quite a trek-- maybe a 10-minute walk from his house :P) and finally did tonight. I thought he was overhyping it by saying it's the best place ever, but I definitely see why he thinks that now! First of all, we came in around 6:45 and were seated immediately. Apparently it can get pretty busy, but we got lucky because it was still fairly empty when we arrived. The location is somewhat awkward-- between die BierStube and a car rental place and down the street from the new Community Fitness so we saw some interesting people walk by throughout our meal, which didn't matter all too much because we were really just paying attention to each other :) We started our evening being presented with the extensive list of specials-- two pastas, a few appetizers, and four meat entrees. Bf said not to even bother with the regular menu because the specials are spectacular, so I took his advice and went with the spinach fettuccine served with wild boar for my entree and he chose the Argentinian beef. We got the mushroom appetizer (chanterelle, porcini, & portabella) and the tomato/mozzarella appetizer. The mushrooms were absolutely perfect. Tender and flavourful and moist like mushrooms should be-- I could eat them for the rest of my life. The tomatoes & mozzarella weren't too impressive, but good nonetheless. When our entrees came out, we were already starting to get full from the bread & dipping oil and our appetizers, but everything looked and smelled so delicious. My pasta was spectacular-- flat, wide fettuccini and perfectly tender chunks of meat that seemed to melt in my mouth. I tried to savor all of it by eating it slowly, but when the boy started putting chunks of his beef and mushrooms on my plate I had to take a break from the greatness of my own meal to try some of his. His beef was perfectly pink and cooked through wonderfully, just chewy enough to be satisfying and not to the point of feeling like jaw exercises. I continued eating beyond my point of fullness because the food was just that good. Eventually we got our meals boxed up, bypassed the dessert menu, and had some coffee to end the evening. Even their coffee is rich and aromatic with a taste you can savor forever. Five well-earned stars for Salvatore!
(5)Alan D.
Excellent choice for dinner as this is small family owned restaurant and was a wonderful dining experience. Friendly knowledgable staff that really knows the meaning of great service. The food was very fresh perfectly done. Them owner stopped to chat with us and make sure that we were enjoying everything and welcome us. This place is great and we will be back again with family and friends. We loved this intimate neighborhood place.
(5)Michaela M.
Sometimes the waiters seem to look down upon you but other than that the food is so incredible it's almost indescribable. I have tried the spicy tomato sauce and the broccoli with marinara. Both of them blew me away but the seafood risotto is one of the best thing I have ever eaten. It's a special but look out for it. All the sorbets are perfect and the presentation is great. I just love this place!
(5)Trixie E.
The food and price are great. EJ is a great host and we look forward to dining there again.
(5)Tom B.
I've been meaning to try this place practically since it opened, and that's been over 20 years now. Finally, last night, I got around to it. No restaurant is worth waiting 20 years to try--that's just silly. But it was fantastic and it'll be great to make up for lost time by going back often. Salvatore aims to be both a revival of and an improvement on the classic corner Italian restaurant. You know, the kind of place that's easy to picture being on practically every other block back in the 50s, especially on the east coast. But Salvatore is a long, long way from the corny cliche of checked tablecloth, chianti bottle candleholders, and weak amateur tenors every Friday and Saturday. Yeah, it's a little on the florid side with the wall murals, but not in a tacky way. Other than that, though, it's a completely serious culinary bistro. Start with the fact that there's a full-on espresso bar greeting you at the door. Didn't try the coffee, but it was obviously nicer than the equipment at most of the nice coffee bars I frequent. The dining room is just the right size to support an adventurous menu and still feel intimate--maybe 30-32 seats. Fresh white tablecloths after every party leaves. The food's great, lots of simple classic Italian food with none of the Americanized "Italian" cliches. Great meats, cheeses, and pasta. Tried the caprese with mozzarella di buffala, a great blend of sauteed mushrooms (needed salt, but that's it), and some awesome beef tenderloin in gorgonzola sauce and a great tri-tip with criminis. Everything was intensely flavorful, but well-balanced and perfectly cooked. Coconut sorbet for dessert, still in the coconut shell. And the waiter deadly seriously said "we make the best tirami su in the city." He was probably right--it was fantastic. I'll definitely be back frequently. A little spendy, but well worth it. Works for a date, dinner with friends, or even a family occasion, provided the kids are all at least into their teens.
(5)Becca C.
After all these reviews, I can't really say anything differently. But I wanted to say dining here is an experience, it's not order-eat-pay-leave. There are thousands of specials, and even more questions to ask about how the food is prepared. You will never be scolded for wanting to know more. The boar tagliatalli was divine; the bruschetta was tasty but slightly dry. Our server wasn't the most jovial man I met, but the other servers were eager to regale us with stories and talk of wine and food. It made it so much more intimate that the staff is more family than coworkers. A simple candle in the tiramisu celebrated my birthday, no hands clapping or silly songs. I would come back in a heartbeat.
(5)Sydnie J.
Salvatore, I have been remiss. You have been one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle, and my favorite Italian restaurant in Seattle, hands down, for ages, but I haven't written a review until now. I apologize. Since we first met, you've shown me nothing but the utmost consideration, plying me with food closest to the food I had in Italy, relentlessly delicious and refreshingly different than the Italian fare offered at many restaurants here in the US. You provide me with attentive service, friendly, charismatic servers, and a charming atmosphere devoid of pretension. Salvatore, you deserve five stars for the food (for the Pollo alla Coppa dish alone, or whatever it's called, you know the one I mean {and readers, if it's not on the menu, you can usually order it - it will not disappoint, I promise}) and service. The food is nothing short of miraculous. Were I to have my druthers, though, it would be nice to have better bread at the start, and to have your own desserts - I wouldn't be able to resist cannoli, for instance. The desserts I've had so far have ranged from mediocre to unpalatable. I say this so frankly because it's my understanding you don't make them in house (apologies to your dessert provider, but I think they're just not very good, sorry). Readers, you would have to be a FOOL not to give Salvatore a try if you are a fan of Italian food. Or food, period. Go!
(5)Janet F.
At first, our waiter seemed to be ignoring us...by passing us at every turn to answer the questions that other customers had or took the orders of tables that got there way after us. I think we waited around 30 minutes just to order! I was so ready to walk out (I'm glad I didn't). But in the end our waiter charmed his way back into our heart. I see that there are many mentions of the wild boar and I have to agree...it is amazing. But I have to say...my favourite of the night was trying my friend's plate of filet mignon with blue cheese sauce! The sauce was not overwhelming, and the beef was so tender that you didn't even need a knife. I kept hoping my friend would stop eating so that I could casually offer my "help" to finish her plate off. :)
(5)Michelle L.
Amazing dinner experience! We were referred here by a friend and decided to give it a shot while we were in town. Do not let the small, basic street appearance fool you, once you walk inside the space transforms. We were greeted by very friendly gentlemen and seated right by the window. From that moment on, the service was flawless. Napkins gently placed in our laps, our water glasses always topped, wine glasses always full, the service was similar to fancy five course restaurants we occasionally splurge on. The food was delicious! You will receive bread, herb infused olive oil and freshly grated parm in your own small serving bowl. The menu is extensive with lots of options. Appetizer we had caprise salad. Entrees: I ordered beef tenderloin in blue cheese/mushroom sauce (and some other ingredients I can't remember) It was delicious! My husband had rib eye with it's own wine reduction sauce, that was also great! We didn't have room for dessert, but they had a lot of dessert options and the tables around us ordered dessert and they looked like large portions of goodness! I would definately go back again. They have all options from pizza to fancy entrees. It was a Saturday night when we went and street parking was not a problem at all, very accessible.
(5)Nina H.
I'm pretty sure I've passed by this place a bunch of times and hadn't realized this was such an awesome restaurant! I came here tonight with a girlfriend because this place was on both of our "must try" lists for restaurants in Seattle. I won't lie, usually these really high-rated restaurants create equally high expectations for me. I was very impressed by the service actually. The pace was great and the server (he might actually be Salvatore, but I had no idea) seemed as if he was constantly checking up on us to see if he should approach us at the right time. It wasn't very crowded at 8 p.m. on a Tuesday night but I thought that was very considerate anyway. And after he read all of the daily specials which was basically half the menu, we decided to stick with options that were on the menu. My friend ordered the tomato pasta with artichokes and I had the white wine clam linguine, yeah all of the items were listed in Italian and I couldn't even pronounce them, let alone remember how to spell them. The olive oil for bread dipping was excellent, I couldn't stop dabbing the bread with the oil. I'm not usually a bread fan but it was quite good. I really enjoyed the clams in my linguine, I was a little sad that the portions felt kind of small but I was full by the end of dinner anyway. He was very good about refilling our water glasses too and after we finished, we decided to share the tiramisu... which by the way, was one of the best I've tasted. People said that Buca di Beppo has the best, but theirs is too rummy for me. Salvatore's is def the best so far. I really enjoyed my dining experience here and I hope to come back soon, preferably when I am richer... we each paid $22 for our pastas and dessert (including tax & tip.) And... that's a little more than usual.
(4)Annemarie P.
My husband and I have been going to this restaurant since we first started dating 16 years ago. The staff always remembers us and Salvatore greets us by name. The staff is always friendly and helpful and the food is always fantastic. I'm a bit boring and almost always get the Pollo al Forno (chicken, prosciutto and parmesan with red sauce) or the filleto gorganzola (beef fillet with a creamy gorganzola sauce.) My husband usually gets one of the specials and always loves it. For appetizers we usually get the grilled prawns and for dessert the lemon cake is amazing. This is by far our favorite restaurant and we've chosen to eat there over The Met and Canlis many times. Enjoy!
(5)Seth R.
This is the best Italian restaurant in Seattle. Excellent surroundings, good wait staff, and always great food.
(5)Susan U.
The best Italian restaurant in Seattle. Every single item with a brandy, cream or marsala sauce will make you ewwww and ahhhh. You just can't help but make the noise. My girlfriends have renamed this restaurant orgasm on a fork.
(5)Amanda W.
Excellent service. Excellent food. Romantic atmosphere. This has been one of my Valentines' day restaurants of choice ... as well as evening out ... especially when craving true Italian. Their dishes are smartly designed for well-rounded flavor and texture. They also do many seasonal dishes which any good restaurant will have in order to insure a high quality of fresh ingredients. White cloth tables, attentive waiters, and an excellent wine selection balance out the general romantic feel of this place. I wish their meal prices could be a bit cheaper, but when you live in a city like Seattle where Italian food is lacking, I'm willing to pay the extra price. Plus, I feel some of that price comes from the atmosphere they are trying to maintain. The location is somewhat of an odd spot for a fancy restaurant, but they are trying very hard to keep it classy. They also have a small bar area for waiting when it's very busy.
(5)Stephanie C.
I want to give Salvatore a 5. It's a 4.5 and the hiccups and mainly beause we have service issues. But the food is absolutely wonderful and rivals any Italian joint we have back in NYC. While visiting Seattle, this was worth the treacherous driving in the Seattle rain is scary to Northside to this esteemed family restaurant. No reservation (though I can see those being a good idea ha) and we waited only like 10-15 minutes. They guy who greeted us I'm pretty sure was Salvatore himself- at least people were calling him that- was nice enough to let us sit at the bar and review the menus. We didn't order wine- just water (which our server forgot, so when we brought this to our table, he brough out new waters- not a big deal). I guess I had lower expectations service-wise here so it's not a big deal. Throughout the night, our server was a bit slow and frazzled. Pretty sure at first two of them were arguing who was going to serve our table. We were kind of cramped up in the corner, buti it's not their fault as we were walk ins. The server was chill, though, when he just allowed me and my Mom to order. My dad had a really late lunch and didn't want to order an entree. Bread basket came down and was pretty standard with the olive oil for dipping. Just, clean, fresh, italian bread (probably not down in-house). More on this later. We all shared the tomato/mozzarella app. My mom was complaining that that was simple- simple it was but boy was that mozarella fantastic. So soft, so fresh- with a juicy juicy _____ tomato. I'm sorry the blank is there because I forget what kind of tomato it was (not the crap beefsteak kind, the kind on the vine), with a lovely balsamic. And trust me, I don't like balsamic. Can I first say that I have never seen a restaurant have so many specials? Seems like it's always offered everyday so I don't know why they just don't add it to the menu. There were like 6 haha... and credit to our server actually for remembering them all. I convinced my Mom to go with the famous Wild Boar Pasta. I have to admit I didn't try the boar because I don't eat pork or anything beyond fish/chicken but the pieces were plentiful. (and dark, so to some, unsightly)- spread sporadically over a deliciously decadent plate of tagliatelle (pretty sure it was that). Al-dente is my middle name, so the texture was just perfect. As for the sauce, it tasted almost like there was curry in here; I like that strangely Eastern/curry taste. Amongst the exotic seasoning were bay leaves-- which I know is not unfamiliar territory for Italians. Amazing. Just amazing. The sauce was so deliciously seasoned that I didn't even care that boar touched it. My mom said the boar was fork tender and not the least bit hard or underseasoned. Kind of like an adventurous pork. For me, I went with items on the (plentiful) regular menu-- there is no way that they have all of that in the kitchen on one night ha-- a pasta also. When I'm having Italian, there's nothing better than fresh pasta. I went to the Bucatini (regular menu). I admit this was a while ago so I don't remember the exact dish name but I assume they had just one bucatini. I'm a huge fan of this thick noodle pasta- so fun to eat. It was made more for vegetarians and it was a no-meat sauce; but still the absolute best spicy tomato sauce. Kind of like a spghetti e pomodoro (which I was going to get, but the server said this was better) but with some red crush spice, sauteed onions, and plethora of curried spices. It had the right consistency- as an avid proponent on making my own pasta sauce, it always comes up too watery! But this was perfect. I think there might have been pancetta in there or maybe I was dreamt that. Perfectly al -dente yet again with that mysterious curry flavor. (I know you think I'm nuts). They brought out more bread but THIS TIME... uh oh... the BREAD WAS MOLDLY! Just broke up one piece, I turned it over and there was a bunch of fuzzy, grey dots. We told our server right away, who took it away and then went to find Salvatore. There was some bickering, again in front of us. LOL. Loud Italians. So I concurr with my prior statement that I bet the bread isn't baked in house because no way would they have bread for that long. They did not replace it- but I guess that's fine because after that episode, we didn't want any. I heard the desserts weren't baked in house, and to stay away (with the except of the tiramisu). Now, I LOVE tiramisu- it's on my top 3 dessert list but my Mom became fixated on our neighbor opening a shell-type thing for dessert. We didn't bother to ask (our mistake!) as I thought it was the profiteroles (but I now think it was the coconut sorbet!). So we got the profiterole; my Mom was dissappointed it wasn't the shell-thing and I was dissappointed by the lackluster profiteroles. They tasted store bought. Prices were pleasant. $15-20 per person. I miss it already and am jealous it's not in NYC!
(4)Shannon K.
Went there tonight with some friends. It was very crowded and the kitchen service was a bit slow, but the waiter's good humor and general atmosphere of the place almost made us forget how long our food took to get out of the kitchen. And the FOOD when it came out it was fabulous! We all ordered specials so we tried chicken cacciatore, rigatoni with sausage and a wild boar dish. All were fabulous. I highly recommend Salvatore Ristorante! The whole evening felt like we were 'some place else'. I generally don't go out for Italian food, since I'm a fabulous Italian cook myself, but Salvatore will be the exception.
(4)Gavin N.
Went here for dinner last Friday. Let's say the beginning of the night was a bit bumpy. We had a party of 7, which took about an hour to get a table. During that time we sat in their bar/waiting area, it took a while for our table to get cleared and to get a bottle of wine to start while we waited. It seemed they were pretty understaffed. Anyway we were finally seated, and the rest of our dinner went well. I think we ordered just about one of everything on their menu and dined family style. I must say their wild boar pasta and anchovy (it didn't have a fishy uber salty taste) spaghetti was delicious. Our bill ran about $300, but we did buy like 3 bottles of wine along with all our entrees, appetizers, and desserts. I'm definitely a fan, and will be back another day...hopefully soon. ~G p.s. Tiramisu = Awesome.
(4)Jennifer O.
I am so happy that Salvatore finally has a working website with a menu. I have been here a few times and each time was wonderful. I had really good bruschettas, pastas, and chicken dishes. There was nothing here that I tried that I didn't like. Also, the waiters are so good. They are attentive and knowledgeable.
(5)carrie L. B.
Salvatore Ristorane is my culinary equivalent of a cozy blankey. This is the place I turn to when I need a pat on the back and a comfy "there there." The food is distinctly 80s-style Italian: evolved, but only just. They are firmly planted only one or two overcooked noodles away from being an old-timey classic red or white sauce joint. What elevates Salvatore from glop is an intense dedication to wonderful ingredients. Last night was a disaster, however. The lovely hostess has been let go and the waiters tried their best to control the masses, but ultimately the masses won and our waiter admitted sweaty defeat as he dropped a greasy fork on my lap and then plunked down a mess of dessert by way of an apology. The high-light of last night's service: the waiter finally found his way to our table to tell us the specials (an hour after our arrival!) and began by asking us to please stop him if we didn't want to hear the details. The restaurant version of hitting the fast forward button, I guess. The only thing that saved the meal was, well, the meal. Especially and particularly the appetizer plate of creamy, delicate mozzarella di bufala campana dressed with olive oil and improbably delicious tomatoes - seriously? Tomatoes? In Seattle? In NOVEMBER? I'll always cuddle you Salvatore, just try not to soil me again, k?
(4)Austen I.
I wish I could give this place a 4.5 because they deserve it. Our waiter was patient, helpful, and fun. They had 6 specials on the night with long explanations and he took his time to explain each one, let us digest the info, and came back to help us with our questions. (We had a lot of them) The restaurant was dimly lit and noisy, but it felt like a little quiet place to have a nice meal. As some reviews said, this is a nice date place. Their bread was cold and delicious. The olive oil is perfect with the bread. I can only imagine how great the bread would be if it came straight out of the oven. You know this place is going to be good when I can stop myself from grabbing another piece of bread. For appetizers we had the eggplant salad (meh) and the bruchetta. Do not leave this place without eating the bruchetta. If you had 2 minutes and had to choose only one thing, get the bruchetta. It's so excellent. Toasty, olive oily, tomatoey, cheesy greatness. I followed the yelp community's suggestion of boar pasta and was disappointed. The dish was tasty, but it wasn't rocking my face. A friend had the saltimbocca, which was an excellent dish. We didn't try dessert, but the next time I come, I'll be having more bruchetta. And lots of it.
(4)Mad k.
Food is ok, service not so good. Final straw was on Mother's Day. Granted they were busy, but were told it would take 15 minutes for a table. Ended up waiting 40. Then we ordered food and noticed 45 minutes later that people who came in after us had ordered, eaten and left wan we still hadn't been served our meal. The waiter made up some story but turns out he forgot to turn in our order. Was given a measly piece of tiramisu to make up for it. We used to frequent this place often. No more.
(2)Kyle B.
After reading a ton of great reviews on here, I couldn't wait to try out an Italian place in North Seattle. I hadn't had much luck finding a decent place, so it was exciting to find a place that most Yelpers enjoyed. When my wife and I got there around 7 PM on a Friday, it was a bit busy and we were told by the friendly host (owner?) that it would be a 20 minute wait. No big deal - we went to The Fish Store and lurked for a bit, then took a brisk walk, and headed back 5 minutes early. We sat down in the small lounge and ordered some Bruschetta, which was simply amazing - it had a strong garlic base, they didn't skimp on the olive oil, and the roma tomatoes were delicious! Most Italian places fear about using too much basil or garlic, but this place threw caution to the wind! I was very happy with it, and 15 minutes later, we were seated in the quaint dining area. Our waiter promptly came over, dropped off menus, and refilled our waters (and my soda). He told us the extensive list of specials in mouthwatering detail, and my wife settled on the Beef Tenderloin special while I tried a signature Italian dish - Chicken Marsala. We even ordered another plate of Bruschetta! And then it all went bad. The service from then on out was very poor, and while the kitchen was extremely busy, there was no excuse for the entree taking 90 minutes! Additionally, tables seated well after us (20+ minutes) got their food before us. Our waiter apologized once for the delays and eventually brought my wife's entree - mine was nowhere to be found. He said it would come out in just a minute, but it took closer to 5 full minutes to come out. When it did, the appearance was poor - it looked like stock penne thrown on a plate with two nondescript chicken breasts pounded flat in a boring Marsala sauce. My wife said her entree was very good. I wish I could say the same about mine - I'd rate it below even the Olive Garden's entree! The pasta was overdone and the sauce lacked any of the bold flavor that the Bruschetta promised. It was very boring, the chicken was slightly overcooked, and it was just bland. It was also a fairly small portion, which isn't a big deal when you're getting high quality food - but this was anything but. When our waiter boxed my wife's meal and dropped off the dessert, he didn't offer us any complimentary beverages or treats for the long wait. I asked for the check, promptly paid, and left a sparse tip. I might try this place out again based on my wife's entree, but my entree was uninspired, boring, and the service was unacceptable. Having moved here a few years ago from a region where Italian reigns supreme - the Midwest - this was another disappointment in a long line of Seattle "Italian" restaurants.
(2)jeff m.
Momma mia that's one spicey meat-a-balla! hoho! That, my friends, was italian. But don't worry, you don't need to know how to speakah da language-o at Salvatore Ristorante if you want to enjoy a good, home-cooked meal. If you like the soprano's you'll enjoy this quaint establishment. The pizza and italian pizza-rolls were excellent. I highly recommend the appetizers. In the future I will always order a lasagna entre for take out, as I can think of nothing finer than dining on authentic food-italiano two nights in a row! I would have scored this restaurant with 5 stars except the valet was no where to speak of and I was forced to park my car myself!
(3)Jenny D.
Yum! The best Italian I've had in Seattle so far, and I've been to quite a few. This brings me back to those quaint cafes in Rome, complete with the little tables of quiet old men drinking wine at dinnertime. My boyfriend and I went here for our monthly date night and did not leave disappointed. Not only is the walk just a few blocks from my apartment at the U, the summer day was beautiful so it really set the mood. They don't take reservations but it was a Tuesday night so not overly busy; we were seated right away. We started off with some seasoned olive oil and bread, which made me happy since real Italians don't dip bread in balsamic vinegar. The bread was nice and dense, which reminded me of the bread at Salumi's downtown. The waiter was the only one working for 5+ tables so he was a bit rushed but did a very good and gracious job. I first ordered the mozzarella di bufalo as a starter, which came out deliciously. The mozzarella was perfect and the tomatoes were vine-ripe and just the right size. The olive oil was also just the right flavor--not too heavy. Next, we ordered the hearts of palm salad. Wow. Those hearts of palm must have been just wee trees before they were cut for our eating enjoyment. Lovely light salad to get you ready for the main meal. Seeing one of my favorite dishes in Italy was veal scalp, I went ahead and ordered that on the specials list. They didn't have the boar pasta so my boyfriend ordered the linguine with seafood. Both arrived and was scrumptious. I believe I murmured repeatedly, "This is perfect!" Seriously, the veal scalp tasted the same as I remembered in Italy--in Rome and in Florence. Just the right amount of sauce, with a bit of penne on the side, Parmesan crusted on top. The servings were quite large so I only ate 1/2 of my plate and gave the rest to my boyfriend who enjoyed it thoroughly. The linguine was also quite good, the sauce very light but full of flavor. The mussels, however, were a bit old or overcooked--not quite fresh enough. I drank up the sauce though :) We would have gotten dessert but I was simply too full. No fear, I've already started planning the next trip: bruschetta, wild boar pasta, ravioli in meat sauce, tiramisu. Mmmmmm. The price was a bit high ($25 for a veal and $8 for the salad...) but for an authentic experience it was well worth it.
(5)Ralph G.
Really good food and great portions. The waiter was a real gentleman and made really good suggestions. I don't know why other reviewers thought that the "smell" was bad or that it was expensive, for two people with drinks, appetizer, main course and dessert it was under 100 bucks. The prices are reasonable for what you get and the bread pudding is amazing!
(5)Big M.
probably my favorite italian place in Seattle. I have to force myself to try something other than the wild boar pasta every time I visit, but it's so hard to not get that dish It's excellent. I love the hearts of palm salad and buffalo mozzarela appetisers as well. The owner is almost always on site making sure the patrons are happy. I've had nights at this place where the service is a bit slow, but I just make sure to get myself a good bottle of wine and the wait is well worth it. Great place that I plan to continue to visit on a regular basis.
(5)Melanie G.
This is an awesome restaurant! I am a serious foodie and am Very hard to please but the last time I went, I had the best meal I have EVER had. Everything from the starter bread to the dessert. I had the Gnocchi Al Gorgonzola and the Torta al Cioccolato. First of all, the pasta is like handmade pieces of dough instead of noodles (there' s a name for it that I can't remember) which is moist and picks up all the flavor of the gorgonzola cream and walnuts sauce. Usually I find the sauce for this dish to be too pungent and overpowering or have too much of a cream to gorgonzola ratio. And at Salvatore? Divine! The perfect blend of gorgonzola and cream. And mixed with the somewhat chewy dough-like pasta, the perfect combination to excite and wake the senses. I delved so deep into the review of this dish so that people can see how much I critique food and how amazing their food really is. As for the Italian chocolate cake, incredible. Perfect for the chocolate lover. Not dry and cake-like but literally the inside of a chocolate truffle. The service is also impressive. We were seated immediately at a prime time on a busy Friday night, and a server came to take our drink order within a few minutes. The server was also gracious and rambeled off the largest selection of nightly specials I have ever seen offered (well worth it) with a description of the ingredients that go into each dish.
(5)Walter P.
This place drives me nuts. We have had both wonderful and awful evenings here. It seems to depend entirely on the server, but this time it depended also on the cook knowing how to cook a steak. On Friday Nov. 25, we had a family dinner for six adults. Two of us ordered the New York steak, and both were seriously overcooked. One guest didn't have the nerve to say so; I did and sent it back. The waitress brought it back and said it wasn't overcooked! (denying the difference between MR and MW). So, all i can say is "good luck" if you venture in. The customer is not king here; your job is to make the servers happy and then hope for the best.
(2)Ms. Janette B.
Have the shrimp! Salvatore's right up there with Pasta Bella for food quality and pure a t m o s p h e r e ... Love it.
(5)Beth C.
Food was outstanding. I ordered the gnocchi, which is easy to screw up, but it was perfectly cooked, and the gorgonzola sauce was rich and yummy. We brought my 4-year-old son along, and the staff were super nice to him in a way you usually don't find in a white table cloth establishment. It's nice to discover a restaurant with amazing food where you don't feel out of place bringing your kids. On a side note, I never understand reviews where people complain about the food prices, when they're clearly listed on the menus...also, given the quality of the food, I felt like this place was a good value.
(5)Hai Yen N.
I have heard wonderful things about Salvatore and been wanting to go here for two years. The two stars rating may not be accurate because I came here on Valentine's Day when it was slammed. Trust me, I really wanted to love this place. My boyfriend and I walked in the door around five without a reservation and managed to snag the last available table. Salvatore's son was the host and he ignored us for a full five minutes while he was on the phone with a customer. He didn't look at us, make a motion or express in his face anything to let us know he would get to us as soon as he could. He was rather unfriendly, frazzled and unprofessional. Kudos to our waiter, a man with a British accent, for coming out to seat us and to be as friendly and as attentive as possible for how busy the restaurant was that day. We received complimentary bread with our water but even though I was starving I couldn't bring myself to eat much bread because it was dry, untoasted and the accompanying olive oil mixture with herbs lacked flavor. I ended up ordering the serviceable bruschetta to tide myself over until our entrees arrived. I had the linguini in bianco which was linguini in a wine-based broth with clams, mussels and shrimp. My boyfriend had one of the specials, chicken in a cream sauce topped with mozarrella and ham. Both our entrees were tasty and I also had a mista salad for something fresh but it was very poorly done. There was way too much dressing that left the lettuce completely soggy and unappetizing. The ambiance also left much to be desired. I thought this place was going to make for a lovely, romantic V-Day date but it was dark, dingy and lacked warmth even though the windows were fogging up from the humidity inside. With so many unique Italian restaurants in Seattle, I'd be hard-pressed to try Salvatore again.
(2)Mona N.
First time at Salvatore last night. Thursday evening, 7 pm, no reservations and we had no problem getting a table for two. The restaurant was about half full. We started off with the bruschetta and the heart of palms salad. The heart of palms was pretty good, the bruschetta was very tasty but swimming in olive oil. I know olive oil is a 'good' oil but I don't really like my food floating in it. That being said, the grilled bread for the bruschetta was fresh and crisp. I ordered the spaghetti primavera and it was delicious with lots of roasted veggies, the pasta was al dente, but again, swimming in oil! (see pics). Sigh.... I really wanted to love Salvatore. My husband ordered the seafood spaghetti - it was pretty saucy and...oily. Sigh... We were too full for dessert so we did not try any. Service was good however.
(3)Will P.
This place is the best Authentic Italian in Seattle. The food is great, the service is fantastic and all the staff is friendly and approachable. I know everyone always say that, but with this place it is actually true. When they start to inform you of specials, pay attention, because they usually have quite a few. Great date Spot
(5)D.J. Y.
OMG. Local day time talk show hostess Cindi Rinehart, you know the one who dishes the scoop on soap operas for KOMO channel 4. She turned my wife and I onto this diamond of crown jewels many years ago. Sadly since moving to the north end we just don't get over to the Ravenna area of Seattle as we use to. So my review is only from past experiences. But reading other reviews, I'd be safe to say things haven't changed much, well accept the prices, BUT hey, for quality you often have to pay for it! This restaurant is for the romantic and those who enjoy a nice evening enjoying some of the finest Italian food from the Palermo region of Italy. Try it, it's worth the visit. In fact, it's a great place for V-day gang! Comfortable for two-four, this is some true fine dining.
(5)chris t.
I am not sure about this place. It seems like it has the possibility of being hit or miss. Fortunately for us last night it was a solid hit. We had a late dinner and the service was a bit slow, but there were some big groups so it can be forgiven. The host/waiter/looked to be owner was a very cordial and did an excellent job selling the menu. I went with the seafood risotto, my friend with the gorgonzola tenderloins, and some bruschetta to start. The bruschetta was very good, maybe a bit oily, but really, is olive oil drenched bread a bad thing? The entrees took a bit to come out and I was pleased to see the portions weren't mega sized 3 meal portions. The risotto was solid, not spectacular but good. I believe the tenderloins were good, but they were gone before I knew it with nothing but low grunts coming from the other side of the table. The little bit of sauce i managed to snatch from the plate with a piece or bread was delicious, though it earned me an evil eye. Was a good meal, and if you are north of downtown prolly a good bet for Italian. I think I will have to return to rest final judgment.
(4)Dimay C.
Was looking for a good italian restaurant. Had a friend visiting from out of town and wanted to have a larger sized group welcoming dinner with a bunch of his friends. Although Salvatore Ristorante is a small restaurant, that usually doesn't take reservations, I called in early and requested a table for 8. When we arrived our table was ready. The host and waiter were both very very friendly and fun. They were also very accomodating (A++ for customer service, which i'm huge on!). Not only was the service great, the food was also delicious. The dishes seemed simple and traditional. We had the bruchetta for appetizer, which I liked but it wasn't any different from bruchetta that I've had else where. They had traditional spaghetti with meatballs on special that night, and I gotta say it was pretty good! The meatballs were huge and they had lots of flavor. Their wine list was also very extensive. We went with a red and a white recommend by our waiter. Both were good and complimented our dishes well. Thanks for a wonderful time!!
(4)Alan F.
Plenty to like about this place--excellent service, amazing americano, visible kitchen, and almost too many tantalizing options with the long list of specials factored in. Normally my options at Italian places are limited due to practicing pescatarianism. But just looking over the menu gave me 4 or 5 strong candidates, and I ended up going with a prawn dish off the specials list. Finishing off with tira misu was an excellent decision, I might add. I may have a new favorite Italian place, at least until my bank account cries uncle.
(5)Sharon M.
As the "foodie friend" of my circle, it was always met with astonishment when I admitted I had not yet tried Salvatore. "You MUST go!" they would exhale loudly. And I would nod my head and say, "Yes yes, of course I have been meaning to go. It's on my list..." blah blah blah. After finally making my promised pilgrimage tonight, I breathily and heartily join the chorus of "You MUST go!" The space is intimate (almost "crowded", but not quite...maybe "bustling and cozy"), the service brisk but with a sense of humor and a great knowledge of the food, the wine list modest but affordable with some key labels I have come to know and love, and the food....divine. Beyond the beyond. Classic preparations made to such perfection, you can't believe that something so simple could taste so complex. We started with sharing the prosciutto wrapped melon and the butter and olive oil sauteed mushrooms ("I could die in these mushrooms," I confessed to the waiter), then on to a caesar salad (a little oily, and the croutons were a bit tough, but the flavor was wonderful). From there we parted ways and hubby ordered the last Osso Buco left for the evening specials, while I ordered off the regular menu with a tomato-cream based fettucine with artichokes and mushrooms. Hubby rolled his eyes and made noises of pleasure as he ate that would be banned outside of "Skinemax", while I reverently forked mounds of perfectly cooked pasta into my mouth, enjoying every last salty tangy morsel I could until I was too full to continue. We couldn't do dessert, we were too full (luckily we had some Molly Moon salted caramel ice cream to greet us at home when we were feeling less rotund). But we were already making promises to return again, and to sing the praises of this out of the way Italian joint to all who will listen!
(5)Danphi V.
Very impressive experience. A little joint that was bustling on a Wednesday evening, we were acknowledged immediately as we came in by the guy who eventually was our server as he was running CC charges on other tables. Engaging and welcoming immediately, which told me this place was going to do a great job. Let us know he had to prepare a table and he'd get us seated shortly. When he left, another guy with an British accent asked us if we needed help, very impressed to see the servers doing host duties and making it look effortless. Read the reviews and had this place recommended from someone I used to know, so was looking forward to trying it. As mentioned in Yelp, the Brushetta was multo buono. Prior to that coming out, the bread and the olive oil with some nice seasoning, along with a glass of house red (multipiciano) was great. A very long list of specials that were tempting, but GF and I both went with one of their pastas. Great taste, piping hot, and ample portion for a good price. The side vegetable was tasty and a nice addition to the heaping bowls of pasta. Despite being pretty full after our Italian adventure, the dessert menu did tempt us, so we shared a pastry stuffed with vanilla ice cream that was smothered in whipped cream and chocolate. Fantastic. In sum, great prices, just the right level of attentiveness in service (a real feat considering the 2 guys working the room were real busy and doing all their own busing), and healthy portions. I've spent a lot of time in Italy and this place is as close to authentic as I've experienced in the states. If you enjoy Italian food, you need to check this place out. Mambo Italiano!!
(4)