Volterra
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Message from the Business
Inspired by the warm, traditional Tuscan hilltop town by the same name, Volterra features the bold-flavored, Tuscan-inspired menu of award-winning Chef Don Curtiss.
Chef Curtiss has a long history and following in the Northwest. He received acclaim as "One of America's Most Innovative Chefs", from Wine Spectator while serving as the opening chef of Andaluca. He was also named "One of America's Top 26 Chefs" by Italian Cooking and Living.
Volterra's dining room is inviting with rich red walls; chocolate-brown leather and textiles; and dark woods offset by alabaster light fixtures hand-carved in Volterra, Italy.
"Don Curtiss' lush, imaganitive eats bring a breath of fresh air to the local Italian restaurant scene." Zagat America's Top Restaurants 2006
"That fine tuned quality is part of the welcome suprise that is Volterra." Nancy Leson, Seattle Times
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Customer Reviews (225 reviews)
CChan
on Citysearch Aug 08, 2009We had my friends' graduation dinner here. The food was great and the service was attentive but not pretentious. We had a couple bottles of wine, one of them tasted funny and they gladly exchanged it for a new bottle.... (more)
Zak
on Citysearch May 22, 2009I had relatively high expectations. Just as another reviewer noted, I too have been to Volterra, and this is not that food. That said; we were built up very well at the bar for our mild disappointment in the food. It has... (more)
corepilates
on Citysearch May 20, 2009I was there last night for dinner and had a great time. The waiter tended to our needs as my date and I sat and chatted taking our sweet time.. He never once made us feel rushed and the food was great. Two cocktails and i... (more)
RetChef
on Citysearch Mar 26, 2009I hate for the first review I write, after moving here and signing up with citysearch, to be a one-star business but that's the way it goes, I guess. As it happens, this is the first restaurant my new neighbors took me to.... (more)
GolfGirl73
on Citysearch Feb 05, 2009I am surprised at the recent posts regarding bad service and food because I just had a great experience last weekend. I had been wanting to try this restaurant for quite some time and think it's one of the better... (more)
girasole55
on Citysearch Jan 21, 2009I highly recommend this restaurant. It was cozy, the food was excellent, the service was attentive. In fact the food exceeded my expectations -- the menu descriptions don't do it justice! For a "fine dining"... (more)
Citysearch User
on Citysearch Oct 29, 2008We have visited Volterra 3 times hoping the satisfactory would change to an outstanding, but it has yet to impress us. The food is good, not excellent, the atmosphere is nice, but the prices are extremely high for the... (more)
seattlefoodluvr
on Citysearch Oct 22, 2008Best meal I've had in Seattle. Outstanding food, service, ambiance. The real highlight was the Wild Boar Tenderloin with Gorgonzola sauce. But, we were greeted warmly at the door by 2 cute hostesses, our server was... (more)
MGourmet
on Citysearch Oct 17, 2008I asked if the sturgeon on the menu was the endangered kind. The waitress asked the chef and returned with the message that it was and that I should read "The Zen of Fish" to get over my concerns about endangered fish. I... (more)
ClemondWu
on Citysearch Oct 05, 2008This place was not as I imagined. The decoration is pretty general, no special at all. The food is pretty good, but just regular. The service is not bad but they charged for cake cutting (I brought birthday cake from... (more)
SpecialPhysX
on Citysearch Sep 19, 2008We love this place! One of the best places anywhere for a special occasion or celebration. It is utterly reliable. Never had a bad meal or a "kitchen nightmare" at Volterra. I love everything they do AND the way they do... (more)
VRGal
on Citysearch Sep 13, 2008If you believe you'll learn all you need to know about a restaurant by visiting its restrooms, stay away from Volterra! The ladies' room was nasty and unhygienic. 'Nuff said. Plus our server was snotty and had the "I'm... (more)
karenwd
on Citysearch Sep 09, 2008This is a real Italian restaurant. Not an Americanized version. The menu is what you would find if you were in Italy. It's very well rounded and the meat dishes are outstanding. I loved the rabbit leg wrapped in... (more)
dineoutguy
on Citysearch Sep 03, 2008This has got to be one of the biggest jokes in town. I went after reading all these great reviews. the service is flat out terrible. The food is hardly better and parking is impossible!!!! No reason to go back. Just an all... (more)
jrbritt
on Citysearch Aug 29, 2008My family and I went to Volterra?s to celebrate my husband?s birthday after being away for a year and a half, and the food and service was just as great as ever. We have been going to Volterra?s since the beginning and... (more)
Euroeats
on Citysearch Aug 27, 2008I went here once with friends and sat outside on a day that wasn't too busy and my experience was ok - not remarkable but OK. The second time I went was with my gf and we sat inside. The tables are so close together that it... (more)
billycar
on Citysearch May 14, 2008Volterra has been on my list of places to try for ages. My friends rave about this place and so we went for my boyfriends birthday and it was the perfect choice. I asked the hostess for a romantic table and I think they gave... (more)
salmakahlo
on Citysearch May 07, 2008I will start with this statement: I love breakfast food. Brunch is by far one of my favorite times to dine. BUT, the problem is that is that in Seattle most restaurants that offer brunch do the same old boring fare.... (more)
sennuki
on Citysearch Apr 20, 2008We often treat our out-of-town guests to dinner at Volterra because of the great service, wonderful food, and splendid atmosphere. Our guests are not only pleased with Volterra but also find the surrounding... (more)
mexicanablue
on Citysearch Apr 20, 2008Ive been searching for a good authentic italian restaurant for a long, long time and finally my co-worker brought me to volterra recently. I cant believe it took so long to find this place. its in trendy Ballard which... (more)
dncfoodiednc
on Citysearch Mar 14, 2008I found this place in the top ten places for brunch in Seattle and was excited to take my friends. The location was great and the place has a wonderful environment. The menu was short but packed with good choices. I was... (more)
justin70
on Citysearch Mar 11, 2008Ballards a drive from Madison Park so I hadn't been to Volterra in over a year but was glad to see that the food and service were still just as good as I remembered. We were in for an early dinner and started off with the best... (more)
momolli
on Citysearch Mar 08, 2008We picked Volterra based on their video. This was our wedding anniversary and since we spent our 1st one in Tuscany, we always pick a special Italian restaurant for this occassion. The restaurant is very noisy, not... (more)
bellastella
on Citysearch Dec 19, 2007Eating at Volterra makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. There are alot of restaurants with good food but there are very few that make you feel like you are going to dinner at a friends house. My husband and I eat at... (more)
jtripper22
on Citysearch Dec 18, 2007I took my girlfriend here for her birthday, and we just loved it. No waiting, even on a Sunday night, because there is a lot of room. We made reservations and managed to get a great little corner booth. We were given ample... (more)
likesatellites
on Citysearch Dec 07, 2007My roommate and I went to Volterra on a Friday night. It was her birthday and we wanted to try something special, and we'd heard many good things. We had an 8.30 reservation, and came in a few minutes after that. First red... (more)
munchalot
on Citysearch Nov 21, 2007Nice place ok, Tables way too close. service unrefined and random. However, food was tasty and authentic. It was a decent experience , But after reading all of the gushing accolades I expected much much... (more)
milehighheels1
on Citysearch Nov 14, 2007We visited Volterra last weekend based on the great reviews I'd read. It exceeded my expectations,which is pretty unusual. Everything was outstanding - from the food through the service. For whatever reason,... (more)
ewhitish
on Citysearch Nov 07, 2007I'd had several great experiences at Volterra for dinner, and thought the brunch would be consistent... I was wrong, and truly embarrassed because I told my new-to-town guest that this place was... (more)
leen21
on Citysearch Nov 05, 2007Very good on all levels. The service was welcoming and professional and the food was delicious, very good wine list and the ambiance charming. My guests and I were thoroughly impressed with the quality and attention... (more)
Joann M.
on Judys Book Nov 03, 2007Recently, I made a reservation at Volterra for 6:00 p.m. on a Friday night. My date was a bit late to pick me up due to traffic, so I called the restaurant to advise that we were at 4th & Blanchard which was still at least 10... (more)
margueritaville
on Citysearch Oct 20, 2007Great dining destination! Their food is quite tantalizing - although we have only been twice as of yet, we have gone with medium sized groups and as we all like to share, we have tried many dishes on the menu. I do have to... (more)
munny76
on Citysearch Oct 01, 2007I have heard rave reviews and read them here as well forever now. I've met Michelle a couple of times and had just not been able to get the time to drive to Ballard for the best dang food, dang near ever! My boyfriend and I... (more)
dinner_and_drinks
on Citysearch Oct 01, 2007for me to write the immaculate review of this spot that i should is like spoiling the end of a really great love story. so i'll just be straight. getting a table here can be tricky, reservations can be made, etc. but... (more)
warnerdave1
on Citysearch Sep 11, 2007my daughter is a food hound and for my b-day she suggested their brunch. (we are always on the hunt for wonderful food experiences). This brunch was a gift from God. I enjoyed the chestnut pancakes w/ apples. I had them... (more)
blywyn
on Citysearch Aug 28, 2007I had what was possibly the best drink in the history of mankind at this restaurant: the pear cosmo. Not too sweet w/many layers of spices. Fabulous. I wish I could say the same for the saffron risotto w/slipper... (more)
sevenlayer
on Citysearch Aug 26, 2007A group of us dined at Volterra last night and everyone at our table said it was the best Italian food they've had in Seattle. This was my 2nd visit to Volterra and the food, atmosphere and service blew me away. Our server... (more)
di_alba
on Citysearch Aug 25, 2007Each course at Volterra was a disappointment. The bread was underbaked and tasted like a floury paste. It's hard to imagine how you can go wrong with a wild mushroom salad, but it was terrible (Asaggio's is far... (more)
markde
on Citysearch Jul 04, 2007Volterra's food, menu and wine list are outstanding. What impressed me the most is that they are willing to go the extra mile for their guests. They were happy to accomodate my wife's wheat & dairy allergies by... (more)
seasurfergal
on Citysearch Jul 03, 2007My friends and I were lucky last night and obtained a coveted seat on Volterra's patio. We did arrive at 5:30pm but dining early was well worth it. The patio is surrounded by planters filled with beautiful trees and... (more)