Overall: 4.5. Consistently excellent during all 6 of our experiences. As my fussy partner said: "always good!" SERVICE: 5.0. From the moment we walked in the door every person who took care of us was efficient and friendly, and they cooperated well among themselves. AMBIANCE: 4.5. Floor-to-ceiling windows facing sidewalk. Homey atmosphere. Subdued noise level: easy to have a conversation. DRINKS: 4.5. Glasses of an Italian white wine. FOOD: 5.0. Pasta is house-made. - 5.0: Octopus salad appetizer. - 4.5: Carrot salad appetizer. - 5.0: Bread with olive oil. Lovely olive oil. - 5.0: Whole Branzino (Sea Bass). My partner loved it. A chef brought it to the table and separated the bones from the meat. Note that it is served without pasta. - 5.0: Pasta with Taleggio Fonduta. Chanterelle and ? mushrooms served in a melted cheese sauce with pine nuts and corn kernals. Wonderful taste and texture. - 4.5: Olive oil cake FOOD FROM OUR PREVIOUS VISITS: - 5.0: Grilled Sardines appetizer. Three large sardines. - 5.0: Cauliflower gratin. Outstanding - 4.5: Mafaldine with Pork Coppa. Very good. - 5.0: (from our previous visit) Mafaldine with Lamb Ragu. Even better than the very good Rigatoni with Lamb Ragu I had during a previous visit. - 5.0: Dessert of Chocolate Espresso Torte, with cream: moist chocolaty texture and perfectly not-to-sweet. Served with fig slices. read more

I came here with friends for girls night out, and the food was phenomenal! We tried the 4 pasta dishes on the menu, and each dish had a unique favor profile. Honestly, pasta is never my first choice, but I had a hankering for a seafood pasta, and I'm so glad my friend had La Medusa on her list to try. I'm already planning on taking my husband back for a date night soon! read more

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The scallop crudo was by far my very favorite thing. It was so good that I could've ordered like 3 more and just had that be my dinner lol. We both liked our pastas and the bread was nice too. Though they have some unique menu items that cover some dietary needs (there were a few vegetarian options in the salads and one pasta), it was rough to find other options like dairy free, nut free, vegan, etc. I know those are tougher with an Italian place, but it would have been kinda nice to see an option given their menu is customized each week or so I believe. The servers seemed rather overrun and though they were polite and helpful, we didn't really see them much or for very long because they were tending to so many things. Thankfully someone was circulating and refilling waters more regularly as the night went on. The ambiance was lovely - very cozy little homemade Italian place vibes but modern and chic. Would love to come back and try a different menu sometime. read more

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Celebrated an anniversary here and it was very enjoyable. Cozy spot right in the heart of Columbia City. Very live room acoustically so if there are some loud patrons - you'll hear them for sure. :) We started with the grilled Spanish sardines and scallop crudo. Yum. Well... actually that's not quite correct. We started with some Prosecco and a well poured Dickel Manhattan. Yum. My better half had the Manila clam perciatelli pasta - really good stuff. I went for the spaghetti with pork and beef meatballs. Both very nice. Topped off the meal with the Bay Leaf Panacotta with rhubarb. Creamy good. We left happy. Not inexpensive but delicious. Attentive service and an overall happy vibe. read more

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Very cute & fun spot in Columbia city! Love the vibes and the service was exceptional. The bread was fantastic but unfortunately of the three pastas I tried, all were much too salty. Personally would recommend the apps over the pastas. read more

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Though La Medusa serves delicious food with decent sized portions, the waitstaff create an unwelcoming ambiance because they refuse to serve Black Americans. The servers either pretend Black Americans do not exist by ignoring their presence or act gruffly with hostile disdain and treat them rudely because they're in the space occupied by whites. Besides, the prices and pretence aren't worthy of authentic Sicilian cuisine. La Medusa fancies itself on overcharging snobbish types who mistakenly associate imported goods from Italy makes them elite. read more

It's been too long since I last dined at La Medusa. It's such a charming place with exceptional food and service. Grand ma's greens highlighted the night, closely followed by the delicious pasta. Wine pairing was excellent. Very reasonable prices for the quality of food and service. Will be back soon! read more

Went here for our anniversary and had such a great time. The staff were super friendly, the vibe was cute and cozy, and the food was amazing -- it really felt homemade and special. Everything about the night just worked, and it made for a perfect little celebration spot. read more

Such an intimate restaurant that focuses on amazing Italian cuisine reminiscent of the chef's grandmother's recipes. So happy he's sharing the love of fresh made pasta with seasonal ingredients. The service was great too which made for a lovely night shared amongst friends. Highly recommend if you want really good pasta and tasty appetizers. read more

I had an amazing experience at La Medusa, the food was exquisite and I felt so well taken care of by Meredith who helped me know that the La Sarte pasta is the way to go!!! Very authentic and such a lovely space to enjoy a solo meal :) read more

Nice service and cocktails, but horrible pasta. Greasy and tasteless. Salad was sloppy, small, and awkward to eat with giant chunks of garnishes. We didn't love any of the plates. Cute ambiance, but awfully cramped in there. read more

We had a really nice dinner here on a cold night in January 2024. La Medusa is a quaint little restaurant in the heart of Columbia City. The restaurant was dark inside at night time. While the feel was cozy, it was for sure cold inside so bring your jacket! We were given menus at the table and realized all three menus were for drinks. The only food menu is on the chalkboard that's hanging on the main wall. This concept is cool, but honestly it was hard to read the board (the handwriting and small from far away) so it would have been nice to have another viewing option. Our server was very kind and knowledgeable. She was able to explain some of the chalkboard stuff to us. Essentially what was offered were a handful of starters and 4 pasta entrees. They had a meat entree, but that sold out when we arrived at 6pm. Both our pastas were great. The ingredients were fresh and went together nicely. The portion is fair sized, but not huge, so I'd recommend an app for sure. read more

La Medusa - Mushroom Pasta - Sicilian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I absolutely love La Medusa in Columbia city. It is my go to place to take out of towners. Before the pandemic you had to make reservations, way in advance or so I had been told. But sometimes I've called the day of or a couple of days before and had no problem. But that's probably more luck than anything. I usually get there a few minutes early and wait at Persephone next-door and have a wonderful drink made by Marc the bartender. He's friendly and has good conversation and he makes great drinks. Two dishes that are go to for me are their grandmas greens and malafine. The greens have a definite umami flavor, which is delicious. For pasta, I have had their mafaldine 3 times and love it!! The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is because I would like to see more protein dishes. I'm a low-carb person and would like a little more than mostly pasta. That being said, I've had the Bronzino fish, and it was very good. But that's generally about the only non-pasta dish. If you have the chance to dine there, I highly recommend that you do. It's a small room and an intimate dining experience and terrific staff. read more

La Medusa - An example of a typical main menu - Sicilian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I'm so excited that this neighborhood staple has reopened for dining! We had the aranchino (risotto ball), rigatoni, and paccheri. The risotto ball was delicious and a great starter. The rigatoni was def our fav, the goat was so tender! We liked the paccheri too, I just wished you could taste the anchovy more--it's broken down in the sauce versus big pieces of it. We'll definitely be back here often now that we live in the area. I appreciate that they make all their pasta in house and change their menu often depending on what's in seaso read more

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Oh do I love a satisfying authentic pasta indulging experience and definitely got that at La Medusa! Pasta is prepared al dente, just how I prefer, some may feel it's undercooked but it was perfect in my book. My favorite pasta was the black squid ink pasta. Sauce was full of flavor, a bit spicy, but not super rich. I prefer some protein with my pasta so got a side of meatballs which wasn't my favorite, just tasted a bit blah. Steelhead fish was also very nicely prepared. Other winner was the soup of the day prepared with vegetables and small lamb meatballs, soaked in a light delicious broth! Bread from Columbia city bakery is a great way to start off the meal. Also highly recommend the saffron risotto ball, so tasty! We obviously ate quite a bit! Gotta do that with all the great things in the menu. Our waiter was great! Really pleased with the service and the small intimate feel of the place. read more

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Great local spot on the rustic and charming Rainier Ave South strip. Was made aware that this location has been here for over 10 years, with a previous employee taking over and renovating the restaurant around 2020. Newer to living in the area but have been down here many times and missed this place. They make the pasta from scratch and the owner among other great staff are there regularly. I started with their next door amaro bar (they have other hard to find Italian goods/produce also) while waiting for my reservation at the restaurant. What they serve here is tasty comfort food with a reasonable price point coupled with approachable staff that are passionate about what they do. It's a good idea to make a reservation as they are a rather intimate space of about 10 tables. read more

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This is one of my go to places when I have company. They make their pasta in house. Because of that, they do not have a gluten-free option. All their food is fresh made inside this little place. This place is intimate and friendly. the staff are wonderful and very accommodating. I've even been able to get some last minute reservations but typically earlier in the evening. I have to watch my carbohydrate intake so I wish they would have just a couple more protein dishes. Once in a while they include hanger steak, which is delicious. They usually have Bronzino, which is very good too. Specific dishes to enjoy our grandma's greens and for me their malfadine pasta is very good. Every once in a while, I try something that sounds weird because that's how you discover some great dishes. So when this pasta was on the board with a chicken liver sauce, I ordered it. I loved it!! no kidding. I've had it at least four times now. This is always a great dining experience and has made many nice memories for me . read more

What a delicious authentic Italian food! Highly recommend! Would be our go to place if we lived in Seattle. We had pulpo salad as a starter. It was surprising with oranges and olives, a few leafy greens and chili flakes. Marvelous! Mains were pan seared branzino with fennel and homemade pasta with morel and snap peas. The fish was juicy on the inside and crisp on the outside- haven't had such a wonderful fish in a long time. However there were no side dishes apart from a little fennel. Not satisfying enough. The pasta was delicious, fresh and light. Food was really delicious however portion sizes quite small. Efficient service read more

Amazingly fresh pasta and feels like your at a family home in Italy. Such friendly staff and everything was delicious. read more

La Medusa - Sicilian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I really liked the staff. The restaurant is quaint small, but an early table will keep it moving along and keep the noise down. You can bookend your visit with a wine bar stop next store. The food was straight forward and really Italian. Meaning this is not just a chopped garlic shop. The thought that goes into the dishes shows the dedicated genius of the chef. You will feel like you are in Italy bite by bite. Side note - the staff's visible compassion for those less fortunate was a natural extension of the vibe, neighborhood and humanity that La Medusa specializes in. read more

This cute little place has stolen my heart and my stomach. Came here for dinner on Friday with one of my best friends and here I was telling her I didn't want to eat and I ended up eating everything she ordered. The restaurant was fully booked when I arrived but my friend somehow manage to get us these cute little window seating off to the side. It was weird at first but I ended up loving our seating because we pretty much sat in the corner people watching out these gigantic windows. We started off with some bread and olive oil then ordered the burrata with a caprese salad, saffron risotto croquette, and we finished with the squid ink spaghetti. Everything was delicious! I was thinking I'd have just a nibble ended up eating everything haha. The burrata that we ordered with the caprese salad was really light and when you had it with the tomatoes, ugh so much yes! I honestly hate tomatoes but I have never said no to a good caprese salad haha. The risotto that my friend ordered was also fricken delicious. I remember is have that somewhere else and it didn't taste as good as the one at Le medusa. The way they served it was super cute also. I don't know what I was expecting from the squid ink spaghetti. I kept thinking it was going to be served with tomato based sauce and was surprise when it came out without it. I thoroughly enjoyed that dish, a tad bit salty but if I wasn't so full better believe I would have finished it. We never have left overs when I dine out with my friend so imagine our surprised when we were trying to get the other person to take the last bit of spaghetti home. Either way, I'm really glad we decided to have dinner here. I most definitely want to come back and try other yummy dishes. read more

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Had a reservation here the other night with my boyfriend. Came in and waited 30 minutes, which was expected since they were a full house and every seat was packed. I loved the liveliness and atmosphere of the restaurant. Beautiful theme and lighting! Friendly waitress who accommodated us throughout the night and had wonderful conversations that seemed genuine! We started off with bakery bread which tasted delicious and light but not as fresh as I'd wish it would've been but should've been expected. Would've been nice touch to have some warmed bread. We also ordered the arancino which was really delicious especially the mozzarella in the middle of it. Wonderful touch! For entrees, we ordered spaghetti with meatball and the popular Squid Ink spaghetti. Both entrees were spectacular and left me full. I personally enjoyed the meatballs on the spaghetti, definitely a unique taste to a classic staple. Squid Ink was delicious has well but nothing too out of the ordinary, just the idea that it was black noodles. The flavor profile is wonderful however. Will come back again! read more

Pros: I really enjoy the rustic, aged bathroom interior; mainly the sink. Really neat stuff and rare against all the ceramic, porcelain, glass, etc. ones out there. The art, design and warm atmosphere is nice. Tasty food (arancini balls and salt cod fritters) and appreciate their sustainable efforts. Staff was pleasant and seemed knowledgable. Drinks were good: Emma's Cup #2 was pleasant and light while the Negroni was damn bitter/strong(?), but worth trying. Cons: If you're on a food budget, know what to expect before you go. Simple as that. My food was good, but not great, left hungry and it's pricey for the portions. Obviously, I credit part of that to their food craft and whatnot. There's your measuring stick. =P read more

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Small and unassuming, La Medusa delivered an overall top notch dining experience on a recent Saturday night. The burratta was a very good starter, paired with one of their several speciality cocktails. The Venetian Cup getting high marks on a late-summer evening. Their pasta entrees are far beyond the run-of-the-mill. Creative, well -sourced, and flavorful. The espresso torte for dessert was terrific. All breads are sourced from their own bakery (next door) and are top notch. A small and intimate setting, it was full when we departed...so reservations are recommended. read more

My family decided to come here to celebrate my sisters birthday. One thing right off the back that was disappointing was menu they had for Seattle Restaurant Week. I choose to come to this restaurant other than other restaurants because of their menu choice. To my surprise when I got there, everything I wanted to order was not in season, and therefor not available for ordering. I ended up getting a tomato based soup, pork belly, and mint chocolate ice cream. The tomato based soup was really tasty, but it felt like it had too much sodium/salt in it. I felt like I could feel my blood pressure rising with each sip. I felt that they had a really good base but too much salt. One thing I did really like about the soup was that they included a fried egg and toast in the middle. It provided for a nice balance/ change pretty image for the camera. The pork belly was amazing. It was very tender crunchy and juicy all in one. The different layers of pork provided for different textures. It was a very savory dish. I was lucky that they gave me an additional small piece. After the 2 dishes, and the bread with the amazing olive oil that we ordered, which costed a little extra, which I wasn't completely aware of, even though I had a small inkling about. I went with the mint chocolate chip ice cream which was good, but not as good as molly moon's ice cream. Over all I wouldn't know if i would be itching to come back. I do like the idea of having organic fresh local produce and ingredients, but I feel for the price, I would go somewhere else. read more

La Medusa - Sicilian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Maybe it was an off night for the kitchen, but we were really disappointed with our food here. 5 stars for the service - our server was great! Recommended a perfect wine that we really enjoyed. But she also had to make the cocktails, odd for a Saturday night. But both our handmade pastas were under cooked to the point of being not enjoyable. My Taleggio cheesy pasta was tasty, but not much in the way of the advertised mushrooms. My husband's ragu was pretty bland and thin. The famous Grandma's Greens were so undercooked we couldn't eat them, so took them home, and once cooked more they were delicious! Dessert was the best - Buttermilk pannacotta with huckleberries. Yum! Everyone working there was very friendly and helpful, but it was so noisy on a Saturday night that we couldn't hear each other talk. Not romantic. read more

We had a great meal tonight at la Medusa, we each tried a pasta (lamb ragu and rigatoni with broccolini) split a salad and an app, everything was so good. Service was excellent as well. I'll be back!! read more

I think this is hands-down the best Italian food place in Seattle. Luckily it's underrated so you can get a table but I'm sure it will be rediscovered soon and we'll - buckle up. Small place with a familiar feel - heavy on sicilian food, if you want pizza and marinara sauce on your noodles, this is not for you. Bold flavors and interesting combinations is what you will find here, from squid ink pasta to flourless cakes accompanied by full-bodied Tuscan wines. The servers are amazing, now their trade and will go out of their way to make your dinner perfect. read more

La Medusa - Rabbit pasta with veggies and cabbage - Sicilian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Very good, well-established Italian restaurant in the hip and getting hipper Columbia City neighborhood... THE ROSES: Food is quite good, with what appears to be a rapidly-rotating menu (no printed menus; current offerings are in a blackboard on the wall. Dishes are well executed, and service is quite good. Fun location with good view of the local scene. Upscale but friendly and unpretentious clientele makes for great people-watching. THE THORNS: Even on a weeknight, parking is quite difficult in this neighborhood. Not as bad as Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, or Fremont, but no picnic. While having no printed menu and just relying on a chalkboard saves money, it's kind of a pain for those seated at far tables or with their backs to the board. Some dishes (fish soup) could be a little more aggressively seasoned. A little on the spendy side for what you're getting, especially the wines (nothing under $10/glass - they really need to offer a simple 'vin ordinaire' to compliment the rustic ambiance and menu). THE VERDICT: This neighborhood institution's culinary offerings make it a real Seattle 'destination restaurant' as well. While a little spendy, it is a definite standout in Seattle's crowded Italian restaurant market. Recommend. read more

Incredibly delicious. We came in for our 5 year anniversary Mark took really good care of us. Loved the menu. Drinks at Persephone beforehand were refreshing. I appreciate the Apertif's! read more

Three of us had a wonderful meal at La Medusa tonight, after enjoying some of the Bitters menu at next door Persephone! La Medusa's menu and dessert items were delicious, with contrasting flavors joined together in each dish. Also, the staff were friendly and great, with knowledge of their changing menu. read more

just finished a thursday eve dinner and the food was fantastic- Branzino melts in your mouth and the lamb ragù was light and flavorful. But really want to commend the staff for creating an enjoyable dining experience. Everyone was friendly but our waiter in particular went out of his way to make sure everything was perfect. a great place, glad we went back and won't be gone long! read more

5 stars for the fantastic service! Our waiter was so accommodating and patient as I did my usual Meg Ryan and "Is there eggs or dairy in that" routine. He checked with the kitchen on a couple of dishes and even came back after finding out what I ordered wouldn't fit my dietary restrictions. I wish I could remember his name! Ill just have to go back. :) The place is small and homey. The red wine we ordered paired well with most of the dishes - thanks again to the waiter for the recommendation. The columbia city bakery bread is some of my favorite, so five stars for that as well. I only wish they served balsamic with it to complement the olive oil. My eating partner order the tomato soup with an egg relaxing on the grilled bread like a flotation device. The soup had a fantastic garlic flavor and light kick. I order the grandma's greens as an appetizer. They were good but the anchovy broth was overpowering the over flavors too much. The pasta though! Freshly made semolina pasta in a variety of types. I ordered the squid ink spaghetti in puttanesca. The flavor and texture of the noodles was so good I wanted to order a second dish (though they are not stingy with the first). The puttanesca was good was well, but also on the salty side of things. So that paired with the grandma's greens - it was too much salty for one meal. My eating partner got one of the specials which was a cream-based sauce with chanterelle mushrooms and sweet corn. He loved it! We will definitely he going back and enjoying this wonderful southern Italian cuisine. read more

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Great little hole in the wall spot. Food was super tasty and authentic. Staff were lovely and helpful. Drinks were good too. The whole shop reminded me of when I lived in Europe. read more

La Medusa is a total gem. We are lucky to live near it in Columbia City, but I think it gets overlooked by other Seattle Italian spots - and it definitely shouldn't. The setting is intimate, the service is very personal and lovely, and the food was phenomenal. The menu changes and is all house made which elevates the flavors. The drinks were absolutely to die for. It's small so hard to get into, but we cannot wait to return! read more

Awesome sicilian food. It is a super small space so you really need to get reservation or you won't find a spot. The space is really cozy and the food is excellent along with the service. read more

Sorry, La Medusa, I wanted to love your restaurant, but when the first 5-10 minutes start out as a battle it sets a bad tone. We had reservations at 5:30 and walked into an empty restaurant. Our hostess wanted to seat us at the "worst" table meaning the one where we would be facing the kitchen and the boxes. She said, "Those aren't boxes, they're wines cartons." Oops. "Ok, well, any other table would be better." "That's not possible because the whole evening is booked out." "Well, how about the table by the window?" "That's too cold." "Well, there are still a lot of tables available. We're the only ones here." "They're all booked. I don't want to argue with you." "But you are arguing with me. How about the one in the far corner?" "It's booked for the night. I can give you the one by the (cold) window, but you have to finish eating by 6:30." (We're already 10 minutes into our reservation now) "I'd like to speak to the manager." "We don't have a manager." Okay, how about I talk with someone else?" Blah, blah, blah. A few more words. She stormed off and a very gracious woman came over and miraculously found a table for us. And served us very well. (Our bad table took awhile to be seated) $300 later, would I go back? Hmmm, my husband and son liked the food better then I did. The Panna Cotta is scrumptious. read more

So good! We just moved to the neighborhood and spent some time in Sicily last fall. We went here for a special ocassion and everything we had was amazing and worth every penny. Our service was great and the staff were knowledgeable friendly. They have a little wine bar/goods store connected to the restaurant where we picked up some finishing Olive Oil and salt. Overall, a great experience! read more

It was my first visit having Sicilian style Italian food and it didn't disappoint! Everything was delicious! The service was wonderful and I would recommend the restaurant to others. We were a large group and enjoyed many different dishes family style. We had Arancini, Roasted Cauliflower Gratin, Simple Chicory Salad, Pasta with crab, one other pasta, homemade sausage and some chocolate mousse and of course white and red wines! read more

The food was delicious, and the staff amiable if little slow. My big quibble was with the seven dollar small basket of bread containing approximately 5 to 6 then half slices. Not enough Our table of four and over priced. read more