Went here for dine in service yesterday evening to celebrate my 3 year wedding anniversary. I've been wanting to go here for months now but the wait and no reservation policy turned me off. Alas, covid made the impossible possible... Food: hubby and I opted for a four course meal and liked almostttt everything. We got the arugula salad to start which was divine. Bursting summer flavor in a bowl. Our second course was the rigatoni with beef in a creamy tomato sauce. Sooooooo good. The pasta was cooked al dente and while the dish was simple... everything went together so well. The portion was generous for two people, even three people, to split. Next up were our entrees. Hubby got the lamb special and I got the short ribs. Now... here's where things went wrong. My ribs were okay but not as tasty as any of my previous courses. I ate a third of it and asked for a box. Hubby's lamb was... well.. very underwhelming. Didn't quite fall of the bone like the server described and it was completely bland. Hubby barely touched it. It was such a let down especially given our other food was great. For our final course, we got tiramisu which was huge and amazing. So fresh and delicious. Oh and I can't not mention the garlic bread which served as a complementary app. They are generous with the portion and it is literally the best bread I've had at a restaurant... ever. Ambiance: we sat outside on the patio overlooking Alki. Totally romantic. Server: our server was very attentive, no problems there. Maybe they should stay at 50% capacity... Overall: loved literally everything but our entrees which is kind of a big deal... I would go back but only for salad, bread, pasta and dessert ... aka my cheat day lol read more

My bf brought me here last Saturday for a surprise birthday dinner. We showed up right when they opened at 5, so we were able to get a table right away, but there were already people waiting outside when we got there - they don't take reservations, so they do fill up fast! I recommend coming early if waiting makes you super pissy. Everything was wonderful - service, wine, food, the view. My bf got the lamb shank, and it was absolutely out of this world. I had linguine bolognese (my fave), which comes with mint-lamb meatballs - loved it. We had some sort of risotto fritter to start that was very tasty, as well. And of course I had to get tiramisu for dessert. It was a perfect birthday dinner, and I am in love with the location - quaint and out of the way. Still a smidge too chilly to open the outdoor seating, so I'm sure I'll be racking my brain for an excuse to come back here when it gets warmer. Maybe the bf's birthday in August. If I can wait that long...I am seriously dying to come back! read more

Perfect fine Italian dining by the sea. The seafood was fresh and cooked in authentic Italian sauces. Try the calamari, be prepared to share because it's a large portion. The sausage and gnocchi is spicy and sweet and the potato is fresh. The penne was ok, with the exception of the pasta itself, very fresh taste. I opted for the prosecco, good choice for the patio sunset meal. We had a smooth espresso for desert and crossed the street to stroll the beachfront. read more

See all

Love love love this place when I come visit West Seattle. Great customer service and yummy food . The owner makes the desserts homemade . Make sure to ask for the dessert of the day read more

Loved this place! Charming intimate atmosphere, excellent playlist of 20th ct standards, but not loud, thank god; you can actually have a conversation. Great menu. Food very good. Some dishes a bit oversalted (e.g. caesar salad), but excellent flavors & textures. Chef/owner Vita is charming and sociable. She came out to our table at the end of our meal just to say hi and chatted with us for a pleasant little while. Nice surprise because we were not VIPs. I would gladly go back. Small place so you may have to wait. read more

No comment on the food but we were treated with snark, sarcasm, and passive aggressiveness in every interaction here. This mostly came from the two women that serve the outdoor area . Going with 2 stars because the younger wait staff was courteous and polite and at least the bread was good , but one of my worst experiences. There are plenty of great restaurants 1 mile away in West Seattle, I'd recommend taking your business there read more

Great Italian an food. You often have to wait for a table unless you arrive right at 5 pm.

I write this as a customer of La Rustica's for 20 some years, and I always looked forward to the feeling of being transported to a little bit of Italy on Beach Drive during those years. Tonight, it was more like a disaster zone. The food was way off, there was tension and chaos in the kitchen, even the house "Cabernet" tasted more like Welch's grape juice. Our server did his best to cover for the disorganization in the kitchen, and the 75 minutes it took for our entrees to arrive. The Cesar salad was about the quality you'd expect from airplane food, no flavor, and the Parmesan was, no joke, powdered out of a can. The fettuccine was not in fact fettuccine, but cheap dried egg noodles, and the carbonara was as bland as what you find in a nursing home. My friend ordered ribs, but was served puttanesca. When we pointed out the error, we were told they were out of ribs, even though a couple who came in a good half hour after we did were served them. Not wanting to wait another hour, we tried the puttanesca, but it was inedible from the salt overload. After taking about three bites and putting the plate aside, another server asked if we wanted a box. Really? I said it was inedible, so they took it away, but then brought me another one 15 minutes later, that I didn't ask for. There were more staff than diners in the room, but everyone seemed flustered with each other because of the snail's pace of the kitchen. There is no bartender, so the poor waitstaff has to make cocktails themselves. And perhaps the saddest, and most unacceptable change from the relatively new ownership is that powdered parmesan from the can is what is offered to top off your $30 entree. Sadly, another Seattle institution that we and other reviewers have crossed off our lists. Maybe that's why we were able to just walk in on a warm Saturday night, without (the $50) reservation. read more

If you don't love this place- there's something wrong with you. That's the reality. Thanks for many wonderful dinner nights La Rustica- my husband and I love coming because of the super kind staff and incredible pasta dishes. The owner is wonderful- always out ensuring great service and care- she has literally stopped by our table every time we visit. It's a different feeling here- I love it. Last statement- the desserts are always stellar- save room. read more

I'm so confused by the 5 star ratings.. The ambiance, bread and Italian soda are the only 3 things that tasted good from what I had here. The lasagna had boiled eggs in it--not my thing. That's not the reason for the rating. It's that it was sooo salty. This includes the calamari appetizers I ordered. A friend kept reaching for the bread because the sauce was so salty. There was a young kid who was refilling our waters and clearing out appetizer plates who was pleasant, but we only saw our waitress when she came to take our order or drop off our food. Oh, and our food came out very late. Others who came in later got their food before us. We assume they forgot about us because the two lasagnas were cold and the 2 other pastas came out scorching hot. The extra star is for the reasons above about bread and Italian soda, but I have no desire to come here again. You'll get a bigger bang for the buck by going to Olive Garden, considering taste, price and service. read more

I'm very sorry, but this was probably the last time we went there. Staff was great and tried to be the best. Nadia was really nice. Wine was absolutely gourmet style. Antipasto and bread was good, besides the cheese was just simple. The main course was just bad. My wife had chicken parmigiana and it was burnt to crust. Sorry but smothering in it sauce didn't help. My spaghetti with large shrimp smelled great, but I only finished the four large shrimp. The pasta was in way too much butter, unreal. I know they have trouble with staff and they waiter said right away, we downsized the menu. Not again, sorry to see that happened to WS staple. read more

This is a fairly smaller restaurant in the residential area of Alki. It's really cute inside though. Good date spot which I only realized more recently. I feel the same way about their ambiance as I do about Crepe Cafe and Wine Bar which I also like! Food: First time I came here was maybe 6 years ago. I was soooo in love with the salmon bruschetta!! I came here again recently and it's good still but not as good as I remembered. I would still get it again though. This past time, we also got the calamari, risotto, and lamb shank. Didn't love the lamb. The portions are kinda big but as with a lot of other Italian restaurants. For 3 people, 2 appetizers and 2 entrees = too much and had a good amount of leftovers. I don't remember prices but nothing really worth noting so probably pretty normal/reasonable. Service: Nice people. I'm guessing it's a family restaurant or at least that's the vibe I get. Love that! Overall, cute for a date, get the salmon bruschetta. Yah. read more

See all

My husband and I came here for a date night and it did not disappoint! We waited about 30 minutes for a table and it was worth the wait! I had the lasagna and it was delicious and so hearty, everything pasta should be! My husband had the chicken parmigiana and loved it. We wrapped up the night with the tiramisu, which was just delightful! The meal overall was delicious and the service was great. Food was the closest we've had to pasta we had on our honeymoon in Italy. Come here and enjoy!!! The wait is worth the amazing food you get and the ambiance. read more

La Rustica - Italian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Best Italian food spot in Seattle! Don't @ Me! Go here, order take out during these trying times! The calamari is to die for ! read more

Great food, good service, great ambiance. It's been a go to restaurant for a great meal for almost 30 years, and I will keep going back.

i asked if they can make my plate without any alcohol and the chef told me it's what it is and he won't change the plate. I always eat at places like this and when i ask them to make it alcohol free they always do it. read more

It's one of my favorite Italian restaurants. My husband had a hard time finding a dish to eat, but that's because he's a vegetarian. I went with their special lamb shank which was fabulous. I also got a Italian soda which was nice. read more

Let me start by saying that this restaurant has a gorgeous view. It's a cozy family run place that serves delicious authentic Italian food and the service was excellent too. Upon arrival we were warmly greeted by the owner / host and showed to our table. We started off with some complimentary home made warm bread. For appetizers we got the caprese buratta plate and mushrooms with polenta. For our mains, we had the prawns risotto and Pollo buccatini pasta. Everything was fresh and delicious. The food was rich, but I am not complaining, it was delectable. Against better judgement, we decided to order chocolate tort to share for dessert, and I am so glad we did. The chocolate wasn't too sweet and the consistency of the tort was spot on. Overall - delicious food, friendly service, and gorgeous view. Highly recommended! read more

Polenta con Maiale-Baby beef ribs with polenta is So Good! It's my new favorite entree here. Very generous serving size. As with most tomato sauce dishes, even better 1-2 days later. The polenta is heavenly. read more

Very rude The chef refused to cook with out wine when he knew we are moslems It was bad experience We waited for an hour till he did what he did read more

All the dishes have that homemade pasta taste and the portions are so big, you can save some for later. The garlic bread is delicious and fluffy, and the atmosphere is cozy and quaint. Go on a week night, it's packed most nights (ESPECIALLY in summer) read more

We live close by this place and have been a few times. We ate here on one of the last warm evenings of the early fall. We sat on the packed patio and got to watch sunset as we ate, which was wonderful. Contrary to some other reviews. our service was wonderful and prompt. Our server was slightly consumed by another table when we were ready to pay, and another server noticed and ran our card for us. They also have bus boys, which I feel like is rare these days- so our water was always filled and dirty plates didn't hang around for long. I had the seafood pasta, red sauce with mussels, calamari, and shrimp. I've only ever gotten this because I love it so very much. My husband always gets the sausage gnochi, which I always steal bites of because it is just as good. only 4 stars because I'm not saying this is the best restaurant in the whole world, but I am saying if you like good comfort italian food, then this is a great place. read more

Great food! Best gnocchi I can recall having. Most of the staff were incredibly kind, our actual waitress seemed a little off but she could have been having a rough day. The drinks were really nice! If I had one critique it would be that everything was a little under salted for my taste, but I also like salty food. You can feel good speeding your hard earned dollars here. read more

We came here on a recommendation. Arrived about 5:30, got a table, then the place filled up quick. Rather noisy. The food was average Italian fare in generous portions. The service was good, but if this were a spaghetti western, La Rustica just got gunned down in the street by Puccini's. Once is enough. We won't be back. read more

See all

La Rustica is our "go to" place for special occasions. We have been celebrating major life milestones there for over 20 years. Has the service always been perfect? No. But we know that our "perfect" service experiences have far outweighed a few hiccups here and there. It is disturbing to me how many customers are giving restaurants (in general, but also specific to this restaurant) bad reviews if their service isn't perfect. Especially over the past year. Before getting on your device of choice and writing a bad Yelp review, did you first of all express your concerns to the manager or owner of this business in person while at the restaurant to give them an opportunity to learn from your bad experience and correct their errors? What ever happened to having conversations in person before giving negative feedback on a public forum? It is easy to say things in writing anonymously from behind a keyboard that one would not say when looking someone in the eye. I owned a small business once and appreciated it when customers took the time to tell me that they were unhappy so that I could correct the problem for them immediately. It doesn't do anyone any good to blast someone with a negative review when it was too late to the resolve the problem for them (which is what most businesses want to do so that they can have HAPPY customers, right?). Secondly, to criticize small things (such as the fact that food isn't as "pretty" when it is packaged for take out or the fact that the people who work in the restaurant are stressed out when trying to coordinate orders for take out) isn't considering the fact that EVERYONE has been stressed out during the COVID pandemic. Honestly, in the big picture, don't we want small businesses to succeed under these dire circumstances? Shouldn't we try to lower our expectations a little during this crisis? Can't we put ourselves in other people's shoes? Mistakes are going to be made under heavy duress. We all need more kindness and empathy for each other. I am concerned about the fact that it is very easy to allow our stress to bleed over into the way we treat each other. Especially when one has ONE bad experience. In our world of technology, businesses depend on reviews to help their business or hurt them. Words are powerful. Remember the Golden Rule? Unless someone is deliberately being malicious, we are all doing the best that we can. ESPECIALLY small businesses. We are a community. And we really need each other. Please? read more

Absolutely wonderful food and ambience. Save room for desert. Great service. Beautiful flowers.

Food, Staff, and Atmosphere were absolutely Tops. Definitely a great Restaurant for Special Occasions.

La Rustica is a quintessential family Italian spot in a neighborhood all to itself. Excellent cooking, outstanding wine list, and amusing wait staff. The owner is in every day and is a very nice fella -- it's a local gem. Love it. read more

The food was pretty bad, would not recommend. The noodles were hard and had no flavor or taste. The sauce was watery, but the chicken was ok. Other customers also looked dissatisfied with their meal. The people in front of us barely ate their meal before leaving, they literally took only a few bites. The young woman was great who sat us, but what made our experience bad other than the food was the male server was extremely rude to us. Dismissive when we were asking questions about the menu and seemed impatient and then he proceeded to rip the menus out of our hands. Not just mine but my dining guest as well! We were shocked at his not so subtle rude behavior. I never leave without tipping but after being treated like that I left without leaving a penny, then I find my bank card has been charged much more than my meal receipt stated. read more

Had the distinct pleasure of dining here on my first impromptu visit to Duwamish land. It practically hugs Alki Beach. Such a perfect outside patio. It somehow feels sexily clandestine? OK. All I am saying is: there are clusters of tasteful foliage in all the right places and the lighting design beautifully, inexplicably intimate. To begin we had the Ostriche al forno (baked oysters with spinach, mascarpone, and cream - no words.) a bright arugula salad, the Fettuccine alla Carbonara, and the Linguine Scampi al vino. A bottle of Cabernet that came recommended by our sweet server was also enjoyed, though I can't recall specifics. Highly endorse this lovely spot. read more

A nice place in West Seattle to go to for a special Italian meal. I love the pasta with filet mignon in it so much. The gnocchi is also pretty good. Meals come with salad and homemade, warm focaccia bread (pizza dough I would guess). So nice to sit outside and spy the water when it is nice outside as well. read more

This is a great place to go if you want to head somewhere for a special occasion. The food is good, the ambience is fun, and it's in a great location next to the water. Definitely save room for the tiramisu! read more

I have been to La Rustica twice now and it is lovely restaurant in Seattle. My parents live in Seattle and they introduced this to me. Italian food is my favorite cuisine so I was all in when they suggested going one evening. The menu is very meat heavy with lots of lamb and beef dishes. I am a pescatarian (the only meat I eat is seafood). Some of the dishes, you can work around and get without meat, but it's not possible with some of the dishes here. One of the best parts of La Rustica is the view. It is a beautiful, intimate restaurant with a fantastic view. It is an excellent date night spot, nice enough for a special occasion like an anniversary. The gnocchi at La Rustica is phenomenal. Gnocchi is my favorite Italian dish, so I have pretty high standards when it comes to a gnocchi dish. They offer a few different gnocchi options and I opted for one with no meat and it was amazing. It had a creamy gorgonzola sauce and was so delicious. My mom and fiance have both ordered the seafood pasta with squid ink and have raved about it. They just loved it. The service here is good, not great. It can be pretty hit or miss. We have come in and gotten amazing service and then other times, we sit there for a while without any acknowledgment. But the view and the food are worth it. If you are in Seattle and craving some delicious Italian food, this is the spot to treat yourself. read more

Very small establishment, limited options, but amazing food great house made bread, accommodating.

Absolutely wonderful overall experience!! I had the Ravioli special and my husband had the lamb shank with pasta marinara and they were both out of this world delicious the location is very quaint, with beautiful views and super easy access, quick to walk to from our Airbnb. If your in town, even for just the 1 night - it's a must for wonderful dinner. Service was impeccable too!!! Wonderful place- a must stop. read more

What a gem! I recently celebrated my anniversary there and it was pure luck that I stumbled upon this restaurant. With Covid going on there aren't many dine in options but La Rústica has a cute little patio area to dine in. The food was fantastic! We loved everything we ordered and the service was great! I would also recommend the homemade cake, I'm usually not a fan of cake but we decided to get a slice to celebrate our anniversary and it did not disappoint! I love it here. read more

Love this place - take out has been wonderful. 5 Stars!! We are all about supporting our local West Seattle restaurants! This week we asked 4 people who do not live in West Seattle to come and try the place out! BUT try and get a reservation? Impossible. Why? despite a recoding that says "we now take reservations for parties of 2, 4 and 6" - they apparently fall into a black hole. Emails and Voice messages left (with a number) fail to be responded to. After a week of trying I've just tried one more time. Hope someone responds, as I've had to make backup reservations elsewhere! Hopefully the staff and restaurant are not in trouble or illness!!! Some communication would be nice however! Would be 5 star if they fix the reservation problem! read more

We enjoyed our final date night before our city got "shut down" due to Covid. Their pasta is divine, love the calamari starter and that bread is to die for. I'm already dreaming of dining there again, once things open back up. In the mean time, hope they continue to do take out! Ciao Bella. read more

Was good, not great. I had the polenta and babyback ribs. I loved grilled polenta, and can deal with soft when it has something fabulous on top. This was neither. It seems it was back in a pan and then cut into pieces, and maybe was in the fridge? Anyway, not great. OTOH my husband loved his pasta, so likely it is about knowing what to order. Service was lovely - everyone was friendly. read more

Great date night place .Get the stuffed cannelloni!! I love this little place. You can tell they love to make delicious food. We are never disappointed with the quality or quantity. The wine list is good and reasonably priced. They usually offer affagato for dessert which is my favorite. We've had the lamb, the oxtail, gorgonzola steak, seafood stew, spaghetti and meatballs, etc and it's all CONSISTENTLY good. It can get a bit crowded but they have outside seating and if you are willing to wait for it, it's worth it. Can't say enough about this place - just go and enjoy!!! read more