Volterra is located high above the surrounding valleys and almost immediately feels different from the more destinations of Tuscany. Walking through the town, you can encounter the remains of multiple civilizations within minutes...passing through ancient Etruscan gates. In addition, another defining feature of Volterra is its connection to craftsmanship, particularly its longstanding tradition of alabaster carving. read more

See all

Ambience. A Service. A Food. C Price. B Opened in 2012...moved from Ballard... Found just off Main Street in Kirkland's newly revitalized neighborhood, this restaurant has a gorgeous, modern ambiance with plenty of table seating and a cozy little bar area. Happy hour is available at the bar and outdoor seating, which is a nice touch. I absolutely loved the service. Everyone was warm, welcoming, and genuinely pleasant--and it was especially nice to meet the owner, Don, and spend some time chatting with him and the staff. Unfortunately, the food was much more hit-or-miss for me today--with more misses than hits. The hot, crunchy bread was fantastic, although I wasn't quite sure what I was supposed to dip it in. There was olive oil and what appeared to be a seasoned salt on the table, but I had to ask for balsamic and black pepper. The calamari appetizer, however, was a winner! The lively tomato-based sauce with capers had wonderful flavor, and the squid was tender and cooked beautifully. Unfortunately, the truffle butter pasta with mushrooms really missed the mark. I couldn't detect much--if any--truffle flavor, and the dish was quite bland. I added salt and lemon, which helped a little, but not enough to rescue it. The beet and arugula salad looked fresh and beautiful, but again, the flavor was very muted. I found myself reaching for balsamic and lemon to give it some life. I'm always happy to support a new local business, especially when I know the owner, and I truly enjoyed meeting Don and experiencing the hospitality. I also hope this feedback is taken in the spirit it's intended: the restaurant has a beautiful setting, lovely people, and some real potential--but today, the food needs a little more love and seasoning. Unfortunately, I don't think I'd order these particular dishes again. Today, I'm NOT a FAN ...for the food... But I'll happily give them another try down the road. read more

Services is top notch. Even after just one visit, they remember you and are very friendly. Good balance of busy restaurant atmosphere, yet conversation is easily heard at your table. Every meal I've had is great so keep going back to try different menu items. read more

Volterra has the BEST Happy Hour in Kirkland! Today I enjoyed the Tuscan Limoncello Rosemary Drop paired with Clams & Sausage that's simmered in a delicious tomato broth, topped with a crispy crostini. Yum! Yum! Yum! The atmosphere is sophisticated and classy, the service is top notch, and the bartenders are always amazing. Definitely check them out for HH or Dinner! read more

Volterra - Clams and Sausage - Italian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

Had a long evening helping my dad purchase a car at a nearby dealership and decided to take the family out for a nice dinner after. We have a young child who is extremely well behaved but it became clear quickly that she was not welcome. The hostess made up a clunky lie "they don't accommodate 3 tops." When I mentioned that we would be a 4 top after my dad arrived and the baby would have her high chair she then said she would have to ask the manager. They had many open tables at the time. I quickly realized what was going on and as he walked up hastily making an excuse for her we walked out. Had a lovely dinner right down the street. Families beware, you are not welcome. read more

Decided to go out for dinner on a weekday night and last minute picked Volterra. Ended up being disappointed. Despite the dimly lit ambiance, good server, and delicious dessert - the entrées were awful. I ordered the Dungeness Crab Ravioli. The crab was okay, but the ravioli noodles tasted heavy rather than light. My husband ordered the Roasted Eggplant Pouches. To my husband, he noted the tomato ragu sauce tasted premade right out of a grocery store can and the noodles were a bit hard, should have cooked a little longer. Overall, we will not come back. For the price we are paying for a meal, it isnt worth it. read more

Volterra - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

See all

I highly enjoyed my visit here. The food was superb. The herb roasted chicken was outstanding, the drinks well made, and the bread service was top notch. The staff were very kind and attentive and the ambiance truly can't be beat. read more

A great contemporary Italian restaurants in Kirkland. They have a great happy hour, central downtown Kirkland location, fun and casual atmosphere, and the best bartender imo. Drinks are suitably strong, none of the watered down nonsense served at many places. The amazing mixologist lady remembered my drink after one time! And what a fine mixologist she is. She can personalized your cocktail to your liking. Their boar tenderloin is my favorite, but all their pasta dishes are also very very good. The challenge here is picking one thing. read more

See all

Lovely atmosphere in the heart of downtown Kirkland. The chicken dish they have is absolutely delicious and even the leftovers were good. The waiter we had was very attentive and it's nice that they offer bread with balsamic, herbs and oil as you wait for the food. They have a healthy list of local and imported wines, and the menu had a good variety of options. Was definitely very impressed with the attentiveness of the wait staff considering other recent experiences locally that were quite disappointing. Before writing this I noticed a lot of negative reviews, but we went on a busy Saturday evening (with a reservation) and have no complaints. The food arrived in a timely manner and the salad was crisp and flavorful. I forgot to get a photo but will definitely return and make sure to get a good photo. Looking forward to trying new menu items at Volterra! read more

Excellent food, excellent service, great ambiance!! Certainly will return! I hear happy hour is stellar. Will def return! read more

Just ate here for the 1st time. Pleasant atmosphere, asked for a quieter table in the reservation and they put us off in the corner so definitely took note of the request. Steven was our server and very personable, knowledgeable of menu and had some good ideas. They have a chocolate martini as a special right now and while talking about espresso martinis suggested they add that to it and was very tasty. No appy's this trip but had the Wild boar and was tender and tasty not gammy at all. Highly recommend this place. read more

Double date night without kids! We enjoyed an excellent meal and wonderful service at Volterra. Our server was very knowledgeable and attentive. The menu was quite challenging because I wanted to try everything! We started with a nice fresh and light burrata that was perfect t for a few bites each. with Two if us got the pork jowls with amazing fresh mushrooms, my wife got the crab ravioli that was delicious and my buddy got the delectable gnocchi. We can't wait to go back and try other menu items, I'm eyeing the boar tenderloin next time. read more

See all

A beautiful venue in downtown Kirkland. The food is off the hook, the wine list voluminous, the cocktails well crafted, and the staff professional and friendly. Highly recommend...6 stars! read more

After now multiple times with horrible service, this review has to happen. I am all for a leisurely dinner but the service is slow and lacking attention at the right moments. This time our cocktail was forgotten and even after asking about it, we still had to inquire an additional time before it came. We had to chase down our server at almost every course. The bill came without an itemized receipt which also felt a little disingenuous. Food was great...this is the big shame about this. Unless we sit at the bar, I don't think we will be back. And I won't bring company here ever again. read more

Such a delight. Scrumptious food. We had the shrimp fettuccine. Lobster ravioli was a bit well done that it made it chewy but still yummy. Lobster bisque was the standout. Service was quick and welcoming. read more

See all

I did not have a great time at Volterra. Ordered drinks, apps, and entrees. 3 people to our party. Linguine with clams was extra chewy and DRY AF. NY Strip with Gorgonzola was greasy, not cooked properly, very fatty. Cesar salad was decent. Waiter came by to deliver food and that was about it. Never checked in on us or anything. We couldn't wait to get out of there. I hope this isn't the future of dining. read more

I've been here a few times and really enjoyed it. Solid Italian food, decently priced, great service, and awesome location. We love an after (or before) dinner stroll to the Kirkland waterfront. Even though we've moved away from WA, this is a spot I remember fondly and recommend to people. read more

Volterra - Love a jiggly panna cotta - Italian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

See all

I don't know why it took me so long to visit this place. We've been in the neighborhood for 7 years and heard a lot about this restaurant. They have fresh pasta and fresh ingredients. My son had the pork and mushroom pasta and absolutely loved it. I got the seafood linguine and it was amazing. The pasta was made fresh and the tomato seafood sauce was on point. I would love to visit again! read more

See all

This place offers a very beautiful and versatile atmosphere. It would be suitable for a small group of friends or romantic date. On this visit we were on a double date with friends. The wait staff were friendly and informed us of the specials as we received our water and bread for the table. I ordered Perseco and clam chowder to start. I can't stop raving about this chowder! I haven't had a chowder this good since I was home in New England. I love that they didn't add bacon. It was creamy, smooth and had a generous amount of clam in each spoonful. A delight I look forward to having again, though I think this was a special for the evening. My friend and I had the crab ravioli. They have a generous amount of crab in the filling, however it was difficult to enjoy because it felt chewy and undercooked. The portion was also quite small and didn't come with sides. Our partners on the other hand hit the jackpot with the prawn and herb crusted chicken. They were hearty portions, well cooked and seasoned and received great feedback from the guys. Additional notes: Average cost per person is about $50-$60 as a general cost estimate for dining here. They request you keep your stay to a 2 hour max to accommodate the limited seating requirements. Reservation preference. read more

Volterra - Amazing clam chowder - Italian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

See all

Pork jowl wild mushroom pasta was delicious! Enjoyed the variations they made on traditional cocktails like the "New Fashioned" with coffee beans. Really enjoyed the bread with olive oil and herbs. Only a couple blocks away from the waterfront so parking was challenging on a sunny evening. read more

See all

A tremendous meal last night as we met some very good friends in Kirkland for a Sunday get together. We would definitely come back as the food and service was spectacular. Everything that was ordered was perfect. Our friends had the Mushroom Tagliolini and Lamb Meatballs. My wife had the Roasted Eggplant Pouches and I had the Tagliatelle Bolognese. It was one of the best Bolognese dishes I have ever experienced and the serving was surprisingly large, which allows me some special leftovers tonight. We all had different salads beforehand which were also excellent. My Caesar Salad was dressed just right. And of course the desserts were a wow. The Berries and Cream and the Tiramisu were just the right finishes to a great meal. Andras was also the perfect server who was so gracious and had incredible timing whenever anything was needed. Thank you Volterra for the experience last night. We will be back. read more

See all

Hmmm. I'm a little surprised to see only 3.5 stars for Volterra. We've been coming here since it opened here (original in Ballard). Sometimes just us, or with others, no one has had a bad meal. For our meal today, we opted for the Seattle Restaurant Week (SRW) special, bountiful servings with 3 courses for $35. Many other restaurants have increased cost, some at $50. It was pleasant to see a deal at Volterra. We pre-ordered online and set pickup time to 1:15 later. The food was ready on time. The bill had a $2 handling fee, but I don't care about that. FYI for the reader. Our takeout meal also had 4 pieces of bread. The Food: I won't rate each dish separately and will instead summarize that every dish was delicious, worthwhile, and as described. We would easily partake on any of these dishes again. Hubby was practically fond of his wild boar, while my favorite was the jumbo prawns and plentiful veggies. I, for one, am very happy to have veggies with my main courses. I would likely consider the prices to be a bit steep if I was paying for each course. With SRW, it's much more in line with what I would *want* to pay. Without SRW, I would buy only the main course and be quite content with the quantity of food. Dish names and descriptions - each set of 3 at $35 for SRW: 1. Roasted Romanesco Romanesco florets baked in a fontina cream sauce and topped with crispy pancetta and scallions 2. Wild Boar Tenderloin Wild boar tenderloin roasted and served with a Crème de Cassis, Gorgonzola and mustard sauce, Yukon potatoes rosemary roasted in duck fat and seasonal market vegetables 3. Chocolate (Molten) Cake with Vanilla Gelato 1. Tomato and Bread Soup Plum tomatoes, onions, cream and fresh basil topped with croutons and pesto oil 2. Jumbo Prawns Jumbo gulf prawns sautéed with garlic, fresh tomatoes, basil, white wine, and butter; served on a bed of baby spinach with fingerling potatoes and seasonal market vegetables 3. Tiramisu read more

See all

Nice place with good ambience, decent food with slow service for a weekday. I get it if I was celebrating something special on weekend so they can take as long as they want. However, it was a weekday dinner and we were already tired. Making us to wait what feels like 45 mins between appetizers and dinner was just not great for the price. Appetizers: calamari too salty; meatballs was good fluffy and not dense but I didn't expect the cream sauce though that was probably my bad for not reading the menu. Salad: Cesar was practically no sauce and I had to ask for extra sauce to toss it in myself. Dinner: bolognese was good and big portion! They were out of the clam linguine and didn't offer us the other seafood option but we overheard them offered to the people next to our table. The fettuccine Alfredo was more buttery sauce then cream but it did have good taste. Overall it wasn't our first time and may not be last but I just hope the service could be faster - perhaps just understanding which clients want to spend more time vs ones that don't care to sit there for a long time. read more

See all

Food is delicious and the staff is wonderful. The food was elevated Italian. Food was too slow for my wife. The cocktails were just okay and very slow to make. The menu prices are a little on the high side. read more

Seattle Restaurant Week was a very enjoyable experience at Volterra! First time here, but a friend recommended we go. Volterra did not disappoint us one bit! She ordered the Wild Boar with Gorgonzola and it was to die for. She said this dish is so good that this was her second time ordering it. I ordered the Bolognese. Both dishes were splendid and service was also very pleasant. I recommend Volterra. They did me good! Service was good! Food was good! Highly recommend Volterra! (Latergram from Nov 2021) read more

See all

I finally made it out here for SRW! It has been on my list for years so I'm glad we finally made it happen. My second mom loves Italian food so I took her here for a girls night - we had a reservation and were seated at a nice table by the window. I enjoyed the pace of the meal and felt that each course was fresh, of ample portion size, and complemented the course before it. The ambiance inside is warm and inviting and service was good. Parking in this area is a big challenge so get here early to circle around. And around. And around. read more

See all

Great dinner experience at Volterra! My boyfriend and his parents and I had dinner here, as it was a participating restaurant of Seattle Restaurant Week. I'm glad we visited for SRW, as I would definitely come back, knowing what Volterra has to offer. For Seattle Restaurant Week, Volterra offered a great selection of different starters, entrees and a dessert. Compared to other places I've been for SRW, Volterra is one of the better restaurants for it. I chose the roasted cauliflower, wild boar tenderloin in gorgonzola sauce and tiramisu for dessert. We also had complimentary bread and Italian wine for the table. Everyone enjoyed their food! The roasted cauliflower was delicious in the fontina cream sauce that its baked in. I especially liked the pancetta with for some crunchy texture. It was a great start to my dinner, which was the wild boar tenderloin. The boar tenderloin was very good! It was perfectly cooked and the gorgonzola sauce was made with mustard, which made for a wonderful flavor. The dish also came with duck fat roasted potatoes and fresh veggies. Dee-lish-is. I highly recommend ordering this dish, as it's on the regular menu. The tiramisu was solid, but not as good as the appetizer or entree. I wish it had been more of a chocolate-y flavor versus cream; but hey, I can't complain too much when it comes to tiramisu. Glad to have checked out Volterra in downtown Kirkland! I would happily come back and explore more of what they have to offer, as the menu had a good amount of Italian and seafood dishes. Plus, the service was awesome and though it may seem like a fancier place around town, the atmosphere was very welcoming. I dig that. read more

See all

I was taken here for an impromptu dinner. Launching into the three course meal, I started with the polenta with wild mushroom and wine sauce. The mushrooms and wine were able to harmoniously mix their unique flavors, which were balanced but distinct. The polenta was soft and provided its characteristic subtly gritty texture. It was completely bathed in sauce, which I always appreciate. A wild boar sacrificed its juicy tenderloins for the main course. It was sliced into double-bite-sized pieces with a creamy and thick mustard gorgonzola sauce, whose sum was much less in-your-face than its parts. The pork was accompanied by baked fingerling potatoes and roasted kale and squash. Retrospectively, I might have ordered it medium rather than medium rare. The lemon and mascarpone dessert resembled a panna cotta. It was topped with blueberries and raspberries to add some welcome tartness, making the dish overall sweet but not too rich. The atmosphere was upscale but nothing special. The service was very attentive, bordering on hovering. The location is prime. And the price is what you would expect, about $60 per person after tax and tip. Not exactly my scene, but it accomplishes its goal well. read more

See all

Such a warm and wonderful welcome to the Kirkland area! Best espresso martinis hand down. - if you can see the photos of my mom and aunt! Any food you eat will not disappoint. Unfortunately I forgot to take photos because I was so taken back by the fantastic atmosphere and amazing food. Usually I have my phone in my hand but this place made me put it away. We celebrated my sisters graduation and the owner took great care of us including his staff. Cheers can't wait to visit again read more

Volterra - Espresso martinis - Italian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

We were looking for someplace special for our wedding anniversary. We didn't have any idea where we would end up at the end of the day so we hadn't made any reservations. Since we were back home, yelp led us to Volterra. We had a truly delightful and delicious meal. We started with sharing a Polenta with Wild Mushroom antipasti. For our main course my wife ordered the Dungeness Crab ravioli and I had the Linguine with White Clam Sauce. I tried the ravioli and it was delicious. My wife tried a few bites of my linguine but it was way too spicy for her, although she enjoyed a few of my clams. For dessert we split the Flourless Chocolate Cake with vanilla gelato. Given the state of restaurants during the pandemic I was unsure of what we might find. I called but received only a message to make reservations. Since we had a backup plan I made reservations for a half hour later. We arrived just at the time of the reservation and they were setting up the table for us. Service was great and the food was scrumptious. We will be back for the next special occasion. read more

See all

First time at Volterra. Ordered the crabcakes and linguine with clams. Food was exceptional. Staff were very friendly. I would recommend reservations on the weekend. Will definitely return. read more

Volterra is a nice Italian restaurant in the heart of Kirkland. Parking is a bit of challenge and it can be easy to drive by it. The ambiance is casual and like many popular restaurants the tables are close together. They have a really nice wine list. Service was outstanding throughout the meal. I started with the clams. This was really delicious. It came with spicy sausage and was in a nice tomato broth. The bread they provide is good and works very well to soak up the delicious sauce. For the main course I had the lobster risotto. This was good and came with a generous portion of lobster that was mixed in. read more

Volterra - Clams and Sausage - Italian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

See all

Volterra is a great spot for quality Italian food. I arrived in a group of two with no reservation just towards the end of the Husky football game. We were able to be sat right away in a high top in the bar. We were not sitting down for more than 30 seconds before the highly attentive staff asked if we needed any drinks to start our evening. We ordered the attached photos, and were not disappointed in the slightest. You can tell the pasta is homemade, fresh, and full of whatever protein you pick. The crab ravioli were cooked perfectly, and packed full of crab. The cream sauce paired very well, and I only had the chance to have one before my date finished the rest. I ordered the Bolognese, and it was extremely good. The sauce was rich, and the meat sauce was full of pork and beef. It was perfectly cooked, hot when it hit the table (which I always prefer), and was enough food to take some home for a snack the next day. Overall our experience was great, and would recommend this for a date spot, or just in the downtown area looking for a quality authentic home made pasta/Italian experience. read more

Volterra - tagliatelle bolognese - Italian Near Me - Kirkland, Washington

See all

First time here - sat at the bar. I went w the crispy herb chicken, it was amazing! Great service! The bartender Antonio was friendly and gave great recommendations as it was our first time here. Will be back read more

See all

One of my favorite places in Kirkland. Always had a great experience with food and service.

Fantastic pasta and service. We ordered one salad and two pastas, and they set the salad into two plates so that it is easier to us to share, which is pretty sweet. They also sincerely asked how we were and how the foods were. The crab pasta is awesome that it was full of crab meat inside; and the pork jowl and wild mushroom pasta is as well as great that the table also told us that is their favorite dish. However, if you are not a crazy truffle fun, you might feel it is too strong that you might get sick of it after finishing it. We went at late night and the environment is pretty romantic. Parking was also easy to find, and there should be a few public parking that you could walk to. read more

See all

I came here to give 5 stars and found the 1 star reviews. Originally, I thought ... who would give this place anything other than 5 stars. Then, I read the reviews. The place is perfect. Food is great. Location is great. Ambiance is great. But that's right, their server staff is rude or weird, depending on the day you go. Don't get me wrong, sometimes we get really good servers. But there were also numerous times where we got servers that can't remember a single item we ordered, to just ones that seem mad all the time. I don't know what's causing this. But fix it. It'd be a shame to lose the best pasta place in the east side because of this. read more

I was at Volterra on 3/10 with three others in my party. It started out with me ordering a soda and one of the others ordering hot water. Never got a refill on hot water and finally had to ask for a refill on the soda! We asked that one of the leftovers be boxed up in two boxes and the waiter would up throwing have the food out because he thought it was garbage and when we asked where the rest of the food is, he said he had thrown it out by mistake. They did not offer to take any $$ off the bill or cook up more to replace what they threw out by mistake! We spent good money and dine there frequently and this new waiter seems to be somewhat incompetent! We might have to take our business to the Italian restaurant a couple blocks away from now on! read more

First time dining here, came along with my brother-in-law for a casual birthday celebration. Menu looks good and Yelp reviews are promising, so I am hopeful. Kirkland is lovely on a summer evening and parking, though looks to be tough, turns out to be surprisingly okay. My brother-in-law tells me there is public parking at the library after hours. The ambiance is okay, nothing special. The menus are too large for the table size and the noise level makes it very difficult to hear the wait staff explain anything. I choose the pappardelle with wild boar (the online menu says lamb, but tonight's menu was slightly different) ragu and my companion chooses the wild boar tenderloin. The food takes a long time coming. The pasta dish is way, way too salty. The ragu is nice, but simply overpowered with salt. I ordered the Tuscan Limoncello Rosemary Drop cocktail and am expecting sour but it is just bland. The rosemary is subtle, which is good, but I end up with sticks of it in my mouth. Overall, disappointing. read more

I really wanted to love this place but it the absolute worst Italian place I have ever been to. Horrible food that was cheap quality, super loud inside, and just not a good experience. My boyfriend's dish was what made me give this place 1 Star. He ordered the pork jowls and mushroom pasta, but it turned out to be a nasty PASTA SOUP covered in bacon grease and fat... only a few tiny mushrooms and very soggy bacon strips. I had a taste too and it tastes like top ramen noodles covered in grease with no flavor at all....I was shocked to see a restaurant serve this. My boyfriend is not a picky eater at all and he couldn't even stomach this. I ordered the eggplant pouches for my main dish. It was lukewarm in the center of the dish, which makes me wonder when and how it was prepared. The ravioli pouches weren't boiled all the way and very very al dente... and it was covered with cheap rubbery Parmesan cheese (not even real parmigiano) and the tomato sauce had no taste. This meal just tasted very cheap and lacked quality. Our waiter left us sitting with the unfinished food for 30 minutes and never once asked how our food was. He asked if we want a box and brought us the bill. I didn't want to complain but I spoke up and told him that we couldnt even finish our food because it was inedible. He seemed nice about it but kept claiming that the mushroom and pork jowl pasta dish was his favorite and it's popular at the restaurant... read more

See all