I love Lago's lasagna and ravioli. The truffle dessert is to die for, as is the antipasto plate. The atmosphere depends on the day. Sometimes it's wonderful and romantic. Sometimes the restaurant is packed to the gills and you might have a toddler next to you in the midst of a meltdown. That's the reason for 1 star off--packed seating. read more

I first came here over 3 years ago when my real estate broker told me about this place. I loved it then, I love it now. I love that their pastas are housemade. During my last visit here, I brought friends from out of town along with their 2 children (ages 5 and 3). Not only did the adults love the food, so did the little ones. Their comment, of all the restaurants we tried during their 1 week stay, Cafe Lago was their favorite. read more

I've been going to Cafe Lago for many years and have eaten there dozens and dozens of times. I can't comprehend any review under 4 stars. Yes, it's a small menu, but everything on it is expertly executed. On paper there may seem to be an expense issue, but the food, and the experience, is actually a great value. The pastas are amazing: simple, elemental, elegant, and delicious. There's a whole concert of textures and flavors in the various raviolis. You experience the light little pillow of pasta, the savory filling, the perfect red sauce and on some preparations a final note of delicious pesto...it all comes together so wonderfully that my wife, literally, nearly weeps when she eats it. They are always accommodating too. When the menu features a new gnocci sauce, they allow us to order the traditional tomato vodka creme sauce (best gnocci in the region by the way). The vegetarian antipasto platter is a great way to start. The eggplant preparation is absolutely amazing. The chocolate truffle dessert rules. I always leave Cafe Lago satisfied, not just full in my belly; rather, a whole-body and mind full, like I have just deeply communed with the earth and sun and food and wine and company. read more

I 've never been here and LERVE Italian food so jumped at the chance to take my girl here for her b-day when a Bloomspot showed up. Wow- was I wrong. They should call this place "Cafe Aspbergers'' as the host, never smiled or looked me in the eye, I only got the hint that he was showing us to our table when he walked away from us and then looked back like we were naughty cocker spaniels,not coming when called. The server was no better. How in GOD'S NAME do you become a server in a well-regarded restaurant and NOT have tried the entrees??! When I was a server at Anthony's, we tried EVERYTHING everyday. Then the bread arrived....apparently there was a forest fire in the kitchen, as we were served 2 charred logs that I guess was supposed to be bread. I asked for non-burned bread. Then the Clam Lingiuine arrived, with SO MUCH chili flake on it I thought I 'd swallowed a jabenero chili pepper. NO MENTION of this in the menu description- come on,REALLY??? Oh AND...wait for it.....it came with 2 more pieces of charred bread! The reduction sauce tasted like spicy Campbell's Chicken soup. I sent it away and shared my girl's pizza which was ...meh. Our server couldn't describe the panna cotta for dessert when I asked why there was a bay leaf in it- B/C he'd never tried it!!!- there was no apology, no attempt to make it better, no sense of professionalism- C'mon ! Is this what service in Seattle is now? Are you just a RainMan Order Taker??? Thank Sweet Lady GaGa I had a Bloomspot. It wasn't even worth what I paid. read more

I really wanted to love this place, but I just didn't. The food was good -- the pizza was tasty, the roasted tomato and goat cheese appetizer was fabulous. But the lasagna, while light and fluffy had tomato sauce so sweet it made me think of ketchup, and salads were just o.k. My biggest problem was the price -- it was waay expensive for decent but not fantastic food. If I was paying $25 per person for this meal, I'd be ecstatic. Paying $45 per person made it feel a bit too much. read more

this is one of my favorite restaurants. the lasagna is heavenly- i've been trying to get them on "throwdown with bobby flay". a bunch of their recipes are online too, try the antipasto plate and the balsamic tomato bruschetta. SOOOOO GOOD! read more

Their lasagna is like nothing I've ever had before. It's so airy and light but at the same time amazing and flavorful. Their dish with the tomatoes and cheese and toast is so good as well. All the pasta is hand made and always delicious. Definitely a favorite Italian spot! The one draw back is that it is very noisy. read more

I grew up in Seattle and remember when the current location for Cafe Lago was occupied by a breakfast place. This weekend we went for brunch and had an amazing meal. Don't expect standard breakfast fare with pancakes and fancy omeletes. Penne with bacon and egg was amazing. Perfect scones. We brought our crazy 3 year old and 8 month old. Maybe a little fancy for them but the staff was awesome and it worked out great. I would say for brunch it is good for kids. I will definitely be back. read more

I don't give five stars lightly. Lago is our go-to neighborhood place when we want to celebrate, mourn, re-couperate, or simply enjoy a delicious meal out in a comfortable place that's neither high-brow or scrappy. Lago is just right, from the tastiest wood-fired pizza to comforting homemade pasta (the same recipe that Jerry Traunfield used at the Herbfarm just across Lake Washington originates with Lago, according to the Herbfarm Cookbook). Service is consistently great, not fussy, just attentive. We often just end up getting a different pizza each and sharing all the way around, which makes for a great casual dinner. In any case, it's hard to go wrong with the food, wine, or ambiance here. It's priced competitively with similar and less impressive fare in the area (think along 15th and 19th Aves) and given the wonderful setting and consistency, I consider it a great value. Hence the five stars. My only gripe is that they are not open for lunch. However, the owner has recently opened Little Lago over in Portage Bay, with pizza and calzones, among other fare. If, like us, you don't drive, there is a bike rack right out front, and route 48 stops just a short block away at Montlake Library. Pro tip for Seattle's long summer evenings: dine here and then take a stroll through the arboretum, which is an easy walk from Lago. read more

So we were in Montlake and thought we would try a new place. Unfortunately we did. I thought the menu was lacking and while browsing it over, it also looked expensive. I eat out a ton at very nice (expensive) houses and don't mind spending money on food. But I don't like when the quality doesn't match the price. My wifes lasagne was ok, my pizza was ok, but my daughter didn't like her noodles with butter and cheese. And when I got the check and saw they charged 14.95 for noodles with butter and cheese for a 7-year old, I was blown away. 14.95 plus tax and tip... comes to around $18. I don't care how fresh the noodles are, that is a ripoff read more

Ate at Cafe Lago for the first time last week. Great service, food was good but not great. I think it is a little overpriced. But I will probably try it again. read more

Love the food. The small wine list offers consistently good choices. My biggest complaint is the price - a couple pizzas, split a salad and a low-end bottle of wine and tip and it's $75 or more. Would love to come more often, but it just doesn't make economic sense. read more

Great happy hour. Service is wonderful. Cute spot. The food is simply good, if overpriced. I'd go back every once in a while.

extremely rude person just called in and spoke - not how you should conduct business to a possible customer and someone that has lived next door for a number of years. Very un-impressed read more

Cafe Lago is a wonderful food experience with an inventive menu, terrific specials and pizza to die for. The commitment to fresh ingredients, fun and service has been consistent and keeps many of us coming back. Famous for its pastas (which are terrific) Cafe Lago has a range of options which always seem to please even my most annoying foodie friends. Only wish it were in my neighborhood! read more

Lago has been an absolute favorite since it opened 15+ years(!) ago. My friends and I have loved it through all it's changes in shape and size (and it has loved us through all our incarnations too). Carla, Seattle's master pizza and pasta chef, never disappoints - try the feather-weight ricotta lasagna, the sausage pizza, the gnocchi, the biscotti, and the negronis. I come here on rainy evenings with my family for the warm atmosphere; kids drawing on the paper table cloths, and adults chatting with neighboring tables and friends from around the neighborhood. Lago is one of Seattle's truly wonderful restaurants. Enjoy! read more

Superb! Food was fantastic and the service was the same! The fettuccine and meatballs were delicious! Wonderful atmosphere! Will definitely come back again! read more

Disappointing, and overpriced. Out of chicken at 7:00 pm, along with the sides of sauteed brussel sprouts. The ravioli were so average, and at $25 a little somethin' else alongside the 12 or so would have been nice. Lemon tart, NOT. More like a lemon pudding, no zing. Nice servers, but didn't know what was unavailable until well after the order was placed. Sorry, but at these prices I wanted more. read more

I don't understand the mixed reviews. What a fantastic neighborhood restaurant! Very kid friendly. No pricier than any other high quality restaurant. The service was excellent, the pizza and pasta delightful and the desert (chocolate truffle cake) melted in our mouths. Very highly recommended! read more

LOVE this place. Been going for 15 years. It's too rich for my blood most of the time ($$$), but pizza Mondays have made it more accessible for me. Carla Leonardi is the real deal. Go here! read more

First time eating the food from Cafe Lago and was very pleased with the service and food. I had the spaghetti and meatballs and my wife had the Salsiccia pizza. Both were great items. Home made pasta was good but pizza was amazing. I would have given them 5 stars but the price was to steep for the meal. Reduce the price 20% per item on the menu and the is an easy 5 star jewel. read more

Didn't enjoy this restaurant at all. Poor service. Food was overpriced. Pizza was served cold and was told it is hard to reheat. Well, if it was hot in the first place no reason to reheat. Would not recommend and will not return. read more

I ordered some take-out items at 6:00 on a Monday (which took close to an hour to prepare), and I should have looked in the boxes before I took them home. I had ordered Linguini with Clams, and instead received a tiny portion of pasta noodles with mussels ($25), which isn't even listed on their website menu. The Lasagna portion was also tiny ($22), and for the $9 Ceasar Salad I got about 25 cents' worth of romaine lettuce and a teaspoon of dressing in a plastic cup. By the time we got home it was too late to re-order and go back down to Montlake. Not the $61 Italian dinner we were hoping for, based on the other reviews here. read more

It really is real italian food--YUM-- The atmosphere is delightful, a classy place with great wait staff, a small but excellent wine list and superb pasta. I had heard a lot about the lasagna and lived up to the billing. If you are looking for a quiet place to impress a date and then wander the nearby neighborhood and get a feel for Seattle I couldn't recommend a better spot. read more

We went to this restaurant with a local, and we were very disappointed. The food was just o.k., and the prices were too high for the amount and quality served. We never saw the waitress again after we paid even though we sat there for awhile hoping to get more water. Their 'famous' lasagna was vegetarian which was not specified on the menu - we expect lasagna to have meat in it; especially for $20 a serving! If you are looking for good Italian, don't look here. The snobby service and overpriced food will disappoint you, like it did us. read more

The food never disappoints. Fresh ingredients, hand made pastas and pizzas, a great meat grill, and occasional shellfish dishes. Sometimes the crowd is very kid friendly, other times a bit of a smug vibe amongst the clientele. Monday night things are deeply discounted ($10 pizza night), which is a nice change as overall I feel the prices are about 20% higher than they should be. read more

an icon of a italian restaurant. best gnocchi and lasagna in Seattle, for sure. have been a customer since it opened at 1/3 it's present size and the place has never skipped a beat. take a lot of out of towners here and they are always delighted. read more

Hands down the only Real Deal on the west coast, except Peter Lowells of coarse! Cred- you're a Donkey if you don't know, but forget Pizzaiolo, A-16 in SF and Oaktown and dispite Batali's lust for Pizzaria Picco in Larkspur- their pizza is ordinary great! Meaning that only at Lago will you find JV or CL at the helms of the sickest proper Woodstone oven, manhandling you with ease that comes from from 25+ years doing what is know a popular trend. Give the Italian ovens a break, Woodstone will appease any Ferrari-driving chef,,,(ovens and cars are not created equal!)Jordi may be apposed to type"00", and perhaps I use it to prolong my immaturity as a young chef-owner, still our pizza reigns supreme. And really, these new DOCG approved pizzarias in S-town,,,, Donkey's- all of you. Even if you use Bufalo, I know Who schleps it to you after weeks in customs. Few talk about Lago, because it is unneeded. Lago is a benchmark and you are all kidding yourselves about your implications upon the new guard. So in short, big ups from Sebastopol,Ca,, where Puntarella is'nt a special order,my eggs are layed every morn, and my olio nuovo is'nt from Italy! From Norwalk,CT, to Seatle- check yourselves Yelpers. Bad-mouthing Lago is a package deal... You take these missels along with that! If Lago was in Sonoma Cnty, we would see the River Cafe' on crack! And if you are butt-hurt by these words, you can READ MY lOCALS. gIVE IT A BREAK haters, Lago gave you imagination, and you continuously foul it up. Check your PR firm donkey's! read more

We had dinner for sixteen in this neighborhood Italian restaurant. Our host put together a family style dinner with the chef and it turned our perfect. We started with several appetizers that made me think I was back in Italy. The antipasto plate had everything plus more of what you would expect and the slow roasted tomatoes drizzled with olive oil served on brochette was excellent. We then had three of their salad selections and each one was fresh to the point you would think the lettuce was just harvested from the garden. We had their Ravioli filled with goat cheese in marinara and the Fettuccini with meatballs tossed with marinara sauce. The pasta for both of these dishes was tender, flavorful and cooked to perfection. Our last course was their steak platter that was simply outstanding. The steak is USA Prime served on a platter of gorgonzola, grilled onions, red peppers, frites and brochette. Wow, what a meal and the service was friendly, helpful but never bothering you throughout the evening. read more

atmospehere lacking. decent food. expensive. good service. glad i tried it, probably won't go back....to many other places to explore.

Ok, this is unfortunate but I have to give this place two stars. I wanted to like it as I love Italian food but there were too many issues. I stopped by for takeout. I was pretty shocked at how limited the menu is with respect to pasta- I recall maybe 4 different kinds. That seemed a little odd given that this is an Italian Restaurant. I ordered the fettucini with meatballs. It was just "ok"- not awful, not good. It came with one paltry meatball and was barely enough food for the meal (I like my restaurant meals to last me two meals- so I can have leftovers for lunch!). I also ordered the Caesar salad. It was literally lettuce with Caesar dressing. No croutons, no cheese. The final straw was that it had a long hair in the takeout container, which I discovered after I got the food home. With tax, I spent almost $40. I left a few dollars for a tip, but I wish I hadn't. The food was mediocre and that price for takeout Italian is pretty obscene. The hostess who took my order was friendly and the ambiance seemed nice (cute, neighborhoody, non-pretentious feel) but if you are looking for good Italian food, keep walking. read more