Visited this lovely Italian nook for dinner with a friend. The first thing that struck me was how cozy and welcoming the space seemed. We were greeted warmly by our hostess and the service throughout our visit was impeccable. I ordered the rosé wine, which had just the right notes of fruity without being too sweet. For the main course, I ordered the ravioli which was creamy and flavorsome. My friend had the special of the day with a rich tomato sauce and he said he enjoyed it very much. For dessert we split a tiramisu and it was absolutely decadent! I had an absolutely fantastic dining experience and I can't wait to go back again! read more

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Had heard a lot about this place and finally made it in. Got lucky with seating right away since there's usually a long wait. Nice and intimate good place for a casual date night. The bread service was just okay -- a bit inconsistent, and honestly some of the ones going to other tables looked more impressive than what we got. A little disappointing given how much they seem to be known for it. The pasta was good though. The Bolognese was the clear standout of the two -- more depth and flavor. Overall a solid meal, but nothing that blew me away. Would I go back? Probably, if I'm in the area. But I'd be curious to try some of the other pasta spots nearby before making this my regular go-to. read more

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Exceptional House-Made Pasta & Great Vibe in Downtown Bellevue! Celebrated my dad's birthday here on a sunny day in May. Cantinetta has a beautiful upscale ambiance, friendly service, great cocktails, and a lovely patio area. Their seasonal, scratch-made pastas are the true stars of the menu. The Mafalde (with asparagus, spring peas, and lemon) was incredibly light and delicious--my personal favorite. The Roasted Pork Belly was a perfect sweet-and-savory bite. The Scallops were perfectly cooked and beautifully paired with creamy polenta. The burrata and seasonal mushrooms were great starters. The ribeye steak was just average, but everything else was spot on. Next time, I'll definitely stick to a combination of their fantastic appetizers and pastas. read more

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Cantinetta was such a lovely dinner spot, and there were several dishes that really stood out. We started with the burrata, which was absolutely delicious. One thing I appreciated was the crostini--it was perfectly toasted without being so hard that it destroys the roof of your mouth (a surprisingly common problem!). It paired beautifully with the creamy burrata. For pasta, the cavatelli with sausage was fantastic. The sausage added great flavor, and the pesto was unique and different from the traditional versions I've had before. It was fresh, vibrant, and complemented the dish really well. The ravioli was another winner. It was rich, creamy, and incredibly flavorful, but somehow still felt light enough that it wasn't overwhelming or heavy by the end of the meal. The only downside of the evening was the wait. We had an 8:30 PM reservation but weren't seated until around 8:50 PM, which was a bit frustrating. That said, once we were seated, the food definitely helped make up for it. Also, I will say the menu is fairly limited. Overall, the quality of the dishes, especially the burrata and pastas, made for a memorable meal. I'd happily come back to explore more of the menu. read more

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There are only a handful of places on the Eastside that offer handmade pasta and this one does not disappoint. It's a great date night spot, the ambiance is moody romantic and the staff are sweet. We were able to get a table without a reservation on a Saturday night. We started with a pillow pasta that I believe has been renamed a couple times but is essentially ricotta ravioli with a creamy white sauce, corn and herbs, absolutely delicious combination of flavors and texture... will remember and come back this place specifically for that! My one complaint is that there were not a lot of healthy options that had high protein and fiber, so it'll be a little difficult to make this regular spot. Even with the salmon, it was covered in cream and butter. read more

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I haven't reviewed since 2018 but the quality and experience are still top notch. The Cantinetta Manhattan is one of my favorites still - I need to learn how to make a port wine reduction because it's magic. The Burrata app was amazing - perfect combo of fresh pesto and tomato jam - I could have licked the plate. For mains, we shared the Gnudi (Primi) and Beef Tenderloin (Secundi). The gnudi were pillowy soft and the sausage full of flavor. The beef tenderloin was 8 oz cut, buttery tender, slathered in a mushroom sauce that gave so much flavor. I'd put that against steaks twice the price at some nearby steakhouses. Cantinetta continues to be a favorite. read more

Cantinetta Bellevue - Manhattan + Burrata - Italian Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Amazing food!!!!!! - loved the burrata and the papardelle (you have to give it a try yourself to see how amazing it was. Super balanced and delicate flavors. Loved the cherry tomatoes in the burrata) - my only complaint: the portion of the $16 kale salad could be much bigger (although the dressing was super flavorful) and the leaves could be greener and fresher Great ambiance and plenty wine and cocktail selections. Awesome service too. Will definitely come back! Make a reservation though - this place fills up fast during dinner hours read more

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My husband and friends decided to give this place a try after my friends said they often frequent the Seattle location. We ordered a bottle of wine, chicory salad, roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted beets, bolognese, truffle risotto, zeppole and tiramisu. The roasted beets was our favorite with good flavor and texture. The other 2 needed more seasoning and were not memorable. I very much enjoyed my bolognese as well as my husband's truffle risotto. The Host initially offered to seat us at a table by the front door but I opted for a table at the other end of the front of the restaurant which had its own personal space heater. The Host had warned me that it was a colder table, which it was but it was fine and didn't bother us though I think some people would find it uncomfortable. They did offer us blankets which we did not use. Overall a very good dining experience with memorable dishes. read more

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Well! Service = terrible. Server was beyond disinterested. Host = borderline rude. We were having dinner with a couple and went 2hr 5 min. We were told on the website they mention a 2 hr time limit. We had just called and made rsvps how should we know. I don't think is will remain as one of our more liked restaurants. Food = amazing. If you don't care about rude uncaring service and a time limit, but want great food. This is a decent place. read more

The food was good but not outstanding. Overall portions were on the smaller side. We ordered the pasta with clams and the pasta was a fresh pasta not a dry one. The ribeye we ordered was a bit thin. This is a good place to come to get a drink and eat a little. read more

Good ambiance. Good service. Good food. All three Cantinetta restaurants are Good Good Good. I return again and again and again. read more

honestly was super disappointed going here. the atmosphere is absolutely incredible, it's cozy, very romantic, and cantinetta has been on my list for quite some time. my server was a sweetheart that's for sure, no complaints with her at all. she did a great job taking care of us tonight. however, maybe based on where we were sitting which was right next to the kitchen. other staff members were a little too attentive. middle of our conversation a few times they come to ask to wipe down our table, or kept asking questions about food and everything. it was just really annoying when we came to eat and having to deal with being interrupted. the food was definitely also a let down. the burrata was mid at best. for the same price if not cheaper i've made better at home! three pieces of bread for two people and they were stale? on top of the tomato sauce tasting the same from costco, nothing really stood out. it was a solid 5/10. the gnocchi was pretty good! i'll give it a 8/10. very filling, the sauce of it was also okay but no big complaints here. however the steak was however overcooked and over salted. asked for medium rare more on the rare side and it came out a bit medium actually. along with the garish on top or the steak itself, you took one bite and your pallet is hit with salt. it's like those mcdonald's fries that are over salted. not my favorite. we also got the tiramisu which was good! more on the creamy side and that's definitely what i enjoyed. overall, i was disappointed a little bit and annoyed over how much they kept coming up to us. would maybe come here again but probably not. a shame the restaurant was very pretty. read more

Cantinetta Bellevue - Ribeye Steak and Gnocchi - Italian Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Me and my cousin went here for our 31st birthday, was recommended by some folks we had met briefly. Overall, not a fan. I think the food was average, but more than that the service was despicable especially for the costs. If I wanted to dine at a hot dog stand I would've went to Disneyland. Sometimes paying for a meal comes along with paying for good service and an experience. I agree with other reviews. read more

First time at Cantinetta and it was great. Ambience is nice, staff is attentive & kind, food was yummy & on top of that.. the owner gave us free dessert for it being our first time. Which was delicious!! We will be back. read more

I visited as a solo diner and was seated promptly for my reservation. The host and waitstaff were welcoming. My waiter made an excellent wine recommendation and I ordered an appetizer, entree, and dessert. Everything tasted fresh and homemade. The bolognese genuinely reminded me of my favorite restaurant in Bologna - is was so nostalgic and a wonderful treat to get that here in the US. Happy with every part of the experience. If I am ever near Bellevue again, I will definitely come back. read more

Cantinetta Bellevue - Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

The noise level inside the restaurant is very LOUD, my Apple watch showed up to 90db which is hazardous under extended exposure. The noise level negatively impacted our dining experience. Can easily be solved with a few acoustic panels hung on the ceiling. Not expensive. Food quality is good but the Halibut dish we go was covered in tomato sauce which completely over powered the fish. My favorite dish was beef bolognese. read more

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The best thing on the menu was the mushrooms. The pasta was overcooked and was underwhelming. Clam pasta didn't come with the whole clams and were sandy. Would not come back for pasta. read more

Our reservation was for 7:00 PM, but our table wasn't ready until 7:30. We ended up waiting at the bar and eventually eating there in the corner instead. Honestly, what's the point of making a reservation if they can't honor it? It was supposed to be a special date night -- we had a babysitter arranged and planned ahead -- but the restaurant clearly overbooks, knowing that on a Saturday night in downtown Bellevue, you can't just walk into another place last minute. Really disappointing management and poor respect for customers' time. Don't count on actually getting a table here even if you make a reservation. read more

Went here for my bday, ordered bread, mocktails and clams, which were great. Gf ordered the pappardelle which was perfectly cooked al dente. I ordered the ribeye steak medium rare and since it came ala carte the server recommended a side dish so I opted for the potatoes. The ribeye steak came rare which was extremely chewy and so I asked them to re-cook it so that it's med rare. It took 15-20 mins for them to re-cook, which at this point my appetite was non existent. Potatoes were burnt on the bottom. Ordered mango and raspberry sorbets for desert, which were amazing. It would have been nice for server to apologize for the steak and give some sort of comp, but instead didn't really apologize and just took it and brought it back and asked if it was ok now. For a "fancy" restaurant service was 2/10. read more

Cantinetta Bellevue - Ribeye Steak - Italian Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

The ambience, food, service, quality and experience were all great. I think they change their menu per season afaik, but been there twice and both times the menu had great vegetarian options. Tiramisu here is a must try! read more

We try and visit here when we can get in!! Reservations are a must if you want to secure a table. At 6pm on a Friday only the bar was open for two. Mark took expert care of our wine and food. I ordered everything he suggested; clam appetizer, kale salad and the gnocchi with peaches. All excellent. Great spot in Bellevue when almost everything is a chain restaurant. read more

Food was AMAZING! Such a great vibe and service was outstanding kevin was the best server/bartender we had while visiting Seattle! read more

Cantinetta Bellevue - Gnocchi and rigatoni - Italian Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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I've left a review before, but I went back and it, yet again, exceeded my expectations! By far!!! Our waiter was very kind and always knew exactly when we were ready for the next course, or check, or anything. The vibes of this restaurant are so cozy and intimate, and we got seated in the "cozy corner", which was certainly comfortable and, well, cozy!! The food itself however, oh my goodness. It's a bit on the pricier side, but it's simply perfect. The portions are the perfect size, and everything we ate and drank was absolutely delicious. The tiramisu was possibly the best me or my friend had ever had! I almost wish they did takeout so I could have it every day . I plan to come back again and again, and good luck keeping me away! read more

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The food here was so amazing, everything tasted so fresh. My friend and I got the Gnocchi and the Pici and split the Burrata. The host and waitress were both so nice and attentive and gave great recommendations. The inside was so beautiful but we ended up sitting outside which was really nice in the Old Bellevue area. We booked a reservation the night before, and that Sunday night was actually quite busy around 7:30pm. Would very much recommend this place! read more

Cantinetta Bellevue - Gnocchi, Pici - Italian Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Not really going to comment on the service, straight into the food: Pappardelle that I had was very delicious, this alone deserves a 5 star. However, I do think that the portion is slightly less than desired. For the price of $25 I expected more food Tagliarini on the other hand was also really good, but I will only give this a 4 star. It is very delicious but if you keep eating it then it becomes a little too much. Too greasy and cheesy, I'd love to have more veggie or other refreshment to cleanse the pallet. Definitely do not recommend the bread, not good and that's about it. $6 for these 4 is definitely not worth. read more

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My husband took me here for my birthday dinner. The setting was very intimate. Food was good. Server was nice. Overall a great dining experience! read more

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Ordered four pastas for my friend's birthday. The one with the pesto sauce in the top right was miles better than the rest. Would go back just for this dish... I wish I could remember the name. Service was great as well! They were super attentive. My main complaint is that the tables did not seem to be cleaned properly. There was a certain smell... something like laundry that wasn't dried properly read more

Cantinetta Bellevue - Italian Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Seems we end up here about once a year and the food is always great, and the service top notch. The menu is never large, but what they do have is always very good. I love pasta with a nice hearty meat sauce, or Italian sausage so I often get what ever pasta with their short rib marinara, or Italian sausage. This time they had home made gnocchi with gnocchi-sized balls of Italian sausage. I was wonderfully perfect; the gnocchi's were like little pillows of love, soft and creamy, with just the right amount of "tooth". We also had the bread plate, the burrata, and the roasted beets. One comment on the burrata, it does not come with any bread or crostini; they expect you to also order the bread plate (baguette, focaccia, olive oil & balsamic). No photos from me, as there are many already here on Yelp. I highly recommend Cantinetta, but you should know that 1) they are usually packed so you need reservations; a week at least in advance if Fri or Sat night. 2) parking is gawd awful, so get there plenty early to hunt around forever for street parking; not unusually to park 2 blocks away. read more

Some different cocktails on the list, and had two of them. They were good, but I think the hibiscus margarita was my fave. The risotto was creamy and seasoned perfectly. Burrata was fresh, but tomatoes were slightly too ripe for my taste. Steak was seasoned perfectly. Loved the melon and prosciutto. Cons: really loud, and parking on a sunny weekend was brutal. Sitting by the door meant car lights flashed in my friend's eyes a lot. read more

Amazing food! We came in from out of town and we did not have reservations. But we decided to go when they opened to check to see if they had a table. They got us in. I am Italian and I love Italian food and it's hard to find good authentic Italian food. What drew us to this place was their fresh made pasta. I got the burrata salad and it was amazing. My husband got the Caesar salad and it was OK. I definitely would skip the Caesar salad and get the burrate salad. We got two pasta dishes and they were both great. My husband got the ricotta cavatelli in a wild boar sauce, amazing. The waitress said she thinks it's gamey but it was not at all. We are sensitive to that and it was amazing. I got the tagliatelle carbonara and it was exactly what I would expect. So creamy and so good! Dessert was amazing too. I wanted something light and refreshing so I got the lemon Panna cotta. It was so good! Perfect. My husband got the chocolate flourless cake with Carmel ice cream and that caramel was something so good that I've never really tasted before. Amazing dessert. Highly recommend this place! read more

My boyfriend made a reservation for my birthday at 7:30pm. When we got here, the owner told us it would be just a few minutes wait. It's been 35 mins and we are still waiting outside the restaurant, while we watched more than 3 groups walked in and got seated. Some of them apparent were family friends of the owner and the waitress. What is the point of making reservations, if there was no table reserved? I was going to give a one star review but after tasting the food, I changed my mind. The food was really delicious. My boyfriend also liked the atmosphere so much that he said we should come back albeit the reservation drama. In the end they won us back through the birthday gelato and the "happy birthday" greetings. read more

Cantinetta Bellevue - Italian Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

A decent dining choice if you're in the old Bellevue neighborhood. Our pasta dishes were all very good, be it with slightly smaller portions than we expected. The Bolognese was unique for being a little creamier than traditional Italian offerings, but still tasty. The service was only alright, I felt like I spent a little too much time trying to flag down my waiter. The restaurant itself was very nicely, dressed and projected a feeling of business casual. I would be open to visiting again, but it might not necessarily be my top choice while visiting the area. read more

This place has a lot of promise but it ended up being a little meh. When we sat down the waitress greeted us but didn't come back for 20 minutes. She was kind enough to buy our drinks for the wait time. The burrata appetizer was good but the crispy bread was so crispy I almost thought I would chip a tooth. The meals themselves tasted fine. The menu had the carbonara listed with snap peas but they didn't come with the meal. The whole meal was just a bit lack luster and overall just okay. The manager did offer us a free dessert to make up for it though. The service was friendly and alright but the food was just okay. Definitely lacking especially for the price. read more

Cantinetta Bellevue - Carbonara and gnocchi - Italian Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Beautiful, elegant atmosphere that would remind you of being in Italy. Impeccable service. The menu is small, with so many yummy creations that I wanted all of them. The wine list has many first class wines to choose to pair with dinner. Although my pasta with sausage was heavy with too much olive oil, it was still delicious and I will return again. read more

Cantinetta Bellevue - Halibut and rigatoni with sausage. - Italian Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Our favorite restaurant in Bellevue it's absolutely amazing! The service is always amazing and the hostess Riley is the best. The positions are perfect and we love the Cacio e Pepe and the bruschetta! We always get the mocktail and add alcohol and they're amazing highly recommend read more

Horrible service! No water refill at all. I asked desert menu and then wait for 15 minutes. my waitress passed by 5+ times but never brought the menu. I then asked again, she said sure and left. I started to think it might be not enough menus. waited for another 5 minutes, the waitress came and it turns out there are dozens of menu just on the table next to us. I do not understand why she didn't offer menu in first ask or second. She was empty hand all the time and only need to turn around to get the menu. Maybe just discrimination, or I can not think a reason. read more

Cantinetta Bellevue - Food - Italian Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Really good dessert and amazing staff. We had a bad experience with fancier Carmine's, just across the street and hence came to Cantinetta. Budino was really delicious. So was Zeppole. Staff was really good. read more

Cantinetta Bellevue - Budoni and Zeppole - Italian Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Had quite the experience here at cantinetta. The service was poor, it took a long time to get our means despite the fact that not a lot of people were dining. The food definitely made up for it however, the Picci which is basically a butter pasta, was just out of this world. I recommend adding cherry tomatoes to it they come out fresh and juicy. A single bite is just world changing. The tiramisu was something else as well, so good. Very creamy and the coffee was a decent touch I don't think I've had anything like it. It's crazy because I've tried every tiramisu's that's out there and cantinettas was top tier, amounted to my favorite. They also served us focaccia bread for the table and it was so good very soft and delicious. I was a little uncomfortable with the environment, the staff wasn't wearing their masks but I learned apparently that mask mandate came to an end in the area so I guess there's that. Might I add, the seating area was quite small, the waiter kept pushing up against my chair just to get to the other person, it was irritating. Nonetheless I would definitely come back here but just for takeout. read more

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Incredible food but what I appreciated the most was the excellent service we got from Scott as we navigated changes to our plans and had to push our reservation twice. It's not often you encounter such accommodating and easy service. Thank you so much for the thoughtful and understanding service + delicious food + the most amazing salted caramel gelato! read more

After reading all the reviews we were expecting the service to not be that great but we had such a wonderful experience! The staff was soo kind and checked on us frequently! The food was good but we loved the ambiance most! Will be coming back for sure! read more