I don't write many negative reviews, but this was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in Seattle. We showed up around 7:30 on a Saturday and stood there for about 10 minutes before anyone even acknowledged us. Staff and owners walked past without a word. Eventually, we were seated at a table right in the main walkway. We tried to settle in. We ordered sparkling water with lime immediately. The server said, absolutely.20 minutes later, she brought one small bottle of Pellegrino, one glass for two people, no lime. When we asked for the lime, she said there was no lime. No lemon, no orange, no citrus. Almost an hour later, our first course arrived and both dishes had lemon wedges. I squeezed mine into my water. A small moment, but emblematic of the whole night. Information was inconsistent, communication was poor, and at no point did anyone seem to know what was happening. Our server seemed brand new. She never told us about specials. Admitted she'd only tried two things on the menu, and we only learned there was a seafood pasta special because we asked one of the owners ourselves. We ordered a full three-course meal, appetizers, three pastas, two entrees, and specifically asked for pacing. By 9:15, nearly two hours after arriving, we still had only that one first course. We kept asking, kept being told "soon". Then nothing. At 9:30, we spoke to one of the owner's fathers working the room and asked if whatever hadn't been started could be canceled. A few minutes later, instead of food, the check arrived. Not only had the third course not been started, neither had the second. After more than two hours, our pasta hadn't even been fired. The explanation we got was that Saturdays are busy, that we shouldn't come on a Saturday. That's not an explanation, that's an excuse. And what made it worse was the complete lack of meaningful response from ownership. Both owners were present the whole time. They seated us. They walked past our table over and over, could plainly see we'd been sitting there for hours with almost no food, and yet no one checked in or apologized. Or, you know, tried to salvage the evening in any way. It isn't just that a new server struggled, it felt like a management problem. After we asked, two drinks were removed from the bill, which we appreciated, but there was never a sincere apology. Our server never came back. We were told they've been open since May. Every new spot gets some grace, but after months of being open, basic service shouldn't collapse like this. Seattle has far too many great Italian restaurants to lose an evening like this. I can't recommend it, and I won't be going back. read more
