Family restaurant, good food, adequate wine. A question arose: there was a certificate of championship victory for some cannoli contest, in Italian, alongside the other photos in the entryway. The staff were overworked the night I was there, a guy who had the look of owner about him was frantically getting orders wrong, but the woman who was doing the real work made sure everything was right. Still when it came time for desert I mentioned they must have a really good cannoli. "Meh. It's not my favorite." The owner said. "You should get the tiramisu." I made reference to the cannoli championship and he looked at me with blank incomprehension. Can you just *buy* cannoli championship certificates at yard sales? Did he forget? Anyway we got the tiramisu. It *was* good, and almost certainly better than any cannoli. read more

Although this is located in the Bellettini senior living facility, it is a legitimate upscale restaurant that is open to the public. On the last Sunday of each month, they put on a great buffet brunch that rivals anything in Seattle, only much less crowded (and expensive). Everything was fresh, with hot dishes hot and cold dishes cold. Seafood, eggs Bennie, thick cut bacon, yummy pastries and more. I left in a semi-food coma, looking forward to recovery via dog walking. read more

Good presentation and nice setting....although their proximity to the retirement center had me wondering if I was going to run into the cast of cocoon. My food was above average, bolegnese and tiramisu. The pasta was light on flavor while the dessert came on a little too strong. Good service but the food doesn't merit the price tag. read more

BEWARE! This is the dining room for a retirement community. Although the furnishings are very nice. Went here for lunch. About 5 tables were occupied. Service was terrible. Avoid Ricky. Here's why. The senior management was also eating at the same time nearby. His service was superb...when it came to them. Very informative, attentive, cordial. The other diners did not get that level of service. Others, he took forever to take the order, refill the drinks, provide the bill. Didn't mention the specials. Food - well, it had so much potential. I ordered the chicken. It was dry. The starch was also lacking sauce. She had the prawns and they were tasty but over cooked. Did Ricky check in with us on how the food was? No. The bright light was the bread and spreads. That was very nice. But I don't want to spend $50 for lunch to just have nice bread. Management didn't even bother looking or checking in with patrons. From what I understand the building is about 10% occupied. I guess they decided to open the restaurant to the public to avoid laying off the staff. Sorry, avoid this place like the plague! read more

I am only rating the food based on price. The places was beautiful and everything was plated and presented well. Bread plate and spreads were the highlight. Totally over priced with no attention to TASTE. It was like the food was meant for people with dieing taste buds and only presentation mattered....which it kind of is, being in a retirement community. We were going because we got a certificate on restaurants.com. We saved $70 on our meal and it was STILL over priced. We got the Pomodoro pasta (just chopped tomotoes, olives and cheese on noodles), bolonese (looked like orange hamberger helper) , rack of lamb (tiny amount fuffled up with dry mashed potatoes and diced squash for $32) and Pomodoro Chicken half (dry and pointless looking on the plate) My woldorf salad had no apples....I actually returned it. And they took it off my bill no questions asked (which was the high point). Wine was good but they did not have two of the bottles we asked for in stock. Waiter clanked our dished into our glasses every time he served us and when describing the "specials" is only descriptive words were "different" and "real good". Bright point was the attentive comp vallet that worked overtime to get everyones cars quickly. Fast runner! AVOID. read more

I went to lunch here the other day and really enjoyed it. I had a hard time picking what to eat, as it all looked so good. The restaurant is in the same building as The Bellettini, which is a retirement community. This restaurant is open to the public too, which I didn't realize till recently. They offer a different menu for lunch and dinner. The restaurant has an upscale feel, but without the attitude, which I found very refreshing. I do visit The Bellettini often and look forward to trying more things on the menu. read more

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I had dinner at this place a few weeks ago. I have to say, it was hard to believe that this was a retirement community restaurant when there is complimentary valet parking in downtown Bellevue. I suppose it put me off a little bit but our server was very friendly and had a little sass which was fun. We started off with the calamari and my companions had the ravioli special, the paella, and I had the sea bass with mussels. Although my fish tasted a little too fishy...we all agreed that this was a pretty decent recent restaurant. A little on the spendy side...but I think this could be a good suggestion for a weekend morning brunch. read more

Feels like we're on a cruise ship. Decent food, but overpriced for what you get. Service was very good, though. My girlfriend says the complimentary spreads were the best part of the meal. read more

Microsoft Prime 2009-2010 Ambiance: 4 Food: 4 Value: 3 This is place is in Florida of Bellevue, where the rich go to retire. Tuscano is located in the Bellettini which is a planned retirement community in Bellevue: effectively a house hotel for rich people. The offer entire apartment houses with cleaning service (until the people need medical attention, then they have to move out...anyhow, back to the restaurant). And there's Tuscano and its sibling Panini both serve this community (the residents can dinned with meal cards). it's not unusual to find some well dressed old people eating with their kinfolk (we saw several families there). The place is nicely appointed, with Mediterranean wall murals and floor length windows. There's complimentary valet parking. Of course, with such a place, the food is pretty good. We were there only for breakfast (steak and eggs and French toast), but the food was well made with top notch ingredients. The only grip is that the food is not salted (or sugared), which is actually expected since it core user base probably has some sort of sodium intake restriction. With prime, it's a decent deal (still a bit pricey). I would like to go back for a taste of a meal other than breakfast. read more

Easy to miss because of it's location in the Bellatini, a senior residence facility. But not to be missed. Great food and staff. Very accommodating. We've enjoyed several family celebrations at Toscano and never been disappointed. Great value. read more

You think I would have learned on WWK that I needed to eat a light breakfast following the birth of food baby from the night before. Wine Snob insisted that we go here for breakfast. At first I didn't know what to think with the hideous carpet but once we were seated the staff were very attentive and were right there refilling coffee and water whenever it was only half emptied. We split the eggs Benedict with salmon and it was the best eggs Benedict I had ever had. The English muffins they used weren't so thick as the normal ones so the benny wasn't all bread and sauce. I would love to see the size of the chicken these eggs came out of because they were huge. The potatoes were spiced just right no salt or pepper needed. Overall great experience for two sleepy overfed, over-danced individuals. read more

Avoid this place like the plague. Trust me. They refused to reseat us to another open table, got everything about our order wrong, the food was cold, charged us for things we never got (but ordered), spilled on us and didn't care when we talked to the manager. Not to mention the bill which was rediculous for the quality. Save your money!! read more

There is nothing wrong with Toscano, but there's also something that's not quite right...like a nagging suspicion you can't put your finger on. And then you figure it out - this place is a retirement community - granted a super swanky one, but still. You feel duped and a bit confused because you want to like the place, but when it comes down to it, you're still eating in a retirement community with a sixteen year old kid as your server. The food is surprisingly decent - some fairly creative dishes including the macaroni and cheese corn cake, some fairly tasty dishes, including the rack of lamb, but really, none of it matters because you can't get past the fact that you just paid $80 to have dinner in a retirement community - albeit a very nice one. read more

This is the best hidden happy hour restaurant in all of downtown Bellevue! It's tucked away off of 108th but there's no need to worry about parking as there is a complimentary valet. My friend and I ordered everything off the happy hour menu for food and it was just the right amount. We each ordered a different salad, both which were good. We shared the beef sliders that come with the best fries I've had in a long time. Then we had this amazing egg roll type dish that was filled with delicious veggies and sauce that was served cold. I am salivating now just thinking of them. The drinks were great, the staff was uber friendly, and I will definitely be going back with more friends for happy hour. I took a peak at their breakfast and dinner menu and it looks fabulous as well! I'm super excited to try out their brunch. Happy hour is 3-6 and 9-close Monday through Saturday. Enjoy! read more

The entrees alone at this place cost $25-50, not $11-30, as the restaurant summary suggests. I don't deal well with food taking 45 minutes to arrive after our order, so only 2 stars. The waitstaff were very friendly and courteous. I think one of our party went without a water glass refill all night though. I'm not sure how much of the food delay was due to the waiter. He certainly could have taken our order sooner. There weren't many other patrons in the restaurant (it was a Tuesday night at 8pm), which is another reason I think our food could have come sooner. One of the reasons I chose this place is they had advertised Lobster Ravioli on their online menu, which didn't exist on the actual menu, loss of another star in my rating. But luckily there were at least four other things on the menu that I would have been happy with. The food was good, but not $25-50 a plate good. Maybe $15-20, or bigger portions would help make up for it. I got the special, a cajun-spiced salmon. Oddly, the middle was very dry, but the edges were cooked perfectly (how did they do that?). It was served on four perfectly-cooked asparagus and polenta, no complaint there, except MORE please. Someone else ordered the prociutto-stuffed chicken. The chicken was tasty, but I couldn't find much prociutto in it. This was served on some green leafy bits in sauce, with a few yummy gnocchi. Again, the only complaint about the gnocchi and greens is MORE please. Parking was a little confusing. You need to pull into the "driveway" (looks like a hotel courtyard), and pull up to the valet for "bellatini", which I think is the name of the building. The signs for Toscano were very small. I'll echo the warning about the retirement community. There were some strong perfume smells floating around, which always detracts from the taste of dinner. read more

This is a retirement homes resturant but they're happy to serve outside guest, food is great, menus change from time to time, it's not just itlain but world inspired cusien, they try to have a little bit of everything on the menu. This place also comes with a bar called Panini's, it's great and their menu doesn't change. This is a place if you just wanna go down, eat a meal and talk to the residents and if you don't wanna you can just sit back and relax while the servers tend to your needs the best way they can. read more

We went to Toscano for dinner the other night. Let me first say that the people watching there pretty much consists of wheelchairs and walkers.....While the atmosphere is a bit depressing the food is a pleasant surprise. I will say we enjoyed most of what we ate. Why won't we be going back? Well, we used a restaurant.com gift certificate. I realize that on the certificate it does say that gratuity will be added to the bill. However, we had forgotten about that fact once the bill came to the table. Our check was around $150 dollars or so. Did the server let us know that there was already a gratuity of over $25.00 added to the check??? NO! Did we leave her an extra $28.00? YES! So, she made out with over a $50.00 tip on a $150.00 bill. I am a very good tipper, but not a 30% + tipper. I was extremely dissappointed in the deceit that not only the server displayed but the manager as well. Also, NO WHERE on the check did it say that gratuity was added. We ended up "doing the math" and figuring it out on our own once we were finally back home. Toscano should be ashamed of themselves for having such shady business practices. We WILL NOT be returning to Toscano! Shame shame shame on Toscano! read more

My friends and I decided to check this new restaurant to celebrate one of my girlfriend's birthday. Complimentary valet service was very nice , foyer - marvelously decorated. The restaurant was empty, that is OK: Monday night and we could actually talk. Seating was comfortable, decor - tasteful. Some bland music ( not a hint on Italian theme) in the background .Server was not knowledgeable of the menu and his manner was rather annoying : during the course of our dinner he constantly interrupted our conversation, stood and stared at us, tried to sing and even dance and no, it was not funny... Food was as bland as the music: no flavor, lacking spice and even salt. Vegetables looked like from a frozen package... Presentation was OK. Portions - very small. There were 4 other couples in the restaurant, who came later and left earlier...They started closing at 10:30pm (!) and brightened up the light signaling it is time to leave,after our request to dim it down, manager showed up at the table and announced they are closing! The whole dinner was way over $300 and we were kicked out, literally... I would never go there again: poor quality of food, poor service. Very disappointed. read more

I'm basing my rating on price. The food was not worth the money. We were here for our anniversary. Simple interior with lovely ambiance. The waitress was kind enough to tell ours their specials for the day. But we preferred choosing from the menu. One of the entree that we had was made with chicken and butternut squash. It was amazing ,well cooked and not too buttery, but my husband wasn't quite happy with the portion. The highlight of the day was the dessert. We had creame rolle. They served three flavors in one plate,which were chocolate,mint and lime. I will surely come back for the dessert. read more

This restaurant has changed quite a bit in the last year. Very elegant and inexpensive lunch and dinner service. Five star food at a fraction of the price. Free valet parking. This is a hidden gem! Be sure to make reservations. read more

Toscano is awesome food, wine, and service. If you are anywhere near Bellevue, and appreciate exquisite food and wine and attentive service, without pretention, this is the place to go. The service was excellent from making reservations, to reception, to the table service and bussing. Staff were friendly and checked in frequently, yet were careful to give us our space and time to enjoy our meal. The manager, Celester (love that name!), went out of his way to ensure that we had a wonderful dining experience. He expertly recommended wines that were truly divine, perfect accompaniments, and reasonably priced. Every course we had was prepared, presented, and timed beautifully. It was clear that the staff took great pride in the quality of the cuisine and seemed genuinely pleased by our delight in the meal, from appetizers and salad, to entrees and dessert. All perfect. The ONLY reason this is not 5 stars is due to the decor/design/lighting- which is a bit dated- and lack of view or other environmental amenities. It is, as others have pointed out, located within a retirement community. So...don't expect hipster scene. Otherwise, it is exceptional. I highly recommend. read more

Great place. Went here with my prospective boss recently. My wife tagged along as well. It's near a retirement center. Bread plate and spreads were fantastic! The service was great and the place looked really clean. Food was great and I loved everything on my plate, which is rare since I'm picky. I also went after my wife's food until she smacked my hand. The staff was very kind and helpful and patient with my wife the substitutor. I'd like to go back after we move to Seattle. ;-0 read more

How can they "trick" the public into thinking that this is a restaurant? It's the dining room of a retirement home! The wait staff is not properly trained for the prices they are charging. But what do you expect from dining room attendants? read more

My husband and I went for dinner on a Friday evening. The (quite elegant) place was mostly empty, and my husband and I both noticed the high proportion of elderly patrons. The items on the menu were intriguing, so if you're tire of the same old, give Toscano a try. But I didn't like my goat cheese ravioli, although the sweet chili sauce was lovely. My husband's cauliflower risotto was pleasant, the 4 spreads for the complimentary bread were fun, and I really liked our server. The raspberry sorbet was flavorful, as was the vanilla gelato. Usually I love chocolate and my husband doesn't, but we had reverse opinions about the chocolate gelato. Everything was presented nicer than average, but the food wasn't worth the price in my opinion. If we hadn't had a gift certificate I would have been very unsatisfied with the value for the price. read more

Went to Toscano this past weekend to celebrate our Anniversary. The service was great and the food was delicious. For $102 we had an appetizer, 2 entrees, a dessert, and a bottle of wine. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone. Its a restaurant below a retirement community but we didn't find this an inconvenience. They also had complimentary valet parking. read more

Courtyard entrance was very beautiful and so nice on a rainy night night to be greeted by the nice valet (free parking). The staff was very attentive from the minute we walked in the door, Josh was our waiter who checked in with us and gave great service. My husband had crab cakes and I had salmon both were very flavorful and cooked just right. The rice and veggies that accompanied the our meals were also flavorful - the rice pilaf was a mixture of that had wild rice and almonds and some other flavorful ingredient, we both really liked it. We thought the prices were reasonable and had enough leftover for lunch. We would both go there again. read more