Il Terrazzo Carmine

My experience here was absolutely DIVINE.

Came with my best friend to Seattle and after much deliberation, decided on Il Terrazzo Carmine for our send-off dinner. That said, couldn't have been happier with our decision.

The location was a little bit tricky to find since it's in something that resembles an office building- but the restaurant itself is beautiful and warmly-lit.

The menu is super classic Italian. Loved the wide selection of dishes, and the flexibility to get smaller portions of pastas.

Our server, Ryan, was OUTSTANDING. We were a bit indecisive but he provided excellent recommendations and helped us plan our dinner so we'd get to try the right dishes, in the right portions, in the correct order.

We started with the Dungeness crab bruschetta- this was SO GOOD. The crab was incredibly fresh, and a wonderfully bright start to the meal.

Our next course was the risotto with crab, shaved zucchini, and folded in mascarpone. This was just absolutely fantastic. The texture of the risotto was perfectly creamy and it was so satisfying finding lumps of crab in it.

Our third course was the Linguine di vongole. The clams, again, tasted super fresh and I loved having visible slices of garlic in the sauce. The hint of tomato balanced everything out and we nearly licked the bowl clean.

Once we were done with the savories, Ryan brought out an impressive looking tray of dessert options. We decided on the crème brûlée which, of course, was nothing short of perfection.

Overall, even though I was exhausted from my trip, I couldn't be more happy with the meal I chose to end it with.

This is one of my 3 go-to places for a nice meal in Seattle. I primarily come here for lunch where I usually order the NY steak with a side of the Spaghetti Aglio E Olio, which is the best! On this visit, we each ordered the Chilean Sea Bass with mushrooms and a side of the Aglio E Olio, so many good things on one plate.

We sat at one of the tables in the bar area, which was intimate and quiet. Our server kept our drinks filled and was quite attentive.

The service and the food never disappoint. As Wendi K says 'The crusty bread and butter is impeccable.' The bread comes from Grand Central Bakery and is specifically made for Il Terrazzo and is served warm.

Of course, I had to try their new flourless chocolate cake that comes with a side of vanilla ice cream. It was a great way to finish off our meal!

Let's start with the good things. The location is great, there is validated underground parking, and easy access to the restaurant. The inside is good as well, nothing specific to call out, the basic upper-scale casual type of restaurant. I always like an unlimited bread service as well, the bread was good. The service was good as well.

But then, there is the rest of the food. We ordered two dishes, the salmon pasta and the shrimp tagliatelle, and a side-salad to share. And as a side note about the side salad, I didn't check the receipt, but either they split the salad for us, or they just added two salads, because we each got a plate of salad.

The salmon dish was not good. Very fishy, and I know that King Salmon has a stronger taste, but this was not it, it tasted bad. Being from Seattle, I've had my fair share of salmon as this is my go-to dish at most restaurant. The sauce was supposed to be vodka sauce, but it was mostly cream and fishy taste. The fish was very tender, but again, not good, and the big majority of it was not touched. My wife agreed with my assessment when she took a bite.

The shrimp tagliatelle, I only tasted the pasta, and same thing, very fishy. My wife reported that the shrimp weren't good either and she didn't touch more than one.

The salad was unremarkable. Nothing special really. Lacking salt.

Overall, very disappointed, given that it was recommended by many. It feels that it may have been good at one point? Or that people are turning a blind eye, especially given the numerous option that have popped up over the years? Or maybe it was a bad night? Which sounds weird given that we ordered two different dishes. While leaving one star might seem like an overreaction, the food was just that bad, it wasn't just good food that didn't align with my personal preference.

Avoid.

4.5 Stars

Had a lovely birthday dinner here :) Cozy but upscale and beautiful ambience. A bit of hiccup in the beginning as they couldn't seat us for our reservation right away, and ended up giving us a bar table.

The crusty bread and butter is impeccable.

Caprese ($20) - small but fine. Fresh, milky mozzarella. Loved how they split this into two for us.

Tequila Old Fashioned ($28 each) - this was such a good old fashioned

Veal Ravioli ($21 for small which was 8 raviolis) - Great!

Risotto Special ($30ish? i didn't really look at the bill) - Super rich and cheesy, good portions

Birthday Tiramisu - bdecadent but light. An amazing tiramisu.

Bill came out $170 after tax and 20% tip. Overall the food / drinks items themselves are overpriced but really you pay for the experience as a whole. Limited street parking, but they also offer free valet.

Shoutout to Mike - he is absolutely Amazing!

We love the food and atmosphere at Carmines. It has been our go to for a special dinner for years. We hope that our recent experience was a one off, because we did not have the service that we had come to expect. We like a leisurely pace, we had to flag our waiter down numerous times,and were waiting a long time to catch his eye to order. We were disappointed in service but the food can't be beat!

Darn good Italian restaurant downtown. Here on a Wednesday and full crowd by 7 pm. The lentil soup is an excellent appetizer size bowl of goodness. Tonight's special was the over offered Chilean sea bass but this was incredibly done. Crispy exterior and perfectly cooked mini cut over a tomato compote with a parsley risotto.

Went here for my birthday dinner and it was amazing!! From the food to the service. The ambiance is incredible but is a little loud. We also ordered the calamari (not pictured) it was one of the best calamari dishes I've ever had! 10/10 would recommend for a date night or special occasions dinner!

Wow!! I met my sister for dinner at II Terrazzo and it was amazing! The wine selection was great and we opted for the
Willamette Valley Pinot and weren't disappointed. For the starter, I had the Caesar Salad and my sister had the blackberry and fig salad and both were sooo yummy! For the entree, I had the braised halibut over risotto with mussels in a red sauce - it was one of the best meals I've had all year! My sister opted for the salmon pasta and was very happy with her choice. The service was excellent and the ambiance delightful. I am looking forward to coming back and trying other menu options. So good!

For what it's worth, I have generally ignored Pioneer Square for most of my life.

For what it's worth, I have been generally wrong and have been corrected many times over. In this case, a wonderful, shining example of good solid Italian food can be found in this section of town.

It's tucked inside a lovely building that is filled with exposed beams and natural wood; you will not see it from 1st Ave. Once inside, you are welcomed like a family member; the staff literally treat you like you belong here, as if you have been here many, many times (which is what you will be doing after you eat here).

I was here as part of our end-of-year team dinner; a group of eleven (11) of us met to reflect on a wonderful year together and hopes for 2024. While I stopped drinking alcohol years ago, my wine-loving friends found bottles of wonderful red liquid that very much satisfied their tastes. I satisfied my tastes with a Diet Coke.

Our table ordered appetizers, and they were wonderful. Bruschetta Con Granchio (crab meat on bread with tomatoes), Prosciutto Con Melone (Prosciutto with melon), Calamari Fritti (squid with garlic, capers), Spinaci Soffritti (sautéed spinach), and Burrata (cheese with veggies) graced our table... which promptly graced our faces. Each was flavorful, delicious, and hit the spot during our cantankerous night.

My main was Bistecca All Pepe Verde (New York Steak with a peppercorn sauce and shoestring potatoes, cooked medium rare). It's a wonderful piece of meat, butchered perfectly, with basically no gristle or bits that were inedible. Would highly recommend if you are into a tasty steak.

So yes, there is good Italian here, in a corner of town that I, even a native-born son, may have written off. Of course, that was my mistake, corrected by my thoughtful co-workers who showed me the light.

Absolutely recommend.

Food: mouth watering...always satisfying!! Portion options small and large (the one pictured is large). BF says this is the best Pesto Pasta spot in town (we've been to a few and he always comes back to this)

Ravioli (shrimp &pasta) full of taste and saucy!

Shrimp Pesto(sorry no pic the bf failed at taking a good one ) : creamy and full of flavor.

Service: always fast, friendly, and knowledgeable (at the bar).

Ambiance: Dim and Romantic (in the main area) bar still gives off a calm and relaxing vibe. Not too crowded.

This is the go to spot when we're craving some good ol pasta. Of course we'll be back!