Cantinetta Bellevue

I had a wonderful experience at Cantinetta. The atmosphere and food felt truly authentic Italian, and the service was warm and attentive. Every dish was prepared beautifully, full of flavor and care. A perfect spot for anyone who loves genuine Italian dining!

Lived in the neighborhood for 3 years and frequent Carmine’s… never been here. Menu was limited. My girlfriend noted that the bread was the best part of the meal. The rest was 5/10 at best. Took 25 minutes just to get a drink order in. We ordered baby romaine and Arancini. The salad had ZERO flavor and the apples were brown. Arancini was decent but not remarkable at all. We were done with apps for 20 minutes before she decided to show back up to take our order for mains. Entrees were Rigatoni and Carbonara… both were fine but Olive Garden quality, at best. Server was a middle aged blonde woman with awful glasses and a worse attitude. We ordered 3 drinks… not because we only wanted 3 drinks, but because she never came back. After the busser had boxed what was left of her food, the bag sat on the table while we were unattended for 30 minutes… at which point the server finally made some time to show up and was shocked to realize we weren’t ordering dessert. Lucky for me, the only tip options were 18, 20 and 25%… awkward while she stood there rushing me through cashing out. Wish I had an option for 0%. Paid our bill and left. I live less than 100’ away and will most certainly not return. Awful service and mediocre food.

Had such a marvelous time celebrating here yesterday! The staff were so personable and kind and the service was impeccable. And the food…the food blew me away. So Delicious. The burrata, the pastas, the zeppole… all so fresh and so flavorful. Highly highly recommend! Would come here all the time if it was a little easier on the wallet haha! But well worth it!

My husband and I sat outside on a beautiful Friday evening (~5pm). I recommend for brunch and dinner! This place in old Bellevue is absolutely gorgeous, it feels like a movie just needs a backtrack. The food was great as well. Every dish I ordered was perfect in every way. Couldn’t recommend more!

The service is average. The host is very welcoming. The pasta is a bit salty. The burrata is very delicious and refreshing. It is very difficult to park.

Truly one of the best Italian dining experiences in Bellevue! Cantinetta completely exceeded my expectations. From the moment we walked in, the vibe was warm, cozy, and welcoming — elegant but not stuffy. The lighting is soft, the music is just right, and it feels like the kind of place where you can relax, enjoy great food, and actually have a conversation without shouting over noise. The service was absolutely top-notch. Our server was friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about the menu. They took the time to walk us through the wine list and gave thoughtful recommendations that perfectly matched our dishes. The pacing of the meal was spot-on too — we never felt rushed, but also never had to wait too long between courses. Now the food… wow. Everything we ordered was exceptional. We started with the burrata and prosciutto appetizer — creamy, fresh, and beautifully presented. The pasta is truly the star here though. You can tell it’s handmade in-house — the texture, the bite, the way the sauces cling to it — absolute perfection. I had the tagliatelle bolognese, and it might honestly be the best I’ve had outside of Italy. My partner had the squid ink pasta with seafood, and it was equally incredible — rich, briny, and balanced. The wine list is excellent, with a great selection of Italian reds and whites. Our server suggested a Nebbiolo that paired perfectly with the meal. It’s clear they care about quality here — everything from the bread service to the plating felt intentional. For dessert, we shared the panna cotta and the chocolate torta. Both were outstanding, but the panna cotta stole the show — silky smooth with just the right sweetness. By the end of the night, we were full but didn’t feel heavy or overwhelmed, which says a lot about how fresh and well-prepared everything is. What I really appreciated most was the atmosphere — intimate, romantic, and genuinely comfortable. It’s the kind of restaurant that works equally well for a date night, a celebration, or just when you want to treat yourself to something special. Yes, it’s on the pricier side, but completely worth it for the quality, service, and overall experience. You can tell there’s real care in everything they do — from the house-made pastas to the attentive service.

Amazing drinks, great people, and a wonderful atmosphere. The food is excellent!

Waitress the blond girl with glasses needs more training for costumer service. She is very condescending She makes me feel like she us doing a favor. She was never nice. Ricardo was awesome!!!! Ricardo should be a waiter. He was really nice and smile all the time.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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

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.

Really nice place, with nice ambiance and great Italian pasta reasonably priced. The manager was very accommodating. Super happy with the service of the support staff as well. Will be back.

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!

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.

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!

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.

I will say that the service was slower than at the Seattle location, but we enjoyed sitting outside on a hot summer day and in anticipation of maybe slower service (via other reviews) we asked for everything we needed when she came around. They were also packed inside, but our server was very pleasant and knowledgeable. We enjoyed our experience at the Bellevue location! As always, the food was very good and the drinks were refreshing! We will be back!

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.

My friends and I went here for Seattle food week and the food was great! We each got different items and all had a great experience. The service was the best thing. One man kept checking in to help fill our waters and let us pick our utensils for dessert. This is a great place if you're looking to have a special occasion since the vibe of the location is very romantic. It was fun to go as friends but definitely more a date spot.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

I ordered the rigatoni and I was surprised by how much I liked it... it's hard to to impressed by pastas since I've been to so many Italian restaurants but I was definitely impressed this one. The servers were VERY attentive. They checked in consistently even though the restaurant was busy. The interior and location is charming.

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.

We have so much fun every time we visit. The meal is genuine Italian which often I need to look up the menu items to see what they really are. Wine selection very good, great bar. Service always excellent. Get a table outside on the street. You will want to return.

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!

Could've been better service but otherwise solid place. Check it out for yourself! Honest opinion Wallingford location way better.

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.

We loved our dinner experience at Cantinetta! We had made a rez for 8 p which I'm glad we did as they were fairly busy. We're immediately greeted at the door with a friendly hello & seated promptly. The atmosphere has good energy and food was delicious. It was our annual mother/daughter night out after Snowflake Lane in Bellevue. First, we started with the burrata with fennel citrus appetizer, then ordered the roasted carrots with ricotta honey, and shared two pastas - Pici Cacio e pepe and the Agnolotti butternut squash. (My daughter said it was the best pasta she's ever had!) And of course, we ended the evening with the tiramisu. I had the Cantinetta Red (Passing Time) which was the perfect compliment to the meal. Ps. We were so hungry and excited to eat. I forgot to capture them before yet have a few to share. ;)

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

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.

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.

Consistently excellent homemade pasta in a stylish, comfortable space. The cocktails are great as well--especially their beautifully balanced house Manhattan. This is one of our go-to date-night places on the eastside.

Cantinetta is such a gem. The ambiance is quiet and intimate. It's not a very big restaurant and I love that about it! Literally everything in the menu is great so I always have a hard time deciding! My absolute favorites are the , Clams, Picci, Carbonara, bolognese! Safe to say I'm always heading home with take away haha Service is always fast and friendly! Just love coming here!

We were pretty excited about trying this place out after hearing multiple friends suggest this place. We really like the appetizers and the drinks that we started off with. Our server kept asking us if we had enough food and suggesting we also order a bread which we ended up agreeing to. The bread wasn't bad but we were kind of disappointed that it wasn't just included with the meal or that a couple pieces didn't come with the clams or the other appetizer. We didn't think it was anything special. The rigatoni was too soft and pretty oily and fell short of our expectations. The zeppole was a nice way to finish off the meal - it was delicious. The atmosphere is pretty vibey and a nice place to celebrate. Overall we would come back for the appetizer, drinks, and dessert. However, the pasta (which we had such high hopes for) was pretty disappointing and the servers weren't that friendly and rather pushy in getting us to order more food.

We came here to celebrate my husbands birthday and I guess we should have chosen a different establishment. The food was so-so it lacked flavor and the was very pedestrian. We asked if they had any specials and were told no even though they were apparently participating in Seattle restaurant week. We were unable to get a reservation via Open Table however AMEX was able to secure us a reservation. Strange because the restaurant was empty for the first hour we were there. I don't think we will return as for the price point there are MANY other options in the area that are much better! One is right around the corner and they are STELLAR in comparison.

Cantinetta is a wonderful place for an intimate meal after a day of shopping :) Their rendition of a carbonara is one of my go-to meals when I want some elevated comfort food! That and a glass of their Chianti will soothe anything. I recently tried the burrata and it was amazing! The tomatoes were very fresh and in season. Service is always so friendly and genuine; you can tell they all work very hard and are good at what they do. I would suggest making reservations as this is a popular spot and when weather allows, sit outside. The tables are adorable and chic.

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.

We went In at 6:00 on Friday. I called ahead an hour to get our name on the list which worked out great bc when we got there, there was a line out the door. So I officially can say that I'm happy to have these Brussels sprouts to undo the below par ones I had at El Goucho recently. These were beautiful, with good crispy bits, flavorful but not overpowering with the sauce. This is how row done. Pork wrapped bacon... naw. The shrimp wrapped with bacon better. Great sauces on every dish! Croquettes delicious. Missing a star for the most offensively lightest pour of booze in the history of rip-off pours. Enjoyed our waiter, Jorge. He was helpful and did not rush us, very sweet guy.

I was in the mood for Italian and this restaurant is very cute and fits the bill perfectly! Small inside, with outdoor seating its a really cozy cute place. It would be great for date night. I got the carbonara and a glass of red wine. All of it was good. I sat at the bar and both bartenders were very attentive with a nice calm and welcoming demeanor. It is a little pricey but I think its fairly worth it. Street parking all around with 1 garage nearby. I found free street parking just down the hill if your ok with walking.

I've been here a couple of times before and have always enjoyed my meals. This time I enjoyed a late night dinner here. Our party of 6 managed to squeeze in after the Bellevue wine walk. The service was fantastic and patient with us. We had the pork belly with Arugula and it was divine. I had the very tasty risotto and wth the chunks of chanterelles. The ambience is this place is inviting and lively.

Cantinetta Bellevue is a restaurant I've walked by too many times without having checked it out. Fortunately, my friend suggested we get some bites here, which was a great decision on her part, as it introduced me to the goodness of Tuscan cuisine that's found here. Although we did not have a reservation on a Tuesday evening, we were able to be seated outside where they provide blankets for patrons if it gets too cold. Sweet! However, it should be noted that even on a Tuesday, this place gets busy, so reservations are recommended. We started with cocktails. I ordered a Manhattan, which was solid. And since we only wanted a snack, we ordered the focaccia bread with the clams, per my friend's recommendation. Although the bread was served with olive oil and balsamic, we ended up dipping our bread in the tomato-base broth that the clams were in, which was fantastic! The only minor issue here was that we felt rushed by the staff here. Throughout our time, they asked us several times if they could take away the bowl with the clams, as they saw all the shells were out, but we were still having the broth for our bread to dip in. We had to repeatedly say that we were still working on the dish. Eventually, I just asked if they were closing soon, which they said they weren't. But then a few minutes later when we ordered another drink, our server told us that they needed the table cleared in 30 minutes. Very odd. All in all, I would come back here to check out more of the yummy menu, which is straightforward and doesn't have a long list of items, but enough to choose from. In contrast, the wine menu is very, very long, which I'm not complaining about. Glad to have Cantinetta in Old Bellevue.

Cantinetta is the closest to Italy you can find on the east side. Every dish, even down to the super simple appetizers such as mista salad, clams, burrata are perfectly crafted in simple but high quality ingredients and perfect execution. I've been coming to Cantinetta for 10+ years, first recommended by an Italian colleague who told me that it's the best Italian in the area and it still holds true after all these years. While the portion is not the typical American large family sharing portion, it's also not dingy and is perfect for two to be able to eat both pasta and entree meat/seafood dishes. The menu changes seasonally, you'll always be able to find one or two common arrangements like bolognese, pesto or carbonara, along with a few more seasonally unique selections. Always save room for dessert, tiramisu and zeppole are to die for! I read some reviews complaining about service and we've never ever had any issues in the 10 years we've frequent here (and we even bring kids). It's not any slower or faster than any other small fine dining restaurants where the customers are meant to slowly enjoy their food while sipping wine / yummy cocktails. Make sure you do make a reservation ahead of time as they do get quite busy. The little outdoor patio seating is fantastic during the beautiful PNW summer.

Sooo good! Fresh made pasta, great service. I prefer the outdoor seating but overall delicious !

One of the best Italian places in the area! Came here for my mama's birthday dinner. As an Italian family, we are always looking for authentic Italian cuisine. The service was a little slow as we were seated outdoors, but it wasn't an issue for my family. I can't recommend the Pappardelle Alla Bolognese enough. It was soooo delicious and flavorful!