Zouave Restaurant

The eggplant appetizer: 4.5 (a bit less cheese and would have been a 5) The cioppino: 5 The polenta: 3 (or less - was way too salty) Service: 4 Would go again - just wouldn’t order polenta. Sorry for the photos - we were so hungry, we kept forgetting to take clean pictures before digging in.

A fantastic little restaurant! The menu is brief but varied, and half of the indoor seating has a view into their tiny kitchen. The chef even checked in with tables near the end of our meal! We got the Chicken Marsala and Gnocchi Aurora to share, as well as a glass of the fantastic house Chardonnay and Sangria, salad and bread came with the meal. It came out to 35$ a person AND we took some leftovers home. I will be returning again soon in hopes of trying new things and checking out their specials. One of the best Italian places I’ve been to in years.

Myself and some friends chose Zouave for a Sunday night sit down dinner. Although the restaurant seemed short staffed (one server and one chef) they were able to accommodate a table of 8 while serving other customers. The service was friendly and efficient, and the chef even decided to visit our table not once but twice. Everyone was impressed with their dishes and I will definitely be returning.

lovely backyard atmosphere, delicious food, and our waiter Josh provided great service. talk to the chef if he's not too busy, amazing life story!

Really really really good food for good people. It was so nice. The food was so tasty and filling. We all got different things and tasted like half of the menu and everything was exceptional. The sangria was also really good. The chef checked up on us and they even gave us tiramisu when they heard us speak about not having any room and it was indeed awesome. Next time I'm starting and ending with dessert.

Super generous wine pour! Many pasta options and they are all tasty. I enjoyed the lamb with gnocchi - flavorful and big portions. The staff were very friendly.

Great food. Friendly staff. Low key which is perfect!

I was pleasantly surprised with how tasty the food was. The plates are very big, but the price is even lower compared to other Italian or Meriditerrian restaurants in Seattle. The mushroom soup was fantastic! The pear in wine as a dessert was amazing! The restaurant is very popular. So if you want to go to dinner on Friday evening, I would suggest to make a reservation. Staff were absolutely lovely! The mushroom soup was fantastic! The pear in wine as a dessert was amazing! The restaurant is very popular. So if you want to go to dinner on Friday evening, I would suggest to make a reservation. Staff were absolutely lovely!

Decadent. Best Italian food I've ever had. Lamb melts in your mouth, tomatoes are flavorful and sweet, amazing fresh baked bread, all the sauces taste beautiful, canoli is just perfect. Absolutely amazing food, super friendly staff, and a nice clean interior! Fantastic place to stop in, it's so good it's romantic.

This is a small family restaraunt with all the aspects of a family restaurant that you want. You can't go wrong with anything off the menu, and the chef / owner will come out to talk with diners when he can. I am gluten free and had their gluten free gnocchi and it was incredible - seriously delicious. Perfect. I mentioned to the chef that we recently moving in a block away so he sent me home with a dessert as well. When my room mate went a few weeks ago, the chef came out to talk with them as well, so it's not a one off experience for the chef to go out of his way for the customers. I am now a regular here.

The multilingual Chef and owner of Zouave Restaurant knows the many cuisines around the Mediterranean! From the Italian cioppino to the French bouillabaisse, every flavor note rings true. His antipasto appetizer serves 2-3 people, and the chef salad is also very generous. In fact, we have never been disappointed with any of the dinners we have enjoyed at Zouave. And, lastly, the Chef always has vegan options for "the vegan."

Had an outstanding dinner here last night. A very cute, local and delicious restaurant. Reasonably priced as well. The inspiration for the dishes is definitely unique. It's explained more on their website but I understand it as Italian with influence of Mediterranean. Toward the end of our meal the chef made rounds at the tables which was very sweet and personal. The melanzane and beef roulade were especially amazing. The beef roulade dish has an interesting story, instead of posting it here I'd suggest you go in and hear from the chef yourself :)

What a neat spot on a little corner in Ravenna. The food was excellent and was difficult to choose from a menu full of so many delicious sounding options. Best of all, though, were the people. The host who also waited our table was so nice and the chef came out to visit and check-in with every table, even recognizing repeat visitors and talking through some options to ensure the diner across from us got what he felt would be the perfect meal for the evening. The atmosphere is super casual and there's nothing fancy about the space--though they had clearly gone out of their way to dress it up a bit for the season. Just the kind of place we will most certainly be visiting again.

When Zouave first opened I was sure they wouldn't last long, for one reason: the decor is nonexistent to bad. But over the years the place has really grown on me and now I love to go every chance I get. We live literally around the block and we couldn't be luckier. The owner, Abe, knows us and always makes us feel so welcome. And the food is outstanding. And the prices are so reasonable. I don't even see the decor anymore. Who needs decor when the food and ambience are sublime.

Just. Wow. I came here with some of my best friends who live in Seattle.. it's been on their "eats to try in the neighborhood list" for some time & thought it was a great opportunity to go since I was in town shortly for work. The ambiance is homey and simple. It feels like you're at a relatives house to catch up and stay a while! We were greeted warmly and shared a bottle of red blend which was nice, then order the goat cheese appetizer and it sung. The three of us gals split 3 entrees and divided it family style. We were so impressed, it was the closest thing I've had in the states that resembled true authentic Italian cooking. We split the osso bucco, lobster ravioli, and penne puttanesca with chicken. The chef was a delight to speak with.. he is well traveled, humble, and genuine. He mentioned if we ever were curious if he could make something off the menu.. just ask! Whether it be the style of noodle, sauce, or dish altogether. (I'd love to taste his carbonara one day). He ended the evening by surprising us with a delicious espresso soaked tiramisu on the house. Give it a shot! Seating is limited indoors.. there is more place if the outdoor patio is open.

A neighborhood gem! Finally got to try this Italian spot in the neighborhood - it's small and cute inside with a nice patio for outdoor seating. The staff are super friendly, and it immediately gives off homely small mom and pop vibes. We ordered the caprese as a starter which was solid, but the real stars of the show were the pastas. The gnocchi with chicken was so delicious; the gnocchi were fairly large, but the texture was soft and pillowy. The chicken was also moist and flavorful. The seafood pasta was off menu and came with salmon, mussels, squid, shrimp served in a creamy sauce. That was my favorite, as the sauce was so deep in flavor and the pasta was cooked perfectly. I love this restaurant!! Will definitely come back - support local! It tastes better than the more commercial restaurants, and doesn't come with a wait! And the off menu list is extensive and fun - looking forward to trying all of the ever-changing dishes!

I just love this place. It feels your dining in someone's home. I've only ordered to-go since it's right by my home and it's nice when I get off work late. The chicken Marsala is delicious and the chef is always friendly.

Zouave has been one of my go-to Neighborhood Italian spots for awhile, and I can't believe I'm only leaving a review now! It's a very cute and cozy restaurant where you're always greeted with a smile and warm bread when you arrive. Plus, the chef, Abe, who owns the place, puts so much passion in every dish he makes. I've tried various dishes from here over the past few months and by far, the Salmon Penne, Antipasti, and Mushroom soup are my favorites! I also highly recommend the homemade sangria. They're open in the evenings from 5-10pm most nights, if you're coming on the weekend I suggest booking a reservation as it can get quite busy!

Another Seatte dump. The food is overpriced and not authentic Italian. The owner/cook is not Italian, from what I know. The bathroom is disgusting and the place is just a kitchen and not interesting.

What a cute restaurant! My friend and I stumbled onto this place by accident and it ended up being just what we needed. It felt like being invited to a neighbor's house for dinner. The place is small and the service is great. We tried the Canary Island style paella, which is a little different than what I'm accustomed to but still delicious. The fish and seafood was cooked to perfection. And we also had the polenta and chicken. The polenta and vegetables were so good, along with the sauces. The chicken wasn't anything special but when mixed with the 3 sauces on the plate was much better. The servers gifted us a small plate of tiramisu, which was so kind. All in all, it was such a lovely experience in sure we will be back. I'm excited to try other plates. Please keep in mind d this isn't strictly italian/french like the description says. The wall has a Amazigh flag on the wall, so go expecting a diverse Mediterranean menu and a family atmosphere.

The food is outstanding. There is osso bucco, paella, puttanesca, and many other Mediterranean dishes available. The staff is very friendly. The chef came out several times to see how his patrons were doing. This was a cold Wednesday evening in the deep of winter and about half of the dozen or so tables were occupied, all with diners enjoying their meals. You could hear and see them doing so. This restaurant is a bit of a hole in the wall from appearance sake, but really fabulous dining and service

First time coming here. My partner and I live in the neighborhood and have always passed by the restaurant. Very cute neighborhood restaurant. Sangria- Delicious. Special Mussels Appetizer - This was so good. My partner even drank the broth after the mussels were gone. Thats how good it was Paella- My partner really enjoyed it. Chicken Marsala- This was good. The sauce was lovely. The one complaint I have is that the dish came with pasta primavera (red sauce). I assumed it was the white primavera. The flavor combination of the rich Marsala sauce and the red sauce was weird to me. The penne pasta was also really over cooked. I would ask for a pasta sauce substitute if I order the dish again. Complimentary Tiramisu- Really good! Over all we had a great experience. Zouave is a really warm and homey neighborhood restaurant. We will definitely be going back.

When I think of hole in the wall, this is the exact kind of place that comes to mind. Now don't think hole in the wall means it's not good. I have not received such sweet attentive server and chef before this place! Parking was a breeze. We parked just up the hill from the restaurant, street parking. There's parking in the neighborhood as well, but street parking was wide open. When we entered, it smelled how I imagine ratatouille's kitchen would be. It was subtle but also made your mouth water. We got to choose where to sit and we chose the patio. I mean it's summer, so why wouldn't we? I didn't grab any drinks, but I can only imagine they have some of the best pairings of wine with all foods. The waiter kept my water glass full. He was very attentive to that. Let me tell you, as a person who can finish 3 glasses of water before the appetizers come out, I really appreciated it! Now for the food. What can I say? So delicious! We got the antipasto for an appetizer. I thought it was so yummy. It also came with house bread. I am a sucker for a wonderful cheese and meats platter. It went perfect with the bread. Our entrees came out shortly after we destroyed the appetizer. We got the salmon pasta and gnocchi genovese with chicken. It was so much, definitely enough to have for lunch for the next day. For dessert I finally tried a cannoli and omg, I see the love. It was so creamy and I could stuff my face with about 10 of them if I really tried. The chef was especially sweet and gave us a slice of tiramisu! You know that scene in ratatouille where remy is in the kitchen tasting ever flavor there is and colors explode from behind him? That's how this entire meal made me feel. The service, the food, the smell from inside the restaurant from the patio, I felt like I had suddenly stepped out of my daily routine of work-home repeat. I am so happy I found this hole in the wall and a 5/5 on my dining experience! I will for sure be going back.

Oh my goodness, this place hits the spot for your local family Italian. Expect long times between ordering and eating, as it's kind of a one man show (the chef/owner comes out and asks how everything is at the end) plus a couple wait staff. Inside has limited seating, but we were seated without a wait on a Friday night without any rezy. The osso bucco was amazing and comes out with a huge bone. I don't recommend the puttanesca, as it's kind of basic, but anything on their menu is legit (Mediterranean influenced Italian food). It really hit the spot, as we've really been missing our Boston North End since moving to Seattle!

Incredible service, delicious food. Happy we found parking nearby on a Friday night. A great time.

Awkward decoration, ham-handed cooking. Nice people but our table was tacky to the touch.

Excellent excellent excellent. It's a cozy neighborhood restaurant tucked at a corner between homes. While Zouave features Italian food, much of the menu boasts many coasts of the Mediterranean. So we picked the seafood Paella and the Osso Buco (lamb shank), and they were delicious. The Paella was clearly rooted in the restaurants Berber origin and simply amazing. The sangria was different than usual - hinted of North African honey wine (but we forgot to ask). The wine selection was modest. Finally, the service - just amazing! The servers were super busy, but still took the time to talk and smile. As we were getting ready to leave, full and content - the chef came out and talked to us for a few minutes...the cherry on top of a wonderful evening!

Must try! This was our first time here. I ordered the artichoke and tortellini. The food was amazing and the staff was so friendly. The Chef even stopped us on our way out give us dessert.

Welp first time in Seattle, we ate lots of great food and also, The Zouave is hands down the best experience out of all of them. It's near neighborhoods, looks comfy, you walk in and are immediately greeted with warmth by everyone there. The lady who helped me with my to go order ended up showing me pictures of her newest grandchild. I share this because this is the kind of place where you celebrate one another's presence as if we're all family. Now, getting to the center piece of the experience...Mr Zouave himself (sadly I don't recall his name, apologies)...he is a mystical being whose dedication to his craft of making delicious food is only matched by his charismatic, authentic self who actually 'hung out' with us a bit. You'll know when you've met him and it's an experience you wont want to forget. Ok, last but certainly not the least highlight is this food...we just went back for the second time in 7 days and over the two dinners we ordered: - mussels: magic - bread: great. Dip it good in the Sauce - Osso Bucco: one of the best I've had - gnocchi: I could bath in this garlic Alfredo and then dance salsa with the handmade gnocchi. It was delicious - veggie (eggplant) moussaka: magic - lamb pasticcio: superb - tiramisu: delicious. Sorry for not taking photos of the food, but I did get a selfie with the chef Mr Zouave himself. We'll see you next time we're in town. Big hugs, Kyle, Adrianna and Vera (our doggie)

Zouave is a great restaurant. Best Chicken Marsala in town! Everyone is very friendly.

Food was super good, people so nice, and the complementary food was so sweet! Highly recommend.

Ordered the antipasto and four entrees. Everything was amazing. Interesting and delicious and comforting. My daughter said 10 stars!!

Food was delicious, service was great. Cute little neighborhood restaurant. Paella was spot on deli. Ambiance is typical neighbors being neighbors. Their motto says it all. "Good food for good people "

This is like an authentic Seattle restaurant. Not over priced, laid back, cool service, and yummy food. The food is cooked by the chief owner who is really into it. The servings are really good size, It's not a posh restaurant but that is part of what I like about it. The menu has a lot of variety.

We absolutely love Zuave - our favorite restaurant in Seattle. Dining here feels like you're going to someone's house for dinner but that someone happens to be a skilled chef. The food is incredible every time, staff are the friendliest and always make sure we're taken care of (the chef always comes to our table to ask how our food was), and the atmosphere is cozy and cute. Just a great local spot!

We were looking for a place with good food and outdoor seating in this area for a get together with a couple colleagues. This place is a gem, I have driven past this place so many times and didn't realize what I was missing. They have a great, covered outdoor seating with heating. The complimentary bread they gave us was still warm from the oven and tasted great. I ordered the Lobster Ravioli. Before our food came out, they brought over a complimentary warm spinach salad, that was delicious. Spinach that was barely wilted with caramelized onion, pine nuts, and cheese. I don't know if it's on the menu or it was made for us, we enjoyed it. Lobster ravioli was delicious, topped with prawns in a creamy tomato sauce, simple and great tasting. It was so good I cleaned my plate. We were ready for our cheque, they brought over a Tiramisu slice. I am told the Tiramisu was great. This is a must try place.

Absolutely fantastic food and service. Delicious take on Italian and Meditation that left us satisfied in terms of appetite and happiness. I only wish we had more people to share other dishes to try. House made tiramisu was refreshing and delectable. We will be back with friends and family!

I'm surprised by how truly dirty I found this neighborhood restaurant to be. The staff was friendly which was lovely. The food was not good, poorly conceived and presented. The restaurant reaks of sloppy management. I fail to understand the excellent reviews.

First time we tried this restaurant. The small house is located in the residential area. Simple, unpretentious, but has a homey cozy feeling. Good for families. The owner is super friendly and accommodating, and the server is attentive and polite. We felt very at home and relaxed. We ordered the weekly specials: a lamb dish with gnocchi, and raviolis with lobster fillings and shrimp. I requested the ravioli sauce changed to a creamy Alfredo kind and the owner, who's also the chef, said no problem at all. Both dishes were delicious, the two pastas were prepared just right and tasted freshly made. We were also offered a complimentary plate of green salad while waiting for our food. So it was a very pleasant dinner and we'll definitely go back to try some Moroccan food.

Good food and great service. Cool vibe in the restaurant. The duck risotto was *chefs kiss*

Such a cozy little place. The chef is super sweet and you can really tell he cares that you enjoyed the food and are having a good time! The wine pour my sister got was huge. Such a good bang for your buck. Not to mention complimentary bread and big portions. Great customer service. Fabulous eggplant parm. Would definitely like to go back.

Great service. Great food. The Chicken Marsala is phenomenal. The Caprese is amazing and fresh. Abe, the owner is a great host and makes the visit feel like family. Spumoni to finish off the night hits perfect.

Excellent food, outstanding service. A cozy neighborhood find, not a swanky restaurant. We loved our dinner out.

COME HERE! Lovely outdoor seating, yummy food and fantastic service. The chef came out to greet us - this has literally never happened to me before - and asked about the food. The food came out quite slow but I realized that's because they seems to only have one main chef. The food was great and big portions. Then finally we got free dessert because they said they felt bad about the wait. The price was also super affordable. This will be my go to spot for Italian food now!!

Came with a large party. The restaurant is on the smaller side, so we were seated outside and some members of our party were slightly separated. After ordering, our dishes took about an hour to come out. I understood we were a large group, but it would've been nice to get a little extra bread while we waited. There were also no outdoor heaters, which made waiting a little miserable. By the time the food came, I was starving and practically inhaled my Gnocchi Aurora. I am typically very picky about my gnocchi and Zouave had the softest gnocchi, not chewy or tough at all. The cream basil marinara sauce paired wonderfully with the potato. A friend ordered the Penne Salmon, which had a delicious cream sauce, although he wished there were more salmon. Finally, we finished our meal with the tiramisu, which melted in my mouth. I could taste the mascarpone, which I feel most places skimp on or skip over entirely. If you're set on Zouave, maybe come for a date or dinner with a few friends, something more intimate and manageable for the kitchen.

Terrific family owned and run cafe. wonderful food with good flavors. A must try! Gnocchi and eggplant dishes are superb.

Not an Italian food fan but I was shocked at how amazing this food was. I'm not even a huge foodie but I was impressed. The staff was a bit off but gave us a couple free appetizers for waiting so long to get our entrees. Overall great vibe and love the owners themselves.

Chicken marsala with pasta. The marsala sauce dipped with bread is amazing! Well be back!

Came in after a long day of travelling and had a wonderful time. The atmosphere was lovely and service was stellar - attentive & friendly - and Abe, the head chef was checking in on us and happy to answer any questions we had. My friend and I even got to try some of the best tiramisu we've ever had. Definitely recommend it here!

I don't think there's a better vibe in Seattle - the owner/chef & crew exude such friendliness! Follow that up with some really nice dishes. Osso Buco- unbelievably flavorful & rich, served on the most delicate gnocchi ever Penne Putanesca - perfectly salty/spicy/briny Cioppino - I'm really touchy about this dish. It really relies on fresh, high quality seafood prepared just right - and this is a winner! All it needs is a piece of toast, hint hint

Opened for dine in with latest covid opening. Cute mom/pop kind of restaurant with friendly staff, huge food portions, and interesting story about the restaurant. We ordered the spinach appetizer, penne w salmon, chicken masala, and tiramisu. They brought homemade complementary bread basket. It tasted of a bit of rosemary and barely a hint of fennel. Supposedly, they make a different bread each day. Forgot to take photo of the bread. Spinach appetizer was interesting with reduced balsamic vinegar sauce, caramelized onions, toasted pine nuts, and feta cheese. The chicken masala complemented the chianti well. I have a soft spot for tiramisu. This tiramisu was good yet a bit too wet on the bottom layer for my preference. The middle and top layer was moist but not dripping wet and had a balanced flavor of coffee/chocolate. Definitely liked the taste of the mascarpone in the creme filling and topping. It wasn't like some places that makes the cream taste like buttercream or whipped cream instead of the mascarpone cheese I prefer. The pasta was OK, not impressed. Penne with salmon had small few pieces of salmon. The chicken in the chicken masala was huge - took over half of the large plate. We had leftovers to take home. The reason for the rating is because although I enjoyed the dining experience, I wasn't impressed with the main dishes. I am sure everyone has their preference of how they would want their pasta and food to taste.

Came here for a takeout after our hike on a Sunday in the July with my boyfriend. The owner gave us extra goodies (bread and a tiramisu) at they were 30-minutes to closing. For entrees, we ordered a salad, chicken marsala and the eggplant parmigiann. The chicken dish was very yummy with mushrooms in it (5/5) and the eggplant was served with polenta (4/5). I am not a huge fan of polenta but that dish was tasty as well. The portion sizes were large so if I was in the area, I'd order the chicken dish again.

Great small place and a little rustic. Nice enclosed patio in back when warm. Herbs grown on site. Owner/Chef comes out to talk

Tried this place for the first time and everything was amazing from food to service! Definite come again! The chef/owner came out to talk with us and everything!

Hail to the chef. Why are these restaurants only in Seattle? It's as if all these great chefs slaved away in the industry for years, and one day woke up and said, you know what? I'm going to buy a small place, house, bottom floor of a building with three chiropractic offices, and just run my own small kitchen where I can float casually between the pan my guests tables, regaling them with stories of my cooking career and adventures, all the while wowing them with absolutely incredible dishes. honestly, just order whatever you want. some of the best gnocchi with lamb we can remember, but the osso buco. This was the best I have had since Francesco's off Hegenberger in Oakland that closed in 2016 after 47 years.

We decided to come here because of the reviews on Yelp. It was a bit empty when we walked in so we decided to sit out in the patio. We stared at the menu for quite some time as we didn't know what any of the dishes looked like (I'm a visual-kind-of-person). After Googling some dishes and speaking with our server, she suggested the Lamb Ragout Penne Pasta (minus the lamb ragout-vegetarian option) and the Gnocchi. We waited almost an hour for our food, which we weren't too upset about because the chef's wife mentioned that the bread and pasta sauces are all made from scratch. Let me just tell you, THE WAIT WAS WORTH IT. The food came out really hot, but it was delicious! I don't typically like gnocchi, but this gnocchi had a perfect potato ratio. And the penne pasta I had was surprisingly very good. At the end of our meal we were offered a slice of tiramisu, on the house (the chef also made from scratch) for having to wait so long. Tiramisu isn't my first choice when it comes to Italian desserts, but the texture was soft and sweet enough. Overall, I definitely recommend it! The people were super friendly and the food is delicious.

We'd been here a couple of times before for dine in and ordered out once. Never had issues to write about, food was decent and service was good. We decided to go here for Mother's Day dinner. Unfortunately, this experience was not great. We arrived about 10 minutes prior to our reservation and was seated promptly, which was a great start. But then we waited a bit for order to be taken - longer than I would have expected. We finally got our order in, we ordered mussels for starters and then our main dish. We waited and waited and waited. We were seated outside and it was getting cold - the outdoor heaters were not on to begin with and when another customer asked to have them turned on, the gas was empty. We asked to be seated inside and was able to be seated. But by this time we had been waiting over an hour and still no food. We waited over 1.5 hours to finally get our mussels and a few minutes later our main dishes came out. The food was okay. Wasn't as great as I remember and while the waitress apologized for the late meal, it would have been great if they would have at least come to us when they knew it was going to be awhile and say give us some drinks on the house or at least bring the appetizers out first so we wouldn't be starving. I get that they were busy. But, to have to wait over 1.5 hours for food is ridiculous. I know it's a small business and staff was extremely lean, including the chef. But, when you know it's Mother's Day and it'll be busy, there's no excuse for this lack of planning. If something happened last minute, then some accommodation should have been made so that customers feel like they are being appreciated for waiting such a long time. A few apologies after an hour of waiting felt disingenuous. Plus, the food was okay and not as great as we remember it. I know small businesses have had a hard time and that's why we went to a very local restaurant. Unfortunately, none of my family members are eager to come back again. We left with not much fanfare, that is to say not even a goodbye. Made you feel like you weren't appreciated.