Assaggio Ristorante

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Lush Italian fare and a hearty welcome turns everyone into regulars--even the tourists.. The Scene
Dark wood, dim lights and Renaissance-style art provide a nearly church-like feel that shifts into party mode as soon as the chef and owner, Mauro Golmarvi, stops by to shake your hand. Booths are the way to go for privacy, as larger tables raise the noise level in a jovial way. Servers are just edgy enough to be fun and offer wise suggestions to those who ask.

The Food
While sweet, meaty prawns with creamy lemon sauce are warming without being too filling, the real treats are yet to come. Veal parmigiana is tender, plush and fragrant with herbs and cheese, while the classic bolognese sauce offers sweet sausage and a touch of cream. End the meal with thick tiramisu, perfectly balanced with a subtle combination of flavors--it's the only house-made dessert; the rest are imported from Italy.

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jlwenthe

Joined 8 years ago

For the price...No...for the atmosphere...yes. I ordered the special, which was a seafood fettuccini. I figured the sauce would be amazing, but I had to order extra sauce, because my plate was served with sauce barely covering the bottom of the wide mouth bowl and hardly touched the pesto noodles. The sauce was very good, but there wasn't enough to go around The noodle taste, sadly, is what over powered the dish. There was, however, a good portion of seafood in the mix. The bread was bland. I will have to give credit to the ambiance though, it was like being in Italy and being greeted by an Italian grandpa with the owner strolling throughout the restaurant enjoying his guests. Our waiter brought my friend Tiramisu for his birthday, and I had only indirectly mentioned it was his birthday. My friend ordered a tomato based pasta that was very tasty. Overall, it's a nice restaurant with overpriced specials. It was average.

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tlc_critique

Joined 7 years ago

Excellent food, good service, decent price. My husband and I tried Assaggio's for the first time (we are Seattle natives) and had a wonderful experience. We walked in off the street (no reservations) on a Friday evening and were immediately seated. The owner was out amidst the tables, socializing with all the customers - which I love to see. The atmosphere was decent - nothing extraordinary but not bad. A bit loud, but didn't bother us. But the best part was the food. Delicious. I found it difficult to choose what to have; decided on one of the specials - a risotto. Was not disappointed. Wine by the glass was especially good. All for a very decent price. We will definitely return.

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cc_artist

Joined 7 years ago

Best Italian food; best ambience. It's like going to your favorite uncle's house -- Assaggio's wraps its arms around you. I love this place. Whenever I'm feeling a little low, I take myself to Assaggio's for wonderful wine, great food, and Mauro's good cheer -- it doesn't take long, and I'm feeling good about life again. --Siena.

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schweze

Joined 8 years ago

great sweets!. I beg to differ with a previous poster. Well, I do agree that the Tiramisu lacked---something, and that something is the gross overpowering booze taste you get at many places. The tiramisu at Assaggio is the best I have ever had anywhere. You will not be disappointed. When three of us went, the food was good--the risoto was soooo good--but the tiramisu is defintely this place's selling point.

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happymarci

Joined 7 years ago

Warm & wonderful!. I have been going to Assaggio's for 7 years, I am always impressed, and I have never had a bad meal.....the owner embraces you when you come in the door and makes you feel like you're in his home, the food is wonderful (and my mother is a gourmet Italian cook) & the servers & service is great! It can get a bit loud but that's what you get for going to one of Seattle's most popular places!

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sev

Joined 8 years ago

Great place. I was surprised to see all the negative reviews. This is a great place. People not recommending this place are not used to European dining and would better go to fast food restaurants, money vs quality, not ?!

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squeakandbubble

Joined 8 years ago

One nice touch. Overall I was disappointed by Assaggio. The Italian food was average (as I am part Italian) and the servers were too busy to really make us feel like we were welcome.

Although the dessert is imported from Italy, I felt the Tiramasu lacked... something.

We had reservations, and we still waited at least a half an hour for a table. The one nice touch that the manager did was offer us drinks while we waited in the entranceway (which is extremely small) for our table.

Overall, I was disappointed by Assaggio's service, food and ambiance.

Doesn't Recommend

congusto

Joined 8 years ago

Just Mediocre. We made a reservation for my friends birthday and arrived promptly but had to wait 45 minutes for our table. We understand that sometimes tables don't leave on time, etc. but the hostess did not apologize and was snippy with us. The menu is pretty generic- the basics- penne vodka, linguine clams, etc. No unique signature dishes. The food was average although the tiramisu was good. Our waiter was running around like a chicken with his head cut off. Maybe too big of a section? He barely told us about the specials and brought 1 of us the wrong salad and 1 of us the wrong entree. The tables are very close to each other & it's very noisey.

Doesn't Recommend

jefdmf

Joined 8 years ago

Don't Count on a Confirmed Reservation. Planning a 2 day business meeting with guests from California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington we made a reservation a month in advance in the private dining room (dinner for 10). Double checked the reservation 2 weeks out. Five days prior to the business event we received a call that our party was too small to hold the room. We now needed to pay a minimum $100 a person to keep the room or settle for a semi-private room with other diners in the room. No thanks!! It was not easy, but a new location, with terrific customer service was secured.