Il Corvo Pasta

Great food.
Line is a bit long but you get your food immediately.
Got the kale salad. Really yum
Got the pappardelle bolognese — great
Side of chilis — amazing
Focaccia bread — could skip this
Oh, you have to clean up after yourself. But great food. Would Def come again !

Man is this place hyped up. I went well out of my way to make sure we got to try it, as they are only open M-​F 11 – 3, which is an absurd pain in the ass. We pretty much planned our Monday around it. Got there about 20 min after opening and waited 35 minutes to sit down. The whole, line up and then order and find a seat thing seems like its unnecessarily convoluted, but it must work for them.
More importantly, I ordered one of each of the three pastas that day and a kale salad and bread. The kale salad was a tasty little start, and the bread was soft and delicious, if a tad bit salty. The pastas themselves were fine to excellent. The lasagna with mushroom pasta was not very good to me, but honestly, the other two that day were great and I don’t care for lasagna, so I was disappointed. The pappardelle with Bolognese and the fusilli with chilis, onions and more were both great. The pastas were perfectly cooked and they were both filled with flavor. The portions are a healthy size and are filling.
Downsides here are the absurd waits and the lining up in the street, which get on my nerves, because few places are genuinely worth that kind of nonsensical hype. 3 bowls of pasta, 2 orders of bread, 1 salad and 1 beverage were like $ 45 which is a bit much for lunch, especially because honestly, pasta is a cheap thing to make.
Overall, it was very very good in quality and taste, but I bump it down to 4 based on the absurd hours, PITA ordering system, near constant lines and high price for what it is. I would return, but I would not kill myself in doing it like I practically had to this time.

The line is out the door at lunchtime but it moved quickly enough and by the time we got our food there were tables available. Best to not come with more than a party of 4.
We ordered 2 pastas, house focaccia and the kale salad to share. The Tuscan kale salad was the best. The bolognese sauce with the pappardelle was really salty. It was a bit numbing on the tongue. I downed this one with lots of water. The lasagna with seasonal vegetables was the better pasta entrée of the two but this was a normal lasagna. The best lasagna I’ve ever had is still the Pink Door.
Pricing is reasonable. Around $ 10 – 15 per person depending on if you get a side. I don’t think I will be coming back. It was worth trying to see what all the hype is about though.

On Memorial Day, the guy and I were able to be in town on a weekday, which meant we were finally able to try the famous Il Corvo Pasta. Despite normally living a mostly keto lifestyle, we both made a delicious exception for one of the greatest lunches I’ve ever had.
THE OVERVIEW.
+ On a holiday weekday, the line started around 25 minutes prior to opening, but I’m told it’s a little less cutthroat before 11:45 on normal days
+ Wait in the (hopefully not too) long line to order — there’s no ‘saving seats’ prior to ordering (don’t fret, the table turn-​over is very fast)
+ The servers will bring out your meal as it’s ready (typically appetizers/​dessert first, followed by your entrée)
We ended up ordering basically every appetizer, save for the focaccia, and everything was fabulous (the pickled vegetables, sliced jamon, and olives were a great starter, and helped off-​set the richness of the pasta). Their wild mushroom lasagna and tagliatelle alla bolognese were absolutely incredible, with the perfect al dente texture (due to their high quality ingredients, not cooking time!), and complex flavor profiles. Be sure to add a side of inferno chiles to your order, for a perfect punch!
Sadly, I doubt I can be back often, I’m more of a weekend-​trip kind of gal, but if I can, I’ll be back!

I never knew pasta was supposed to taste like that! Really amazing and now I know why there were such long lines before it opened at 11 am. We fortunately had only ten people in front of us when it opened and managed to get a table easily after ordering.
We tried the pappardelle bolognese and a lumache (a large elbow macaroni like noodle) with morels and cream. The pasta was perfectly cooked of course and now realize what al dente truly means. It was truly good. We had the kale salad as well which I wish had been a bit wilted or baby kale since it was quite bitter and wasn’t offset enough by the cheese and sunflower seeds accompanying it.
Our food came out quickly and since I was enjoying lunch with a friend from out of town we were a bit more leisurely than most of the patrons in the restaurant catching up. However we were surprised in the hour we were there the line not only never stopped but only kept getting much longer! If only this spot had a dinner option since I would have happily feasted on the yumminess at night too :).

Everyone is correct, this place is so delicious! Everyone else is also correct, the line is long!
Came here for lunch with a friend and got here about 1130am and the line was just about to go out the door. We didn’t let that deter us as it would be worth the wait. I do like they have a ordering system, finding a spot to sit and clearing out the plates. The staff does take notice of how many is in your party, how many spots are left open etc. Don’t mess up the system by grabbing a table first before ordering.
As for the food, 3 rotating pastas and all most likely very delicious! I had to get the staple of this place, Pappardelle Bolognese. Fresh made wide pasta with a rich meat sauce. Flavorful, some spice, simple & delicious, good portion that will be totally satisfying.
My friend got the Cresti something or another, I forgot the name. It was tasty, like a sophisticated mac & cheese, on the lighter side, she seemed to enjoy it very much.
Service was friendly at the front, they will bring out your food to you… be sure to raise your hand when they call your name, and fast on clearing tables so the next persons can sit. Tables are close to each other but it’s nice & cozy, so don’t act all weird when sitting next to strangers.
Definitely wonderful pasta dishes I think it’s kind of cool they are only open for lunch during the week only. Definitely will be back many times!

Amazing, al dente pasta done right, as though in Tuscany. Pasta is made daily in-​house. Menu changes every day. Creative sauces and pasta combos NEVER disappoint. The flavors and textures layer to create delicate, subtle, dishes and memorable experiences. The standard bolognese is amazing. I love the kale salad and especially the squid ink pasta, which is offered rarely. Line up at 10:45 or after 1:00, or risk waiting. The chef has been a Beard award contender for good reason. It’s all about quality here!

Freshly made pasta, pasta sauces, and just flat out deliciousness! Il Corvo Pasta takes lunch and makes it quick and tasty. It’s location is definitely not convenient nor is the inside of the store comfortable, and it’s only open a handful of hours a day. Despite all this, it’s worth the trip and a must visit for anyone in the area.
Don’t let a long line discourage you, service is relatively fast for a tiny place and the system is don’t hold tables before or after eating — reminds me of New York and Tokyo! Pasta here is perfect al dente with more bite than most people probably are used to. Unfortunately, their pastas are on rotation and you’ll never know what you’ll get unless you check their social media/​wordpress website. But hey, when they’re all great it doesn’t matter, right?

I can totally understand why this place has lines that go out the door. When we came around 1 p.m., the queue was about 20+ people. We didn’t think we put enough money in the parking meter. I was actually impressed with the way this restaurant operates. Even with the great amount of inflow of people, there were enough tables and seats — no shortage when I was there during the busy rush hour. They serve the food within 5 – 10 minutes. After you order, you sit down. This isn’t the place where you idle and chit chat. People know, you get your food, eat, and leave. I think with this type of understood system, there are always the right amount of people buying and leaving.
We got to sit down at a table right after we order. Everything is self-​service so you get your own utensils and water.
We got a kale salad, a pesto pasta, foccasia (sp) bread, pasta Bolognese, and a prosciutto plate. The pesto pasta was okay but a little too on the sour side for me. What really blew me away was the bread, pasta Bolognese, and kale salad. This was delicious. The Bolognese pasta had chunks of meat. The pasta was cooked perfectly. The texture wasn’t too soft and a little chewy. The kale salad was perfectly prepared and they gave a generous portion of this. Everything just was pretty top notch in terms of taste. The best part of this all was that for the quality of food, the cost is about $ 8 – 10. Not bad for a delicious Italian lunch!

Yum! This is my favorite spot for pasta in Seattle. There’s always a long line and they typically run out of pasta, so make sure you get there early. If you get there before 11:40, you shouldn’t have to wait too long. The pasta is $ 9 and one portion is large enough. Not sure what the other reviews are talking about when they say the portion is small.
How it works:
1) Stand in line, read the menu, and decide what you want
2) Order your food and grab a seat. You’ll most likely share a table with other folks.
3) The server will bring your food to the table
4) Bus your own table when you’re done
Things to order:
— Anything balognese is amazing. My favorite is when they use the fat pasta noodle
— Anything in pesto sauce. Their pesto is not overwhelmingly strong and has a nice creamy taste thrown in.
— Beet pasta. They usually run out of this one.
— Kale salad

YUMMMMMMM. We got here early (around 11am– thank you fellow Unilocalers for that tip) and there was already a pretty decent line inside and out. The line moved fairly quickly, but even if it didn’t, it would certainly be worth the wait! The local gentleman in front of me explained that he was a regular and that they sell out of pasta every day. Now, I see why… and my tummy is very VERY happy for it.
There were 3 choices of pasta and we decided to order all three and split them between the two of us. GOOD choice! While I left there completely full and with difficulty walking, I was incredibly happy! Difficult to pick a favorite, and bottom line is… why bother?! They change up their menu regularly and if I lived here, I’d certainly be a regular. At $ 9 a (generous) plate of freshly made pasta, you really can’t go wrong!
Wait in line… order… pay… grab your appetizers at the counter (the pickled veggies were great by the way!)… pick a seat… and wait for your food to be brought to you. Enjoy a perfect meal and then bus your own table before you leave.
Ps– the line moves quickly because people seem quite conscious of eating and dining without lingering for too long. Not sure if that’s the general case, but it seemed to be true today. The ambiance in there is great… communal tables, the deliciously delicious smell of pasta, and an extremely friendly waitstaff.

My friend and I came for lunch and shared the prosciutto app and the kale salad and got pastas.
DEEEELLLIIIICCCIIIOOOUUUSSSS!!!
I almost want to move closer JUST TO BE CLOSER to this place. I also walked by a few other restaurants in the area that I want to check out, but I digress.
THE FOOD!!! The kale salad was amazing. Takes a bit of jaw power (because kale) but it was light and refreshing and the pepitos on top were yum. The prosciutto was… prosciutto. It’s delicious no matter what. I ate all the picked celery, too, because I’m a glutton and it was yummy.
The pasta??? Chewy and yummy and drool worthy. Perfect balance of cheese and cream and peppers.
Will HAVE to return. MOAR PASTA!!!

AMAZING!!! This place is really as good as people say it is. For people that know my food preferences, they will tell you that Italian is my least favorite cuisine, but I stumble upon some gems every now and then. I came here one afternoon with friends after having a meeting downtown. I insisted on coming here because its only open on weekdays for lunch, and knew I would get no other opportunity (since I’m a student). We waited about 30 mins in the line, which wrapped around outside, but so worth the wait. There is minimal amount of seating here, but thankfully the tables turnover pretty quick, so you won’t have to wait too long for a seat.
I got the Pappardelle with Bolognese, a staple menu item of this establishment, with chilis on the side. The portion, spice level, and taste were on point! You could tell they just made the pasta. I’ll definitely be back again in the future! I love me some Il Corvo.

I have had Il Corvo Pasta bookmarked for I don’t know how long and during our recent trip to Seattle, we were finally able to try it out.
Keep in mind that it is a small establishment. It is only opened from Monday through Fridays during lunch hours so if you want to come, you better make time for it during lunch hours. Their line can get insane and sometimes, it goes out the door. It’s a casual setting, aside from taking your food order and bringing you your food, you do everything else. It is similar to a food court setting. You order up front, find a seat, get your own water/​fork/​water, and wait for food. Once you’re done eating, clean your own table up.
Their pastas are always on rotation — sort of. They typically have three different types of pasta dish on the menu and they change per day. Check their website to see which pastas will be available before you go in and want to order something that they haven’t had in half a year. I’m not sure if their appetizer menu changes or not. It seems pretty consistent from my observation.
My boyfriend ordered their rigatoni, with fresh arugula, Sicilian cherry tomatoes, and sprinkled with fresh mozzarella. I ordered their pappardelle, alla Bolognese.
The lady that took our orders down was very friendly. She even helped us find a table, noticing which people were done and about to leave. That was definitely much appreciated.
I must say that I probably fell in love with Il Corvo’s Pasta. Their pasta is perfectly al dente. In fact, al dente has a new meaning when it comes from Il Corvo. It had a bite/​chew to it that made me absolutely delighted. It was such a different feeling. I mean, I’ve had al dente pasta before but nothing like this.
The pappardelle alla Bolognese — for those of you that are familiar with Bolognese, Il Corvo’s version is quite different. I’m so used to the version that uses ground beef and tomato sauce and depending on where I get Bolognese from, the sauce tends to be a little bit more sausey. Il Corvo’s version is definitely not watery or sausey. I’m not even sure if they used ground beef for it because the scent reminded me a little bit of stewed beef. Perhaps this is the more traditional way?
As for the rigatoni, it was delicious. I know because I switched with my boyfriend. I took his rigatoni instead HAHA! It was so good. The sauce was balanced. You can taste the tang of the tomatoes but it wasn’t overpowering. The portion was just perfect as well but if you are a big eater, you might want to get some sides like the bread or the salad.
Everything was just delicious here. I thoroughly enjoyed everything. The only thing that had me on edge was getting a table after ordering. When it’s busy, it gets me a little anxious. What if I don’t find a table after I order? Would I have to stand in the corner to eat my food? Would I have to get it for take out? But I’m vacationing, where would I be able to eat it? My car? Yes, all of these things run through my head.
Though, on the flip side, you definitely get to eat much faster this way. No hour waits or anything similar to that with the other popular restaurants in the city. People will eat fast and leave since this isn’t the type of place to chit chat and discuss how we did our hair this morning.
The menu constantly changes — it could be a good thing or a bad thing. It’s great to be offering new things everyday, something different. It makes things interesting and it won’t ever get boring. It’s also great if you can go during the day that they make a pasta you want to try but I’m a visitor. I don’t exactly get to pick and choose. Also, what if you liked a pasta so much and you want to have it again but you can’t cause it was a limited edition type of deal? Sucks, doesn’t it.
I would gladly come back to Il Corvo again when/​if I visited Seattle later. I absolutely would recommend this place to my friends as well. In fact, I already have! Definitely give this place a try :)

The world needs more places like this! What a REFRESHING change from the usual soup/​salad/​sandwich spots that you are left to choose from when you don’t have a lot of time to grab lunch! Il Corvo is a small, fast-​casual Italian restaurant in Pioneer Square. I am out here on a business trip and needed something quick & delicious and this little gem was one block from my hotel. FYI — they are only open for lunch, Monday — Friday.
Il Corvo isn’t great for groups, since all of their tables fit up to 4 people. They also have a communal counter that you can sit at if you are eating there alone or can’t find a table. The service was very quick and friendly. You order at the counter, find a table, they bring you your food, and then you pick up after yourself.
They only serve 3 pastas a day. And their menu changes daily. They update their menu every morning online which easily allows you to decide if you want to eat there that day or not. Today I had the Pasta Misti which had ground spicy Italian sausage, tomato, and rapini. The sausage was spicy. The sauce had great flavor. And the portion size was perfect — not too big but not too small. The only complaint I have was that my pasta didn’t seem all the way cooked, but maybe that’s how it’s meant to be?
All in all, I loved this place. It was a fast, unique, and fun concept for lunch and I love that their menu changes daily! That makes it a lot more appealing to come back and see what other dishes they cook!

Today was my first day of my new job, my new supervisor wanted to take me out to lunch, and a quick Unilocal of the area brought up Il Corvo Pasta! Oh Unilocal,thank you for not disappointing! Just a few blocks from my new office, I will definitely be frequenting this spot!
Location: pretty much off James and 3^rd, if you are staring at the ocean, it’s on your left between 2^nd and 3^rd.
Today’s choices were: 1) Torchiette, with broccolini, chilies, garlic and pangratatta, 2) Pappardelle, alla Bolognese, & 3) Bucatini, Al Amatriciana
We tried the Torchiette and the Pappardelle, plus kale salad and focaccia bread. Everything was melt in your mouth wonderful! My new supervisor is also vegetarian, so this was spot on, her dish, the Torchiette was vegetarian. $ 9 per pasta dish. I will be coming back for more!
Only open M-​F 11 – 3 fyi.

Corvo, you got me stressed out.
Only have an one hour lunch break, but spent 35 minutes waiting to order… it’s worth it I guess…
Tagline: Premium Bespoke Artisanal Handcrafted Pasta served fresh daily.
I think they have a smart business concept, only open for lunch, no reservations, no weekends, order first then sit, bus your own table. Keeping it simple and somewhat streamlined. Lines can get pretty long during the lunch rush. Maybe go right when it opens at 11 AM or later around 2 PM. I will say that after you order, food arrives within 10 – 15 minutes. Portions are perfect and even on the larger side. Check their blog see what’s on the menu before you go, since it changes every day. The pasta is fresh and perfectly al dente, can’t go wrong here. And the sauces are well done, tons of great flavor that really enhance the texture of the pasta. Love the kale salad too, and usually I hate kale, idk what they do it but it tastes great.
In short, I’ve been to Il Corvo numerous times and they never disappoint!

My first impression of Il Corvo Pasta: Damn, it’s really hard to eat here.
It’s located in Pioneer Square which to begin with is inconvenient if you don’t work in downtown. I know I don’t have to explain parking in downtown because it’s a pain in the behind fosho.
I got there at 12pm on a Monday and there was a long line that went out the door on to the street. So what did I do? Did the brilliant thing and went back at 2:30pm to grab the last bit of pasta that they had left.
I got the spicy squid ink pasta which was good but a bit too salty for my taste. The texture of the pasta was amazing though. Oh, and also don’t be weirded out sitting next to strangers because there’s a good chance that you will due to limited seating. The staff was really nice and friendly. I’d absolutely love this place if I worked around PS or in downtown, but I’m not sure if it’s enough to go out of my way to eat here.

As soon as I knew I had a day off coming up, I planned to go to Il Corvo for lunch. It’s only open weekdays for lunch so I was excited to finally get the opportunity to try.
We waited in line for about 30 minutes, when the end of the line was just at the alleyway. Not sure if it’s usually this long or if it was because of the holiday.
We ordered the kale salad and focaccia to start. Both were unbelievable! Salad was perfectly dressed with toasted seeds. The focaccia was delicious. Salad was $ 5 and focaccia was $ 3. I would recommend both to anyone.
We ordered one of each of the three pastas of the day. A pappardelle bolognese, a squid ink pasta in a spicy red sauce, and a pasta in a creamy cheese sauce. They were all great! The bolognese was incredibly meaty and the squid ink pasta was very rich. Perfect portions at an unbeatable price of $ 9 each. They were so fresh and the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente.
I’m excited to come back and try another rotation of the menu items!

Yet another place in Seattle where you can believe the hype, and believe it with conviction.
That being said, hype at Il Corvo translates into instant lines. The place opens at 11:30 am, but there’s already a line starting to form by 11 am. It’s not necessary to get there before opening, but be prepared to wait for a bit if you don’t.
Il Corvo goes a little something like this…
Wait outside for a bit.
Squeeze into the queue inside once there’s space.
Decide which pasta (s) you’ll order once you’re up in line enough to see the menu.
Order at the counter — the cashier will tell you where you can probably find a seat.
Grab some silverware, some water and sit.
Wait for your food.
Enjoy food happily.
Bus your table and leave with full heart and stomach.
I decided to get the Gigli, a broccoli-​pesto pasta, along with focaccia topped with baked asiago cheese. My friend ordered the staple Bolognese. Both were very good (but I personally liked my Gigli just a bit more). 0:)
I’ll be back, though not as soon as I’d like — Il Corvo is only open during weekday lunches!