Robertos Venetian Trattoria & Bar

Ordered delivery through Caviar. The crust of the pizza was close to burned, but you could tell it had been sitting around getting close to room temp.
The Affettati Misti was really sad, just a few olives, some meat and a small amount of cheese for $ 16? Not worth it.

We dine out a lot and I have to say that after eating at Roberto’s on a few recent occasions, it has become our new favorite. The location is fantastic – on a lower level of Pike Place Market, easily accessible via Western Ave. They have an indoor dining area, a very nice bar with windows that open for a great open air atmosphere when the weather is nice. We especially like the glassed-​in atrium for dining. The hospitality is over-​the-​top, by far on the fun side rather than formal. Chef/​owner Roberto is not only quite talented, he’s the classic host in the warm, Italian style. He frequent passes through that dining areas welcoming customers and taking the time to get to know them and make suggestions. He’s passionate about the entire experience of his diners, and it’s evident in all aspects of the restaurant. During our last visit I had an absolutely superb veal chop with port demi glacé. My wife had a very nice pasta with fruita di mare, which she absolutely loved. Our favorite of the antipasti is the saffron mussels. Do yourself a favor have dinner here. Bring some friends as it’s that kind of place.

After receiving a message from the owner of Roberto’s, I decided to give this place another try.
I’m glad I did.
The food was excellent and the staff was very courteous. The owner himself, a vibrant and gregarious Roberto, came to our table to offer an apology for not meeting our expectations on a previous visit. It sounded like we had been victims of a lot of miscommunication and staffing issues… which have since been resolved.
The atmosphere of the restaurant was clean, relaxed, and very tasteful. The staff, courteous and attentive.
Honestly, I can not remember what we had as this particular visit was several months ago and I thought I had already updated this review (I am so sorry, Roberto’s!). We have been back a few times (only a few because I live almost 2 hours away) and it continues to impress.
I’m posting now because I will be taking my lady friend there this weekend as an introduction to Seattle. She just moved here and I want to show her some nice places. Roberto’s was the first that came to mind.
I have recommended this spot to several friends since the «apology visit» and all have had nothing but wonderful things to say about it.
This place is proof that even awesome places have rough nights.

This is a review for two separate dining occasions. We first came here in early December. It was very quiet in the restaurant, a party going on in the atrium and another couple besides ourselves. We started with the Caprese Moderna which has to be the best way to serve a caprese salad ever. It is served on a salt plate with the ball of mozzarella in the middle and sliced tomatoes surrounding it, with a balsalmic reduction. We also had bread with a sofrito which we could have continued to eat all night. I had the pasta with seafood, and my wife had the roasted vegetable lasagna. Both were excellent. We shared a tiramisu for dessert. It was a rather modern take on tiramisu but quite tasty. While we were eating Roberto came in. The other couple in the restaurant had ordered the zabaione, and were told they were out of eggs. Roberto rushed out and came back with eggs for their dessert, and then gifted us with one as well. We had been discussing with him our recent trip to Venice.
We enjoyed ourselves so much we brought two friends from Riverside and one from Seattle with us last week. We pretty much repeated what we had for dinner the first time with the exception of trying the lemon ricotta tart which was very lovely. Again Roberto came in, halted at our table, and actually recognized us from the previous trip a month ago. We were glad to see that there were quite a few more people eating in the restaurant. It is a bit difficult to find the restaurant, but just keep trying.

What a gamble. Rolling into town on Christmas with no dinner reservations and the hotel restaurant closing up, I just needed something open and my concierge directed me here. I’m glad Roberto’s was open for business on Christmas and even better, I was delighted to hear they sold out of everything by the end of the night so my comrades in service industry could go home without worry of spoilage. Hopefully with fat tips as well.
I have a stomach too tiny for full three course meals, but there was still much to enjoy. A special menu was written up for Christmas and while the wait was a bit long, the staff were terrific, including the young hostess whose hustle game is stronger than mine, and Hector my bartender of the amazing Old Fashioned. (And an unnecessary Fireball shot. Damn you, sir. I’m too old for that. Thank you.) If the caprese salad is on the regular menu, get it and pace yourself with the buffalo mozzarella. I’m not a ragu fan, but it was fine. The filet sold out so I went with the halibut, but to my luck and surprise, the halibut just sold out and I was offered an Alaskan King Salmon to substitute, which is all kinds of an upgrade.
My only big gripes were that the décor is not my usual taste and while I’m always fine sitting at the bar, I’m not thrilled of all the TV options to play, we went with the Guy Fierei/​Jock Chef reality show challenge marathon. Maybe PBS instead? Or a Yule Log? Whatever, I’m an old soul, I had a great time swapping war stories with the staff and making friends at the bar. I’ll have to return to check out the regular menu.

The service was really good because the waitress took her time to explain every question we had which is a pro. A small con would be that the waitress shouldn’t have painted her nails and on top of that they chipped, a lot. And I was kinda afraid that her polish would get into our food but due to respect I didn’t want to call her out in front of her manager.
The food is no doubt one of the best. Really authentic and the ingredients that they use were really fresh, the seafood was really plump and juicy! I enjoy the white wine in my pasta which really brings out a lot of flavor from the calms and mussels.
The waiter (another server) accidentally took my one and only fork but he immediately apologized and brought me a new fork right away. His attitude was great and was really respectful. thumbs up for him!

We really enjoyed eating here last night. The restaurant was very busy but everyone from the hostess to Roberto himself were at our table ensuring everything was great. You all have to try the bolognese… it was amazing.

This a great place to grab authentic Italian food in a cozy setting in the Market. Roberto and his staff are very friendly and knowledgable and really make you feel welcome. The food is authentic and delicious and the wine selection is fantastic. I will for sure be coming back in the future.

The other 5 star ratings about this place doesn’t make sense to me. We came in on a Saturday night and the place was completely dead. That’s usually a really bad sign especially when it’s located right in the Pike Place Market.
Service seemed really green and not matching the quality that this place is trying for. We were in a hurry asked if we can place our orders immediately. The waitress took a long time to come by our table and place was completely empty. We ordered our food and drinks. Our food came out but our drinks was forgotten by our waitress. The entire time, I’m not entirely sure who was suppose to be manning our table. The bartender came by several times dropping off food and the hostess that seated us came by several times to ask if we’re doing ok. The only person missing was the waitress.
The quality of food was just purely bland. We ordered two pasta dishes and it just tasted like they cooked the ingredients separately and threw it in the pasta. It wasn’t horrible but just did not match the price of the dish.
Ambience could be better. Starting with cutting the classical music playing in the background. It’s a classy place with the décor, the classical music is not needed. It made the place seem really stuffy.
The restaurant looked like it would be really pretty during the daytime, it’s very unfortunate that everything else needs a lot of work.

This place is an up and coming restaurant in Pike Place Market. I came here for restaurant week and I will definitely visit again to try more of their menu, very reasonably priced for where they’re at.
I started with the caprese salad and it’s so good here that I want a salt slab to do it the same way! They slice the tomato and put the mozzarella on a Himalayan salt slab and it makes the tomato and cheese very salty and delicious!
I also got the carbonara for a lunch entrée and it was fantastic! My girlfriend got the pesto chicken and while the veggies left you wanting something more the chicken itself delivered 100%!!
We got really lucky and joked with the waiter about a cameraman taking photos of desert and we asked for them. They obliged us! The crepes here are absolutely fantastic and the cream stuffing is some of the best I’ve had in Seattle.

Love Roberto. Come in and you’re family!!! Real authentic Italian food. The service is excellent!

Restaurant week!
Always a great time to try new places!
Con: it was hard to find the restaurant. Only because we must have been blind and couldn’t find a lot of signs. It’s on the 2^nd level and the main level of pike place market is 6^th.
Pros: perfect food and perfect staff. Everything was great. The setting and restaurant is sooooo beautiful. Perfect place for a date.
So glad we tried it. Highly recommended. Thank you.
Very welcoming staff. :)

If I could give this a 3.5, I would, but I’m going to have to round down and be a little harsh. Today is the first day of Seattle Restaurant Week so two of my friends and I made a reservation for Robertos after sifting through some other Italian restaurants. We’ve never heard of this place so we wanted to give it a try. Two courses for $ 15 isn’t bad, so why not?
First of all, the location is in such a random part of Pike Place Market and it was actually quite difficult to find. Your best bet is to walk into Pike Place and just ask one of the store owners where it is. But if you’re pretty good at navigating, I think it was on the 2^nd floor — something we weren’t told. I guess you can’t fault them too much for the location but they could at least have more signs.
Due to gameday traffic, we were a bit late (which they called us about) but when we arrived, I was surprised to see that the restaurant was completely empty and on the hostess computer, it showed we were the only reservation. Of the day. I expected 5 star customer service and attentiveness, seeing as how we were the only guests the entire time we were there (over an hour), and there were probably 7 staff members just wandering around the restaurant. I found the servers to be quite awkward. They brought out our entrees before any of us finished our appetizers, which I always find to be strange. The table was by no means large so it was an uncomfortable shuffling of plates to accommodate (poorly) all the food. One of my friends asked for a cup of hot water and 10 minutes later we still did not get it so she just had to ask again when our appetizers were brought out. For being the only guests, this is just surprising. I’m generally a very understanding guest and realize it is a stressful job, particularly when it’s crowded, but we were literally the only people there. I noticed a lot of the servers were just walking around or chatting and when we first got there, they were all crowded at the bar tasting some food. Felt awkward.
Now that that rant is over, I did enjoy my meal. I ordered the Caesar salad for an appetizer and it was actually pretty filling. Nothing that out of the ordinary but still satisfying. I’m a fan of smaller croutons that don’t cut your mouth so that was a plus to this dish. For an entrée I got the spaghetti carbonara. The pancetta was delicious and the pasta was nice and creamy. Very very buttery — but hey, weekends are for cheat meals. The bread and some sort of dip was delicious too. Our server did one thing right and brought us some refills of this.
Overall, not super blown away. The interior is cute and I really like the seating area enclosed by glass, though the hostess warned us it would be chilly there, and the food was pretty good — but the service is just too lacking here for me to want to come back I think. They could consolidate their wait staff and train them better.

We are from out of town and found this gem on Unilocal.Victoria was our server, very accommodating and sweet. Roberto checked in on us multiple times (I think the owner…) He was very nice and even walked us out with a shot of limoncello! It was delicious! We shared the bruschetta which was awesome and then I asked them to make something that wasn’t even on the menu… which they did and it was fantastic!!!
Thanks so much!

I love Italian food. I’ve been planning to come to this restaurant and I finally had the chance. You really do have to go off the beaten path to find this place. You’ll see the restaurant’s sign and windows looking up from Western Ave or see the atrium looking down from Place Pigalle. I was greeted by two friendly employees. I decided to sit at the bar and take advantage of their happy hour menu. Classical music was playing in the background. One of the servers asked if I wanted the window open in front of me. I said I did since I wanted a little fresh air. I ordered the Pomodoro Bruschetta and the Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese. Both were delicious. Service was very attentive.
As I was leaving the restaurant one of the employees told me their restaurant was also accessible by elevator. Roberto’s is the 2^nd floor. Press 6 to get back to the main level.
It’s pretty casual compared to Il Bistro so if you’re looking for a good lunch or after work shindig then this is the place.

My boyfriend & I were on our way to the Ferris wheel last night when we noticed this classy & fun looking restaurant called Roberto’s! We walked in and the host was super friendly and got us a table in no time. The bar/​lounge area is really modern & a great atmosphere for a date or dinner with friends! Or you can even eat outside, this place is fancy but cool/​chill. The owner Roberto was working and made time to stop and introduce himself to us and chat with us multiple times throughout the night. Our food was SO delicious. The crab cakes are Amazing! The salmon is to die for. I highly recommend this restaurant! It’s about a year old, you must go here! We were very happy we decided to go there & will definitely be going back soon!
Taylor & Artem

I had ventured upon Roberto’s coming from Western Ave up to the Market several months ago, but didn’t have the time to stop, and it’s been on my radar ever since.
Hubby and I were having a stroll through the market on a Sunday afternoon and decided to stop in for happy hour. We were so pleasantly surprised!
Amazing happy hour prices and options! We had a small serving of the trofie pesto pasta for $ 6, and it was so filling we took some home. We first found trofie in Cinque Terre and have been wanting to eat it again. Roberto’s makes their own in-​house and it was delicious and authentic. You must also get the Venetian meatballs! They were amazing, and sauce alone is worth the $ 5 happy hour price. Dip the bread in that… mmmmmm. The bruschetta was ok, nothing amazing. Good authentic Caesar that wasn’t too heavy. Also had a nice Pinot Grigio for $ 5 on happy hour.
Overall we were very pleased with the food, portions, and prices. A great little spot hidden away in the market!

Sadly, this was hands-​down the WORST dining experience I’ve had in Seattle. Our party of 6 had reservations for dinner on Valentine’s day, so I knew it was going to be a busy /​packed night, but we weren’t prepared for what followed…
The aesthetics of the restaurant is beautiful — the décor and music were great… but the chaos in the room detracted from everything else… The front lobby area was filled with unhappy customers who had reservations but no tables, distracted hostesses, and a man shouting at people –at first, I wasn’t sure if he was a customer hosting a gathering or the owner, but upon later observations, I realized he was probably either manager or owner… Anyways, it took me a while to get someone’s attention to see if our table was ready and after a few minutes, a gentleman kindly showed me back to our table. and then I didn’t see a waitress or get water for another half hour.
Our seats were right near the kitchen, which we thought would be kind of fun to see the food prepared — but instead, all we heard was scolding, shouting and stress. Again, I get that Valentine’s day can be a busy and stressful night, but that really should remain backstage… it made for an awkward atmosphere…
Our dinner reservations were at 6pm — we finally got our food at 8:45pm! Not only did it take over an hour for our orders to be taken — but we just couldn’t understand why the service was so slow — There were plenty of servers around — they just didn’t seem to know what to do or where to go. nor did we understand why there were 20 – 30 PLATES of food sitting on counters, just waiting to be taken out to customers — some sat out for over an hour (NOT exaggerating) — the meat/​seafood looked cold and what had once been fresh, now wilted… and then we were appalled to see that some of those dishes were then actually served to customers?!? Really?!? UGH… I hope no one gets sick… and still, our dishes were no where to be seen.
Finally, the guy shouting orders in the kitchen noticed that we were still without food 2.5 hours later… — and he instructed another person to re-​take our orders. By that point, we were frustrated and highly contemplating leaving and grabbing a burger somewhere — but then our meals finally came… and mine looked pathetically dry and without sauce. :(. I asked the waitress about it and she said the sauce was in there, so I trusted her… but upon tasting the dish, there definitely was no sauce and no taste… So I had to flag down a server to get my sauce 2x, which eventually came out pretty much after everyone else was done with their food. Even with the sauce, my dish had no flavor…
After all this, we thought that at the very least, one of our appetizers or meals would be comped, but when we got the bill, nothing was comped… couldn’t believe it!!! Still don’t…
Anyways, I can see that this place really has so much potential with the location, ambiance and being right next to fresh seafood… but there really needs to be a 1000% fold improvement in management, organization, and attention to quality and flavors… Hope they do better moving forward, but I won’t be back.

It’s cute, it’s stunning. It’s the latest shiny new thing!
We all love shiny new things. This place is the epitome of a shiny new thing. I’ve met the owner Roberto back when he was in that other restaurant in belltown. He’s all things Italian. From the way he talks to the way he dress. You know if he opens a place, it’s going to be good. He told me about this cool new spot he’s opening a year and half ago. I was excited.
When I walked in/​I was thrilled. It is visually stunning! Floor to ceiling glass, white décor! Pink soft lights. He brought a touch of Europe to here. Just stunning!
Now let’s talk food. I was in the area and decided to drop by for happy hour. The menu is pretty big for happy hour. The prices are reasonable. And the portions? Huge!!!
I’ve tried the tagliatelle in bolognese sauce and the carbonara pasta with some delish wine. Presentation is stunning. I love the prertyy flowers on top. It’s a nice touch.
Now tagliatelle– the pasta was way too soft and mushy for me. Pasta should be Al dente and most of my Italian family members would agree.
Carbonara — this was a tasty and creamy dish. It’s just doesn’t taste anything like a carbonara. Usually carbonara is that light and clean dish with egg yolk on top or mixed in with Pancetta. This tasted like someone dumped a white sauce on top. Didn’t taste the egg.
Overall– the place was stunning. Loved it. I felt the food lacks that authenticity. It felt way more Americanized than it should. Didn’t expect that. But this could also be their off day. I’m willing to give t another chance. I just won’t try those two dishes!

Happy hour review:
I read about Roberto’s last week in the Seattle Weekly last week when my friend and I wanted an Italian happy hour. We decided this was the perfect match and opportunity to try a new place.
For starters, this place is pretty hard to find. Head over to the gum wall and there will be a sign for Roberto’s. It says second floor and looks like it’s pointing up but it’s actually through the doorway and DOWN. On the way down the staircase, there will be an atrium with the sign Roberto’s.
As soon as you come up on it, you will notice that the space is GORGEOUS. The atrium is beautiful and the rest of the restaurant has huge windows overlooking Western Ave. Everything is white, sleek and modern which I loved because Italian restaurants are usually rustic. This also seems like a really random pro but Roberto’s has it’s own bathrooms super close by. A lot of places in Pike Place make you hike out pretty far so I liked this!
The happy hour is pretty vast with $ 2 off wines, well drinks and other cocktails. They also serve the appetizers, soups, pizzas and salads on discount and have several pasta and bruschetta options. I think I could come many times without running out of new dishes to try!
The two of us split the Roberto’s pizza, the spaghetti with anchovies, garlic and olive oil and the spiral pasta with vegetables. I also had a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. Everything was quite tasty. The spaghetti with anchovies is one of my favorite dishes and it was done well here. The Roberto’s pizza is a «personal size» with a great thin-​but-​not-​too-​thin crust. It was simple and tasted fresh.
The service here was good and our bartender was very attentive.
Eyeballing the dinner menu, some of the non-​pasta entrees are a little on the high end ($ 30+) but the pasta dishes are more reasonably priced and come in half ($ 10 – 20) and full orders ($ 25 – 30). It’s a nicer place for sure. The atrium especially, would make an adorable date or group dinner and the happy hour is great for casual dining. I’ll definitely come back.