La Vita E Bella

We tried this restaurant on a Groupon, but would go back and pay full price. The waiter, Sean, was personable and helpful, the food was ample and delicious, the prices reasonable. The atmosphere is Italian-​centric, with some movie memorabilia and Frank and Dino crooning the tunes, but also cozy and inviting. Everything is freshly prepared.

Thank you Giuseppe for seating my daughter and me at the bar on New Year’s Eve without reservations. I look forward to coming back with reservations and my husband. You’ve created an authentic Sicilian restaurant that was thoroughly enjoyable!

called them to reserve a table for Christmas Day, the said it is ok to walk in, we went there they said sorry we don’t have room you should have call and make a reservation. FUCK YOU

Wow! I’m eating the brucheta right now, and oh my goodness! Do they have plants outside? How else is the brucheta so fresh? The pizza my son’s are having, cheese and peperoni, are fantastic. The lazagna, fabulous. The Moscato is oh so nice. I’m coming back for more soon.

I have been to La Vita E Bella 3 times, and I’ve had a great experience every time. It feels warm and inviting – they even have an accordion player on some evenings. The staff have all been so friendly, attentive, and nice. They really seem to know their customer service.
I encourage you to order pasta, and save your pizza cravings for a pizzeria. My favorite dish is the spaghetti di mare –a large serving of homemade spaghetti with loads of mussels, clams, and prawns. They toss it all with a fresh tomato and white wine sauce. I also could taste a bit of a spicy kick, garlic, and fresh parsley.
My second favorite is the fettuccine tartufo– homemade fettuccine with tons of mushrooms and spicy italian sausage, smothered in a cream sauce with a hint of truffle oil. Again, what a humongous portion size! The pasta was cooked al dente, and the dish tasted so luxurious. This could be a hearty, two-​person serving.
We also shared a caesar salad, which was incredibly fresh and again, large. It was simple: fresh romaine lettuce, light crispy croutons, and grated parmesan cheese. It looked heavily dressed at first, but the dressing actually tasted light and not overwhelming at all.
I think this is a great place for couples or groups for any occasion. The staff will really make you feel looked after. Also, the prices are great for the portion size and for how fresh everything is. I think it’s a down-​to-​earth, non-​pretentious, and lovely place to share a meal!

I’ve been meaning to try this place and I finally did, and OMFG what a great dinner we had there. Thin crust pizza is the style I like and it was delicious. They also have Barolo by the glass which is awesome. But the thing that really made our evening was the service. The gentleman who served us was straight up the friendliest and most accommodating server I’ve had for as long as I can remember. He had no reason to be; we were in there using a groupon-​style voucher, restaurant was pretty empty — but regardless he was super nice, prompt and accommodating and just in general very welcoming, like we were in his own home. If I could give this place six stars I would. A+++

Went here for the first time during my lunch break. I must say that the ambiance is very modern but has a touch of class in terms of Italian influence. The fresh warm bread with Italian herb dip was a great first touch. I ended up ordering a cup of Italian soup, followed by a New York pizza. All of the food was amazingly good, and the service was good too. Will definitely return!

Food tastes great, just not coming back up the second time. Not sure if I got food poisoning, or if my stomach just couldnt handle the heavily oiled up pasta. Everything else was good. Going to give it one more shot someday. would be 4 stars if I didnt lose my dinner an hour later

Remain a fan of La Vita e Bella with additional visits on 6÷16÷15 and 9÷14÷15, with the latter as a spontaneous visit from Shoreline via Capitol Hill when Machiavelli was closed that evening.
The Pasta Farfelle Salmone and Pasta Carbonara remain consistently delicious after six visits.
This is the type of neighborhood spot, I’d totally love to be a regular.
Just writing this makes me crave pasta despite it being nearly midnight!

I live right around the corner and love Italian food. So it was vital that I found real good, authentic Italian food that wasn’t the old spaghetti factory.
The food was amazing! Everything was made to order. It was so filling. Huge portions! Even the caprese salads are filling!
My only thing with our experience is that everything took a bit of time. Getting a seat. Getting our drinks. Getting our order taken. Apps came out quick. Main course was about 40 mins later (enough time for us to get hungry again). Getting our check. Paying for our check. I just felt like I could’ve been out of there a whole hour earlier had everything been simultaneous.
But it was great food and we will be back.

My boyfriend and I came this past weekend since it was listed on our Passport restaurant list. We live right around the corner from this place and somehow have never been in.
The atmosphere was surprisingly good. There was a man playing music at the entrance for all the patrons sitting outside. It was a gorgeous night, the staff was friendly and the food was surprisingly very delicious. My only complaint was my dish was pretty small and the pasta was much colder than the seafood and sauce in my dish, but they filled us up with bread beforehand so I didn’t mind so much.
Definitely would eat here again.

My husband and I came here a couple weeks ago. We had a nice time. It was a bit crowded– close together. The food was really good. I loved the accordion player. He played old standards. My father in law used to play his accordion.
We had:
Wine — $ 8 each Sangiovese, Mantellassi = Delicious
Caprese salad– good but oddly they salted it.
Fettuccine Tartufo -$ 17.50 My husbands dish but I kept taking bites. The flavor was stunning to the palate.
Rigatoni Boscaiola -$ 14.95 Delish! Robust and packed with flavor. Yummy
bread with oil -$ 0 came with meal — very good
Reasonable prices.

Excellent Service, mediocre food.
Went here for dinner with my wife last night. We started off with the Minestrone Soup and Bruschette Melanzane. The soup tasted nice but the veggies were extremely overcooked. It lacked the clean freshness because the broccoli had disintegrated into the broth making it grainy. The Bruschette was full of flavor and the eggplant was nicely cooked. I would have liked a little less olive oil drizzled all over. I enjoyed the flavor it brought to the dish but some parts of the plate were too greasy because of it.
We then got the Margherita pizza. This was honestly disappointing. The crust was too thick and it was basically a plain cheese pizza with one large basil leaf in the center. The classic Margherita should have pockets of mozzarella and basil all over, this had none of those and did not taste like a classic Italian pizza but more like a greasy american pizza.
The Spaghetti Carbonara was delicious. It was probably my favorite dish of the night. The ham was extremely flavorful, the pasta cooked perfectly and the cheese blend used was perfect. My only complaint was that the dish was too greasy. It did not need all that extra oil swimming at the bottom of the plate. Other than that it was really good.
The Tiramisu was probably the worst I’ve had. When they bring out your dessert in under one minute of ordering it, that’s a definite red flag. It was literally a pile of unbearably sweet cream dusted with coffee and nothing else. There were no textures coming in from the ladyfingers, no light sensations of joy, nothing but rich sweet cream. I love tiramisu and have it often but this was terrible. Instead of a «pick me up» we got a «slam me down» and could not manage to eat eve na quarter of it.
Overall the food was pretty mediocre. I wish they would improve it because the ambiance is nice, the owner and the staff are extremely friendly and provide a wonderfully pleasant experience. I might go back here someday if the food gets better or if I’m just craving a good carbonara.
p. s. Amazon local has a 25 for 50 deal here.

This has now become my FAVORITE Italian restaurant anywhere! Giuseppe (the owner) is the perfect host with personal recipes that MUST be tried to be believed… I had the Lobster Stuffed Ravioli, it was remarkable.
The restaurant itself reminded me of a place I’d been to outside of La Spezia, Italy in the 1980s. It was very welcoming and perfectly intimate for dining with a friend, or your true love.
If you are ever nearby, you must stop in and tell Giuseppe that Shannon says hello… then get a table and prepare yourself for his wonderful cuisine.

Had a romantic dinner by candlelight with my sweetheart. Porcini Ravioli and Penne Ala Pesto were delicious. Might skip the desserts next time though; the Grandmother Cake was simply a dry lemon tart and the Chocolate Truffle was gelato rolled in cocoa powder. Atmosphere is always lovely and waitstaff very nice and attentive. Chow for now La Vita E Bella.

This place was alright! Just a typical Italian eatery. It was pretty busy when I came at dinner time on a Saturday. I got the spaghetti carbonara and didn’t realize it had ham in it… my mistake for not reading the menu right.
I ate as much as I could while picking out the little bits of ham.
The service was average. The waitstaff wasn’t super attentive, but since they were busy, that’s kind of okay.
I’d rate more stars, but nothing really stood out as awesome here. Just an ordinary Italian restaurant.

I am currently considering buying a plane ticket from Anchorage to Seattle so that I may have some Rigatoni Boscaiola, for reelz.
I discovered this place while vacationing back in ’07 and it has been an absolute must-​stop every time I have been to Seattle since, which is 1 – 2 times a year. This could EASILY be because I think Alaska completely fails on the Italian front. When I went in ’07, I was impressed that the restaurant boasted making their own pasta — though that has since changed, it’s still delicious and cooked perfectly al dente. The sauces are neither too heavy nor too light and the portions are perfect. I have tasted all my companions meals: pesto squid appetizer, pesto pasta & crepes and they were all top notch. One evening with my sister and mom, and rather weepy dinner conversation, the waiter, sensing our need to be alone was so attentive after we paid and went to leave. He insisted that we wait inside while he flagged down a taxi for us and thanked us profusely for visiting his restaurant from Alaska.
I stopped in at about 2:30 p.m. on a random Monday a few months back and they were in some transition — about to close for dinner or switching over to the dinner menu — but with a smile on her face, the waitress was totally accommodating (even when I asked to move so that I could be near a power outlet to recharge my phone). I was served warm bread with a seasoned olive oil, a heaping bowl of finely shredded Parmesan and red pepper flakes. I ordered a crisp Pinot Grigio and my tried and true Rigatoni and then I sat back, grinned like a fool and thanked the heavens above for real Italian food.

Me and my friends decided to eat here after another restaurant we wanted to go to was closed. Glad this place closes later than most! And the atmosphere felt so fancy.
The owner actually took our orders which was cool! I ordered their Spaghetti di mare which was made with their sauce and with seafood. :3 it was good but it lacked a strong flavor. Two of my friends were dissatisfied with their gnocchi’s so they had to reorder something else and got the lasagna. That was actually really tasty! :3
Their tiramisu and truffle was perfect!

Just wanted to inform people that they are opened on Sundays, although Unilocal says they are closed.
We went on a rare hot Seattle day, so outside seating was preferable. However, they did not have any spots, thus we sat near the door for a breeze. The restaurant has pleasant live music accompanying dinner, accordion player was quite the performer.
I ordered the romana pizza with ham & mozzarella. Dh had the fettuccine tartufu. After ordering, complimentary house bread came out, with an amazing side garlic infused olive oil!
My pizza was very bubbly, thin crust and had the right amount of house tomato sauce on it. The cheese on it was plentiful & ham pieces were flavorful chunks. So much pizza for such a great price!
Dh’a fettuccine was a delight. The noodles were homemade, wide and almost reminded me of pappardelle. Chewy goodness with the right mixture of truffle oil & cream sauce. The mushrooms and sausage is the perfect combination in that sauce. They definitely do not skimp out.
For dessert, since the tiramisu was greatly recommended, we ordered it. Did not regret a bite! Spongy cake soaked in espresso and proportionate cream & chocolate in it. This dessert reflects a lot about this restaurant. It won’t disappoint!

If you want a fresh Italian dish that follows the pasta and sauce method used in Rome and points south, coupled with a good wine list, and wonderful patio on warm nights, this is your place. I’ve eaten here several times and have almost always been served by an older gentleman who has fantastic etiquette for service and delivery (whom I believe is also the owner). Meat dishes are cooked perfectly, and the pastas are well cooked with great sauces and toppings. Hands down the best pastas are the spaghetti carbonara and the gnocchi with the red pepper purée sauce (if you want it spicy!)
This place is also a great option for take out!