Serafina

Serafina is my favorite place in Eastlake for nice Italian food, and for a nice day, you can ask for a seat in the patio area, a plus.... more

My wife and I are from St. Louis and had heard that this restaurant was phenominal. We had reservations for 7:00pm, but the table wasnt ready so they asked us to step into the bar to wait. The bar is small and there wasnt anyplace to stand so we were half way out the door. After 30 minutes we managed to get to the bar, ordered a drink which took another 20 minutes to get. After an hour and a half, we were seated at the finest table in the house at the top of the ramp by the hostess station. Everyone that checked in or went to see the hostess had their ass in our table, it was that close. Luckily for them, the fire marshal was off because if there was a fire, this AFTER THOUGHT of a table was surely in the egress to get out. We ordered dinner, my wife had the butternut squash ravioli that was swimming in the same water that it was cooked in and I had the burnt beef short ribs. By burnt, I mean they were charred on the inside and out, no flavor but the goo they slopped on top of it. The polenta cake under was dry and more like a petrified frisbee. We wanted to sent it back, but our waitress was too busy doing something else and never came back until the meal was cold and we were just pissed off. The people behind us actually asked for their check when we sat down and got theirs when our dinners came. Now they are probably saying that it was Valentines rush, but why is that our problem. They've been in business long enough to know how to do this, but obviously they forgot how. We wont be back. You can get a better meal at The Olive Garden for a hell of a lot less and better service. more

My boss is in town from New York. She is a foodie and a fun person, but also a skeptic. She hired me though which means she can be to skeptical. We had a chance to stop for dinner and chose Serafina. It was very nice. The food was delicious, presented and garnished very nicely. \r \r It was a little bit cold in the restaurant, but we were toward the front and there was a fair amount of traffic in and out. Overall we had a great dinner and were pleasantly surprised. Our server was perhaps the nicest person that I have spoken with today. \r \r I will go back any time with anyone and feel confident if they do as well as they did tonight. more

I went on a first date at Serafina and had a wonderful experience. The decor and lighting made for the perfect romantic setting. Our server was knowledgeable and friendly; she made a recommendation on a great Merlot that paired well with our dinners. I love Italian food and Serafina didn't disappoint. I will be back! more

Serafina has soooo many great reviews, to see a negative one at the top spurred my need to write an accurate rebuttal. I have been going here for years, and it's a great place to take a date. If you're a vegetarian go somewhere else like Carmelita. Why even risk your evening by risking going to a place that serves meat? Anyways, it's a fantastic place with a great romantic atmosphere. more

I'd heard many good things about Serafina and had been looking forward to going for a while. However, I didn't think to check the menu beforehand for vegetarian options since it's an Italian restaurant! After waiting 45 minutes for a table, I found I had a disappointing two choices. Really, Serafina? You can't come up with more than two pasta dishes that are vegetarian?\r \r I ordered the asparagus ravioli since the servers were so busy that we were going on an hour since we arrived and with was incredibly bland and uninteresting. It was served in a pool of what tasted and appeared to be the water the asparagus was cooked in - literally mildly flavored water.\r \r My guest commented that the rabbit was ok, but for the price and wait, I'll stick with Crow and Lola. They also have limited veg options, but that's at least expected for their type of food and their entrees actually taste good. more

Lunch on their patio yesterday was perfect. Loved the fresh strawberry cheescake and that they were willing to split a glasspour of wine to pair with it! Pros: great patio, large menu variety, excellent drinks and wine Cons: pricey for lunch more

Good food with a good atmosphere. One of the great places to eat in Eastlake. more

Service was poor. Although the server was friendly, our server is just so busy serving a lot of tables. It would take a whiiiiileeeee before your concern gets attention. We had dinner their today for my husband's birthday. He wanted to eat rabbit. The rabbit was fine but you'll get waaaaaaay better deal for your money and waaaaaaaay better tasting if you eat in Cafe Juanita. I chose duck for my entree. It was so bad! It tasted rancid, smelled rancid, and it's just so bad! Dessert was so, so... your better off buying ice cream in a supermarket. It was not even free for a birthday celebrant! I would definitely not recommend it!!! Pros: nothing Cons: service, food and price more

We ate in the garden in the back of the restaurant that made you feel like you were in a little piazza in Italy. Delicious. Romantic. I was brought back to Serafina for a delicious, romantic NY Eve dinner that completely exceeded any expectation that I could have had for NY Eve. A romatic, jazzy singer singing beautiful love songs accompanied by a piano. Delicious food and special wine. Candles, romance. Ahh, sigh. Serafina seems to be able to re-create the perfect atmosphere every single time. Fall in love at Serafina -- the entire package of the sights, the sounds and the tastes here will make you fall in love a little more with the one you are with. Pros: Romantic, Delicious Cons: I really do not see any more

Dear Serafina:\r \r We want to complement your management staff: Maxine, Jody and Solomon, as well as your chef Dillon, whose attention to detail and professional committment resulted in a fanstastic event. Our friends and family continue to comment about the quality of the food and the ambience of the restaurant. The staff was attentive and were definitely part of the celebration.\r \r We felt as if we were entertaining at our home in Italy. Each dish was very typical of some particular region of Italy. The dessert display on the patio was absolutely lovely, as we sipped our port and dipped our biscotti. It was a wonderful way to start the multiple special events of our beautiful wedding weekend.\r \r We chose Serafina after three trips from Sacramento in our search for the perfect venue for the rehearsal dinner. We dined at six other restaurants and decided that the cuisine and ambience at Serafina met our desire to create ""una bella Italiano festa"" for our family and guests.\r \r Ci vediamo in Seattle.\r \r Michele and Patrizia Klein Pros: Food, Service,Attention to detail,Excellent wine list Cons: We wish you were in Sacramento more

why make a reservation if you still need to wait 45 minutes to get seated??? No one apologizes, no one seems to care that half our party (who I do admit were chefs) didn't eat their dinners. Way too oily, salty, minuscule portions and pricey. Does have a nice cozy feel so I guess if you're not too picky about food quality or service and don't mind being crammed up against other diners it's the place for you. And by the way that's not the Italian way... Pros: don't bother with a reservation Cons: Pricey, noisey, average undependable food, BAD service more

My wife and I have been going to Serafina for 12 years.\r \r During that time, there have been changes in managment and in the chef. The wonderful thing is that it has been and continues to be a uniformly great restaurant, true to its values and responsive to its customers throughout that period.\r \r ""Old favorites"" are reliable. New items and daily specials are ... well ... special! While there are many aspects of the restaurant to call out beyond the excellent food and helpful service, two stand out: (1) the lovely patio dining (6 months out of the years) and (2) the authentic and fairly priced wine list. The latter is especially rare.\r \r We try to dine there once a month or perhaps a little more frequently and are always pleased and flattered when the staff remembers our names and makes a special effort to say ""Hello"".\r \r Recently, the restaruant acquired the architecturally -interesting building directly behind the main restaurant (it was formerly the HQ of a small architectural firm) and soon we will have some additional options to try, as that facility will have its own menu. We're looking forward to it! Pros: Specials are really special ... Cons: Parking is a short walk away ... more

Everything was great, even the cocktails and the wine. But... why was the food average or below? \r We ordered the eggplant dish and it was not very tasty.\r Cons: food not delicious more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle. I've been coming here for years and it is always fantastic. The service is impeccable, and the live piano music and twinkle lights create a warm, cozy atmosphere. The setting is intimate and comfortable and still upscale. It's a perfect place for a romantic evening or to impress guests. The ingredients are fresh and I'm always impressed with the food. It's my go to restaurant - I know I will never be disappointed! Pros: Service, fresh delicious food, romantic atmosphere Cons: Long wait/crowded, parking sometimes tough more

I began with the Insalata Con Uovo, Lightly toasted crouton, mixed greens, truffle oil and a sunny side up egg. The egg was cooked gently and offered a rustic crisp edge on the white of the egg, not a placid french ordeal. The portion size and balance of this dish was perfect, stimulating my palate for the dishes to follow!\r \r I had the Special Carne the Bisteca Con Panzanella, I will admitt to being sceptical when I saw the steak was being served with a panzanella salad. Great, I thought, they have old bread! NOT SO! A few gently grilled pieces of bread acented the salad greens, olives, roasted peppers, & onions. The choice to use a semi soft pecorino rather than a mozzarella with this salad was key to creating a distinctive companion to the Kobe Eye of Ribeye Steak that was one of the greatest pieces of beef I have ever eaten, putting Daniel's and El Gaucho to shame!\r The new pastry Chef is doing great work here! The Torta Di Fromaggio, a rich cheese cake with a brownie crust and fresh cherries crowned this perfect dining experiance. \r Pros: Perfectly prepared food, attentive service, casualy ellegant more

I have never been so rushed through a meal. The food wasn't even that good. I was surprised because I have seen so many good reviews. I will not be back nor will I ever recommend this place to anyone. Pros: Get you out fast Cons: Over priced and bad service more

For a nice evening out in a beautiful neighborhood setting. The food and service was wonderful - our waitress Jen was superb!\r \r A little pasta, a little bread, a little wine - nice. This summer we are going to try and get a seat on the patio - it looks beautiful. Pros: Food, service, atmosphere Cons: parking more

I love this place. The food is great everytime and the staff is always friendly and knowledgable. It's a little on the cute/romantic side so it's perfect for a date but I wouldn't go in a group - seating is very close together. The first time I went I had the clams which were swimming in some sort of heavenly bacon/butter/seasoning concoction and it was very difficlut not to order them again (everything sounded good but those were so delicious!). Parking is difficult - there is no lot and street parking is always a pain. Pros: super tasty food and nice atmosphere Cons: parking is lame more

My wife and I decided to go check out serafina last monday, because a coworker had told us about it. Serafina did not disappoint. We walked in and were seated right away. The server arrived promptly and was very attentive despite how busy he was. The food was delicious, the wine our server recommended was perfect and the ambiance was very romantic. We will definitely be back!! Pros: Ambiance, service, food more