« Ballard Restaurants

Yeah - so wanted to love this place. My minestrone had no beans or pasta in it - so just a tomato/veggie soup really; my veal was stringy and (I suspect) stolen from within a boot.

Staff were ok.

Why oh why is there no Italian love to be found in Seattle?

I agree with the disappointed comments: I really *wanted* to like this place, but it just didn't pass muster. Seattle isn't exactly known for its Italian food, and the local options are miserable. It's a nice quaint location and I thought the service was friendly, but it overcome the mediocre food. In place of crusty Italian bread, some odd little biscuits with a strange crumbly texture. Salads seemed run-of-the-mill, and the calamari appetizer had a nice tomato-based sauce, but WOW- I've never seen squid SO overcooked! Similarly, our main courses were mixed: nice, light, delicious potato gnocchi; and a horribly overcooked piece of veal. What a tragedy! It would take so little to be a top Italian restaurant in this city, but alas- I'm still looking.

We had fantastic food and wonderful, friendly service. Excellent recommendation on wine as well. The only drawback (as mentioned in a comment above) is the musical duo playing right in your face and not seeming to "get the message"...

I think these are the same folks who had the Italian place where the Matador in Ballard is, and the "Sea Breeze" where Hamburger Harry's is. The problems all ring the same...unfriendly staff. bland unappealing food...not sure why they keep resurfacing...but I could be wrong and it is not them..sure looked like them...

Interior is a little too clinical. Staff, although taking care of us, were not terribly warm.

Terrible coffee.

Went to Il Giardino last night for the first time and it was outstanding. Caprese appetizer was one of the best we've ever had -- excellent balance of flavors and super fresh tomatoes. I had a chicken parmigiana special, husband had linguine with prawns, clams and mussels. His shellfish was all perfectly cooked, and my chicken was so tender I could cut it with a fork. Our server was very nice and the place has a lovely ambience. Even with so many Italian options in Ballard, we'll definitely be back to this one.

Have to agree with lauram, I really really want to like this place and it is walking distance, but after a couple tries, I'll hoof it the extra way to Pasta Bella or drive up the hill to the Swingside.

I would LOVE these guys to succeed. They're really nice, the place is cute, we need a nice restaurant in this area, BUT the food is not very good. The sauces seem to be the main problem. We ordered calamari in a spicy sauce, but the sauce was not spicy and it was very bland and looked and tasted like it came out of a bottle. The salad was also very run-of-the-mill. Please Il Giardino - get a different chef or have your current chef spend more time on sprucing up the menu.

I have to warn all the potential future victims of Il Giardino--Don't eat there! I went for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner with my boyfriend, and we were really disappointed. Not only did they not serve the full menu that night, the few choices left were unappetizing and didn't resemble any Italian food I have ever had. On top of that, they had an awkward musical duo performing in the cramped space, and all the patrons over 80 years old were singing along to "That's Amore." Gross food, weird atmosphere, all together, bad.

This post by CJ has been at the top of the list for 10 months now, and I think it's quite unfair to the honest, hardworking people at Il Giardino that this is the first impression that readers will get of their restaurant. My wife and I were also there for Valentine's Day. We had a wonderful meal, loved the setting and service, and thought the Italian musicians were fantastic. And everyone else sure looked like they felt the same.
(Except, apparently CJ and her boyfriend). She is certainly entitled to her opinion, but calling the other diners "victims", and phrases like "Don't eat there", "gross food", and "all together bad" are just mean-spirited and misleading. We've dined there many times since, and have been thoroughly satisfied every time! Highly recommended.