We visited Bainbridge Island for a weekend car-camping trip with friends, and stumbled upon Via Rosa 11 — a charming little Italian market and restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised to find an Italian grocery and deli in the middle of Washington State! It felt like a unique discovery, so we decided to grab some food to-go.
The atmosphere was lovely and the selection of food and Italian products was impressive. However, I can’t say the food lived up to my expectations. I ordered the seafood pasta with squid ink, hoping for something truly special — especially from a place that brands itself as authentically Italian. But unfortunately, the pasta was overcooked and sticky. In Italy (and in any good Italian restaurant), you’d expect it to be al dente. Here, that texture was completely missing. It felt like just another generic American pasta dish.
My husband ordered the prosciutto pizza. I love prosciutto and was excited to try a more traditional Italian-style pizza — not the overloaded American version. I was confused that there was no sauce at all on the pizza. No tomato base, no creamy sauce — just some cheese and toppings. Maybe that was intentional, but it left the pizza tasting a bit flat and dry for my liking.
All in all, we’re thankful for a decent dinner at a reasonable price. But if you’re looking for a true taste of Italy, remember that we are in USA.
Craig Brookes
Great food! Fun outdoor area
Simon Merzenich
I would love to see you toghether with Howard in October at my Restaurant in Germany when you pass by on your motobike 😉 greez Simon
Benedict Cruz
5-star for their pizzas! No wonder they won awards for their pizzas! Highly recommend to call ahead and make a reservation if you have a large group if you want to seat inside. For reservations you would have to call them directly and pre-order your food items. Lasagna was also delicious. Order at the cashier and take your number to your table.
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Bainbridge Island boasts a variety of decent eateries, and you can count Via Rosa among them
We had a bit of everything, pizza, pasta, salad, all were delicious.
We got there early, before noon, and the wait was minimal. However we did notice a line quickly grew behind us.
I would not hesitate to recommend trying Via Rosa.
Samuel K
One of the best Italian restaurant in Seattle area with reasonable price! Every taste is finely tuned, and they have great selection of wines.
Casual dining area within a deli.
Dalton Driscoll
To go order, took about 20minutes which was lovely. The noodles are incredibly fresh and the employees very very friendly. Get the take home tiramisu you will not regret it.
Ashly Yeo
Friendly staff and yummy food - highly recommended if you like fresh and nutritious Italian food!
The McCreas
Amazing experience and amazing food! Sarah at the front was so knowledgeable about everything in the store from any product they sell. To food they make. Told us about how the business got started. Customer service was top tier. This is the best hidden gem we have found in a long time. Not just the authentic amazing food. But their amazing people they have working there. Thank you again we will be back!
Poulsbo Buckeye
Via Rosa has outstanding food and atmosphere. The staff was friendly, relaxed, and helpful in selecting the items from the menu. They hand limited inside dining and offer some outside covered dining with propane heaters to manage the weather. A definite do again restaurant.
I wish we had time to frequent this place. Cozy little place making fresh Italian food and pizza. In addition, they have imported goods and prepared meals for take home.
We ordered a wood fired Prosciutto e rucola 4/5 (undercooked) and Vr11 Caesar 5/5 (best croutons).
Service is counter and friendly. Order first before allowed seating.
Chad Pranke
This place easily holds up with some of the best food we had in Italy. Wild boar ragout was probably even better than the one I had in Rome. Italians are extremely stingy with toppings on pizza and don’t seem to get very creative with them so I was pleasantly surprised to see the special pizza with 4+ toppings. The only thing missing is some EVO and balsamic to dip bread in. Will definitely go back. Recommend going early - we had a reservation at 5 and walked right in to our table. Food was ready two minutes later (we had preordered at time of reservation - what a novel concept). When we left the line was almost to the door - and rightly so because this place is legit.
Jana Madrigali
We had Via Rosa do a cater for a pre wedding dinner. The staff is amazing, the food beyond delicious. Thank you! Thank you!
Elias deFaria
This place is an absolute gem. We met the owner who greeted us and told us stories of going back to his hometown in Italy. The food is fresh and the recipes are exquisite. Would absolutely recommend this to anyone on Bainbridge island or Seattle. It’s worth the trek!
We visited Bainbridge Island for a weekend car-camping trip with friends, and stumbled upon Via Rosa 11 — a charming little Italian market and restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised to find an Italian grocery and deli in the middle of Washington State! It felt like a unique discovery, so we decided to grab some food to-go.
The atmosphere was lovely and the selection of food and Italian products was impressive. However, I can’t say the food lived up to my expectations. I ordered the seafood pasta with squid ink, hoping for something truly special — especially from a place that brands itself as authentically Italian. But unfortunately, the pasta was overcooked and sticky. In Italy (and in any good Italian restaurant), you’d expect it to be al dente. Here, that texture was completely missing. It felt like just another generic American pasta dish.
My husband ordered the prosciutto pizza. I love prosciutto and was excited to try a more traditional Italian-style pizza — not the overloaded American version. I was confused that there was no sauce at all on the pizza. No tomato base, no creamy sauce — just some cheese and toppings. Maybe that was intentional, but it left the pizza tasting a bit flat and dry for my liking.
All in all, we’re thankful for a decent dinner at a reasonable price. But if you’re looking for a true taste of Italy, remember that we are in USA.
Great food!
Fun outdoor area
I would love to see you toghether with Howard in October at my Restaurant in Germany when you pass by on your motobike 😉 greez Simon
5-star for their pizzas! No wonder they won awards for their pizzas! Highly recommend to call ahead and make a reservation if you have a large group if you want to seat inside. For reservations you would have to call them directly and pre-order your food items. Lasagna was also delicious. Order at the cashier and take your number to your table.
Bainbridge Island boasts a variety of decent eateries, and you can count Via Rosa among them
We had a bit of everything, pizza, pasta, salad, all were delicious.
We got there early, before noon, and the wait was minimal. However we did notice a line quickly grew behind us.
I would not hesitate to recommend trying Via Rosa.
One of the best Italian restaurant in Seattle area with reasonable price! Every taste is finely tuned, and they have great selection of wines.
Casual dining area within a deli.
To go order, took about 20minutes which was lovely. The noodles are incredibly fresh and the employees very very friendly. Get the take home tiramisu you will not regret it.
Friendly staff and yummy food - highly recommended if you like fresh and nutritious Italian food!
Amazing experience and amazing food!
Sarah at the front was so knowledgeable about everything in the store from any product they sell. To food they make. Told us about how the business got started.
Customer service was top tier.
This is the best hidden gem we have found in a long time. Not just the authentic amazing food. But their amazing people they have working there. Thank you again we will be back!
Via Rosa has outstanding food and atmosphere. The staff was friendly, relaxed, and helpful in selecting the items from the menu. They hand limited inside dining and offer some outside covered dining with propane heaters to manage the weather. A definite do again restaurant.
Restaurantji Recommends
I wish we had time to frequent this place. Cozy little place making fresh Italian food and pizza. In addition, they have imported goods and prepared meals for take home.
We ordered a wood fired Prosciutto e rucola 4/5 (undercooked) and Vr11 Caesar 5/5 (best croutons).
Service is counter and friendly. Order first before allowed seating.
This place easily holds up with some of the best food we had in Italy. Wild boar ragout was probably even better than the one I had in Rome. Italians are extremely stingy with toppings on pizza and don’t seem to get very creative with them so I was pleasantly surprised to see the special pizza with 4+ toppings. The only thing missing is some EVO and balsamic to dip bread in. Will definitely go back. Recommend going early - we had a reservation at 5 and walked right in to our table. Food was ready two minutes later (we had preordered at time of reservation - what a novel concept). When we left the line was almost to the door - and rightly so because this place is legit.
We had Via Rosa do a cater for a pre wedding dinner. The staff is amazing, the food beyond delicious. Thank you! Thank you!
This place is an absolute gem. We met the owner who greeted us and told us stories of going back to his hometown in Italy. The food is fresh and the recipes are exquisite. Would absolutely recommend this to anyone on Bainbridge island or Seattle. It’s worth the trek!
Excellent food and service!
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