50 Best Italian Restaurants near Brier

“Great food, service, and atmosphere!“

“There are places in this world that find you rather than the other way around. I have sat in the grand dining rooms of Florence. I have lingered over Barolo in the hill towns of Piedmont. I have smoked aged Cubans on terraces overlooking the Adriatic while the sun took its time disappearing. I know what the real thing feels like.

And yet here I was, a man who has circled this particular block in Kirkland a thousand times behind the wheel of something fast, never once stopping. Downtown Kirkland has a reputation among those of us who know it well. Restaurants arrive with great fanfare, burn bright for a season, and vanish like smoke from a cigar you wish you had savored more slowly. I had written this neighborhood off without ever giving Rimini the courtesy of a glance.

Then one evening, alone, family abroad, I found myself searching for something worth dressing for. Waze delivered me, almost conspiratorially, to a door I had passed in ignorance more times than I care to admit. Fifty feet from my cigar lounge. Walking distance from my favorite Mexican table. There it was. Waiting.

I walked in and the room rearranged something inside me.

The staff moves through the dining room speaking Italian with the easy confidence of people who were born into it. The beautiful ones condescend to English when necessary and do so graciously. The candles are not decorative. The wine list is not a gesture. It is a serious document assembled by someone who has actually been to the vineyards, who understands that a great Italian meal is not complete without a bottle that has its own story to tell.

It took me immediately back to Firenze and Crossroads in their prime, twenty years ago, before success made them comfortable and comfort made them ordinary. Rimini carries that same electricity. That same sense that you are somewhere that matters, that the kitchen takes it personally, that the room itself has ambition.

I dined solo and felt like a king.

This is not a restaurant for the timid or the indifferent. This is a room built for people who have tasted life at its most generous and still lean forward when the next glass arrives. Brothers and sisters, I have been around this world more than once. I know the real thing when it sits across from me.

Rimini is the real thing. Do not make the mistake I made. Walk through that door.“

“I've been going to Amaro for years and it's consistently a solid choice. The ambience is perfect for gathering with friends or a date as it's easy to have a conservation without having to compete with loud music or tables that are too close together. The food prepared is well with quality ingredients and desserts are made in house. If you enjoy the traditional Italian preparation of calamari, this is one of the best renditions I've had outside of Italy. It's a starter, but I've occasionally ordered a double as an entree. Amaro is very accommodating with substitutions. Last night my friend didn't want risotto with her pollo arrosto, so they gave her a vegetable medley instead and it turned out beautifully. For a dinner house of this type, pricing is quite reasonable. The service is attentive and sincere, but often a little disjointed. They serve Caffe Vita, which is my favorite local roaster“

“We were thrilled with everything about this new restaurant. LOVED the food selections, wine was divine and service impeccable. Highly recommend!“

“Great Mediterranean food in a pleasant, neighborhood atmosphere 😊“

“Pizza was great! So was the pasta Fagioli. The waitress was very friendly and attentive. Very cute restaurant with cozy atmosphere.“

“Enjoyed the menu’s fresh ingredients, traditional yet innovative twists. Housemade pastas were the stars. Very good wine list and reasonably priced.“

“I don’t usually eat Italian out because I feel I do a good job at home. This place is way better than I can do. The menu/ordering process is a little challenging to figure out but worth the challenge. We’ve been twice and both times excellent. The salads are great, house made mozzarella with these sweet tomatoes and a balsamic reduction - so good! Tonight I had the gluten free pasta with mushrooms and white truffle oil, fried tofu, homemade sausage and ghost pepper oil. It was so freaking good! The atmosphere is fun as well, open, vibrant colors and Italian pop music. Welcome addition to Totem Lake.“

“We had a meal here for our first time. It was an absolutely wonderful atmosphere and delicious! We ordered a margarita pizza, veggie pizza, eggplant parm, standard pasta and sauce, and more. All of it was fresh and made to perfection. The kids got some gelato and we packed a tiramisu to go- all of which were delicious as well. I highly recommend!“

“this place is a hidden gem in edmonds. Delicious authentic food that i grew up with back in ny/ nj area. Highly recommended as it makes me feel like I'm back east Huge portions but well worth the money.“

“Brought my family of ten in, and every dish we ordered was excellent. Even better, though, was the timing, professionalism, and warmth of our server. Hands down one of the best dining experiences I’ve had from a service standpoint—especially impressive given the size of our group.“

“My girls took me to Cafe Veloce for my birthday and it was amazing! Service was great and the food was superb. I had the Dungeons pasta, yummy!!! It was my first time dinning at Cafe Veloce and will not be my last. Highly recommended.“

“the vibe inside is really homey. the price point is great. I was able to comfortably order a few things to try. I also think the portions were good. the duck ragu was very good. I enjoyed that plate very much. the sauce pairs with the duck very well. it's fork licking good. the carbonara I didn't care for, I didn't finish it. it didn't taste quite balanced. also my pasta was under cooked. I checked to see if maybe I was given buccatini on accident but no, it was just underdone spaghetti. overall, I'll try it again. my experience I think was good for a first visit“

“The pasta here can be changed into noodles! We ordered 🍅 Bolognese Rigatoni meat sauce is super super super fragrant! The tomato flavor is very strong, and the minced meat is a combination of balls and minced meat. It tastes rich and rich. It is a Bolognese meat sauce that you can never go wrong with. 🦐Spicy shrimp bucatini is very unique! It feels like chopped peppers❤️The shrimps are very big! It’s not particularly spicy, but it’s fresh and fragrant. It’s a dish that is very suitable for Asians😁 🍕I think the most delicious pizza! Pepperoni & Calabrian honey pizza The king of salty and sweet taste🔥The cheese that can be drawn and the right surprise honey are simply a bit ecstatic! After the pepperoni is roasted, it is full of fat, and the crispy and slightly hard texture👍There are whole garlic grains that have been roasted to the texture of potatoes on it! I really beg you to try it!“

“Authentic Italian food and wonderful owners! The gnocchi - my favorite! They provided an amazing 90th birthday dinner for my dad. It was perfect! Highly recommend - Fulvio and Ciro went out of their way to make it a fantastic evening and special event!“

“Amazing food and staff!!!!“

“My favorite place to eat in Ballard - the food, the staff and the atmosphere are all a delight, every time! They even cater to special dietary requirements and do a vegan pizza with actual vegan cheese (rather than just the bland stuff you’d normally get in most places), and their wholewheat crust is to die for! They also do the best dolma and the best hummus veggie platter. My whole family and I keep coming back, thank you!“

“Everything about this place is absolutely amazing!!

The servers are very well educated and even remember special notes about you. My server was Carly and I absolutely adored her. She was so sweet and checked in on me each step of the tasting menu. Even when I was a tad bit overwhelmed by selection choices, she walked me through everything and recommended a few items.

The food melts into your mouth. I had some of the best scallops I have ever tried and I got to try quite a few new things that I didn't know I would enjoy, like caviar.

I can't wait to be back with my fiance!“

“Tried this place out for date night! It was solid minus a few things. Food was good! I'd go back to try more. The bread apps like the anchovies with cultured butter and burrata were delish. The host was great and service was good up until the end where they forgot one side dish we ordered (we ended up not asking for it since we were full) but waiter did forget to put it in. Then toward the end of our time there, they just stopped checking in on the tables that were outside. One customer got up and flagged someone down for their check. It took a while and we wanted just one more drink and dessert! Decided not too since we felt like they wanted people to go, but I feel like if they had come out sooner we def would of been done and out before close. The vibe is cute and very date night, I liked it! It's walk in only which I think is smart since it's such a small place, so just be prepared to wait if you come on a weekend evening. Still would go back and try it again.“

“I love the family here, from the owner to the son and his wife and kid that are there sometimes. They're always welcoming and it feels like going to a friends home for dinner. Sure, the place surrounding it can sometimes not be... Great, but being safe inside and having sketti makes it worth it. My family came by for the Thanksgiving dinner in 2025 and I want that again! Please come by, I promise it's worth it, they're so sweet.“

“Pauly’s is the kitchen in the back corner of Earl’s. It’s a reputable purveyor of fine deep fried drunchies. Our selection was the mini combo of onion rings, mozzarella sticks, and jalapeño poppers with waffle fries. Surprisingly served with four different dipping sauces! Don’t be deterred by the metal dog bowl it is served in. I would recommend pairing it very with a Coors Light and a Mariner’s win.“

“Amazing service and great menu! 5 star review. Looking forward to our next visit!“

“I always get my Salad its the best , all the vegetables are fresh. Its the best salad ive come across in my area. ive had it at least 100xs. It's consistently the best! if you want a great authentic Italian dish, this is your spot.“

“Wonderful Italian restaurant. a Kirkland neighborhood treasure.“

“Excellent experience! The food was superb, the service impeccable. An added bonus was the tribute to Burt Bacharach, with many songs played by a violinist. We will definitely return.“

“We had a wonderful meal last night and our server, Reagan was terrific. I come from many many years of restaurant/italian food experience and was very pleased with the experience at Saltoro.“

“Very Italian in the atmosphere. This may be the best thing about the place. The food was very reminiscent of what I had living in Napoles. Not outstanding but quite good.“

“Excellent Italian cuisine in a cozy, family owned, neighborhood restaurant atmosphere for over thirty years. Highly recommend it.“

“Been coming here for manyMANY years.“

“5 Stars!! Excellent menu, delicious food, fast, friendly service!“

“Always a great place to take friends! We had dinner with a Legend last night Cliff McCrath! My college soccer Coach!“

“Classic Italian with a lovely well appointed wine list! What a hidden treasure!“

“This place is wonderful… the food is great. Highly recommend.“

“As a vegan with Celiac Disease I was so happy when I walked into Razzi’s and had an entire huge menu to choose from! I wanted to order everything! The food was delicious! I can’t wait to go back!“

“Lovely location in Edmonds. Every time I have eaten here the food has been delicious.“

“just had literally the best experience ever here, it felt like an olive garden any% speedrun. our server was lucas, and he meant actual business with his service. straight to the point, very efficient and patient with me while i looked at the menu. if i got a call from someone who was holding lucas hostage and they wanted all my money, id empty my bank account. i didn't know lucas very well but he seems like a guy that does well in school or something. thank you lucas“

“Been to many Italian restaurants being Italian living in Australia and to being at Ristorante Paradiso in Kirkland Washington Seattle was the best Italian restaurant I have ever been to. Service was outstanding and had the best white wine I have ever had in my life a memorable experience“

“Delicious wood fired pizza 🪵🪵🪵 with a unique flavor. I've visited Veraci more than once, and it's always been great! The staff were very friendly and welcoming, especially Miranda
🍕“

“Delicious Pizza!! They grabbed me with the deep dish style pizza. i started following their Instagram so i could see what was going on. over the last few years i would order a pizza from them when in the area… a few special trips just because. Now just recently I started seeing Tavern Style pizza show up on the instagram. Started with photos from other places and then Windy City pie puts tavern on their menu! i wanted to try it since it became available and finally decided to make it part of my pre game for a saturday Mariners game. if thin crisp crust is not your thing then stick with the deep dish! it continues to amaze! If you like the thin crisp pizza try the tavern. it is not just any pizza it is special. the crust is thin uniform and crisp through out the pizza. the toppings are high quality and the sauce is something out of this world! I ate about half and took the rest home to share with my wife. thought i would be able to share our reheat but it didn’t get past the cold pizza phase… this has to be the very best cold pizza i can remember! So good we didn’t take the time to heat back up we just downed it! Check them out! really great pizza on 2 ends of the pizza spectrum!“

“This restaurant remains one of my favorite Italian restaurant. It’s an older establishment, ie been around for at least 20 years. Despite all the growth and changes around the Woodinville area with restaurants come and go, I am pleased that this place continues to thrive with the changes.

While the service may have felt somewhat indifferent, the food is absolutely delicious and ultimately it’s the food that we came for. The appetizers were fresh, the entrees authentic and sumptuous, and the super Tuscan wine was delectable.

The only disappointment I had was they used to serve warm freshly baked bread as table bread, now they serve store-bought sourdough bread.“

“Ate their paneer biryani and it was the worst in the area. I'm surprised because you would think with so many Indian restaurants around, this place should've checked competition before starting it.“

“I recommend the Old Spaghetti Factory! The spumoni is the best anywhere! What I wish is that you put the Angel Hair [Capellini] Pomodoro back on the menu as it has always been my favorite on the menu. I can always make it at home but it wouldnt be as great! They did not even have angel hair available for me to somehow piece meal it together off the menu! Outrageous! Please bring it back! Easy to make and economical. Thank you 😋“

“Everything was great; their hiring wonderful attentive people, and with ink too!
The food was amazing, and the portion was large enough everyone had dinner the next night too.
It's become ungodly expensive, but you do actually get what you pay for here.“

“Been coming here for over a decade. It has honestly had its phases: great consistently for a while, then less great for a while, but never bad. Happy to report that I came here twice in the last couple months (once with my wife, last time with a group of 6) and it was excellent both times. Everyone loved their meals, desserts, drinks, and the service was great.

Can’t go wrong with their bolognese!“

“Love this place! Great food!“

“Olympia pizza is how our family celebrates a great day!“

“My wife and I have come here for the drinks and occasionally truffle pommes frites or some oysters, but this time we tried some of the other menu items for dinner. My wife got the Halibut (Chapter 6) and I got the Mushroom Pasta dish. (Chapter 5)

I asked Casey if he recommended the mushroom dish and he said it was one of his favorites. I'm not a foodie, so I don't get overly excited over food but let me tell you... It was so good that it prompted me to write a review about it. I actually felt an endorphin rush from eating it! My wife loved the halibut, (which I also tried) and I would say getting her to eat fish is usually a challenge unless her fisherman father prepares it!

I would recommend a Manhattan or Old Fashioned, which Casey also pointed me towards some new Rye to try. Fantastic as always!

I had placed an order for oysters but apparently they were forgotten, but I was so enamored with the mushroom dish that I didn't even care. Casey offered them to me on the house as he felt bad, which was a very nice gesture. I wasn't upset at all!

Now we would like to try all the other dishes, because if both meals were that good, how can they miss with anything else?

I didn't take photos of the food because I inhaled it :)

Thanks Casey and the rest of the staff for great service and amazing food/drinks!“

“Every meal I've ever had there was good. And the service was spot on.“

“Dropped by the Lynnwood Olive Garden today and sat at the bar. Brandi, the bartender, greeted me quickly and was lovely to chat with. Despite managing a completely full bar, she was incredibly prompt and attentive, I never had to wait or ask for a thing. Fantastic service from Brandi, and she's the reason I’ll happily return to this location. Five stars all the way!“