14 Best Italian Restaurants in Kirkland

“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 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.“

“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.“

“Amazing food and staff!!!!“

“This has to be our favorite regional restaurant. The staff are so lovely and helpful. The food is ridiculously delicious. Even when we discussed recent slightly imperfect experiences at Canlis and The Herbfarm, this crew was so professional and filled with camaraderie for their “competition” that it made us love them even more. Just exquisite. In addition, they introduced us to the most lovely pear cider from France that we now order for the kids for holidays and parties. Bring a deep pocketbook and go with the cellar/sommelier pairings. So nice.“

“Wonderful Italian restaurant. a Kirkland neighborhood treasure.“

“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“

“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.“

“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!“

“Hands down one of the best pizzas I've ever had in my life and it all begins with the dough. #lightsout“

“Excellent waterfront dining. I have been twice with a group. The food is well prepared, seasoned and beautifully plated. India and outdoor seating make great options to catch the sunset. The inside space fills quickly on any given night, so the noise level means conversations can be tough if you're at a larger table, but 4 people or less would be fine for chatting. I recommend the lamb chops and the mushroom side.“

“grate pizza and the baklava with ice cream was awesome“

“Amante pizza and pasta was pretty great! Walked in on a Saturday evening, and got my order fairly quickly. Service was quick, the staff was super friendly and attentive to customers. They sell pizza by the slice too which was a great option! Got some halloween deals going on right now. Will be coming back for more ☺️“

“Located inside QFC, this Tutta Bella will deliver to your table at the Q20 bar (also in QFC). The garlic knots are unbelievably good. Whenever I get them, I think I will never be able to eat them all but then, before I know it, I have finished the whole box. Oh well! So good! Of course the pizza is also great and reasonably priced. It goes well with the beer at Q20.“