We had one of the worst dining experiences at Bar Cotto. From the moment we walked in, we didn't feel welcome.
When we arrived, someone from the bar asked if we had a reservation. We said we didn’t and were hoping to get a table for two. He audibly sighed, rolled his eyes, and pointed us to a table. When he brought us menus, he just tossed them onto the table as he walked past. In hindsight, we should have left at that point, but we were hungry and decided to stay.
After a little while, our server Cristian, who was the only redeeming part of our visit, came by and took our order. He was helpful and kind. We ordered two cocktails, the bruschetta, and two pasta dishes. The cocktails and bruschetta were good, but both pastas were overcooked and drowning in sauce. Mine was so bad I could barely get through a few bites.
Meanwhile, the person who greeted us kept pacing around, sighing, and slamming tables and chairs. The restaurant itself had a nice ambiance, but between the inedible main dishes and the unwelcoming atmosphere, this is not a place we’d return to.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 2
Mike Cohen
Used to love this place but after last night, I definitely need to reconsider. Friend was in town visiting so I thought I'd take him to Bar Cotto. What a mistake.
There was a wait when we arrived. That wasn't a problem. The disorganization was. The poor wounded puppy greeting guests was clearly overwhelmed. Not sure if he was just new/untrained/unfamiliar with their systems or if there was just an intellectual issue with him but it made for a bit of an awkward and unpleasant waiting experience for the people jammed in the corner. And he was none the wiser to realize this.
Drinks and appetizer were fine and each of us ordered a pizza. Mine came out. It was just ok. It was very undercooked and soggy in the middle but we were starving.
Five minutes later, we inquired where my friend's pizza was and the bar tender said it would be another five or so minutes. That was surprising so I asked if that was their new practice: to bring out people's entrees at staggered times. Some restaurants do that. He was clearly upset by this question. And responded: "dude, come on." Given the price point and ambience of Bar Cotto I was surprised by this response. Whatever happened to assuming best intentions? Perhaps the owners should remind their bar tender that their restaurant is supposed to be an upscale restaurant providing some service. Defensive quips aren't necessary.
Above five minutes later the bar tender came over to say that they had burned my friend's pizza and were starting over. He said it would be free but we would have to wait, probably another 15 or so minutes. We didn't want to so he threw down the check - offering no apology and certainly offering nothing to make up for this.
While the restaurant was full when we arrived it was less than half full when this happened. The two "cooks" at the pizza oven were flirting with each other the entire time and it's my guess that is why the pizza was burned and the timing was off. Regardless, they shouldn't be empty at 9:00 on a Saturday night in Cap Hill, but now I know why they were. We left and went elsewhere to get my friend food and encountered crowds everywhere we went.
I don't think I need to go there again, which is a shame, because Bar Cotto used to be great. At least it was when their employees cared enough to show it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 2
Phoebe Williams
Delicious! I'm always hesitant to go out for pizza and pasta, because it's so easy to be mediocre, but Bar Cotto did not disappoint. Impressed with the pizza and pasta, as well as the staff, who were attentive even with a full restaurant and few staff on a Monday night. 10/10 would also recommend the torta Nutella dessert.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Nutella Dough Balls with Strawberries
Girish Shekhar
Vegetarian options: Some vegetarian options. Best to ask the server and they can accommodate
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Parma
Lizzie G
Get the torta frittas!!! They’re adjacent to a pretzel bite but probably tastier.
Had a lovely dinner at 5pm on a Saturday and was able to enjoy their outdoor seating. We did the Insalata Parma which was basically just arugula, Parmesan, mozerella and hella lemon. (Too much lemon) but the pizza was the Crudo. It’s a great size for 2 people and it’s a very light pie. The prosciutto was slippin all over the place but that didn’t detract from the pie.
This place has been on my list for awhile, so I’m glad I finally swung by. If you’re looking for a thicker slice of pizza I wouldn’t say this is the spot but overall a good bang for you buck.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Jen Skalbeck
From the cocktails to the pasta and fried dough and wine list, everything was amazing. The burrata with the perfectly roasted tomatoes (in skin, mini flavor bombs) was a favorite, especially eating alongside the torta fritta. Particularly impressed with the creamy sauce on the pepperonata homemade pasta as well. All in all a perfect date night!
The bartender is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. Food was pretty damn good too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
nichalas
I am a nonconfrontational person so now I am in the situation where I received food that I ate in entirety but my distaste for it weighs on my mind. Only an hour before arriving at Bar Cotto I was told by a 66 year old Italian diaspora (they've been a resident of Seattle for 30 years) that I should not waste my money on Italian food in this city & regretfully I did not heed his warning. The margherita pizza was one of the worst I've ever had. I feel like the quality of ingredients is viable, but I have no faith in them executing this pizza in a manner that someone who is not from Seattle can enjoy. The service was fine.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Jacob Wolf
Every pizza and pasta we've had here has tasted great, and the 3-course dinner for 2 is an excellent value!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lizzie M
Get the torta frittas!!! They’re adjacent to a pretzel bite but probably tastier.
Had a lovely dinner at 5pm on a Saturday and was able to enjoy their outdoor seating. We did the Insalata Parma which was basically just arugula, Parmesan, mozerella and hella lemon. (Too much lemon) but the pizza was the Crudo. It’s a great size for 2 people and it’s a very light pie. The prosciutto was slippin all over the place but that didn’t detract from the pie.
This place has been on my list for awhile, so I’m glad I finally swung by. If you’re looking for a thicker slice of pizza I wouldn’t say this is the spot but overall a good bang for you buck.
I really wanted to like this place, I feel like it had all the ingredients of a place I'd enjoy, but nothing clicked here. The $65 deal for a salad, pasta, pizza and 2 aperol spritz was great, and the food (when it eventually came out was tasty), but man the service and atmosphere were so bad ... huge air conditioner blowing an obscene amount of AC directly on my table on a cold night, server didnt come by for 30 minutes to take orders, no one came by during the meal, they "forgot" to make the pizza so disjointed service with the dishes coming out very far apart, and then I got double charged on the bill for a second pizza that I never ordered. Maybe a one off bad experience, but it was a bad experience and definitely wont be coming back :(
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 2
Rio Hindami
Service and ambiance was great. Happy hour deals are ONLY for bar seating. Food was good
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Diavola Pizza
Viresh Gehlawat
5/5 experience every single time. I’ve been here 4 times now and the food is consistently great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Leigh
Great pizza and service ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rita C
Very cute cap hill neighborhood pizzeria and casual Italian food. Pasta is outstanding. We did not try pizza but many other patrons have them and they look amazing. We plan to return to try them. Wait staff is very friendly and helpful. The only funky thing is their music ?... Kind of new age techno Japanese tunes and quite loud. Music is obviously a very personal choice, and we appreciate this place has a lot of character. It is played to the level that if you aren't into it, it may bug you. Just something to consider.
***7/23 Edit: sorry i should have specified that this is an overdue review on a visit in early June, not from last night. The Flaming Lips pl actually sounds pretty good!
We had one of the worst dining experiences at Bar Cotto. From the moment we walked in, we didn't feel welcome.
When we arrived, someone from the bar asked if we had a reservation. We said we didn’t and were hoping to get a table for two. He audibly sighed, rolled his eyes, and pointed us to a table. When he brought us menus, he just tossed them onto the table as he walked past. In hindsight, we should have left at that point, but we were hungry and decided to stay.
After a little while, our server Cristian, who was the only redeeming part of our visit, came by and took our order. He was helpful and kind. We ordered two cocktails, the bruschetta, and two pasta dishes. The cocktails and bruschetta were good, but both pastas were overcooked and drowning in sauce. Mine was so bad I could barely get through a few bites.
Meanwhile, the person who greeted us kept pacing around, sighing, and slamming tables and chairs. The restaurant itself had a nice ambiance, but between the inedible main dishes and the unwelcoming atmosphere, this is not a place we’d return to.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 2
Used to love this place but after last night, I definitely need to reconsider. Friend was in town visiting so I thought I'd take him to Bar Cotto. What a mistake.
There was a wait when we arrived. That wasn't a problem. The disorganization was. The poor wounded puppy greeting guests was clearly overwhelmed. Not sure if he was just new/untrained/unfamiliar with their systems or if there was just an intellectual issue with him but it made for a bit of an awkward and unpleasant waiting experience for the people jammed in the corner. And he was none the wiser to realize this.
Drinks and appetizer were fine and each of us ordered a pizza. Mine came out. It was just ok. It was very undercooked and soggy in the middle but we were starving.
Five minutes later, we inquired where my friend's pizza was and the bar tender said it would be another five or so minutes. That was surprising so I asked if that was their new practice: to bring out people's entrees at staggered times. Some restaurants do that. He was clearly upset by this question. And responded: "dude, come on." Given the price point and ambience of Bar Cotto I was surprised by this response. Whatever happened to assuming best intentions? Perhaps the owners should remind their bar tender that their restaurant is supposed to be an upscale restaurant providing some service. Defensive quips aren't necessary.
Above five minutes later the bar tender came over to say that they had burned my friend's pizza and were starting over. He said it would be free but we would have to wait, probably another 15 or so minutes. We didn't want to so he threw down the check - offering no apology and certainly offering nothing to make up for this.
While the restaurant was full when we arrived it was less than half full when this happened. The two "cooks" at the pizza oven were flirting with each other the entire time and it's my guess that is why the pizza was burned and the timing was off. Regardless, they shouldn't be empty at 9:00 on a Saturday night in Cap Hill, but now I know why they were. We left and went elsewhere to get my friend food and encountered crowds everywhere we went.
I don't think I need to go there again, which is a shame, because Bar Cotto used to be great. At least it was when their employees cared enough to show it.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 2
Delicious! I'm always hesitant to go out for pizza and pasta, because it's so easy to be mediocre, but Bar Cotto did not disappoint. Impressed with the pizza and pasta, as well as the staff, who were attentive even with a full restaurant and few staff on a Monday night. 10/10 would also recommend the torta Nutella dessert.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Nutella Dough Balls with Strawberries
Vegetarian options: Some vegetarian options. Best to ask the server and they can accommodate
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Parma
Get the torta frittas!!! They’re adjacent to a pretzel bite but probably tastier.
Had a lovely dinner at 5pm on a Saturday and was able to enjoy their outdoor seating. We did the Insalata Parma which was basically just arugula, Parmesan, mozerella and hella lemon. (Too much lemon) but the pizza was the Crudo. It’s a great size for 2 people and it’s a very light pie. The prosciutto was slippin all over the place but that didn’t detract from the pie.
This place has been on my list for awhile, so I’m glad I finally swung by. If you’re looking for a thicker slice of pizza I wouldn’t say this is the spot but overall a good bang for you buck.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
From the cocktails to the pasta and fried dough and wine list, everything was amazing. The burrata with the perfectly roasted tomatoes (in skin, mini flavor bombs) was a favorite, especially eating alongside the torta fritta. Particularly impressed with the creamy sauce on the pepperonata homemade pasta as well. All in all a perfect date night!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Dough, Pepperonata, Burrata, Meatballs
The bartender is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. Food was pretty damn good too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I am a nonconfrontational person so now I am in the situation where I received food that I ate in entirety but my distaste for it weighs on my mind. Only an hour before arriving at Bar Cotto I was told by a 66 year old Italian diaspora (they've been a resident of Seattle for 30 years) that I should not waste my money on Italian food in this city & regretfully I did not heed his warning. The margherita pizza was one of the worst I've ever had. I feel like the quality of ingredients is viable, but I have no faith in them executing this pizza in a manner that someone who is not from Seattle can enjoy. The service was fine.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 5
Every pizza and pasta we've had here has tasted great, and the 3-course dinner for 2 is an excellent value!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Get the torta frittas!!! They’re adjacent to a pretzel bite but probably tastier.
Had a lovely dinner at 5pm on a Saturday and was able to enjoy their outdoor seating. We did the Insalata Parma which was basically just arugula, Parmesan, mozerella and hella lemon. (Too much lemon) but the pizza was the Crudo. It’s a great size for 2 people and it’s a very light pie. The prosciutto was slippin all over the place but that didn’t detract from the pie.
This place has been on my list for awhile, so I’m glad I finally swung by. If you’re looking for a thicker slice of pizza I wouldn’t say this is the spot but overall a good bang for you buck.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
I really wanted to like this place, I feel like it had all the ingredients of a place I'd enjoy, but nothing clicked here. The $65 deal for a salad, pasta, pizza and 2 aperol spritz was great, and the food (when it eventually came out was tasty), but man the service and atmosphere were so bad ... huge air conditioner blowing an obscene amount of AC directly on my table on a cold night, server didnt come by for 30 minutes to take orders, no one came by during the meal, they "forgot" to make the pizza so disjointed service with the dishes coming out very far apart, and then I got double charged on the bill for a second pizza that I never ordered. Maybe a one off bad experience, but it was a bad experience and definitely wont be coming back :(
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 2
Service and ambiance was great. Happy hour deals are ONLY for bar seating. Food was good
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Diavola Pizza
5/5 experience every single time.
I’ve been here 4 times now and the food is consistently great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great pizza and service ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very cute cap hill neighborhood pizzeria and casual Italian food. Pasta is outstanding. We did not try pizza but many other patrons have them and they look amazing. We plan to return to try them.
Wait staff is very friendly and helpful. The only funky thing is their music ?... Kind of new age techno Japanese tunes and quite loud. Music is obviously a very personal choice, and we appreciate this place has a lot of character. It is played to the level that if you aren't into it, it may bug you. Just something to consider.
***7/23 Edit: sorry i should have specified that this is an overdue review on a visit in early June, not from last night. The Flaming Lips pl actually sounds pretty good!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Tiramisu Cake, Diavola Pizza, Burrata, Ricotta Gnocchi, Meatballs
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