"Seattle's Varchetta-family Piedmont room since 2006, with a lobster risotto worth the bill. Book it to close a deal downtown."
About Barolo Ristorante
The Varchetta family has fed Seattle Italian food for forty years, from Mamma Melina to Cinque Terre. Barolo Ristorante, opened by brothers Leo, Salvio and Roberto Varchetta in September 2006 at 1940 Westlake Avenue, is their downtown room: northern Italian, white-tablecloth, built for a long dinner. It is a reliable pick in our Seattle dining guide and a fixture in our guide to the best Italian restaurants worldwide. For how we separate a very good room from a great one, read the seven signs of a great restaurant.
The Kitchen
There is no celebrity chef at Barolo; the kitchen answers to the Varchetta family, who learned the trade in their mother Melina's kitchens before opening here in 2006. The cooking is Piedmontese with a Pacific Northwest accent, leaning on truffles, porcini and house-made pasta. The dish to order is the Risotto all'Aragosta, a creamy risotto built around Maine lobster at about $44, with the Branzino con Verdure e Patate, sea bass over braised greens, around $30. Beef ossobuco and the seafood pastas are the other regulars. Most mains land between $30 and $44, so a full dinner with antipasti and dessert runs higher. The wine list is the real flex: more than four hundred mostly Italian labels, deep in Barolo and Barbaresco, with a sommelier who will steer a table through Piedmont by the glass or the magnum. The room has run at 1940 Westlake Avenue since September 2006, long enough to be an institution rather than a trend. It is the kind of place built to absorb a two-hour business dinner without rushing you out.
The Room
Barolo is a large, polished downtown room: high ceilings, white tablecloths, a long marble bar, and tables spaced generously enough to talk business without leaning in. The sound level is a steady hum that rises on weekends but never drowns conversation. Lighting is warm and low in the evening. Dress is smart-casual to business; you will see suits next to date-night clothes, and no jacket is required. It seats well over a hundred across the main room, bar and private areas, with booths for groups who want a little separation. Service is formal but unfussy, and the pace is unhurried.
Best for Closing a Deal
Book Barolo to close a deal for three reasons: the tables are spaced for private conversation, the room is large enough to absorb a long dinner without pressure to turn it, and the four-hundred-label wine list gives you something to put on the table while you talk. A typical scene: four people in a corner booth, a bottle of Barolo decanting, the lobster risotto and a shared ossobuco, and no one hurrying the cheque. It works equally well for a team dinner that needs to feel generous. Ask for a booth and pre-arrange the wine.
Not for
Skip Barolo if you want a cutting-edge tasting menu or a quick, cheap bite: this is a classic, generously priced northern Italian room built for long, traditional dinners.
Frequently Asked
Is Barolo Ristorante worth it?
Yes, for what it is: a polished, dependable northern Italian dinner in downtown Seattle. Run by the Varchetta family since 2006, Barolo does house-made pasta, a standout Maine lobster risotto and a four-hundred-label Italian wine list well. It is not avant-garde, and it is not cheap, but for a business dinner or a special night out it delivers. See more in our Seattle dining guide.
How hard is it to book Barolo Ristorante?
Not very, which is part of its appeal for last-minute plans. Barolo takes reservations on OpenTable and by phone, and weeknights are usually available a few days out. Friday and Saturday and the pre-theatre window fill faster, so book those a week ahead. For a large group or a private booth, call directly. It serves dinner nightly, so timing is flexible.
What is the dress code at Barolo Ristorante?
Smart-casual to business, with no jacket required. Barolo is a white-tablecloth downtown room, so a collared shirt, trousers or a dress are right; many diners come straight from the office in business clothes. You will not be turned away for neat jeans at the bar, but the dining room skews dressier in the evening. Dress as you would for a client dinner.
What is the average meal price at Barolo Ristorante?
Mains run roughly $30 to $44, with the Maine lobster risotto around $44 and the branzino near $30. With antipasti, pasta, dessert and wine, expect $80 to $120 a head, more if you dig into the Barolo list. It is a generously priced room rather than a bargain, but the portions, the service and the wine depth back up the bill.
What should I order at Barolo Ristorante?
Order the Risotto all'Aragosta, the creamy Maine lobster risotto that is the kitchen's signature, and at least one house-made pasta. The beef ossobuco and the Branzino con Verdure e Patate are the other dishes to get. Lean on the sommelier for a Piedmont red from the four-hundred-label list. For more Seattle Italian, see our best Italian restaurants guide.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Barolo on OpenTable
Book on OpenTable or by phone. Open nightly from 3pm. Call directly for private booths and large groups.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address1940 Westlake Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101
NeighbourhoodSouth Lake Union / downtown
CuisineNorthern Italian (Piedmontese)
PriceMains $30–$44
Dress CodeSmart-casual to business
Seating100+ · main room, bar, private areas
ReservationOpenTable or phone
Phone+1 206-770-9000
HoursDaily, from 3pm
DietaryVegetarian & gluten-free pasta available
