IL Bistro

We came here on a Tuesday night and it had a line out the door. I think maybe because the hostess didn't know how to utilize other people to help her seat people. It's a nice place located on the lower lever of Pike Place Market. However, waiting outside for your table is quite interesting as the market staff or city workers (it wasn't clear which) washed down the steps and streets/flooring within the center with fire hoses to get rid of the urine. It's almost as bad at Bourbon Street in New Orleans. They sat us and immediately took our drinks. Our group ended up drinking four bottles of wine. I had a Moscow mule and they made it exceptionally well. We ordered a number of appetizers for the table: Arancini - these were fabulous and large in size. Focaccia - this came with a garlic oil, but was not over the top with garlic flavor. Truthfully, they shouldn't charge you for this and just bring it to your table. Charging $4 per order is silly. Sauteed Calamari - my friends said this was pretty good, but I'm allergic, so I did not partake. Next, we ordered our meals. It's a hard menu for those with some dietary restrictions. One member of our group needs gluten free options (there was only one pasta dis (though he could have had the gluten-free pasta with any pasta dish). He didn't want steak or chicken as you could get those anywhere. I really like gnocchi, but it came with a heavy cream sauce. I could have asked for the bolognese, but its made with veal and lamb, neither which I'm a fan of. They had some more seafood dishes, again, I'm not a fish person (just basically eat shrimp). So I ordered the chicken parmigiana (I normally don't order a fried chicken breast that is smothered in marinara and covered in cheese and then baked, because there are generally better pasta options, but not here. It's very frou-frou. The chicken parm was fantastic! It came with two chicken breasts and atop a heaping pile of small shell noodles covered in marinara and parmesan cheese. This is easily shared with two or three people. I would have brought it home had I lived there, but reheated in my hotel room the next day would have been gross. We were so stuffed that no one got dessert. Don't misconstrue my 4 stars for a lacking review. The food, drinks, and service were phenomenal. However, my opinion is that the charging of bread for the table is kind of tacky and it's definitely more of a frou-frou Italian place. If you're looking for more staple Italian dinners, this is not your place. However, it is great for groups, and perfect for a nice dinner or date night.

Had a great time here! Made reservations online and came in the early evening. The reservation process was easy and it wasn't too busy inside, which added to the cozy vibe.It was very dim and romantic inside, I really loved the lighting. I had the lasagna. It was great! I'm not a big fan of game-y meats so this was a bit of a risk for me. Thankfully I enjoyed it so much I even took the rest home. It was a massive portion for me so I definitely couldn't finish the entire thing there.For the price, this was good. The drinks were a bit expensive but the presentation and taste was good so I can't complain. I'd come back!

Tucked in a corner of Pike Place Market--hard to find but worth the effort! It's around the corner and down the ramp from DiLaurenti, just before entering Bubble Gum Alley. Cozy atmosphere with fabulous cocktails and food. We loved the prawns appetizer, salads. Gnocchi, Lasagna and Clam Linguine. Service was excellent and kept us on time for our theater date. A hidden gem in Pike Place Market!

I went here last night for a romantic date. It did not disappoint. The don't room is intimate, the lighting was perfect! Service was great, not intrusive which is what we wanted. I do like to test the server and give them two choices for wine. And I think I would have preferred the other wine. But they always choose the higher priced one. I had the salmon special with a porchini puree, potatoes, spinach. It was the best salmon I have ever had!!! Thank you for the wonderful evening!

I came for happy hour and had a Stiegl and the Seasonal Burrata. OMG! So delicious. The service was great and server very helpful picking out my meal. The red light made for a relaxing ambiance to end the day.

Made a reservation via OpenTable to this restaurant, selecting that it was for a birthday. We could immediately get sat at the scheduled time, but nobody mentioned or said a happy birthday, even when checking the ID when an alcoholic drink was being ordered, so that was a little disappointing. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. All in all though, the food was amazing. The service was slow, but because we ordered a lasagna (they communicated with us right as we ordered, it would be 20/30 minutes to prepare.)What I love about this place is right when we got sat the server asked if we were on a time crunch (like if we were going to watch a play, movie, etc.) or if we were there to take our time. We told him we were not under any crunch and can stay for however long. Not once did we feel rushed out the door and when packing the to-go orders, they put it in a bag and even stapled it for us!

Came here before a show at the Showbox. VERY convenient. Definitely a bit hidden within Pike place market, which is really nice. You don't feel like you're in the middle of a big touristy spot. Arancini was up there in the best I've ever had, very large. Pastas were fantastic, very flavorful, and good wine and cocktails. Large portions as well, so having leftovers was nice! Service was fine. Not horrible, not awesome either. Just as we were getting ready to leave around 830ish, it appeared there was live music about to start, which would have been awesome!

Ambiance is very romantic with the perfect touch of lighting to set the mood for any party large or small. They had tables readily prepared for side by side seating or face to face. Service was great. Started with the caprese salad. A layer of aged prosciutto, mozzarella, and tomato with shredded basil overtop and drizzled aged balsamic, The reason this dinner got 5 stars rather than 6 was due to there being no bread served with the cioppino which was a first ever when having this dish. Cioppino was loaded with mussels, crab legs, prawns. Clams, and calamari in a zesty tomato and garlic base. Rigatoni with veal bolognese was perfectly cooked al dente. Sauce was just right - not too meaty or saucey and the veal had a tender texture and delicious flavor that did not disappoint. The final flavor to hit the palate was the Tiramisu, It was extremely moist with layers of mascarpone spread between the deliciously soaked lady fingers.

The service was excellent. Food exceeded my expectations. My boyfriend and I came here for our anniversary and everybody was very kind congratulating us and made sure we had a good spot in the restaurant. Felt very romantic and secluded from everybody else. Thank you IL Bistro!! Will definitely be coming here again!! The cocktails are great too!

Ambience is a 10/10 - we sat at the bar & the lighting is intimate, sexy and you lose track of time in the best way! We had pizza at Alibi room and then had a night cap cocktail here - would recommend to others!