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Bar Del Corso
Categories: Restaurants Italian Restaurants Pizza Italian, Pizza
3057 Beacon Ave S(between Stevens St & Hanford St)
Seattle, WA 98144
Neighbourhood: Beacon Hill
(206) 395-2069
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
63 reviews for Bar Del Corso
Review Highlights
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"Heirloom Tomatoes & Burrata." In 3 reviews -
"...Roman street food: fried risotto balls & mozzarella." In 3 reviews -
"...dessert but the orange polenta cake with rhubarb compote..." In 2 reviews
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63 reviews in English
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Review from Jens J.
5/23/2012
Impressive food, cocktails and service.
Flying solo for one evening, I stopped by Bar Del Corso for dinner and a drink. The restaurant, with a 1940s retro feel, was lively but I was still able to get seated immediately.
After sampling several cocktails in Portland this past weekend, I have to say that the Milano Spritz I had at Bar Del Corso was the best of the lot (except for Dot's martinis, of course). Made with Campari, orange juice and prosecco this drink was gorgeous to behold and tasty too, with the perfect balance of sweet, tart and bite. Kudos to the bartender!
As I sipped my cocktail, I ruminated the Windows 8 preview session I attended earlier in the day. They had a Microsoft "technical evangelist" speaking there. Yeah, I'm a bit of a Luddite, but aside from the security leaks, Windows XP was Microsoft's last decent operating system. The gimmick behind Windows 8 is "metro tiles". And yep, Microsoft still is on its post-XP bandwagon of hiding menus and controls and making navigation a nightmare and doubling the number of clicks you need to do to get anywhere. I thought it was amusing that more than once the evangelist remarked that he had become lost in shifting between applications in his Win8 demonstration. And Microsoft expects the casual user to navigate this thing? Oy vey. I love my MacBook, that's all I gotta say.
Bar Del Corso's menu is lean with pizzas being the emphasis. It was rather expensive to order exclusively from the starters menu, but I did anyway because I wanted to sample as many of the dishes as possible. Since it is rare to find, I automatically ordered the Grilled Octopus. It was amazing! Cooked to a perfect doneness, the octopus pieces had a nice bit of crunchiness on their exterior. Oh man, but the peperonata broth the octopus came in was fantastic. In the broth were carmelized onions and roasted tomatoes.
The lamb sausage with lentils was also yummy. The lamb-sausage-in-a-skin was nicely spiced. The lentils came in a tasty sauce that contained kale (or was that spinach or collard greens?) and garlic. The Suppli al Telefono, described on the menu as "Roman street food: fried risotto balls & mozzarella" were delicious. But having said that, I felt they were just a bit plain.
The gal sitting at the table next to me was taking pictures of her dishes. Will we soon see a review on Yelp with these photos?Listed in: Seattle Mt. Baker and vicinity
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Review from Juju B.
Seattle, WA
5/18/2012
Deep fried risotto balls=good.
Green Beans=Fishy
Sausage=omg, disgusting.
Pizza=OK
I wasn't feelin it at all. It looked promising. I wanted to like it. I will say, it's definitely fresh food. The thing that got me was the presentation of the sausage dish. It was this super long sausage that looked like an old fashioned swirled lollipop. Only meat. It looked like dong. I couldn't even look at it. Further, it was placed on a bed of spinach. I took a photo of it, but damn, it'd be wrong to post it. That dish just took the fun out of eating the pizza. Boo! -
Review from Emily S.
Updated - 5/10/2012
I've been back a couple times since writing my last review, and service has definitely improved - it could be that I'm coming at less than peak hours (during Snowpocalypse, almost 9:00 on a Tuesday, etc) but I'll go ahead and give them the benefit of the doubt. My favorite pizza is the salame piccante. I've tried the pizza specials a few times, but keep coming back to it.
Favorite thing on the menu is probably the rhubarb tart dessert, though. Sooo gooood.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/20/2011
I LOVE Bar Del Corso's food, and their prices are totally reasonable. The space is well decorated… Read more »
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Review from Anondah M.
Seattle, WA
4/23/2012
Good service, great food with a good selection of wine.
We had two different kinds of pizza, four appetizers (anchovies, grilled octopus, salad, and risotto croquet), two different plates of cheese, and dessert for four of us.
Our server recommended us a bottle of sparkling red. It was wonderful. We ended up finishing two bottles. (Total bill came out about 200 bucks. I think it's pretty good for the amount and qualities of food and drink.)
Good servers with knowledge of food and drink they serve make a great difference.
The decor was alright, too, but it was a bit too noisy. We had to talk really loud to hear each other over the table. -
Review from Tom B.
3/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Beacon Hill has really been coming up in the last few years (evidently, they were just waiting for me to move north). Bar Del Corso is a great example, maybe the best of the bunch, that shows what this neighborhood is turning into. They've found existing space on Beacon Avenue and turned it its abundant potential into a genuinely welcoming dining room.
Parking is becoming a bit of a production in this neighborhood--there are spots, though not quite by the fistful, like there used to be. But that's just a sign of success. The signage is modest here, but the picture windows clue you in quickly. The place is evidently packed every night, which makes a lot of sense. It certainly was packed last night. There's a long bar to the right, and 3 rows of tables to the left. There's a reclaimed feeling to most of the carpentry; the wood looks aged and refinished, and the balustrades and whatnot are pipes bolted into place. In the waiting area, when the crowd shuffles around, you can feel the floor flex beneath them. It's definitely old construction, which gives it considerable charm.
The service is friendly without being rushed or fake, and moves very quickly to get everything done. All the details set the right tone for a relaxed meal in a nice place--everything's attractive on the table, but not overly fancy. They bring wine in what appear to be little pudding cups: small, straight-sided, flat-bottomed glass vessels. They hold a full pour for sure, but they're quite an unusual variation on the usual glassware. No doubt they save a lot of space in storage, bus tubs, etc.
The menu is carefully edited. There are fewer than half a dozen each of pizzas, apps, entrees, and small plates, with a couple specials each night. What's there appears to all be great, though. We had a very tender and flavorful octopus appetizer, along with the suppli di telefono, which were without a doubt the best fried cheese dish ever made. There's tomato and rice in with the soft white cheese, encased by a very thin and perfectly executed breading. No oil, everything cooked through, explosively flavored. The pizza crust is equally spectacular--very thin but with great chew to it, showing lots of small scorching spots (clearly cooked in an extremely hot oven). We had the wild nettle pesto and pork belly pizza. Wonderful flavors throughout. The dessert specials all sounded interesting, and the huckleberry panna cotta was fantastic.
The prices here are reasonable for such high quality, and everything about the place feels like it would be a wonderful regular stop. Definitely be back. -
Review from Nina N.
4/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
margherita pizza with the buffalo cheese
grilled octopus
yum and yum!! the puttanesca was not as good as the margherita pizza so it was hard to choose. I wouldn't order the puttanesca if you don't like sardines/salty foods. it's pretty damn salty, but for the sodium lovers, it is amazing!!!!!
I love this place. hands down the best pizza place in SEATTLE!!!! -
Review from Graham C.
Seattle, WA
3/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
Awesome pizza... this last time I had a special pie with nettle pesto, pork belly, and tallegio cheese. All of us at the table agreed that it was one of the best pizzas ever. Just an amazing combination of flavors.
I've been very happy with almost everything here. My only gripe is with the ice cream - it isn't as smooth as I would hope. The panna cotta is good but not stunning. I'll go with one of the cakes next time.
Service is always friendly and attentive. They even attend to you while you're waiting near the entrance for a spot to open up.
I can't wait to go back! -
Review from teresa w.
Seattle, WA
5/15/2012
I don't normally write poor reviews. The services was CRAPPY! The wait staff was rude! The food was NOT good. After spending 80 we had to go get more food because it was not substantial or tasty. Also, the acoustics in the restaurant was poor.
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Review from Will C.
2/11/2012
We got here at 7:30 on a Friday and should have known we were in for trouble. The hostess predicted a 30-minute wait that ended up being more like 50 minutes, although given how crowded it was in there, I wasn't too surprised. The bar was doing a brisk business with all the people waiting around.
We were starving when we got seated, which is usually a sign that almost anything I eat will taste good. We ordered the "suppli al telefono" (which is for all intents and purposes Sicilian arancini: fried balls of risotto and some other filling, in this case fresh mozzarella). You only get three but holy moley are they amazing. These arancini (I'm not calling them "suppli" dammit!) are about as good as they come. Definitely order these.
We also got a pizza each. I got the puttanesca and she got the ortolana. The ortolana is an interesting pizza. It has smoked instead of fresh mozzarella, which kind of worked with the coppa, although it's hard to improve upon fresh mozzarella. My puttanesca had fresh mozzarella and it was really great.
My main problems with the pizzas were they were too salty and tasted burned. I understand and usually enjoy the Neapolitan style, but perhaps this crust is just so thin that the charred taste comes through too much. Also, like I said, it was incredibly salty. I knew the anchovies would bring the sodium, and the coppa, but every bite tasted this way. Also, my pizza was inconsistent. My first bite was really spicy, a bit like I imagined. I was wondering if I could get through the whole thing. But after the first couple bites I didn't taste any of the hot peppers.
Two stars does feel a bit harsh, especially because of the transcendent arancini, but I just feel no urge to return to Bar del Corso. I really wanted to like it, so I am pretty disappointed in the result -
Review from katrina m.
Seattle, WA
4/14/2012
Went to check this place last night and i was pretty blown away. A place like this is unexpectedly hiding in beacon hill and i really thank god for it. Atmosphere was on point and the food superb! You can really taste the fresh ingredients and gosh their marinara on their pizza...i die :) also try their orange cocktail. Too bad i missed on the dessert. Maybe next time. But really best to check em out.
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Review from Gene B.
2/19/2012
This is a great little neighborhood Neapolitan-style pizza joint located in the culinary wasteland of Beacon Hill.
I like the look and the feel of the place: high ceiling, tall plate glass windows overlooking the street, hardwood floors with simple wooden tables and chairs, a bar on one side of the restaurant and the gourgeous pizza oven on display in the corner. It's a cozy and inviting place.
The food was great, but, ironically, the pizza wasn't the star off the show. The suppli al telefono (deep-fried rice balls filled with mozzarella and named so, because when you pull them apart the strands of cheese resemble telephone lines) are fantastic. As was the crostino; a nice slice of artisan bread topped with onion confit and a fresh, grilled sardine. We decided on the salad of lightly sauteed spinach, with pinenuts and golden raisins, simply spot on. At this point in the meal, del Corso is about as good as it gets for dining in Seattle and a definite competitor with other, better known restaurants in town.
But then, this being primarily a pizza joint, we need to talk about the pizza. Please don't get me wrong, it's good pizza (easily as good, if not better than Via Tribunali and Tutta Bella) but after experiencing the highs of the starters, it feels a little like a let down. I like the small, but thoughtful options on the menu. The toppings are wonderful. I had the spicy salami (very generous with fresh mozzarella) and my friend had the vegetarian special. But for us, the let down was the crust; it was slightly too salty and, oddly enough, because it had a good char, slightly doughy and limp. Once again, this is serious nitpicking. It's not like I couldn't eat it and didn't eat the leftovers the next day at home. But given how on the mark everthing else was, the pizza seemed a little off that mark.
So, whatever you do, don't skip the starters! Order two or three and then split a pizza, they're fairly large anyway. Good wine list and full bar, too. Fills up quickly, by 5:45 there wasn't a seat to be had. -
Review from Tman S.
Seattle, WA
4/4/2012
My friend Gene was the test pilot with Bar del. He gathered a group of eaters and we met after work. He was granted group leader and ordered a wonderful combo of apps and pizza. from cheese stuffed rice balls to seared octopus. It was like being in Rimini Italy and being spoiled with great food and service. perfect beers to finish the eve. I am eager to go back and get stuffed with chewy smokey anchovie pizza. Grazie a tutti
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Review from Arif V.
2/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is a small bistro that seems to have showen up in the part of Seattle that needed one. Lots a neighborhood folks that are really there to enjoy the food the decor.
There are few interesting things on the menu one of those such things is the Bruatta ... Now who does not want something with Sexy Sea Salts. We really went to this quick.
I do have to point out some service issues that seems to have dampened the experience a bit. When the watress came over the first time to give us the specials she read them at the speed of light, she never brought bread for the table or even asked if we would like some, also my big pet peeve is taking my drink before I am done please ask.
I do have a standard for service and this is a very nice place that just needs a bit of work. I do have to say when we came in it was a bit odd because the hostess was not to be found she was seating people cleaning tables and just plain worked so I just put my name on the wait list myself, she did not mind. We were greeted and asked if we would like drinks and that was cool.
The pizza was good and well seasoned and great fresh stuff from the farm on it.
All in all this is a must try the issues should be iorned out. -
Review from Sandie L.
12/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
What I like about this unique spot is that it brings a nice feeling to the Beacon Hill area. I imagine this is what Columbia City felt like after they openned up the Starbucks and all the cute shops began to appear.
My friends and I came here one Friday evening, and it was already crowded at 6pm. Not a lot of space to wait for a table. There is bar seating, but only if you want to order food, not to wait and drink for a table. Plan ahead because they are busy and do not take reservations.
We chose the bar seating and it was ok but got to be squishy with all the customers loitering waiting for their table.
We shared the house special pizza with spinich/carmelized onions/goat cheese which was so-so. However, their small plates are FABULOUS! The beet salad was excellent as so was their pear salad (my favorite)! I loved the bits of fresh pear, goat cheese, mushrooms and wonderful sauce paring!
Of course, being a coffee lover I tried their espresso which was also smooth tasting and delicious! If you like a bit of whiskey, put a splash in your coffee to give it a warm kick!
Service was okay. It gets pretty busy so I can see where it goes down a bit because of that... but maybe sit at the bar where all the action is and the servers are at arm's length =D
Overall, a good experience. I would come again for the small plates and a drink. Nice area location with plenty of street parking. -
Review from Cindy V.
Seattle, WA
4/4/2012
It's taken me quite some time, and three visits, to finally review Bar Del Corso. So many things about this restaurant make me want to rate it highly, but for some strange reason, I can't bring myself to do so. The wood-fired pizzas are tasty; the toppings are appealing, intriguing, and consistently fresh. The small-plate specials are often creative and almost always delicious. The prices aren't outlandish... the staff is cheerful enough...the fried risotto balls may well have been kicked out of Heaven for being so damn good that everything else paled in comparison....
...and yet... AND YET, even with all that said, I've just never had a really great meal at Bar Del Corso. There is something essential -- some all-important but elusive element -- missing from the dining experience, and even after taking three different groups of family and friends there to try the place out, I'm still stumped on what that something might be. Perhaps it's atmosphere: the restaurant is all open space and polished surfaces, lovely to look at but so loud that conversation becomes a chore. Perhaps it's hospitality: although the lines can be long, there is scant room to wait inside, and no inviting little benches or tables outside for those further down the queue. Maybe it's accommodation: the overall impression here is of people who love a certain cuisine so much that they have raised it to art, and this is wonderful and admirable up to a certain point, but that point is the one at which you, the art-buyer, are told that you may only view the artist's work from the top of a stepladder twenty feet away,,, or you, the pizza-buyer, are handed a knife and told to slice it yourself because rotary cutters aren't how we do things here.
Looking at it objectively, none of the "cons" should come close to outweighing the "pros", particularly once the fried risotto balls are given their proper consideration. But a great meal out with friends is equal parts good food and good times, and Bar Del Corso just isn't conducive to the latter.
For dining alone: four stars, maybe five after a glass of wine and one of their dessert specials.
For dining as a group: keep going south on Beacon Avenue until you get to Columbian, turn left, and head down the hill to Flying Squirrel Pizza. Not nearly as pretty, but just as good and somehow a lot more fun! -
Review from Amy K.
1/16/2012
Had an excellent experience at Bar Del Corso Saturday night and walked out with the name for a new hair stylist. Score! The downside is that my husband now wants an expensive pull-down espresso maker after watching shots being pulled all night.
JP and I were able to grab two seats at the bar around 8PM on a Saturday night. I was a bit befuddled since everyone always talks about massive waits here and it was a Saturday but who am I to question or complain? JP started with the local draft cider which he didn't love and I ordered a glass of primitivo.
The entire menu looked great but we zoned in on the grilled octopus (melt in my mouth yummy) and the puttanesca pizza. I had no idea how popular this pizza is until I logged onto Yelp to write my review and it seems to be the pizza de rigueur but it is for a reason. If you are a fan of anchovies this pizza is awesome. Love the way the rapini balances out the salty flavor of the tiny little fish.
One pizza was plenty for the 2 of us (and neither of us were starving). Service at the bar was great and we saw waves of people coming and going so yes at times there was a short wait but not what I would have expected for a weekend night. JP had to have dessert and ordered the panna cotta which had huckleberries over the top. It was an example of creamy goodness smothered in even more goodness with the berries.
Bar Del Corso's wood fired pizza is a great addition to the scene in Seattle and can definitely stand shoulder to shoulder if not above some of the big boys...Via Tribunali, Tutta Bella, Serious Pie and Delancey so get your butts up to Beacon Hill and get your pizza on. -
Review from Michael U.
Dublin, OH
Owned and operated by Jerry Corso, a young man whose training began very early and led him to both sides of the Atlantic (and of the United States) to master his craft, plus his wife Bar Del Corso would prove to be an easy find and although a steady downpour plagued our walk from the street parking to the door the space and service could not have been more convivial and warm when we arrived mere moments after they'd unlocked the doors and with a no reservations policy we were quickly led to a sturdy four-top where menus were provided and waters filled before the hostess returned to the stand to greet a steady stream of customers that would see the restaurant filled within the hour.
With the restaurant bustling the next person to greet us after we sat was Lucas, a friendly young waiter who recited the day's specials prominently listed on a chalkboard, offered us drinks which we declined, and told us to take our time after leaving us with some recommendations. Having already scouted the menu and knowing that this visit was only 'pre-gaming' for more Italian later I personally took this time to go check out Jerry's handmade stone oven where Chef Corso was busy stoking the fire and adding wood yet more than happy to chat - a genuinely nice guy who really seemed to love what he was doing even as the area around the oven was, in my opinion, sweltering.
With Lucas returning and orders placed it would not be long before our first dish would arrive and with water remaining filled by the back servers I knew right away that this "snack" was going to be more of a meal before a meal for myself when I saw the portion size of the Baccalà Mantecato - a dish twice as large as I'd expected and one I knew my fish-phobic family would likely not overindulge on. Served alongside toasty rustic bread fresh from the oven and featuring the lightest flavored salt cod whipped with creamy potato and olive oil that I have ever tasted this small casserole was a perfect starter with a nicely balanced brininess made all the more heavenly by hints of garlic and a bubbly layer of grated parmigiano-reggiano DOP - a flavor still too "fishy" for my mother and aunt, but not really an issue as I was more than happy to overindulge on something so divine.
Moving next to the main event (or so I thought) our selections were a duo of pizzas, the first an upgraded version of Corso's standard Margherita and the second a slightly more unique but beautiful Ortolana. Beginning first with the crust, as any discussion of pizza should, the pies that were brought to us still bubbling from the over were nearly my ideal for a Neapolitan pie - a crisp crust with a dense crumb and large blistered pockets along the edges complimented with just enough sugar and salt to give it flavor but not so much to overwhelm the toppings; a lovely ring with a wet center but not soupy at all.
Moving next to the toppings and cheese, for the Margherita it was the standard; top notch San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil, grassy and smooth olive oil, and for us the $3 upgrade mozzarella di buffula DOP - all textbook, particularly on this crust, and although not the very best Margherita I've ever had a strong contender especially given the price of only $15 even after the added cheese. For the Ortolana, this one without a "sauce," what would arrive was actually quite impressive - an admixture of "Willie's braising greens," house cured coppa, smoked mozzarella, and chopped cherry tomatoes plus a dusting of pecorino that all worked beautifully together as the smoky cheese blended seamlessly with the briny pork while the vegetal bitterness of the nicely softened greens was toned down by the acidity of the tomatoes and sharpness of the cheese; a beautiful pie and an absolute must order.
Having already our upcoming dinner at Spinasse I'd originally planned to skip dessert at Bar Del Corso but when I saw the words Quince and Polenta next to one another on the menu and heard the description of an "upside-down" Cake I immediately reassessed...besides, dinner was still 2.5 hours away and as luck would have it the item that arrived at our table would turn out to be the best thing I ate in Seattle or Vancouver and amongst the ten best desserts I ate in 2011, a warm disc not much larger than a hockey puck and consisting of no more than toothsome grains, butter, sugar, and fruit rendered into a steaming hot pudding with just a bit of crunch at its base and a touch of cinnamon; a more toothsome sticky pudding if you will and the rare sort of dish where I ate each bite with my eyes closed and a smile on my face.Listed in: Best Pizza
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Review from Monica P.
Seattle, WA
3/25/2012
Been here a few times now and I have to say I'm a fan!! I like the small feel of the place and it's cozy. Can get crowded and parking is a bit of a struggle but it's manageable for me. Had the funghi pizza, the special croquettes with proscuitto, and a arugula salad with sunchokes. Everthing was fab! We will be making Bar Del Corso our new regular! ^_^
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Review from Juliette M.
Seattle, WA
3/11/2012
Nice place, well done design although very loud as a result. Crowd waiting for a table, food was above average and creative menu. Very nice staff. Will go again because I live so near and worth trying more things on the menu.
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Review from L H.
Seattle, WA
3/21/2012
Sadly disappointed by our new neighborhood spot. Their cocktails and small plates looked promising (the suppli al telefono were tasty) but their pizza was beyond burnt. The server was pretty nice about it...but we're sad we set such high hopes for this place!
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Review from Marlyn C.
Seattle, WA
11/29/2011
Really really delicious. The pizza itself- delicious- like Via Trib. But one thing it's got over Via Trib is delicious, complex flavors. We had a special calabrian sausage over greens that was hearty and delicious. We also had the puttanesca pizza- which if you are a fan of anchovies, you will LOVE LOVE this pizza. For dessert, we had a buttermilk panna cotta, which was amazing! The panna cotta had a creamy consistency, was drizzled with balsamic (which normally I hate it on desserts) but it almost tasted chocolately, and blueberries and raspberries. DELISH!
drawbacks: very very full. Show up early and be flexible to sit at the bar or you may wait 40+ mins. -
Review from Vicky C.
Seattle, WA
1/11/2012
A little gem in the midst of Beacon Hill. Wonderful food and atmosphere. My friends I ordered the mussels, clams, and risotto balls. Large portions for their small plates and fresh seafood! We followed up with the Puttanesca - a must have it you love the saltiness of anchovies complimenting the slight bitterness of rapini! For dessert, we enjoyed their pistachio ice cream. Our server was attentive and our water was always filled.
P.S. They serve Cafe Vita. YESSSSS! -
Review from Jacky A.
10/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am still debating on 4 - 5 stars... but I should stay for 4.
But Really Referring to Adrienne S. - HOLY HECK, BEACON HILL!!
What brings them to beacon hill? this restaurant is more a restaurant in belltown or fremont, at least there are more human traffic then beacon hill. What customers do we have here? Its quite a residential area.
The first bite of the pizza have brought me back to the feeling of italy......The food is delicious but with limited selection, presentation and the taste is really authentic, or at least it is what I have had in Italy. I tried couple of their pizzae (Funghi and Margherita) as well as Vongole alla Marinara. Clams as a starter while we are waiting for the wood-fired pizza.
I will definitely come to this place more often, seems like I have the location advantage, it is just couple blocks around my house. It is just funny how we were the only chinese family in the restaurant where beacon hill is a very asian populated residential area. Cheers for the future of bar del corso. -
Review from DeAnne E.
10/24/2011 3 photos
Street parking was easy to find. My friend and I waited about 15 minutes to be seated. While we waited outside we watched Beacon Ave drivers slow down to figure out why there were people standing outside the restaurant, we grabbed a Seattle Weekly paper and read a couple articles, and we watched passengers hop off the #36 bus.
The hostess/owner was very friendly. We were seated at the bar. Next to us were two ladies. They ordered a salad. The presentation on the plate was appealing so we asked them which one they picked. Arugula & Roasted Sunchokes.
The chalkboard on the wall had the specials menu. Daily specials can be a gamble. I saw the word "speck" which was one of the pizza ingredients. I didn't know what it was. I didn't bother asking. I was feeling adventurous.
So we went with the special pizza and the salad. Our bartender took our order. She was very friendly also. She checked on us several times to make sure we were doing ok. The salad was really good and the special pizza was different but also good. Good thing I'm not a vegetarian.
My friend and I had a great experience. We were surprised some customers dressed up...for Beacon Hill. BTW, I went to http://mariobatali.com to get the definition of speck. -
Review from Cyndi C.
9/5/2011 5 Check-ins Here
I can say without a doubt Bar del Corso is my favorite wood oven pizza in Seattle! Quality is the word that best describes!
I've been here about 4 or 5 times now, I waited for the "new opening" to subside before reviewing. As of now, there is still a bit of a line out the door at busy times (as expected for quality dining) but at least you can get a table now. If the tables are full, sitting at the bar is actually very comfortable and not awkward or teetering feeling like at some places.
Bar Del Corso consistently serves up *perfectly* crisped wood oven pies and amazing tasting side dishes. I love the atmosphere and all the old exposed wood, as well as the open feel to the restaurant. The food presentation is always great and of course WOW for the fresh flavors! There is a lot of love, thought and care going into the meals here.
The Puttanesca (pizza w/ anchovies, yes, really, try it!) is by far our favorite pie here and the heirloom tomatoes & burrata salad with lemon vinegar dressing screams "I LOVE August". Try the meatballs and you will not be dissapointed!
Do save room for dessert and try something different! I had the orange polenta cake and was amazed at the great flavors that orange zest can provide in a dessert.
Bar Del Corso could improve slightly on their bar drink selection, but hey, at least they do have the full Bar and wines served by the bottle or glass.Listed in: Pizza that's Amore!
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Review from Hannah Y.
8/11/2011
Expect to wait about an hour to be seated. This place is only open for dinner Tues -Sat so its very busy. We met up at 7pm, but were not seated until after 8.
Food - Okay. The pizza's are baked in their stone fire oven which is nice, but my Margherita Pizza was very soggy and watery. Why they don't slice these pizzas up, I have no idea (perhaps to give the diners a more unique experience of cutting it up themselves while shaking the crap out of the table?). But their Salad (had the Fig Tomato Salad) which was really delicious. They added nice firm diced tomatoes, figs, arugula, sliced radish and onions which was tossed in their vinaigrette dressing. It was crunchy, sweet, tangy - a very delightful summery kind of a salad.
Service - Our waitress was awesome. She took time to go over the specials in details and was kind enough to split the check for us at the end.
Ambiance - Nice and clean. But damn this place is incredibly noisy!!! Nothing there to absorb all the laughing and taking so we had to shout across the table to make conversation. It wasn't a huge table either.
For my meal (Fig Tomato Salad, pizza, and mineral water) it came to $22 w/out tax & tip. Considering the fact that I really loved the salad, it was a decent meal. Pizza - could have been better if it wasn't so soggy. -
Review from Mike B.
Tacoma, WA
2/13/2012
Where were you when I was growing up? I can't believe that this strip of Beacon has turned out so well! We sat at the kitchen-end of the bar and had a nice view of everything that mattered. They've got wonderful pizza and a gorgeous pizza oven in their mostly-open kitchen. Apps were decent, drinks were great, and they've even got some neighborhood hat-tips on the drinks menu if you know where to look for them.
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Review from Adrienne S.
Seattle, WA
9/22/2011
Holy heck, Beacon Hill! This and Traveler's, what else is up your sleeve?!
I'm 5 starring a place that we waited almost 45 minutes to get seated at 5pm. Because everything else was incredibly delicious/perfect/omgaah yummers/when can we go back quality.
This is the place with the custom-built, Italian born pizza oven and heck yes it delivers! I found quite noticeably how flavorful the cheese was, rich and salty and flavorful with veggies on a thin, even crust.
Being on my best behavior I ordered a few salads that blew me away. Slightly small on the portions, but still fresh and incredibly flavorful. Great drink list, nice wine selection and dessert is an absolute must. Panna cotta with berries? Perfectly light to finish off a rich dinner.
A suggestion (other than the obvious one to avoid the bitchy hostess): Why not place benches outside where people can sit and wait? It's a bit awkward waiting for a table just standing by the door. More seating for people waiting for a table would be helpful.
Can't wait to return!!Listed in: Some of the Best in Seattle!
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Review from Kayan L.
Updated - 11/18/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Second visit:
Potato and prosciutto croquets - DELICIOUS! They look like deep fried little cheese sticks, but inside it's potato, arugula, prosciutto mixed with something else. The breading is just perfect!
Mussels - plump and juicy, just the way i like em! Wish I had some bread to dip in the sauce....
Puttanesca pizza - Oh, soooo good! If you love anchovies, this is it!!
I will come back for sure!!!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/3/2011
Only tried the funghi pizza on my first visit. The crust was amazing! Sausage & mushrooms were… Read more »
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Review from Rachel G.
I have literally been counting down the days until the opening of Bar del Corso! I was checking the Beacon Hill Blog every day until they finally posted an opening date for this week!
Why is this such a big deal? Well, because Beacon is seriously lacking in restaurants and at this point, Corso is in its own class because there's nothing even close to similar in this neighborhood. I am so stoked that there is a neapolitan pizza place in my 'hood now! The prices are really great. $9 for the margherita and $12 for the fancier pizzas. Much cheaper than my beloved Via Tribunali.
The space/decor is really nice. It's a big, open space with a full view of their gorgeous pizza oven, which I hear was actually shipped from Italy. Our server was great, letting us know what she suggested and pointed us to the vegetarian options. The tomato salad was excellent, the risotto balls (!!!!) were an awesome new experience and the fresh, spreadable mozzarella on crusty bread was melt in your mouth good.
Now, here's where I was a little disappointed: I liked the appetizers better than I liked the actual pizza. That said, the pizza was still good, just not quite as good as I was expecting. I look forward to seeing how their menu changes seasonally and making this a regular spot to visit in my neighborhood.Listed in: Pizza or Bust!
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Review from Chelsea M.
Seattle, WA
8/10/2011 9 Check-ins Here
Local food at its best - great drinks, great service, great food. We loved it the first time, and loved it again the second time, and can't wait until our third time!
The style of pizza is our favorite, thin, crispy crust - awesome.
But what's even better - the super fine ingredients left to speak for themselves! Right now, you MUST have the squash blossoms - I have to control myself. When it comes to fried food, I have to admit, I am easy to please, but if you can give me fried food that feels light and airy and delicious - I am yours, for sure!
Comments from the peanut gallery - "why are you talking about the fried food - that's the only fried thing on the menu?". 'Cause I really love fried food :) But we ordered every salad on the menu, and we loved each one more than the next! Beet, Arugula/Figs, Panzanella, and the Heirloom tomato/burrata salads - in that order.
OK - enough gushing, just go - great atmosphere, great people, family friendly, locally owned, locally sourced - we L O V E it! -
Review from J R.
Seattle, WA
8/12/2011
First, let me repeat what many others have said. I am very excited to have an authentic pizzeria on Beacon Hill! We have waited way too long for such a restaurant to grace us...
This was my first visit here. We (5 adults, 2 kids) were here on a Tuesday, 8/9, and arrived there just before 6pm. The place wasn't packed...yet.
To start, we enjoyed well executed house cocktails (all $8) in stemless martini glasses as we perused the highly-focused menu.
What we ordered:
--Baccala Mantecato
--Vongole alla Marinara
--Suppli al Telefono
--Fried Squash Blossoms (on the board special)
--Arugula & Fresh Fig Salad
--Heirloom Tomatoes & Burrata
--Margherita (2)
--Funghi
--Puttanesca
--Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries
--Espresso Straciatella Gelato
--2 bottles of wine (reasonably priced! $31 & $33)
The dining room couldn't be more perfect. Airy, with large windows and an ambience well-suited for the pizzeria. As the crowd gathered around the bar to wait for a seat, it grew louder but at the same time convivial; it felt as if this place had been here all along. By 7pm, the place was packed...on a Tuesday!
Everyone in our party is a foodie (all have food and wine backgrounds). The small plates to start were divine. The Baccala was creamy, lightly charred around the edges thanks to the wood-fired oven imported from Napoli served with grilled crostini. The Vognole was savory and delicious. The clams perfectly cooked and not chewy. Plenty of broth--forget about bread, just pick the bowl up and drink it! The risooto balls were a deep golden brown and beautifully crisp. As we cut into one, the cheese oozed meltingly out. Hedonistically divine. And those delectable squash blossoms? They were stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies--cripsy then creamy with a salty finish.
Pizzas are exactly what they were supposed to be. Chewy, lightly charred; I think they are a little bit larger than the competition.
Just go. -
Review from Hai Yen N.
Seattle, WA
7/28/2011
A fantastic open space with large windows and hardwood floors. The wines, linens, and silverware are laid out on open shelving, which reminds me very much of a home kitchen.
The pizza was good, not great. I found the crust a bit too tough for my liking and cutting into it with a knife and fork was an upper body workout. The toppings, however, were flavorful and fresh. We shared two pies: a funghi (crimini mushrooms, sausage made in-house, cherry tomatoes and pecorino and fontina) and a fiore di zucca (pesto, zucchini flowers, zucchini, caramelized onions and mozzarella).
I usually don't order dessert but the orange polenta cake with rhubarb compote and fresh whipped cream was too tempting to resist. The tartness of the rhubarb contrasted perfectly with the rich cake and cream. It was sublime.
Service was very warm and friendly but a little bit slow. We also waited nearly 40 minutes for our table, and we came on a Wednesday night. I suggest putting your name down and going for a walk around the neighborhood or having a drink at El Quetzal down the street while you wait. -
Review from Carey T.
Seattle, WA
11/18/2011
First of all, when I heard the old Beacon Pub was going to be a pizza place, I was excited. Truth be told, this is no ordinary pizza joint. I adore what they have done with the space, it is so gorgeous. (The pub was a total dump) Ive had dinner here a few times now, so 've been able to sample a variety of items. The pizza is pretty good, but I really dig the salads and nightly (small plate) specials. (They dont have pasta,which is the only reason I didnt give them 5 stars) The service is friendly and very neighborhoody feeling. The place is always packed and a great spot for a date.
I'm hoping they will add some sort of outdoor seating when spring rolls around. I love that they have a full bar and yummy beers on tap.
Give them a try, just be prepared for a 10-30 minute wait for a table, they have quite a fan club! -
Review from Ian B.
12/20/2011
This is one of the better new Italian joints in the Seattle area. I'd say that it compares pretty well to Tutta Bella with Italian-style pizzas and some delicious gourmet appetizers...one had a fried squash or sweet potatoe. I've forgotten the Italian name... Judging by all the people who were there, the word is out about how good this place is. I was surprised to find so many people at a hidden location in Beacon Hill...
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Review from Levecke M.
Seattle, WA
7/8/2011
My husband and I went to their "Soft opening" last night.
It was a limited menu for the soft opening of selected pizzas and what seems like not yet their full beer and wine selection.
This place is beautiful.
Their pizza's were GORGEOUS.
We had a fava bean and sausage and other delicious toppings and a puttanesca.--our mouths were in heaven.
Get your booty over to this place and eat!, eat! eat!
I think they official open....July 12th??? -
Review from Gabriela S.
Seattle, WA
1/24/2012
Yum! I love wood fired pizza and am a huge fan of Delancey and Serious Pie. This place beats them both. The pizza is as good as Delancey, which says a lot, but they also have more of a variety of small plates and starters. We had a couple of starters and a pizza and loved all of it. The only warning is the same at any good pizzeria, be prepared to wait... but worth every minute.
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Review from Neilson E.
Seattle, WA
7/15/2011
My favorite Neapolitan pizza in Seattle. A few steps better than Via Tribunali and Tuta Bella, closer to Veraci (although I have yet to try Pizzeria Pulcinella). If you look up Platonic Idealism in the dictionary I'm pretty sure there will be a recipe for Bar Del Corso's pizza crust. Great flavor and perfect balance between crunch and softness. Nice puffy pockets with a few charred blisters. Fantastic. The sauce has just a slight tang and the tomato flavor was very nice. I tried the standard Margherita but did not get it with buffalo mozzarella although you can for an extra $2.
The inside of the restaurant is very nice. Nothing over the top, just nice, fairly simple with a pleasant warm feeling to it. Considering what used to be there it's impressive what they did in such a short amount of time.
Their beer selection was limited to 3 choices, but 3 very fine choices. The Panzenella salad was quite good. The heirloom tomatoes used very judged very good by a member of our dining party who knows a good tomato. One appetizer, a special consisting of melon, fig and thinly sliced Italian ham was good but the presentation wasn't all that imaginative. The only nit.
The service was very good from the greeter to the bar tender to every server. Their attention to our table, despite it recently opening and being totally packed in there, was spot on.
Finally, the fact that this place is on Beacon Hill makes it even more fantastic. -
Review from Jason A.
Seattle, WA
7/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
I like to reseve 5 stars for world-class, so 4 stars is a really excellent rating from me.
Really excellent, particularly for being open only a few short days.
Service was pleasant at all times, although too slow toward the end. The restaurant was packed and the servers were working hard but overwhelmed with volume. One more server and this problem will be solved.
The Panzanella salad was excellent, tomatoes very ripe, possibly heirloom. The bread was grilled and soaked up the dressing appropriately, without falling apart.
The meatballs were excellent. Rosemary in the sauce, and the sauce was a solid 10/10, they should offer it over pasta! The rosemary really added a great aromatic dimension to the sauce.
The marinara pizza was really great. The sauce was very potent and a thin application packed lots of flavor. There was thinly sliced garlic on top, not burned and perfectly cooked. Very mild application of chili flake. The crust was cooked just about perfect, with about 25% black char on the bottom and about 40% on the crust. Note, we ordered ours "well done," and I'd suggest you do the same. Otherwise, this pie would have been undercooked.
The puttanesca pizza was also very good, again the sauce was judiciously but effectively applied and potent. Nice anchovy and spice flavor. The bottom of the pie was undercooked, none it charred as I believe a "well done" neopolitan pie should be. Same with the crust. So, I was a little disappointed in this one.
Dessert consisted of a really marvelous rhubarb compote and polenta cake, simple and flavorful. Really great.
The bill was great. The value is here. We left feeling we paid a very fair price! A rarity in Seattle. I am not cheap, I've (stupidly) spent over $1000 on a meal for two, but I do want value in my meal whatever the cost.
The obvious question is how does it compare to Delancy pizza? I'm sure you are wondering. In the sauce category, I'd say Bar Del Corso is an equal, possibly a superior by a hair. In the crust category - and I think the crust is the most important frankly - not as good as DeLancy pizza. The Bar Del Corso crust needs more char, and I think it is 20% too dense. I would have liked to see a lighter yet chewier crust, and a slightly crisper bottom even in the well done version.
This is not to disparage Bar Del Corso. In fact, given the great value, the convenient location to my West Seattle locale, and the fact that they are performing so well only a few days after opening, I will be back and most probably will choose Bar Del Corso over Delancy.
A big plus: the wait was a reasonable 15 minutes. Not so at Delancy where much longer waits are expected. -
Review from David A.
Portland, OR
9/18/2011
Visited Bar Del Corso yesterday evening for a bite to eat with a friend who lives in the Beacon Hill neighborhood.
The atmosphere was lively and cheerful. A simple layout of a single room with a long bar on the right leading your eyes to the dome shaped pizza oven sitting on a higher tier than the dining floor. The open kitchen was a buzz with their team members hustling to make meals and serve the "at capacity" crowd.
The greeter was friendly, took down our name and proceeded to help us get a pre-dinner beverage from the bar. (this is contrary to the review in the Stranger and other reviews, so maybe they paid attention and made changes). It was a Saturday night so we expected to wait a while, yet surprisingly enough we were seated before we were halfway through our beverages.
The menu is focused on pizza with small plates and salads. We started out with an order of meatballs and croquettes. The croquettes were delicious, perfectly crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside. The meatballs had good flavor and were a nice start. We also wanted to try the risotto balls but there were out of them that evening so we'll have to go back and try again :)
Soon after the little plates arrived the two pizzas we ordered showed up. The dough was the type of pizza dough I really enjoy. Thin yet it could hold its own with the toppings and not completely fall apart. It was chewy and the special oven they brought in from Italy created those awesome burnt little pockets on the exterior of the pie. The amount of toppings, the quality and flavors were all above expectations.
As for the service it's what you want from a small neighborhood location. Our server was personable and attentive as needed. She was knowledgeable of the menu and checked back with us just often enough to make sure we weren't waiting for her for a beverage.
I hope that they add pasta dishes to their menu because it would be nice to have an entree selection other than pizza.
I definitely give them two thumbs up for their restaurant and will be back with friends. If you are looking to get away from Capitol Hill for an evening, take the short trip to Beacon HIll and enjoy an hour or so at Bar Del Corso.
