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Cafe Vignole
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
9252 57th Ave S(between S Rainier Ave & S Waters Ave)
Seattle, WA 98118
Neighbourhood: Rainier Beach
(206) 721-2267
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Fri 5 pm - 10:30 pm
Sat 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
68 reviews for Cafe Vignole
Review Highlights
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"Of course, one must get the black eyed pea cake." In 15 reviews -
"Great pear salad and awesome gnocchi." In 12 reviews -
"Flavorful ribs that fell off the bone." In 3 reviews
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68 reviews in English
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Review from Chiri E.
3/4/2012 2 Check-ins Here
A hole in the wall...! if it wasn't for Yelp, I would not have ever found this place!!
+++ Excellent calamari and grilled portabella mushroom, hefty pour of wine.
Pasta with meat sauce was cheesy and delicious! -
Review from k v.
Seattle, WA
3/24/2012
First off, the owner was extremely rude.
I showed up a few minutes before the other five people in my party, and waited by the front door. The owner was all up in my face, and when I said I didn't know if we had a reservation or whose name it was in, he straight up told me to leave! I have never been so rudely treated within the first 60 seconds of walking into a restaurant -- actually being told to leave! If I wasn't meeting a group (who HAD in fact made a reservation), I would have walked away and never returned.
The spaghetti dish I ordered was bland at best. It was the basic, spaghetti and red sauce, which I ordered because I didn't want a bunch of meat, nor a rich cream sauce, which were the only other options. My $15 spaghetti was worse than what I can make at home for myself for $2.
The only reason I'm giving two stars is because the stuff my friends ordered was good: gnocchi, meatballs, chicken fettucine, etc, which I sampled bites of. But it doesn't matter. The fact that the owner was a total jerk and my meal was as bland as paste means my original impression was correct: I will be walking away and never returning. -
Review from Betsy T.
2/12/2012
So promising, but failed to deliver. I love good Italian good and have been searching a restaurant that reminds me of food I've eaten in other cities. Unless they were just having an off night, Cafe Vignole is not that place.
The food was disappointing after the bread, which was chewy and fresh, and perfect with olive oil and a little dash of salt. The portobello appetizer with provolone cheese came out lukewarm, and did not have any remarkable flavor to it. (Compare with the mushroom bruschetta at La Vita e Bella, which is really flavorful and delicious). We ordered the penne with sausage, and bucatini with pancetta and sweet peppers. Neither the penne nor the bucatini tasted freshly made, especially the bucatini, which was very 1.99/box. I was disappointed with the bucatini's sauce, which tasted overwhelmingly of tomato and had none of the pancetta or sweet pepper flavor that I had expected. The pancetta also got lost in the dish, and tasted more like salty leavings from a short-rib dish.
We also ordered wine, but our first choice was not available. Since the wine list is not extensive, and we went early on a Friday night, it seemed like poor planning. Service was friendly, but did not add to the experience or take away the disappointment from the food. I definitely won't be inclined to make the drive out any time soon. -
Review from Larry M.
Lynnwood, WA
4/26/2012
We had a very special meal. There were so many courses thrown at me I had trouble keeping track. The calamari and portobello appetizer with provolone cheese were especially good. They did a marvelous job on the snapper and the lemon cake desert was very good. I would come back here again and will.
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Review from Quinn I.
Seattle, WA
1/3/2012
This is one of those places that truly lived up to its Yelp reputation. We went here a weekend ago for dinner and I have ti say it was pretty much perfect. Yes, you will feel like you are driving down some back street in the ghetto to get there, but once you're inside the food and cozy atmosphere truly make up for it. We ended up having two different types of pasta (Try the Gnocchi!) at the lovely waitress's suggestion, and the bread that was served before our meal was literally right out of the oven.
To top it off, those of us in the restaurant that night were practically serenaded by the Italian owner while he sang along to the music. Perfection. -
Review from Tarah M.
1/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
Cafe Vignole is one of those best kept secrets that you hope gets enough attention to stay in business, but not too much where success might make it turn into those pretentious places I avoid like the plague.
I was greeted warmly by the waiter with a fantastic accent and he seemed to know my parents as a couple of his regulars. He gave us a delcious glass of their house red which paired wonderfully with my stuffed Portabello. Tender and full of flavor, I ate that all up! However, the star of the show was their seafood special which was pan-seared ling cod with spinach and fingerling potatoes. I've never had fish melt in my mouth like that. It was sooooo good!! Seasoning was perfect and everything was oh, so good!
Perfect touch was having them give us a slice of their mouthwatering lemon cake as a birthday dessert for my dad. The gesture alone was nice, but that cake....wow. Had me thinking about it before I went to sleep that night..yeah it was that good.
Food and service this top notch makes hope that Cafe Vignole will be in business for years. -
Review from dub n.
Seattle, WA
2/18/2012
Alright Ill be nice, give um 5 stars again. Prob like 4.5 tho because 1 year ago they were making AMAZING, now they are just amazing, gotta stick w/ the specials And order $28 bottle wine instead of 4 glasses @ 7$ - Barera Vino. Remember don't order too much, Italian food is filling, so was the free bread Chiri kept eating. Winnaz.
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Review from SeaKat K.
Seattle, WA
10/12/2011
Love it!!! Go!!!
Great atmosphere, top notch personal service (usually the owner). A menu thats not too small or too big but just right, enough choices to please a diverse group. The pastas have always been amazing with tasty sauces. Salads are good. There is usually a fish special that I have a hard time passing up and I've never been disappointed. Sorry, am I gushing? ... I should have just stopped at the beginning ... Love it !!! Go!!! -
Review from Char T.
Seattle, WA
7/31/2011
So I found this restaurant on yelp and with all the great reviews I just had to check it out. My boyfriend and I were planning to go out to dinner with my mom so I called and made reservations for the next day. The man who answered the phone sounded very nice and had an awesome Italian accent. I was very excited since we love authentic Italian food.
When we showed up the next day (my mom had come extremely out of the way to meet us) and we were a little turned off by the neighborhood, especially my mom who is a little hard to please and skeptical. We walked up to the door and there was a paper sign which read "Cafe Vignole is closed today". I was shocked and my mom was very angry and went on and on about how going to these small hole in the wall businesses was never a good idea.. yada, yada, yada... I assured her they had amazing reviews but she didn't believe me.
We ended up going to Olive Garden and had a very lovely dinner there.
I didn't even get to eat at Cafe Vignole but for now I'm giving them two stars until I actually go try their food some day. The fact that we made reservations and the restaurant just closed for no apparent reason is very unprofessional. I know they didn't take down my number at reservation time but maybe they should change business practices by actually taking down numbers so that they can call and let people know when they will be randomly closing during dinner time on a weekday. -
Review from Marc M.
6/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have only been to this restaurant one time which was with a large group of people and was thoroughly impressed by the quality of food and service that we received. From the outside you wouldn't think much of the place, but as we all know, these often turn out to be those hidden gems that you wish were on every street corner instead of all those fast food joints.
Our group ordered family style so were able to try a really good variety of dishes and the quality of the food here was very good. From the fall off the bone ribs to the amazing gnocchi that everyone was raving about this was an outstanding meal. One of the groups' other favorite items was the pear salad with blue cheese and a vinaigrette dressing.
The atmosphere was very intimate although it was to the point of being a little cramped, but that might have also been because we were such a large group. The staff here handled our group pretty well as they scrambled to get all of our dishes out as quickly as they could. Not sure if I would want to have a big group here again, but I would say this is an ideal spot for a nice quiet dinner date or just hanging out with a couple close friends.Listed in: UYE's
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Review from DeAnne E.
5/22/2011 2 photos
As if it was plucked from Italy and dropped in Rainier Beach. The restaurant ambiance and decor will transport you to a different country without a passport. I don't think many southenders know about this Italian restaurant because many went to Vince's. Since Vince's closed I think people are either going to Southcenter or Columbia City for Italian food.
Café Vignole's menu is authentic. I had the Ravioli al Pomodoro e Basilico (Ravioli with tomato sauce and Basil) & Insalata di Pera (Pear Salad). The salad was large and I shared it with another person. The ravioli was satisfying. Friends at our table ordered off of the special menu and one of the items was the crab ravioli dish. Another friend from our table ordered the snapper fish dish. Everyone enjoyed their food. Service was great. Our water was always filled and the owner was very friendly.
Any restaurant or employee who makes me feel like family is good in my book. -
Review from Corrine C.
Seattle, WA
12/31/2011
I am in love with the gnocchi here. It is RIDICULOUSLY good. There's no other way to say it. I could eat it all day long... In addition to the gnocchi, we also tried the pear salad, appetizer platter, pasta, and ribs. Good amount of food for 4 adults and 1 kiddo. Everything was quite tasty! Thanks to reading the Yelp reviews, I ordered a piece of the black eye pea cake which was really good too. Not too sweet, which I really enjoyed. It is a bit pricey but the quality of the food was worth it. I also loved the musician that was performing that night. We were seated directly in front of him so it made it a tad hard for conversation with the other couple but since the music was so good... I ended up singing along with him! I'm looking forward to coming back here and trying some other dishes! YUMMY!
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Review from Kate S.
2/10/2011 ROTD 12/25/2011
Mmmm.... Gorgonzola Gnocchi.
Ah yes, Cafe Vignole. Solid 4 1/2 stars. Im sure this will hit 5 in no time.
You walk in and think you are being welcomed by an extra from the Sopranos. This guy's accent is thick (and so is his chest hair). But he is friendly, attentive, and the quintessential Italian. He''ll make you feel like you are at home.
(Gorgonzola Gnocchi.)
This place is small, but very cute. Granted I was part of a large UYE party (about 25 of us...I think?) so the seating arrangements were banquet table like. Im sure on a less auspicious occasion with a smaller party the seating would be spacious and comfortable. Given the fact I was nestled right next to a large group of yelpers, I can't complain about tight quarters. The other diners looked more than fine.
(Gorgonzola Gnocchi.)
I also have to say I love how this place is decorated. You have semi-dim lighting over all sorts of custom artwork that we will call...eclectic. Zombies getting eaten by a giant fish? A super skinny chicken? More fish and some interesting looking portraits? It's all there and it is all great.
(Gorgonzola Gnocchi.)
Then the food! The food!!! I was lucky enough to be treated to a "family style" meal when basically all the "big dishes" from the menu were served. A brilliant pear salad. Flavorful ribs that fell off the bone! I picked that sucker clean (and I don't normally like ribs). A wonderful white fish sauteed in some sort of citrus and capers. It was moist and firm and delicious. Ravioli with a surprisingly flavorful and yummy marinara. And my favorite, the Gorgonzola Gnocchi. They were perfect little potato pillows drenched in plate-licking good gorgonzola cream sauce and topped with walnuts. I could eat that every day for the rest of my life and be happy. (Fat....but happy).
And don't forget dessert! The owner was kind enough to give us a sample tray -- with an amazing tiramisu, and lovely red velvet cake, and the star treat; the black-eyed pea cake. It is what everyone says it is - spicy, sweet, and not too rich. A definite must have.
My only complaint was the service was slow -- but there were 25 of us. We always had water and bread at the table, so we weren't overlooked -- I think the kitchen just had troubles keeping up.
Im planning on going back very soon.
Cuz I want some more of that gorgonzola gnocchi.Listed in: The quickest way to my…, Noodles, Tootin' My Own Horn
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Review from Jen B.
I went here with a group of Yelpers and had a blast! We ate family style and there was something for everybody- vegetarian and carnivores alike.
When my partner in crime, and the last of the stragglers arrived, the waiter immediately got the wine and bread to our end of the table. This is very important folks, and because everything was being cooked fresh, there was a wait. I think there were only two people working that night (cook and waiter) so this was no small feat and nobody wants a bunch of loud, hungry people waiting, therefore we must be subdued with wine and bread.
Most of the appetizer plates had all veggie dishes, except for one meat which I liked, and the bread was steaming hot and fresh. I ate the pear salad, gnocchi, whitefish(?), bread (yes, I liked the bread, OK!). Nothing was smothered in sauce as so many faux Italian places like to do. This meal was simple and had great flavors.
Negative: Because I don't drive, the location really stinks.
Positive: Service, food and atmosphere. -
Review from Gorman E.
2/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
***GODFATHER FAMILY STYLE****
Our Yelper mafia of 25 ate family style here...forgetaboutit.
Do you have faith in my judgement?
Do I have your loyalty?
Then be a friend to Cafe Vignole.
Pros:
Generous pours of wine and the two kinds of bread dip in olive oil & balsamic vinegar
Pear Salad - the vinaigrette dressing was addicting top by gorgonzola cheese
Ribs - The meat was so tender and flavorful
Gnocchi - The richness of the sauce combine with a soft texture of goodness, I kind of like it al dente
Ravoli - It was stuffed with spinach with a fresh tomato sauce.
Red Snapper fish - butterly flakey moist.
Black eyed pea cake was tasty but I didn't care for the Red Velvet or Tiramisu...too much cream not enough layers.
Cons:
Small dining area
Hard to find location but plenty of parking on the streets.
The endless walk ins from random people can be annoying meal experience
Overall the food was amazing while the owner did his best to take care of us even if he was getting overwhelmed by us 25 yelpers. I thought it was a great dinner family style when we only paid $35 a person for such a great meal. My hats off to Clover for setting this up and a wonderful time.
TIP: If you on a diet, do sit by D because he will eat all the food so you can control your portions. If you want a romantic, ask for the table by the window since it is far enough away to be on your own island and away from noise of loud yelpers like us. lol -
Review from Liz M.
While I may be an Italia-phile, I am generally not an Italian food snob and have been known to eat at Olive Garden on rare occasion. That said, I can distinguish between good, relatively authentic Italian food and Italian junk food. As the other reviews convey, Vignole falls into the former category.
Our large group took over the restaurant (sorry if you were one of the handful of other people who made the mistake of coming in last night) and hopefully the owner isn't regretting his decision to let us in the door because I'd really like to go back! We dined family-style with a pre-set menu, which was a brilliant idea as the kitchen couldn't keep up even with these simplifications. I dread to think how managing 25 disparate orders would have turned out. Our tables were laden with water, red wine, and bread with oil and vinegar to start. Then came an antipasti plate with a variety of nibbles including beets, mozzarella, and a few other items I've forgotten. The salad with pears and a vinaigrette was among my most favorite items of the night. Delicious!
Then came a really long delay as the kitchen worked on the entrees. I don't really hold this against the restaurant as serving a crazy group of demanding Yelpers can challenge the most organized and speedy of restaurants. And the owner did a great job coming around the tables and making sure we had water, etc. to keep us going.
The entrees were, in order of favorite to least:
*ribs - tender and yummy. The meat just fell off the bone.
*gnocchi - YUM! Gave the ribs a run for the money, but didn't care for the sensation of them sticking to the roof of my mouth. I'll deal with it to eat more of the yummys though.
*ravoli - stuffed with spinach I think, in a fresh tomato sauce. Very good.
*fish - also good, but not sure we should have finished with the fish as it wasn't as impressive as the other dishes for me.
And finally dessert. Oh my word. Tiramisu, one of the better ones I've found outside of Italy (ok, I'm a tiramisu snob, I admit it!). Red velvet cake, which isn't a traditional Italian dessert, but when it's this tasty, who cares? And the star of the evening: black eyed pea cake. I never knew any kind of pea could be turned into a dessert, let alone one so delicious. It reminded me of a spice cake, and if I hadn't already been so full, I'm not sure my neighbors would have gotten to try any.
I've been looking forward to trying this place for awhile now, and I'm happy to say that it did not disappoint in the slightest. -
Review from Peter T.
2/11/2011 ROTD 9/24/2011
I was here with a big group of Yelpers for a UYE, and I have to say, this is my kind of place. Cafe Vignole is a nondescript location in the Rainier Valley in a really great neighborhood. I had to walk to find an ATM and walked past a barbershop that looked like something right out of, well, "Barbershop". This is a real vibrant and diverse neighborhood and while some folks might find that to be a bit intimidating at times, I think it's fantastic. Anyway, I digress.
Cafe Vignole is a real neighborhood type restaurant. One can't help but feel like they've been teleported into an oldskool Italian "legitimate businessman's club" somewhere on the East Coast. The decor is old and burnished and a mix of modern and eclectic pop art of the 50's/60's/70's graces the walls. It's dimly lit and would be romantic, though being surrounded by the stabbing forks and spoons of my fellow yelpers is not the most romantic scene.
The food was quite good, we were treated to selection of dishes from the friendly and accomodating proprietor. There was some delay in getting food to the table but we were a huge group and by all appearances this is a two person operation. We tasted the anitpasto platter (delicious with herbs, olives, marinated mushrooms, beets, etc), a lovely pear and blue cheese salad with crushed pistachio, gnocci with gorgonzola (my favorite, the gnocci was light but with just the right amount of texture), ricotta stuffed ravioli with marina (really nice), and for desert a selection of tiramisu, red velvet cake, and the black eyed pea cake (all really good, Kira had the most promiscuous tiramisu spoon I've ever seen). All in all, my wife and I had a fantastic time, enjoyed the food, and would definitely go back again. -
Review from Meghan F.
Seattle, WA
2/26/2011
I've been dying to try this hidden little gem near my house and it was everything I had hoped for! Small, quaint, and an owner/waiter/bartender/chef who was charming and perfect. I almost hope nobody reads this review so that I can keep this restaurant my own little secret.
First off-really good Italian food. Really good. Limited menu which I love, give me a few great choices, offer fresh specials, and make a recommendation. I'd venture to say it's the best Italian I've had in Seattle.
We started off with the Grilled Romaine and Shrimp Salad. It was definitely large enough for the two of us to share, and had this fantastic house made dressing. A bit like Caesar, pink in color, and just the tiniest kick of heat.
I had the pasta special of the evening-Lobster Ravioli. I have to say it's probably one of the best Lobster Ravioli dishes I've ever had. The pasta was perfectly cooked, stuffed full of Lobster (no fillers!!!), with just the lightest amount of sauce. If I had to make one critique, I'd say a bit more sauce but really it was as close to perfect as possible.
My husband had the Rigatoni-I think he won! It was so flavorful, chocked full of a 3 meat combo, sweet tomatoes and again-perfectly cooked pasta. It was amazing!
The wine list was limited and great pricing on bottles. The Pinot Grigio had a slight carbonation, very good! I love when the waiter brings the bottle to the table and pours right in front of you-it's the little touches!
Oh and how can I not mention the desert-Red Velvet Cake with cream cheese frosting and marbling throughout! DELISH!
Price wise it's right in the middle-$15-$20 per entree, so although it's not an every week stop, it's definitely not a special occasion price point either.
I love this place, and I'll definitely be back again very soon! -
Review from Sandie L.
2/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Decor!
Food!
Rainier Beach!
Small Business Owned!
Customer Service!...
what more is needed?...
Excellent pear blue cheese pistachio sald and to die for gnochhi in a creamy sauce... yumMEEEEE!
This is a one of kind spots... I love that its a small owned business, cute "hole in the wall", great food, and friendly authentic service.
You will not be disappointed by your experience here! -
Review from Melody P.
Another great experience with Yelpers, The UYE Italian dinner! Thanks Clover for setting it up! And, I was happy to see Jennifer L there :-)
$35 (with tips) family style Italian food: One glass of red wine, 5 different appetizers, 2 kinds of breads, Pear Salad with Gorgonzola cheese, Gnocchi, Ravoli, Ribs, Fish, and Trio desserts.
I feel that the owner might have been overwhelmed with about 20-25 of Yelpers and 2 or 3 other tables of customers. However, he insisted to take of us. And, he really tried to keep up with the group.
My favorite dishes of the night were: Gnocchi and Pear Salad with Gorgonzola cheese. The Gnocchi was cooked just right (not tough and not soggy). The cheese sauce was very smooth and tasty. Pear Salad came with vinaigrette dressing and gorgonzola cheese was really good. And, I am out of words to describe that!Listed in: UYE Dinner
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Review from Ane P.
2/8/2011
Now this is where you imagine dining when you think of authentic Italian fare.
Hidden right off of Rainier Ave, it's in an unsuspecting location--but perfect in every way. The owner is from Lucca and has a great big inviting personality. He personally serves many of the patrons, and you can hear him singing from the kitchen. Our pasta was al dente, perfect with each bite. The dessert--oh the dessert. Choices of black eyed pea cake, red velvet cake, tiramisu... many of the desserts are baked by the owner's mother. Super moist, not overly sweet, and just all-around fantastic!
Now that I read that there is a Brasilian singer performing on certain days, there is even more incentive to dine here! -
Review from Clover A.
11/22/2010 4 Check-ins Here
This is some of the best Italian food I've ever had.
That it's within stumbling distance from my home is another huge bonus, but even if it was all the way across town, this place would get a big 5 stars.
The food is fresh, amazingly handcrafted and tastes delicious.
The selections vary but the standards are as good as the specials, and the love and care put into each dish is evident with every bite.
The restaurant is cozy, and I do admit the Jazz on the weekends is fun but not conversation inducing as the noise level gets high. There is also some delays occasionally between arriving, getting your food and paying the bill, but there are such generous pours when it comes to the fantastic wine list, you may not mind the lingering.
And remember, the desserts are as amazing as the food so plan to hang out and save a bit of room, it's best to view this as a marathon, not a sprint.Listed in: These are a few of my favorite…
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Review from Jens J.
10/15/2010
A small neighborhood restaurant with a no-frills ambiance. It's not upscale by any stretch of the imagination.
I can recommend two dishes with enthusiasm: the red snapper with capers and lemon sauce, and for dessert, the black-eyed pea cake. Actually, the red snapper was a special and might not always be available.
The black-eyed pea cake is very similar to carrot cake. It's delicious, incredibly moist and has a perfect, not overlysweet frosting. After enjoying, Penny told the owner/waiter/manager how wonderful the cake was, and asked if he had made the cake. He stated that, no, actually, his mother-in-law had made the cake. When Penny said he should tell her how great the cake was, he smiled, sort of strutted and said, "I think she already knows."
The hot-from-the-oven complimentary rustic bread was superb. On this night, though the menu states soup can be had, the owner warned patrons as they entered that soup was not available.
The antipasto Toscano appetizer had some nice components, like finely shaved eggplant and zucchini. On this plate too were green olives, beets, salami, and cheese. However, everything was literally swimming in a ridiculous amount of oil and also covered with an amazingly heavy layer of chopped parsley and basil. Because of all the oil, we couldn't finish the dish.
The owner was funny because he tried to spoon the uneaten items onto our plates when he came to take away the appetizer plate, and we had to somewhat forcibly say "No" to stop him.
I ordered the rib-eye steak. If you love pureed beef liver smeared on your steak, then topped with thin little squares of a semi-melted white cheese, well here you go! It wasn't my thing however. I didn't like the thyme-choked (and oily) potatoes and broccoli.
I was a little offput that it took a very long time for our entrees to appear, and that a couple who arrived a half hour after us, but were obviously regulars, received their entrees well before we did. On the other hand, prices were reasonable.
Yelp indicates that Vignole takes reservations. They are completely unnecessary on a weeknight. -
Review from Cheshire R.
Seattle, WA
12/1/2010
A true gem. Cafe Vignole is a bit far south of our regular haunts, but worth the effort. They are serious about the 'intimate Tuscan feel' to the place - like you dropped a piece of Italy in the middle of the south end.
The food is amazing, the music is local and talented, and the owner has that wonderful european charm we treasure when we can find it in the US. -
Review from Eric M.
New York, NY
2/8/2012
Hours listed are incorrect. The restaurant was closed at 9:00 pm on a Tuesday.
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Review from Eliana M.
Mercer Island, WA
10/5/2011
Yes, it's overpriced (at least for my wallet) particular when you consider the location. But that's all made up for by the delicious yet unpretentious food and charming host/owner.
The roasted pear salad is a must and those gnocchi... yikes, just stuff me with 'em until I explode.
Hmmm.. think I'll go see how much is in the piggy bank for another visit to Vignole... -
Review from carrie L. B.
Seattle, WA
5/24/2010 ROTD 1/8/2011
According to the Google Translator the Vignole in Cafe Vignole means: Vignole.
Well that was helpful. Time to check a different source.
According to the Carrie L. B. Translator the Vignole in Cafe Vignole means: delicious, well prepared Italian classics served in a cozy unexpectedly welcoming setting.
We started with a lovely antipasti platter that could have easily fed the three of us dinner, but we're a buncha pigs, what can I say? So we also had the grilled pear salad, two different pasta dishes and a wonderful chicken marsala piati.
There, that's a much better translation and very accurate too, I might add. -
Review from Lindsay W.
Seattle, WA
7/23/2010
There are very few upscale Italian restaurants where the quality of the food justifies the price - but this is one of those places.
It's really small, so definitely make reservations if you want to eat at a peak time on Friday or Saturday. It's in a kind of sketchy location, but I think that adds to the ambiance....makes it seem more authentic.
The two times we've been here the owner is the only one waiting tables - he's really cool and does his job well. I highly recommend ordering a bottle of wine - for $30 you'll get a bottle of one of the tastiest reds you've ever drank. Just ask the owner for a recommendation.
The crusty bread they serve at the start of the meal is amazing, and they have oil and balsamic vinegar already out on the table. Yum.
Since I'm vegetarian, I can only speak for those entrees, but my dining companions have had the meat dishes and raved about those as well. The best was the tomato, basil, and mozzarella gnocchi that was on special one day. A. Mazing.
Their salads are great - BIG! If you aren't having one for your meal definitely split one between two or three people. We had gorgonzola on ours and it was the smelly fresh kind, shaved off of a big block, as opposed to the packaged crumbles. The care they put into the ingredients in something as simple as a salad really makes everything shine.
They have Southern-themed desserts, like red velvet and black bean cakes. You can definitely tell everything is homemade with care.
Great place for a date, to take visitors, or if you want to hang out with your friends for a few hours over good food and wine. -
Review from Omkar M.
Redmond, WA
10/9/2011
Simple small place. Great food! Surely worth visiting again.
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Review from Daren D.
5/3/2010 1 photo
Thanks to Yelp, it's SO much easier to find these hidden gems---especially in the stereotypical ghetto SE Seattle 'hoods. ;)
As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by a gentleman with a strong italian accent and totally felt like I was in Italianville! Told him i just noticed this place and he brought me a menu to peek at. I decided to stay and eat, so took a seat at a table. You get the usual BOV (bread+[olive] oil+vinegar?) and can ask for more. After some perusing, he tells me some specials and I pick the gnocchi. Beforehand, I had low expectations since gnocchi isn't really my cup o' tea (too cheesy/gooey), but I wanted to try it with the cilantro/green onion and crushed walnuts. It was pretty tasty; now, if I was a gnocchi aficionado, I may love it. The menu is amazing, do want to come back for those.
Another sweet gem in the area, like others have mentioned. And might notice some regulars while you're there, too. ;)Listed in: Southeast Seattle
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Review from Libby and David M.
Seattle, WA
1/10/2010
We HIGHLY recommend this restaurant!
We came here for our 1st wedding anniversary, and we have been back several times since. This is our "special treat" restaurant.
The first time we came here we went all-out, ordering an appetizer, salads, main courses, desserts, wine, and coffee. The portions are a pretty good size, and we ended up having to take some of everything (except dessert) home.
The grilled portabella is wonderful, as is the bruschetta. In fact, theirs is the first bruschetta I've ever had that is made with soft bread. It soaks up all the flavors, and it doesn't cut your mouth when you eat it.
The grilled pear is our favorite salad. The pears are grilled perfectly and the salad is covered with plenty of blue cheese and sweet walnuts that are ground to almost a sand-like texture. David also likes the grilled romaine salad. I would have never thought about grilling romaine, but it works. It also has shrimp and a nice dressing on it.
David is a big-time carnivore and I'm vegetarian. He almost always goes for something with lots of meat, like the ribs, which he said were amazing and fell right off the bones. I had the ravioli the first time we came in, and I noticed that there weren't any other vegetarian items on the menu. When I asked the owner about this, he told me he was open to making something special next time I came in. So, when we went there for David's birthday I called a few days ahead and asked if they could make gnocchi gorgonzola. They made it one of the specials for the night, and it was delicious. In fact, I called ahead to order the same thing the next time we came in.
By the way, everything is made from scratch here, even the gnocchi.
We're suckers for red velvet cake - we even had it at our wedding. The first time we came in, for our wedding anniversary, we tried both the red velvet and the black eyed pea cake. Both were delicious. When the owners found out it was our anniversary, they gave us another dessert for free! They gave us tiramisu, which neither of us had ever been fans of before. However, this was incredible. The best tiramisu we've ever had. We had to order it the next time we came in. If you don't like tiramisu, theirs will change your mind.
This restaurant is probably our favorite here in Seattle. The food is fresh and delicious, the owners are great, and we always leave there feeling full and happy! -
Review from Amanda R.
Seattle, WA
6/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wow, how have I missed this place?? Thank you Yelp for pointing me in the right direction. I've been driving past Cafe Vignole on my way to and from work for the past 4 years and never stopped in until recently. I took my out of town friend there for dinner. We started with a glass of wine (Montepulciano for me and Malbec for my guest) and the grilled pear and blue cheese salad. So, so good. The pears were grilled so perfectly. My guest had the spaghetti with calamari and I had the red snapper with capers and lemon. I wish we would have had room for the black eyed pea cake as it looked amazing. I suppose it's good to save something for next time. I can't wait to go back!
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Review from Matt C.
Seattle, WA
8/30/2009
This time I won the dinner contest.
You know what I'm talking about. You go to dinner with your significant other, and you both have the same taste in food. Inevitably, we both want the same dish, and we both have a "back up" dish in mind.
My wife surprised me tonight by *not* wanting the special. Halibut with a spicy red sauce, fresh broccoli and seasoned potatoes. Instead she ordered what I was contemplating - the penne with sausage and mushrooms in a cream sauce.
First off, the halibut was HUGE. I haven't seen a piece of halibut this big for quite a while. At least, not in a restaurant. Maybe at Costco. And fresh! Topped of with some amazing olives, and I was very happy.
The penne was good, the sausage tasted home-made. I'm personally not a huge fan of cream sauces, but this was really a good plate. I'm more of a red sauce kind of guy, so I'd probably order the other penne dish, which had 3 kinds of meat in it, but that's me.
Unfortunately, they had just served the last piece of black-eyed pea pie, which was something I was curious to try. I had heard about it from my neighbor, and the chef's mother-in-law makes it fresh. There were plenty of other sweets to choose from (red velvet cake, tiramisu, etc), but I really wanted the black-eyed pea pie. Next time, we will get there earlier to be sure to get a piece.
Last week, we stopped in before going to a party to pick up some antipasto and a grilled portabella mushroom with cheese, and both were amazing. What I really liked was that the owner remembered us and our order from last week as soon as we sat down. I thought that was pretty cool, and in my experience is the hallmark of an owner who not only cares about their restaurant, but about their customers too.
I highly recommend Cafe Vignole, especially if you're local to the neighborhood. This is THE best restaurant in the Rainier Beach area I've been to so far. But don't take my word for it - go and see for yourself! -
Review from Shea F.
Sacramento, CA
7/31/2011
This place is amazing, if your looking for the perfect date spot check this place out, very romantic, and the food is out of this world. The owner is very interactive with his guest and makes you feel very welcome. If you are looking for authentic Italian food, dine here tonight, you will not regret it.
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Review from Keoni W.
2/11/2011
"Straight outta Compton crazy motherf***r named Ice Cube
From the gang called Niggaz With Attitudes
When I'm called off I got a sawed off
Squeeze the trigger and bodies are hauled off.."
...was the soundtrack walking to the restaurant.
It was Little Italy smack dab in the middle of Compton.
It's not as bad as LA but still had the street urban feeling.
UYE with yelpers is always a good time. If it includes food and drink even better. If it includes a wonderful atmosphere ...jackpot. And this my peeps was a winner.
Great job Clover and DDD...
Two tables consisting of new yelpers congregated to form a big happy new family. Bread arrived fresh and everyone dived in. Thrill told me he starved the whole day for this. Bottles of wine arrived ready for the antipasto (beets, spinach, salami). Conversation and nibbling were at hand. Kevin finally walks in after walking 20 blocks from the light rail. We seat him at the end of the table and start giving him plates. Pear salad arrives ..Peter who was across me....loved the dressing and crushed nuts on it. Ravioli stuffed with spinach arrives...Jen attacks it likes she had not ate in days. Plates are disappearing as they arrive. The pork Ribs arrive. We have a lot of vegetarians on our table so I feed the meat eaters. John Food Ninja and Marc step up. Meat falling off the bone good. Gnocchi arrives and this was a hit with everyone. Sandie and Melody could not stop talking about it. The fish with wine sauce and capers was last. Snapper was moist and flavorful. This was my favorite dish of the night. Having eaten in small cafes in Italy these dishes have that zing...that authentic fresh taste.
Desserts...are made by the owners wife...a sample tray -- with an creamy tiramisu, and soft red velvet cake, and the signature black-eyed pea cake. Good Stuff....
Sandro the owner.. did a good job with a full restaurant. Got to give him credit. He made you feel you were like in Tuscany or Lucca where he is actually from. Really a family operation. I really enjoyed seeing the kids of the hair stylist next door. Sit down like regulars at the bar and have dinner. Then the women hair stylist from the next building an hour later. A brother getting take out. Sandro really make them feel like family. Always conversing and laughing with them.
Cafe Vignole is a true neighborhood gem.
"So when I'm in your neighborhood, you better duck
Coz Ice Cube is crazy as f**k
As I leave, believe I'm stompin
but when I come back, boy, I'm comin straight outta Compton" -
Review from Evan S.
Seattle, WA
11/19/2008
With the cheap banner flying above the restaurant I was skeptical and passed over this neighborhood joint many times for Vince's down the street. Well, looks are nothing when it comes to Vignole.
All courses were amazing (the calamari a stand-out) and tasted authentic like a Sicilian home cooked meal. The owner's mother prepares the desserts locally and it's a must.
The interior of Vignole was cozy, quaint, friendly without an ounce of pretension.
I'm not dissing Vince's - it's a worthy restaurant - but Vignole is far superior in food, wine selection and service. More importantly, it's really made with love and care at Vignole's. and that's what counts in a neighborhood restaurant.
Support Cafe Vignole - you'll love it. -
Review from Karen M.
Seattle, WA
1/8/2012
We are so excited to have this amazing addicting little restaurant right down the street...!
The first time there I had the pear salad and loved it...!.... The second time the Caesar ,at my husbands insistance. I think i loved it even more, if thats possible...!
My pasta was shrimp and asparagus in a wonderful cream sauce with the asparagus cooked to perfection but the second visit was the spaghetti I dont think i could ever order anything else. The red sauce was so perfect with a litle kick.. I usually cant take spicy, but this was right on the edge and it was amazing...!
.Just wish i had more left over to take home for the next day after sharing with all the people at our table~ shouldn't have offered ..!
.My husband had the ribs~ he loved them, and they were as promised~ fallling right off the bone..!
.My brother's wife had the chicken marsala and it was the best i have ever tried...Just wished that someone had tried the Gnoichi (dont think i know how to spell that) because i hear such rave reviews of it~..maybe next time...!
But i am afraid I will have to bring some one else to order it because I will have to order the spaghetti again , and i think every time i go from now on for sure...with a Caesar side...!
The last time i had a Caesar salad this good was at a little French restaurant on Alki that closed many many years ago.. They use to make quite a production of it and make it right at the table..it was the only thing i ordered and would eat the huge thing myself..! At 102 pounds that meant a lot back then.. .but even with making it at the table i still could not duplicate it some how until now....This salad is an exact replica and i will dream of it until my husband gets to craving the ribs again.. hopefuly next week if i am lucky..
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Have not tried the cake yet but maybe for our anniversary luckily it isnt far off...yeah!.
Then there is the cats anniversary and the dogs.....and oh ya the fish...actualy dont have fish but am willing to get some ...and the neighbors cats..!
My husband and i have a friend we use to dine with often .. His point of amusement after every meal out together was that my husband would ask me for help with the tip money .. which i never had ,and would remind him that i wasnt allowed to~ have ~ cash.(a sore spot obviously.) but. true....and off we would go... and then he would ask again~ as if i would eventually cough it up ..~.didint happen...then i would get a bit peeved ...ha.!
This weekly event delighted our friend Frank to no end ...who would point that out by pretending it was a play he was watching. This particular play took place at the end of every meal...he loved it so...... he would aplaud politely tilting his hands sideways as if he were wearing opera gloves, or was a part of the arrostocrasy and then would eventually pretend to get out his opera glasses to take a closer look just accross the table.....of course we would soon laugn after the initial irritation was over the opera glasses were always my personal breaking point.. !.. ..
You should know .Frank was the type of guy who made a whole day of the three of us shopping at Lowes and Homedepot and McClendons hardware entertaining for me~ the wife that was dragged along..ugh...
He would pretend to bake at every kitchen display and gossip with the neighbors while washing his hands at the sink while offering fresh baked pie in his best mother's falsetto voice as he opened the oven making sure to put his his pretend oven mits on first ......Me laughing to the point of doubling over ~my very shy husband, mortified at the scene making sure it appeared as if he was not with us~he would soon be down the next isle. ...but i digress....Frank was silly but observant...I think he should come to our anniversary dinner because he claimed my husband and i would not still be married if it wasnt for his keeping me amused.all those years that we..three had 3 days off a week off together...! Those were the good old days.....thinking back luckily Frank always had tip money which could have been my husbands whole intention.. the stinker.!
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But the main thing Frank noticed was that i did not like my meals~ any meal~ where ever we went and that was often back then! He was right...i had not noticed until he started mentioning it ..!. But not anymore... !
We will never have to go to anorher restaruant ever again to find a meal i like.
I have finally found it!
Thank goodness ! I was begining to think it was just me.. !
Too bad our friend has moved to Buckley .. but I think if we mention the beautiful daughers who work here maybe he will make the trip down to join us for our well deserved anniversary dinner and hopefully bring the tip! -
Review from Christie R.
Seattle, WA
2/3/2010 1 Check-in Here
We've been meaning to try Cafe Vignole for a long time and finally got a chance last weekend.
This place is great, and it's really neat to have something like this in our 'hood. The service is wonderful, and the environment is friendly and cozy, yet it still feels like a special night out.
The main drawback for me was that the chairs were very uncomfortable. With delicious bread, salad, food, wine, and dessert (the black-eyed pea cake was awesome), we wanted to have a long, leisurely meal. The chairs prevented that. We had to rush through the end of the meal because my back was bothering me so much.
The other thing is that I'm a bit confused about the music. The business card advertises live music every Friday, and the website seems to say that there is live music every other Saturday. We were there on a Friday and didn't see any music.
Anyway, this place is a great place, perfect for a date, although there were also families there who seemed very comfortable. Next time we'll bring our son! -
Review from Niko O.
Updated - 1/27/2009
You might wonder why I keep writing about this place. Maybe because it's still so awesome yet so undiscovered, which leads me to say -- IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR BUTTS OVER HERE, THIS LOVELY RESTAURANT WILL VERY LIKELY DISAPPEAR. Cafe Vignole definitely deserves your business. Please give them a try!
Now, we visited most recently for Cafe Vignole's 5-course New Year's Eve extravaganza. First up was a glistening seafood salad (frutta di mare), followed by luscious crab ravioli in saffron sauce, a perfect caesar salad, impeccably prepared osso bucco or Chilean sea bass (we got one of each), and finally the signature black eyed pea cake and flourless chocolate torte. Sadly we discovered we're not 3+ course people. With Cafe Vignole's ample portions, we opted to take our entrees home and tried to stuff down the desserts there. When we finally hoisted ourselves up to leave, I thought I'd never want to eat again. It was one of the most decadent, sumptuous and wonderful meals I've had in my life.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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10/19/2008
I continue to be amazed with their food. The braised ribs on the regular menu will knock your socks… Read more »
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Review from Roz S.
Bellevue, WA
2/25/2011
It's really a shame to ruin this great cozy 'hoody restaurant with yummy food by having live music start at 7:30pm on a Saturday night which doesnt let you talk to/hear your dining companions!!! So the food was a 4 or 5 but the gestalt was a 2.
Now for the kudos. Antipasto, while olive-oily, is a typical italian antipasto with the added bonus of delicious roasted beets. Even our son gobbled them up.
Two of us had the snapper special which was delish, and one had pork (not a typo) saltimbocca also delish. The salads to start are HUGE and great - plenty to share or have as a main meal. Based on Yelp info, we had the blackeyed pea cake which did taste amazingly like carrot cake and not a crumb was left. The service by the owner (?) was very attentive and he even offered us a more expensive bottle of wine at the price we had paid for a less expensive one when he ran out of the one we tried to order. Parking is no picnic but if you're patient, you'll find something very close on the street.
I will definitely return mid-week or perhaps the owner will read this and start the music after 9pm on the weekend so one seating can focus on the wonderful food instead of figuring out how they can plug up their ears to avoid the overly loud music in this tiny restaurant. (we did ask the musicians to lower the volume but to no avail. )
