Pasta Bella – And Beautiful it Was!

Pasta Bella Ristorante

She Said:

You know, there is no rhyme or reason to what Brett and I find ourselves enjoying for Date Night.

We know what drives us mad (pretension, bad service, disrespected ingredients, loud babies in the booth next to us), and we know what we love (thoughtful dishes, unique interiors, family-owned, fresh ingredients, happy staff, personal pepper grinders on each table)... We're sure a lot of this has to do with our moods as we stumble into a joint... which is why you shouldn't take our posts very seriously, EVER, and should try all these fabulous places for yourself before making an opinion.

But every once in a while, even when we're hungry, tired, distracted from a long day's work, or mad at each other for finishing the milk and not picking some up on his way home, we stumble upon a little diamond in the rough.

Pasta Bella was one such diamond.

Brett and i were in the thick of moving - our weekends chock-a-block full of cleaning, lifting, hauling, and collapsing. Our weeknights were full of the same...I wouldn't let poor Brett rest until it was done. It took us forEVER to get into our new place. But we still wanted to keep Date Night going. So we found someplace close. Someplace that would have comfort food to put our tired souls at ease. And we found it here.

Pasta Bella is located on upper Queen Anne - if you don't know where to look for it you may not find it. It's in the top floor of an aerobics/fitness building - but don't let the guilt deter you. It's amazing and totally worth skipping the gym for.

We walked in and were not overly-impressed with the ambiance, but it was small, quaint, and it had personality. We were seated in a booth and immediately greeted by a very sweet waiter who was helpful to recommend what he thought we would like - wine and food alike.

We ordered an antipasta platter (the small size) and when it came out, we thought there was a mistake - it was huge! and SO full of amazing treats. We probably would have been just fine with that as our dinner... but we wanted to see what was next, after how pleasantly surprised we were with the appetizer.

Our meals arrived and were exactly what we needed. Massive amounts of fresh pasta smothered in aromatic home-made sauce, vegetables, seafood, chicken... and it tasted as marvelous as it smelled.

Meals run you about $15 for an entree, but you will have lunch for the next few days when you walk out the front door, doggy bags in tow.

We weren't expecting to find such a sweet little spot in the most unsuspecting of locations, but we're glad we did. (There was even a screaming baby behind us, and it didn't even phase us!) We'll certainly be back, and suggest you try it out if you're ever on the hill looking for some comfort yourself.

Nothing overly-fancy, but perfect for a relaxing and comfortable date night.

RATINGS:

Pasta Bella Ristorante

1530 Queen Anne N
Seattle, WA 98109
(206) 284-9827

Romance: 2 (wssn't overly romantic)
Cool Ambiance/Interior: 3 Funky but comfortable. Like you're in your Italian grandmother's home.
All Around Service: 5: Amazing!
Cost: $$$ = entrees from $14 - 22
Would we recommend it? 5: Yes! And can we come with you?

Images of interior from Pasta Bella’s Website, www.pastabellaseattle.com.