IL Nido

“Il Nido in West Seattle is an absolute gem. From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere feels warm, authentic, and inviting. The pasta is exceptional — clearly handmade and cooked perfectly — and every dish tastes fresh, rich, and thoughtfully prepared. The service was outstanding: attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely welcoming without being overbearing. The attention to detail throughout the entire dining experience really stands out, from the presentation to the wine selection to the pacing of the meal. Whether you’re there for a special occasion or just a great dinner, Il Nido delivers one of the best Italian dining experiences in Seattle. Highly recommend the pasta tasting and saving room for dessert. Looking forward to coming back again soon.”

“Food and beverages were excellent. Courtney was a great server and the host was very welcoming. Was able to walk right in to the bar as a solo diner at 4:30PM. Would recommend the focaccia and the kale salad, which were both very good. Pasta was high quality and I really enjoyed the mezcal-based Instrumental Vision.”

“Made a reservation online and sat in the enclosed patio area. They have heaters, and it was really thoughtful of them to provide blankets and remind guests to dress in layers, so no need to worry about being cold. Food-wise, the portions are on the smaller and pricier side and didn’t really stand out, but the atmosphere is quiet enough for good conversation, which I really appreciated. The location right by Alki Beach is a big plus too, perfect for a nice walk before or after. The tiramisu, though, was amazing and definitely the highlight!”

“Needless to say, given the weight for a reservation time being a month out in advance, that I had high expectations of this restaurant. That was a mistake, because my expectations were tempered by the food that was served there. Now I’m no fine dining snob, but if I’m spending $30-$40 per dish, and with the portion size being as small as it is, i’m expecting no less than the best. And that, unfortunately, is not what I got from the food. We ordered the Focaccia, Tagliatelle a Nido, and Fazzoletto, dishes that were praised in other Google reviews. Don’t get me wrong. The focaccia was actually pretty good, though the crust was a little hard. The dipping sauce was really nice and solid. It’s an olive oil dip with roasted garlic and spices. However, it was not worth the price. The Tagliatelle a Nido tastes almost exactly like what you can get at Due Cucina (Short Ribs Ragu), except slightly worse because the pasta is cooked beyond al dente. Also, at Due Cucina, you can customize the pasta shape, how well the pasta is cooked, etc. Sure, it’s no fine dining, but it tastes almost the same if not even better. For the Fazzoletto, the flavors are definitely something I haven’t tried before; the mushroom ragu is very good and the parmigiano flavor complements it really well. I like to think of this dish as a deconstructed ravioli. Unfortunately, with the olive oil and egg yolk, the dish was so rich that my partner could barely finish it, and felt discomfort in her stomach afterwards. Overall, I believe that Il Nido is overhyped, and I’d rather order something from Due Cucina where the price of dishes are 1/3 of what they are here and are of the same or better quality.”

“The ambiance and service were great. We ordered two pastas and focaccia bread. The focaccia was delicious, but the pastas were average. We didn’t like the pesto flavor at all. For dessert, we ordered pannacotta and chocolate cake. Neither was particularly good. The chocolate cake was dry and not moist, giving it the feel of an old cake rather than a fresh one. Overall, we were not happy with the food and felt that the wait, planning, and price were not worth it.”