The food was great and the service was impeccable. Jackson checked on us frequently to ensure we were able to proceed at the right pace.
Definitely allow yourself enough time to do their food justice. Their pasta menu is fairly limited each night, to a few (four?) dishes. The two we had were very good, but if you've someone in the group who wants a specific Italian taste, they may be disappointed.
Very homey and warm place with delicious food and very attentive knowledgeable waiters. Arancini, chocolate torte, and roasted carrot salad were the standouts for me, sadly they were out of the whole fish by the time we ate. Will be back to try that.
They were able to accommodate GF - though not sure that it would be celiac safe - a lot of the starters are GF and two of the desserts were.
Call to make a reservation and/or have a drink next door at Persephone while you wait, you can bring it with you when your table is ready as they’re owned by the same people.
EDITED REVIEW: initial post is below.
I went for the second time after many months, and did not have the same experience that I did over the summer. The people themselves were incredibly nice as always, but the quality of food just felt different. The appetizers of arancino, grandma’s greens, and the olives were all pretty good. However, they brought them out individually one by one and each at least 10 to 15 minutes apart. Given that our reservation was on the later side and app portions are small , we were pretty hungry for the first hour due to the pace of the meal. After the appetizers, it took quite a bit for the main course to come out. We ordered three pastas, the malfadine, the spaghetti, and the Campanelle. They were pretty good, but not nearly the quality that they were when I came here over the summer. They also did not come out until almost 9 PM (our reservation was 730 )The sauces did not feel like they had as much depth as before, although still yummy.
I hope that this is a one off experience, because I really liked it the first time. But for the price and distance to get there from the city, I will put more thought into my decision next time.
ORIGINAL REVIEW: This is one of new favorite restaurants in seattle! I have tried several Italian spots in the city and this is certainly one of my top five! (Other notable spots I love are Il Nido, Spinasse, Machiavelli, tavolata )
First off, the service was incredible. Our waitress was so sweet and knowledgeable of the menu. We got grandmas greens, the croquette, bread, and mafaldine pasta with braised beef shank. Everything was stellar!! Particularly the croquette. They have a rotating menu and all the other dishes I saw also looked good. I need to come back and try everything!
The ambience is quaint and definitely has a local feel. I loved it. I felt like I was in Italy. There are no bells and whistles, just good food, good service, and warm energy. A true neighborhood gem.
Always a hit and never a miss. I didn't add any pictures of the food because they are already all out there to see. The quality and taste of this food remains the same each time I have it. Outstanding! Equal to the food is the customer service. Here it is New Year's Eve and our servers are not making us feel rushed to eat and get out so another group could be served. Pulled up and parked right outside the front door. The atmosphere is quaint and cozy. You can pick anything off the menu and it's going to be great. Will continue come back again and again. The food is fresh and simple and most of all...delish!
I don't have anything negative to say about La Medusa but I also don't have anything overwhelmingly positive to say either. The food was... good but not great. Nothing was bad about the experience, but there weren't any dishes that I felt were great. Quality of service was exceptional.
Started at Persephone next door. Had a recommended Amaro drink (it's there specialty) and the fried smelts. It was wonderful. Next door we had couple of their seasonal apps and two pastas. The food and service were great. Both places had a nice casual vibe. Persephone had the record player going with old school jazz.
Had a very delicious dinner at La Medusa. Loved the ambiance, service was excellent. Ordered a bunch of appetizers and pastas - everything was awesome. The only downfall of the meal was none of our Canadian credit cards worked on their machine. My parents are still there working off the meal in kitchen.
Menu
Popular dishes
Squid Ink Spaghetti
Squid Ink Spaghetti
4 Photos 9 Reviews
Squid Ink Pasta
Squid Ink Pasta
1 Photo 10 Reviews
Perciatelli Con Le Sarde
Perciatelli Con Le Sarde
1 Photo 9 Reviews
Saffron Risotto Croquette
Saffron Risotto Croquette
2 Photos 6 Reviews
Roasted Cauliflower Gratin
Roasted Cauliflower Gratin
1 Photo 8 Reviews
Arancini
Arancini
1 Photo 13 Reviews
Panna Cotta
Panna Cotta
1 Photo 5 Reviews
Simple Chicory Salad
Simple Chicory Salad
1 Photo 3 Reviews
Cavatelli
Cavatelli
1 Photo 5 Reviews
Burrata
Burrata
2 Photos 3 Reviews
Pork Belly
Pork Belly
1 Photo 3 Reviews
Spaghetti Puttanesca
Spaghetti Puttanesca
1 Photo 3 Reviews
Chilled Tomato Soup
Chilled Tomato Soup
1 Photo 3 Reviews
Location & Hours
Suggest an edit
Map
4857 Rainier Ave S
Seattle, WA 98118
Edmunds St & Ferdinand St
Columbia City
Mon
Closed
Closed now
Tue
Closed
Wed
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Thu
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Fri
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Sat
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Sun
Closed
Other Italian Nearby
Sponsored
Soprano’s il Villaggio Magnolia
99
Stacy K. said"I will start with this, I am one of those people that thinks the menu is more of a starting place, meaning I tend to make substitutions, additions or alterations to pretty much everything I order. I did that here and they were super…"read more
in American (traditional), Pizza, Italian
Andiamo
276
6.0 miles away from La Medusa
Laura G. said"We went out to Andiamo for our 3rd anniversary and we were really wanting a special night. Andiamo delivered! I will admit I was a little worried when I entered the restaurant. The place was full (which is usually a good sign) and…"read more
in Italian
Amenities and More
Health ScoreExcellent
Powered by Hazel Analytics
Takes Reservations
Offers Takeout
No Delivery
Help Improve Yelp
Are compostable containers available at this business?
Ask the Community
Ask a question
Yelp users haven’t asked any questions yet about La Medusa.
Recommended Reviews
Your trust is our top concern, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more.
Overall rating
250 reviews
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Yelp SortFilter by rating
Search reviews
Search reviews
Jeff B.Elite 2023
Redmond, WA
17655629
3/13/2023
1 photo
Overall 4.5
Neighborhood restaurant worth driving from the Eastside to dine at.
SERVICE: 5.0. From the moment we walked in the door every person who took care of us was efficient and friendly, and they cooperated well among themselves. Jackson, the man who took our orders and answered our questions about the food and wine, was wonderful. At the end of the meal, he even reminded us that a set % service fee was already included in the bill.
AMBIANCE: 4.5. Comfortable, warm atmosphere. Customers order food from the menu posted on a blackboard, and order drinks from a paper table menu.
FOOD and COFFEE: 4.5.
- 5.0: Appetizer of Roasted Cauliflower. Perfect not-too-soft not-too-hard texture with savory seasoning.
- 4.0: Appetizer of Fennel Salad.
- 4.5: Mafaldine with Dungeness Crab. My partner praised it highly.
- 4.0: Rigatoni with Lamb Ragu, with included cabbage. I enjoyed it.
- 5.0: Dessert of Pana Cotta: herbal, mildly sweet taste. Precious.
- 5.0: Dessert of Chocolate Espresso Torte, with cream: moist chocolaty texture and perfectly not-to-sweet.
- 5.0: Espresso coffee. One of the very few excellent espressos I have had in the Pac NW.
DRINKS: 4.5. Beer, ale, cocktails, and wine. We had wine with our meal, and ended with a digestif. The wine selection is limited and chosen to marry well with the plates; it is served by the glass or carafe (half-bottle). The two Italian wines we had went very well with our main dishes.
In response to my request for an after-dinner drink, Jackson served us a tinted grappa with a marvelous but light herbal taste.
Had a great meal at La Medusa! The paccheri with mushrooms, leeks, and ricotta was delicious. The service was great but the meal cost a pretty penny
Our dinner for 4 was lovely. On Wednesday evening a table was immediately available (not likely common). Tasty cocktails. Excellent baked bread from two blocks away. Attentive service. The kicker is the menu. Sicilian leaning dishes with distinctive flavors - not over powering. An assortment of appetizers could make up the entire meal. The pastas in our entrees were marvelous. Don't expect a family-sized portion like some franchise Italian restaurants. Don't expect some pasta with a pint of sauce. The portions are filling and the pasta is foremost - and fresh. If you want a bit more sauce, ask. We each had an entree and shared them around the table - not one bite was left. So good!
Si è verificato un errore! Riprova tra qualche minuto