San Fermo — Restaurant in Seattle

Went here for my wife's birthday and it was the worst decision (food wise) we've ever made.

We had been wanting to go there for MONTHS! We walked in one night asking for a table for two. The host asked if we had a reservation (which, no, that' why we asked for a table...) and when we said no he literally laughed in faces! Honestly that should have been the red flag to keep us away, but the place looked so charming we thought, must be an off night (and wow so in demand), let's give it another try later.

My wife is Italian, so for her birthday this year we excitedly remembered San Fermo and booked a reservation - Almost a month out and even that far out a table for 5 on a Saturday left us with a 5:30 pm reservation - worth it for our potentially new favorite Italian spot right??

We gave ourselves plenty of time to get there, but of course it being a Saturday night in Ballard we circled for parking for a while (well, I did, I dropped my wife off). When I arrived my wife and her friends were enjoying a glass of prosecco. Our server was friendly and even gave my wife a complimentary glass of amaro since they didn't have her favorite.

The night carried on like any other, ordered drinks with dinner, got salads and then entrées. The server got one of our entrées wrong, but let us keep it while they made the correct dish (which did take a while to get).

The salad was great, but all the other dishes were terrible (except one (very small portioned) pasta dish - something with red sauce). The portions were small and OMG SO GROSS!!!!! The gnocchi was chewy (like REALLY chewy, like 5 chews per piece), not pillowy. The risotto (can you call it risotto????) was also nasty. I think the best way to describe it is uncooked oatmeal?? Disgusting, and so strange.

To end the night the server brought my wife a birthday dessert (that was NOT complimentary, $17). I can't even remember what it was (so obviously it wasn't memorable).

It took us a while to wave down our server to get our checks. Once we got the bill we noticed several things were incorrect. Our server apologized and (after a little while) gave us our correct bill. We asked if we could split up our $400+ check (for 5 people) into 3 bills (not evenly bc it was two couples and one new mom with only enough money for her portion). They seemed frazzled, but agreed to let us write who got what w/ our card number next to each item (seemingly more complicated than them just splitting it on their end...)

As our server worked on cashing us out out of NOWHERE - and I mean JUMP SCARE out of nowhere, what I can only assume was the owner YELLS "YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE! There are people who have been waiting outside in the FREEZING cold for 45 minutes!!!!!!"

To say we were stunned would be an under statement. My wife replied "How would we know that??" (Again, she's Italian, so she could take on this asshole)

Blood boiling she LOUDLY said "Our server got our check wrong so maybe THAT'S why it's taking so long!"

The owner(?) turned red and yelled "GET OUT!!!!!" My wife said "Gladly. And we'll never come back. It's my birthday dinner I can't believe this!"

The owner(?) said "Happy birthday. Please leave." Honestly that last quote (later) cracked us up.

They handed us our cards back and again, told us to get out. FREE $400 (gross) (Italian?) dinner - Ha!

The silver lining of this absolutely unacceptable experience was that w/ the money we saved from San Fermo, we could get a LIFE CHANGING dinner at familyfriend in Beacon Hill. WOW!!! If you're looking for truly incredible food (actually worth the hype and price), you HAVE to check them out. It was the perfect date night (and re-do birthday dinner). As an added treat we sat at the bar and were served by the owner! He took time to chat with us throughout the night and explained the history of each of his (remarkable) dishes and drinks. Damn, those cocktails are other worldly!

We made a friend in the chef (who we discovered we have a mutual friend w/) and now have a new go-to...

My experience at San Fermo was very disappointing. I have had this restaurant on my list for 4 years and I was very excited to finally visit for my birthday dinner after countless recommendations from friends. For context, I made a reservation for 2 in advance and noted that we were celebrating my birthday. It happened to be during Seattle Restaurant Week, so I anticipated it would be fairly busy. I was not expecting special treatment or anything complimentary, but the lack of care was very upsetting for a restaurant that prides itself on an intimate, high-quality dining experience.

There were small nuances that were not deal breakers, but will definitely play a role in the experience here. As soon as we entered, multiple staff members made eye contact with us but did not say any greetings and made us feel like we were unwelcome. No biggie, we chalked it up to them being busy and stressed. We had to stand awkwardly by the entrance for several mins before anyone interacted with us. Once we were seated, we noticed our table was incredibly wobbly, all the tables are tightly packed in together where you can hear everyone's conversations, and the noise level was pretty loud. This might just be an issue for the upstairs seating.

Secondly, our antipasti dish took 40 mins to arrive from the time we ordered. We both got salads. The table next to us was seated about 20 mins after us and got their salads (same ones we ordered) first within 10 mins of ordering. Our entrees then took an additional 40 mins to arrive after our salads. We both ordered the risotto and the portion size was disappointedly SMALL - literally smaller than the salad and we finished in 4 bites. The flavors and texture was mediocre at best, but nothing about it tasted like premium, locally-sourced ingredients in which is the whole basis of their brand. I wish I took some pics but we were literally so hungry at this point we just wanted to eat and get out. The wait times for the food were not an issue exclusive to us. The tables next to us complained about the wait and one table even received cold food that they had to ask the staff to refire it.

Lastly, since all the tables are so close to each other, we can hear how differently our server was treating each table. The table that complained about the wait time got their drinks comped by our server. But we had been waiting 30 mins longer than them and we received nothing, not even an acknowledgement for the long wait. No problem. My husband and I do not feel it is right to complain to the server in instances where the restaurant is busy and clearly stressed out. However, a new table came in as we were finishing the last of our meal. They had noted they were celebrating an anniversary on their reservation. Our server congratulated them and offered them free glasses of champagne before they even ordered. This was the catalyst that made this experience go from okay to really sad. Again, I was not expecting anything complimentary going into this experience and was even looking forward to ordering tiramisu to end things off. I was optimistic that maybe our server would offer me a glass of bubbles or maybe a small scoop of gelato at the end of our meal to match the courtesy she gave the people sitting literally next to us in earshot. She just dropped the dessert menu on our table and left. When she came back I just made an excuse that we were too full and she then said "but it's your birthday!" I couldn't help but laugh at this point because of the irony 💀

Overall, while our server was friendly and attentive, I can't help but feel there was some selective treatment at play, even if it wasn't on purpose. The food was okay at best and the ambiance matched that. While I understand the busyness of SRW might have blind-sighted the staff and kitchen, some clear communication and compassion would go a long way. All these small nuances throughout the dining experience can add up to an...

Pretentious as hell and I had to google half the terms on the menu. Also pricey and they do you the "favor" of adding 20% of your total onto your check pre-tax to save you the trouble of tipping (I added 10% more in cash). But the food is seasonally relevant heaven and this is coming from a San Francisco transplant so by Seattle standards the food is superb, if imperfect. One dish was over salted and I love salt. The pasta was cold but still delicious. The service was very slow but cool music, vibes and ambiance are worth enjoying while you wait and chat. We were seated opposite the kitchen and I had a blast watching the attractive hipster staff hard at work. I didn't expect it to be so fancy from the outside appearance but I noticed it was always packed during my hopefully seeking parking drifts down Ballard's restaurant row all summer and took an empty spot directly across the street as a sign from the restaurant gods on a random Tuesday in October. Initially they tried to seat us outside in their heated street patio but we politely requested to be seated inside and they complied albeit acting as though they had too many reservations to accommodate us which seems a bit silly since we arrived at 6 pm and there were two vacant tables next to us until 10 minutes before we were finished. They also took forever to close out the bill which added to the annoyance factor after acting so overbooked. They don't serve much traditional fare of an Italian restaurant in the United States, on this night only cesar salad and spaghetti bolognese were immediately understandable dishes. Apparently they rewrite the menu daily, I wonder if this is true? Also the dishes may be more classic to someone familiar with true Italian food but I have never been so I wouldn't know. They were snooty about my mom's request for no cooked onions so picky eaters will be very unhappy here. It felt like the sort of place where you might be asked to leave for requesting salt or pepper. My picky mom did enjoy most of the food I carefully selected from the confusing menu. Even the $6 bread that came with homemade apple butter and cheapest rose/prosecco were delicious so if you are adventurous and don't mind paying extortionate prices for a unique culinary experience this place is worth a visit. It lifted my spirits and I felt transported in the way of a good play or film. I would skip this place if you aren't into experimental fine dining and expect traditional Italian fare or are in any...