Best Italian Restaurants in International District

Superb, as usual. The carrot sformato was an unusual find and quite delicious. The addition of olives to the blood orange and fennel salad hit just the right acid note, Mama’s meatballs were pure beef with a strong dash of anise seed, and the accompanying marinara had been simmering for ages to pick up that deep complexity of flavors and great balance between sweet and slightly acid.

Really enjoyed the food and ambience at Spinasse. There were good options on the menu for a vegetarian family. Our waiter, Heather was awesome and very knowledgeable about vegetarian choices and helped make the right choices. A little bit disappointed that 2 desserts on the menu contain pork gelatin, but there were 3 other desserts to choose from. Again, Heather was awesome in steering us in the right direction. Overall a great experience for a special family dinner!

Our favorite place over the years! We love how the restaurant is tucked into the main building and the secure parking garage below. The food is always perfect and the staff knows exactly what wine to pair. We love the bar since it’s cozy and the tables have a bench seat on one side. The bar is beautiful and perfectly lit. The dessert tray is the best - we love how they bring it over so you can see what each one is!

Outstanding food. Great ambience, love the wood interior and bar. Service was excellent made for a great Christmas evening meal for the whole family. Definitely will be going back.

This is our second time visiting Messina and it is amazing. The appetizer of Sicilian Meatballs is so flavorful and reminds me of my recent trip to Sicily. The Beet salad is probably my favorite, but I left just a little room for my Short Rib Lasagna. I am going to enjoy that the next day for sure. The sauce is so flavorful, perfection in every bite.