CAFE CORTINA
601 UNION ST, SEATTLE, WA 98101 · Restaurant (Seating 13-50)
Inspection summary
CAFE CORTINA has been inspected 9 times by Public Health – Seattle & King County since December 11, 2019. The most recent inspection, on June 11, 2026, found no infractions.
5 of 9 inspections on record found no infractions at all. In the past 12 months there were 3 inspections with 1 infraction recorded. The higher-risk findings here relate to: Food temperature control, Handwashing and staff hygiene and Cleaning and sanitizing.
The number of infractions per inspection has stayed roughly the same over time.
What these findings mean
Health authorities word their violations differently, so we group them by what they mean for food safety. Higher-risk findings are the ones inspectors treat as critical, because they can directly make someone sick.
Food temperature controlHigher risk
Bacteria multiply fastest between about 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F). Inspectors check that cold food stays cold, hot food stays hot, cooked food is cooled quickly, and that staff have accurate thermometers. Temperature problems are one of the most common causes of food poisoning, so these are treated as critical findings.
Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on July 15, 2025. For example:
2110 - Proper cold holding temperatures; greater than 45 degrees Fahrenheit (F) (7 degrees Celsius (C))
Handwashing and staff hygieneHigher risk
Hands are the main way germs like norovirus move from people to food. Inspectors look for stocked, accessible handwashing sinks, staff washing hands when required, hair restraints, and sick employees being kept away from food. Gaps here can spread illness quickly.
Recorded once on May 12, 2026. For example:
3500 - Employee cleanliness and hygiene
Cleaning and sanitizingHigher risk
Anything that touches food, such as cutting boards, dishes and utensils, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized. Inspectors check dishwasher temperatures, sanitizer strength and how wiping cloths are stored. Poor sanitizing lets bacteria survive from one use to the next.
Recorded once on June 14, 2021. For example:
4100 - Warewashing facilities properly installed, maintained, used; sanitizer concentration; test strips available and used
Protecting food from contaminationHigher risk
This covers how food is stored, prepared and displayed: raw meat kept away from ready-to-eat food, food covered and stored off the floor, and nothing dripping or splashing into it. Cross-contamination from raw to cooked food is a direct route for salmonella and E. coli.
Recorded once on June 14, 2021. For example:
2300 - Proper consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods
Equipment and utensilsLower risk
Equipment has to be built from cleanable materials, kept in good repair and stored properly. These findings are mostly about upkeep, like a cracked shelf, a worn gasket or utensils stored the wrong way. They are generally lower risk but show how well the kitchen is maintained.
Recorded 2 times across 2 separate inspections, most recently on June 14, 2021. For example:
3900 - Single-use and single-service articles properly stored, used
About this data
These results come from Public Health – Seattle & King County, which inspects food premises and other public facilities in this area. We republish the authority's public disclosure data and refresh it regularly; the official record is the final word.
9 inspections
- Educational Inspection
0 infractions
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
1 infraction
- 3500 - Employee cleanliness and hygiene
- BLUE
- 3500 - Employee cleanliness and hygiene
- Educational Inspection
0 infractions
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
1 infraction
- 2110 - Proper cold holding temperatures; greater than 45 degrees Fahrenheit (F) (7 degrees Celsius (C))
- RED
- 2110 - Proper cold holding temperatures; greater than 45 degrees Fahrenheit (F) (7 degrees Celsius (C))
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
0 infractions
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
0 infractions
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
0 infractions
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
4 infractions
- 3900 - Single-use and single-service articles properly stored, used
- BLUE
- 4100 - Warewashing facilities properly installed, maintained, used; sanitizer concentration; test strips available and used
- BLUE
- 2200 - Accurate thermometer provided and used to evaluate temperature of TCS foods
- RED
- 2300 - Proper consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods
- RED
- 3900 - Single-use and single-service articles properly stored, used
- Routine Inspection/Field Review
1 infraction
- 3900 - Single use and single service articles properly...
- BLUE
- 3900 - Single use and single service articles properly...
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