Bis On Main

Recommends

maddiew

Joined 6 years ago

downgraded. They lost something in the remodel. What used to be intimate and charming fine dining has turned into more of a "scene". It's much louder, a little colder and the food actually seems to have lessened in quality. The crab cakes were disappointing and the prices now seem overpriced where before they seemed worth it. Hmmm... I will give it another try because I used to love it, but I am saly disappointed.

Recommends

stinky99

Joined 7 years ago

Great bar for dining and people watching. As a newly transplanted citizen of Bellevue, i have encountered two great evenings at Bis on Main.

Both evenings i had a wonderful meal at the bar, the bar tenders were attentive and made me feel welcome. I often dine alone, and the staff was entertaining enough to make me feel as though i were dining with a group of friends. They made some great menu recommendations and were knowledgeable of the wine list. Bis is a great place for formal dining. The owner turned me on to the place down the street, Porcella Urban Market, and i have been frequenting that spot as well. Old bellevue is quite the destination for east side foodies.

Recommends

jimadcock

Joined 9 years ago

Excellent Food and Professional Waitstaff. My wife and I went here for my 50th birthday and we were the youngsters in the crowd. This is a rare professional restaurant in the greater Seattle area, with professional waitstaff. The new remodel is modern and a little austere. My mushroom tart app was wonderful, my wife's endive salad was too sweet, should have had more bitter. She had the Halibut special, I the Delmonico. Both were wonderful. We each had wine by the glass at about $10 each, and well worth it, not like the rip-offs one usually gets on expensive wine by the glass. We were very happy and felt we had been very fairly treated overall.

Doesn't Recommend

lovetodineinbellevue

Joined 6 years ago

Simply Awful!. My husband and I live nearby this restaurant and enjoy dining out a few times per week. I can tell you we have tried this restaurant 4 different times with equally as miserable results. I have never written a review, but felt compelled to do so now.

The first time we went, we were a walk-in (on a whim), and stood in the front for about 10 minutes while the waiter/host was busy visiting with a large party (7 people) currently dining. This was the only table seated in the restaurant. It went from bad to worse when we were finally seated, and ignored after we were rushed to place an order. We ran out of wine, completely out of water; our half-eaten sub-par entrees were left to spoil under our noses. Being a bartender/waitress in my previous life, I will not snap or wave my hand to get attention, but wish I would have done so, so that we could have paid our bill and left. We waited patiently for over an hour in this tiny restaurant while the waiter sat down and visited with the other table.

The second time we went with another couple, and were at least seated promptly, but that's where the favorable dining experience went south. I ordered the salmon, and received swordfish. When I approached the waiter, he flat out denied that my fish was swordfish, insisting it was the salmon, and on making a scene at our table arguing with me back and forth (no it is not, yes it is) in front of our guests for dinner.

I was absolutely mortified!

I have travelled around the world and have never had as poor of service as I have had in this teensy, pretentious restaurant. Which would have been okay if the quality of the food had made up for it, but it did NOT!!

I am a forgiving person, so I have actually tried (again) twice to dine here, with similar disappointing results.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY IN THIS RESTAURANT, IT IS NOT WORTH IT.

I steer all of my friends and family (even strangers!) away from this restaurant every chance I get.

Recommends

beckycates

Joined 6 years ago

Fine FineFine

Recommends

skitrollfanatic

Joined 6 years ago

fantastic. I finally got a chance to try this place. It's right down the block but for some reason I kept missing it when thinking of places to try.

We arrived after 9. The menu is surprisingly large for such a tiny place and meal I had was absolutely wonderful. It was incredibly flavorful. The prices are reasonable. The prices in relation to the food's quality is simply incredible.

I wanted to Yelp about this place because I think Joe deserves to have plenty of business. I implore everyone to go here and try it, at least once. This is definitely going to be my new spot.

Recommends

juliekb

Joined 6 years ago

Consistently Great!. This modest sized bistro has consistently great food, and is a welcome departure from all the giant, corporate eatieries on the Eastside. Fish specials are a particular favorite, and they serve the best Caesar I"ve ever eaten. Since reopening after an expansion in October, a new quaint bar now offers the ideal spot for a glass of wine and delicious crab cakes, or steak frites! Service is generally very good, although I have had to wait for a table a time or two, even with a reservation. Worth the wait in my book! Try the chocolate soufle dessert, it's the BEST! Cassoulet is new to the menu and rivals the best in town. Pork lovers must try the pork Osso Buco...crispy garlic chicken is comfort good better than my mom's.

Doesn't Recommend

pandown10

Joined 7 years ago

Chef Boyardee must run the kitchen!. After getting a recommendation to this establishment, my gal and I stopped in on a Saturday evening (with reservations). The best part of the meal was the table bread and salad... to say we were disappointed would be an understatement. This place is nothing but hype, a wasted time/meal with a looooooooong wait time for, seating, service and food. My gal, who is a vegetarian, had to send back her veggie dish because it smelled like bologna and it wasn't al dente as she asked, after a new dish was made... the dish was practically the same thing as what she just sent back. She just pushed the plate away. My meat dish was average at best and would rival a piece of red meat from Sizzler; it was humorous how much they actually charged for it. At least the waiter tried to make up for our lousy meal by comping us a desert, a BURNT Crème Brule... we had enough bad food that night and promptly left.

Doesn't Recommend

zsmy

Joined 7 years ago

Horrible food, vile service. My husband and I made a reservation for 7:30 and arrived promptly, at which time we waited ten minutes for the host to acknowledge our presence. We were offered a glass of wine while we "waited" for our table, which we were told after another fifteen minutes had passed was available because they had a "no show" (lucky us?) We then proceeded to endure course after course of below average quality food, ill prepared and served with "ze attitude!"The salad was limp, the fish was over the hill and masked with a sauce that originated in the Del Monte canned fruit factory. My husband's lamb was thirty minutes behind our salads and upon arrival, was tough, overcooked and badly cut. The waiter informed us that he "only brings the plates to the table" when we complained. A subsitute New York steak was ordered meduim rare and arrived quivering rare on its cold plate. Another uncomfortable confrontation with the waiter and we were promptly ushered out of the restaurant at no charge . At least they got that part right. My husband and I live across the street from Bis and were hoping for a friendly, neighborhood atmosphere in old Bellevue, but were treated perfunctorily and rudely at this "tendy, upscale bistro". I have spent years in Paris and have never experienced such a culinary debaucle until venturing into this Bellevue restaurant masquerading behind its trendy address.

Recommends

Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Comfortably elegant bistro draws Bellevue's moneyed boomers for wining, dining and networking.. The Scene
With simple taupe walls, white linens and an incredibly long wine list, this cozy spot with a view of Old Main attracts a quiet, sophisticated crowd. It's an everyday eatery for those who live the good life; diners younger than 30 are rare. The attentive servers have an excellent eye for detail.

The Food
With high-quality ingredients and simple preparations, nearly everything here is good, but several dishes edge into exceptional. Ahi tuna, with a thin, barely seared peppered crust and fuchsia center, nearly melts in the mouth. Salads sparkle with mint and parsley, and tender steaks arrive in a flavorful demi-glace studded with caramelized shallots.