Mistral--CLOSED
Seattle, WA 98121
Phone: (206) 770-7799
- Price:
- $$$$
- Cross Street:
- First Avenue
- Best of Citysearch:
- Fine Dining 2007
- Hours:
- Tue-Sat 5:30pm-10pm
Editorial Review for Mistral--CLOSED – by Jill Lightner
The Scene
Soft colors, fine linens and comfortable seating create a beautiful setting for a glorious meal. A long bench with cozy pillows serves intimate tables for two, and an artful school of glass fish swim along the opposite wall. The staff passionately articulates details about every course, including information about ingredient sources and paired wines. Chef William Belickis greets tables as his time permits.
The Food
A luxurious series of tiny artistic courses saturates every sense. The seasonal prix-fixe menu offers three options, each offering treats like a single Kumomoto oyster with grapefruit sorbet, and parsnip soup with a hand-harvested, pan-seared scallop and carrot foam. The two larger menus include a luxurious cheese plate and artisanal seared foie gras. For those who like wine, a flight of five fine wines will complement the eight courses.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
Know Before You GoA typical meal lasts 2 1/2 hours. If you plan on attending an event later, start early.
ParkingPay lots abound in the area. There's no valet, but there is a drop-off area in front.
The ExtrasChef William Belickis offers lunch-class combos on occasional weekends. A three-course meal and informative lesson for about $75--they're a great deal.
User Reviews for Mistral--CLOSED
11/23/2007 Posted by philol
I go to expensive restaurants all the time -- Herb Farm, El Goucho, etc. These are terrific restaurants and well worth the price. Mistrals is certainly not in that league and it does everything it can to hide the fact that it's priced in that league. No prices on the menu. No well drinks (can't make enough money off those). No menu options. My wife and I took another couple to this rip-off emporium to have a nice meal, thinking it might cost us a couple hundred. $650 later we realized we'd been had. There was no indication anywhere it would cost this much, until we received the bill.
Pros: None.
Cons: Worst value in Seattle.
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful
10/25/2007 Posted by indoctrin8ed
I wasn't sure what I was in for, but after reading the positive reviews here I decided to give it a go. I've been to most every other high end restaurant in Seattle up till this point (including the infamous Lampria which was a disaster in my opinion). Everything was very nice, but for this kind of money ($425 per couple for seven course, two glasses of Champaign and the wine pairing), it wasn't quite a 5/5. Certainly amazing, but for this level, it really should be perfect and it just wasn't. If you spent $5,000 on a suit, you'd expect it to be perfect, wouldn't you? That's the league Mistal's operates in. Most wines on their list start at $300/bottle and go from there. The $100/person wine pairing was phenomenal - best in class and superbly matched to each of the courses. The pours were very small though, barely enough to get you through the corresponding course. With every single dish I felt am amazing explosion of flavors and contrasts. Just spectacular tasting. Best cuisine I've had in Seattle -- Iron Chef caliber. Where Mistral's falls short is their waitstaff is a little aloof (though not pretentious). They forgot to bring out the wine TWICE (I had to remind them). Two different waiters were helping, and I think the other thought the other had it covered, but left us with our beautifully prepared courses #3 and #5 getting cold. We dined on a Friday night and made reservations about noon - the best slot they could provide was a 5:30 time. By 7:30, the restaurant was half full at best. The chairs were uncomfortable, and this is an issue when you're sitting for 3 hours. The lighting could be getter; a more thougtful use of lumens with less overhead classroom-like lighting be an improvement. Still, this is worth trying just for the food. Amazing culinary experience. I am sad they could not get the rest of the experience to be in perfect alignment, otherwise this would easily compete at the world class level for fine dining.
Pros: Superb cuisine. Phenominal flavors and textures.
Cons: Service is almost great, and for $200-$300/person I expect perfection. Ambience so-so.
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