Sky City At The Needle
(206) 905-2100
400 Broad St
Seattle,
WA
98109
47.6197
-122.3489
Neighborhoods: South-Lake Union, Lake Union
What People Are Saying About Sky City At The Needle
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene
The doughnut-shaped restaurant spins slowly--about one rotation per hour--and every seat in the house faces the long, curved windows. Large tables of tourists can get boisterous; evenings settle down to well-dressed couples, who seem to be getting engaged more often than not. Servers are ready with smiles, but most of their training seems to focus on nearby tourist attractions, not food details.
The Food
Local ingredient like hazelnuts, apples and huckleberries are in everything from the bottle of dipping oil to the entree sauces. Alder-smoked salmon comes with crunchy apples and a dry rice cake; seared ahi fares better with fluffy wasabi potatoes and a sweet soy glaze. Brunch is prix fixe, supplying everything from fluffy pancakes to chunky clam chowder. Finish either meal with an ice cream sundae served in a tiny replica of the Needle, which pours dramatic fog over the table.
User Reviews
Spunckie
June 11, 2009
I took my husband there for his birthday in June 2009. I've always heard their food is mediocre but decided to give it a shot anyway. It was a Monday night, it seemed busy but we didn't have to wait long and were seated very promptly. The staff was nice and the view is spectacular. Now about their food - I ordered the seared tuna and my hubby had a clam chowder and ribeye. Nothing special about the chowder, and his ribeye was quite tasty; but my tuna was tasteless. There are so much pepper on the tuna that my tongue was burning. At $50+, I expect it to be, well, tasty. Very disappointed. The dessert was good, but again nothing special. I should also mention that if you have motion sickness, think twice before going there. I don't usually have motion sickness, not the severe type anyway, but the rotating motion of the restaurant gave me bad motion sickness that I couldn't really focus on the dinner. :( All in all, you're paying for the experience and the view. I don't think the high price of food reflects the same quality. Unless someone takes me there, it is very unlikely that I'd go again.
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DDCC
November 21, 2008
We visited the restaurant for dinner in Aug 2008 while I was eight months pregnant. The atmosphere was great and we had a great waiter who gave great suggestions. The wait can be long depending on when you go there. I ordered a seafood pasta which sounded exquisite. I am allergic to Tuna fish and when the dish came, it had other seafood but was also loaded with Tuna Fish. I had already had two bites of the dish and quickly realised that there was Tuna Fish in there. Tuna Fish was not listed on the menu and so I thought I would be ok.........The staff and manager apologised but the principle here is that the ingedients of certain dishes should be listed especially if it contains foods that are allergenic.
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jimmylu1
September 03, 2008
We had 3 days in Seattle before a Cruise to Alaska, on Return we thought we'd combine the view with Dinner. Our mistake. We should have just paid $17.00 for the ride up. With out a question, The worst and most over priced meal on our trip including our cruise. My brothers Un Prime rib $ 50 ish . was tough and chewy He has been known to clean the plate, NOT this time. I had Seafood Pasta $ 42.00, I ate four (4) bites. It tasted FISHY. and gave me the feeling in my throat like I had had too mush to eat. Uncomfortable. My wife had 8 oz. Fillet $54.00, she said it was OK, but not worth writing home about. My Sister in-law had Surf and Turf $79.00 .Again she said it was OK. When our server asked about our meals , my brother said on a scale of 1 -10 , it was a 2. I said ," The warm bread before the meal was better". Our Concentration prize was FREE desert , They were good. Brother and I later thought we should had stopped after the first bite, and had the OVER priced meals removed from the bill. Oh, the server asked if I wanted to take the rest of my meal along. I almost said "my dog would not eat it". But that most likely would have upset my wife. At home I mentioned my experience to a Neighbor's son who had lived in Seattle for 2 years. His remark was " it is known as the worst restaurant in Seattle , cause over 90% are tourist, and they don't care they know you won't be back . I'll go Back to Seattle, but never again will I set foot in Sky City Restaurant. Oh unfortunately they say they proudly serve Starbucks coffee. I did not have any. I feel, not only is it BITTER, it is OVER PRICED. After my first sip in The coffee shop I took it back for Tea.
read full reviewThe Details on Sky City At The Needle
Know Before You Go:
There is a minimum charge of $25 per person for dinner; $15 for lunch.
Parking:
The validated valet entrance is immediately underneath the Needle; leave the car there while exploring the Seattle Center after the meal.
When to Go:
Rain or shine, city lights make evenings romantic. The actual views are better at weekend brunch or weekday lunch, when details and colors truly stand out.
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Visa, Discover, Diners Club, MasterCard, Travelers Check
Restaurant Special Features:
Local Favorite, Romantic Dining, Fine Dining, Brunch, View Dining, Business Dining, Group Dining
