Union
(206) 838-8000
1400 First Ave
(at Union Street)
Seattle,
WA
98101
47.6079
-122.3391
Neighborhoods: Downtown, Pike Place Market
Hours:
Daily 5pm-1am
Price:
$$$$
Parking:
Metered; Pay lot
Last updated 1.30.09
What People Are Saying About Union
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene
Don't be fooled by the cool frosted glass and metal exterior--a dining area warmed by earth-toned light fixtures and red carpeting provides an inviting atmosphere to enjoy a menu of rich, minimalist creations. A sound level perfect for post-theater discussions and unhurried, professional service make for a dining experience conducive to lingering. The wine list is long and surprisingly affordable.
The Food
Chef Ethan Stowell selects his menu each day from fresh ingredients--one night he might serve a shipment of fresh oysters, drizzled with finely diced cucumber, shallot and champagne vinegar; another evening might feature a foie gras terrine with port-poached cherries. Soups bursting with flavor are often supplanted with a floating poached egg or scallop. For dessert, the unbelievably creamy assorted ice creams are a must-try. Part of Union's charm is the Russian-roulette experience of the changing menu, so head there with an open mind and palate.
User Reviews
twentymuffins
December 06, 2008
thursday evening (11/4) my friend and i visited this place. seated promptly, the hostess was very pleasant. the server, not soooo much. seemed to be on some sort of "medication" or was just terribly snobby. he hovered around us and scrutinized our ID's after we ordered cocktails in an unprofessional way. i think a bit of judgement was passed on us, assuming that our small party, age (24-25) and casual dress would result in a low tab and small tip. we ordered food and bread. the bread was fantastic, combined with the olive oil and the martini, was probably the best part of the meal. it was right out of the oven which unfortunately meant 15 minutes without bread only for it to arrive right as our food did. i poked around at my dish, thinking it looked oddly unfamiliar as i had ordered fish with brussel sprouts and this had romaine and carrots. i'm not particularly fussy so i decided to go with the order anyway. upon tasting it i realized it was not fish. not fish and RIDICULOUSLY salty. as in, burned my palate for the evening salty. the crappy server showed up and WITHOUT SO MUCH AS AN APOLOGY snatched the plate out from in front of me and placed another down and said "this is actually your dish" in a way that implied i was somehow to blame. it was rude, unneccessary and kind of embarrasing. i can't say much about the food i ate, as my tongue couldn't shake the previous salty nightmare, but as for portion size it was enough to be filling. i can't believe how people can eat more than one plate here. gluttony is just awesome. i'm just sad about this experience. if the server had merely been unattentive i would have been happier. i later asked him "out of curiousity, what was it that you served me?" and he snottily replied, "why, do you not eat meat?" and i said, "well, just fish. i try not to eat pork." and he said something along the lines of "ohhhhh". and that's it! still no apology! we tipped 15 percent to the penny.
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ilikestinkycheese
May 03, 2008
In order to NOT like Union, you have to have no taste buds and only eat mcdonalds. The staff is wonderful. the food is incredible. and the setting is romantic and intimate. i have been there atleast 10 times and i return for the changing menu and the great service. Those of you who complain about waiting to be seated or served, WHAT DO YOU THINK? IF THE RESTAURANT IS FULL THEY HAVE ATLEAST A HUNDRED OTHER PEOPLE TO WORRY ABOUT SO CALM DOWN AND WAIT. enjoy the people your with, and the endless bread and oil. i have eaten in more expensive restaurants and been disappointed. Union is a wonderfull place and the FOUR people out of 26 that don't like it dont know what they are talking about as well as what good food is. Also those of you who treat servers like dirt under your shoes, need to be more understanding, OR DONT GO OUT TO EAT. problem solved
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bthai
February 25, 2008
This was the worst dining experience ever. First of all, service was horrible (brunette waitress working the section by the entrance on 2/23). I have never had worse service in Seattle or anywhere else. Our waitress had a bad attitude from the very beginning and was very rude. The food did not make up for the poor customer service. Overly salty and uninspired dishes left us wanting more. None of the courses seemed to flow very well from one to the other. The menu was all over the place. In addition, dining time was unnecessarily drawn out as we had to wait a very long time between courses. This is unreasonable since the restaurant was not even busy. This is the first time I have written a negative restaurant review, but I would hope others can learn from my experience and stay away from Union. There are far too many other great restaurants in Seattle.
read full reviewThe Details on Union
Save Money:
Have a gourmet meal without breaking bank with the bar menu, offered daily from 5pm to 7pm and again from 10pm to midnight.
What to Drink:
Don't overlook the selection of first-class cocktails--try the Jenny O, with Gosling's Black Seal rum, fresh lemon and housemade ginger syrup.
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Romantic Dining, Quiet, Prix Fixe Menu, Theater District Dining
