Flying Fish

07/22/2008 Posted by vmay

Went to Flying Fish for a first date evening. I have been to this Belltown establishment several times with girlfriends, bar dates (old pals wanting to catch up with good food and drinks) and such. Was not aware that they had upstairs seating. Well, me and my new friend were seated upstairs (with a reservation) and were given very, very good service. Our server was well versed with the menu, wines, and small talk (I think her name was Dawn?). We had wine, an appitizer, meals, and shared a dessert. We were pleasantly surprised with the service and food. I had my doubts that we would be forgotten as we were upstairs, and at the west end of the restaurant. But not to worry. We were waited on, quite splendidly, and not intrusivly. This made a great evening for us both.

Pros: Upstairs is great for a quiet date.

Cons: I didn't see any con's while there.

06/21/2008 Posted by renbob

We were excited by the prospect of having a delicious seafood dinner in Seattle, and this one came highly recommended. REALLY!? Is there no better here in Seattle? We were extremely underwhelmed. The food was oversauced, underseasoned, and simply overpriced. The waiter was not present (in fact, we had a hard time finding anyone that would take the check), and he was really not knowledgable about the wine. We were really dissapointed. I would try something else if you are looking for truely inspired food and an attentive staff.

Pros: people watching

Cons: everything else

06/19/2008 Posted by slowcooker

My husband and I had dinner at Flying Fish last week and it was as good, if not better than our first dinner there more than eight years ago! The menu changes every day, although they do keep a few house favorites on at all times-thank goodness one of these is the salt and pepper crab, it's the best crab I've ever tasted. The service was friendly and informative--I've never asked a menu question that the seasoned waitstaff hasn't been able to answer. they even sent out a molten chocolate brownie for our anniversary. This place just gets better and better. I can't wait to return

04/17/2008 Posted by Tifflynner

I was very disappointed. We wandered Seattle looking for a decent seafood restaurant. We searched on our phone for good reviews and this had the best we could find. Menu is printed different every day. I got Halibut and my husband got Salmon. He enjoyed his dish and even offered to trade but I didn't like either of them. I was very disappointed. I paid $25 per plate which I know is somewhat reasonable but I would have appreciated even a salad with dinner at that price. I indicated to the waiter that I was not pleased but he ignored me and even made comments when we left that "I can see you enjoyed your dinner" which he knew wasn't true. We did recieve a small quarter-loaf of cold hard-to-chew bread with very bland butter to start the meal off. I obviously wasn't very impressed with that either. Overall I think it is overpriced and perhaps the staff is not kept as happy as they should be. I was very sad that we spent $70 on a dinner that I so thoroughly did not enjoy. I did have other great dining experiences at Benihanas the night before. If you're going to spend that much money it's a much more worthwhile place to go.

Pros: table was comfortable and place seemed clean

Cons: not a good value, dish did not blend together well

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

03/31/2008 Posted by ebjohn3

My girlfriend and I came here to celebrate our birthdays and for the Dine Around Seattle menu. Our overall experience was mediocre. We had reservations for 7:30. When we arrived we were told we would be seated within 10 minutes, yet there were 4 other parties to be seated ahead of us. We were shown to our table 35 minutes later, and would have relaxed at the bar had we realised we weren't next on the list. The atmosphere was good, and I would recommend for a date. For the 'small plate' I ordered the green curry clams and while the clams themselves were good, the watery curry sauce dripped off the clam once you picked it up. My gf had the beet salad and was pleased. For our main course we both ordered the blackened Albacore tuna. We both puckered from the salt on our first bite. Apparently, it is wok seared in a soy reduction. I don't know about you but regular soy sauce is salty enough for me without being reduced. They promptly returned with two steaks that were seared in the pepper rub, but with the soy on the side. I commend the service, but the result was lackluster. The steak lost all of the salt and some of the flavor, and simply tasted like blackened pepper. For desert my gf ordered the chocolate tart with banana cream. It was definitely good, the chocolate was rich, and covered with a toffee crisp. I had the coconut mango parfait. The bottom layer was coconut which had a very subtle flavor and was almost bland, like they forgot the sugar. Then there was a tart lemony gelatin layer. The top layer tasted of ripe mangoes and is probably where the missing sugar from the bottom layer ended up. The food service was fast but our waitress seemed busy and did not provide much interaction. We would not likely return to Flying Fish to eat again.

Pros: Ambience, Location

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

03/24/2008 Posted by crc_seattle

My folks came in from Denver for the weekend and I wanted to take them for fresh seafood. Unfortunately, I chose the Flying Fish for Easter dinner... Our waitress set the tone for the evening with eye rolling, exhausted sighs and an altogether unpleasant disposition. She also knew very little about the wine list and seemed unable or unwilling to enlist assistance from other staff. My salad was dry, the appetizer was quite good and the entree (spearfish with pineapple, coconut and steamed rice) was bland both in presentation and to the taste. Also, the wide majority of the menu has not changed in at least four years. It's past time Christine clean house and innovate. Until then, I will not be taking business or personal meals at the Flying Fish...

Pros: Warm space, large windows

Cons: everything else

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

03/07/2008 Posted by south_seattle

We almost changed our reservations at the restaurant because of some of the recent reviews but we are very happy that we did not. We had a reservation on Friday evening and arrived a few minutes early. Our table was ready and we were seated promptly (great table location). Our server was super nice and very attentive. Drinks showed up quickly, food came out promptly & hot and was delicious. Everyone in our group of five had an outstanding evening and we all would definitely return.

Pros: Great ambience, awesome food

02/11/2008 Posted by cmg2002

I have eaten here numerous times in the 5+ years I've lived in Seattle. My husband and I have celebrated birthdays there and brought in many guests from out of town. I am sad to say this place is slipping if our last few visits are any indicator. The food here used to be amazing but now it seems boring. The main decline I have seen is in the quality of service. We always used to get wonderful, friendly servers who would make great recommendations. More recently, as many reviewers have noted, the service is snobbish, cold, and seems to want to get you in and out as quickly as possible yet is often slow to bring your food and drink. And heaven help you if you don't order alcohol ... we did this on one visit and our "friendly" waiter immediately turned stone cold and was barely seen for the rest of the evening. I'm afraid I'm crossing this place off my list of go-to restaurants in Seattle.

Pros: Creative menu

Cons: Snobby service

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

12/11/2007 Posted by jze

Just stopped in to Flying Fish last week for the first time. Although we did not have a reservation, and the place was hopping, the hostess kindly found us a table. What followed was a wonderful evening... absolutely delicious food and stellar service. Our server was attentive, yet not intrusive and the wine he recommended for us was just perfect. We cannot wait to return! Thanks for a great evening.

11/12/2007 Posted by uwhusky91

Excellent food, did not miss a beat on any of the courses. The seared tuna that I had was one of the tastiest dishes I've had in a long time. That, along with the fun of Belltown and the fine decor in this restaurant, make for a great dining experience! The service was just OK, but I'm only looking for good food in a nice restaurant, not someone to bother me repeatedly with questions as I'm enjoying the company at my table. I haven't had a bad meal there yet!