Belltown Bistro

01/26/2008 Posted by orangehouse

We just made our second visit to Belltown Bistro. Both times were really great, and at happy hour. Last night we don't take advantage of the happy hour, wee ordered form the standard menu. The portions are fair, the prices are bit high. But, you do get what you pay for, not like some places. Our biggest complaint is the lack of vegetarian options. The can cook certain items with our meat, and they have salads, but not rally any entrees that are meant to be vegetarian. In a city filled with hippies, seems like there could be at least one good veggie dish. I would go back, and we will go back.

01/20/2008 Posted by olblueeyes

I agree with Jenstevens....but no totally. It is good food. For the price? mmmm....maybe not so much. I would say its a little over priced. It is consistently good, but not great. Some items are really good, some are fair. I give it 3 stars, because thats what it is. Average. So many people on here don't execute proper star distribution. If they like something then it gets 5. If it was ok it gets one star. Well, Belltown Bistro is Average, so it gets 3 stars. Dont go into it looking to be impressed. Its not Ruth's Chirs or the Met! Its Belltown Bistro....

01/02/2008 Posted by foodsnob62

The atmosphere of this restaurant is great. They have big booths with very tall backs, make it good for conversation. Very romantic with little candles on the tables. I went here on a first date, and it was great! We both had the Filet, and it was big and delicious! Cannot wait to go back again!

Pros: Ambience, Candles at table, great food

Cons: parking

05/04/2007 Posted by seattlegirl4life

I went here for my birthday dinner with some friends, and was VERY impressed with the food. I had a filet with some really tasty asparagas and mashed potatoes (Kinda pricy at about $30). Also tried the Gyro bites, which were absolutely delightful as well. Drinks were reasonably priced, and the bartender seemed to know what he was doing... All well worth the money for a special evening :) Now here's what DESTROYED the whole soiree: the waitress was nice, but when Im paying $30 for a meal, I expect to see professional looking staff. Her top was very revealing ( I could see the sides of her breasts), which seemed a little... tacky. Then the clincher was when we asked for the check. Took her 2 seconds to bring it over, but it wasn't until 15 minutes later she came to pick it up. We marked everything and told her what needed to go on which card - we made it terribly easy for her to figure out. She came back 5 minutes later and says "I can't really do it like that, you just have to tell me how much to put on each card". She was even so kind as to bring us a f***ing calculator so my half-drunk as$ could split the check MYSELF, between my 4 friends. Our tab was over $200. Why the hell should I have to split the check? Isn't that part of what the computers are for? This whole ordeal tacked on an extra 30 minutes to our visit that we could have spent drinking elsewhere. I was very unimpressed by this. How can a high-end restaurant not have the technology to split a check? I work in a bar myself, and it is SUPER simple to do. You just touch the items on the screen and then touch where you want them to go. Not rocket science (or IS it?). They never seem to have this problem at McDonalds or Denny's, where I pay no more than $5 for a meal... Overall: good food, mediocre service. Sort of impressed but not really.

Pros: Food, busser boy (he was ON it!), atmosphere, big booths

Cons: Wont split check for you, parking (it's belltown), server's immense side-tit action

02/21/2007 Posted by homechef206

I've been to this place quite a few times, and I've noticed a dramatic improvement in the food quality over the past month. The weekly specials, which were always what brought me back, have gotten much more interesting (I mean, sweetbreads and oxtail? Nobody does that stuff around here!). The bar staff is maybe the best in the city as far as being personable and attentive while still mixing a kick-ass drink (their "Blutini", when slightly dirty, is the best martini I've had). This restaurant is certainly not without its flaws. I've found the wait to be pretty discouraging on friday and saturday nights. Also, the music they play is kind of sketchy in its appeal. I heard something Lawrence Welk-ish playing during happy hour the last time I was in. All things considered, though, for the prices they charge (incredibly reasonable... I think I paid about $27 for a huge new york steak), you're not going to find a better dining experience in the neighborhood

Pros: Variety on the menu with the rotating specials

Cons: Parking

10/25/2006 Posted by lucky2

I love this Belltown restaurant, I am already a big fan of the Lake Union location; but, what I love about this location is that they are constantly updating their specials...one week the Coconut Scampi Prawns will melt in your mouth, or the Calamari Steak...then next week it is a Lemongrass Chicken Skewer served over orzo and veggies or a Baked Chicken Pie. I like the weekly variations of the menu which ensures that there is always something new and exciting to try along with the already signature dishes. They now have a great happy hour menu too! Something we have yet to try, but the prices and vittles looked hard to beat! Also, everytime I have been in our server has suggested a new wine that was not on the menu to complement our meal. Since I dine out so frequently, it is a nice treat to go to my favorite places and always have a good time and a new experience with foods and wine. Gaylinn is one of our favorites! Tell her we sent you! Two thumbs way up!

Pros: Great Service, ambience is hip and urban with a romantic twist, yummy food specials!

Cons: Weekly specials are not always repeated :(

05/26/2005 Posted by jenstevens

Mediocre and over-priced is how I would describe the food. My steak was fairly average and my husband's halibut was nothing special either. No real creativity or originality in the preparation. Main courses took quite a long time. The service was great, although I was somewhat bothered by the staff member (not our server) who bothered us throughout our meal attempting to sell us additional alcoholic beverages. Perhaps he thought our server wasn't doing her job even though she was?? Anyway, it was overkill. On the service side, I couldn't help to notice that many of the female staff were not wearing a whole lot of clothing. Not sure why. Maybe that's what sells in Belltown? The cleavage in my face combined with the cigarette smoke while I ate, made this new restaurant feel more like a brothel than a bistro. It has potential, but isn't quite there yet.

Pros: good dessert, no waiting

Cons: lack of parking, mediocre food

04/13/2005 Posted by jhumph

Belltown Bistro is a wonderful addition to Belltown. I really enjoyed everything it had to offer from my calamari to my crab mac and cheese to the most amazing cookie and ice cream I have ever ate. The service was impeccable. I plan to include the new Belltown Bistro in many of my future outings.

Pros: service, dessert