Bistro Baffi Italian Fine Dining

Best food in greater Seattle area! (perhaps anywhere!)

by edwardss10 at Citysearch

We were fans of Michael Vujovich's culinary delights when he owned the Beach House on Alki, and were thrilled when he opened Bistro Baffi in a quiet little place tucked into the Seahurst area west of Burien. The food and service are exquisite- consistently outstanding, and definitely our chosen destination for celebrating any occasion..or for that matter, just needing "a treat". We are always greeted with smiles, hugs and our preferences are remembered. The ambiance is very pleasant- richly decorated and yet, not pretentious. The flavors in all of the dishes tend to offer little surprises- subtle blends of spices that burst in your mouth. The portions are hearty, and make it difficult to choose. (We recommend bringing guests and having everyone select a different entree, so that everyone can try a bite!). The penne Contadina is my favorite: spicy, but not too hot. Another favorite is their special seafood risotto with asparagus- always fresh, firm fish, and with subtle delectable flavors in the sauce. And, we certainly cannot forget the home baked foccacia bread and fine desserts: Tiramisu and walnut cake to die for. They also have recently bottled some lovely red wines under their own label to add to their formidable selection. (They also have a full bar, wonderful after dinner aperitifs and espresso if you prefer with your dessert.) No matter what you try, you can?t go wrong.

• Pros: Flavor, Value, Service
• Cons: they don't deliver :)

Indeed! Best Italian in Seattle!

by Favel at Citysearch

Congratulations Bistro Baffi for winning the best Italian restaurant in Seattle.We always felt that chef Michael's food was the best Italian in the city , and were ecstatic when he opened his new restaurant in Burien. We used to go to his Beach House cafe on Alki for 12 years. Now we have to travel even less to enjoy his food. I love chef Michael's pink sauce, and I used to crave it tremendously when he was gone to Europe before opening Bistro Baffi. I like all his dishes with pink sauce , but my favorite is "Penne alla Mike". This pasta has scampi that are actually cooked in shell ( in order to preserve the flavor, as chef Michael explained it to me once), wild mushrooms and spicy pink sauce.

Last night, I decided to try the lobster ravioli with Alfredo sauce, lobster mushrooms and truffle oil. The ravioli melted in my mouth. The sauce was perfect, not too heavy, and the combination of mushrooms and truffle oil gave this dish several different layers of pure eating delight ! My husband had grilled Chilean sea bass , with sun dried tomatoes and cognac sauce. His comment suggested that fish like this, one can only find in Italy or Greece. "Pure heaven" , he managed to mumble between his bites. We had L'Ecole Syrah with our dinner , and that was a very good bottle of wine. As we were geting ready to leave, I was already thinking about our next meal at Bistro Baffi.

• Pros: never disappointed
• Cons: none

I loved it!

by miamatovic at Citysearch

What makes Italian food do delicious? I asked myself many times, and I bet many people did too. Is it the spices, or the heart they put into cooking, maybe the Italian-it must come out good-spirit? Whatever it is, one person is aware of the answer, that is Michael.

If you love elegant evenings, spent in a very much European way with a glass of the finest wine, this is your place! The atmosphere is just amazing with all the warm colors, everything is so...personal! Isn't it a great feeling when the chef comes straight to your table, asking how you liked the ordered specialty? That's the way to go! That is exactly why I always feel like eating at Bistro Baffi! Not to mention the out of this world delicious meals.

If you found yourself hungry (rather than sleepless) in Seattle, do not hesitate to try this restaurant! You will love it, and you will get addicted to the tiramisu!!

• Pros: atmosphere, service, food, friendliness
• Cons: I wish you had one restaurant on every corner

Best Salmon in 46 years

by BMorelan at Citysearch

My fiance told Chef Micheal that his Salmon was the best he had had in his 46 years of life. He has travelled the world, and has eaten at the best restaurants, so that is quite a compiment.

This is our favorite restaurant. This is the only restaurant where the Chef/Owner greets EVERY table, not just the VIP guests. Warm and welcoming!

Thanks, BB!

• Pros: Mouthwatering Food/Friendly, prompt service

Simply Divine

by ups make me up at Citysearch

Bistro Baffi is an undiscovered gem in an unexpected part of town. Go and try it !

• Pros: outstanding food, great staff
• Cons: quite a drive from my house

Highly overrated second class Italian

by Rondog66 at Citysearch

We have visited Baffi about 5 times over the last 2 years, mainly to give it a second chance. After the last try in October 2009, there will be no second chances.

The food is reliably poorly cooked and poorly prepared. My ravioli were tough and tasteless, and the pesto (sic) wasn't even blended, just torn basil in oil. The chef uses his signature pink sauce (a mixture of tomato sauce and cream) on just about anything-the night we were there last, it was minced clams. Steaks advertised as strip loin are laden with gristle. On one visit, two of our party ordered lobster cakes that were so spicy hot that they were inedible.

Our waiter was so loud that when he entered the room talking about 'this gentleman needs a spoon and this one a fork and the lady needs water' etc., that all conversation stopped until he left. What still riles me is that he insisted on serving us appetizers we clearly did not want, and then charged us for them. One of our party did not even eat shellfish and gave it to another diner.

This is a neighborhood restaurant that should be a welcome addition, but regrettably the food quality and consistency are so poor that we have stopped trying.

• Pros: Nice atmosphere
• Cons: Lousy food, poor service

Best place in Burien to dine!

by Novica at Citysearch

Whenever we want amazing food and even better atmosphere.. we go to Bistro Baffi!! Always welcomed like family when we come in.. the cozy and beautifully-decorated restaurant is the perfect setting for romantic dates or bonding family moments. The wine, the appetizers, the WONDERFUL dinners... all so good, it makes me feel like I'm in Europe again. The waitstaff is spectacular, friendly and professional.. I cannot say enough great things about this place, except GO THERE, you will ♥ it!

• Pros: Yummy, friendly, lovely!
• Cons: none whatsoever

Best Ravioli

by Cindra at Citysearch

Amazing dinning experiance! The best ravioli I ever had!

• Pros: The quality, the food, the service

Great Happy Hour Menu

by Bobby44 at Citysearch

My fiancee and I went to Bistro Baffi and were pleasantly surprised to find out that they were serving Happy Hour Menu. I had the most amazing pork tenderloin with wild mushrooms and my fiancee had spaghetti Stella with grilled chicken. We had a bottle of Stinger Zinfandel and our bill including the gratuity,still came out to less then $60. Thumbs up, great job!

• Pros: consistently good,affordable
• Cons: none

Very Disappointed!

by lj122 at Citysearch

We went to Bistro Baffi with hopeful expecations, in search of a truly wonderful Italian restaurant. After reading the reviews we decided to try Bistro Baffi. . . . . what an incredible disappointment. Frankly, we will probably never return. We had 7:30 reservations, and didn't have our drink order taken for 20 minutes. When our wine was opened, it wasn't even sampled - they just poured two glasses, the bottle was set on the table and the server walked away. Another 10 minutes passed before a morsel of bread appeared on our table.

We sampled the bruschetta - nothing special, lacked flavor and we asked for some balsamic to jazz it up a bit. For our dinner we had the highly acclaimed risotto and scampi with the "pink sauce". . . tasted more like chef boy r dee, and the prawns were totally overcooked. We also had the "veal scallopini saltimboca" STAY AWAY FROM THAT if you know what is good for you!!!!! For $28 it was a piece of overcooked veal covered with a chunk of rubbery smoked mozzerella cheese that overpowered any other potential flavor. It was a total waste of $120. We left and went up the street to the 909 and had some dessert which was delightful! Wish we had gone there for dinner. Oh well. . . . . .live and learn!

• Pros: focaccia and pleasant servers
• Cons: everything else

Response from this business

116169– June 19, 2009 at 12:02:34 PDT

We tried calling you , but the number that you provided with your reservation is a non working number.

We regret that you were disappointed and wish that you had voiced your concerns to us while at the restaurant. The chef would have been happy to make you another dish.

We take pride in what we do.Our priority is always making excellent dishes and making every guest happy .

Please feel free to contact us at Bistro Baffi.

Bistro Baffi Rocks My World!

by macdanny at Citysearch

The service at Bistro Baffi is absolutely the best. It can only be topped by the excellent dishes served up by Chef Michael Vujovich. Everything on the menu is fantastic. I wait in anticipation to hear the nightly specials. Pick one and enjoy. It is always a pleasure to enjoy a leisurely meal with good friends at Bistro Baffi!

• Pros: Penne Arribbiatta, tiramisu!
• Cons: Not close enough to where I live!!