Belltown Bistro (Reported Closed)

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mizzkatie

Joined 4 years ago

loved it. we just moved in across the street from Belltown Bistro, and i was so pleasantly surprised! after trying a few neighborhood spots, and being distinctly underwhelmed by the high prices and snotty belltown service, this place was a real treat. one of the best happy hours around - we go after 10pm usually, the portions are huge, the food tastes fresh and yummy, and the drinks are strong. what a pleasant surprise to find a real "neighborhood" joint right in the center of belltown!

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lovescandy

Joined 4 years ago

what?? theres a place with freindly service in belltown??. i will admit it. Belltown is not the place for me. Loud bars, pulsing lights, and wasted 20 somethings. HOWEVER, we were stuck on New Years Day with no where to go, this little haven was servin food, and thats all we needed. They had just opened, about 4pm, and we were one of the only tables there. Our server was nice and friendly, though when we pried she admitted to a late night out, but kept a genuine smile on her face. More than i could say for our hungover group. We order hangover remedies immediately (i.e. cocktails) and preceded to order the greasiest things we could find. Burger- great, huge, cheesy. Crab Mac and Cheese- need i say more? heavenly. Calamari - not greasy, but fried, which is essential to recovery- was actually light and crispy, quite good, with little spicy sauce on the side.

i'm glad we ventured out, as i could have never found this little place otherwise.

I almost dont want to give the best part away, but here goes- they have a little "living room" area set up in back with plush leather couches and a huge flat screen tv. Its like being in a house nicer than your own, with better food and cocktails. and you dont even have to do the dishes! Perfect.

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Jennings123

Joined 5 years ago

Great Food AND Friendly Service in Belltown? Who knew??. After hearing good things about this little Belltown gem I felt it was time to see it for myself. I went with three friends and we were all impressed. The wine list has a nice selection. The food was really good. My favorite appetizer was a huge bowl steamed clams with garlic served with a fabulous dense bread perfect for dipping. We ended our evening sharing a piece of bread pudding between four of us. The servings are generous. The prices are shockingly reasonable. The setting is warm yet urban and sophisticated. All the employees were sincerely friendly and helpful without being overpowering. Wish Belltown Bistro was in my neighborhood. Its the kind of place you want to go back to again and again. And we will.

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orangehouse

Joined 7 years ago

many good options, not enough veggie options. 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.

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olblueeyes

Joined 6 years ago

Nothing to write home about... is true!. 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....

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foodsnob62

Joined 5 years ago

Romantic date spot. 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!

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seattlegirl4life

Joined 6 years ago

Great food, nice atmosphere, but.... 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.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Editorial Review. Traditional American favorites like mac and cheese and stuffed pork chops at this restaurant on Belltown's main drag.

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homechef206

Joined 6 years ago

Interesting food. 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

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lucky2

Joined 7 years ago

Awesome weekly specials!. 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!