6 Best Bistros near Seattle

“3 of us went to this restaurant to celebrate my birthday and it was lovely! We shared a ton of dishes - highlights definitely include the crispy potatoes, burrata with butternut squash and I loved the apple crumble. We also loved the staff! We met Jen, the owner, who was such a fun vibe. They also made great, deliciously boozy cocktails. Will definitely be back!“

“Very nice experience. The service was terrific, from the host to the servers. This complimented the delicious food that was really well prepared and presented. Our only disappointment was that the menu was fairly limited as a result of the Seattle Restaurant Week (SRW). We were not there for SRW and had looked at the menu on the website prior to our arrival but then found out that some of the options we had pre-selected were not available. We still enjoyed everything we ordered and look forward to returning.“

“I took the time to write a message to the absent manager about my positive experience before leaving. A tall African American staff person waited on me over a month ago. I stopped by at around 1030 pm over a month ago to order take out and relax after being locked out of mu car while remodeling my stupid condo for resale. Today I stopped by earlier on a Monday to get the same order after doing tons of errands The same woman stopped by while I was beIng tended by a different staff. She greeted me and remembered that I sat by the window last time. I was amazed. Today was literally the 2nd time that I had ever been there. She recalled what I had ordered. I ordered fish chips to go and a vodka martini while waiting It’s really a great experience to be remembered and is community building I wish I had her name and am sorry I don’t have it Please give her a raise!! She made my dayTWICE“

“The Alhadeff Grill is the "high end" restaurant for South Seattle College's Culinary Arts School, which has turned out many fine chefs and cooks for many years now. The students do all prep, cooking and service...and a fine job they do. I came here with two old friends to see what was on the menu for lunch (that's all they serve) and to see how the school had changed. My wife and I used to live five blocks away and would eat here from time to time. Hadn't been here in nearly 30 years. Lunch is served from 11-1 Mon.-Thurs. while school is in session. Check the web site to be sure they're serving...and for reservations for large groups. Two of us had the well-chilled Vichyssoise (potato & leek) soup for an appetizer ($4.00). It was o.k., but not oniony enough for my taste (but then I make an excellent Vichyssoise!). For our entree', two of us had the Steelhead served over a cauliflower cake ($12.00). It was delicious, though a small portion. The fish was perfectly cooked...soft and flaky and served with a light broth that was somewhat soaked up by the light, tasty thin cauliflower cake. My other buddy had a very small lamb shank wrapped in something green (a veggie?). He never commented about it, so I suspect he may not have been terribly impressed. Only one of us ordered dessert, a dark chocolate tart. We all wanted to get a strawberry Zabaglione, but they ran out of ingredients. Total bill for my soup and fish was $18.00. All-in-all it was a fun luncheon and a chance to support the school and its students. The head chef/instructor visited all tables to chat with the diners. Service was excellent by a young first year student. One thing I truly appreciated was you could actually hear one another talk without shouting here. It's a quiet restaurant...the last of a dying breed. Sadly, the retail bakery wasn't open, so I couldn't stop in for the scrumptious baked goods I used to buy years ago. If you live in the southwest end of Seattle, you owe it to yourself and the students to check it out.“

“Square One Bistro is the best lunch deal in town, in a city with menus listing prices that are routinely jaw-droppingly expensive it's a shock to dine somewhere where the most expensive dishes cost $13.

This is part of the Seattle Culinary Academy in Seattle Central, so it's located inside the school (but open to the public). It can be a little tricky to find, some of the doors to the main building are locked, but keep trying. Once you get in, follow signs to the atrium to get to the bistro or the One World restaurant.

The service was excellent, the food was delicious, and the prices unbeatable. Everything is done by the students, and the menu rotates based on what they're studying, but mostly seasonal and locally sources. The only downside is the schedule: since it's student run it's only open during the week when classes are in session, for a small window of time. If you can make that work, you should absolutely check it out.“

“Keep in mind that there is a hot food "dead hour" from 10am - 11am as they transition from breakfast to lunch. During this time, however, you can still grab a sandwich or whatever is in the cooler. Coffee is still available during that hour.That being said, there are usually two options. One typically includes a meat protein while the other is usually vegetarian (not vegan). Both options are almost always sub $10.00. For Seattle, this is a great value for what you get and the meals are typically pretty health focused. After all, you're at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance so that adds up.This review is still during the pandemic (Delta Variant being the current big one), and a lot of patrons will be immunocompromised. It's nice to have this option and the tables spread far enough apart and cleaned regularly. Staff is very friendly. I see the odd review from non Seattle natives thinking that the staff is slightly standoffish, but I believe that's just a culture difference and people mistaking our mannerisms for curtness. I'll stop the review here before it gets more preachy. Overall I definitely recommend.“