Best restaurant in Seattle right now. Easily 1-2 Michelin starts if Michelin would have reviewed Seattle area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
V I
Food poisoning. We had 10 course Tasting menu and non-alcoholic drinks. We left the restaurant around 9pm, and at 11pm I was already vomiting and hugging the toilet. I had a “great” birthday celebration, thank you, Surrell.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
TheSnark
Off the charts experience! A great demo of what food can be beyond filling you up with familiar tastes and formats. Beautiful and thoughtfully presented.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Timothy Powell
Great service, creative menu, and a really nice atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cotton Candy
Joseph Shao
Surrells has a special place in our hearts. We've celebrated multiple birthdays for my daughter, and each time it's been special. Thanks for the great food and hospitality. Truly one of the best fine dining experiences Seattle has to offer.
With gratitude, Alisa and family.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Monisha Mukhija
We were so excited to dine at Surrell to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary but unfortunately we were very disappointed in our experience. The food was good and the welcome + farewell drink was a nice touch, but the entirety of the experience did not meet our expectations of a fine dining establishment.
1. On the day of our reservation, we were moved from the patio to indoor seating due to light rain. We had called a week prior to confirm our patio seating would stand and they assured me over the phone their patio is covered and heated, so we should not have a problem. When we got to the restaurant, they insisted on seating us inside where the tables were cramped together and it was so loud we could barely hear each other. They did surprise us with setting up an outdoor table for the last course, which was a nice gesture, but it didn’t make up for the 2+ hours we spent inside in a noisy and cramped environment. Given we were perfectly comfortable outside during the last course, we don’t see why the restaurant couldn’t have just taken a customer-first approach and seated us outside to begin with. We felt they prioritized their own convenience over the diner’s experience. 2. The communication was very poor. They had emailed us earlier in the day about the seating change but titled the email as “Cooler fall weather has arrived,” resulting in the email getting buried in marketing clutter. A more accurate positioning would have been helpful, like “Update to your patio reservation” or an outreach via phone or text. 3. Some of the staff members were lovely but the service was inconsistent and lackluster and attention to detail was seriously lacking. The table was not cleared in an attentive or timely fashion as it became cluttered - and every new course that came would be placed around the clutter instead of staff offering to move things out of the way. We had to keep refilling our own water and had to ask for bread service three times before it was finally delivered to us - cold, so we had to send it back for warm bread. One of the servers offered us a complementary pour of wine, but only poured it for one person, not for both of us sitting at the table (so tacky!) There was also no consistency in where/how the silverware was placed with the meals. The servers just placed it around the clutter instead of clearing the clutter to present the meal with silverware in a presentable way. 4. The 3-hour meal felt like it dragged on. It didn’t feel well timed or paced. The waiting period in between meals felt long and boring. We also requested menus for the meals which they refused to provide to maintain secrecy/intrigue, but we would have appreciated each course more if we had a proper menu (vs. poem) alongside each course to follow along and immerse ourselves.
As other guests mentioned, at a price point of $500+ per couple, you’re buying into the entirety of the experience, which should feel effortless and you shouldn’t have to make significant compromises. We absolutely didn’t feel that was the case. We tried to voice some of the feedback to restaurant management towards the end, but it was met with arrogance, defensiveness and a lack of empathy and warmth, which is surprising especially for a premium hospitality and customer service-based establishment. They mentioned the service we experienced is by design to keep the experience casual. However, there is a difference between showing up as casual vs. sloppy - and the details matter especially at that price point to make an experience feel premium vs. average.
We’ve tried tasting menus around the world and this was not up to par. In Seattle area, at the same price point, we’ve found our experience at Herbfarm, Altura and Canlis to be far superior. In fact many premium a la carte restaurants in Seattle to be better value for money with superior overall experience. Overall, we just didn’t feel good about how much we spent at Surrell for what we got. I hope their leadership considers the end-to-e
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Jess MacKimm
As someone who doesn’t engage in a lot of fine dining, I was a little hesitant initially to book the 4 course meal. However, I can say hands down this was worth every penny. From the moment we got there until the moment we left, we were well taken care of by the expert team at Surrell. The menu was beautifully crafted, and each course encompassed complex flavors. They were great about my dairy allergy and provided comparable options for me to enjoy. We left very full and satisfied from this delicious and heartwarming dining experience. I would definitely return for another special occasion
Vegetarian options: 4 course menu has multiple dietary options, including vegetarian and vegan
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rebecca Kovacs
Some of the best dining I’ve had in a while. Service was excellent, atmosphere was beautiful, and food was top notch. If Michelin came to Seattle they’d definitely star it immediately. Be sure to sit at the chef’s table, the chef makes the dinnerware(by hand) and it’s so fun to watch the action in the kitchen and to be able to chat with fellow diners and staff. Austin to Seattle is quite a trek, but well worth the trip if it means I can eat here again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chef’S Table
Wendy Yang
Went there to celebrate our dual birthday. Great service, food is super well presented. One dish is a little too salty but Overall a great experience and best fine dining in Seattle so far
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Kathy Spring
Retirrment celebration with best friends was magical!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Palouse Pastured Farms Fudgy' Egg and Spring Vegetables
Hands down worst fine dining restaurant in Seattle. They must have some misunderstanding about fine dining. Mixing flavors with presentation doesn’t mean you are fine dining. Idk…you can’t even pay me triple to go here again… sorry
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Rashmi J
I wanted to take my parents for a special dinner in the city, and Surrell did not disappoint. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with hot apple cider (or mulled wine if you chose the wine pairing), both of which were delicious. Some of us opted for the non-alcoholic pairing, and every single drink was superb. Vegetarian tasting menu was delightful.
Each course was thoughtfully crafted, and we loved the unique touch of matching each dish to a poem provided at the beginning. The meal concluded with an unforgettable treat: cotton candy with a litchi-flavored center—absolutely delightful. Every bite was worth every penny. We'll definitely be returning!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ashley R
Fully enjoyed the PNW inspired tasting menu from Surrell. Food was delicious and the staff very friendly and welcoming.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Antuan Kinnard
I took my wife to Surrell for her dinner on her birthday. Calling it a dinner does not adequately describe our evening. Our "experience" was spectacular. From the start, there were many nice touches to set the tone, like a poem written about the seasonal ingredients being featured in the evening's menu, and flowers made by the chef's mom that we were allowed to take home.
The service was great from start to finish. The staff was attentive and eager to ensure we had everything we needed. We asked enough questions to see that they were knowledgeable about the chef's menu beyond simply memorizing the components of the dish.
Speaking of the dishes, every course was delicious. My wife and I chuckled each time one of us mumbled "mmm", which happened throughout the evening. A few standouts were "Fish Sauce Caramel Cured Salmon" with an herb jam, "Wild Spot Prawn and Columbia River King Salmon" with fermented carrot, and "Into the Spring Garden Vegetables" which felt like the components of a slightly warm soup with a scoop of cold sorbet. Each of these got at least 2 verbal "mmms".
The entire even was great from the first course awaiting us as we were seated, to Chef Aaron Tekulve (chef and owner) greeting everyone at the door on their way out. He stuck around to take photos with us and have conversation about their opening in 2019.
I highly recommend Surrell on Madison if you're looking for a great dining experience with a comfortable environment and excellent food. The dinner is certainly expensive, but you'll soon remember that you deserve to treat yourself. Surrell is a great place to do just that.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Thomas Gartman
Incredibly good! We were visiting Seattle for my vegetarian fiancée's graduation and we got this place recommended to us. Wow! A star chef with a star crew. Expect locally sourced ingredients and wines with an eye towards any food allergy or dietary preference that you communicate ahead of time.
I also really appreciate the control the head chef/owner showed in the kitchen. He clearly loves his craft and is taking the time to mentor others on what great food really means.
Best food in Seattle, and that's after a week of eating great food. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation before its a year wait.
Vegetarian options: They altered every dish with meat in to accommodate vegetarians. Communicate ahead of time.
Best restaurant in Seattle right now.
Easily 1-2 Michelin starts if Michelin would have reviewed Seattle area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food poisoning. We had 10 course Tasting menu and non-alcoholic drinks. We left the restaurant around 9pm, and at 11pm I was already vomiting and hugging the toilet. I had a “great” birthday celebration, thank you, Surrell.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Off the charts experience! A great demo of what food can be beyond filling you up with familiar tastes and formats. Beautiful and thoughtfully presented.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great service, creative menu, and a really nice atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cotton Candy
Surrells has a special place in our hearts. We've celebrated multiple birthdays for my daughter, and each time it's been special. Thanks for the great food and hospitality. Truly one of the best fine dining experiences Seattle has to offer.
With gratitude, Alisa and family.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We were so excited to dine at Surrell to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary but unfortunately we were very disappointed in our experience. The food was good and the welcome + farewell drink was a nice touch, but the entirety of the experience did not meet our expectations of a fine dining establishment.
1. On the day of our reservation, we were moved from the patio to indoor seating due to light rain. We had called a week prior to confirm our patio seating would stand and they assured me over the phone their patio is covered and heated, so we should not have a problem. When we got to the restaurant, they insisted on seating us inside where the tables were cramped together and it was so loud we could barely hear each other. They did surprise us with setting up an outdoor table for the last course, which was a nice gesture, but it didn’t make up for the 2+ hours we spent inside in a noisy and cramped environment. Given we were perfectly comfortable outside during the last course, we don’t see why the restaurant couldn’t have just taken a customer-first approach and seated us outside to begin with. We felt they prioritized their own convenience over the diner’s experience.
2. The communication was very poor. They had emailed us earlier in the day about the seating change but titled the email as “Cooler fall weather has arrived,” resulting in the email getting buried in marketing clutter. A more accurate positioning would have been helpful, like “Update to your patio reservation” or an outreach via phone or text.
3. Some of the staff members were lovely but the service was inconsistent and lackluster and attention to detail was seriously lacking. The table was not cleared in an attentive or timely fashion as it became cluttered - and every new course that came would be placed around the clutter instead of staff offering to move things out of the way. We had to keep refilling our own water and had to ask for bread service three times before it was finally delivered to us - cold, so we had to send it back for warm bread. One of the servers offered us a complementary pour of wine, but only poured it for one person, not for both of us sitting at the table (so tacky!) There was also no consistency in where/how the silverware was placed with the meals. The servers just placed it around the clutter instead of clearing the clutter to present the meal with silverware in a presentable way.
4. The 3-hour meal felt like it dragged on. It didn’t feel well timed or paced. The waiting period in between meals felt long and boring. We also requested menus for the meals which they refused to provide to maintain secrecy/intrigue, but we would have appreciated each course more if we had a proper menu (vs. poem) alongside each course to follow along and immerse ourselves.
As other guests mentioned, at a price point of $500+ per couple, you’re buying into the entirety of the experience, which should feel effortless and you shouldn’t have to make significant compromises. We absolutely didn’t feel that was the case. We tried to voice some of the feedback to restaurant management towards the end, but it was met with arrogance, defensiveness and a lack of empathy and warmth, which is surprising especially for a premium hospitality and customer service-based establishment. They mentioned the service we experienced is by design to keep the experience casual. However, there is a difference between showing up as casual vs. sloppy - and the details matter especially at that price point to make an experience feel premium vs. average.
We’ve tried tasting menus around the world and this was not up to par. In Seattle area, at the same price point, we’ve found our experience at Herbfarm, Altura and Canlis to be far superior. In fact many premium a la carte restaurants in Seattle to be better value for money with superior overall experience. Overall, we just didn’t feel good about how much we spent at Surrell for what we got. I hope their leadership considers the end-to-e
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
As someone who doesn’t engage in a lot of fine dining, I was a little hesitant initially to book the 4 course meal. However, I can say hands down this was worth every penny. From the moment we got there until the moment we left, we were well taken care of by the expert team at Surrell. The menu was beautifully crafted, and each course encompassed complex flavors. They were great about my dairy allergy and provided comparable options for me to enjoy. We left very full and satisfied from this delicious and heartwarming dining experience. I would definitely return for another special occasion
Vegetarian options: 4 course menu has multiple dietary options, including vegetarian and vegan
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Some of the best dining I’ve had in a while. Service was excellent, atmosphere was beautiful, and food was top notch. If Michelin came to Seattle they’d definitely star it immediately. Be sure to sit at the chef’s table, the chef makes the dinnerware(by hand) and it’s so fun to watch the action in the kitchen and to be able to chat with fellow diners and staff. Austin to Seattle is quite a trek, but well worth the trip if it means I can eat here again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chef’S Table
Went there to celebrate our dual birthday. Great service, food is super well presented. One dish is a little too salty but Overall a great experience and best fine dining in Seattle so far
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Retirrment celebration with best friends was magical!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Palouse Pastured Farms Fudgy' Egg and Spring Vegetables
Restaurantji Recommends
Hands down worst fine dining restaurant in Seattle. They must have some misunderstanding about fine dining. Mixing flavors with presentation doesn’t mean you are fine dining. Idk…you can’t even pay me triple to go here again… sorry
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
I wanted to take my parents for a special dinner in the city, and Surrell did not disappoint. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with hot apple cider (or mulled wine if you chose the wine pairing), both of which were delicious. Some of us opted for the non-alcoholic pairing, and every single drink was superb. Vegetarian tasting menu was delightful.
Each course was thoughtfully crafted, and we loved the unique touch of matching each dish to a poem provided at the beginning. The meal concluded with an unforgettable treat: cotton candy with a litchi-flavored center—absolutely delightful. Every bite was worth every penny. We'll definitely be returning!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fully enjoyed the PNW inspired tasting menu from Surrell. Food was delicious and the staff very friendly and welcoming.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I took my wife to Surrell for her dinner on her birthday. Calling it a dinner does not adequately describe our evening. Our "experience" was spectacular. From the start, there were many nice touches to set the tone, like a poem written about the seasonal ingredients being featured in the evening's menu, and flowers made by the chef's mom that we were allowed to take home.
The service was great from start to finish. The staff was attentive and eager to ensure we had everything we needed. We asked enough questions to see that they were knowledgeable about the chef's menu beyond simply memorizing the components of the dish.
Speaking of the dishes, every course was delicious. My wife and I chuckled each time one of us mumbled "mmm", which happened throughout the evening. A few standouts were "Fish Sauce Caramel Cured Salmon" with an herb jam, "Wild Spot Prawn and Columbia River King Salmon" with fermented carrot, and "Into the Spring Garden Vegetables" which felt like the components of a slightly warm soup with a scoop of cold sorbet. Each of these got at least 2 verbal "mmms".
The entire even was great from the first course awaiting us as we were seated, to Chef Aaron Tekulve (chef and owner) greeting everyone at the door on their way out. He stuck around to take photos with us and have conversation about their opening in 2019.
I highly recommend Surrell on Madison if you're looking for a great dining experience with a comfortable environment and excellent food. The dinner is certainly expensive, but you'll soon remember that you deserve to treat yourself. Surrell is a great place to do just that.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Incredibly good! We were visiting Seattle for my vegetarian fiancée's graduation and we got this place recommended to us. Wow! A star chef with a star crew. Expect locally sourced ingredients and wines with an eye towards any food allergy or dietary preference that you communicate ahead of time.
I also really appreciate the control the head chef/owner showed in the kitchen. He clearly loves his craft and is taking the time to mentor others on what great food really means.
Best food in Seattle, and that's after a week of eating great food. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation before its a year wait.
Vegetarian options: They altered every dish with meat in to accommodate vegetarians. Communicate ahead of time.
Dietary restrictions: Communicate ahead of time!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Octopus, Panna Cotta, Cotton Candy, Duck Breast, Sockeye Salmon, Chef’S Table
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