Have been a few times but it had been quite some time since my last visit. Three of us came on a…read moreThursday which is all day happy hour, and some solid deals on drinks and $2 off small plates - woo! Was especially interested in coming after knowing the bar manager (Sarah) has won awards in the industry. We tried: - Apricot Old fashioned $10 - great value! Strong with a hint of apricot. - Classic Martini $11 - it was Martini month when we went so martinis were featured with great prices! Definitely not my fave martini in the city but could not beat this price and it was enjoyable still. - Mezcal drink (I think it was the Sea Senora) $18, I had this and loved it. I'm a fan of mezcal and this was no exception. Great flavors. - Lamb Crepinette $17 on HH, we all enjoyed this! Not too "lamb-y" if that makes sense. - Point Judith Squid Salad - $14 on HH, I really enjoyed this salad as it reminded me of Spain/Portugal, which I'm a huge fan of. The squid was really tender and went well with the beans and olives. Super cute vibes inside and everything is really aesthetic but also great flavor/execution. I already want to go back to try more.

It's a gorgeous Seattle day and I was looking for a place to ride my bike to. Yelp said this one…read morehad bike parking so we decided to check it out. First off, it does not have bike parking. That was a little awkward (but obviously not the restaurant's fault, just an FYI). It does have giant windows, lovely staff, and $2 off plates for happy hour. I really enjoyed the lamb and the mai tai, and definitely order those again.

I've been waiting for a year to see what ELDR was all about. I had moved to Ballard from Snohomish…read morefollowing my heart for love and one of our first long day dreaming walks in the neighborhood we stumbled across a corner restaurant that seemed to have been cherished by the community and had a menu that spoke to my heart, almost as much as my soon to be and now wife. Fast forward to a year later and my bride surprised me on my birthday yesterday with an eagerly awaited indulgence. ELDR did not disappoint! The space was cozy, the staff was exactly what I wanted concerning passion and someone who you could share a drink with and talk industry for hours. I wish we would have done better documenting our selection but that just means we'll have to go back and eat our way through the menu! I wish I would have asked if the bread service had an half order. It's a great value and the charred Onion Compound butter was next level. We shared everything as I imagine the small menu was design to do and the potatoes were heavenly. I loved the grilled cabbage dish (undocumented) and the braised pork short ribs with the Meyer lemon bbq sauce was an amazing find. The seasonality is spot on and I hope the menu follows the weather. I can't wait to see what they do for hearty cold weather at the end of the year if that's how the chef's want to proceed.

I used to come to this space when it was Samara, so I was happy to see that Eldr appears to have…read morekept much of the same setup, including the oven, Argentinian-style grill, and even much of the interior design. That was a plus for me because I always loved the charred flavors Samara produced. We came as a group of six and tried a good portion of the menu. We first asked what was included in the tasting menu and were told it would be whatever the chef felt like making. When we asked what the chef felt like making that day, we still could not get an answer, which was a little strange. We ultimately decided to order à la carte. We had the albacore crudo and grilled squid, along with the charred potatoes, gem lettuce, and charred gai lan and mushrooms. For the larger dishes, we ordered the baked crab, duck confit baguette, steak for two, and pork chop. The amount of food was enough for all six of us, and the portion sizes were generally good, especially for the entrées. The steak was nicely sliced and cooked medium rare. The duck was slightly overcooked, but still delicious. The baked crab was somewhat like a rich mac and cheese topped with crab, although the portion felt a little small. It is difficult not to compare eldr with Samara because they share the same space and cooking equipment, even though I understand that they are completely different restaurants with different menus. Samara's menu was simpler and more vegetable-forward, and I felt it made stronger use of the charcoal grill and smoky, charred flavors. I would have liked to experience more of that at eldr as well. A heads up - A 22% service charge was automatically added to the bill, and the overall meal was on the pricier side. Still, the food was enjoyable, the portions worked well for sharing, and the space continues to have a lot of character.

The next time I was here, I made sure to get here incredibly early to get the lamb neck korma pie…read more I made a reservation at 5:30 to guarantee it. Based on availability, I probably could've walked in around an hour later and been fine, but didn't want to risk it since they only make like 30 in a day. To my great surprise, the dish came out just a couple minutes after ordering. It seems like the pie is already pre-made and they just pour korma over the top before serving. The server assured me that one would be for one person, so we each got one. From the moment it's presented, this looks like nothing you've seen before. The colors of the beige korma washing over the sturdy brown pastry is just a visually striking image. What's even crazier is there's so much that's obscured by this initial plating - things that you find out as you dig into the dish. After the first layer of pastry, the dish descends into a massive layer of lamb neck meat. And when I say massive, I mean the meat is so densely packed together into this pie you're left wondering how they fit so much into what's not a big shell diameter-wise. So, how is everything? It's amazingly good, at least for the first 3/4ths of the meal. I have to start with the pie crust, or the pastry shell, which is just perfect. The way it retains its shape, refusing to break down until real pressure is applied, is ridiculous. The texture is incredibly sturdy, and the taste is phenomenal. No matter what was placed inside this crust I would still enjoy it. It's crunchy, buttery, the inside wall is flaky, and the absolute highlight here. The korma is also very good. While certainly a westernized version of the sauce, lacking any spiciness and turning way more on the sweet side, it's still got enough flavor to be a great complement to the main pie. I do think a more acidic and spicy would've help offset the fattiness of the center item, but this sauce was still delicious on its own. Lastly, the lamb neck was great. Super fatty, of course, but braised to perfection, resulting in meat that's tender and melt in your mouth. Like I mentioned, there's an insane portion of meat here. Of course, this is all great until about 2/3 to 3/4th through the pie, where you begin to really feel the effects of an insane overload of fat. I can eat a lot of food, but this really started to wear on me. Here's where I have some slight issues - I think a) the inability to counteract the fat present and b) the amount of lamb neck needs to be toned down a bit, as ironic as asking for less meat might sound. One might have the attitude that if they're paying so much, might as well give them the most meat possible - but in my opinion, the best dishes are truly about balance. And when you can't expect someone to eat a dish and feel good about it afterwards, that's not the hallmark of a great dish. This could've been avoided if the server had mentioned that one pie could be split between two people, but that's not what she recommended. This resulted both me and my companion not finishing the meal, which I absolutely hate to do, but I was left with no choice in this case. The other part is the price. Each pie cost $50 each, which is a significant amount. Additionally, there was a 22% automatic tip even for a party of two, which is just way too high. The server didn't even tell us about this automatic tip which resulted in unintentionally tipping more on the tip pad. I would not hesitate to refer to this restaurant as overpriced. Overall, it's a truly inventive dish that's one of my favorite things I've eaten in Seattle, but the price and portion complicate things slightly. 9/10

We popped in for the new breakfast service at Little Beast - offered on weekends in the…read moremorning/before noon. There is no online sample menu for LB's breakfast that I was able to track down, so from memory they are currently offering: the English Breakfast (standard size), the Full English (which is 2x the English - pics included in post for comparison), steak and eggs, a biscuit breakfast sandwich, the Scotch egg (same as the one on the dinner menu), and an assortment of smaller plates (Bubble & Squeak, English muffin with rhubarb jam, porridge with fixings, etc.). They are also serving Bloodies and a variety of N/A beverages. Overall, we liked the English options - the standard size is plenty of food for the average appetite. I did not care for how strong the warming spices were in the black sausage; the spices were the predominant flavor - I like to taste the minerally undertones of the other ingredients. That's just a personal preference though! Bubble & Squeak was very tasty - a fun vegetarian option, or a good side for the table to share.

Went Friday for family dinner. Staff was so nice squeezing us in before another reservations,…read moreswitching out as poorly made drink order. Sharing kids coloring sheet! Resulted in a wonderful meal. Food was mostly good. I don't recommend the Dino kids dish but our tacos and quesiabria were delicious. Don't they white sangria unless you want a savory drink. Also end with churros they were delicious and fresh We'll be back

This spot was a mixed bag. The bartenders were easily the highlight of the experience. Friendly,…read moreattentive, and clearly talented, they made some excellent drinks and kept the atmosphere lively. Unfortunately, the food didn't live up to the cocktails. The soup looked promising but was surprisingly bland and lacked the depth of flavor you'd expect. The burrito was decent enough, but nothing memorable. The real standout on the menu was the salad. Fresh, colorful, and packed with texture, it was easily the best thing we ordered. I'd happily come back for drinks and to hang out at the bar, but I wouldn't make a special trip for the food.

Great ambience and excellent service, my husband wanted to try the whiskey flight and we found one…read moreon the menu at the Fremont social so we thought of trying. Did not disappoint! They have some tapas style small plates for food offerings but we were not very hungry so did not try anything besides the deviled eggs which were delicious. We will define back to try all the amazing cocktails on the menu!

What a hidden gem! We weren't even out of the place and were talking about when we would return. A…read morelovely space with gorgeous interior and furnishings, beautiful covered rooftop bar overlooking the water, casual outdoor patio, great craft cocktails and good food. Prices were very reasonable and service was prompt and friendly. A lovely experience! Check out the pics of the rooftop bar--nice!

Stopped by around 5 for drinks. There is a lot of free street parking in the area. Staff were super…read morefriendly and welcoming. It was nice to see an excellent cleanliness rating. My partner and I ordered the regular order of meat pelmeni. It was a large portion for the regular and food was super delicious. We also loved our drinks. The interior decorations were super cool. There's a lot of indoor bar and booth seating. Totally recommend and definitely coming back.

Cozy local spot offering Russian dumplings/comfort food (pelmeni, vareneki, maybe piroshki)…read more Limited menu but allows them to focus. I tried the vareniki and my husband had the pelmeni. Both were good, but the vareniki was a little bland and better with sour cream or adjika. Large portions. I got the regular size and couldn't finish it. They also have a full bar and some N/A drinks like beet kvass (think Russian kombucha) and birch soda. I really liked the beet kvass. My husband less so cause it was less traditional so I guess depends on your tastebuds. They also have a full bar. Recommend checking out.

Love Baker's, but had a bummer experience today. I come here often in warm weather. I meet friends,…read morewe bring our dogs, and so we sit outside. I always bring my dog to the order counter off the sidewalk and then carry my order back out. Today I ordered, and carried a cup of water outside. My dog and I then stepped back to the order counter to retrieve my drink. A different bartender saw me and scolded --seriously scolded -- me for having my dog with me. Weirdly, the two ladies next to me also had their dog. I walked back out and one of the two ladies kindly came over to say they were sorry the bartender had been rude. That said, the full Baker's experience is much better than this one grumpy blip on the screen.

I really wanted to love this place, but I just had a weird experience. To set the scene there is an…read moreoutdoor part in front, counter seating bar inside, and backyard patio. I was with a group of five and we just wanted to grab a few drinks out front. However, it seemed like they didn't serve people out there. So then we were able to be seated in the back. However, from the point where we were greeted at the door to our service at the table our interactions felt off. At times they were very nice and then very rude/short (hot and cold per se). The ambiance is actually quite nice in the bar and backyard patio. However, it seems like service can be a little hit or miss. I don't want to write this place off entirely and would maybe try again with a smaller group if I was in the area. Giving the benefit of the doubt as it was a pretty busy night as well!

Came to watch World Cup Soccer. At least 7 TVs …read more We were able find free parking in the neighborhood a couple of blocks away. Ordered wings and the artichoke dip. Standard bar food. Great service - friendly and attentive staff. It got a bit noisy as more patrons came but it wasn't crazy loud. Nice place to hang out. HH is from 3-5 and all day Mondays.

The fish and chips was great. The breading was light and crispy and very similar to fried taro…read morefrom dim sum. I also enjoyed a small bowl of beef stew. We sat outside since the seating inside was full of people watching World Cup matches. Because we sat outside, service was a little slow.