This is a COVID update. We were looking for a place to dine out after ages for our anniversary. I saw their outdoor setup and fell in love with the lighting! We reserved a spot for Saturday dinner. We got there on time and saw a bunch of groups waiting to be seated. I am so glad they are so popular even in this situation. We got seated within 10 mins of checking in. The outdoor seating is beautifully lit. They change the table cloth and the menu marker after every table. There is a heater for each table, it can get a little chilly though, I saw many people still with their jackets on. I did feel the tables could've been spaced a little more. The service was great. We got our food very fast and everything was really tasty. I highly recommend the crab bruschetta. They are surprisingly really warm for bruschetta and really flavorful with the balsamic drizzle! I just wish they were cheaper! We also tried their steak tacos and chicken sandwich. Both were really good. I loved the fries that came with my sandwich too! Perfectly seasoned and great texture. This continues to be one of our favorite spots in Bellevue. Do try them out! read more

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It was my wife's b-day and I wanted to surprise her with dinner for four at our favorite restaurant (Central). I had reservations for 7:15, my wife and friends were at Ascend and were going to bring her down at 7 to surprise her. Wife wanted to leave Ascend at 6 so we needed a table at 6. Your staff was phenomenal and Amanda helped step in and make things happen. I also asked them to put a vase of roses I had brought and have a bottle of Piper on ice etc. i went and got wife and came down with friends and it was set up and PERFECT! Your personnel, your level of service and your food is always impeccable. We continually post about Central (and 520) and recommend to anyone who asks where to go for great food! Thank you again for making my wife's bday that much more special...Randy and Wendy Akers read more

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great service, bad drinks, greasy food. Spanish Burrito had stale spinach tortilla, breakfast sandwich was too oily. potatoes were good. Bloody Mary was below average. read more

This is by far the best atmosphere in Bellevue. Whether there for happy hour, a private event, of dinner, I have never been disappointed! The drinks and the food are always great! We have celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, high school & college graduations at Central and they have all been excellent. It is also our to go establishment when we have out of town visitors and they have all loved it - or at least told us they did :). The service is consistently wonderful, from being greeted promptly upon arrival, to the bartenders, waitstaff, etc. You won't be disappointed with an evening at Central! read more

I thought the food was so so I got the pesto pasta and it wasn't the best ; too many toppings and it was too dense . The veggie chicken nuggets didn't work ; too soggy . Not sure if the pesto is made from scratch Also the calamari didn't taste the freshest too me Good for drinks but as a vegetarian Tye food needs to be better read more

I've been to the area a bazillion times and I just can't believe I never saw this place or knew of its existence! But one time, I was in the valet and a gold light must have caught my eye because I was immediately intrigued snd had to go! The set up really gave me some NYC vibes that I really miss. I think sitting outside at this restaurant was even better than indoor dining could be! It was cozy and cute! We also made it right before the crazy rush, if going on a Saturday night, go right before standard dinner time :) read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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I met a group of coworkers here that I hadn't seen before the pandemic. We had a group of 9, so due to the way they limit reservations I had to make one for 5 and my other coworker made one for 4. We got there at 430 to make sure we would be seated together and the staff happily accommodated our request. Their happy hour is from 3:00-5:00, I wish it was longer because half our group didn't get to take advantage of it because they didn't make it by 5:00. This place has good ambiance and vibes, a little more upscale so drinks are a little pricier, about $14-15 per drink and on happy hour they discount $2 off. A coworker and I split happy hour appetizers, the burger sliders which came with friends ($10) fries ($5) and steak tacos ($10). The food was quickly served, but I would stay it was average. The fries were probably my favorite food item, they're the big steak fries, tasted like Red Robin fries. The drink I got was the Pretty In Pink, which was recommended by our server, it was tasty like an upscale Paloma. I would recommend this place for a date night, fancy drinks and good atmosphere. read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - Pretty in Pink - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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A decent addition to downtown Bellevue in a great location- between the Westin and W hotels and in the middle of a ton of shopping. Nice decor, and cute outdoor patio. I've only ever been here for happy hour, and every experience has been completely different since opening. Service is incredibly inconsistent, and it's truly hit or miss on which server you get, which is a bummer. Happy hour menus are priced well and very much in line with other restaurants and bars in the area. Great shareable options - and there really is something for everyone on the menu. There have been more than just a few times where they've 'run out' of things or just don't have some of the menu items...but all of the food I have tried, has been delicious. Highly recommend the fish tacos and cauliflower. Yum. Personally, the vibes here just aren't for me. Location-wise and food-wise though, I find myself back here more than I would expect. read more

Nice food, but poor service. Very rude to us no social skills. The waiter only stopped by once, we had to walk around the restaurant several times to find them. It was a birthday dinner so we thought they'd be a little nicer. We felt ignored. They were serving the white people but my group (all Asians) felt as if we were overlooked. Missing food took 20 minutes to come out after asking twice. Overall, nice restaurant, nice food, not nice wait staff. read more

I went for a quick Sunday afternoon happy hour at the new space in the patio that was formerly-Palamino's. They made an okay effort with the outdoor space - spacing tables just enough to get the right fit without violating distancing...every table has sanitizer and a QR code for the menu. The drinks were good. An interesting moment when a gust of wind picked up a patio umbrella and tossed it over the canopy....nobody got hurt but it was a brief moment of excitement. What they've done at each table should be a model requirement for other places (I'll write more later)....a good place for a laid back HH drink! read more

One of the more consistently great eateries in Bellevue. Excellent staff provides superb service, and always an interesting menu.

We went for brunch .. small pretentious portions, limited choices, over priced, the taste and presentation were also average. I would not bother going back. read more

Amazing service, food, and drinks! The steak sandwich and crab cakes were my favorite. The outdoor seating is perfect for date night.

Upscale bar, really cool vibe and ebvironment. Everything I have had off the menu has been good.

Service is very good and nice ambiance for business lunch. We all had salads and very good portion and fresh. The soup was black bean with pork belly and honestly would not recommend. The grease from the pork made it almost inedible. Friendly service and good central location. I would go back to try the tacos though, looks popular! read more

Sssooooo this place gets an A+ for atmosphere and their chocolate peanut cake!! I appreciate businesses that try to make these trying times better by providing some sort of dining experience. They had really pretty outdoor/heated tent seating. We just had apps, drinks and dessert. We ordered one of everything on their happy hour menu, the food wasn't spectacular, I wouldn't go back for appetizers but the cake was amazing. It was pretty steady with customers and I saw a lot of entrees go by that looked delicious. I wouldn't rule them out before I had an actual meal there, so maybe skip the app but the drinks and dessert were worth having!!! read more

Best bar I've been to since moving here from south Louisiana. Vibes are immaculate! Great drinks, food, and staff. Loved the live DJ on Friday and Saturday! (No sad ass songs) read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - Bar area - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

I like this hidden bar from the crowed. The place is never pack with party ppl but polite locals who just want to have a quiet drink/ small meal and chill. The restaurant is decorated with Morocco crystal lighting, leader chair, and Nice wine glasses. The food is decent but it can be a little bit salty if you like light taste meal. I tried fried baked cauliflower, side potatoes, fries, and chicken&waffles. Cauliflower is a small appetizer ( about 6 small pieces), side potatoes is tasty but can be a little bit too salty. My favor is the fried chicken&waffles (southern style) that reminds me my favor restaurant - Founding Farmers. The chicken is crispy, hot, and just the right amount of seasoning. It totally bring back the old memories. mimosa w grapefruit juice in a big wine glass - i think it's a bit unusual but the drink is decent. Can't wait to try their Manhattan and old fashion next time. The service? It's decent, a bit slow but she was kind. read more

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To say I'm obsessed with Central is an understatement. I LOVE this place. I recently went for brunch and had the avocado toast with a poached egg on top. Sweet lord it was DELICIOUS. I especially loved the pickled shallots and of course the generous mimosa pour ;) I ordered a side of breakfast potatoes to go with but was surprised at the size of the avocado toast, it was more than enough food. You get two poached eggs when you add egg to it. Service is great and the space itself is trendy, yet comfortable and inviting. I've been to Central many times and can't tell you how awesome their craft cocktails are! Oh, and the crab bruschetta, to die for!! Lots of crab and a super test aioli. I'd also like to point out that they have super comfortable outdoor seating, perfect for what I can already tell is going to be a gorgeous Spring! read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - Avocado toast with poached eggs. Yum!! - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

I came here with a friend for Saturday brunch. They have a really cute heated patio that is open for dining. I got the bagel boy and she got the veggie scramble. The entrees were both really good. Neither of us liked the potatoes that came with it and when we looked around no one else seemed to be eating them either. They were just weird - seemed like they were soaked in something or just boiled or something, really soft/soggy. Other than the bad potatoes the actual meals were really good so I would be back just would switch the potatoes out for something else. read more

Great vibe! Nate is the go-to bartender: Very creative and knowledgeable of his craft. We live in the area and go to all the best places; never a disappointment. To the contrary, always a great time and good value. read more

Great Ambience and music, service was slow, but the food and drinks were amazing! Definitely a place to visit! If you are a connoisseur of Cocktails . Little Pricey $$$. read more

A great place for brunch. They have outside seating as well. Inside is nice and cozy. You can book a table via google. You can use the Bellevue square mall parking for free. We tried the French toast, avocado toast and of course the coconut prawns. Everything was great. Prawns portion size was small, so that needs an improvement. They have all the standard cocktails, not too strong though. read more

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These ppl are so accommodating and friendly.. special shout out to Amanda-- the restaurant manager! I'm organizing my Sisters bday there and you have no idea how sweet she has been in helping me set everything up! The process was seamless and she went above and beyond to make sure our requests were honored :) Do you have a large party event -- this is the place to host it at! Great location, friendly people, excellent food and beverages, reasonably priced and AMAZING AMANDA to see it through! Thanks Guys for making this happen for me! Oh and Cody and Giovanni were amazing too! Shout out to the owner for hiring Class! Each and everyone here was Uber sweet! read more

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There are so many things I love about the Central Bar + Restaurant. First, the location. It's perfect! We parked in the Lincoln Square garage and literally out the door is the spot. The exterior and interior are gorgeous. A+ to the designers of this space. It was chic and exactly where I wanted to be for Sunday brunch. The French toast with fresh berries was to die for and my extra crispy bacon (just the way I like it) was perfection. I enjoyed brunch with my sorority sisters and toasted with yummy mimosa. I will definitely be back very soon! read more

Came here during their brunch to celebrate a birthday. Typical brunch offering but they do have an all-day menu avail as well. Service was great but the only drawback was when we waited for a while to then find out that certain menu items weren't avail. Ordered the open-face scramble and nothing too different than what you can get at any other restaurant. You do need to pay $1 for each topping but it came with cut potatoes on a toast. Overall, not sure if I'd come back anytime soon as there's no wow factor or anything that would draw us to return. Still the 4-star rating was mainly for the service aside from the slight delay in food because of what was avail. read more

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Nice location, great bar, and large TVs everywhere for watching the game. Overall this was a nice place. The food was good, we ordered the mussels and the Macadamia crusted halibut. Both had great flavors, portions were decent, but the halibut was a bit over-cooked. Service was good, but waitresses were definitely not very personable. Drinks were good and the wine menu had a large selection. The reason I gave them three stars was that nothing really stood out. The food was good, but over-priced, we had two entrees, mushroom appetizer and one drink each and the bill came to 140 bucks. Our drinks were 24 dollars total. Note: These are the same folks that own 520 Bar and Grill, which I do like a lot. Like someone else said in their review, this is a generic Bellevue restaurant. Not bad, but far from rememberable. read more

If you want to make a generic Bellevue restaurant, then Central is the format to copy. Decent decor, wait staff dressed in black, non offensive food. Done. Done. And done. That's the fundamental flaw with this place. It's so non offensive, it's boring. The food was bland albeit visually attractive. It lacked much seasoning nor a stance on food from the chef. Even the house IPA was weak on flavor. It just felt like the restauranteur just wanted to pursue a formula where they won't offend anybody so that everybody would come. But without any particular stance on food, it just felt blah. Not sure if this is a place I'd come back to. There's a distinct lack of anything memorable. read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - Happy hour menu - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Ok so I love this place. And I wanted to shout out the manager. Amanda was an absolute delight. She turned a potential yuckie situation into one that made me and my girls want to come back. A manager that can stick up for her people (our server was NOT bad but didn't handle a situation as expected) but also come swoop in and save the experience. Amanda - you are a gem and I will come back because of you!! Kudos. read more

I barely remember going there. So, there's that- But now that I think about it I remember the young wait staff chatting with each other A LOT. Which is fine, but these encounters were too frequent, too loud, and too petty and stupid. The food was forgettable. read more

My friends and I have officially discovered our new happy hour spot! Central Bar has a great happy hour from 3-6pm with delicious drink and appetizer offerings. The atmosphere is also a huge plus. It's trendy without being overly fancy, and there's quite a few TVs on the walls making it the ideal spot to catch your favorite sports game. I got the Buddha bowl, which was great if you need a hearty meal packed with veggies. My friend got the veggie flatbread and it was delicious. We finished off with a skillet cookie...no regrets! read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - By ddha Bowl - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Ok. I don't often leave a review on the first visit but I can tell you this place is a winner from day one! Great ambience, fun staff and delightful drinks! This will be one of the stars of Bellevue! Come check them out!!! read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Such a great date night with my husband and friends. The food is sooooo good as well as the drinks. However, the cocktails are gonna cost you $15+. We had calamari, crab cakes, filet mignon, and more. Everything tasted perfect! We will definitely be back. I recommend you make reservations for the weekend. They have dividers between the tables Free parking at the Lincoln Center Make sure you budget for this meal!! read more

Beautiful, classy, elegant atmosphere. The food was wonderful fresh ingredients and great presentation. Will be a regular here for sure. The Brazen's didn't disappoint the city of Bellevue with Central Bar & Restaurant. Congratulations read more

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Very satisfying outdoor lunch. Friendly staff. Perfectly cooked steak salad to start the day. Thank you Chef Jose! read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - Steak Salad - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Courteous service, delicious food, and convenient location. Portions are pretty big, the salads are huge. Definitely perfect for sharing between 2-3 people. read more

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Its an amazing place for grabbing couple of drinks or for a romantic dinner. Their drinks and food was delicious as well.

This place has gone so downhill from how it used to be. Central used to be the place to go to for Bellevue socials, but now it has gotten so depressing. The presentation on their plates used to be so classy, now it just looks like they threw a bunch of shit on a plate with no care. Our go to is the hummus plate, and the steak bites for appetizers and they were both disappointing. They give you less veggies, burnt pita and yet still charge the same price. After finding a small black hair or possibly a piece of grill brush, the manager came over to try and tell us it was a piece of dill? Our server was Brooke who seemed quick to get away every time she tried to check on us, just didn't feel genuine at all. By the time we got the bill, they had not taken off the steak bites which I should have gotten for free because I couldn't even eat them after the hair. Even though they replaced the dish, the steak was rough and the hair had ruined my appetite. read more

My girlfriend and I have been coming to Central for a while now and every time it is always a treat. While it can be a bit loud at times, we look forward to the lively ambiance/atmosphere. I most recently went with a group of buddies from college, and we were helped by Kailey. She is a doll! My girlfriend and I have had her as a waitress a couple times, and I have been meaning to write a review. She is always so talkative, attentive, and willing/excited to do her job. Truly a gem of a person and a waitress-- Central is very lucky! This most recent time was too good that I had to bust out my Yelp app! Kailey not only cheered up one of my friends who was having an awful week, but she also recommended a few dishes including the spaghetti and salmon, which were both fabulous-- we highly recommend! Cheers! read more

We held our wedding reception at Central Bar and cannot recommend them enough. Amanda, Cody and team were truly incredible. If you are looking for a restaurant to hold your next event, please consider Central Bar! read more