We got the special, a butter burger, very good. Cocktails were exceptional. But honestly the best part was the bread, first item on the menu. We sat outside, which was extremely pleasant. read more

Came here because of the new Amex credit and wanted to try something new. My steak frites came out cold and the bread and butter came with very little butter. Ran out of water and was not replaced. Meal came ~10 mins before drinks. read more

Unfortunately not worth the price. $250 for two, food was disappointing, service was not to the level that should be expected at that price point. If you're the type to notice a $250 dinner on your credit card bill, this is not the place for you. read more

I had a lovely dinner with my husband at L'Oursin. The ambiance is relaxed, charming, and perfect for a romantic dinner. The service was good - our waitress did a good job suggesting wine to pair with our meal. The food was super delicious. We had oysters, bread, salad, vol au vent, mousse, and crème brûlée. All perfectly executed! read more

L'Oursin - Vol au vent with a perfectly paired glass of wine! - French Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We had a lovely dinner at the bar in L'Oursin last night. The menu was unique, but still classique. Our dishes reflected this eclectic style, as we dined on Veau Tonné, Terrine de Foie Gras, Black Cod, Steak frites and a large delectable Crème Brûlée for dessert. Everything was very good, if not delicious. There was no misses, and we had a wonderful meal. L'Oursin is designed beautifully, very Francais, s'il vous plaît. I also tested the mixology skills of our bartenders/servers Zachary and Tommy, and they both are at the very top of their field, meeting my needs perfectly. The only shock was the price, as Seattle's expense continues to wow me. Our meal, with three cocktails, two glasses of white wine, and the 20% tip included in the bill came to $242.11. That's a lot of moolah, anywhere. I understand the cost of living in Seattle is ludicrous, and we pay for living in such a beautiful city. Yet, Seattle isn't New York, but the costs are certainly coming close. Something has to give, unless this city wants to cater solely to the upper class, ignoring cultural diversity. With prices like this, someone my age who isn't a billionaire, can't go out much. That's a shame. read more

Second visit; went for my birthday and food did not disappoint. The raw scallops were amazing (as noted by other reviewers). Also the raw tuna and chick pea fritters. I had the black cod which was very good. The remaining entrees were French onion soup and fries!!! Ha ha. Would return a third time!!! read more

Fab! They were booked on a Wed but we were able to sit at bar. Food/drinks: Yum! Gambas à l'ail (garlick shrimp) was 4 delicious shrimp with so much garlic. Steak frites was well executed; fries are legit and sauce was excellent. Beware that steak is medium and they didn't ask our preference. Bergamot tonic was just as good as any cocktail but sans alcohol. Service: We sat at the bar since they were fully reserved for the eve. Service was great when we had their attention; getting their attention want always straightforward. Ambiance: Cute. It was pretty unassuming did the quality you get. Adding to my list for sure. read more

I have some friends that had been here a few months ago and loved it so much they wanted to go again. Their computer system went down and they gave everyone a heads up saying payment would have to be cash or venmo. They gave the option of rescheduling which was nice. My friend and I got there a little early before the third person arrived so we had a drink at the bar. The staff at the bar were friendly and helpful. Their cocktail menu has a light alcohol side and a stronger side which I thought was nice. We ended up having the same server as the one my friends had before which was a nice surprise-for them. We ordered a number of dishes to share. They knew they wanted the foie gras and scallops. We also had the calamari, grilled sturgeon, duck cause they missed out on it last time and wrapped up with the crème brûlé. Everything was prepared excellently and beautifully presented. The flavors were so well balanced. I thought being French food it would be heavy but wasn't. Our favorite was the raw scallop dish so bright it came right after our foie gras which was the perfect order. The staff operated seamlessly you think without their system it would have been a struggle for not only the servers but especially the kitchen. You would not have known the computer system was down at all. The owner was there helping to accept venmo payments and was kind enough to take a pic for us. The space is welcoming and warm. You would feel as comfortable snacking at the bar as you would at a table. read more

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Came here from a recommendation of a friend and it did not disappoint! Started off with a French old fashion recommended by our waiter and omg was it strong and tasty! If there's one thing to get, it's the tartare! The tartare was definitely the highlight of our dishes and packed so much flavor. We also really enjoyed the albacore tuna and duck confit dish. Service was great as well, food came out fast! The accompaniments for our main dishes were a bit too salty where we couldn't finish it which was a shame. Overall we enjoyed this place a lot and would definitely come back! read more

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Overall I had a nice experience at L'Oursin. The place was fairly quiet on a Monday evening. I snagged a parking spot on the street right out front, which was a huge win in my book. There are several unique cocktail options, which made it pleasantly difficult to decide. I ended up going with the drink that correlates with The Hall (Le Hall) from the game Clue. La Chanteuse de Telegramme ($16)--essentially sparkling wine flavored with blackcurrant liqueur served in a flute, I believe. Cassis, Angostura bitters, and Cremant de Jura were involved, among a couple other ingredients. It was tasty, although I'd probably try something else next time since there are a lot of intriguing options. I also had a sip of the Mrs. White cocktail aka Madame Blanche ($18), which includes pineapple Cognac, pastis, oregeat, herbes de Provence, lime, cream, and soda. It was more on the savory side, plus light and refreshing. If you don't like anise/fennel/black licorice choose something else! I did prefer Le Hall. There were not many plant-based options but our server recommended pairing one of the green salads (minus the cheese) with the lentil, leek, mushroom side dish. Both were more flavorful and delicious than expected! I think most vegans would be satisfied enough. Maybe throw some fries in there for good measure if you're extra hungry. The interior was pleasant, my bum did start to go a little numb after a bit. I'd happily come back if a friend/date/family member wanted to dine at L'Oursin in the future. It is a bit pricey though, around $65 for one cocktail, a salad, and a side dish, so be aware of that! Tip is already included in the bill. read more

I loved my experience here. The service and ambiance is top. The food is exceptional with my favorites being the steak frites and the Cassoulet. Will be returning for more. One comment I do have is the Escargot has a citrus flavor that I really doesn't work. As someone who is French, I was really disappointed by the Escargot. Seems like they are trying too hard but flavors don't work on this. Everything else was phenomenal. read more

This location has quickly become my favorite spot for just about every occasion. I don't often write reviews but L'oursin has been consistently exceptional. The food is flavorful, creative with its spins on traditional French dishes and their execution of the escargot and the French soup is PHENOMENAL. It's perfectly salted, the texture is amazing and I consistently come back for these two dishes. Everyone that I've had the pleasure of being served by has been so unbelievably kind, knowledgeable about the menu and wine pairings which is so rare these days. Our recent server who's name I cannot remember, coursed our meal to perfection and offered great recommendations for cocktails/ wine that would pair with each dish. The space of course is my favorite part about dining here as it balances casual fine dining so well. There's truly not a bad seat in the entire restaurant. Thank you L'Oursin and team for being one of the best spots in Seattle!! read more

Oh. My. God. Why have I been sleeping on this gem? I am obsessed with everything about this place!!! From the absinthe water dripper to their decor - I felt immediately transported back to a brasserie in Paris. Started with foie gras, thon sauce vierge (raw tuna salad), friture (fried smelt) and some lovely white wine... I can't describe how delish each dish was and you'll just have to try it for yourself. I could have probably eaten my weight in the friture - how is it so crispy on the outside and perfectly soft and cooked on the inside? Mind. Blown. Good lord. Foie? Oh so foie'ing good. Thon sauce vierge was perfectly refreshing a great dish to break up the heaviness with foie and smelt. Also tried the steak frites were so lovely but was getting pretty full at this point and after some absinthe, it was the perfect way to round out the meal. Seriously, if you are craving a brasserie style meal - look no further. Funnily enough, I didn't spot any urchin on the menu but maybe they bring it if in season. I'll be back and report in. read more

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Tartare was so fresh and refreshing! Tuna tartare was a perfect pairing of the fresh tuna, grilled asparagus and flavorful sauce! French onion soup has very meaty stock and sweet. Missing picture but the fresh baguette was read more

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I've been to L'Oursin at least 3 times, mostly to grab a drink. But on our most recent visit, we had dinner (at the bar, of course - so we can see all the activity in the open kitchen). And it has easily become one of my favorite haunts! The menu changes, so you may not see the same items every time. We did miss out on the sea urchin (which is why we came through for dinner, but alas they were out of season), however we were not disappointed at all. We ordered duck drummettes (I'm always a sucker for duck), Alaskan scallops, Leek vinaigrette, Spot Prawns, and Rockfish schnitzel. Yes we were hungry... The duck was delicously smoky. The Alaskan scallops were topped with proscuitto (which was a welcome mix of flavors). The Leek vinaigrette, holy hell - can food be this transcendent?! It included smoked steelhead roe, Dungeness crab, and grain mustard which tied it all together. None of the flavors fought with each other, instead it purely complimenatry!!! The spot prawns were delicate. We also got a bonus spot prawns broth (made with it's head and shells) - I was in pure heaven!!! And the rockfish schnitzel was breaded and fried ever so perfectly. The staff and service are phenomenal!!! I can't wait to return!!! read more

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I never have an actually French food before . There is something that I don't really like but I promise myself to give 5 start for every where unless that place pretty real bad lol The beef Tatar have a smell like old meat but I realize it's might from the beef fat (I personally don't like doesn't mean it's not good ok!) I order something with a duck and pork belly in there, I forgot the name. I don't know how they cook that pork belly to that amazing texture, it was crispy, juicy and hella yummy. The bread and butter and the prunes ice cream was super good here. read more

We went to L'Oursin and had a very good meal. It was almost $500 for 4 people, with 3 individual glasses of wine as well as a bottle. So liquor was a large part of the bill. The escargo, salad, beef tartare were excellent. All in all an excellent and fun dinner. Two things to be aware of: 1) When the waitress presented the specials, she failed to note the prices and unfortunately we didn't ask. Entrees here run $45 so we expected the same, but when the bill came back the soul my wife ordered was $95. We would not have ordered that dish had we know. 2) We asked for a bit more butter and didn't think more it until the bill revealed we were charged $3! To me this felt cheap given the rather high end nature of this restaurant. 3) Finally, the waitress did ask if it was a special occasion, which we told her it was - my wife's birthday. A candle came with dessert but not free dessert, as I've found to be typical and appreciated in most restaurants. All in all really liked the food but there could have been more transparency re: prices and they could have done a couple small things to really earn some great customer appreciation. Missed opportunity on the restaurants part. read more

This restaurant was really great! The prices were pretty reasonable and the ambiance was perfect. Felt more like a French cafe vibes. Here's what we got: 1. Radishes appetizer 3/5 It was tasty but the portion was very tiny 2. Raw Scallops 4/5 Scallops were great and the portion size was pretty decent for an appetizer like dish. Could use a little more flavour. 3. Steak Frites 5/5 This was all around just delicious steak and fries 4. Salmon 5/5 Everything on the plate was amazing and the salmon was perfectly crisp 5. Consommé En Croûte 5/5 This was a lovely vegetarian dish that was very impressive looking. Only thing to be cautious about is that it's fairly hot and needs to be cooled. The restaurant has a nice list of non alcoholic drinks as well which were all lovely. read more

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Wonderful people, delicious food, and fantastic wine. Bar Bayonne next door is also phenomenal.

Came here on recommendation from husband's coworker. It's a quaint little place, with nice lighting and ambience. The menu is quaint also. Being seated near the front door was not ideal. Every time the door opened we got a pretty good gush of cold air. Our server was very nice, and the food was pretty good. I did like the wine I tried a lot. Not sure I'd want to return, but it was an ok experience. Pricy, for sure. read more

I absolutely love this restaurant! We will definitely return. We loved Everything but my favorite was the salmon pate with radish and ikura (salmon egg roe) read more

L'Oursin - Salmon pate - French Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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We had a special location so we came here and had the five course meal. We started with a couple of French 75's and requested a bottle of the rose. We did order a dozen oysters but they didn't come after the first two courses, so we cancel that and just stayed on course with what was happening with the Degustation (5 course of 7 course meal, chef's choice). What we appreciated was that one of us at the table was a vegetarian so to order the five course meal experience everyone at the table had to Byam. The kitchen was willing to create a different vegetarian option for vegetarian diner. The opening amuse bouche was tasty a garlic and heirloom tomato toast. The next course was utterly delicious a tuna sashimi in a version of salad that included cucumbers and gooseberries (minus the tuna for the vegetarian option). Wonderful use of gooseberries. But what really impressed us was the broccoli soup which had Dill flowers and creme fraiche. Absolutely wonderful to have the dill flowers brighten up the broccoli and have the cream's slight tang enhance the fullness of the flavor. The frisée salad with lentils that followed was disappointing for me bc dressing on the frisée was too salty and too vinegary. And I love both vinegar and salt. Also I found the lentils not to my liking under such a fresh dish: but my table mate, who is a vegetarian, really liked her lentils and frise. We had a second bottle of wine pictured below and it indicated that the grapes came from 100-year-old fine. That was appealing. Alas, it was a bit metallic for our liking. Regrettable. The halibut was perfectly made for the second-to-last course. Because we ordered the bottle of red, and felt it needed some help, before accepting the dessert course we decided to ask for some cheese with which to enjoy the red. What arrived with a much appreciated triple cream with some excellent bread and fresh currants. It really was the perfect intermediary before dessert. Dessert was a chilled peanut butter square with a side of banana ice cream. read more

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this was a great experience. we came for a weeknight dinner, and had a lot of fun. the server was very knowledgeable about the menu - cocktails, wine and food. it is set very much like a French cafe - with the window s open, it was a nice breeze. the full experience was very much like being in france for the evening :) highly recommend read more

L'Oursin - chicken - French Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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LOVE this place as a place to indulge in alcohol-free beverages! Not only were Le Bergamot and Gingembre stellar in terms of their taste profiles, but bartender Tamsyn gave me pointers on creating my own mocktails, without resorting to often-overpriced (IMO) alcohol-free spirits currently on the market. Thanks to Eater Seattle for recommending this spot! Excited to return for more NA drinks, and to test out their food menu next time too! #afdrinks #mocktails read more

One of the best meals I've had in a very long time. The entire experience was incredible start to finish. The cocktails and natural wine selection were a wonderful additive to the meal. I sat at the bar and enjoyed the company of those around me as well as the lovely bartenders (who made sure I was not without a beverage at all times. 10/10 service!) I made friends with a girl who was also eating alone and we shared the desserts. All around amazing meal with wonderful humans. Do recommend. read more

Oysters and foie gras terrine were exceptional. Bread & butter very good, as were the snails and the beef tartare. The onion soup was WAY TOO SALTY, and also heavily laden with bread such that it was difficult to eat. For a $20 soup I expected perfection, but it was definitely not. The waitress accommodated my request to bring a bit of apple brandy so we could try to tone down the intense saltiness, but unfortunately that didn't really work to save the most expensive onion soup I've ever had. We subtly hinted at sending it back but the waitress's response was that basically it could not be done because the entire pot was pre-made. For $20.....? Non-starter for someone who has had many onion soups over the years and who has made it at home successfully several times. And $20 for onions/butter/stock/salt/brandy is a rip-off. The Chocolate mousse was also too salty. Service - while we are supportive of the service economy, the mandatory 20% service charge comes with expectations. Not once did they come around to top up our wine glasses, and not once did anyone offer me a new napkin after mine hit the floor. For 2.5 people our bill was $236, including my bringing our own bottle of wine, but I do not feel like we got full value from that amount of money. I'm kinda feeling like we should have added another $50 and just gone to a really nice steak place instead. read more

L'Oursin is an excellent French restaurant in Capitol Hill. The decor is pleasant and modern. We decided to order the tasting menu with matching wine (if one person at table orders it both must--the tasting menu seemed to match items on main menu). Before the tasting menu started, we were brought some foie gras on toast that was nice. The first course was raw scallops and mushrooms matched with a sauvignon blanc. The scallops were excellent and seasoned perfectly. I was not sure how the mushrooms would be, but they were a great complement. Next was swede (rutabaga) and cauliflower soup. This was rich and wonderful--I was ready to order a big giant bowl of it. What was interesting was that this was matched win an Apple Cidar--which I had never seen in a tasting menu--but turned out to be a really inspired choice. Next was grilled tuna and more mushrooms. The tuna was super fresh and seared just right--while the cream sauce and mushrooms were just out of this world delicious. The wine was from a French grape I had not heard of--cinsault--and again really good. The next course was salmon and matzo balls in a chicken broth. As with other courses, the fish was divine--they do a tremendous job picking great seafood. The matzo ball was unusual, but again matched up really well in the dish. The wine was a French merlot was that really nice. The dessert was iced milk and sorbet and was a fitting finish to a fantastic meal. read more

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Friendly staff but a mediocre experience. Fabulous French onion soup, but the rest of the dishes we ate were incredibly mediocre. Steak Frites were flavorful but incredibly tough and the beef tartare disappointing. I wanted to love this little local place, but invariably the mediocre ambience, closely spaced tables and poor execution of the food. Leave this to be a place that you should pass upon. Price point is not worth the spend sadly read more

Charming neighborhood bistro with excellent food and wine. Service was great. Wish we lived closer we'd be there every week. We had the chicken with Morels- large enough to share. read more

Wow. Excellent bread, butter; so good. I wanted to spread the salted butter on my face! My only complaint is the font on the wine list; TOO SMALL! Pate, mimiento cheese, bread! So delicious. And although I like a darker chocolate au mousse, it was good and clean. Nice people; very knowledgeable staff. read more

Beautiful, elegant, airy - très français. Enjoyed a wonderful degustation. 4.5-star ambiance, 4-star service, 3.5-star dishes. Fantastic seafood, albeit a few misses. DISHES - Smoke sturgeon corn soup - tasty, but ham was too salty, overwhelming the soup and creme fraiche + Scallops - favorite course. Impossibly fresh, sweet Alaska scallops, perfectly garnished with Mexican mouse melons, pea sprouts + Coho salmon - lusciously poached with cherry tomato, tomatillo, lobster mushrooms - Smelt with lardons, chicory, grilled Asian pear - a bit heavy-handed on the lardons, not paired well with smelt - salty, heavy + Chanterelle custard with dungeness crab - delicate, refreshing, modern take on a nostalgic favorite (chawanmushi) - Plums, thyme ice cream, vanilla olive oil - couldn't really taste the thyme (tasted like vanilla ice cream), a bit drenched in olive oil SERVICE Loved our dinner server - attentive, professional, friendly. Proper introduction of dinner dishes and provided helpful beverage recommendations. AMBIANCE Warm, well-lit, cozy - perfect for date night or small dinner parties. Volume is low without being dead. The bar is gleaming and gorgeous - will back for drinks. Airy, charming front patio ideal for summer nights. PRICING Dinner degustation is a steal, priced at $65. A la carte pricing might be steep, as portions are small per prior reviews. read more

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Atmosphere was great. Some of the higher priced items on the menu were visually disappointing, as well as not as appetizing as we would have imagined them, though did remind us of food that our grandmother made when we were a child service was pretty good although there was some communication holes where we thought one of the items that we ordered didn't get put into the system by the time the restaurant was closing, but it was delivered. read more

I never ate there. Resy reservations for Tuesday at 5PM....early dinner. Their hours are posted online. Their hours are posted on the door. They decided they aren't open until Thursday. I'm sure inflation is hard and wintertime is tough. Changing your hours of operation sure as hell isn't tough. $50 worth of Ubers, standing in the cold, and ending up with lousy last minute food because no one thought to change the hours and the restaurant was still accepting reservations Not pissed about anything except that updating your hours of operation, updating your online presence is just the minimum professional courtesy a restaurant can do. Not cool. Call before you take the trek across town regardless of your reservations. read more

L'Oursin - a door with a bunch of signs on it - French Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Overrated food. Not impressed at all. Service is good. Won't go back unless any major improvements come in the food quality there.

One of my favorite spots in town. Great food, drinks and hospitality. Their market is top notch, and a great way to support them if you're not comfortable dining in during the never-ending pandemic. I also love that they still require proof of vax. It's sad that we have to look to restaurants to lead, when our government will not. Cheers! read more

This was an amazing dinner. We are outside and their standup (or sit down on tall stools) bar. The two non-alcoholic adult drinks I had were both amazing. My dinner of king cod was great as well as a salad we had and a cold cucumber and Dungeness crab soup to start. The coffee ice cream to finish was amazing. My only suggestion would be to ask for prices before ordering. We didn't do that with the soup and it was $18 for a cup. The soup was excellent and the Dungeness crab great. The price was a little surprising. Same goes for the ice cream. It is $6 a small scoop. It was amazing but I would have been fine with one scoop rather than two. Service was great and I would definitely go back again. read more

Scallops!! Crudo! Wine bar! All things I love. Come for wine and stay for the food. That's what you should do here but it's a wine bar with really really good food. Can't help but come back for food. Their menu is seasonal and changes almost daily!! Spot prawns were a dream for a weekend. And gone! But it's better that than eating a frozen or not so fresh ones. The food menu is small and simple. They have appetizers, small plate, fruti di mare, salads and large plates. I've pretty much ordered one of each! Love: the scallops! They are beautiful,raw with a simple olive oil and morales. It's in season now! The halibut crudo was beautiful. Everything we've got tasted so fresh, simple and flavorful! The quail with homemade sauce: it's a kick of Asian flavor but without being so overwhelming. And the main dish/es. Love the steak! But love the halibut more. Felt like all our food came in beautiful gardens. Each plate was prettier than the next. Super casual, laid back, tasty! Open kitchen in the back and you can see the hustle and bustle from your table! Great food. What's not to love! read more

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Good, but a little disappointed on a few items. Food: We tried 6 items from menu, everything was pretty tasty, but there were things like capers and olives that were in 2 dishes that were not mentioned on the menu, which was a bit surprising. The steelhead was the top dish in flavor and presentation. The urchin was beautiful in presentation, but could've used room temperature butter or warm bread so that we could actually spread it. Ambiance: It was pretty chilly in the restaurant and the lights were very bright. The bottles lining the wall and the light fixtures mimicking urchin were very on point. Service: Our service was top notch and made the difference in our night. read more

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L'oursin is my favorite restaurant and I have had my best meals ever here, which I'm also comparing to Michelin-starred restaurants and many other top-notch places. This is French seafood at its finest and I typically get the raw scallops, which came with fresh morels the last time I had it, and the foie gras terrine that is incredibly savory and pairs well with the jam and brioche toast. On occasions when you're really hungry, an entree will not disappoint you and some of my favorites are the black cod, a pork chop that was "melt in your mouth" good, and the half-chicken. The cocktails and mocktails are some of the best I've had in the world and the rotation of new cocktails helps me try lots of new flavor combos. Service is incredible and I still haven't had a better meal anywhere else! read more

Wonderful place for a romantic date night. It really feels like a French bistro, it's sort of fancy yet still cozy. The drinks were great, they are well known for their fish dish (except for the seafood stew - not my personal fav). High recommend for date nights or double dates. :) read more

L'Oursin - Seafood soup not my fav :( - French Near Me - Seattle, Washington