Castilla has been a restaurant I've heard of for a long time, but honestly never really had plans…read moreto come in. We did a belated Christmas gift exchange with friends recently and our friends made reservations here. So glad they did! It's literally right down in the main Bellevue Square hub, so we were able to easily park at the mall and make a short walk to Castilla. Vibes were perfect with low lighting but still a bustling atmosphere. Our server (unfortunately forgot his name) kept solid recommendations coming all night and was so funny and personable! As this is a tapas spot, we tried quite a few dishes and split them amongst the table. Mixta Paella: our server promised us that the smaller size paella was good for 2-4 people and man he was RIGHT. The portion was absolutely insane and I don't think we even finished all of it. Everything tasted so fresh and there was so much flavor to the dish. They warn you ahead of time, but plan for the paella to take 30 minutes for them to prepare. Grilled Octopus Leg: Every time I have octopus (which is two times now LOL) I'm a little worried about the texture, but it was prepared beautifully here and the sauce that it was in was delicious. Salmon & Artichoke Dip: I'm a sucker for any type of artichoke dip and this was no exception. Creamy, rich, and great flavor! Beef Medallions: Tender and cooked to perfection. Definitely recommend. Chorizo & Onion Empanada: Another banger. So crispy and the filling was so good! I actually was on the fence about this one but my husband insisted, and it was a good choice. Patatas Aioli: Crispy layered potato with a garlic aioli? I mean, come on. You can't go wrong. Delicious. This was our first visit to Castilla and I'm sure it won't be the last - would definitely return if I'm dining up again in Bellevue!

My family and I came here to celebrate my father's birthday, but unfortunately it turned into one…read moreof the most unpleasant restaurant experiences we've had. I had made a reservation in advance by phone. When we arrived, however, the restaurant told us they could not find our reservation. While mistakes can happen, the interaction felt dismissive from the very beginning. After we were eventually seated, we were not given menus, even though other guests around us received theirs immediately. We waited and asked multiple times but were still left without menus. Eventually, I tried to get the attention of the front desk and asked for a menu. Instead of helping us, the owner came over and told us that we were being "not polite" and that because we were "not polite," we would not be given a menu. Wanting to document our experience, I posted a Google review while we were waiting. Shortly afterward, the owner came directly to our table with the review on her phone and confronted us about it while we were eating. I politely asked if we could discuss it after the meal, but was told that we needed to change the review immediately or leave the restaurant. I was honestly shocked. I've never experienced a restaurant owner approaching diners during their meal and pressuring them to modify a review. This was my father's birthday dinner, and the confrontation made the entire evening uncomfortable and upsetting for my family. To make matters worse, after we got home, we realized that one of the dishes we ordered was never served at all, and no one noticed throughout the entire meal. I understand that service mistakes can happen. Losing a reservation, forgetting menus, or missing an item can all be corrected. What disappointed me most was how these issues were handled. Instead of acknowledging the problems, we were blamed, confronted, and pressured to change our feedback. I rarely leave negative reviews, but I believe future customers deserve to know about our experience.

Great cocktails and appetizers! We visited on Sunday…read moreafternoon and service was cordial, fast and cozy environment. Good place for a date, at least on a Sunday. It took us few minutes to figure out how to get there but hopefully my pictures will help you.

DO NOT GO HERE. I say that so strongly because the service was the most terrible. It took forever…read morefor them to notice us and actually sit us down. Then, it took ages before they actually took our order and we were looking at each other in disbelief because we definitely felt ignored. And the drinks were disgusting. We were so glad we didn't bother ordering food because the menu was so limited and none of the options seemed appealing. Also the place isn't that well decorated, a lot of it seems very dated and old and not vintage or whatever vibes they were going for and the views are non existent, you can barely see the water. Never coming back here again.

Leslie made our night! So attentive and on top of everything! The food was fantastic and staff all…read moregave great recommendations. We never had an empty plate sitting for more than a few minutes before it was cleared.

oh wowowow! ive had this place bookmarked for so long and finally got to try it this week. it blew…read moreme away! came in with two girlfriends and got sat in a booth. the place was so cute, there were booths, bar seats, some patio seats, and i think a room in the back too. menu had options for everyone, veg options, meat options, entrees, and drinks. it was a good amount to choose from, not so much that it got overwhelming. we got pretty much all the potato options, and i loved every single one of them. all the flavors worked so well with one another, some subtle, some packed a punch. the aioli thats featured in a lot of the tapas we ordered is to die for! i would buy it if they sold it. the chop salad actually was kind of an underdog. it surprised me, the vinaigrette that its marinated in is so delicious, i probably would have slurped it up if i werent so full. for entrees, we ordered the lamb skewers and meatballs. the lamb was heavily spiced and came with a eggplant dip. the meat was a bit tough but still tasted good. the meatballs were delicious, also well spiced, and came in a tomato red sauce with crispy bread. i think we ordered 5-6 tapas and 2 entrees, and it was enough food! and price was actually quite reasonable for the quality and quantity of food.

I am impressed with presentation of food and the unique tastes that was prepared. The Chengdu tower…read morechicken wings were stacked so creatively and perfectly fried and spiced with thai chili, lime, fish sauce and coriander? Five spice? They were the exact portion to share and perfectly paired with the Rice lager, Rupee beer, from India. The South African Bunny Chow was hearty and delicious, a bread bowl filled with buttery chicken. Lastly the Pineapple coconut corn bread was heavenly. Topped with fresh coconut shavings was delectable. One of the best desserts Ive had. A def great cool restaurant with a wall of tchotchkes to peruse. Looking forward to my next meal here.

Nue is a restaurant concept that I like, and think is a great entrypoint for people wanting to try…read morenew international cuisines that they might not be originally interested in. Just glancing at the menu during a stroll in Cap Hill interested me and I wanted to give this place a try. Paid a visit on a Friday around 6PM and was able to get a table fairly quickly. There are parking garages in the building that Nue is located at, though I am not sure about parking validation. There should be plenty of street parking as the restaurant is located more on the outskirts of Cap Hill. I got to the restaurant via a 10 minute walk from the nearest light rail station. Service was a bit slow when went, I think after we were seated, there unfortunately were two large groups that can in afterwards. We had to flag down the service workers to place our order and get the check. As for the food, it came out after 10 minutes one at a time. The restaurant itself is decorated nicely, lots of memorabilia from various countries and even the check came out in a passport-esque binder. We got a couple of things, which I'll review down below: Carribean Pineapple Cornbread ($8): Tasty cornbread that has nice coconut flakes spread through the batter and around the cornbreads. The cornbread was moist and there is a pineapple undertone in the flavor profile. One downside was that the quantity is quite small, I think for the price, you get like 2 3x3 squares of cornbread, which I think is unfortunately not enough as an appetizer even. Chengdu Wings ($24): These wings do have a tasty flavor profile and have a fragrant aroma when you bite into them. The batter is crispy and they are pleasing to eat! Once again, I unfortunately think the suffers in terms of quantity - you maybe get like 3 wings for $24, which I personally think is a very steep price for fried chicken wings, regardless of the flavor profile. I understand that not everyone can handle very spicy flavor, and personally think that despite the name being Chengdu Wings, it serves as a good entry to Sichuanese cuisine for people given the motivation of the restaurant. Malaysian Dhal ($22): A pleasant dish that has a fragrant coconut, lime, and lemongrass flavor that represents the flavors of Malaysia well. The stew has a pleasant consistency and each bite coats your tongue with the fragrant flavors. The roti is flaky on the outside and soft on the inside - perfect for enjoying this dish. African Bunny Chow ($24): Probably the most filling dish that we have ordered at Nue - I think if you are hungry, maybe go for this one. There is a decent amount of meat in this dish, and the flavors are tasty - it feels like a slightly more toned down Dhal in terms of fragrance, but has a pleasant thicker consistency. In the end, I think Nue is better served as a Tapas-esque restaurant than a place you would visit if you are hungry. Prices vs. quantity does suffer quite a bit at Nue unfortunately, which is why I think it serves as a place to sample cuisines in a night out and then maybe visit elsewhere to complete your dinner. The food is flavorful and pleasing to the general audience, which is a good thing for people who generally aren't very adventurous in their culinary horizons. I'm not sure I would revisit, but I would definitely recommend this to people that lean more on the safer side of dining out.

My husband and I went to Ocho right at opening on a Saturday. We had the place almost completely to…read moreourselves during our time there, and undeservedly so! The brunch offerings were delicious and had perfect portion size. I had the huevos estrellados con jamon, and my husband had the steak and eggs. The salsa verde with the steak and eggs was particularly spectacular. Our server was prompt and attentive, and played some upbeat Spanish music to set the vibe on a rainy Seattle day. Great location on the corner of Market and Shilshole. Would love to come back for happy hour as their tapas menu sounded delicious as well.

Ocho is the number of dishes that I want to try next time I come here, because we had cinco and and…read moreit just wasn't enough (I was actually full, but I just want to try 'em all). First of all, shout out to my guy Nate who was a tremendous server. Not only does he have a strong name, but he helped a brother out who had a fly in his beer. Good guy. We had an idea of all of the dishes that we wanted to try, but he was the shepherd that steered us towards the star of the show - the halloumi. The crispy cheese is a fantastic bite on its own, but the salad and peppers that accompany it add such a perfect balance to this plate. It's almost like eating a mozzarella stick, but just with better cheese. Let me tell you about the shrimp though. These lil puppies are bathing in a garlic butter sauce that is begging to be sipped on like a fine wine. The bread is an ideal vessel for soaking up that sauce and creating an open faced shrimpy sando. During our journey through these tapas, we discovered that the best part of the experience is trying to get a piece of everything from multiple plates to create the perfect bite. Since all of them are so well-balanced, you can mix and match whatever you want to make your wildest dreams come true. This made the dinner infinitely more fun than your average night out. The beans were just kinda mid though. You can skip 'em. Would recommend for solid food and a great time in Ballard!

Great food! Great service! Cool atmosphere…read more I really liked the lamb ribs. But everything was tender and uniquely seasoned.

"Disappointed -- Bring Back the Burnt Honey!" Ciudad used to…read morebe one of my absolute go-to spots, and their burnt honey was hands-down my favorite condiment on the entire menu. It had that perfect, deeply caramelized, bittersweet edge that paired incredibly well with the warm flatbread and smoky meats. I don't know why they decided to mess with a perfect formula, but replacing it with this new "vegetable honey" shit just feels completely off. The complex, intense flavor depth is totally gone, and the substitute just doesn't hold a candle to the original.

Came here for a birthday get together, it's a perfect place to socialize and share small plates…read more they're open late, which is a plus. The staff are very friendly and enjoyable to chat with. For restaurant week there's a Matcha drink, which is fabulous. We were able to talk to the bartender who created the drink and I'm very impressed at how smooth it was. Food was delicious (plates are on the smaller side, but again great for sharing.) The bathroom was extensively decorated which was fun. Will be back!

We want to like Traveling Goat, but unfortunately out of the three times we've gone we've been…read moredisappointed twice. The first time we ordered buffalo wings and cocktails and had a great time. The wings were crispy and the drinks were tasty and strong. The second time we ordered gochujang wings, tacos, and drinks. The wings were covered in just straight gochujang which was a little disappointing. We would have preferred more of a sauce, with some soy sauce and/or honey to balance it out. The tacos were pretty good, but our main issue is that the bartender forgot about my boyfriend's drink. We figured it was just a one-time thing because there was only one guy taking orders, making drinks, bringing everything else, but unfortunately we had the same thing happen again. Once again, we ordered a couple drinks and the bartender forgot about my boyfriend's drink. The place was pretty busy, and once again it was one guy handling everything. I don't know what the problem is, if they need a better system of taking orders or if they need better staffing. Either way, this place has a lot of potential and it's unfortunate to see it wasted with bad service.

Absolutely amazing meal! We had the pleasure of sitting at the counter and were able to see the…read morechefs work. The esparragos asparagus with romesco sauce was a great starter. We also enjoyed the torrilla espanola but the stars of the night were the Iberico de bellota and the tarta de queso.

The service was excellent and the vibes were really good too. I loved the selection of Spanish…read morewines and beers too. The food was good, but we experienced the struggle that we often do with US Spanish restaurants. Basically it's just very pricey for portions and also this tendency to try to do something to the food to "elevate" it in a way. Which is cool if you wanna do Spanish fusion but most tapas are fundamentally bar food in Spain, not fancy haute cuisine. So while the food was tasty, it wasn't quite authentic to the idea of bar tapas. That said, I'd definitely come back for the cold tapas - the ham and the cheese platter was impeccable, the drinks were also peak.