We're currently staying at the hotel and were looking forward to relaxing with a few drinks at the bar. Unfortunately, despite having two bartenders on hand, we were told we couldn't sit at the bar. The manager mentioned she had asked "for a slow down," which felt unwelcoming and disappointing--especially as hotel guests. Instead, we headed around the corner to Elliot's, which turned out to be a great move. The vibe was lively, the staff was welcoming, and they even had live music. Based on this experience, we'd likely choose to visit other nearby spots over this hotel bar in the future. read more

Food was really good. The appetizers are pretty sizable. Cust was sadly not as fantastic as the food but highly recommend. read more

Rider - Cauliflower - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Because Rider was close to the Seattle Convention Center, my colleagues and I tried to have lunch here several times while attending conference at the convention center. Every time we were here, they did not have certain items on the menu (1 star off) or the service was very slow (1 star off) or both (1 star off). One time, it took us about 45 minutes to get food, and couple people had to scarf down their food and jet out. In terms of the food quality, it was fine -- typical bar food. However, due to the slow service, I would not recommend this place in the middle of a professional work day. read more

I was pleasantly surprised with the menu items Rider was offering. A great blend of traditional dishes, with some very yummy seafood options. We ordered the brussel sprouts, they were perfectly tender with crispy edges and balsamic glaze. However, on the other end, the shoestring fries are bad, those have got to go. Two of us ordered the burger (delicious by the way), and but the fries that came with it, even the carbonara fries that we ordered, were dry, crunchy, and sad. The pasta on the other hand was savory, and yummy. Just a lot of highs and lows, which left us as diners confused. It's a beautiful restaurant, with a cool modern vibe, in the heart of downtown. Great for cocktails and small bites, but I wouldn't get a main here. read more

Rider - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Great place to end a weekend evening of being out and about. The bartender was friendly and attentive, and provided excellent drink service. read more

Rider - Tiki Rum Cocktail - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Third visit and impress from the quality of food and attentive service. I will definitely go back ! Thank you read more

An exquisite meal with amazing service. We ordered: - 2 person seafood platter - 4 oysters, 4 huge prawns, 4 mussels, crab, tuna tartare - so fresh and incredible value with the quantity - Caesar salad - seabass - carrots - brussel sprouts - smoked manhattan - some like it sour - once upon a time in the west - highlight of my night! - chocolate mousse dessert If I didn't mention anything special, it meant it was great! We cannot wait to come back to celebrate more special events. read more

We ended up at Rider after waiting way too long at another diner, and honestly, it turned out to be the best move. We were seated right away at the bar -- which was a surprise since we'd checked the day before and thought a private event would make that impossible. Ben, the bartender, was incredible. We got our drinks fast, but our breakfast order was taking longer than expected because of the event. He immediately offered to cancel it and invited us to come back later, even offering a free appetizer if we did. So we skipped brunch, went to see our show and came back for dinner and I'm so glad we did. The salmon dip was unreal -- rich, flavorful, and perfect with the crispy sourdough. We had the salmon and the pork for dinner, and both were beautifully done. The sauces were delicious, and those potatoes? Perfect. I could've eaten a bowl of just those. The whole team had such great energy -- you can tell they actually like working together. Service, food, vibe -- all 10/10. Highly recommend Rider, and I'll definitely be back. read more

The aesthetic of this place is great, dimly lit ambiance of the bar area nice date night spot. Wasn't super crowded when we got there, but had a reservation so seated right away. Our server was very attentive and offered up suggestions. There was a food runner whom we asked a question about the appetizer when he dropped it off because he described the dish, but very fast and then when asked again he kind of just rushed thru and waked off without us not really knowing still, other than that though the service was good. The food was good and worth a visit if you're in downtown Seattle! read more

Updating my review to a 1 star. As you can see below, the manager responded to my review inviting me to come back and try the food. I emailed him 2 weeks ago and still haven't heard back. Classic example of just trying to save face online. read more

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incredibly kind waitstaff, excellent food, even better atmosphere. went here for a celebration and was amazed by the hospitality they provided. i previously worked in this industry as foh staff at excellent restaurants and can certify that this is a great establishment with great service. had a brief conversation with the head chef, gave compliments to him and his staff, and was rewarded. this is the type of establishment that will go the extra mile if you're bummed about paying a 20% auto grat at nicer establishments womp womp. if you complain about giving back to the individuals and team that serve you stop eating out. read more

I am staying at the Hotel Theodore, and Rider is amazing! Great food, great cocktails, great bartenders. I ordered the salmon with potatoes, and both were top-notch. They make a great old-fashioned. I also ordered the beignets for dessert, and they were lights out!! DO NOT LEAVE WITHOUT ORDERING THE BEIGNETS. read more

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We love this restaurant. Also has a legit happy hour! All pics are happy hour items. Great deal! We ordered the burger medium rare. It came out medium - well. Was still delicious. read more

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The place was really cool! Beautiful finishes, nice lighting. The waiter was pretty great too. I got the pastrami & kimchi sandwich, it was fantastic. I'd go back for another one if I'm in the area. My friend was very pleased with her expresso martini :) Beware of the 20% surcharge all the downtown restaurants seem to put on their bills. read more

Rider - Pastrami sandwich, chicken & apple salad - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Mandatory 20% service charge no matter how many people ... with the only notice being the tinniest of fonts on the menu.

I arrived at 4:30pm and was presented with the happy hour menu (which ran until 5pm). I ordered my selection and requested the bill at 5:10pm. I was charged the full price menu which was 50% higher than the happy hour price. I called the maitre d who without any surprise observed the error before I even raised it up, which led me to believe this is a common occurrence which they don't care about fixing. They rectified the error with a surface apology... but for a high priced establishment like this and with 20% service charge included, I feel they could have done more e.g. waived the entire bill. For this brazen act of fraud and utter incompetence, they deserve nothing less than a one star. Beware! read more

Needed a late night takeout snack...staying in a nearby hotel. Cece was super nice and helpful and fast. Food was tasty. LOVED the arancini appetizer!!! read more

Review is only for drinks and staff: We came around 8:45pm ish on a Wednesday night. There were about 13 of us that wanted to come in just for drinks. Although the hostess was somewhat friendly, the server that sat us wasn't at first. He was rude and let us know that it could only be one check and that we had to all order at the same time (to make it easier on the bartender - we get it). It was more the fact that he seemed annoyed we took the two round booths by the entrance for drinks although most of us made 3 rounds of drinks. I only had non-alcoholic beverages though since I'm pregnant. I got the Peace of Mind and Farmer's Market. The Peace of Mind was too sweet but the Farmer's Market was pretty savory. Surprise to see that they also had a non-alcoholic IPA. They also had a regular sour (which I don't see too often in most places). We ended up not getting any food since we had just come from dinner at another place. We had someone on our team who was very friendly and apologetic to the server and that made him ease up and relax. He was actually super friendly after that. Midway, we switched servers and she was awesome and super attentive. All in all, we stayed for like 2 hours and a half and everything was fine after that. The place has a cool ambiance to it and it's on the first floor of The Theodore Hotel in Downtown Seattle. read more

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We were headed to the Paramount for a show at 7:30pm. The Rider looked like a cool spot to grab a drink and a quick bite in the bar. We arrived at 6:30 and it wasn't too crowded. We ordered two very over-priced mocktails and steak frites. By 7:20pm we had to stand up and leave. No food despite being told it would be right up a couple times. We weren't charged for the food we were forced to cancel, but we did close out for two non-alcoholic drinks for $47 ( included tip). Can't recommend this place. You are a block from the theatre-- need to get efficient at cooking food! read more

Avoid this place while in Seattle! we found seats at the bar so we sat ourselves only for a waitress to tell us we couldn't sit ourselves without a host. I asked if the bar was open seating and she said yes, but wanted us to wait to ensure we got the right menu.....This was the beginning. It took 10 minutes before the bartender acknowledged us & asked for our drink order and asked if we planned on eating. We said yes, he gave us a menu & we ordered (BLT & Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict with the eggs scrambled). Given they had a limited menu we didn't think this would be difficult & they weren't that busy. 30 minutes later, we did not have our food. The bartender shared the delay was because I ordered the eggs scrambled. When the food came (40 minutes after ordering) the BLT was an eggplant sandwich, no bacon at all and no fries. The eggs Benedict was missing hollandaise, smoked salmon and the potatoes were burnt. The bartender apologized, saying he didn't know hollandaise sauce was supposed to be part of the meal and offered to take the food back to have it remade (vs going to the kitchen and getting hollandaise sauce in a separate container). And the BLT? he said the sandwich looks identical to a BLT so a simple mistake. We told him we were done, this was ridiculous and left. While we were waiting for our food, we observed patrons helping themselves to the cocktail, garnishments. One used her drink an already used toothpick to get more cherries for her drink. and her friend used her hand to help herself to more green olives. Don't bother going here, the service was awful, the food (if you get something, inedible) and there was zero quality control. read more

We went here about a month ago and really liked the food; so much so that we brought my dad back Father's Day weekend. I don't know what happened but the food was awful last night. My sea bass looked like it was boiled in water and then thrown on top of a very wet tomato sauce with a handful of garbanzo beans. This was not a $52 plate. My husband's rigatoni sauce tasted like Chef Boyardee. He's not picky at all when it comes to food and could barely eat it. Our server brought our bill without explaining that there is a 20% tip already included so I almost gave him another $60 before I noticed. When I asked him about it it was awkward. Our bill was $300 for 2 very average chicken Caesar salads, an inedible fish dish and some pasta that tasted like it came out of a can. We will not be returning. read more

Good hamburger, the pasta was way al dente and was not edible. Our waitress took our order, someone else brought our food and never saw her again until the check came. They automatically take a 20 percent service charge whether they earned it or not!!! Save your money and eat somewhere else!!! read more

This used to be my favorite happy hour spot. We will not be coming back. The waitress was rude and dismissive from the moment we walked in. And the food was terrible the calamari was so greasy the breading was sliding off, the chilled shrimp was like warm and the cocktail sauce was ketchup. The oysters were close to room temperature. read more

We had not been to Rider since before it closed for a long time during the pandemic and they do not seem to have missed a beat. We met out of town friends for dinner because it was close to their hotel. My wife and I shared the Bouillabaisse for 2 and it was delicious. 2 big pieces of fish and lots of clams and mussels. They should have used 2 jumbo shrimp instead of 2 langastinos, which are pretty but are 50% inedible head and claws and a very small edible tail. The broth was the best I have ever had and was great with the toast slice included with the dish. We also shared and enjoyed the endive red oak salad and a mousse and ice cream desert. Service was prompt and professional from Staci D. We could have used some additional bread with our soup but they charge $9 extra for bread ($11.70 with tax and tip), an annoying custom that is ever more common. A mandatory 20% tip added to the bill so we did not leave anything additional. We had a bottle of Chateau San Michelle Chardonnay with the usual 400% markup and the total bill was $195 so don't go here for an economy dinner. read more

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Service was good. Restaurant was very pretty. The food wasn't that great. And they didn't even have some of the ingredients in the dish I ordered. I ordered duck sausage gnocchi and they said tonight it's coming with a red sauce. I thought no problem! There was no duck sausage. It was literally just plain gnocchi in a Chef Boyardee sauce. And they charged me the same price. Dessert was good and the cocktails were nice. But nobody was that impressed. read more

We recently attended an event at Rider with a curated menu paired with wines from Famiglia Casadei wineries. The entire event was exceptional and we loved every single dish and wine we had. The staff were professional, courteous and very knowledgeable. If you ever have a chance to attend one of these, I highly recommend getting a seat. My only complaint was that the smoky smell from the wood-fired oven in the kitchen will definitely get into your clothes--so don't wear anything you can't wash or air out for a good while, lest you want to smell like you've been sat by a campfire for hours. Otherwise, we had a wonderful time and enjoyed our meal thoroughly. The food and wines were truly exceptional! read more

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Disappointed. For the cost of the food my steak was incredibly bland. Also, when asking the sever what he would recommend he basically just listed the menu. On the other hand the kraken drink is delicious. read more

After seeing a matinee at the Paramount Theater we decided to try a new place nearby for a. Early dinner at 5pm. Our issued began when we ordered our drinks. Took nearly 20 minutes in an almost empty restaurant. They apologized for the slow service. I will say the drinks tasted good. One in our party ordered a refill on a soda. Our server didn't check on us for the next 15 minutes when we flagged down another person to get it for us. 10 minutes later 2 glasses were delivered. (Nearly 25 minutes after the first request). Clearly some sort of disorganization going on. When ordering dinner, I asked for my pork chop to be medium rare as I don't like over cooked meat. The server warned me it wouldn't be safe to eat it medium rare and that they cook a very juicy and tender medium temp pork chop. I told the server to make sure it was on the under side. When delivered it was tough and dry. The server said they would cook another and left. Meanwhile everyone else finished their meal. The Manager came to the table to ask how the meal was and we told her about the pork and that we were still waiting for it and were now ready for the bill. She said she would box it up and get it to us. We got the boxed chop with bill for a full charge. No mention of comps or any offer to make things better (free dessert,etc). To top it off, the restaurant included a 20% service charge on the bill for the "staff and expected an additional tip for the server. For a 4 person $300+ meal I would have expected some consideration for missing my dinner and the exceptionally slow service. Situations like these are easy to address in real time. The fact the manager was involved and did nothing was disappointing. A comped meal for the one that was not delivered until the check would have been a good start. When we got home the pork chop was partially raw inside... and it didn't included the potatoes that were listed on the menu. Needless to say we will not be going back. read more

They are open till midnight, however, last call is at 11:45 ish. Once you're in, the service is fabulous. Our server, Brenda, is very friendly , efficient and kind. read more

Way too expensive. Not sure what the chef is going for. The menu has everything from caviar to mash potatoes. The real problem was the staff. No one was friendly they seem to be barking at one another. For the price point you would expect a well oiled machine and a better overall feel. The hostess should not have to chase down the server, after she sets a table , waiting with menus for 10 minutes. The only saving grace for the evening was the food runner, she was wonderful smiled when she delivered our food and then on our way out she said have a good night with a big warm smile. In short do not waste your money here. read more

Never go to this bar. We stayed at the Hotel Theodore where this bar is located. The first day, we tried to go and it closed early. The second day we went, and last call had already happened by 10:35pm (bar closes at 11). The third night we went and ordered cocktails. The bartender who took our order made our drinks and left them at the end of the bar and proceeded to talk to one of the other staff while our drinks sat there and melted. When we asked about them, he apologized and remembered that we ordered the drinks. The drinks were not great, and were 33% more expensive than the excellent drinks we'd gotten at Alder and Ash just a block away. We had to flag our waiter down again to pay, when he reminded us that a 20% gratuity was already included. It was as if we were being reminded, "we know the service is shitty, and you've already tipped us so please don't let us take any more of your money!" Don't come here - there are many better options. Go literally anywhere else. read more

Last year I popped by here to have a cocktail before meeting friends around the corner to see a movie, and I've been meaning to go back for dinner ever since. Finally got around to it last week, and I sure am glad I did! Everything we got was astoundingly good; I really can't pick a favorite. But if I had to narrow it down from the smorgasbord that we ordered and consumed, I'd have to go with the Hamachi Crudo, the whole baked trout, and ESPECIALLY the hand-rolled agnolotti, (which we were told is one of Chef Riccardo's personal specialties). The American Wagyu steak was also pretty much perfect, but I have to give the nod to Rider's slightly more exotic offerings. The house special Manhattan that my girlfriend ordered was so tasty that I drank half of hers, and she had to order another. :) Definitely NOT your average "hotel restaurant". The food and drinks are definitely the centerpiece, but the ambiance is also great. Refreshingly understated in a classy way that's romantic without being precious, and elegant without being gaudy. I already can't wait to go back! read more

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Rider was a lovely restaurant, industrial slightly masculine, soft dim lighting but still light enough to see our menus. Our server Chelsea and the hostess were so lovely. Chelsea was able to give us recommendations on food and cocktails. We particularly enjoyed the hamachi crudo-thick beautifully tender slices of tuna with a gorgeous ponzu sauce and a little heat from a slice of chili. My partner loved his steak sandwich. I got the gnocchi and it tasted incredible, my only complaint was it was absolutely swimming in a butter sauce. We were going to a show afterwards, and I was afraid to finish as I didn't want to have stomach problems at the theater. There was also cocktails and entrees that were unavailable which was suprising considering we had an early evening reservation. Overall a solid 4/5 stars, we went for the lounge but I'd love to come back when our budget is larger to try the dinner menu! read more

Rider - Delicious gnocchi, but as you can see it swam in a butter sauce - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The food was horrible. Both my husband and I were sick all night. Very expensive...we NOT go there again, very disappointed

Service was horrible and had to send our meal back. The server never checked on us and he put my dirty fork from my appetizer plate back onto the table instead of giving me a clean fork! The ceviche was cut so thick it was absolutely disgusting and I would never go back. read more

Arrived for reservation at 6. Told some had arrived early so would have to wait. 6:10 were seated in the waiting area. No silverware for two of four. Took 50 minutes for food. Delivered pinot noir instead of pinot Grigio. Forgot the Cesar salad as one of the orders. Ordered the striped bass, apparently the fennel salad was gone before the evening started. Striped bass was mushy and drenched in salt. Seriously any other place would have been better. Top it off with the mandatory 20% tip for awful service and you will understand one star. read more

Maybe I was hungry and a bit light headed from a day of travel, but I really enjoyed the burger and fries. The burger tasted very fresh; grass fed on a farm somewhere in the vicinity of Seattle, maybe? The vegetables also, quite fresh as if picked that morning. It was after 9 and so the Late Night Bites menu. read more

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Had pretty high expectations for this place and it did not disappoint! Beautiful modern restaurant. Our waitress was very helpful with helping us decide on what to order as it was our first time. The food came out quickly. Ahi Tuna Tartare was very refreshing, but the rigatoncini was definitely the star of the show! It is on the pricier side, but the quality and experience is worth a try. read more

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Went to the bar with my wife. We both observed the bartender was contemptful. Would have ruined our time out if we weren't so locked in on eachother. Really unprofessional. This was around 9:00pm on 9/2/2025. Never have this problem, but it was pretty obvious. If you have hate in your heart, maybe this is 't the job for you. read more

We came for drinks and snacks around Happy Hour. We didn't have a reservation, but they were able to seat us. For appetizers, I had the Parker House Rolls and Parmigiano & Black Truffle Fries with the Daiquiri cocktail. Everything tasted good, and we loved the ambiance of the place! read more