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    The Black Cat

    4.1 (486 reviews)
    ModerateNew American, Bars, Salad
    Closed 10:00 am - 11:00 pm

    The Black Cat Photos

    THE BLACK CAT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Intimate
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Black Cat

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    Prairie S.

    A charming upstairs dining spot, inside a quirky, characterful, historic building with funky staircases going from all angles seemingly. Set on a cobble stone street in Fairhaven, I would return to this gem again and again for its inventive, well-executed, plethora of cocktails and its efficient waitstaff who make the dining experience seamless. The menu offers a slightly elevated bar food and classic 1950s American main plates such as beef stroganoff, pot roast, roast chicken, and Dungeness crab mac and cheese. The experience of coming here for dinner gives a sense of something unique, cosy, romantic; sure beats pulling into yet another sterile, drab, concrete strip mall of modern death capitalist 'Muerica. Inside, the wooden floors, dark wood decor and dim Tiffany lamps create the adult ambience. Something out of a 1930s film noir. The menu offers sentimental favorites sure to please a range of palates and hungry bellies. We had a big 10-strong party doing a double birthday dinner. The waitress handled individual and split tabs masterfully. We tried a variety of appetizers, most notable among which were the following: = tempura fried green beans with an Asian dipping sauce mysteriously labeled Bangalore (soy sauce/rice vinegar with chopped shallots and green chilli -- more Korean than south Asian), = the fondue platter with bread, raw broccoli (would have been better lightly steamed), granny smith apples etc. = Manila clams, deliciously dressed with a garlicky white wine tomato dressing = Spinach artichoke dip (a no brainer) Many people went for burgers and the fish and chips. The halibut choice with fish and chips was a winner. Everybody's food seemed delicious, including the birthday girl who chose beef stroganoff. Many of us had the Pomm's Cup which was a cocktail using Pimm's liqueur, gin, ginger, and pomegranate. It went down smooth and was quite pleasant. I would like to return again and again.

    Signature cheeseburger
    Judy B.

    I've tried The Black Cat both during lunch and dinner hours, dinner time, personally, is my preference. We made reservations online so we're able to be seated right away. The place isn't too big so reservations when able are definitely recommended. It's pretty loud in there. The food I ordered during lunch hour was good, nothing over the top. As far as dinner though it was delicious! The menu isn't too big but you can definitely tell everything is made fresh. The food was very tasty!

    Seneca R.

    The best place in Fairhaven for a classy but casual date night. We eat in a tapas style, sharing some dishes between ourselves instead of all ordering our own entree. The Brussel sprouts are a must get, the caesar salad is fresh and house made (those croutons...), and the portions are very reasonable. Even if it's full when you arrive it's always worth the wait.

    Inside
    Lauren B.

    This place was phenomenal. We had drinks, appetizers, main meal, and dessert (we were full but wanted to get the full experience). There are few places that does all courses well and this is it. Every one who worked there was really nice. Our waitress gave us her true recommendation vs saying everything is good, which we were really appreciative of. She checked on us in a timely manner- service was top notch. The restaurant almost feels like you're in a downtowns New Orleans restaurant. The windows were decorated for Christmas which made a super cute/romantic date environment. Drinks: Caribbean holiday (so good had to get it twice) Appetizer: Spinach Dip (large portion and delish) Entree: salmon special (GET the Brussels if given the opportunity) & French dip w/ French onion soup (amazing flavors and large portions) Dessert: Brownie (we got this because it was the only dessert made in house. The toffee topping made me drool lol) We will drive out of the way to go to this place again when driving by!

    Croque madame with egg
    Meralina M.

    The food here is out of this world!!! I lived in Switzerland for a while and had croque madames every Sunday and I've not found a good one for a while and this one was superb, it would been nice with a salad instead of fries but it was delicious either way! My friends good was also really great! The staff was also incredibly nice and it was a great place for a girls day out brunch!

    View from the table
    Anna E.

    One of my all time favorite places to go for any kind of food, appetizer, or drink. I have never had a bad experience at The Black Cat, except maybe having to wait for a table too long, but that's because it's that good! The servers are always great, and you can't beat the view and vibe here.

    Mike M.

    We had been black cat lovers for years We were in the area and decided to try their happy hour after the restaurant refresh I got the fish and chips 2 piece for $10 The fish was like rubber and the batter was oily It was in the worst I tried category The fries were terrible, I hated them, they were in the worst I ever had category My wife got the burger, it was fine nothing special After being a fan for years we have decided never to go back

    Pesto Gouda chicken
    Crissy T.

    Came here with about 7 friends and had a wonderful experience. Service was absolutely excellent. We did quite a few of the appetizers- crab cakes and tempura green beans a must. For dinners, everyone's food looked delicious. I did the pesto Gouda chicken and my only regret was I didn't order a second helping of mashed potatoes. Amazing ambience

    Extra  Dirty Vodka Martini and Cat Scratch Lemonade!!
    Sandy O.

    Amazing service and ambiance! Was seated next to a window, so we saw an amazing sunset and mountain range!

    Carey M.

    If you want a cozy, even romantic environment with lovely big windows and views, this is your spot. If you want great service (and I'm talking what most of us are accustomed to outside of Bellingham) it is not. Prepare to have your order taken, delivered, check dropped- only after sitting with an empty glass and plates for a while and having to ask for it. No follow up on how order looks or after on how it's tasting. No drink refills. Can I get you anything else...how's it tasting...would like a coffee or dessert...nope nope nope. You'll have to be prepared to get someone's attention if you require anything more than bare minimum...but of course a tip is expected. Typical Bellingham service...much to my dismay.

    Biscuits and Gravy with fried chicken
    Anthony W.

    With the hype of this place it turned out to be very run of the mill. Staff is great but the rustic venue was filled with stock tables and chairs and while there is some thematic cat aspects to the venue, overall feels a little tired and empty of decoration. The food, while "fresh," still felt processed. It was just overall a disappointment from the other reviews and write ups. Generally speaking, feels like it's coasting on a reputation of a bygone era. The chicken, biscuits and gravy are a pass. Nothing about it really resonated with me. It was a cleanse break cheat meal and I was grossly disappointed.

    Clam CHOW-dah!
    Matt R.

    The Chat Noir has an undeniably cool space. On the second floor looking out over the Fairhaven District and the water. I had the happy hour Fish & Chips and a bowl of the chowder. The fish & chips weren't anything special. Freshly cooked, as were the fries which I always appreciate. The chowder was the star to me. I'd come back for that. The service was average. Definitely worth checking out!

    Crab cake Benedict
    Jeremy A.

    First of all, I would have to say this was the highlight of our tour of restaurants on our weekend in Bellingham....and it was brunch! Walking into this place has a very cool vibe to start off with. Walking into the whole building was kinda cool and slightly weird. But honestly I don't know, I loved the inside of the building more than I should have maybe? The restaurant itself was nice and clean, we chose a table in the bar area by the window. Great views, though I should have taken a picture for reference. My wife and I had picked out this place a couple days in advance and already had our choices for brunch. The server we had was very friendly and quick with service. Zero complaints. I chose the Crab Cake Benedict and she had the Croque Monsieur. First off the crab cakes were huge and packed full of crab. The poached eggs...you're going to get a great review if they're cooked right, and they were perfect. No runny whites and the yolks were perfect. Sounds like a funny thing to be so judgy about, but I feel like 80% of breakfast establishments can't complete this task. The Croque Monsieur was rich and decadent, both were very filling, needless to say we left VERY satisfied. Side note: when you are eating breakfast and you have people come into the restaurant and stop at you table just to ask what we were eating, you know it's good(especially when the table next to us ordered the exact same thing). Next time we are in the area it'll be hard, but we'll have to try lunch or dinner instead....although we might still have to sneak in for brunch too..

    Seafood Chowder... to die for.

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    Great service and neat vibe. I don't recommend the kale salad, though. The rest of our food was good.

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    Page 1 of 13

    Ask the Community - The Black Cat

    Do they allow minors? I keep seeing that it's labeled a 'cocktail bar' on different searches.

    Yes we allow minors. One half of our restaurant is a bar, and the other half is for underage seating.

    Is it upstairs? Does it have an elevator or wheelchair accessible?mifcez-nesRe1-qymfyq

    It's up stairs but there is an elevator available right next to the stairs.

    Do you need a weeknight reservation?

    It prolly wouldn't hurt to make a reservation.. But we have snuck in during the week without one on occasion.

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    Roe - Burger and fries

    Roe

    4.6(39 reviews)
    2.6 mi

    I came here with my mom to enjoy a nice dinner after a long week. We walked in around 4:45 and we…read morewere the only ones there, though it soon filled up while we were there. The dining room was elegant yet cozy, with great lighting. The staff was also very friendly and our waiter was very helpful in aiding our choice. We ordered the Focaccia bread, the salmon momtadito and the tonnarelli as our entree. The focaccia was the only dissapointing item as it was very basic in my opinion, which isn't bad but just nothing exciting to write about. The appetizer, the salmon montadito, was probably my favorite item of the night. It was served on focaccia bread and drizzled with a truffle honey butter and sat upon a mascarapone yogurt. It was elegant and it was incredibly flavorful. The sweetness of the truffle honey butter was a great contrast to the salmon itself, and all melted together to make an exceptional appetizer. The tonnarelli was a pasta dish we split and was also very tasty. The pasta itself was a thicker spaghetti like pasta served with plenty of crab. It was tasty and it satisfied and I'd likely order it again as I will be back when my sister's visit. All in all, a great restaurant to spend a nice night right in the heart of Bellingham!

    The black cod was impeccable. I highly recommend. I didn't take any pictures but the fries were my…read morehusband's favorite. The fish sticks were interesting part of the menu so I had to order and it didn't disappoint. Love the staff as they were quick and attentive. My new go to place in Bellingham.

    Photos
    Roe
    Roe
    Roe - Beautiful presentation but please go easy on the salt!

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    Beautiful presentation but please go easy on the salt!

    The Black Cat - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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