First of all, my server, Sierra, was perfectly awesome. She answered questions, was timely and service-oriented, and she gave great food and drink recommendations. Wonderful food and drinks. I started with oyster shooters (Willapa Bay) along with a Lion's Tail cocktail. Sierra said the bourbon and lime complement each other. I wouldn't have thought so and thought it a bit of an odd choice. But she was right and I was wrong: it was fabulous. One of the most delicious drinks I've ever had, for my tastes. She gave me several recommendations for dinner. I picked the Jalapeño Chicken. It was luscious and flavorful, but the best part of it was my choice of Balsamic Brussels sprouts as my side--oh my! These were so delicious I ordered two more batches to have at home. Lovely espresso martini to end it all. read more

Stopped by Bellingham to grab a quick lunch after hiking to Fragrance Lake. As a cat lover this restaurant really had me at the name already lol. I was happy to see steamed clams on the menu. I grew up eating fresh steamed seafood for dinner, so battered fried seafood that is more common here hasn't really grown on me yet. To me fried seafood is a fancy version of chicken nuggets. I loved the clams, so light but bland. The sauce is full of umami flavor, drizzled with some fresh lemon juice, it was like a summery beachy afternoon in a bowl. I could easily dip a loaf of toast with it if I had one. The clams were fresh and meaty, nothing to complain about with this dish. My partner had the grilled cheese, and he said it was mid. He's vegetarian, and I don't like cheese, so I didn't bother to try any of his meal to do my own fact check. The staff were friendly too. Overall, this is a nice place to grab lunch when visiting Bellingham. read more

The Black Cat - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

We stopped by The Black Cat and had a bit of a mixed experience. The Florentine Benedict had great flavor, but unfortunately it came out completely cold. I get that the spinach and tomato are meant to be cool, but the poached egg and hollandaise should at least be warm--kind of the whole point. On the flip side, the Black Cat breakfast (bacon + waffle) was delicious, and the Croque Madame (Croque Monsieur with a fried egg) was chef's kiss. Only note there--fries under the sandwich instead of on the side made things a little soggy. Coffee was solid, but we never got a refill, and same story with water. Once the food hit the table, service basically disappeared. Atmosphere is great--cozy, classic Fairhaven vibe--but overall service was very slow. Would come back for the food, just hoping for a little more attention next time. read more

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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. read more

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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! read more

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Bad food. Bad service. Would not recommend. Bar manager insisted I entertain her mother in law. No can do bubba. I'm married and Alecia demanded that I entertain her MOL. Talked to the owners and they blew me off. Do not go there. Bad vibes by a bunch of sheep. read more

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. read more

The Black Cat - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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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! read more

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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! read more

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My man and I stopped in here and had some bloody ceasers and OMG they were DELICIOUS! We shared crab cakes and also the artichoke dip and then back to the hotel to lie by the pool. It was a perfect day to say the LEAST. read more

I think the Black Cat remodeled, it is looking particularly good! Nice colors and ceiling panels to absorb the sound. We visited on a Wednesday night after taking in a performance a the FireHouse Center. We had a couple of drinks, nothing wrong with the cocktail, but my companion was not a fan of "The Cure", the scotch was very smoky! Next they tried the "Side Piece" and this was the opposite, too sweet. Oh well. I ordered the sautéed prawns with garlic and it was fantastic. Hot, strong with garlic and butter, Really tasty. I had a beer that was okay, but for a drinking establishment in Bellingham, they seem to emphasize beer far less than other places. read more

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. read more

The Black Cat - View from the table - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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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 read more

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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 read more

The Black Cat - Pesto Gouda chicken - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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

The Black Cat - Extra Dirty Vodka Martini and Cat Scratch Lemonade!! - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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. read more

The Black Cat - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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. read more

The Black Cat - Biscuits and Gravy with fried chicken - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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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! read more

The Black Cat - Clam CHOW-dah! - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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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.. read more

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Ever since I went to Ireland, I have been in search of good seafood chowder, and have always been disappointed here in the states. So when I randomly happened upon it on the menu at Black Cat with my bestie, I just had to try it. Jenny had the French onion soup, which is good, but it's French onion soup, so it's meh for me... I'm all about the seafood chowder... as it is the best I've had since Ireland. The tempura asparagus is the other stand out. We also had the Brussels sprouts (good but not great). I would definitely come back to try more dishes! read more

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Love this place! Amazing food and drinks. Brunch and dinner are both superb!! Service was lovely and the accommodated my large party. Highly recommend! read more

Happy hour is the best way to go. Any of their French food is usually their best. I recommend the steamed clams with bread and a happy hour beverage. Always yummy. read more

The Black Cat is always a great place to visit when you're in the mood for imaginative drinks and tasty food. I've had several of their dishes, but a few strand out. The lamb lollipops are tender and flavorful. The pot roast always brings me back to warm tummies on cold winter nights, with it's mix of tender meat and root veggies. And the jalapeño chicken is wonderful if you want a little kick in your meal. Happy dining! read more

Hello French Onion soup! Actually, everything we had was great. What a great find. I had strawberry salad, partner had French onion soup and pot roast. A+ read more

The Black Cat - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Really cool place with lots of cool shops around it. In fact in the lobby there was a gentleman playing I believe a violin with music. A lot of the window seats have view of the water so that's quite nice. I had a yummy mixed drink. That was very interesting and I had the crabcake melt that was very tasty. read more

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Came here wanting some late night dessert. Saw they had happy hour bites so had to order some fries and cauliflower tots. So yum. Got the brownie too with the ice cream and it was so perfect for the vibes. Service was good and this was awesome to catch up with my friend over some light food. read more

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

My boyfriend and I are so happy we found this place! The ambiance is really nice, especially at night. The food is excellent and their cocktails are unique and delicious. This might be my favorite restaurant! read more

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Great food, have been coming here for years but they need to give the hostess (this was on December 4, 2025; blondish big boned gal) an in-service. We got a table at 410 PM and at 6:10 PM she rudely and dare I say hostilely reached in front of my friend to clear a plate, nearly making contact yet saying nothing. Her motive became apparent when she came back a few seconds later to unapologetically and with an air of demand, inform us that there was a reservation for 6:00 p.m. for our table. Apparently her passive aggressive plate clearing wasn't enough to get us moving. She needs to be taught that when you overbook, at least ask nicely. read more

Interesting building that houses this small, intimate place. Not appropriate for children due to the painting on wall next to the bar. Food was good. Had a view of the downtown area from our table. read more

Charming restaurant on the third floor of the Sycamore Square building. Popular place with great views of the neighborhood if you can get a window seat. There may be a wait, so if there is you can visit many of the shops. There are a couple of art shops on the same floor. Or you can find a bench to sit on. I had the Halibut filet with a lemon dill sauce. If you like lemon you will love this dish. By far the winner was the Brussel Sprouts. Roasted, tossed with bacon and in a balsamic reduction. I'd come back here every day for those sprouts. read more

The Black Cat - Halibut - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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An absolute staple of Bellingham. Great food, stiff drinks, and normal prices. (As opposed to the insane prices we're seeing around town lately). The vibe and view are amazing, and the service was top notch as well! read more

We called to ask if our dog could sit with us at the restaurant (as lots of restaurants in Bellingham do allow dogs), and the staff informed me that they could if they are "small and well-behaved." After, I mentioned, "they're on the larger side," they told me that it was fine to come in. The person literally said, "That's cool. Come in." As a note, I don't live in Bellingham. We went out of our way to back track to go to them because they said to come in. After we traveled to the restaurant and discovered it's in a building full of businesses on the third floor, I thought about how strange it would be that they'd allow dogs. We reached the host stand and were greeted with a negative flurry of looks from the two staff standing there, and then condescendingly told that it is only service dogs (which my dog is not), and "I mean, we're on the third floor" alongside a gesture suggesting that I'm an idiot for even thinking they'd allow dogs. I mean, I called you and you said that you did. It's not like I see what floor you're on when I call you on the phone. Even if I could, patios can exist on the second and third floors of buildings. There was no indicated from my call that it was only service dogs and it's a given that service dogs are allowed in-- of course we would be calling about a non service dog. Just incredibly rude. Get better customer service. 0/10. read more

Came here specifically to try the crab melts, and was pretty disappointed. Coming from SF, I know I have high expectations for seafood, but this had shells in it and not a lot of flavor, and the celery in the salad was way too chunky. Drinks and service were great and we will be back again I'm sure to update my review (better) and try something else. This place is always busy and I'm sure there's a good reason! read more

The Black Cat - Jalapenño Margarita and some type of gimlet I forgot the name of. Great drinks! - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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We had dinner here while on vacation. Had to wait a bit for the table but not too terrible. We ordered the shrimp tacos and French dip. Also had the Brussels. The Brussels were good if you got one with the balsamic drizzle, but they were lacking salt. My husband's tacos looked delicious and he really enjoyed them. My French dip was ok. Bread was well toasted but the meat was super dry. The au ju helped but just lacked moisture. Overall super funky place, great service, and good food. read more

Nice dinner in a cute setting. It's on a third floor of a building with some views of the Puget Sound. Food was quite tasty, we had the salmon (a bit overcooked) with delicious Brussels sprouts, fish and chips were good although the fries weren't as crispy as I prefer, fried oyster appetizer was very tasty, and the tempura green beans were very nice and crispy. Decent portion sizes for the price. Service was friendly and attentive. Good option if you're looking for a nicer meal in Bellingham/Fairhaven! read more

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It was an amazing experience overlooking the sunset... great food and drinks. Will go back... read more

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Me and my family went here on a friday night and we had to wait around 40 minutes which i think is reasonable becasue this place is pretty popular. Our waitress didnt seen to intrested in us which was disappointing. But the fairheaven hippy saled was really good and filling. The lemon drop was eh. Inside its nicely decorated and the view is so pretty. I also like that they support local businesses for some of their products. I think overall it was a nice experience but not some where i would HAVE to go back to. read more

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I've been here a few times now. The staff can be busy at times and the prices aren't the lowest, but the food is worth it. The Fairhaven scenery is very pretty and the old buildings in the area are neat to look at while you dine. All in all you won't be disappointed if *this* black cat crosses your path. *snort* read more

The Black Cat - Black Cat French Dip - New American Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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It wasn't bad luck that brought us here on Memorial Day evening; quite the contrary, in fact! We were driving back home to Portland from a long weekend vacation in Canada when, after a frustrating and unreasonably long wait at the border, we were hungry enough to seek out a place to stop for dinner. The hour was growing late, the number of open restaurants dwindling with every passing minute. Fortunately, my wife, a perennial cat lover, pounced on the chance to divert our GPS here; little did she know that I had earmarked this restaurant on Google as a place I wanted to take her, based on its name, absolutely-guaranteed-100%-this-place-is-haunted ambiance, and feline-focused aesthetic. Hell, I didn't know, either, for that matter...I had completely forgot I'd tagged the place! After taking the elevator to the third floor, where the restaurant is located (we had our baby son in a stroller), we were seated without delay, and our truly phenomenal server, Brandon, would take an experience we anticipated to be wonderful even further, to the next level. From start to finish, he was a friendly, personable conversationalist; efficient, timely, helpful and accurate, informing us of specials and entrées "du jour", suggesting local favorite dishes, steering us away from those less well received, and even engaging us in discussion about ourselves, our travels, and providing insight to our questions about Fairhaven and the greater Bellingham area, of which we were almost entirely ignorant. He could moonlight as a tour guide. My wife ordered the French onion soup, Dungeness crab cakes, and an Empress Gin martini (a bottle of which we'd just purchased at the Duty Free shop at the border). The soup was amazing; I've had some uninspired bowls of it before, but this one was prepared perfectly: not too watery, not too much bread, potent, savory flavor, and a rich, almost debaucherous blanket of cheese on top. The crab cakes were sizeable, fresh, delicious, and paired with a sauce that both of us failed to classify, instead resorting to attempting to identify some of its ingredients: mustard, curry...cheese? Whatever it was, it was awesome, and complemented the crab cakes in an extraordinary manner! I had the fish tacos, cod, blackened instead of beer-battered (I wouldn't have even known that was an option, if Brandon hadn't offered it). Later, when Brandon returned to check in on us, I informed him that my favorite fish tacos, served at the Island Café in Portland, had just been dethroned. He laughed, and later remarking that he planned on visiting the Island Café, the next time he was in Portland, based on our recommendation. Beyond the ubiquitous cat motifs throughout (for the purposes of our visit, anyway), the atmosphere of the restaurant felt as if it were cloaked in a sexy, sultry, casually-threatening veil of dusk, illuminated by candlelight and the fading rays of the setting sun through paned glass in wrought iron frames. And if the ambiance, our fantastic meal, and the enjoyable conversation weren't already enough, we we stopped on every floor on the way down to explore the rest of the building, seemingly ripped straight from the 19th century with minimal modernization, complete, I'm sure, with enough ghosts to fill up a Ghostbuster's proton pack, and then some. I guess that's why the cat motif is as prevalent here as it is: the panoptic gaze of multiple feline effigies keeps them at bay until after closing time! Alright, I've used enough eldritch adjectives to make H. P. Lovecraft turn over in his grave, so I'll make this summary succinct: If I had nine lives, I would visit the Black Cat in each and every one of them! read more

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