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    Bateau

    3.7 (429 reviews)
    Ultra High-EndSteakhouses, French, Desserts

    Bateau Photos

    Business Info

    BATEAU ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Bateau

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    Burger
    Eduardo E.

    Despite the burger being very simple, I truly enjoyed it a lot. Perhaps a bit overpriced but at least it was good quality meat. The guy that served me was super chatty, friendly, attentive, and hospitable to the table next to me. But when it came to me he barely said any words. He tossed my plate onto my table carelessly and walked away without saying anything. My glass of water was left empty for a long while. And it wasn't just this one server but pretty much everyone in this restaurant was equally as cold and unwelcoming. When I got to the restaurant the front hostess was on the phone and no one helped me for a while. Truly one of the worst service I've gotten at any restaurant. Don't see any reason why I would ever want to come back.

    House Bateau Salad
    Melissa H.

    6 years later the review stays the same unfortunately! I will say most of the food was good. That being said, it's a high end steak house and NEITHER OF US LIKED OUR $50+ steaks. Sort of a bummer to spend so much money on a nice meal, the apps and salad are lovely, then the entrees are a let down. We had the octopus which was beautifully cooked, and the house salad which we enjoyed. Also split the potato chip ice cream which was a stand out. The service was sort of bizarre the whole night at well. Got seated immediately. Then took forever for our server to come take our drink order and the drinks took so long I almost thought our food was going to come out before our first drink. Then our server was pretty much MIA the rest of the meal and we had to flag down others to help. I also know it's capital hill and everything goes but there was someone wearing a skirt that was so low, they basically exposed themselves to us when they bent down to give water to the table near us. Totally inappropriate dress for a high end restaurant. I've had much better experiences at Sea Creatures other restaurants. Might be another 6 years before I'd come back here unless someone else really wants to go.

    This burger....wow
    Teri T.

    Bateau focuses on quality over quantity. You will see it in how they limit seating, lay out a collection of high quality steaks on a white board with the limited number of each, take their time preparing your food, and spending time with you to answer your questions. I've been here six times over the past 5 years and had a wonderful experience each time. PS. These visits have also been after I moved out Seattle, I make it a point to eat here when I visit. Mirroring all the other comments, getting here early has its benefits on your selection of steaks. Don't take this to the extreme, there is quite a selection overall, but know there may be something you want that isn't available later in the evening. Everything we were served was delIcious: carpaccio starter, a steak cut, the side of beets.....but the star of the show was this "off menu" burger. It's made up of the smaller cuts of steak they have left over after butchering the rest and melts in your mouth! It's not served with any produce (it does not need it) and the bun reminds me of a croissant. Meat, sauce, bun = a small piece of heaven. I may have gone back just for this....

    Salad Lyonnaise
    Cari L.

    Steaks were delicious and service was attentive but the wait time was AWFUL. We waited 1-1.5 hours for our steaks. Not sure why it takes so long for them to cook the meat since they have a window into their dry aging room where you can see that the cuts have all been prepped already. Also, much to our annoyance, the steaks were all lukewarm. While it's true that meat should be rested, it feels ridiculous to wait so long for cold food. Definitely not coming back, but I would highly recommend the psoas minor cut for those willing to brave the wait time.

    Sesame Chips
    Vince U.

    I have never been to a steak restaurant where you also see into the actual butcher shop! All their meat is fresh and done on site and they have a very extensive list to choose from. The service was excellent, and the ambience was casual yet still upscale. We had a father and son sitting next to us and they mentioned they eat there every year as a special treat for the son's birthday because he loves it that much. The snacks and starters menu does change throughout the year so some of these items that we had might not be available. That is also why I love this place because you can go back and try different things.

    Katherine L.

    This is one of Seattle's best steakhouses and they dry age in-house! You can see the dry aging room through a small window. Favorites are steak tartare, culotte (get 2 if you can with 2 different finishing butters), pate, and oysters (Bateau is by the same owner as Walrus & Carpenter and Boat Bar). Service is lovely, I've been a few times for birthdays and one time the power went out halfway through our meal. The next time I went Bateau gave us a dish on the house as an apology.

    Frankie K.

    I took my partner here for his birthday. It was a lovely experience. I had this milk alcoholic drink, oh my gosh. I would go back just for that. It was delicious. My partner had an old fashioned, his usual. We ordered a few things: steak tartar, the croquettes, fried, bone marrow butter, top sirloin dry aged, the hamburger (off menu), and their bread pudding for dessert. It was all delicious, the star for us besides the dessert was thr hamburger. It was made perfectly, melt in your mouth. The service here was excellent, they really pay attention to you and your needs. We didn't have an empty glass once. Can't wait to go back and try more!

    Frites & Aioli  French onion croquettes
    Shannon K.

    A decent place for steak. We got the frites and aioli, french onion croquette, 8oz fillet, and their special dessert of plum sorbet. Frites and aioli are pretty standard like any other place, the french onion croquette was interesting and came with an egg yolk mustard type of dip. While tasty they were a little rich/heavy so for just two people I wouldn't recommend. The steak was good, they offer a few different types of butter to add ok after. Would highly recommend their preserved lemon butter! It added a much needed tartness to cut through all the savory and heavy food items. While you can tell this is a good and quality steak, besides the lemon there wasn't really anything that stood out to make it amazing. The chalkboard of the different meats was also kind of fun. It added some extra excitement and it felt like a lottery system where you wanted to get your order in before it got crossed out haha. The servers are also very knowledgeable on the different cuts, so if you aren't sure they can recommend some nice pieces. Overall a good place to check out, but wouldn't be a repeat on places to go.

    Delmonico steak, 23oz bone in, medium rare with bone marrow butter
    Tony W.

    Made a reservation for 2 at 5pm on a Saturday night at Bateau via OpenTable, quite convenient. Blackboard shows all the beef and options available from the cow which you can consider for dinner. A pretty amazing selection of parts indeed. Bottle wine list was a little bit underwhelming in terms of options, but wine by glass was decent enough, ordered a bottle of Cohors from France. Environment can get a bit loud, but a decent spot for dinner with friends, bar is also available on the right hand side when you walk into the restaurant. To the left is the dining room, along with the displayed dry age room connected to the kitchen in the back. Ordered French Onion Soup Croquettes, pretty good but pretty heavy for 2 people to have 5 of these croquettes, I think maybe 1 each may have been enough with the amount of dishes we ordered. Would order again though. Sauce came with raw egg yolk for mixing and richness Had the Bateau Beef Tartare with popped tapioca chip. Beef Tartare was good chilled temperature and good portion, again, though could have been shared between 4 pax. Comes with a raw egg yolk for mixing and gluing purposes. Mixed grilled mushrooms with soft poached egg, superb dish, excellent balance of herbs and spices which made these mushrooms shine. 5/5pts Funnily all these starters had egg involved, so for 2 diners, we already ate equivalent of 3 eggs/yolks. We cook steak pretty regularly at home, usually a new york strip or a rib eye, sometimes we pick up some hangar or flank steak. There are tons of options on the blackboard for you to choose from, but there is lots of different parts where if you didn't know what they were, you'll have a really hard time guessing, you can always ask your server and they'll be able to suggest some for you. We did just that and was suggested to take the bone in 21 day dry aged Delmonico, which came in at around 23oz for $161. Was a good suggestion but definitely was more marbled and rich. There are also lots of odds and ends which I'm sure would have been equally as tasty. Pretty good dinner, but may have ordered too much/many starters as was super full by the end. Good for sharing but harder to do with just 2 people. Menu looks so good so we wanted it all. Additionally, delmonico suggestion from server was a good one but we think could have had a smaller steak based on the amount of starters we had ordered, so perhaps a little more guidance from server wouldn't have hurt. Overall, good food, good wine, would recommend

    Carolyn D.

    Took my boyfriend here for his birthday recently after it had been on our list of restaurants we tried and it was an incredible experience. They also included a nice little birthday card at the table :) I highly recommend getting a reservation for earlier in the night as you will have way more options of cuts to choose from. I really enjoy the idea that each time you go here you can try something different as the menu changes daily. If you have no idea what kind of cut you want the servers are very knowledgeable and will give you recommendations based off of what you like. I really enjoyed the cuts that we got and thought the bone marrow butter was the better one we tried. We also enjoyed the steak tartare and the fries. The steak tartare had fish roe and kind of smokiness to it that made it more unique than other tartares we have had. The fries were perfectly crispy and a perfect side for the steak. The little garlic cream puff pastry that they gave to start the meal was a pleasant surprise and very flavorful. Overall I highly recommend this place for any occasion! I will definitely be coming back to try other cuts of steak

    Merlot 8 oz ($48), Sirloin Tip Cap 8 oz aged 125 days ($48)
    Wendi K.

    Amuse Bouche was this interesting savory cream puff. Appetizers and Sides: -Steak Tartare ($23) - An extremely well done tartare with a Japanese flavored twist. Loved the addition of Ikura. -Roasted Mushrooms ($16) - A+ on the variety of mushrooms in this dish. Super rich. -Kohlrabi ($15) - Interesting, Tart, extensively dressed. Impressive board of steaks with what looked like 20+ different cute to choose from. Cuts of Steak: Merlot ($48 for 8 oz) and Sirloin Tip Cap ($48 for 8 oz, aged 125 days). You get to pick a finishing butter with each steak, we picked the bone marrow and nori finishing butters. Also Had a few glasses of red wine that paired well with the steak (one was very dusty). Mint Chocolate Meringues to finish. Staff is very knowledgeable. Beautiful, candlelit interior.

    Buttery Mashed Potatoes
    Laura C.

    We only had one full day in Seattle after our cruise and tried to jam pack it as much as we could to make sure we didn't miss out. So after much research we opted to have dinner at Bateau -- and we were NOT disappointed. Wow what a meal. The restaurant itself is gorgeous and looks like a little chateau. Dim lighting, not too loud, perfect for celebrations or date night. The service from the get go was impeccable. They explained to us the restaurants concept and how the chalkboard is used to pick out your cut of steak. She was very kind and knew the chalkboard could be overwhelming and we could just tell her what types of meat we usually like and she can go about recommending. Which is exactly what we did. My husband shared that he liked rib eyes (which were already sold out for the day) and I, myself, wasn't too hungry, so she recommended we shared 12oz Flat Iron Tip. We chose a couple of appetizers that were both beyond great and unlike anything we've had before. The steak itself though was the star. We topped it with a bone marrow butter, which I was skeptical about, but made the steak all that more delicious! It was more herbs and added a great touch to the fatty steak. For sides we got mashed potatoes and the fries since my husband and I seemed to be craving different versions of potatoes haha. The mashed potatoes were my personal favorite, in the traditional French way - super creamy. At the end of our meal my husband said it was easily top 3 meals he's ever had. This is going to the top of our recommendations when talking about Seattle. I almost want to go back to visit to go have another meal already. Amazing restaurant and concept.

    Asparagus
    Melissa N.

    We haven't been to a steak house in so long and this has been on our list for a long time. Despite some not great reviews, we thought we'd give it a try. Located in Cap hill, it's got a nice ambiance and lots of light during the day. Everyone was really professional and polite and were very knowledgeable about the different cuts of beef. Hands down the best things were the fries. We'd go back just to eat the fries. We have never had the Delmonico cut and wanted something tender and fatty similar to the short rib so it was nice to splurge on this. It was a bit heavy so we weren't able to finish it all. I thought it was a tiny bit on the salty side, but my husband thought it was decently seasoned. The other stand out dish was the asparagus. It had a nice crunch with the quinoa and the bearnaise was pleasant. The other two apps were okay but nothing notable. Overall a pleasure experience to try a very unique cut of beef.

    1st timers celebrating double April birthdays! We are FaNs!!!!

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    Page 2 of 11

    Bateau Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Bateau

    Is there bar seating? I'm thinking about coming as a party of 1 and am content with bar seating if available.

    Yes, there is a small bar. Seats about 4. Call ahead to see if they are seating it. During COVID they were not using it.

    What time is there Happy Hour and do they have a wide selection of HH food?

    So next door is a related restaurant called Bar Melusine. Happy hour starts at 5pm and is fantastic. The steak tartare and a martini is my favorite.

    Which cut(s) of steak have you been happy with? Looking for something tender and flavorful. Thank you!

    Jacob's Ladder is my absolute favorite. But everything is great - you can't go wrong at Bateau.

    What does the tasting menu typically consist of? Is it all meat based dishes or do they also offer salads/veggies?

    They offer small appetizers and a meat option. The meat option is not a full steak like you would imagine though.

    Has anyone tried the Chef's Tasting Menu? Wondering if you recommend it over ordering an entree off the menu?

    I went with a party of two and we each had the tasting menu with the beverage pairing and ordered two smaller cuts of steaks as well. They were really helpful to help us find cuts that wouldn't be overkill on top of their, I believe, 5 course… Read more

    How much does dinner typically cost here before cocktails/wine?

    Steaks are typically $30 to $100 depending on the cut and quantity you order.

    View All 7 Questions

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    Old Stove Brewing - Pike Place - Fish and chips

    Old Stove Brewing - Pike Place

    4.3(1.5k reviews)
    1.1 miDowntown
    $$

    Came in on a Friday night and learned that Old Stove Brewing gets busy for a reason! All the…read moreoutdoor tables were full when we arrived at 6, so we put our name on the list for inside and waited about 30 minutes. The oysters were the main draw for me, and they were totally worth the visit. Old Stove serves them with a savory watermelon sauce in addition to a traditional cocktail sauce--eaten together, it's a flavor explosion that I can't quite describe. We also enjoyed the garlic everything fries, which were delicious! We just had to try a flight to sample the brews. There are some really good beers available here, especially the Belgian blonde, citra pale ale, and the stout. I did not really care for the seasonal sour (grapefruit, I think)--to me, it just tasted like a sour and nothing more, but someone with more interest in sour beers would probably enjoy it just fine. Despite the busy night, our server checked on us regularly and was very personable, stopping to chat with us about the local sports scene. There's plenty to look at, inside and out. If you can snag a seat outside, you'll get to enjoy the waterfront. Inside, the decor is industrial but fun. Not sure if this runs all the time, but when we were there, the tvs were playing vintage beer ads, which was quite fun. They also sell some pretty good t-shirt designs. Overall, Old Stove Brewing is the perfect combo of good location, good food, and good beer. Definitely recommend a visit when in the Pike Place area!

    It was getting late in the day and this place seem like the right spot for food and beer…read more We walked in and got seated immediately. No wait at all. All three of us ordered flights. They gave us these post cards to write down our individual drinks. FYI - this place requires using your smart phone to scan a QR code for the menu. We ordered 2 apps (salmon dip with pita chips & chips and cheese dip) I ordered fish and chips. Buddy got the meat loaf. Our beer showed up quick. Waiter always checked on us often. Our apps showed up and they were both delicious. Then 5 minutes later our main dish orders showed up. Wasn't too happy with that because we wasted time to taste our beers and snack on the apps. They need to work on their timing. Need at least 10 minutes in between the beer and apps. The food overall is admittedly top notch. Fish and chips FRESH! The fish was juicy and the fried crust was perfection. Pieces were large. They will ask if you want 3 or 4. 3 is enough. If they can work on timing the drinks and food this place would be a 5 out 5, but will deduct a star because of that. The overall vibe of the place was nice. Huge layout with wooden picnic style tables. Outdoor tables if you're lucky to get one. Large tanks to brew beer surrounding the room and a merch table.

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    Old Stove Brewing - Pike Place - Lively Interior at Old Stove

    Lively Interior at Old Stove

    Old Stove Brewing - Pike Place - Poblano Mac n cheese

    Poblano Mac n cheese

    Old Stove Brewing - Pike Place - Outside patio

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    Half Shell - Oyster

    Half Shell

    4.4(184 reviews)
    1.2 miDowntown
    $$

    For a oyster lover, this restaurant is amazing…read more They have daily happy hour special with $2 oysters. They're tiny but super flavorful and briney. The tapatio champagne mignotte was the perfect additional topper. The rest of the menu was also super tasty. We had the scallop agua chile, fries with the same mignotte made into a mayo, and the dirty gin martini dip. I wanted to order more dip to take home it was that good. The agua Chile was also super fresh and light and perfect for a hot summer day. Service was attentive but not overbearing. Really well decorated restaurant in a great location.

    I had some guests from out of town who wanted fresh oysters and seafood and we decided to give this…read moreplace a try. Located at the north end of Pikes Place (across the street from Cutters) is this gem of a find. We made reservations online and was able to get seated quickly (it fills up fast). Looking at the menu it looked like we also timed it with happy hour (double win!). We quickly place an order for two dozen oysters (at $2/ea it's a steal) while we perused the menu. After ordering the oyster platter arrived and it was so fresh, chilled and tasty. We quickly devoured it. Moving into dinner, some got the crab rolls, but I settled for the new menu item: halibut. The delightfully savory halibut was moist and served with a nice side of potato and was as perfect as one can make a halibut dish. I would eat this again in a heartbeat. If you are in the Pikes Place market and wanting a break for a nice meal, this is the place to pop on in. Be sure to do a reservation as they do fill up quickly! Hope you get to enjoy it soon too!

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    Half Shell - Bar side with local sports

    Bar side with local sports

    Half Shell - I can eat oysters all day

    I can eat oysters all day

    Half Shell - Happy Hour Oysters $2 each

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    Happy Hour Oysters $2 each

    The Capital Grille - Filet Mignon – hand-cut classic perfection.

    The Capital Grille

    4.3(1.3k reviews)
    0.8 miDowntown
    $$$$

    Oh man. Expensive yes, but everything was top notch delicious. I've gotten used to steak places…read morebeing mostly about the steak with 'good' sides but literally everything we got was worth it's own discussion. The mains were awesome, our 10oz fillets were thick and juicy with great peppercorn crust (ask, we didn't see it on the menu) and rich sauces. The sea bass was incredibly moist and flavorful to the point my no-fish son stole seconds. The lamb was arranged beautifully and cooked perfectly. We had a few not-perfect points but not big enough to detract. My son wasn't a fan of the lamb sauce, our steaks were a bit overdone for medium-rare. Still delicious. The creamed corn and augratin potatoes...omg...open a restaurant just for these. They were both creamy, impossibly flavorful, and still stand out from similar dishes you find elsewhere without straying from their core identity. Just be careful, we certainly overate and all the cream and butter/oil didn't help us on that side. I can't say much about the caviar. The ones who wanted it loved it but weren't raving. They liked the onion dip and chips over a standard cream and bread or cracker. Me...I ate a ton of the chips with onion dip only and absolutely loved it. Don't think I'd pay $40 for chips and dip but that's just more caviar for the rest of the table! Caesar was good, but hard to beat a Howie tableside. Grapefruit soda was worth it, very refreshing and strong natural grapefruit flavor. Woth a note, our server was excellent and worked with us to explain everything well, our waters were never less than half full and we're bottomless pits when it comes to water.

    Visited on a Saturday night with no reservation. Was seated promptly. They were running a wagu and…read morewine menu where you get a burger and glass of wine for $35 but I opted for their regular menu. Here is my ratings: Service: 5/5 Food: 5/5 Cocktails:4/5 Desserts: 4/5 Overall:4.5/5 I tried the bone in NY strip, mashed potato and asparagus as sides and their margarita cocktail. Portions were huge so they are def not cutting on that front. For dessert I tried the cheesecake that was also good. Overall it was a decent steak dinner, not cheap but it's worth it. I'll go back next time I'm in town

    Photos
    The Capital Grille - Lobster Mac 'N' Cheese – Made with freshly poached lobster and topped with a Grana Padano crust.

    Lobster Mac 'N' Cheese – Made with freshly poached lobster and topped with a Grana Padano crust.

    The Capital Grille - Jumbo Lump Crab Cocktail served with housemade mustard sauce.

    Jumbo Lump Crab Cocktail served with housemade mustard sauce.

    The Capital Grille - 14 oz Dry Aged NY Strip au Poivre finished with our housemade Courvoisier Cream for a decadent finish.

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    14 oz Dry Aged NY Strip au Poivre finished with our housemade Courvoisier Cream for a decadent finish.

    Zig Zag Cafe - CHARCUTERIE BOARD

    Zig Zag Cafe

    4.3(1.2k reviews)
    1.1 miDowntown
    $$$

    I've been here for happy hour multiple times. The cocktails are incredible and the happy hour menu…read moreis quite extensive (and full of tasty snacks). Don't sleep on the deviled eggs and smoked salmon croquettes! The service is also fantastic and the location is perfect!

    What it really comes down to for me is expectations being set based on pricing…read more Let's say I go to a restaurant and the cost of everything is $100 (for the math, not the realism). In Seattle, I know that there's a 10% sales tax so I would be expecting to pay about $130 after tax and tip. under this system, I order my food, the subtotal is $100, I see that I'm being charged a service charge at 21% on $110 which means I'm paying $133.00 and based on the wording of the menu, my server is getting screwed because the business is keeping that money. also, it is pretty fucked up to charge 21% on the after tax amount. Service charges and tip should be on the pre-tax amount, nobody at Seattle City Hall helped the service staff to bus dishes, or to deliver my food. So now I feel like I need to add another $20 which leaves me with $20 less and a negative final experience at the restaurant. I would much rather the menu price reflect the $119.75 pre-tax, which is still $133 with tax before tip. I don't mind spending $150 on food, when I think that's what I was going to be spending. I do mind spending that when the math seems sketchy. I don't like feeling taken advantage of, which is what the policy and the wording of the policy left me feeling at the end of the night. I suggested to the owner is it to just raise your prices to reflect your fixed costs and either get rid of tipping entirely or get rid of the service charge.

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    Zig Zag Cafe - Bartender mixing drinks

    Bartender mixing drinks

    Zig Zag Cafe - Burrata salad

    Burrata salad

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    Pretty bottles

    Bateau - steak - Updated May 2026

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