While the food here is decent, service is good, and the atmosphere feels calm and inviting, I had a few cons in my dining experience there last night: First, after seating ourselves, it took us at least 15-20 min just to even get 'seen' by the staff. This was while the place was practically empty, so I'm not sure what else could have been occupying their time. Second, I ordered the pork shoulder stir fry which wasn't bad but had several large pieces of pure fat & gristle in it that I felt a high quality restaurant would have taken out of the dish. It's indicative of lazy & careless food preparation skills. Also, the basmati rice was very under-cooked...some pieces were even crunchy. Lastly, after leaving the place, I realized that I accidentally left my sunglasses there. So I called later that evening to inquire if they had found them. I discovered they route all incoming calls to a bot that instantly made me feel unimportant and unappreciated. What's worse is it tried to connect me with someone in the restaurant, but kept looping back into its own messaging narrative. What an absolute PITA. This enables me to make a broader point: Restaurants have to get it through their heads that cutting costs has negative impact on customer experience, putting the lifeblood of their business into jeopardy. Take the widespread adoption of QR code-based menus during COVID...how many restaurants do you know actually switched back to real menus after COVID passed? The answer is very few. The reason why? They are too stingy to pony up the dough and ignore the benefit to the customer experience. They figure, 'people already know how to do that so why spend the money on printing up menus anymore?". They couldn't care less about what customers might actually enjoy more, and that's the real travesty. If restaurants are going to force their customers into a self-serve model (as so many have nowadays), then why bother tipping anyone? I am so fed up of a world where the idolatry of wealth has surpassed the appreciation and value of real, engaging human experiences. The Central Bar + Restaurant could help reverse this course if they ever decide to they put customer experience first instead of their own profits. UPDATE: Added one star because they actually had my shades...went ot go pick them up today. read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Excellent place! First, The server "Jane" was AMAZING. Greated you warmly, listened to your needs, made suggestions and recommendations and made our meal special. She ADDED to the meal experience and was so social! The wait staff, two young guys, were great as well. Ever watching to remove plates but not abrupt! I NOTICE everything so saw them keeping attention to when to clear. Most would probably not notice them. The choices were GREAT! Beef, Chicken, Seafood, and vegan! We had the Korean Cauliflower! It was so good! The flavor, the spice, and cauliflower. Just a great appetizer warm up. My other half had an old fashioned and said it was THE BEST he has had and he travels the WORLD for business. I had the Shrimp linguini and he had the Chicken Parmessan and BOTH we EXCELLENT. So many big shrimp and I WANTED to but COULD NOT finish all the pasta. Save room for DESSERT! We got both the Benginetes (sp) and the Vegan Banana Coconut Dessert and we are NOT vegan. BOTH were to die for! We do NOT eat like this normally, but made it a special dinner being between our Birthdays (16 days between). Like ooyie, gooyie DONUTS with a great cinnamon highlights, and an amazing Banana on graham crackers with a wonderful non-dairy Cocunut creme. It was smaller so not really sharable, yet PLENTY for ones entire dessert. The place is spacious yet has cozy, private areas, as well as the bar and and events area. The price was as expected for Seattle/Bellevue so not shocking. The meal and location was WORTH the $200 (with a GENEROUS tip and an alcoholic drink). There was a corporate even in the other half and we saw the plates of food being served. It was great! They seemed to enjoy their corporate dinner there. read more

I am not a fan. The best thing we had were the coconut prawns. The fries, which sounded so good in their description didn't seem like fries at all. More like a potato souffle. Thick pieces and not crisp or crunchy. The blue cheese sliders were ok. Way more bun than filling. A clump of blue cheese in one spot. The service was uneven. A server introduced himself and said he'd be back in 2 minutes to take our order. We never saw him again. Almost 15 minutes later a different server approached. I was not impressed. read more

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I visited Central Bar + Restaurant for a work event, and had a good experience overall! They were able to accommodate part of our group arriving early, and the space worked well for standing up and mingling. For drinks, they had a few mocktails available, and I chose the Refresh. This was tasty and refreshing (lived up to the name), and I ended up getting a second one! My coworker's Reflex was also very good. For food, I tried a little bit of everything - the Coconut Prawns, Korean Cauliflower (probably my favorite), Hummus, Portobello Fries (another winner), and Pretzel. These items were great for sharing and no one left hungry. Would return! read more

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Chef Alfredo did a wonderful job today we went in for lunch I think we were the only customers in the restaurant the waiter was excellent I would give Alfredo a five star review read more

My husband and I came to Central Bar for dinner for the first time. It is located in Lincoln Square South outside of Japonesa restaurant. We go to Lincoln Square many times but have not seen Central Bar since they are in a bit of a hidden spot. We had their crab cakes, Cobb salad, halibut tacos and the cookie with ice cream on skillet. Food was amazing and service was great. Ambiance was nice and cozy. The lighting where we sat was a bit dark but maybe that's the ambience it tries to set up as romantic as well. We will come back to try other entrees. read more

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I just had my birthday celebration at Central Restaurant, and I can honestly say it was one of the best birthday experiences I've ever had! From the moment I arrived, everything was so beautifully set up -- the birthday table was absolutely amazing, elegant, and full of thoughtful details. The food was incredible -- every dish was delicious, fresh, and beautifully presented. Not only was everything top quality, but the prices were also very reasonable, which made the whole experience even better. But what truly made my night unforgettable was the service. I want to give a very special thank you to CHARLIE. He went above and beyond to make my birthday feel extra special. He was so kind, warm, and attentive the entire night. Her positive energy and care really made me feel celebrated.Love you I'm so grateful for such a beautiful experience and can't thank the team enough for making my day so memorable. I definitely recommend Central Restaurant to anyone looking for the perfect place to celebrate a birthday or any special occasion. I'll absolutely be coming back again! -- Nana read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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The steak and frites was on point but the halibut was dry. Service was beautiful. And ambiance was spectacular. But back to the halibut. It made my mother's throat hurt worse than it was. She gave me a piece and it just sat on my plate. Even though the fish looked nice it had a different flavor in mind. Please consider not getting it! read more

I came here with my longtime friend for some happy hour! She was in town for just the day so I wanted to take her somewhere with good atmosphere and chill vibes. Our food was delicious (we got two orders of hummus, and we're hummus freaks so yes I highly recommend the hummus), and our drinks were yummy as well. Mine was a bubbly cocktail while my friend got a negroni mocktail. Overall amazing experience, our server was a pretty blonde girl who even complimented me on my popmart purchase :3 She was lovely and really chatted with us, I loved her spirit. I'll be coming back soon! Sorry we are in the pictures, we only took pics of each other lol. read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - Patio seating! And my drink was the size of my head it was huge! I got the She's a Dancer cocktail. - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Came here after doing some Xmas shopping on a busy Friday evening with my wife and had a wonderful time. Our server Victoria helped me select a couple excellent Gin cocktails and my wife and I ordered the steak bites. We also had the chicken Parmesan and I had the macadamia nut halibut. Food was amazing. I love the ambience here. It's a very easy place to get to and it's a great vibe. Service was very fast and would come back again. 5/5 stars read more

Was here for the first time with five of my friends last evening. Peter, our waitperson/bartender was great to work with but, because he was working the bar, service was rather interesting. I ordered the korean cauliflower and the parmesan chicken with the pesto cream sauce. Cauliflower was excellent. Great flavor but breading a little heavy. I liked the chicken and the presentation except the pieces were so perfectly oval it looked like it came out of a prepack. Flavor of the pesto sauce excellent but could have been a touch thinner. Drinks were fine, nothing to write home about. Outdoor ambiance was beautiful for the holiday! read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Great spot for an easy meal mid afternoon. Friendly and attentive server and engaging conversation with the manager. My simple chicken Caesar was just what I wanted and I shared the excellent, crispy and abstractly curvy fries with his burger. He added bacon to the cheeseburger and enjoyed. Super convenient when staying at the W. read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

This is a solid lunch choice on the Eastside. My co-workers and I enjoyed the burrata appetizers that came with nicely toasted baguette slices. The cobb and SW salads were good and the chicken club sandwich with fries looked really good. I kinda wished I ordered that instead. We did not order dessert though the dessert menu looks inviting. Getting to the restaurant from the parking garage (Lincoln Square South) was a little confusing. Keep in mind you need to step outside to get to the restaurant. I would consider this place again for a sit down lunch on the Eastside. read more

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This is my second visit to Central Bar + Restaurant and this time my friends and I tried the brunch. The brunch is served until 4p and lunch is served in conjuction with it if you're not wanting to have brunch food. I ordered the steak and eggs and the steak was very tender and well flavored. I really enjoyed it. They don't have bottomless mimosas but you can buy a carafe of champs which ends up being more cost effective than by the glass and comes with pineapple, orange and Grapefruit. If you're looking for a place to stop by and watch the games they have them playing on all of the screens. The service worked out just fine and or server checked in frequently as well as management and asked us to be in their video for brunch which was fun. Thank you! The inside of this restaurant is so pretty and they have mirrors in the hall restroom for a fit check or a mirror selfie! read more

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Have been here many times, but they recently remodeled. It was beautiful before, but is lighter and brighter...great updates! The food was great as always, highly recommend the portobello fries! read more

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Celebrated my brother in law and his wife's one year wedding anniversary with family and close friends. One section of this hip and modern spot was closed off for us to congratulate the lovely couple. There was about 50 or so guests and a curated menu for us. It was a busy Saturday evening so the service was a bit slow. Each of us had a cap of two cocktails but you were able to order more at an additional cost. It took a long while for our drinks to get to the table. But the servers did their best to get to us while serving other diners in the restaurant. The food was delicious. The sweet and sour cauliflower was delicious and so was the steak. Salad was light and tasty. Mt favorite was the macadamia nut crusted halibut with mashed potatoes. Washington state is known for their fresh seafood, so this was a real treat for me. We enjoyed the intimate setting of this restaurant. It wasn't too loud so we were able to have conversations amongst a large group. It was a good choice to celebrate the newlyweds. read more

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This is one of my favorite downtown Bellevue spots with Bela for dinner or just for drinks. It feels fancy, but not pretentious, more elevated, casual and modern. The location is super convenient, and the ambiance strikes the perfect balance between modern and welcoming. Some of our favorites are the Korean cauliflower, Cobb salad, garlic shrimp is a must must and BBQ chicken flatbread. They're outdoor seating is underrated! I actually love that it's perfectly shaded from the surrounding buildings, so you can enjoy your meal without feeling scorched. Highly recommend saving room for the Caramel Turtle Cheesecake!! Service is always quick and friendly. read more

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Husband and loooved this place. We went for the first time on a Friday for a date night. We sat at the bar which had plenty of open seats around 6pm. We love sitting at the bar whenever we can, it's our favorite pre-kids past time. I ordered the she's a dancer cocktail and husband chose dealers choice with Hendricks. Dealers choice is the bartender makes a drink for you, you get to choose the alcohol. He loved it, and my drink was as big as my head (see pic) and absolutely delicious. I also ordered an espresso martini after dinner and it was a perfect one, IMO. For the food. We shared the crab cake appetizer and the hummus. Both were delightful. The hummus was my favorite. Serves with crisp pitas and cucumbers, very refreshing. I ordered the steak tacos and he went with the Tuscan chicken. We were both very pleased and happy with our meals. We just loved the atmosphere and the service from the bartenders. Definitely a place that we will enjoy regularly. read more

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We've been to this place a couple of times and we liked their setting. We sat in the ally both times, once in winter and once in summer. It was comfortable for us and cozy. The inside of the restaurant looked like it also had some nice decor, maybe we will try get a table inside next time. The food was good too. We ordered Bagel Boy and Hangover Omelette. The bagel boy was very good. We thought the bagel would be hard but it was actually soft, and filled with melted cheese making it very tender and tasty. The omelette was good too though nothing too special about it, just like any other omelette. But it has a lot of cheese too which I loved! Overall I think it is a good place for brunch and will likely visit again in the future. read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - Bagel Boy - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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The Central Bar + Restaurant is another great option in Lincoln Square. Although named a bar, most of the seating is traditional tables. It is upscale, but comfortable The service was very good and friendly. They have a good wine menu, I had a good red and my partner had a Rose. The mixed drink menu looked great also. To start we had the hummus plate. This looked beautiful and was unique. It was about half hummus and have tzatziki sauce, with tomatoes and cucumber slices. The hummus was excellent. The surprise was the pita bread--it was lightly fried and really tasty. For the main course, I had the steak sandwich (which is really similar to the Philly Cheesesteak). This was absolutely delicious. The toasted rosemary bread was perfect, then the steak and onions tasted wonderful. It came with a generous side of steak fries. We will definitely be back. read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - Prime Steak Sandwich - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Been my favorite restaurant for 8+ years. Don't skip out on the appetizers, and definitely get a skillet cookie or beignets for dessert! Always a good vibe and the BEST service team in Bellevue! read more

This restaurant is on the first floor of the W hotel. You can park at Lincoln Square and the restaurant is only a few minutes walk away (only briefly an outdoors). My friend and I went for drinks. It was a lovely restaurant. The waitress was super friendly and helpful. We asked for recommendations and each got drinks we really liked. Would go back for food. They also have a Valentine's Day set menu. Check it out! read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - Swipe right (left) - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Central accommodates large groups very well but it is so loud in there you have to almost yell so the person next to you can hear you. They have a great drink menu with "one of the best expresso martinis" ;). The cauliflower, brussels sprouts and steak bites are delicious appetizers. Dinner wise our table raved about the crusted halibut and steak and fries. They cook the steak to perfection. Our waitress gave recommendations and they did not disappoint. read more

Love the ambiance here! Drinks and food was really good. Definitely recommend this place, the people are very welcoming. read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - Dealers Choice! - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Love the new look it has such a nice vibe. Easy reservation portal so you don't have to call or be on hold like most restaurants. Got there around 5:30 for a table of 6. We had dietary restrictions and a 95 grandma and requested a quiet place with a low table. They took such good care of grandma to make sure she was comfortable. Our server, Nicole was a rockstars. In Bellevue the restaurant service industry can be a hit or miss but not at Central. Service was outstanding! We were with out of town guests and Nicole respectively gave us time to catch up but also continued to check up on us without being too pushy. Food was awesome. They had added 520 bar and grills famous items here. Love the pretzels !! Huge fan and glad they have it at Central now.The salmon and Cajun sandwiches were delish. Beignets never disappoints and we crushed two serving of them. Even though there was a private event at the restaurant not once we felt service was slow or there were delays with our food orders. This restaurant has definitely mastered the art of service with a smile regardless of how busy they are. Every single staff member walked around with a smile. The lovely ladies at the front desk were such breath of fresh air with their huge smiles. They greeted everyone like they know us and helped hold the door for our 95 year old grandma. These little gesture go a long way and we all left Central very impressed. Our guest from Canada have already decided on revisiting Central on their next visit! OH let's not forget about their amazing HH from 2-5pm!! You won't be disappointed. read more

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We came here after my bodybuilding show and wow so impressed ! Everything we had was amazing!!!! We had Korean cauliflower, steak bites , Halibut tacos , rainbow salad , churro cake (to die for) and banana coconut flourless cake also amazing I would say the Churro had the edge as it had ice Cream . I also had an amazing espresso martini ! Highly recommend going here! I haven't had a meal that good in a long time ! read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - Espresso martini and old fashion - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Highly recommend Central Bar + Restaurant for weekend brunch. We brunched there to celebrate a family member's engagement and everyone loved their brunch. I ordered the french toast and it was so delicious and beautifully presented. Our server was fabulous as well. We'll definitely be back. (Photo of French Toast is missing the whipped cream, because I ordered it on the side) read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - French toast, whipped cream on the side - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

The food and drinks have been excellent each time I've gone. Service is excellent. Very friendly staff. Love the atmosphere.

Filipe was amazing! So much fun help pick out my drinks and very knowledgeable! Would 10000% come back just for him alone! read more

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Food is consistently fabulous! Servers are so friendly and bar staff very creative. Ambiance is clean and modern. Very handsome decor. Can't wait to see what management does for the upcoming holiday season. read more

Food was decent. Service was acceptable. Small venue and tables are too close together that it feels really loud. Guess if you are looking for lively vibe it should be fine. Not impressed overall and will be awhile before I return. read more

Four of us went in for dinner at 6 on a Sunday evening. It being our first time to Central, we made a reservation. They booked us on a $100 reservation fee that we were told was forfeit if we were more than 10 minutes late. We were not late and there was no problem, but there were plenty of seats and no need to wait or reserve. Drinks were good, food was tasty. It was quite loud and all they had on screen was hockey from somewhere else. The server got one of our orders wrong so we didn't quite eat together. read more

Happy Hour Service was great, happy hour prices were good. The food, that's another story. Basically bar food. I expected something a little higher end, considering the location. Their "signature" portobello fries were a pile of greasy batter. The ratio of portobello to greasy batter was dismal. All batter, hardly any mushroom. The sliders were nice, although overcooked. The "wave" fries are pressed mashed potatoes, shaped as waves and deep fried. We could not finish either dish. Skip the happy hour Cabernet and go with the margarita. We won't be back. read more

We tried Central Bar & Restaurant for the first time and it was a great experience! Brandon was an incredible server -- the restaurant was very busy, but it didn't feel that way at all. He anticipated every refill and made sure we were enjoying our meal. He was very kind and personable! The food was incredible. We highly recommend the burrata appetizer and skillet cookie dessert! We will definitely be back & we hope to get Brandon as our server again! read more

So I now have been here 4 times. Figured I would give it a full review. First time, I came here for a company event. We were a fairly large group (15 or so) and they reserved a nice section in their outdoor patio (covered). Their food was very solid and their wine/beer/spirit options were excellent. They also provided great service throughout the evening. Second and third time, I was here with a few close friends after hours. The vibes were very different and it felt more like a low-key lounge. The bartenders were nice and knowledgeable. They were friendly but not overly talkative - a good balance. My favorite cocktail here is Lincoln Smash, which is a very well balanced drink. Not too sweet and just the right amount of complexity in flavors. The crowds were quite diverse as well but general pretty chill and casual. It doesn't feel clubby at all. And the fourth time, I came for a Mother's day brunch. They offered a fixed price, all you can order menu for the occasion. For 58 dollars a person, you can literally order anything off the set menu and how much ever you want to order. Each dish was a bite size and my group got to try every item on the menu, including the dessert. Service was on point and food was quite decent. So yeah, the fact that this place did a great job on 3 different types of occasions, I would recommend this place for whatever your needs are. Food is honestly not top notch but it wasn't bad at all. Their brunch, bar food, and dinner were all above average. Prices are pretty reasonable for the location as well. read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - Lincoln Smash - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Fantastic service, great food, it was our first time (brunch) and this is our new favorite find.

Filipe was amazing! Attentive so nice and catered to my crazy drink orders haha Thank you !! read more

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We went there for HH, but unfortunately, both drinks we ordered weren't great. The Old Fashioned was too sweet, and the Swipe Right Cocktail was mostly ginger beer. Bartenders were nice though. read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - Old fashion and swipe right - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Very inattentive service and long time to get food out despite the place being empty. Cajun chicken sandwich had no flavor. Hot wings used poor quality wings. Ambiance is pleasing though read more

Visited on Christmas Eve morning to watch the Seahawks game. Made a 10 am reservation for a party of 11 two weeks ahead of time. Upon arriving, there was barely anyone here other than another party of 10. I ordered the Maple Sugar Bourbon Mary to drink and the Eggs Benedict. The eggs were poached and not overly salty. Hollaindaise had the perfect sour taste to match. I oddly loved the Maple Sugar Bourbon Mary as the bacon helped bring the bloody mary to a sweet and bitter taste to match. Overall, I will come back here again. Our party was satisfied with the food and the service provided. Since it is a small restaurant with a bar and a limited amount of tables, I do recommend a reservation. With two parties consisting of about 20 people, we already took up about half of the restaurant. read more

Central Bar + Restaurant - Maple Bacon Bourbon Mary - American Near Me - Bellevue, Washington