You walk in the door. At the speed of light, Grey, the ultimate bartender spots you and is concocting your gin & tonic before your butt can even hit the seat at the bar. The guy is well on his way to becoming a legend. Estelle is one of the perfect places in Fairhaven for a little bar-sitting, perhaps a little culinary sustenance and some warmth on a cold night... read more

Food & drinks are good, HOWEVER, Service was very poor. Party 10 called 3 days ahead to reserve, no issues. Day of the reservation, 3 hours before we arrive we get a call saying, "we have another party of six and we are limiting your party for 1 hour". While dining, a lot of pressure to get the check the moment we got our food. Mind you it takes 30 minutes to get food out (normal)--now we have 30 minutes left to dine and we're hyper aware of it. No time to sit down and enjoy the ambiance, each other's time, we had friends come down from Seattle. Side note, if we're asking questions about the higher priced menu items, I'd like to know more about the ingredients. i.e. i know it's a steak, where is the steak from., i know it has vegetables, tell me its organic and what farm. If you're "one of the best new restaurants in the U.S." -- Esquire, make the effort to do so. Service is what sets restaurants apart. Unprofessional for the restaurant to overbook themselves and treat a young group of people extremely poorly. missed opportunity on their part to attract a younger crowd of young professionals ready to tip high. Overall, poor operations of service, poor scheduling, good food, amazing drinks. read more

This place is the real deal. The food and service was excellent. It's refreshing to have a place like this in Bellingham. This is easily some of the best food in town. I HIGHLY recommend the beef tartar. The Duck Confit is also a great dish. Carnal is also one of my favorite restaurants which turns out is the same owners. read more

Extraordinary! Bistro atmosphere, could be in Paris or New York. Every dish was perfect alone or to share from Little Gem salad, roasted Brussels sprouts, crab linguini or delicious duck. Creative Cocktails with a lovely bar for dining or drinks alone. Reservations recommended, especially for a corner booth like ours. read more

I've been coming here since Estelle's opened last Fall. This first time, I came with a group of 5. We were all excited about a new restaurant opening in Fairhaven especially since most of us live within walking distance. On the first visit, we ordered oysters, then 2 of us order steak frites, 2 order the duck and 1 ordered the fish. What a disappointment! The sauce for the duck was so sweet that you really couldn't taste the duck, the steak was tough and mainly gristle, we ordered it medium rare and came out medium-medium well. Frites were shoestring and broken into small bits. The fish was just OK. None of the deserts sounded good, but 1 person got a chocolate mousse, but it was still frozen when it got to the table. Even after all that, this year, my husband and I started going there for a date afternoon either on Saturday or Sunday when it was quite and we could drink wine and listen to the French music they played. The last 3 times we've been there, the music has changed from relaxing French music to Abba (the waitress'/bartenders favorite) or techno music played at a loud volume. Plus, to make matters worse, we have had surly, horrible service from the woman with short dark hair that serves as waitress and bartender. Most of the time, she takes our order for wine and then asks what we want to eat as though she's in a rush! Then, she drops the drinks and food on the table and walks away without a word. She only comes back to ask if we are ready for the check. Usually, if we want another drink, we have to go to the bar and ask for it! Today was our last visit. We often ordered the French omelet that is served with a small salad with French vinaigrette. This time, it came with nothing, when asked, she said they are not serving salad with it any longer and that the restaurant will be changing it's menu completely in May...no more French bistro. So, I guess it will be another hamburger place with fish and chips. We downgraded her tip from our usually 25% to 15% and I actually wish we had just paid the price with no tip! We never went there primarily for food, but for the atmosphere. Initially, we had a wonderful waitress in the afternoon. She was very personable, hard working and attentive. There's no way I will ever go back with that surly waitress/bartender there! Bad service, bad music and mediocre food.... read more

A $33 steak frites better be good? It had really better be good if it takes 80 minutes to reach your table! But it really wasn't. Overpriced mediocre faux French with poor service. read more

The food was nothing special. Cocktails were great, ambiance was great and bar staff were super friendly. However, the guy working the front (white shirt) should give it a rest on chugging water from a bottle while greeting customers. Very unappealing for restaurant staff. read more

I'm a big fan of Carnal (restaurant under same ownership) so I was excited to check out Estelle. Sadly, I have little desire to return. Not only was the food overpriced, but the worst part... IMO... was the smoke. How have none of the reviews, thus far, mentioned the smoke?? It was so bad during my visit that not only did my party rush to finish eating and leave... but, upon walking out, I stopped at the bar to tell the 20-something bartender that they should open a few windows for ventilation. His response? He looked at me and simply shrugged his shoulders and said "yeah, we hear that a lot." Seriously?!? No thanks. And then, walking out the door... a party was walking in and they promptly commented to us about the smoke. Sorry Estelle - love your sister restaurant but, sadly, cannot recommend you. read more

We had the best time tonight! Everything was outstanding from our funny bartender Robbie to the amazing food coming out of the kitchen - we love the steak Tartare, chopped salad, hanger steak and warm bread! We also enjoyed the frose which was not too sweet. The vibe in this hot spot is relaxing and fun - they are not trying to be something they are not. Highly recommend- this is an easy five stars and we are foodies! read more

The drinks were the best! The food choices were few and portions small but quality good. Would I come back? No. Service was excellent.

This was a great spot when it first opened and I loved their menu and all of the French food. Now they are trying to change this into Carnal except without any real identity as to what the theme of the food is. This is more of a cocktail lounge now than a restaurant and I wouldn't come to eat dinner because there are no entrees it is all small portions and not enough options to make a meal out of. They also promised to bring the duck back to the menu and instead decided it's just going to be something offered on Mondays. It's too bad because it was really exciting to have a French restaurant in Bellingham, now I don't really know what to call it. I also messaged the restaurant to ask why they changed the menu so drastically and they told me that the previous menu/cooking that specific of food wasn't good for the staff or customers... read more

We thought we would try out this new French restaurant. The menu for steak Frites said it was a NY strip. It was at best a hunk of top of the round. The fries were cold and the sauce was super salty. The duck confit was very good. The cocktails were imaginative and very good. Overall a mixed review read more

After a wonderful dinner at Carnal the evening before, my wife and I decided to try Estelle the following night and were so pleased we did. It was an extremely quiet Monday evening with only one other party in the restaurant. We almost felt guilty for keeping the kitchen from closing early but they welcomed us in and prepared a delicious meal of gem lettuce salad, duck confit, steak frites, and crémé brûlée. Service and drinks were also excellent. Best of luck with the next incarnation. read more

Vegetable dishes need a lot more love. ( salt + acid ) bread was delicious. I was just expecting a lot more.

This restaurant seemed to be run by several 20 something's. We were seated right next to a ver noisy table when there were many other open tables. We ordered and our waitress never returned. We finally moved to the bar where our food went past us and finally was delivered by someone different. The food was amazing. Steak that melted in your mouth! Fries with a lemon twist. Unfortunately no one checked in with us the remainder of our meal or we probably would have ordered wine or a cocktail. read more

We called in on Sunday morning for a Tuesday night reservation. It went to voice mail. No one called back, all day. Monday around 2PM, called again to make reservation. Again, call went to voice mail. AGAIN no one called to confirm or make reservation. Tuesday, 10 AM , called in. Said I'd tried for 2days to make reservation. Nobody responded. Went to Estelle's at 5:20 PM. Receptionist said no reservation, no place to sit, manager responsible for telephone reservations was on vacation. I will never go there again. Suggest you don't either! read more

Have eaten here several times and it has always been exceptionally good. Duck Confit is an amazing dish, probably the best main dish in Bellingham. Steak Tartare is an outstanding appetizer and is great for 2 to share. Steak Frites is also beautifully prepared, bordelaise sauce is outstanding. Wonderful upscale bistro ambiance, even the restrooms are beautifully appointed. Service is spot on, professional and friendly. read more

The sibling restaurant to Carnal and - mostly - great replacement for the erstwhile Swim Club brings a slice of actual sophistication to old Fairhaven. The cocktails are fantastic. The service is great. The wine list is small, but on point... an Oregon Pinot, two Italians from different regions, and French blend. Over two visits and after having the steak frites twice... four stars. This time, unlike last, the steak was very undercooked. I'm no prude! I love a rare steak, this was way under and drowning in oil and a chimichurri lacking in acid. The duck is delicious. The fires are too. Go. Enjoy. read more

We popped into Estelle for dinner during a quick trip to Bellingham and we couldn't be happier that we did - the space is well thought-out, the service was great and the food was outstanding! Highly recommend! read more

I love the feel of the interior with padded booth seats and an inviting bar. Small plate entrees make this spot ideal for a lite eater or just grabbing an appetizer and a drink. Located in the heart of Fairhaven, Estelle is an easy stop to combine with other activities in the village. read more

Why are there not more people talking about this place? The food is so fun! Perfect size dishes with tons of options and different flavors, that are somehow exotic yet familiar at the same time. Perfect place to go with friends, hangout, and eat what is easily the most exciting food in Bellingham. read more

Nice ambiance and helpful servers. Limited menu including only one dessert. For a restaurant that emphasizes cocktails and appetizers it is odd to have only one dessert that those of us who can't eat dairy can't have. Otherwise it is an excellent experience. My guess is that as they have more time to form a clear identity it will reach the level of Carnal. read more

Just returned from lunch at Estelle. They have in menu for the entire day so I got to enjoy a Duck Confit that was out of this world. Two lovely legs/thighs that were crispy, moist, and perfectly seasoned. That was accompanied by a lovely radicchio salad with oranges and a great dressing. My husband had Steak Frites and it was also great. I stole too many of his fries, but when they are that perfectly done, it's hard not to! We'll be happy to go back soon!!! read more

We just ate at Estelle suppose to be a French bistro- I'm French. I have a world of experience eating French food and French Bistro on the west coast. I lived in Sonoma for 13 years and experience Great French food. Estelle is not. I ordered steak and frites. A French bistro stable. I asked for the steak to be cooked medium to medium well, no blood. She said we cook them medium. Wow, you mean you're telling me how you're going to cook the steak regardless how I want it. ok, let's see. When the plate arrived it was like no piece of meat I've ever seen.With a lot of shoestring frites (always a bad sign, lot of frites for cover. The steak or meat was about 1.5 inch square x about 1.5 inch thick, no sign of grilling. When I cut into the square it was rare inside, And cold. My wife order a lobster roll which was also cold. I wouldn't go back there if it was free. The food looks nothing like the photos on theoir website. BTW I'm a professional photograher who has shot a lot food. read more