I had a chance to try this place out recently and I think that it has some really great things about it that you should also be checking out! Their drink menu... oh their drink menu. Not only is every wine on the list amazing, their house-made cocktails are simply inspiring. I remember specifically loving the Referendum and their take on the Irish Coffee. Can't wait to go back and try their in-house Amer Picon apertif. In addition to the above, the food was simply delightful. Not only was it beautiful to look at (the plating on some of the dishes is nothing short of art), it was so tasty too. I remember specifically loving the pickles (may be the best pickles I've ever had, actually. And I am a self-proclaimed pickle aficionado), the yellow tail and the chicken dish. Give this place a try, you won't regret it! read more

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Loved the intimate little table for 2 on a chilly winter evening. The fondue was nice & warm, pâté was amazing (bought more for to-go in the shop), and the warm wine was a delight. Super respectful & health/safety-conscious staff read more

I was looking forward to going to this place. Ambience was great and service is ok. Food wasn't good. Chicken was so salty we didn't even want to take it home. Meat was chewy there were pieces I chewed for so long I resorted to spitting it out. Price was high. Our meal was more than $300 for 2 people. We did get 3 drinks and an appetizer, but that is still a bit much for me. read more

adorable French restaurant near Seattle University service was friendly, polite, and attentive food was delicious, better than my experiences at Renee Erickson restaurants I recommend the rillettes and the kale and yam salad. read more

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Smashburger via 'Old Scratch': might've played up it too much in my head tbh. Taste is reminiscent of the Big Mac (not a bad thing ofc). Pretty good quality meat, except cooked a bit rubbery and not as flavorful as I had hoped from a fancier spot as L'Oursin. read more

Loursin has been our go-to Dessert, Wine & Date Night spot but have not been able to go there recently with COVID. On a spur of the moment dropped by and tried their take-out menu yesterday. Amazing - their double cheeseburger and Fried Chicken Sandwich were the gourmet version of Chick-Fil-a and Smashburger that we did not know we needed. Simple, fast, delicious, reasonably priced. read more

This is not a review of their typical menu, as we went on Valentine's Day. Don't get me wrong, I'd never have high expectations for a prix fix menu on a holiday, but god this one was bad. We started with a salmon crudo that desperately lacked flavor - it was completely bland, tasted like nothing. A shame too because the fish was good quality. The next course, scallops, was the real kicker though. It came with what appeared to be 3 scallops, covered in a veloute sauce and... salmon roe? Was so bizarre to pair super salty/fishy roe atop scallops, which are typically very flavorful themselves. It made them almost inedible, not to mention the scallops were lukewarm and undercooked. One of them was hard to the touch, and I almost spit it out when I bit into it and soon realized it wasn't a scallop - it was a potato. They clearly had run out of scallops so they disguised a small round piece of potato as the third one and didn't tell us. We honestly had a pretty good laugh once we realized but it's so crazy to think they would do this and not mention it lol? The potato was also half raw. Anyways, I'd like to try their actual menu as I've heard good things but I really hope they never do that holiday menu again read more

We go here often for dinner but obviously haven't been able to recently with everything that's going on. Despite not being open as a restaurant right now, L'Oursin is providing an amazing service by opening a provisions counter! They have responsible distancing for waiting in line (always short), gloves, and hand sanitizer available when picking out your items. We've gotten bread, cheese, duck fat, duck confit, fresh pasta, greens, chocolate mousse, and more from them. They have great items that make your quarantine meals feel a little more fancy. We've been trying to go every few days. Happy to support such a lovely restaurant and lovely people! read more

This place is a charming new little french place. They specialize in seafood, and while it's not the most authentic south-of-France fruits-de-mer that you can get, it's executed with craft. The wine list is extensive. It's presented in a way that's quirky, and won't appeal to everyone, presenting tasting notes like "moldy old wishing wells" and "like a newly-washed Batmobile." Everything I sipped was very good, though since we were prompted for wine before we'd selected on food, I didn't manage to request a good pairing option. For a place that cares so much about wine, I'd like to see pairing recommendations featured more prominently, either in the menu or from the waitstaff. For dinner I ordered bouillabaise, which came in a bowl full of freshly steamed mussels and clams, and a nice flakey piece of rockfish. The broth was added tableside, ensuring that the crouton was crunchy and a lovely compliment to the soup. The broth itself was amazing, full of deep, complex flavour. I'd sit and sip that all day. The seafood was good, clean and fresh. The crouton provided excellent texture, but not much flavour, although the rouille more than made up for that. Dessert was chocolate mousse, a nice, manageable little cup of chilled chocolate topped with two kinds of crunchy topping. Not too rich, but more than enough to satisfy the sweet tooth. They have a wonderful selection of digestifs as well, and we sat and talked comfortably well after dinner. Being a seafood place, there wasn't a ton of selection for the vegetarians in our party, but they were at least accommodated. Everything we tasted was excellent, and I'll be back to try more. read more

L'Oursin - The bouillabaisse, with the broth added tableside. - French Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Wonderful food, service, and setting. This is a neighborhood gem worth traveling for.

We came here for a pre-Valentine's Day dinner (just say "no" to joyless prix fixe holiday meals, people!) on a Thursday night. It was a serviceable meal, but I was frankly expecting more given the raves that it gets re: the seafood in particular. Highs for us were the tiny fried smelt, the albacore, and the clams/mussels (mmm, that garlic aioli on the bread!). Lows: the crab/leek salad (granted it's a salad so it should be served at a cooler temperature, but the leeks were icy cold AND undercooked - not our favorite), the bread plate (it's 3-4 very stingy slices, which stands out in sharp relief to the veritable half of a loaf that accompanies the shellfish), and the whole sole (not deboned, sauce was an anemic riff on a Hollandaise, and the side of spaetzle tasted strongly of uncooked alcohol). The dessert menu is a miss (two pudding-ish items, a pre-baked tart, and some after dinner drinks). Even if they served slices of cake from a local bakery it would be a little more tempting/interesting. Last but not least: the tables near the door are very drafty in the cold weather, so if you do go, try to sit closer to the back of the dining room. read more

Worst restaurant ever. The service is just simply awful and the food sub par. Do not go there!

Amazing customer service, very friendly and accommodating. We love the macrona almonds!

Excellent experience. Server was very knowledgeable and helpful with the food and wine. I had the Confit de Canard and it was delicious. Highly recommend. read more

Dinner at Oursin was a supreme disappointment. The meal began with what was supposed to be a poached leek vinaigrette with clams. What was served was tasteless, poached leeks with cold mussels in an insipid basil jus. When it was sent back, there was no explanation from the kitchen why a different dish had been presented. The entrée of cod wrapped in bayonne ham with squid and a bean jus was close to inedible. The squid was so overcooked it should have been branded "Goodyear". The ham had the consistency of cardboard and the jus was Northern beans, stock, salt and some more salt. While the softshell crab tartine was tasty, the steak frites consisted of soggy frites with an average cut of meat, forgettably sauced. I would avoid this restaurant. read more

gambas à l'ail, cassoulet, crème brûlée, $3 oysters as much as you like, as much wine as possible from their natural wine selection, lil French dude in a hat on the menu, take a date, have a good time, great service. read more

Amazing, terrific, exceptional...whatever superlative you can think of, that would describe our experience. We started with drinks and shared several small plates. We enjoyed the duck liver mousse, halibut collar croquette and finished with the poached arctic char. All dishes were exceptionally crafted and every flavor was intentional. Please go...we look forward to many returns!!! read more

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I debated whether to write this review or not. The reason for the 3 star rating is consistency. I went there with my wife for her birthday. She really enjoyed her meal (scallop appetizer and duck confît main course) I didn't enjoy mine as much (very fishy shrimp toast and very bony rockfish over shell-filled crab velouté). Dessert was good. But this place's raison d'être is seafood. I expect better for $20+ per plate. There are much better French restaurants within a few blocks. We won't be back. read more

We were really looking forward to spending our last night in Seattle at L'oursin. We arrived to a nice and inviting atmosphere but learned that we couldn't be seated for our reservation immediately because we got there 10 minutes early (although 5 of the 2-tops were empty). We sat at the bar where they seemingly forgot about us. Bartender was awesome btw. Finally sat down at a table to be served by inattentive waitress for the evening. Food was equally disappointing and overpriced: crab salad was uninspiring, crayfish was bland (and only served with 6 rather than 10 we were told), vegetable/farro dish was listed as an entree but was less hearty than the small salad. I'll have to admit the salmon was delicious, but it was hard to enjoy at that point. At the end of the evening, we noticed gratuity was already included. Very French...just like the service. read more

We went here because of the great reviews but was highly disappointed. Everything we ordered was overly salted from the pate to the duck. I want to keep this short so I'll just talk about the duck. The duck came out brown, rubbery and uberly salty. I would not come here again or recommend this place. If you're an out of towner please skip this place. read more

The food and venue were lovely, but I could not give it a 5. Either the menu or the waitperson should have alerted us the chicken would take 30 minutes. We were the the first seated, and 4 or 5 other tables had their main course before us. We had to stuff ourselves on bread and enjoyed the lovely food less. We would still go back, but make further inquiries given that experience. read more

I was really hoping this wasn't going to be one of those restaurants where I quite truly didn't find anything on the menu I really wanted to order. But the limited menu is replete with odd tatars, raw scallops, and only four main courses: (Rien de viandes! Mon dieu). Two poisson dishes and one half chicken entree and a roasted veggie plate that was cold and hardly a "meal"! The liquor selection was odd. The four white wines by glass were unusual. The beer varied from Krikey IPA for $5 to really sour ales for $15. All bottled. They had just two vodkas. They have a mandatory 20% tip which is ok but then is taxed so that's another bump. Nice space, good service, but a bit too "French " as in trying so hard to be " especial " that it is unsatisfactory. read more

L'Oursin - Seared tuna - French Near Me - Seattle, Washington

My meal at l'oursin was emotional, whimsical, beautiful and inspiring. Our meal read like a story, starting off refreshing and cleansing with a grilled herring accompanied with thinly shaved radish and a horseradish cream. Next we flowed softly into a sunchoke soup- one of, if not the most beautiful things I have ever put in my mouth. I told my boyfriend that this was something that finally mirrored how I felt for him in food form- ineffable. We continued to get even cozier with a warm lentil and vegetable salad that read like a Thoreau novel. It was like the soil, bounty and breath before you. We drifted quickly back into the sea with the sea urchin cream sauce under a perfectly poached fish, radish and more of those special sunchokes. This was wave I don't think one could get over riding. It was robust and sultry, and gave me that final kick that made you certain of love. If this wasn't all enough, then don't worry... there was a cheese plate. L'Oursin's Boursin is what the world has always needed regarding herbed cheese, and also I'm certain I dreamt that night about the super explorateur and I've searched for it at local grocers since. I didn't even talk about the natural wines yet, but they were just as vibrant, playful and honest as the descriptions. This was one of those nights you always remember- a story that you don't want to end! A story that you day dream about and wonder what happens after. Thank you L'Oursin, hopefully I'll come back and pick up where I left off. read more

Seattle as of late has seen an influx of opulent, overly designed restaurants that excel at atmosphere and underwhelm in food. L'Oursin is definitely beautiful inside, but the decor is refreshingly simple and unpretentious, allowing the stellar food and drink to take center stage. Speaking of the stellar food, it's rare when a radish salad wows me, but wow, the radish salad alongside the grilled herring was amazing. I start here because I think this is indicative of what you get at L'Oursin; something that most restaurants would just toss on the plate for some color is instead treated with real care and ends up being magnificent. The black cod was delicious, the broiled oysters with melted leeks were immaculate, and the foie gras was incredible. On our way out we stopped by to compliment the chef and saw some tuna that ensured we'll be headed back. Drinks were expertly prepared, wine list was wonderful, and we were given a little taster of mulled wine to warm ourselves as we went back out in the cold. Overall the service was wonderful. I'll be headed here any time I want a truly wonderful culinary experience, or just a drink after work at the bar. Really excited about summer afternoons drinking spritzers here. Highly highly recommended. read more

We had a magical New Year's Eve meal last night. We were blown away by the quality, creativeness, and beauty of the six-course prix-fixe and wine pairing. We are pescatarian, and the chefs went out of their way to present us with a seafood-only menu. The pace was perfect; we enjoyed a leisurely 3-hour dinner. The staff was incredibly welcoming and knowledgable, but we were given time to enjoy our meal. Of note, I'm a lover of natural wine, and enjoyed all of the selections. What a great way to ring in the new year! We can't wait to return and try the à la carte menu. read more

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Enjoyed my birthday dinner here recently last Saturday and I have to say I am in love with the place! We also tried literally almost everything on the menu and I have to say I enjoyed all of it! Everything was decadent (especially their matsutake (pine) mushroom soup) to their light and fluffy sea urchin mousse with foie gras. The place is spacious and has a nice atmosphere to it; wide bar, open kitchen, and ambient lighting. I'll share photos soon! read more

took a girl friend to have the Apres ski. we had such a fun time, it was chilly out and the little heater was a nice touch. she's never had vin chaud and fondue, she loved it. thank you so much for a comfortable covid experince! read more

Mediocre food with high prices. I went to this restaurant for dinner with my partner. We had the paté, the tartare, the salad, and the cod main course. The paté and tartare were both a little bland. The salad was underdressed. The cod was fine but took too long to come out. Overall, an underwhelming meal - especially considering the price tag. There are much better options if you're looking for French food in Seattle. read more

Went here with a few friends and we did the tasting menu. It was absolutely wonderful! All of the courses were high quality and interesting.

I'm not the type to typically leave reviews since, in general, I'm usually fairly satisfied with my experience at most restaurants. This was not the case at L'Oursin. My girlfriend and I went for Valentine's Day thinking a 4 star restaurant would not disappoint but here we are. We both had the tasting menu paired with house selected wines and were thoroughly disappointed. Our five courses were crab on brioche, smoked scallops in broth with fennel, chicory and wild mushroom salad, lobster ravioli with house prepared salmon roe, and chocolate torte. The alcohol pairings were great, and is the only reason this gets two stars. I had a reservation for 8:30, and we were seated at the table closest to the door. On a 30 degree night, this is absolutely the worst seat in the house. Every time someone entered or left I would be shaken by the draft and honestly incapable of enjoying whatever I was eating. This was just the beginning of a regretful experience. The first course was the best, though the crab spread on brioche thoroughly reminded me of a dip my grandmother makes with Philadelphia cream cheese and canned crab meat. The scallops were smoked to a point of being nearly putrid, making me think they were marinated in concentrated liquid smoke rather than delicately smoked over some sort of natural wood. The broth they were served in tasted heavily of fish with no respite at all. The mushroom salad tasted heavily of dirt, as I could have expected, and was otherwise unremarkable. The ravioli was served cold, drowned in parsley and roe to the point where all you could taste was the fish eggs. This dish disappointed me the most - how hard is it to serve warm ravioli once the night slows down at 9:30? The chocolate torte was fine, I don't really know how you could mess that up. Overall, for the two of us with two tasting menus and two cocktails this is $350 I will never get back. I will never return, nor will I recommend my friends come here. read more

Really nice and beautiful restaurant. Food is interesting and delicious. Excellent wine menu. Generally I've had great experiences with the staff both helpful and friendly. 4 stars for me bc I don't think the experience matches the big price tag. If you're gonna do lots of small plates then I need consistent new plates. Don't want my salad dressing jumping into my next dish. ABSOLUTELY DO NO JUST PLOP DISHES DOWN WITHOUT SELLING OR EXPLAINING THEM AT ALL. It's small stuff but when you're paying as much as you do here it should be secondnature for the staff. read more

Everything is done so carefully and joyfully. If you care about weird wine and astonishing food, you belong here.

By far one of the best restaurant experiences in ages! We started with cocktails chosen from a menu with the most entertaining descriptions. We then shared several dishes, with each more delicious than the previous. Our fabulous waiter helped us select complimentary natural wines, which I have been wanting to explore. Three hours later, after dessert and coffee, we left full and happy. We will definitely return the next time we are in town! read more

The wait staff was sweet and apologetic The food was so badly prepared Rare duck served browner than a pot roast And no one was more embarrassed than the waitress At least they only charged for the bread basket wine and pate It was such a disappointment for the first visit to Seattle from New York Fully intend to send a strong worded letter read more

Yes yes yes. Love the natural wine selection, the food is on point and service is great. Definitely will continue to go.

Went here for dinner on a Sat night when on vacation. Had to give it a try after reading the Seattle Times review. We were early for our reservation so sat at the bar for a couple of drinks. Bartender was great - came right over and explained a lot of the ingredients in the cocktail menu that I hadnt heard of before. The drinks my wife and I had were both phenomenal. We later moved to a great table in the corner, with a view of the wide open restaurant. Good music, good crowd, good ambiance. The menu is on the non-traditional side. We had crispy fried oysters that reminded me of a way better version of the fried clams you find on Long Island. Perfect. A tomato stuffed with crab was also totally unique and tasty. Then was a salmon with a super rich shellfish sauce. Unlike any other fish preparation i have had, but totally worked. Yum. The wine list has pretty witty descriptions, and I tried a wine under the "Orange" category, which I have never seen before either. Generally this place leads you to try things you wouldn't normally lean towards. Service was great - from the person who greeted us when we walked in, to the bartender, to the waiter who was super attentive and made great food recs. Other reviews that talk about small portions confuse me. We walked out of here stuffed, happy, and a little buzzed - tough to beat that! read more

This place is outstanding. Such a gem. Friendly/knowledgeable/authentic staff, delicious and nourishing food, and creative cocktails. Will be returning again and again. read more

We have been here twice now, once as a couple to sit at the bar and Saturday as a group of 6. Both times we have been impressed by the friendly and helpful staff, the tasty and hilariously described cocktails and the well curated wine list. The plates are the perfect size for sharing, most are light but flavorful and the seafood is fresh and perfectly prepared. We had the salmon and chicken for entrees and the chicken liver mousse was a favorite appetizer, whipped to a dreamy smooth texture. We will be back read more

Tonite on Valentine's Day my partner and I drove from the Eastside to dine at the restaurant. We made a special effort to get to this restaurant in light of the terrible weather we've experienced over the last week. Granted that we had other options to dine but chose this restaurant. While the food was good the service was terrible. It was so impersonal that I cannot recommend this restaurant for a special dining experience or for that matter - any occasion. We won't be returning. We were never asked about our dining experience or anything else - it's a shame because this restaurant has potential but you essentially are blowing it with the degree of impersonal service. We all know the restaurant business is a brutal business and as customers we have lots of options. For the owners of this restaurant, if you haven't figured this out: the service is as important as the food and if you are unable to deliver on the service then you are scripting your fate much sooner than you'd like. Please make an effort to train your staff to deliver a better dining experience than what we had tonite. I noticed we were not the only table that experienced this. Perhaps no one else will take the time to speak out. Well, we did... read more

Celestial. Attentive. Wrought. The food made me think. Sweet server, dynamic bar + wine folks. It doesn't get much better in this mien, awesome bistro in each dimension.. Props special to the staff. read more