love the ambiance of this restaurant. our waiter was very nice too. we had the terrine foie gras, which was velvet nomminess. the lingcod with tiny potatoes, asparagus, and abalone mushrooms in a beurre blanc sauce was to die for. my husband had the salmon with morrels, which was excellent. the salmon skin was perfectly crisp and medium rare on the inside. they also had an organic heffin-veisen that was brilliant! all of that with 20% included gratuity came to about $104. will be back for more! read more

While the experience at L'oursin was less than inspiring I would certainly go back to try again, benefit of the doubt and all that. What was disappointing was the fact that when I walked in I was asked about a reservation (I didn't have one) I was told that I could sit only at the bar even though the restaurant was mostly empty. This would have been okay had the restaurant been full or at least had people coming in to claim their reserved tables in the time we were there. No such luck. The restaurant remained barely full, with at least 5 tables empty for the course of my time inside. Service is important to me and I really do believe it can make or break a restaurant. I can understand that reservations are important and certainly you don't want to upset anyone with a reservation but come on, we couldn't have the table for an hour and a half?! Our party ordered a bottle of wine and sipped at the bar, where we were relegated. The bartender was very kind and attentive. We might have ordered snacks, if we had a table... read more

We went to L'Oursin for our wedding anniversary and we were so excited to try this place after reading a few good reviews on Yelp. We love French food and the food did not disappoint. The lingcod was delicious as well as the sockeye salmon. Yum! So why the 2 stars? The service SUCKED. (completely indifferent and cold). The portions were ridiculously small (we went home and made toast to fill our stomachs, even after spending $150 for 2 people)and the wine menu is not great as you would expect in a French restaurant. Truly disappointing. read more

My son treated me to a birthday dinner here last night. It was an early reservation on a Tuesday night so it was uncrowded when we arrived. Very attractive dining room, perfectly (but not overly) attentive waiter. I ordered the Marguerite cocktail to start which was the best cocktail I have ever had! Every element was first rate, from each food selection, the suggested wine paired with the entrees, right through dessert. This place has been intelligently planned, and for us, the execution was perfect! I'll be back. read more

Wow, I just had my first meal at L'Oursin and it was amazing! A really special place. Delicate and delicious food, amazing wine selection, and the cocktails. Oh the cocktails. We were a party of six so we basically tried everything on the menu. Highlights were the foie gras with sea urchin, the cheese plate, the perfectly seared artic char, and the chicken. And the cocktails. And the wine. We also had two of their desserts, one of which was an apple tart with a smoked honey ice cream and it was delicious. One more thing I loved about this place is gratuity is incorporated into all of the prices. A trend that I've been seeing lately that I think is great. read more

Fabulous food with an attentive, knowledgeable staff. Inventive cocktail menu and the wines added to the overall meal experience. Loved the decor and ambiance. Too bad we were only visiting Seattle as we would be sure return often. read more

I made a reservation for dinner here for my husband's birthday, just for the two of us. Initially, I considered ordering the tasting menu, but upon reviewing the regular menu, we decided to order a few things that sounded interesting. First of all, we were seated at a great table. It was a corner table and the background was picturesque, which we appreciated for my hubby's special night. They also served us complimentary sparkling wine, which was definitely a nice touch. We ordered the scallops, charcuterie board, spaghtettini with crab and trout roe, and the grilled rockfish. Everything was delicious. The scallops were served raw with black trumpet mushrooms and trout eggs. It was simple yet very tasty and refreshing. The charcuterie board was really good. We loved the variety of different meats, such as chorizo, ham, and terrine, and the butter and bread were also good. It definitely felt like a deal for all the stuff that was on that board. My husband especially enjoyed it. He loves charcuterie. The spaghettini was simple but also really delicious. It was a light dish, and it was so tasty. And the grilled rockfish was lovely. It was tender and flaky. I didn't enjoy the lentils that came with the dish; it was a bit undercooked. But I enjoyed the mushrooms. Yum. For dessert, we had the lemon meringue tart. It was great. Overall, we really enjoyed our meal. And I'm glad I picked this place for my husband's birthday dinner. We enjoyed some of his favorite foods, such as charcuterie and lemon meringue tarts! The service was great as well. I highly recommend this restaurant for a lovely meal. read more

A beautiful restaurant, open air bistro feel. Wine and cocktail list provides variety you would not see elsewhere. Bread and butter is excellent but stingy for the price. Tuna Perfectly cooked with a nice Sauvignon. Salmon nicely prepared with beans bacon and seaweed. A nice French place but not a seafood bar. read more

Worse restaurant I have been to in Seattle. Both food and drinks were off. Limited relationship with French cuisine. Tried several dishes and they were either "meh" or bad. read more

An incredibly expensive disappointment! My friend and I visited L'Oursin at the beginning of the summer for a bottle of fine wine and dinner on the outside patio. The disappointment began when we wanted to order a fine bottle of wine. We said that we were interested in a red and asked the server's recommendation on a @$100 bottle of wine that we selected. The server (who was dressed like a slob) promptly recommended a rose, not a red. This person was also not familiar with the red bottle we were inquiring about. We went with the bottle we initially selected as we wanted a bottle of red. The wine was wonderful. We asked about a few menu items, and the server seemed to care less about the dishes and/or making any recommendations, so we self-selected a few appetizers. The appetizers were tasty; the chef does know what he/she is doing. After about 45 minutes, it began to get chilly outside, and we requested to sit inside. This request was an incredible imposition for the server to seat us inside even though more than 1/2 the restaurant was empty. And wouldn't you guess it, the server sat us at the table across from the bathroom doors where you can see right into the toilets. There were at least a dozen other tables, but she sat us next to the toilets. After a few minutes when she returned with our main courses, I asked for us to be seated away from the toilets for which I received attitude from the server. The server then avoided us for the remainder of the evening and had others come by to help us. We expressed our dissatisfaction with the service to another employee (male), and he seemed actually to care. He offered to take off the service charge for which we declined; we still paid the service charge, however in retrospect we shouldn't have. He asked us for our business cards so he could reach out. Months later, still no word, hence why I am writing the review. We are aware that many restaurants in Seattle have terrible service, but this was beyond awful. A simple call or apology card from the owner/GM would have turned our opinion of this restaurant around. I highly recommend they give their servers service training and a dress code. They should take notes from Cafe Campagne - their staff is fantastic, and the service is impeccable. read more

Had a lovely dinner here last night. Friendly staff, delicious food, great wine. What else do you need?

lovely, uncomplicated & delicious. the servers are warm, the decor is clean & inviting & the acoustics are great for actual conversation. this place is the perfect date night destination. read more

A great place for wine and spirits. The staff was fantastic and the hospitality was beyond any expectations. The oyster Rockefeller was fantastic. Highly recommend this wonderful place. read more

Went there for brunch with high expectations but turned out totally average for me. The portion sizes are super tiny to begin with with a sky rocket price. For e.g. I had ordered cold poached salmon and the salmon size server was 1/4 of the fillet with some lettuce for a whopping price of $15. There are other much better brunch places around for a reasonable price. Wouldn't recommend this restaurant. read more

I wanted to like this place as it is not only close to where we live but I really like the airy ambience of the space. Initially the drinks and bread we ordered were good along with the salad. I was a little surprised that the salad was $15 dollars and we had to pay several dollars for bread and butter but this may be the new norm so I didn't think much of it. What really didn't work for me was the size of the entrees and the flat service. Our server was completely lackluster and felt like she simply didn't care, nor was there even a "thank you for coming" or any sign of gratitude. The salmon and lingcod entrees tasted good but unfortunately they were so small it was hard to get past only having a few bites before seeing a bare plate. Sadly the small portions seems to be a reoccurring theme when fine dining in Seattle, I reference similar experiences at Tom Douglas restaurants and most recently at Salare in Ravenna. It's a shame as I use to really enjoy dining out, but dropping $160 and coming home hungry just doesn't seem right. read more

Really nice place. Food was excellent. Service was great. Only complaint was how bright the lights were. Would highly recommend it. Really enjoyed the fixed menu and the wine paintings. read more

Love this place - every time I've been the service has been impeccable and the food delicious and interesting. Even though the neighborhood seems like parking would be tough, I've always managed to find a spot within a block. read more

This was our initial (though surely not final) trip to this new French bistro near Seattle University. The restaurant certainly has the feel of a bistro you'd find in Lyon or Arles, from the furniture, tableware, decor, and even the servers' aprons. We had the pate , carrot salad, and steelhead. The pate was encased in a pastry, and was one of the better ones I've had (usually not my favorite). The carrot salad was especially delicious with fromage frais that provided a gooey texture to go with the delicate flavors. The steelhead with root vegetables was perfectly cooked, which is to say nice and moist with light seasoning. We skipped dessert but noticed the offerings, at least the day we were there, numbered only two. The restaurant has a bar that seats approximately ten, and which was bustling with joyful looking patrons. Despite the restaurant being nearly full, the ambient volume was at a level to allow even my older ears to hear my companion speak. I try to be direct and as candid as possible with my reviews. If you enjoy authentic French food, you will want to visit L'Oursin sooner rather than later. read more

The food and service at this place is impeccable. We got the taster's menu with wine pairings and each course was delicious. My only warning regards the billing. They add 20% for service unless you decline. This was no problem because I was going to tip 20% anyway. BUT what they don't tell you is that the State considers this a taxable fee and NOT a tip! So unless you like "tipping" government, decline the automatic service fee. I have contacted the restaurant about advising diners about this. We didn't but they recalculated with a slight disgruntlement on the part of our server. read more

I like it here. I love it here. I want to stay here forever and drink all their wine and sip all their cocktails and eat all their things.

I've been looking forward to coming here since I booked my trip to Seattle over 2 months ago. Their IG pictures looked amazing and the menu items sounded well thought out and interesting. Plus, the wine menu was beautiful. Overall, I was underwhelmed. My husband had the demi-poulet which was an excellent portion and incredibly tasty. I had the salmon which was good-- a little under-seasoned and really small. Our apps (marrow, Arctic char) were just okay, too. The wines and cocktails were excellent. The most disappointing part was the service. It took awhile to get drinks or be asked if we wanted anything further. No one checked how our meal was. The staff just wasn't super engaging. And since L'Oursin automatically builds in a 20% tip to ensure their wait and kitchen staff are compensated, I expect better service. read more

I met a group for lovely cocktails and mighty fine nibbles at the bar -- the staff couldn't have been nicer. We'll definitely be back for a meal! read more

First, the staff/service and ambiance was very good. The food however is not worth it. The menu is extremely limited and the selection did not make sense. Portion sizes were okay but nothing had flavor. Drinks were poor quality. read more

We spent a fantastic night with friends here. Low-key with thoughtful, simple food and impeccable service.

Prepare yourself for the long haul: between the cocktails, wine list, and menu there is a lot of work to be done. One of Seattle's most stacked restaurants in terms of talent. Do yourself a favor and come here regularly. read more

Really nice, fun spot for dinner. Well curated menu, knowledgeable, professional and fun wait staff, just good all around.

The food was tasty and the space is nice. The service was fine overall. However, their reservation system via email does not work well. My reservation got missed, and the hostess didn't apologize. Luckily, someone didn't show up so we got seated after all. They mentioned there had been issues with their email before, so I'm not sure why they are still using that system. Call to make a reservation. read more

Amazing, amazing(!) food and service. We had the rockfish crudo (refreshing), local pink scallops (beautifully presented in their shell) and the chicken (oh my goodness, so tender/crispy balanced and flavorful). Insane wine list on top of it. Best restaurant in Seattle right now. We'll be back soon. read more

Beautiful, charming, perfect atmosphere. Every dish tried has been perfection. Can't wait to go back!

had sea urchin, bacon tartine, cheese, arctic char. All of them were delicious. Excellent service. Spacious too...a plus compared to many capital hill restaurants. read more

We've dined at L'oursin twice... once shortly after it opened, and we had a very good experience. Food and service were excellent and we loved the ambience. Tried it again a couple of weeks ago and had terrible service that ruined the entire evening. We were seated on the patio, which was nice (until the sun came blazing down and fried us while we ate dinner). As the restaurant got busier the service completely disappeared... I mean we were totally forgotten. Took forever to get our food, nobody came to ask how things were, and we had to flag someone down for water and wine refills. The food was good, not great... we've had better (and it was much better during our first visit). Another miss was that several times we received dirty cutlery... I mean really nasty, gross forks and knives... that clearly hadn't been washed well. I can understand that maybe happening once, but it happened 3 times during our meal. The insult to injury was the 20% automatic gratuity. Many restaurants do this now and I've never had an issue with it. But they definitely did not earn the 20% and it chapped my hide that they assumed it was earned that night. Can't recommend this place given our latest experience. read more

The Times gave it good reviews, so went there for our 25th anniversary. The cocktails were fantastic. The food....not so much. The bread and seaweed butter was awful. The seaweed butter had a slimy texture due to the seaweed. We asked for just butter (waitress seemed to get that a lot). Then I had the cod dish. It was sitting in a very dark green broth (unappetizing color for sure). The sauce was flavor-less, the top crust felt like eating sand. Didn't finish the meal. The waitress could sense our displeasure in the sub-par food. So she gave us an ice cream/rhubarb desert. It was bad. Then she sent over a chocolate mousse dish. I could barely get my spoon thru the dish it was so frozen hard! I was so ready to get the hell out of there. Did I mention the ambiance? The chairs are not meant to sit in for over 30 minutes. The atmosphere is sterile. Not French bistro at all! Don't waste your money and time. read more