Charming neighborhood bistro with excellent food and wine. Service was great. Wish we lived closer we'd be there every week. We had the chicken with Morels- large enough to share. read more

I never ate there. Resy reservations for Tuesday at 5PM....early dinner. Their hours are posted online. Their hours are posted on the door. They decided they aren't open until Thursday. I'm sure inflation is hard and wintertime is tough. Changing your hours of operation sure as hell isn't tough. $50 worth of Ubers, standing in the cold, and ending up with lousy last minute food because no one thought to change the hours and the restaurant was still accepting reservations Not pissed about anything except that updating your hours of operation, updating your online presence is just the minimum professional courtesy a restaurant can do. Not cool. Call before you take the trek across town regardless of your reservations. read more

L'Oursin - a door with a bunch of signs on it - French Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Wow. Excellent bread, butter; so good. I wanted to spread the salted butter on my face! My only complaint is the font on the wine list; TOO SMALL! Pate, mimiento cheese, bread! So delicious. And although I like a darker chocolate au mousse, it was good and clean. Nice people; very knowledgeable staff. read more

One of my favorite spots in town. Great food, drinks and hospitality. Their market is top notch, and a great way to support them if you're not comfortable dining in during the never-ending pandemic. I also love that they still require proof of vax. It's sad that we have to look to restaurants to lead, when our government will not. Cheers! read more

Atmosphere was great. Some of the higher priced items on the menu were visually disappointing, as well as not as appetizing as we would have imagined them, though did remind us of food that our grandmother made when we were a child service was pretty good although there was some communication holes where we thought one of the items that we ordered didn't get put into the system by the time the restaurant was closing, but it was delivered. read more

Good, but a little disappointed on a few items. Food: We tried 6 items from menu, everything was pretty tasty, but there were things like capers and olives that were in 2 dishes that were not mentioned on the menu, which was a bit surprising. The steelhead was the top dish in flavor and presentation. The urchin was beautiful in presentation, but could've used room temperature butter or warm bread so that we could actually spread it. Ambiance: It was pretty chilly in the restaurant and the lights were very bright. The bottles lining the wall and the light fixtures mimicking urchin were very on point. Service: Our service was top notch and made the difference in our night. read more

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Scallops!! Crudo! Wine bar! All things I love. Come for wine and stay for the food. That's what you should do here but it's a wine bar with really really good food. Can't help but come back for food. Their menu is seasonal and changes almost daily!! Spot prawns were a dream for a weekend. And gone! But it's better that than eating a frozen or not so fresh ones. The food menu is small and simple. They have appetizers, small plate, fruti di mare, salads and large plates. I've pretty much ordered one of each! Love: the scallops! They are beautiful,raw with a simple olive oil and morales. It's in season now! The halibut crudo was beautiful. Everything we've got tasted so fresh, simple and flavorful! The quail with homemade sauce: it's a kick of Asian flavor but without being so overwhelming. And the main dish/es. Love the steak! But love the halibut more. Felt like all our food came in beautiful gardens. Each plate was prettier than the next. Super casual, laid back, tasty! Open kitchen in the back and you can see the hustle and bustle from your table! Great food. What's not to love! read more

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This was an amazing dinner. We are outside and their standup (or sit down on tall stools) bar. The two non-alcoholic adult drinks I had were both amazing. My dinner of king cod was great as well as a salad we had and a cold cucumber and Dungeness crab soup to start. The coffee ice cream to finish was amazing. My only suggestion would be to ask for prices before ordering. We didn't do that with the soup and it was $18 for a cup. The soup was excellent and the Dungeness crab great. The price was a little surprising. Same goes for the ice cream. It is $6 a small scoop. It was amazing but I would have been fine with one scoop rather than two. Service was great and I would definitely go back again. read more

Wonderful place for a romantic date night. It really feels like a French bistro, it's sort of fancy yet still cozy. The drinks were great, they are well known for their fish dish (except for the seafood stew - not my personal fav). High recommend for date nights or double dates. :) read more

L'Oursin - Seafood soup not my fav :( - French Near Me - Seattle, Washington

What a fun, casual little restaurant. We started with a round of excellent cocktails. I got to try three and they were all good but the Marguerite was the best: blanco tequila, pamplemousse, lime, sparkling rosé. For dinner, the three of us shared the following: albacore tuna, arctic char tartare, the fried smelt, and the soupe de poisson en croute with clams, mussels, shrimp and squid, all underneath a perfect pastry dome. Every dish was wonderful, but the char tartare was hard to beat, served on housemate rye crisps and with wonderful flavors. We added glasses of wine to go with our meals, and enjoyed a lovely creme brulée at the end of the meal. It seemed dead when we arrived early, but by the time we left around 8, the place was jumping! The music was perfect, the large bar was lowkey perfect, and the whole vibe was just a fun, easygoing place to have a nice meal that's not too fancy read more

L'Oursin - Creme brûlée - French Near Me - Seattle, Washington

L'oursin is my favorite restaurant and I have had my best meals ever here, which I'm also comparing to Michelin-starred restaurants and many other top-notch places. This is French seafood at its finest and I typically get the raw scallops, which came with fresh morels the last time I had it, and the foie gras terrine that is incredibly savory and pairs well with the jam and brioche toast. On occasions when you're really hungry, an entree will not disappoint you and some of my favorites are the black cod, a pork chop that was "melt in your mouth" good, and the half-chicken. The cocktails and mocktails are some of the best I've had in the world and the rotation of new cocktails helps me try lots of new flavor combos. Service is incredible and I still haven't had a better meal anywhere else! read more

We had a lovely dinner there on Halloween. The food was delicious and the service was great. This is a very special little gem in the CD. read more

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Overrated food. Not impressed at all. Service is good. Won't go back unless any major improvements come in the food quality there.

This place was delicious and authentic. The duck liver pate and scallops are a must. Loved the Luxembourg cocktail too read more

L'Oursin - Scallops - French Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Friday night at bar for dessert and wine, nice France-ish decor Bar tenders quite nice -Sebastien David Hurluberlu cabernet: Smooth, medium bodied, not strong in any particular way -Creme brûlée: really nice mixture of flavors: sweet, salty, warm, cool, crispy, liquidy (custard on the flowy side): quite good read more

L'Oursin - French Near Me - Seattle, Washington

These people nailed it!! Safety protocols were excellent and the fondue and wine were so appreciated. Staff is super attentive. Must reserve in advance. Then shop their take home provisions for more deliciousness. read more

L'Oursin - Apres Ski Covid offering - French Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Came here for dinner with the family. The dishes we enjoyed most were: the ris de beau, the poached halibut, the gnocchi, and the desserts-- mousse and creme broulee. All well executed! What fell short were the escargots-- too salty, and the steak-frites- very chewy, lacking flavor, the meat seemed "off". Btw, kudos to them for getting rid of the reservation cancellation charge they used to have on Resy! Maybe that was more of a Resy policy than theirs. read more

Delicious creative food! And the best service we've had in a while even though the gratuity is included (you can opt out). We ate here for dinner and started with the Gougeres Mimento (hot cheese puffs) and could have eaten several more. Next was lobster salad (with lots of lobster) and liver mousse. Then Cabillaud Poche (cod) which was melt-in-your-mouth, and Steak-Frites. Then dessert with a large crème brûlée and a chocolate mousse. What a great meal - come hungry! read more

Came here on a Friday night with reservation and was seated right away. Can never go wrong with the raw alaskan scallops. It literally melts in my mouth . The lingcod entree was 4/5: the lingcod itself was pretty dry but the squid and clams made up for it. read more

L'Oursin - Food is good but not too impressive. The raw scallop was a must. - French Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Cute place with some fantastic food. We tried all the entrees as a group and each was better than the last. Service was excellent, overall nothing but great things to say! read more

Please put the lobster wedge salad on the menu! I've been thinking about it for a month straight. We went for apps and everything was incredible. Excellent wine recommendations from the bartender. We love it here. read more

L'Oursin - Shrimp cocktail - French Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Very friendly atmosphere, our team paid attention to details at our table and asked all the right questions. The food was amazing, tasty with a very nice touches to highlight hints of citrus for example on the scallop dish. The chicken dish was super moist with just the right amount of spices, not overpowering. And if you love chocolate mousse then you must try theirs for dessert. We'll def be going back. H read more

Insane and delicious menu. Highly recommend the fried calamari, the braised leeks and the ravioli. Really cute spot for a casual date night - also DELICIOUS wine like damn read more

I've been living in the First Hill area of Seattle now for about 4 months and one of the things I am learning is that there are so many hidden gems, as far as restaurants, all within walking range, in the neighborhood. L'OURSIN is one of those gems. Tucked away near Seattle University field is a little, multi-purpose restaurant that does several Other than just French food. they have a small wine store and bar where the very knowledgeable staff can help you pick out exactly the wine you are looking for and make recommendations on pairings. The bar itself caters to wine lovers but is full service with the ability to make cocktails and a small selection of craft and common beers. The seating area is small, intimate, and inviting. I think there are only about 15 tables MAYBE which only adds to the service you get and the quality of the food they serve you. This is a place where people who are native to the area are known by the staff. The type of place where you can go for a first date or the start of a romantic night out. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that you might want to prepare yourself for the cost. I'm not saying it was high but, I'm glad they figure in the tip as well. All in all, I can highly recommend this gem of a place. read more

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Perfect date night spot! L'Oursin has a great selection of cocktails and wine that pair perfect with the french cuisine. I really appreciated the bartender and his suggestions for wine based on the food I was eating (without trying to up-sell on the most expensive!) Menus change seasonally so you can always expect a little something different to try on each visit. You can either pick a few items or leave it up to the kitchen to pick for you if you're feeling more adventurous. Not a huge amount of vegetarian options, but plenty for meat eaters and pescatarian. The atmosphere is quaint and cozy, excellent service and delicious food. cheers! read more

I have never been particularly wow'd by French cuisine; the food to me seemed either too bland or buttery/fatty, especially compared to SE Asian seasonings like fragrant lemongrass, basil, ginger etc. So when my friend and wife asked to go to L'Oursin, I didn't have high expectations. Coming in on a Friday night without a reservation was also a bad idea. But as soon as I tried the oddly smooth and satisfying concoction of cognac, espresso and creme (their Cafe Francais), it kept getting better and better. We ordered pretty much everything on the menu--though the bartender helped point out the better of the bunch. We had some very creamy uni which we paired with some amazing dessert wine (courtesy bartender again), endive salad, their chicken (seems bleh but was WHOA). It was an amazing meal with amazing staff, drinks and crowd. read more

We were excited to try this restaurant after hearing great reviews. They were kind to accommodate our request for a Pescetarian tasting menu. The courses were very flavorful and cooked well. We tried l'oursin (sea urchin) for the first time but unfortunately ended up not liking it (it's on us, that says nothing about the sea urchin itself since it was as fresh as it could have been). The main part of the experience we were unhappy with was the fact that we spent So. Much. Time. Waiting. We were there for about 2- 2.5 hours and there was a big gap of time in between each course. It would have been nice as well if they gave us a bit of bread with the tasting menu but there was no bread included with it. We took the 5 course tasting menu and left still a bit hungry. Oh well... read more

I came here with my boyfriend and two friends awhile ago. This is a lovely restaurant overall-love the ambiance, and really love the cocktails they have here. We had a pretty good wait time but we did call ahead. The only thing I did not like here was the l'oursin itself- I just didn't like the flavor, but it was fresh. Their other dishes were wonderful-the foie gras, duck, octopus and their bread were my personal favorites! Really good place to come as well to learn about wine :) read more

I have been looking for a place to enjoy casual French food, yet authentic and creative. The place offers just that! It was a great find. The place has a cozy neighborhood restaurant atmosphere. It has a nice bar area which would be perfect for couples. The menu offers many seafood and fish dishes. Three of us ordered several hours d'oeuvres, salad, and one main dish and shared. It was wonderful to be able to try many different dishes. I highly recommend sharing. My favorite were Salade Lyonnaise, Grilled garlic butter prawns, steak tartare, and poached salmon. The poached salmon was fresh and particularly good. They offer good variety, but not an overwhelming number of wines by the glass at a reasonable price. The Cocktails menu looked good too. My friend enjoyed their original old fashion. I can't wait to go back. I want to try Steak-Frites next. It looked delicious. read more

During my quick, last minute stop to Seattle, my friend brought me to L'Oursin for dinner. I had wanted your standard Pacific North West seafood meal and this place did not disappoint. The menu selection was amazing and they recommend wine pairing with many of the food items, which is always a plus. The staff was incredibly nice and knowledgeable. If you're visiting, do try the bean salad, if you like mushrooms and brussel sprouts then this is the dish for you. While the salad may look heavy it's actually quite light and very flavorful. read more

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This is my first time trying French cuisine in Seattle and how impressed I was! The menu has a variety of appetizers ranging from chicken liver mousse to raw sea scallops. The ingredients tasted incredibly fresh and all of the appetizers were not over seasoned allowing for the main protein to shine. For the main course we ordered the beef brisket and the butter poached halibut. The beef brisket was amazingly tender that the fork slides smoothly through it as you take a piece. The halibut was also light and moist and it complements well the tangy greens on top and Brussels sprouts. Overall, the flavours that were produced show that less is really more and that simplicity can still provide an excellent dining experience. read more

L'Oursin - Butter Poached Halibut - French Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Chose this spot to celebrate my husbands birthday and every dish was unique, delicate and fresh. There menu changes by the day but each dish is carefully prepared and I loved all the sauces. They make a lot of their items in house like cheese, marinated salmon eggs, and I really enjoyed the various scallops (my favorite). I discovered that happy hour just started the day before so we were lucky to try both happy hour and dinner menus. They also have copper river salmon which is a nice treat here in the PNW! read more

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My partner and I met some friends here for a dinner before a show, and we loved it. The staff was lovely, and the food was wonderful. We ordered some oysters for the table, the bread & butter, and then we both had the Steak-Frites. We will both absolutely dine here again next time we are in the city. read more

Great selection of wine and cocktails. I really liked how the labeled the wines adventurous/traditional, so we could try some new wines. The food itself were a disappointment. We got the pork belly and scallops. The pork belly was dry, but the scallops were well seared, creamy and delicious. The braised lamb shoulder was super fatty. The sides for both lacked flavor. The corn and cauliflower soup was creamy and would have been better with a dash of acid or some granular textural component. Overall this is a good place for drinks. read more

Pleasantly surprised. Based on my first experience 4.5 Nice ambiance, service was fine, Pricing is good, food was great! Fish was perfectly cooked with nice flavors. Seared Albacore $14 Salare "Savoyarde" $14 - the cheese with hazelnuts was nice but my least favorite dish. Poached Artic Char $29 Steamed Halibut $28 Mousse au Chocolat $10 read more

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This isn't a bad restaurant, but it's also not particularly memorable - the kind of place that you thought was decent, but wouldn't come to mind when a friend asks for a restaurant recommendation. L'Oursin has a very small, short menu. We tried a handful of appetizers, including the pork belly (tough, chewy, impossible to cut with a knife), bread & butter, peppers (similar to shishito peppers), and scallops with morels. None of the appetizers were bad, but none of them stood out as particularly tasty or special. I got the hanger steak for my appetizer. The steak is sous-vided overnight, and comes with some (flavorless) grilled polenta. The steak was pretty tender, but again, nothing special. The space is nice, and the waitstaff was attentive throughout the night. The drinks list is creative and have entertaining descriptions. Something I don't love that 20% gratuity is added PRE-tax, so that that amount is a part of your taxed total - what is up with that? I'm not a Scrooge; I fully intend to tip at least 20% for good service, but it bothers me that they not only add the tax ahead of time, but it is added to the pre-tax total. Overall, I didn't hate my experience at L'Oursin, but I can't say that particularly enjoyed anything I ate here, and given the price, would not recommend it to others. read more

L'Oursin receives 5 stars for what it is, and 3 stars for what it is not. That averages out to 4 stars. Let me explain. L'Oursin is a very, very nice place. Everything is delightful. It's all spanking-new and nickel-chrome clean. The wine menu, although quirky, is complete and correct. You'll see lots of cute details. They try to look French. They write in cursive on the mirrors. It's all very nice. I went last Tuesday to treat my partner for a birthday meal, and everything we ate was absolutely delicious. We had the seafood "charcuterie" with glasses of bubbly to start. I enjoyed the smoked fish, the graavlax, and the terrine. The seaweed butter and the nut bread that came with it were both very good. We ordered two glasses of rosé, and moved on to their version of oysters Rockefeller: chopped oysters, baked with a toasted panko topping, and served room-temp in shells that were resting on a bed of gravel. Yes, I said gravel. Now don't lose a tooth thinking that those tiny stones are lentils. It's really gravel. Who serves food on gravel? Anyway, our main courses, the cod and the steelhead, were both mouth-wateringly scrumptious. The sauvignon blanc we ordered was just perfect. Everything we ate and drank for 210 dollars was flavorful and tasty. The food definitely gets 5 stars for what it is. But, we were so disappointed with what L'Oursin is not. It's not really French, and they do not serve "fruits de mer." We went there because the words "fruits de mer" are boldly emblazoned everywhere, and with a name like "oursin," we expected fresh seafood to be in the spotlight, especially urchin. Disappointingly, not so. Even the signage outside proclaims "fruits de mer" and "apéritifs." They've got the apéritifs for sure, but sadly, no "fruits de mer." Any real French restauranteur would know that "fruits de mer" refers to fresh seafood, normally crustaceans and shellfish, which are either served raw, or slightly steamed or just barely cooked. That's what we came for. Fresh seafood. Fruits of the sea. We wanted to order that sparkling tower of seafood, the giant "plateau de fruits de mer" that is the calling card of cafés in so many seaside fishing villages (and cities) in France. You know what I'm talking about: a gargantuan tray of shaved ice, cradled upon a stainless steel frame, and loaded with crabs, langoustines, clams, shrimps, tiny conchs, oysters, sea snails, fresh urchin quivering in its own shell. We expected diners armed with pliers, hooks, and forks, donning paper aprons, digging into sea critters with delight, washing it all down with bottles of muscadet. None of that was to be found here. They can do a rockefeller, but not oysters on the half-shell? Ironically, they do have a cute little French placard on the wall, entitled "Poissonnerie," or "Fish-monger" items, the very same items that you would expect to see offered as "fruits de mer," but regrettably, none of them were on the menu. They didn't even serve urchin. Urchin! That's the name of the restaurant, for crying out loud, and they didn't even have any. Now, to be fair, they did put some urchin in the sauce on the salmon, but I could barely see it or taste it, and yes, I do know sea urchin! A little sliver of sea urchin on a tiny toast would be the perfect accompaniment to one of those apéritifs! Maybe some urchin butter? Maybe next time. Here's my scorecard: 5 stars for having truly delicious, imaginative, and well-prepared food, with excellent service. 3 stars for gross negligence in trying to pass themselves off as a French seafood restaurant. Average: 4 stars. I'll change my rating to 5 stars if they have that giant platter of raw seafood next time I go. read more

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I went here for the first time this past weekend, for brunch. This is a great space, an attractive and open interior with two sets of big doors that open to the little sidewalk patio, which makes the space feel very open and airy on nice days. When I went there it was a hot, breezy summer day and sitting outside in the shade of L'Oursin's patio was very relaxing. They have a great brunch cocktail list. Many drinks incorporate grapefruit in some form, which I appreciate. The brunch menu looked great all around. I went with the cold smoked sturgeon and "l'oursin boursin" (sea urchin cream cheese spread) with a bagel, and it was a very tasty and memorable meal. They bring it out on a board and let you construct it yourself, with thick slices of sturgeon, the boursin, greens, capers, sliced red onion, and a couple slices of some really fantastic tomato. I was told the bagel was baked fresh that morning. It was a pretty good bagel. The sturgeon was phenomenal and so was the spread, and all put together, the balance of salty and rich and acidic flavors was perfect. I don't normally enjoy fresh tomato but the tomato they provided was so juicy and flavorful that I ate most of it - it complemented the other ingredients well. The whole experience made me very interested to return and try some of their other offerings. read more

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Casual vibe, funky natural wines, attentive waiter, thoroughly enjoyed the experience. food was good as well - especially the black cod. We will be back? read more

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First time back to L'Oursin in ages and it was amazing. Started with kushi oysters from Taylor Shellfish . Followed by crab and morel bucatini and finished with the butter poached king salmon (market fish of the night). Everything was spectacular and can't wait to go back!! read more