The ambiance is excellent. Very up-scale and new. There wasn't hardly anyone in the main dining room, so we sat near the BBQ bar. Was very happy with the setting. Ordered the seafood tower ($40), and was too small for the price. Tasty, but overpriced. We were still hungry so ordered the smoked chicken. I liked the chicken, but the wife did not. Had 3 drinks, 2 dinners, pull apart bread (good), and cost $150 with tip. I could not justify cost with what we got. Great location...maybe the bar scene is 4-5 star, but dinner was not. read more

Conflicted about this place. The service was good, the amvianonce was warm and inviting. Loved the smell of the wood burning grill used to add the smoke flavor. Our friends and us had a great time chatting away. However, I ordered the New York strip. To start, it was a very small piece, maybe 5 onces. It was also overcooked. The plenta that it was sitting on was delicious. We also ordered the brussel sprouts and it was too spicy for our liking. Was like 3 stars at a Thai restaurant. Sad to say, we will not be going back. read more

Not a fan, I had the fish and chips. Very greasy and chewy, had to slather the fish with tartar sauce just to eat it. The service was nonexistent, the waitress never came by to ask how we were doing, I had to get up and go to the hostess to pay the bill...won't be back. read more

While the food was good, I wasn't thrilled with the service. Waiting staff seeme overwhelmed. I ordered a local tap beer but it had a terrible off-flavor (kinda like seawater), like a bad keg line read more

Every time I'm in Seattle, I've been lucky to find some great cocktail gems, until now. Their cocktails are mediocre in a city with so many great cocktail bars. I also don't really understand the concept of this place. What are they trying to do here? read more

I was hesitant to try their Happy hour because the menu was on the heavy side with seafood options and very few without. I went because the place looked really cool from the outside and my friend really wanted to try it. The restaurant and bar are spacious. I had the cheeseburger, when it arrived I had low expectations, since it was a lonely burger wrapped in a yellow wrapper/paper. No side anything. Much to my surprise, it was delicious!! Very flavorful and even though I ordered it medium well, it was juicy. Service could have been better in so many ways. read more

Absolutely amazing! Very good edible food that was still very inspired and kept up with all the prevailing taste trends without losing site of feeding your soul and stomach. Service was solid nothing special but the overall care of the staff made us feel special. Highly recommend the black Cod and the halibut. read more

The price didn't look supper expensive at first yet the dinner portion was very very small with Big plates. One scallop was $15. Baby beet salad had 4 leaf that you could count for $15. No complimentary small bread is served. The kitchen was very slow. The taste and ingredients were good. I guess we paid for the 4-star chef and server who kept changing your plates and utensils. Be prepared to spend $50+ pp to feel full if you don't order bread. read more

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Delicious food with locally sourced ingredients!! Chef David is very passionate about his creations! Will come back!

Randomly came across this restaurant and very glad we stopped in. Great seafood, we were here for happy hour which had a ton of great dishes and cocktails. Highly recommend hitting this place up! read more

Celebrated my bf's birthday and requested something nice to celebrate the special occasion with him and his family. Rider definitely delivered! The food was perfect! Drinks were on point! But I think the part I appreciated the most was the staff making my bf and his family feel cared for. Drinks were never empty, the waitress checked in on us often, and we had birthday desserts for the table. My bf left very happy on his birthday! read more

Stopped in for happy hour on a Tuesday afternoon. Can't complain...loved the vibe of the restaurant. I sat at the bar and ordered an olive plate. They were very good...not that you can mess up a plate of olives. Little pricey even for happy hour but I understand this given the location. Would go back for happy hour. read more

Amazing food. Had dinner here twice during one week. Chef's counter affords a view of how much goes into the preparation. These guys really invest in precision, sophistication, flavor. Try the salmon starter and the New York strip loin. A must to try if you're in Seattle. read more

Great, great flavors -- solid seafood and the sides were an amazing surprise (get the sunchokes!) Service IS slow... had to cancel dessert due to delays, but each course was super tasty and the cappuccino didn't disappoint. My new flavor favorite downtown. read more

Went for the 1st time last night after having passed this place on numerous occasions. Why did I wait so long?! Sevice was excellent and the food was perfection. Started with the tuna tatar, such a unique mix of flavors that work perfectly together. Next had the 8oz fillet which came with crab mashed potatoes. Sooooo yum!!! Definitely planning another visit soon! read more

Came here for a birthday dinner and had an amazing experience! Every item was delicious and unique. The staff were equally amazing. I am glad I was able to try Rider and will be back! read more

2nd Time was a Charm! We decided to give this place another try for dinner. The first time (brunch) had a lot to be desired, food was OK but the service was just unacceptable. The manager at that time Evan was apologetic and asked us to give them another try. A couple months later we decided to try it again. Channing (new manager) and his team were great! Food was delicious and the service was very attentive. We had the rolls, burrata, steak and squid ink tagliatelle and some good cocktails. They went above and beyond and we will def frequent here more often as we live down the street. read more

Very good food. I had their burger, and my wife had the clam chowder. We shared an order of roasted cauliflower. The chowder had salmon, in shell clams and mussels. She loved it. My burger was cooked to medium rare as I requested. Good quality beef and the bun was good. Had fresh sweet pickles on the side. Server was prompt and thoughtful to our needs. Will come again the next time we stay in Seattle. read more

Beautiful classic Seattle. Well trained, polite, and helpful staff. Local seafood prepared to ultimate perfection. The rhubarb hand pie was the best that I've ever had. We will be back. read more

Decent spot but don't think I will go back. My steak was very under cooked and no one ever came back to the table to check in on me. Wasn't that busy either. My wife enjoyed the crab though so if that's what your going for then I'd say maybe this place is for you. Overall experience wasn't great though, I'm more on the 3.5 stars for this place. Good location in town. read more

Three times visited and impressed each time with service and food. Large business party seated the other night and all participants were complimentary of their dishes (mostly salmon). read more

One of the best dinner I ever had. The experience we had is definitely unforgettable. We had dinner at the top level of the hotel Theodore. The view there is awesome, we could see the pike market, space needle and other. The food we had is delicious. I'm a foodie, I have been to herbfarm, canlis and other places in seattle. And this place make the food as good as these famous AAA star restaurants! read more

Decent food, superb service, but this place lost one star for deafening NOISE and one for being owned by the corrupt Gordon Sondland.

Always a solid choice. We went there yesterday after seeing a movie, the burger was perfect and the chicken burger was delicious, we cut them each and half and shared. Can't lose with this place. read more

My husband and recently dined at the new restaurant inside Hotel Theodore, Ride, last weekend and it exceeded all expectations. The atmosphere is modern, warm and inviting. The food is amazing and innovative. I cannot wait to go back. Pay attention to the small details and you will get a little insight to the history of Seattle and how this amazing gem pays tribute to the culture and craftsmanship of local vendors. We had the yellowtail appetizer, wagu beef appetizer, scallops and carrot pasta as well as the roasted carrots side and to top it off the banana bread pudding and flourless chocolate cake. I have already recommended this restaurant to several friends. You will not be disappointed. read more

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The best tuna tartare with unique earthy flavors in a beautiful and colorful presentation !The service of excellence! The atmosphere in general and the smell of wood make Rider a different experience! read more

This place is a little underestimated.. we came here after a long day in town and were very pleased!! Service was spectacular !! The drink I ordered was one of the best I had in Seattle!! It was tangy, refreshing, and just so tasty!! Yummm.. I think it was called Bertha's indiscretion.. food: we ordered olives, the bread with crab butter and burger to share... burger was very good! Juicy, the homemade cheese was something else!!! And all around taste was amazing!! Definitely worth it! read more

First time we popped in during happy hour and each had a drink.. I tried a cocktail that had root beer, absinthe, aquavit and a lime sorbet float. Dude. So damn good. Second time we popped in for food. We were a little freaked out at the prices (for any restaurant downtown really) and decided to just split the $20 burger (that didn't state of it came with anything). When the burger arrived I think we were both surprised at how big it was and it came with fries. First bite and we both looked at each other and started the synchronized unexpected slow savoring chews. Neither of us had ever had a burger that good EVER. Rider, Where have you been all my life? Meat, mind blowing. Bacon, I'm dreaming of you now. Someone just mentioned that it wasn't true bacon, it was pork belly. Well damn, I suppose I love pork belly then! We actually considered going back same day for dinner to split a burger again. And nice atmosphere! Best $20 ever spent. read more

Rider is another "new-age" restaurant popped-up in the retail core. Though beautifully decorated, it feels like a pretentious place, with more effort on the decor than the dining experience. We had originally been there for HH, but ended staying for dinner. The restaurant is pretty large, with separate dining and bar sections. The dining area is more formal and well lit, while the bar is the more lively space. The restaurant is very well decorated with perfectly balanced color schemes and great lighting to set the mood. The main section is pretty large, and the bar is a smaller nook. Turns out that HH is only in the bar, and it seems to be a popular place so it gets really crowded. They don't maintain a table list for the bar, so it's grab the first empty spot you find causing people to be walking around a lot. They have few booths and tables in the bar area, so groups not recommended for HH. Almost all our cocktails were awesome, and made pretty strong. However, the food was nothing special. We enjoyed the fries the most. My friends weren't impressed with the oysters considering this is a seafood place. We were disappointed with the desserts. The service left much to be desired, specially for a classy & expensive place like this. The service was very slow, completely understandable since it was busy, but also very snarky, which is unacceptable. The server didn't check on us much, and we had to basically flag down passing employees asking to send our server when we wanted to order more. Our servers switched mid-way, and the second one on our table was much more friendly. The bussers were more interested in clearing our places before we were actually done with the food, and we had to, a number of times, ask them to leave the plates as we were not done with the food. The prices are pretty high, on-par with other restaurant of the same style. However, the service needs serious improvement. This isn't a place I'd recommend since there is plenty of better competition in the area. If you want to check it out, the HH is a good deal if you're able to go early and grab a seat. read more

Good food, good service, and fairly high prices. I wasn't so thrilled when the server brought everyone else's dish to the table except for mine (I had the rockfish, which isn't a hard fish to cook; while another had the pork chop, which the server shared that the pork chop dish would take at least 20 mins to prepare). Hopefully, the kitchen gets better with timing the plates. I expected better from the kitchen and the server. Next time, hold the plates and be conscious of all the people at the table. read more

Rider - When your enjoying watching your friends eat, because the kitchen forgot you. - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Giving them 5 stars since this place deserves a solid 4star rating. Got a range of appetizers. Poutine was good, bread was fresh. The fritters was average. The scotch egg was good but pricey. I had a solid old fashion and wife thought the daquiri waa good. read more

I've been here twice on business and have been really happy with my experience. The food is great and features some key NW cuisine you want to try. They had a nice wine selection and the service at the bar was great. I stumbled upon it staying in the hotel above it (Hotel Theodore - also a great spot) but would recommend for anyone in the area. I saw a negative review about the tip - it's important to understand every city in the US has different tipping procedures and policies. Seattle implemented a 20 percent minimum - so consider it a restaurant tax. Most of the money doesn't go to the server, but for the restaurant to pay taxes. Don't hold it against your server, and if you are curious, ask them about it. read more

I was very impressed with this place. Everything from the wait staff to the food was amazing. I had an old fashioned that was very good. We also got the crab toast (to die for), clams, and tuna tartare. It was all amazing! Great location and was not that hard to get into! Highly recommend! read more

This place is incredible!!!! I have been to some of the best restaurants from NY to San Francisco and this place has one of the best environments you'll find. Right when you walk in the smoke aroma from the massive, wood burning oven / grill captivates and draws you in. It reminds me of all the amazing family barbecues and cookouts of my past while bringing in a contemporary dining and drinking experience like no other. I wish there was a rider in every city I visit! The chefs, waitresses and management are all super on point here too. I had the pleasure of sitting near the grill and watched them pump out culinary delicacy one after another. I highly recommend the chefs 5 point special. You won't regret it! read more

OK you might want to sit down for this one... Executive Summary: - Good ambiance - Over priced - Food was a mixed bag - Service was pleasant but careless I primarily go to restaurants for the food and libations, and the ambiance is a bonus. I don't write too many reviews, but I feel it is my duty to share a wonderful experience with others or help them to avoid a poor one. My wife and I were lucky enough to get tickets to Hamilton at The Paramount. Of course, dinner before. We don't get out much with two young kids, but our familiarity with good food and drink is not lacking. The Good: - The ambiance was great. It was two blocks from the theater, they had a visible wood-fired grill. I was a little put-off when the waiter said patrons come there primarily for the grill (not the food?). - My wife got the beet salad with burrata and arugula, which she really enjoyed. - As a pescatarian, the options are quite extensive. - The oysters were reasonably priced, but I had no idea what type we were eating. Kind of a misstep in my opinion. The Okay: - My wife also had the seafood chowder, which she said she was "pretty good." - The waiters knowledge was good, but not great...he didn't know where the wine was from and really was only semi-knowledgeable on the food, including what was in it. - I ordered the salmon (MP) with a side of brussel sprouts. The salmon was simple and didn't wow me. I could have made it at home. Not worth the $38 for 6oz. The Bad: - I Understand the restaurant has to pay downtown rent, and I am all too familiar with booze markups. The happy hour cocktails were priced around what I expected ($7-$10) and were ok...I got an old fashioned, and it was nothing to write home about. The wine is where I was a little shocked. There wasn't much, if anything under $50. Typically there are a few bottles in the $30 range, but not much luck here. They labeled the $52 bottle that we got "one of the more affordable options" on the menu...interesting. Especially considering that I know it is $15 retail (350% markup). More than the typical 200%-300%. - The $38 steelhead was ok. I am a little snobbish about my fish because the competition and quality are high in Seattle. I expected more here. The Ugly: - I have a few dietary restrictions, and I am not unpleasant about it, typically being self-deprecating. Dairy is one that isn't life-threatening, but can sometimes ruin my evening. I normally take an enzyme, but I'm currently avoiding dairy entirely. I was very clear with the waiter about those restrictions and he even wrote them down. When the food came out, there was a sauce for the salmon on the side, which the waiter made no mention of while ordering. He only said he "wasn't sure, but [he] thought the salmon had olive oil, salt and pepper on it...he never followed up on that with me even though he said he would check. The sauce looked like a creamy poppyseed or possibly an aioli. It did not say anything about it on the menu, nor did the waiter mention it when I asked what it came with. Luckily, I can spot dairy from a mile away. I asked the server, as he was rushing past, if there was dairy in the sauce, and he said there might be a little cream in it, then rushed away. Needless to say, I didn't eat it. And I didn't say anything, but rather, tried to enjoy my meal and company. In my head I'm thinking WTF?! What if someone had a serious allergy? This was just plain careless. Overall, the restaurant was okay, but not worth what we paid, and negligent with the accommodations. I will save my $73 ($100 at restaurant - $27 at home -- actual costs) and have a better prepared, diet-abiding meal. I don't plan on visiting again. read more

This was a second choice for breakfast one Saturday when our first choice changed its hours and Yelp was out of date. They play at rustic and it's a swing and a miss. Service was mediocre. In a mostly empty restaurant they attempted to seat us at a table against a big post (uncomfortable), but we're amenable to moving us. The hostess ended up taking our order, a different person brought coffee and the gentleman who brought the main dishes was unable to tell the difference between a crab Benedict and scrambled eggs. Coffee was fair, but with a decent coffee stand attached, I didn't expect Folgers. We started with crab toast. Too much fennel (practically a salad and not a garnish) and the coconut milk was applied with such a heavy hand that the semi-toasted bread beneath had a structural failure. The tastes were great, the assembly failed. I had the crab Benedict, the crab was well cooked, the egg was well past poached. Not a little over, a lot. Maybe forgivable in a packed restaurant, Rider was not. The greens on the Benedict were stringy and bitter. Not a good menu choice. I found the potatoes mediocre. My wife had the basic breakfast with bacon (they call it something else). Her toast had a weird flavorless oil on it (maybe it was butter, but there was no flavor at all). The scrambled eggs were fine and she like the potatoes. The bacon was so thick it might as well have been pork belly. I love thick cut bacon, this was too much. It was, however, cooked well. Overall, it wasn't awful. But in a city of choices for breakfast, I probably won't be back. read more

Absolutely phenomenal meal here. Service, value, quality and creativity were all off the charts. Ambiance is excellent. Rocketing up my list of best restaurants in the city. read more

Overall, everything was a disappointment. And when they can't get the food right, that's when I don't have much sympathy. It started with the slow service and lack of engagement. Between waiting 10 mins for someone to come greet us, to no details or descriptions on the food menu, my group was annoyed before our cocktails came. The wine menu was pricey and the pours were tiny. Three of us wound up ordering a bottle and it came with small wine glasses. (And we wound up opening more bottle ourselves.) Food was blah. Almost everyone got the beets and burrata but no one thought it had flavor. For entrees, my table ordered the chicken breast, which was tasty; the NY strip, also tasty. But three of us ordered the faro risotto and it was a sad disappointment. Absolutely no flavor and too chewy. And when the four servers came to our table, one of them (possibly the manager?) asked one of us why she didn't finish her risotto and she explained she didn't like it. He took that risotto off their bill, but asked no one else, including me, who was also just as disappointed and not pleased with the risotto. For $28, the risotto should at least have flavor. For the price point, I expected waaaaay more. I spent $118, which included the tip that I didn't think they deserved in full. But it's Seattle, you're often forced to pay 18% even if you don't want to. I hit up these types of restaurants on the regular and this one will not be one I hit again. They have too many kinks to work out. read more

I was walking around aimlessly looking for a dinner spot. Phone battery died so couldn't Yelp any more when I walked by this place. Stopped and had no trouble getting a seat at the bar at 8:30 PM on a Saturday night. Bartenders were friendly and attentive - and Cameron was conversational and adorable. The food was delicious - refined and extremely flavorful but the ambience was chill and simple. I had the crudo (fish) appetizer followed by the cioppino and it was plenty. Great place to bring a group of friends or for a date and nicely in the center of things. read more

WOW! My group uttered the word many times throughout the meal. I brought two Korean friends to Rider on Friday night. The casual, yet hip ambience--especially with the huge open fire place grill--felt so unique and fun. We decided upon the family style fixed price option, letting the chefs determine our fate. Every item was off-the-charts delicious, beautiful, and unique. The steak and fish were beyond awesome, but it was the sides surrounding the main entrees that impressed me the most. Veggies and potatoes so artfully done. Even the ginger sorbet, "a pallet cleanser" they said, was fabulous. The unusual part--such wonderful food served in abundance. Our portions were so generous--unusual for a high end experience like this. We usually dine at much less costly places, but the next time we want to splurge, and enjoy unique and truly delicious meal, Rider will be on the top of our list! read more