Super cool business district, lovely, friendly restaurant, but... you've got to be kidding me. Fried chicken has to be good, right? When fine-dining offers a common dish like fried chicken, you know they are going to impress, especially when it's $38. What they serve is chicken katsu. A boneless patty of chicken katsu, with nice spices. Other dishes had beautiful presentation and some lovely flavors, especially the salad and vegees, but generally this is the type of fancy pants dining that engenders mockery of precious urbanites. Small portions, lots of tweezer work and descriptions beyond the reality of what is served. I know many folks who love this restaurant, so maybe we are just picky as hell, but we topped $300 for two and definitely considered a Dick's run on the way home. Also, a $70 mark up on a bottle of wine seems excessive, though I can't really speak to that. I am hands down an expert on desserts (i've been eating them my whole life!) and the attractive, foamy thing they gave us looked like soft serve but was made with cucumbers and radishes(?!) and was so bad we thought we were being punked. The blackberry tart was nice, but was literally about 2.5" in diameter. Easily grubbed in two bites. Finally, am I the only one who wants my cocktail ($18) before the food is served? (No knocks on the staff here, they were wonderful) read more

We had early dinner on Friday of opening weekend. Service was attentive and kind. Shout out to the sommelier - the Les Tetes white blend was fantastic. Cocktails were well balanced and unique. We all opted for the meat tasting menu, except one in our party got the maitake mushroom instead of the lamb. Dishes were unique and flavorful, albeit small portions. Ultimately a little too small for us and the reason for 4 stars. All 6 in our party walked away still craving a little more. Everyone's favorite was the summer squash! Zucchini was grilled (I think) and the squash was marinated in something tangy and complemented the unique hemp pudding, arugula oil, and mint. The tomatoes in cold cherry vinegar broth with lavender was like nothing I've tasted before. The albacore was so perfectly cooked and the bit of pepper sauce on top provided an incredible salty tingly sensation. The maitake was underwhelming, but lamb was an all-around favorite. The beeswax cream was so fluffy and light, it should be on all dessert menus! The space is gorgeous - light wood, black walls, and soft lighting. And can't not mention the high tech toilets like you find in Japan. We had a great time and were grateful to experience Tomo. read more

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The service was good. The salad was good as was the summer squash. From there it went downhill steeply. The crab croquettes (on the menu) were delivered as crab and halibut croquettes. We didn't taste much crab. There was probably a reason for this. The halibut collar had maybe eight bites if meat and nine very small clams. I think they raided the collar to make the croquettes. The fried chicken with shishito peppers was boring. The chicken was pounded flat then fried. Not juicy, not rich. The shishito's were unlike any shishito's I've ever had. They were about 4-5 inches long and quite fleshy. They didn't taste like a shishito and were quite mild. The 22% service charge is applied prior to tax so it's really 24.22%. It says the service charge is retained by Tomo so it's unclear how much of it goes to the staff. There is a line on the final bill for tip. Guilt? The first time we went was great. We won't be going back. read more

I've been a couple of times now. If the Michelin guide ever came to Seattle Tomo would be one star. They use top-quality ingredients, serve dishes with distinct flavors, and prepare food to a consistently high standard. Service is casual. They could benefit from uniforms but other than that, excellent. read more

This is the best new spot in town. Highly recommend. Please check them out, friendly staff and the best you can ever have. Great experience over here read more

We have only made it to the bar but even that was 5 star! I can't wait to get a reservation for dinner!

Overall a good experience but didn't quite live up to the hype. For a place that you have to book well in advance it was reasonably priced ($86 + service fee and taxes) for 5 courses and an amuse bouche with quality food but all just a bit underwhelming. Favorite dishes were 1) the fresh cheese, tomato, summer beans and jimmy nardello pepper and 2) the supplemental dessert ($20): kakigori - corn, blueberry and basil. Good service and nice staff but soon after we were seated at 5pm the restaurant became very noisy and the wooden chair very uncomfortable which took away from the experience. read more

It was worth the 3 month wait!!! Tough as heck to get a reservation but keep on trying because the food is amazing! We went there for lunch since it was the only time available. Hopefully we'll get a dinner reservation soon! We got almost everything on the menu. We decided to go with small sharing items versus a larger dish such as the lamb belly and pork chop. I'm sure those two are amazing as well but thought it would be better to try as many dishes as possible. All were very good but if I was forced to pick one, I'd say the beef tataki miso! Wow! So much flavor packed in a small little bowl. Next is the Treviso Caesar which is made from albacore instead of anchovies. The mousse was third in line! Then apreas, sunchokes and shiitake. The location is right in the middle of White Center. The vibe fits perfectly to the diversity in that area. The inside brings you to a Japanese styled decor. Very simple but the details are impeccable! Go! read more

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Horrible experience trying to reschedule/get options for a cancellation due to illness. Trying to let them know of possible COVID but no consideration of the unforeseeable circumstances...and not a cheap deposit to just go to waste. When I requested to have others bring back the food (already paid for), they refused. Pretentious restaurant talking about they are not a "to-go" restaurant. Yeah but I paid? Is that legal?? Don't waste your money and this type of business. read more

Tomo is what I hope more dining experiences would be like. Inventive dishes full of flavor, thoughtfully designed place settings, attentive yet casual service, portions conscious of how much humans should actually consume, pace to allow you to enjoy your company and experience. This place is a winner all around and still has me reminiscing about my experience months later. If you are looking for a generic, in-and-out, 1hr long gut bomb dinner that has you eating more calories than most of the world does in a day, you'll probably be disappointed. read more

Are you kidding me? I am actually offended by my dining experience at Tomo. This place is so pretentious- it would make a perfect SNL sketch. Reminds me of the Portlandia scene about the 'free-range chicken'. I went the vegetarian route and aside from the 'egg curd' (wtf), most of it tasted fine - but he's not curing cancer here people. It's food. The portions are tiny, so arrive full. I'm not a gluttonous eater, but even for me this was ridiculous. I hate that this place is in White Center, when the majority of people in a 10 mile radius can't easily afford dinner here. A $700 bill for 4 of us and I didn't have the wine pairing, nor did we get the 'special dessert'. If being able to afford this place means I've arrived, I'd rather be lost. The staff was cold and one woman (manager maybe?) was plain rude. Aesthetic inside is beautiful but we were stuck on the deck. I wouldn't go here again if it was free. read more

Was really looking forward to coming here for dinner tonight 4/6 and got off the waitlist Saturday night! Cannot attend due to schedule change and my partner also now likely has COVID, so I cancelled 72 hours in advance. Unfortunately TOMO will not refund this reservations as they require 96 hour notice, which is understandable but also has been frustrating as I'd like to transfer the reservation since I know their waitlist is *very* hot but I don't have access to others who want this reservation, though TOMO does. My total cost lost is $212. This post is twofold--if anyone wants this reservation tonight, please message me and I can transfer the reservation to you! The other point is just noting the 96 hour cancellation policy for anyone who hops hastily on the reservations once you come off the waitlist (as I did). The restaurant also blocked me on Instagram because I had posted this available reservation as a comment on their last two posts to garner any interest stating it was an inappropriate use of their Instagram (rather than telling me this and requesting I remove the post)--I get it but it still seems rude and unprofessional. I don't think I'll be vying for a reservation here again given all of this. read more

The Chef & Bartender both from Canlis are creating some magic here, we won't be able to call White Center "Rat City" for much longer. An amazing array of small dishes, however be ready for small servings at a downtown Seattle price. Give it a try totally worth it! read more

I have so many thoughts on this experience, I honestly do not know how to put all the pieces together. I will start with the service, it's was absolutely impeccable! We felt welcome from the minute the door opened. Our reservation was for bar seating. Both mixologists were lovely! I say that because in my opinion they were not bartender's. I watched the two of them create the most beautiful, whimsical, and perfectly dressed cocktails. Every question we asked was answered with care. We chose the wine pairing to accompany the pre fixe menu. The wine director gave a great description of every wine pairing and why it matched each item on the menu. From the moment each course arrived. I felt I was tasting a piece of art. I made a conscious effort to taste and experience every component of the dish. My problem is this. I travel all over the globe for work. I have dined at some fabulous restaurants. I like to believe I can appreciate exceptional food regardless of the price. I did not leave Tomo feeling like I had an exceptional meal for the amount of money we spent. I enjoyed the experience but I will not return nor will I recommend it. It pains me to say that because I believe a chef of this caliber deserves the highest recognition for the creativity displayed. I just can not promote for the miniscule bites I took part in. read more

Outstanding. Cocktails, wine, and food are ever changing. Friendly staff and not overly stuffy. An approachable and curated menu for the beginner or veteran foodie. Enjoyed the Champs Elysses drink and the matsutake chawanmushi. I highly recommend making a reservation. I did a walk in and the had a seat at the bar. Limited bar menu which is understandable. read more

Tomo - Champs-Èlysees--cognac, lemon, green chartreuse, bitter - New American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Great experience the other night at Tomo. My table was directly facing the kitchen staff and I loved seeing how respectful everyone was with each other. They have a system down and it's working! Our waitress was super friendly and attentive and the food..... well let's just say I was slurping down anything and everything I could. Not one drop of broth was left on my plate. Delicious!!! Oh and the music was the icing on the cake. 80s and 90s hip hop and pop. Yes please! read more

Really nice inside and great service. Food was amazing and very tasty. Would recommend anyone in the area to come and try it out.

Outstanding food experience !! Enjoyed every thing about TOMO ! Every element in the food we enjoy was so creative and delicious ! The service was outstanding and the pacing of our meal as we enjoyed the set menu was perfect. We were excited to find an open reservation and sat on the enclosed , heated patio. We decided on the set menu along with wine pairings. The patio was comfortable and actually a very intimate setting. Blankets were available but not needed because the heat lamps provided perfect heat so we were comfortable. Each course was outstanding. We enjoyed Dungeness Crab as a first course ( Dungeness Crab + Enoki Chawanmushi ) then salt roasted beet salad, followed by Albacore - Savoy Cabbage - Tomato - currents and another excellent course of Dry-Aged Steak with Leek and Parsnip. This is one talented Chef ! Every element in every course was divine. The serving amounts were perfect. The selected wines were a wonderful addition to the food - added to the food but did not overwhelm or distract. We finished our meal with the Winter Citrus, Vanilla, Quince Sansyo dessert and a cup of Caffe Vita steeped coffee. We look forward to enjoying many more visits so we can enjoy the changing menus based on what the Chef might create using local seasonal products that are available in the Pacific Northwest. This restaurant should be a must visit when in Seattle. Every element from interior design , to dishes, to wait staff to of course food deserves top awards as an outstanding restaurant !!! read more

This place adds a 22% cost of living charge to your overpriced experience , and you'll more than likely be pressured by your server to add a standard tip to that. That alone should tell you all you need to know read more

Tomo was unlike any restaurant I've ever tried before. The aesthetic was calming and casual for a nice restaurant, and the waiting staff was incredibly accommodating and willing to answer questions. It truly felt like an experience. I'm vegetarian, and they have a very well thought out 5-course vegetarian menu in addition to their primary dinner menu. The dishes were generally well thought out, with unique ingredients that meshed well together. Most notable was the egg custard with masutake mushroom, which was perfectly savory, and the roasted maitake mushroom with sea lettuce and kohlrabi, in which the meaty flavor of the mushroom absolutely stole the show. We finished with a kakigori shaved ice which was a perfect palate cleaner at the end. The only downsides were that each serving was pretty small and we had to wait for 10+ minutes in between courses, so by the end of the meal we had been there for 2.5 hours but were still hungry after. So I'd recommend eating a bit before arriving so that you can patiently enjoy the unique dishes! read more

Delicious food, albeit very small portions and terribly over priced, even on the a la carte menu. But what really ruined the end of an otherwise great evening was the SURPRISE 22% automatic "Service Charge" they added to an already outrageously high bill. But wait, there's more! Because TOMO, in their infinite business wisdom, decided to call this 22% add-on a "Service Charge" to help support their employees (they said it's not a tip, but also said no tip is necessary after their fee, so maybe it is a tip???), it's considered additional revenue and not a gratuity after the total amount of the bill. According to TOMO this fee is not a "Gratuity", so they needed to add sales tax to the service charge, so in essence the "service charge / fee / gratuity" or whatever you want to call it is now 24.2%. Sure feels wrong to me. When I mentioned all of this to the the Manager all she said was that's the way it is, and I should take it up with WA State. Wow! What a condescending response from management to pass the buck and not take responsibility for their own poor business decisions. While the chef may be a brilliant artist at cooking, his business acumen, or whomever he has running his business is unfortunately misguided, and the customer pays for it. Bottom line is this... come prepared to not only pay a lot for dinner, but get ready to pay much much more than what you think the bill's going to be. Oh, one more thing... somehow they must have forgotten to mention their automatic service charge to mention anywhere on their website. So much for transparency!!! read more

Tomo is interesting. So first of all the food is creative, and they are doing some neat things. It's not the most mind-blowing meal I've ever had, but very good. And I was really full after (in case you are worried this is a tiny-plate-leave-hungry type of place). My main takeaway though, is that it is sort of a mish-mash of fine dining and casual, and it's a little confusing. It's fine-dining pricing but the service was informal. For instance, they changed the flatware between courses but they just kind of threw it down haphazardly instead of placing it in the correct spot. Vintage amaros are a 'thing' there and I asked how a vintage amaro is different/better than a new one and the waiter said he didn't know! Well, then I'm not going to spend $30 on a pour, thanks for saving me some money! I guess when I'm spending $300 on dinner and drinks I expect a more knowledgeable server or at least some enthusiasm. The waiter seemed surprised that we live nearby. We were lucky to be able to splurge here but I'm guessing most of their clientele is from outside the area, which seems like a theme with some of the new businesses that have popped up lately. It's very dark inside and the windows are covered so the White Center environs don't show up in their Bellevue clientele's Instagram, I suppose. (Actually it's probably because there was a window smasher running rampant awhile ago - welcome to Rat City!) Anyhoo glad I went to see what the fuss was about but doubt I'll ever go again. read more

Unfortunately was not tasty and felt very pretentious. The architecture/ambiance was nice but a different server bringing each tiny, weird course felt like overkill. We went out fir pizza later. Trying too hard... Also, as a side note, it drives me crazy when these types of businesses set their roots in a neighborhood that most people who live there could never afford to eat there - maybe that's why there is no signage and it's blackened out from the front. read more

This place does not live up to the hype, and reading reviews on multiple sites suggest that the food was better when they first opened. Like many, we opted for the set 5-course menu. First course was a raw dish of sliced tomatoes and plum in a tomato water/vinegar. Not super interesting, but we were piqued as to what would come next. Second course was basically another raw dish of sliced zucchini and charred zucchini on a hemp romesco; nothing amazing. I don't have anything against raw vegetables, but if you're going to charge what they're charging, you're expecting Amazing vegetables and flavor, which this was not. Third course was just odd: crab and rice in a chili oil that completely overpowered the crab. If you're having crab, you want to taste it, and the dish was just one note, no texture, and the temperature of the dish felt like it was cooked earlier and warmed. The main was pork loin, which was cooked perfectly, but again, underwhelmed with the flavor. Dessert was equally underwhelming vanilla ice cream with out of season blueberries with rice vinegar that didn't seem incorporated in the sauce to heighten flavors. Wine for sale by the glass was underwhelming, pacing was irregular, and the whole experience left us wonting. read more

Man oh man what can I say I'm not the biggest fan of fine dining but this place changed the way i look at fine dining. Food was so delicious and all ghe different dishes with the main course is amazing. Definitely coming here again with family this time!! read more

Thoughtful, sublime meal last night at Brady Williams' Tomo. Beautiful setting, simple, comfortable with attentive, knowledgeable wait and wine staff. Thank you Sarah, Andy and others! Sungold tomatoes in delicious cherry vinegar and tomato broth was the perfect start. Albacore slices with an amazing crust and some kind of peppery top was next. Wonderful. And then my favorite of all, grilled zucchini, pickled yellow squash and hemp paste. I watched as other guests subsequently encountered this simple and delectable dish. Conversations literally were stopped for the eating. Zucchini. Who knew? Not a fan of red meat, I will let others describe the lamb's deliciousness. Lovely beeswax cream dessert ended an unforgettable meal. Get there if you can get in! read more

amazing service, amazing food & super affordable. can't wait to come back! nothing but good vibes!

Everything about this spot is beyond well executed and truly feels like a dream addition to one of Seattle's coolest and more dynamic commercial districts. Food was an adventure, the sommelier brought incredible recommendations and the vibe is outstanding. 10/10 read more

Tomo was delightful. The food was interesting and beautiful. I was worried about a few of the reviewers who said the food was off or portions far too small. That was not our experience-- you have to like pickled and umami flavors to enjoy your meal, but if you do, the food is glorious. Portions are just right for a lighter dinner. Cocktails are great, service is friendly and unobtrusive and the covered heated patio works well even in a torrential rain and wind storm. We are excited to return. read more

The food here is outstanding. The staff are wonderful and friendly and the atmosphere is delightful. If you are looking for a sophisticated place to enjoy for a date or just go solo, this is a wonderful place to go. The prices are reasonable for the food you get and you dont need to be dressed over the top. On top of everything they will only serve people who have their vaccination card so I've never felt safer eating at an establishment since covid began. The cocktails are delightful and flavorful and the food was beyond delicious. Would recommend to anyone in the area or out if you plan for dinner here. The miss nick cocktail was a wonderful combination of sweet and tart with a beautiful soft pink look to it and the squash was so amazing. It was caramelized yet had a nice crunch and the flavors were complex and well thought out. Will come again easily. read more

Had the pleasure of eating at Tomo's on opening night and it was amazing. Refined food for a great value. Fun neighborhood with low key vibes. First time I have had fine dining and left more than satisfied. Summer squash was to DIE for! read more

Very disappointed to be sharing a poor review as we were so excited to try this restaurant. I think this spot is an unfortunate example of a place that is experiencing a lot of hype and popularity due to its cool factor, when in reality the food is pretty average and the management team doesn't seem to care about customer feedback. We went in for dinner and did the wine pairing. The first 3 courses were fine, but didn't blow our minds. The forth course, a pork dish, was so terrible - chewy and very hard to eat let alone enjoy. All 4 of us sent it back. For this dish to be the main event and for the restaurant to think this was acceptable to serve to customers was so incredibly disappointing. All the wine served is natural wine, which generally is never that great - id save your money. The whole experience just left us feeling like we spent a decent amount of money to have a very mediocre experience. To make matters even worse, I emailed in to the restaurant to share our experience and received a very "we don't care, but thanks for coming in" response. There are lots of great restaurants in Seattle, I would skip this one and go somewhere with good food and where the staff/management actually care if their customers have a good experience. read more

Basing this review on: 1) Food & Drink (so good - yum! spectacular dishes with wonderful flavors - the beef tartare tortada with ikura (salmon roe) and sablefish Katsu were standouts - but tiny portions - suggest eating something before you arrive because you will be here for a while (see 3 below)); 2) Service (warm and friendly, except for the up-selling for additional courses and wine pairings, which seems management-driven); 3) Pace (comically slow - everything takes ages - definitely don't order the extra courses if you want to escape in under four hours); 4) Ambiance (ghastly - you will spend the hours between the tiny courses yelling at each other and saying "what?!" because this restaurant is so intentionally and obnoxiously loud - we left with ears ringing; and the seats are deeply uncomfortable. So the Pace would have been bearable, possibly even nice - I have no problem with nice long meals - had the Ambiance been at all comfortable); 5) Price (seems reasonable at first for a truly delicious fixed price menu, even with the 22% service charge. But I always ask the servers/bartenders if they actually get any of the money from these service charges, and was told by the TOMO staff that they do not, so I tipped another 20%. Yes the website says no additional gratuities are "expected." But they also say that the service charge "is fully retained by the restaurant," meaning it doesn't go to the staff, and I didn't want to punish the good servers. That said, 40+% in service charge and gratuity is both partly on me and also ludicrous). Finally, about this idea that the entire restaurant is based on "friendship" (See their website for more on this section - TOMO is the first part of the word "tomodachi - 友達" which means friend in Japanese): Friends give you their phone number, they don't generally deafen you and leave you hungry after a meal, and they understand when your plans change or you get sick. read more