10 years ago, the W hotel bar was perfect for my post-work Seattle business trip cocktails. Today they're calling it Trace, and for my taste it's a little sterile and pretentious. Back in the day, the bartenders were engaging, friendly and efficient. I didn't see a lot of that on my last trip. There are some really good appetizers, however, and they do make a mean cocktail. Just be willing to pay for the privilige, because damn! Really expensive, even for Seattle. read more

Located within the W Seattle. Great service. Didn't get to try any food. Unfortunately, my old fashioned was sub par.

Chef Steven Ariel is amazing. The service was great & the food was even better (we had the flat iron steak & pork chop). They both melted in our mouths. So soft & tasty. read more

A true Hotel restaurant gem. I do really enjoy all of the W Hotel restaurants but Trace does stand out amongst its peers. The suchi and pork sliders aer wonderful! However, I must say that the saimin bowl is truly a unique dish that you do not find outside of Hawaii. It is a great late night snack with bok choy, mushrooms, and egg. Almost worthy of what I will now refer to as the Momofuku status in honor of David Chang! BTW the sushi is truly awsome. Seattle is a world class restaurant destination! read more

Went there for Lunch. Got the burger, was pretty decent. All the dishes they have, have a "hawaiian" feel to them. A little sweet, a little tropical. I'm a fan. Excellent service. I will be returning. read more

First impression: where is everybody? ... Granted this review is written based on a Wednesday. Crashed at the Fairmont Hotel and honestly just really wanted sushi. Next time I will probably stay in and check out the Terrace Lounge instead. Ordered: drinks, edamame, 3 sushi rolls, nigiri. Service here was timely, but HORRIBLE. Waitress really hated her job that night. Or maybe she was drunk? Maybe she needed to be? Either way she was beyond awkward. There is little to no ambience here seeing as how it is a hotel joint, but I could see opportunity for a bit of prowling at the bar on higher traffic days. The space is a bit too open. No character... No laughter... No smiles... Drinks were average. Sushi rolls were average based on Seattle standards. Fish was fresh, but only ordered a couple pieces of nigiri (Unagi-which is cooked if you don't already know) if that tells you anything. I'm a believer in tight rolls about the size of a fifty cent piece, opposite of what they serve here; sliced thin and still the girth makes it difficult to fit a whole piece in your mouth. Highlight: edamame! It is not traditionally served here, but rather in a chili sauce (it's not "saucy"). So good! All in all... I would only come here again if I was staying at the W (no available rooms that night), or in the direct vicinity, badly wanting sushi, and too lazy to take my butt farther uptown. Otherwise take a short walk to the Brooklyn, one of my favorite restaurants/bars in Seattle. read more

Went for lunch a while back and it was delightful. Food was innovative and just fun to eat. Bright welcoming atmosphere. Great place to catch up. Was not thrilled when I went back for happy hour on a Friday night. Place felt more like a club with people trying to eat and balance plates on every available surface. Food was fine. Drinks were fine. Recommend the whisky sour if you're a fan and are desperate enough to come here for HH. read more

We just got back from them their Thanksgiving meal. It was decent, but not great. Honestly, the soup, and sides, and the wine pairing were the best parts of the meal. But, the service seemed a bit sub par for the prices we paid. It didn't ruin Thanksgiving for us (hey, no dishes, and no cooking!), but I doubt we'll be back to this restaurant any time soon. read more

It's an alright has-been place. Loud music. I think it would be better if there was a swimming pool in this space.

During my recent visit I went here for the late night happy hour. Decent selection of goodies & adult beverages. I was a bit disappointed with the maki sushi - rice tasted like it was made ahead of time & stored in the frirdge as opposed to rolled fresh. Spicy tuna temaki was much better. read more

Yummy sushi. Yummy brussel sprouts. Definitely would come back if I stay at the w again.

Came here for lunch with a friend. I ordered the $16 sushi lunch combo and my friend ordered the $17 pastrami sandwhich. Mine was horrible but my friend absolutely loved her lunch. Said it was one of the best if not the best pastrami sandwhich she has had. I sure hope so at $17. Mine combo came with a cup of warm me so soup broth and hard ramen noodles, 4 tiny pieces if California roll (rice was cold and hard) and a simple lettuce side with light vinegarette dressing. Not what I was expecting for $16. I could have had a better and less expensive lunch buying from the food court. The reason I am giving this place 3 stars as opposed to 2 stars is because the place is clean, and beautiful... And my friend happened to enjoy her $17 sandwhich. I probably won't be coming back. read more

Went here for happy hour. Ordered some drinks and a spicy tuna roll. The roll was surprisingly good considering this is a fu-fu styles hotel restaurant. Seating and Happy hour selection was limited. read more

the interior lobby area is really nice. they have a DJ booth up high. we were there for a good friend's fashion line launch. her stuff looked really nice. it turned out to be a great venue for us to see and catch up with a lot of friends we haven't seen in a while. wednesday evenings they apparently host this fashion party event. service was pretty good considering how chaotic it was in there. i really enjoyed the flatbread dish we got. it's basically an oblong pizza. all veggies on it. the brussels sprout dish was good enough, but for me if it had the traditional korean koh-chu-jang sauce, it would have been much better. the sauce they used was kindof a bastard of koh-chu-jang. not spicy. soda waters with lime were 3 bucks each. read more

Service is inconsistent tonight. Food arrived at different times. A bit pricy for the level of service.

This place has mediocre food and small portions at a high price point. Ambiance is clean and modern but it feels like I am hanging out in a hotel lobby. The overall atmosphere is impersonal and the seating is sporadic - some chairs are comfy, some are not, and some are just awkward. read more

Wandered in from the hotel next door because the service in their bar was horrible. No expectations. Ordered a couple of drinks and the chicken wings and...the evening was redeemed! Great Asian fusion, AKA as the best wings I've ever tasted (age 65 plus--lol) and GREAT service! Try this bar out if you love great bar food (Sonoma county standards) and don't waste your time at The Lodge next door. read more

We were in Seattle for my birthday this last weekend (we live in Federal Way, and love to go play in our own back yard), and made reservations at Trace. We were greeted warmly and shown to our table promptly. Our server was Corynne, and she could not have been more gracious and attentive. I ordered the sashimi plate, requesting a "chef's choice" -- which was accomodated with no problem, and the selection was perfect and delicious! My husband had the kalua pork slider from the appetizer menu and he enjoyed it very much. As the quantity of food was really reasonable, this left us enough more than enough room for a dessert, and we opted to split the german chocolate cake with salted caramel gelato. This has to be one of the most amazing desserts E.V.E.R. They even had a chocolate "happy birthday" scrolled across the plate We are always happy when we can find a restaurant with menus that include appetizers and other "small plate" options for those of us, as in my case, someone who has had weight loss surgery and cannot eat a large quantity of food... We couldn't have been more pleased with the experience at Trace, and we recommend it highly... we will definitely be back! read more

There happy hour wasn't that great. But I did love the decor

Loungey feel and decor, interesting set up but not the most efficient use of space. Mix of couches, u shaped and branched and bar seating, with a restaurant seating area at the other end that seems to be open at particular times. Drinks were fantastic- we ordered whiskey sours, brussels sprouts were deliciously friend and flavored in an Asian fusion way although a bit less sauce would have been appreciated; they were a bit drenched. Pork slider wasn't as worth it. Nice hum level of noise and a good place to drop in for a happy hour drink or chat before heading somewhere else for dinner. read more

The food flavor was fantastic but the service was not. We were in the restaurant with only one other table (2 people). The food took a long time to arrive and if we asked for anything additional (i.e., cream for the coffee etc) it took very long to arrive to the point were we asked again because it seemed they had forgotten. The lox, while delicious, was sparse on the bagel and there was barely any cream cheese. When we asked for more, (again after nearly 10 min) we were informed that more would cost extra and the chef gives 2 oz per bagel, but it was most definitely more like 1 ounce. Giving in to paying extra again it took considerable time to actually get more lox to the table to the point where most everyone had already finished their meals. There's really no excuse for such slow service with only one other table of guests. read more

We were in Seattle and looking for a late night bite to eat and came across Trace. We were greeted by a very friendly server and were helped quickly. She was knowledgeable about the menu and gave us a few different ideas of what to try. We got the Seattle Roll, Hand Cut Fries, and the Crispy Fried Brussel Sprouts. All were good, but the brussel sprouts were a little too crispy for our liking. Overall, it was a cool atmosphere. read more

First of all, I don't know who that Ryan guy is who gave the one star review, but he definitely had a stick up his you know where. Anyway, I went to Trace, and I really liked it! I'd give in 4.5 stars so I'll just round up to 5. I liked the ambiance, the lighting was perfect, not too dark, and the colors and decorations were very relaxing. It was a little loud, but I think that's because of the architecture of the room. The table settings were pretty, with hand made glass plates. Our server, Tanessa, was wonderful and cheery the entire time, one of those people who's probably always happy. She was always around when we needed her but was never pushy. We started with a Trace roll (sushi) and some edamame, which turned out to be surprisingly good, and paired it with a nice Beaujolais Nouveau, a summer red wine. We followed this appetizer with the Omakase, which is a tasting menu. The first two courses were excellent, some nagiri, an oyster, and a "hand roll" (it was kind of like a sushi roll shaped like an ice cream cone), and for the second course, Ahi Poke Chirashi (basically tuna tar-tar on a bed of avocado and rice with a cilantro pesto), so delicious! Next came scallops, which were very tasty, although the peas that came with them were underdone. After then was the Wagyu steak, which was cooked perfectly and had the most amazing sauce with it. This and the Tuna were my two favorite dishes. Then for dessert we had a green tea cake topped with a citrus mousse and fresh raspberries served with toasted rice sorbet. I was so full from all the other courses but this dessert was so worth it! All in all we had a wonderful experience and a good value, and the food was so good I would definitely go again. I recommend this to anyone who wants a somewhat fancy, yet relaxed environment for a decent price. read more

Overcooked salmon? Really? The decor is the only thing this place has going for it. Awkward experience. read more

Breakfast was much improved over dinner. Had the yogurt/granola with bacon and eggs. Still way overpriced for what you get.

We stopped here along the way for a quick breakfast as convenience always wins when traveling on your "go-Home" day. Not unhappy we did but I'm sure there are better options. It's funny how hotel restaurants decor is looking more and more fast food chain like. We sat in high plastic metal chairs next to a column where we had a view of....the dining room. Cold, uninviting, and bland. The menu looked great and had interesting choices. We chose the mock loco and spam and egg sandwich. The food arrived promptly, hot and the plating was beautiful. It tasted good, but not 50$ good. The risotto in the loco mock dish tasted bland, and the beef patty was too charred. The spam sandwich was very good but for $23.00? Again, the food was good, so no real complaints. However, and it's a big however, the coffee tasted like it was filtered through newspaper. Seriously, when you're in Seattle, you should NEVER taste a bad cup of Joe. Thanks Trace, for being there, but for my money, next time I'll just walk on by. read more

This bar/restaurant is located inside the W in downtown Seattle, which is super convenient if staying at the hotel. Drinks are good, happy hour is decent, and the food is definitely a few notches above your typical bar food (the fries!!! YUM!). If they have a DJ going, it can get very loud at night; however, I like that atmosphere if traveling solo and just out to enjoy a drink or two. read more

This place is simply not up to par with what Seattleites demand in food. We are picky and there are so many great places to eat in this city, we can be. So when I went to check out Trace, as I do many new places, I was very disappointed with the mediocre food. And by the way a $12 dollar cocktail better be damn good in Seattle..it was so very average. In short: overpriced, not great food, oh and the place was almost empty on a Thursday night. read more

I'm back in Seattle after three years, which means I'm rediscovering the nightlife. I walked by Trace one Saturday night with a friend and decided why not give it a shot. What a great idea! The happy hour offered great deals, the ambiance was exactly what we were looking for and the food/drinks good. Definitely check it out if you are in the neighborhood., read more

Just had sliders in the bar for lunch. They were superb and at 4 each two made a great inxpensive lunch. The decore is enjoyable and the service is exactly right. I plan to come back for dinner on Friday. It was that good. read more

Cool and convenient but high priced for sushi that's just not very good :( would not recommend. The fish was not fresh and even in my hungriest state I honestly couldn't finish it. It just plain wasn't good or authentic. read more

Worst wait staff ever. She didn't listen to our order. I ordered steak and beer to be brought w/ steak. Husband ordered edamame appetizer and Sushi entree. Sushi came in about 10 minutes along with my beer. My steak came about 20 minutes later along w/ his edamame. My steak was cold and tuff to chew. Sent it back along w/ edamame. We left to a different restaurant after paying for what we drank and eat. Have loved all other Seattle restaurants. read more

We had a wonderful meal at Trace. We started with some great red wine, beer and sushi. We also tried the spinach artichoke dip (yum!) and the pork sliders and chicken tacos. All were very tasty! The service was wonderful and very friendly. The ambience was perfect! Based on our experience, we would definitely recommend this beautiful restaurant/sushi bar/cocktail lounge. read more

My wife and I ate at Trace last summer on vacation, and I ate there last Friday night on a business trip. The food was world class both times. I don't recall specifically what we had last summer, but I do know that we did not have sushi, so I can't comment on that. My recent meal consisted of a crab cake appetizer, which was great, and the black cod, which was spectacular. In the past five weeks I've eaten in fine restaurants in Rome, Paris and New York. My meal at Trace was as good as any of those, truly world class. Service was fine, but typical casual American. Don't expect the slick, cool, somewhat impersonal service you'll find in those other three cities. But do expect great food. read more

Saturday night 5:45 dinner reservations, sat down and waited almost 20 minutes for a drink. I felt like I was sitting in a upscale school cafeteria. Finally ordered dinner, there was only one waitress for the entire restaurant-it was terrible, the plates were sloppy and the food was not hot, no one ever came back to our table We should have checked the Yelp reviews-TOTAL BUST! read more

Wow! I just had the best meal I have had since I've been in Seattle (about 3yrs) the food was sooo good!!! Our meals were beautiful and very tasty and came out quickly. I'm really excited to come back I can't believe how good our meals were my friends and I were very impressed go W!!! read more

I usually do not give a review for a New restaurant until we have been able to visit it several times. New restaurants do not start out perfectly. They usually take a few weeks or months to truely get their feet on the ground and evolve into what they eventually become. Trace now deserves a 5 star! The atmosphere is hip and upscale, very nice. The sushi is the freshest and best in town. Try the Trace Rolls. A wine menu that is well balanced with local, domestic and international selections and not over-priced. The main menu is creative and refreshing. I had the best salad of my life there a couple of weeks ago. A Pear Salad loaded with delicious Bleu Cheese Crumbles.....amazing! The service has evolved into a very well rounded knowlegable, friendly staff. They are there when you need them but not constantly hovering in your face. The bar has a great menu of cool, upscale innovative and tastey cocktails. The mixologists, are very capable and friendly. The service is top flight, obviously a well managed unit. It's also a great place to people watch.....see and be seen. You never know what celebrity or sports star you might encounter there.....very fun. This place had a few minor bumps during start up, but have now really hit their stride! I guess I should not expect less from the W as they are World Class. read more

I went last Thur night with a date and met in the bar and intended to have dinner at the restaurant. The bar has a very sleek modern vibe and enjoyable couches by the fireplaces. It was really hard to get the attention of any of the staff and I think they train them to not show any personality. I stood at the bar for several minutes and couldn't get either of the two bartenders' attention. I then backed away from the bar and stood around and tried to make eye contact with test cocktail server for a few min and several passes to ask a question, not possible. When my date arrived we took a seat on one of the couches and the cocktail server did show up fairly quickly then. The cocktails were very good. It took a long time to get our check and get cashed out though. After our one drink we decided to find somewhere else for dinner instead of moving over to their dining room, as the dining room was far too brightly lit and the staff was hard communicate with. read more

My boyfriend ate there twice the very week it opened and took me with him the second time. The food was fantastic! I had the pork and shrimp dish with a side of rice. The pork literally melted in my mouth. The drinks were good, the bartender was super friendly, and remembered my bf. Great spot. read more

Just okay. After seeing all of the great reviews I got take out, and it is way overpriced for the quality of my food. The sushi roll barely has any sauce, super dry crab, and the shrimp tempura in it taste like asian deli market tempura. I will say that I thoroughly enjoy the sushi rice. One of the biggest offenders of any sushi is if the rice is dry or without vinegar. I am only in Seattle for a few more days and it is just that more disappointing to waste a night of dinner on food that just isn't worth it. read more