Canlis

We celebrated a special occasion at Canlis this week and overall I was disappointed. The service is good but not great, the view is stunning, cocktails and wine were excellent but the food was seriously lacking. For the exceptionally high prices and the addition of a James Beard nomination this year, I expected a top notch culinary experience on par with fine dining in New York and San Fransisco and it was not that.

Staff greeted us at the door and hung our jackets. We were about 15 minutes early for our reservation so we enjoyed some cocktails at the bar. We had a lemon drop and a martini. Both were excellent. We were then brought over to our table and and had the gorgeous view to look out on. The chef sent over some gifts from the kitchen. I do not know exactly what these were. They looked like artful tree branches with matcha powder and there was creme fraiche. There was nothing particularly remarkable about the taste. My husband has malbec with his dinner and I had the chardonnay. We both enjoyed our wine very much.

The remaining courses were fairly forgettable. I had the radish with poached oyster, the crab, halibut as a main course, the soufflé, the chef sent macarons to the table and I had coffee to finish. The halibut was by far the most disappointing dish I tasted. The fish was cut exceptionally well but the plate was almost completely white. The only color was the crab sauce that was added to the dish table side. The fish was almost completely bland. There was little to no taste at all. Absolutely nothing I had that night was anything special. While the presentation was nice, food should taste good! At this price, food should taste amazing and we a truly satisfying and memorable experience. I do not think we will return.

My problem was that we had high expectation given prior review of Canlis. Everything about the restaurant is average, not great and certainly not good value for the money. Compared to other high end restaurants in other metropolitan areas, Canlis lacks in culinary experimentation, food presentation, menu development and basic taste. There are many other and better choices to showcase the Seattle culinary expertise.
The menu lacked imagination and the presentation of the food left much to be desired. The desert was all but tasteless. The wine list was solid, though, but very expensive, even for a "high end" restaurant. This was one of the most expensive meal we have ever had (and we have had dining experiences at the old Noma, Amass, Fat Duck, Bæst etc) for a food experience that was average at best.

First, I want to say that service there is EXCELLENT! I have had the best service everyone I go there. The best patt was when my daughter was able to go into the kitchen and choose her ice cream with th e server. Nice touch! With that said, the selection of food was less to be desired... or more of a select taste. Presentation was excellent however. We will reserve a return visit for sure... when we are up for trying something out of norm.

Tremendous service, superb food, great view, delicious cocktails, excellent music!
They even provided pillows since I was recovering from broken ribs, but without making a spectacle. Loved it!

Everything was great! Food, service, ambiance!

Outstanding dinner with great service and view.

Amazing evening with friends. Food was exceptional. Sommelier exceptional. Who can pass up the view ? Wish more folks would adhere to the dress code or Canlis would politely ask them to leave if not dressed properly. It's not too much to ask.

Great experience celebrating a Birthday! Amazing view, good service, good food, and classy.

Exceptional service and food. The best meal my husband and I have enjoyed on our weekends in the city thus far!!

It was excellent when we went several years ago. Now it's fantastic! Elevated cuisine and a tasting menu on a par with the best in the country. And of course, the view is amazing. Thanks much!

Went to Canlis for a major milestone birthday event for my wife. After being around for pushing 70 years I think Canlis is still the best restaurant in town: amazing and creative food, service that is outstanding without being stuffy, an iconic location overlooking Lake Union, and classic Northwest Contemporary architecture. Of course it's crazy expensive (all in for 6 people inc. tax, tip, one round of cocktails and two bottles of wine was a bit over $1300) but well worth it for the (occasional) special occasion. Everyone should go there at least once. Only quibble is that the cocktail service is slow ( have experienced this on other occasions as well). The bar is small and it seems like sometimes they get overwhelmed.

I really enjoying my time at Canlis. The service was absolutely outstanding from the time we pulled into the driveway to the minute we left. Our servers were always available and explained all the food, how it's made and what's in it, but at the same time I didn't feel overwhelmed by their checking in on us. The food options were quite exotic so you have to have a certain pallet to enjoy them. The prices are steep but it's worth it for a special occasion.

Had our wedding anniversary dinner here. We were immediately greeted by someone who took our car. Proceeding to the inside we were greeted and taken to our table. Everyone was knowledgeable and kind. Even though we dressed up for the occasion, we felt like these people were friends. Food was great! Not the norm, at least for us. Excellent spirits! There was a slight snafu with getting our car, only because the timing was slightly off. The overall experience was lovely. We will be here again!

Amazing! Truly wonderful. I will be back! Service was phenomenal!

Came here for our joint birthdays. We loved the entire experience -- from the service to the food. Considering we got four courses at $105, an amazing view and piano tunes -- I think Canlis provides a lot of value, too. I took off one star for food because the fish was a bit on the salty side and my fiance's rabbit sausage was just OK. Otherwise, the food was so good. Cocktails were nice and strong.

Off the chart good. Our server was one of the best we ever had.

Impeccable food and service as always. Canlis is worth every penny you'll spend. They make you feel as if you were part of the family.

Never disappoints! One of my favourite places to eat period!

We've been coming here for the past four years for our wedding anniversary. And each year always exceeds the previous. If you're unsure of what to do on a special occasion Canlis is your go to place. The service is fantastic, the food is outstanding, and the ambience is perfect for that special someone. Not sure what to eat, always go for the tasting menu. You can't go wrong!

This restaurant should be apart of the Michelin guide .

Great intimate dining spot. The staff went out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable. The food was excellent and well-prepared and with each course the dish was described in a very informative manner. The atmosphere was very cozy and the noise levels was very low. The views were spectacular with even a rainbow making an appearance.

Canlis deserves it's reputation as an excellent restaurant with top notch service. Also good view and comfortable venue. Maybe a bit pretentious, but some of that is okay and can add to the fun. All dishes we had were superb except for the halibut, which was bit bland. Canlis Salad was great. The porridge interesting which is a good thing.

Over-the-top service, incredible views and ambiance, exceptiinal food...what more could you ask for? My husband and i have been to great restaurants all over the country, and I have to say Canlis delivers on every level, best dining experience we've ever had.

Perhaps one of the most over-rated restaurants I've been to in years. Service was impeccable, but the food average at best. Lovely dining room (and view) but what was on the plate was not memorable...and $140 bottle of beer on the menu? Seriously? Impossible to find decent wine or beer at reasonable prices to pair with dinner.

Kudos to Matthew however, for elevating the experience above the mundane.

We were so excited to take our friends of 45 years to Canlis. They were visiting from New York City.
I will list ONLY A FEW of the things that were very disappointing
-I had stopped in weeks in advance to get a special table ... we looked out over the street
-we asked for a quieter table...we couldn't believe how loud the piped in music was, when we politely asked TWO different waiters to have it turned down ( it was emptying out) we were told it was an old system so it couldn't be adjusted??? Really?!
- it took us asking 3 waiters to get a glass of once seated
-we had to ask for a wine list and were told by our obnoxious waiter that it was across the restaurant so it might take a bit?????
-the wait staff was pretentious instead of attentive

This was not our first time at Canlis ... but it may be our last.

The atmosphere and physical location is truly exceptional. The bartender was stuffy, but the rest of the wait staff was wonderful! The food is good, but most of what we had, we've already forgotten... Really, really expensive for forgettable food.

Great service, tasting menu was great and definitely walked away full. Service was on point. Food was great and had interesting flavors.

What can I say about Canlis, it is always a magnificent experience. Food is amazing. Ambience is over the top!
Service impeccable and a wine list above the rest! Sommeliers are very well educated is all wines and will assist with pairings. Thank you Canlis.

Out server Mathew was great. He took out son to the kitchen to meet the chef because it was is bday. Great hospitality and service!!!

After living in the area for many years, my fiancee and I decided to FINALLY try Canlis. It's an iconic Seattle institution; and we thought it was time we tried it. Everything was OK. Our server was knowledgable and the wine pairings were great. We each had the tasting menu and wine pairings. Unfortunately, while everything was OK, the food quality did not justify the $600+ price (for the two of us). The lamb main course was amazing, and the Canlis salad was great. Everything else was just OK, except for the smoked oyster dish, which was just weird. It was all a bit disappointing, and would have been disappointing even if it had been half the price. We've had better meals for much, much less $ at Lark, Altura, Spinasse, Bateau, The Whale Wins, Dahlia Lounge, Walrus and the Carpenter, Tilth, Girin.... But.. At least now we know not to bother. With all that said, the serving staff was very professional; although it seemed odd that nearly every dish and wine pairing was presented by a different person. Overall a disappointing evening.

We had an incredible evening....the ambiance...very attentive staff, and exquisite food...combined with some exceptional libations....made for a perfect night. We will be back soon.

This was an anniversary dinner and we were disappointed. We've shared our anniversary at this location before but the food was not at the same caliber as it was for the previous meal. The service was attentive but slow.

Excellent experience. It exceeded expectation. Service was impeccable and food delicious.

Excellent, innovative food along with classic dishes. Superb wine list. As always superior service, particularly from the cellar master Jackson.

This experience was amazing. The service and food were outstanding. It felt like we were the only table in the restaurant.

Excellent overall. Service was the best we have experienced in America. Never felt rushed and the wait staff was attentive and informative about every aspect of the meal. The view and ambiance were exceptional. We will return whenever in Seattle.

Best dining experience. Period.

Perfection! The view, the service, the food, the wine..... a fantastic dining experience. Our waitress & Sommelier were outstanding. We can't wait to go back.

Canlis doesn't disappoint. The meal was fabulous and the service excellent as always.

Spectacular!

Amazing experience and worth the trip. When in Seattle and looking to celebrate, make the effort through Canlis!