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Bastille & Back Bar, Seattle, WA

Bastille & Back Bar

4.5
4.5
1044 Reviews
$30 and under
French
  • Romantic
  • Innovative
  • Good for special occasions
Opened in June of 2009 and housed in an historic 1920’s building in Seattle’s Old Ballard neighborhood, Bastille & Back Bar is a bustling homage to a Parisian brasserie. Owners Deming Maclise and James Weimann scoured Paris flea markets and local salvage stores for vintage accessories to create a truly authentic feel. From the white subway tiles, antique mirrors, and Paris Metro clock to the zinc-topped bar and stunning crystal chandelier that takes center stage in the Back Bar; they’ve truly hit the mark. Chef Jason Stoneburner creates French focused cuisine inspired by the abundance of seasonal product found locally---and it doesn’t get any more local than the restaurants 4500-square-foot organic rooftop garden. The wine list is French focused with a smattering of NW wines and the bar offers an extensive collection of absinthe.

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    French, Northwest
  • Hours of operation
    Happy Hour: Everyday 4:30-6pm Dinner: Mon-Th 5:30-10:00pm Dinner: Fri-Sat 5:30-11:00pm Dinner: Sunday 5:30-9:00pm Sunday Brunch: 10:00am-3:00pm Late Night Dining: Friday & Saturday 'til 12am
  • Phone number
    (206) 453-5014
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Jason Stoneburner
  • Neighborhood
    Ballard
  • Cross street
    Vernon Street
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 1,044 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

4.5
4.5 based on all time ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 3.2Value

NoiseEnergetic

1,044 Reviews
  1. CharlesF

    Milwaukee

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on March 15, 2020

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The ENTIRE staff was amazing! They were very pleasant, helpful and made our evening out very special! Starting with the baguette (which was warm and amazing), then to the kale appetizer which was a fantastic taste and blend of flavors to the Cassoulet which was a "Circ du Soleil" of flavors - exciting and wonderful! I highly recommend a night out to Bastille for a fun flavorful evening!

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  2. HotsauceHank

    Seattle

    27 reviews

    3.0

    27 reviews

    Dined on March 8, 2020

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Overall, good food and service. I would recommend it and also go back.

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  3. OpenTable Diner

    Seattle

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 1, 2020

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Overall the experience was mediocre. As much money as we spent I’d probably go elsewhere next time. I ordered the French onion soup which came out without cheese and with a burnt black piece of bread in it. For $15 I expected better, so sent it back. This came out within five minutes and had the look of a typical delicious French onion soup. Service was slow but waitress friendly.

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  4. OpenTable Diner

    Denver

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on March 1, 2020

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best service I've had on a long time. Koji was amazing. The food and wine was also extremely delicious

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  5. jjsalome

    Portland

    19 reviews

    3.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on February 29, 2020

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The restaurant is quite lovely to look at… And our waiter was quite nice. However, two of us ordered the falafel and they came out as a little rock hard hockey pucks. I hate sending things back but I had to… And when they were returned they only brought enough for one order. There were five pieces in each order and they only brought us five pieces. So I had to ask again if they could bring us enough for the second order. Really? My friends really enjoyed their appetizers and they did comp us a lovely dessert. It all ended up OK, I’m just not sure I would go back.

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  6. MagDave

    Seattle

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 26, 2020

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    Haven't been for a few years. Have very fond memories of great food and amazing service. Both of those lacked on our last visit. Server was relatively new, and had to go check on just about every question we asked. Not a huge deal in itself. Ordered some appetizers for the table at the same time as our entrees. Entrees arrived first. They didn't seem to believe we'd ordered apps when we asked about them. $37 steak tasted good, but honestly no better than I've done at home with a grocery filet and a bobby flay recipe. And I'm no chef. Wife's falafels were overdone, hard and crunchy. Still had a great time - but it didn't seem like the same restaurant I remembered.

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  7. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    6 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on February 23, 2020

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    First two course ( oysters and pâté ) were delightful. We hoped to buy a pate in the glass jar to take home but were told the chef does not allow the jars to be taken out. Okay The main course arrived very slowly with my Brussels sprout accompaniment to the sturgeon cold. My wife’s steak and frites was on a cold plate and cool steak ( frites were hot) I assume both meals had been assembled over a long period. We pointed out to our server who apologized and took our meals away to be heated. My wife’s steak was now at least warm my sprouts were hot but now the sturgeon was tepid. Life is too short to get further frustration so we just ate our main course, paid the bill without our usual tip and I left a note on the bill. PS we were seated in the conservatory and it was very loud. Beyond lively. Will not be returning even though the food was potentially interesting. Miles Drake

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  8. AWHKirk

    Portland

    24 reviews

    4.0

    24 reviews

    Dined on February 23, 2020

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Noisy, energetic, with good bistro food. Charges for bread and butter, which is a bit strange. Parking in the area is tiresome to find, but the after dinner stroll is charming.

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    Seattle

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on February 22, 2020

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our waiter was excellent. Charming and funny and gave great recommendations. The value of the wine carafe was good too. The food was lackluster compared to what we heard from others who had been there. The quality of ingredients seem good, but the execution was not. I had. $15 onion soup gratin (French onion soup) and it was broiled so long it was burnt a little. It was also pretty small for the price. The falafel was not constructed well, and we found it to be over fried. A friend had the special and it was quite small as well. I will definitely give this place one more shot, but was not impressed with the first time. I have heard brunch is great here, so that will likely be what I try.

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  10. StephanieN

    San Joaquin

    5 reviews

    1.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on February 16, 2020

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    It was a cute restaurant with nice decor in a good location. But there were two different hairs in my food and the service was just odd. They did comp my meal which was nice, but it wasn't even a yummy meal. It was pretty over priced for what it was. Probably will not be going back.

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FAQs

Bastille & Back Bar is rated 4.5 stars by 1044 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable reservation network.

If you like, we'll notify you by email if this restaurant joins.


Is this your restaurant?
Claim this listing
Google Map for Bastille & Back Bar

5307 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Vernon Street
  • Neighborhood
    Ballard
  • Hours of operation
    Happy Hour: Everyday 4:30-6pm Dinner: Mon-Th 5:30-10:00pm Dinner: Fri-Sat 5:30-11:00pm Dinner: Sunday 5:30-9:00pm Sunday Brunch: 10:00am-3:00pm Late Night Dining: Friday & Saturday 'til 12am
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    French, Northwest
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Jason Stoneburner
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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