0/8 Seafood Grill & Twisted Cork Wine Bar
Categories: Wine Bars, Seafood, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
900 Bellevue Way NEAt the Hyatt Regency Bellevue
(between S 104th Ave & 10th St)
Bellevue, WA 98004 (425) 637-0808
- Hours:
Mon 6:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Tue-Thu 6:30 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat 6:30 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
Sun 6:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Garage
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Music: Live
- Best Nights: Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: Yes
26 Reviews for 0/8 Seafood Grill & Twisted Cork Wine Bar
I have to agree with most reviews here - the food is NOT WORTH THE PRICE! The waiter seemed knowledgeable or maybe he just really knew how to sell. He definitely talked up the scallops sashimi, the crab cakes, the steaks, the ahi tuna and the cioppino which were what our party of 4 ordered (+ a really nice bottle of wine). We all thought they were just so-so (except the wine was fabulous but it was our pick!). For the $400 tab, a definite no-no. I would not return.
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PEOPLE- I have found the key to success here. GO at LUNCH! Go with your friend who has an expense account and also knows the head chef as well as everyone else. :) The food for lunch today was SUPER! We started out with the scallop sashimi appetizer which was excellent and I drank Dry Soda that was delish, per usual. My friend had the halibut special which she loved, and I had the crab melt.... crab, cheese, perfection. We finished off with a scoop of ice cream. It was great! The restaurant was very very quiet and made for a good time to come in and catch up on old times. I will be back, but only for lunch, and probably when I don't have to pay. :)
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
03/20/2008
Meh. I have heard great things about this place, so much so that I sent customers there in search of… Read more »
2 1/2 stars. Straight up.
Yes, 'twas the evening to catch some AC and have a drink with some good appetizers. It was hot outside and not being particularly hungry we decide to uncork at Twisted Cork. Walk in....no greeting. Stand there trying to make eye contact....there it is. And now what? Oh, take a seat. The entire communication was non-verbal. I asked to make sure though "OK to sit here? Yes? Thanks." Shouldn't have to do that, right?
The live music was setting up....like bulls in a china shop with the hiss and hum of feedback, spaghetti wires, and slightly dressed musicians. I knew we were in proximity for eardrum damage and nipple slip.
The wine list is extensive. Too extensive to get it wrong so we definitely needed a more experienced connoisseur to guide us along. So instead of playing it safe with some of the "knowns" we decided shift gears. Cocktails it is! Whether you drink the wine or the cocktails...it's not cheap. Happy hour is probably the safest bet for the pocket book.
The waitress was nice but clumsy. We ordered a 007 Martini and a Mojito. Guess who gets their drink partially on the table, pants, and in my beloved comp cup of water? Yep, me. The beautiful liquid happiness everywhere except where it should be. And it was like she was expecting the patron to clean up as she dollyed off into the dark recesses of the kitchen with a slight apology and no offer to help.
We ordered some tenderloin smothered in an uninspired sauce and "poached" prawns. They were described in a flowery language touting their delicacy. Then they arrived on our table...with a thud...from our clumsy waitress. Dammit!!
The help buzzed around constantly asking if we were done with this plate or that drink. At one point a server grabbed my wife's drink that she was obviously not finished with. "What the F#$%!!" was a look we shared at the audacity.
The price is a bit much for the quality. The decor is dark, like a bottle of Merlot. The overall experience left me feeling...well, like someone twisted some money out my wallet.
Because I see there is some redeeming reviews from fellow Yelpers, I will give the T Cork another shot. An off night perhaps? I'll let you know with an update later.
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For the price, I expected better food and much better service in this hotel restaurant. The food was just OK. I can't remember what I had except for the blah crab cakes. The crowd seemed to be older folks (think retirees/vacationers) on the day and time we went (Sunday evening). Our waiter didn't seem to give a hoot about serving us. We could just tell by his indifferent demeanor. Not a very memorable foodie experience for the food and unpleasant aftertaste in service. I've had better at some chain restaurants!
I'm shocked to see that 0/8 received such a low star rating. I went here for my bday and I thought the food was fabulous as well as the service. Our waiter was knowledgeable on the menu and recommended a few dishes to our party and everything was delicious. Although, O/8 is caters mostly to seafood plates, their steaks were delicious and cooked perfectly.
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Our first time on Friday, for our anniversary. We had a good time but it's expensive for what you get.
Food: good, not great for the price. Oysters on the half shell were small and flavorless, but the caviar topping was a nice touch and the presentation was perfect. Fantastic wine selection, and a great variety of wine flights. But the food was sooo expensive. I think I visibly flinched when the waiter told us the copper river salmon entree was $49!
Service: just okay. Right off the bat I found the hostesses a little cold. Neither one smiled and one ignored us entirely. Our waiter was nice and came by often but not too often. The sommelier was also very nice, helpful with the wine pairing and we got no attitude when we opted for a less expensive wine flight rather than a whole bottle. I was a little disapointed that the waiter, and not the sommelier, brought the wine out, but no big deal. A couple hiccups made this feel like the restaurant had just opened and they were still working out the kinks. Our oyster app was left sitting on the pickup counter within sight of our table, eventually the sommelier brought it over, saying he didn't want them to get too warm, waiter nowhere to be found. (The restaurant was half-empty.) The waiter brought bread, halfway through our appetizer course, after making a comment out loud that gave the impression he had forgotten it. Our food came flying out of the kitchen, before we had finished our app and well before our wine came.
Atmosphere: okay. The decor is tasteful and comfortable but simple and not particularly impressive. Honestly I expected more wine in a wine bar. And it was a little weird how empty it was. We finished before the band started so I can't speak for the loudness issues others complain about. The dining room is totally open to the bar so I can see why there would be noise issues on a busy night.
Bottom line, we might go back someday, but for $100 a person we got okay food, okay service, and okay atmosphere. For that kind of scratch, go to McCormick's or Daniel's.
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Not worth the price, go to the Met, Daniel's, or SeaStar, you will get a better meal. Food took too long, appetizers were small, and the place was half empty.
On the bright side, the server was incredibly friendly and excitable. I didnt eat at the bar, but it looked much livelier than sitting out in the open at one of the tables.
Friday night entertainment's Goodybagg. They're great on Thursdays at Paragon in Queen Anne - more free-styling. Here, more smooth-jazz which is ok.
Great for people-watching seeing all the Bellevuvian's out in their fancy cars and designer jeans stumbling into walls & tables while trying to not spill their wine... Not necessarily a bad thing.
Parking's free and beer's cold. Mind you, it is a wine bar but I didn't partake in the wine since I had to drive but wine's wine. You get what you pay for.
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Yeah, um, no.
Uninspired food, perpetually annoyed service, and as a kicker the waiter we had didn't know the ingredients in a dish and refused to find out what they were. Thanks, dude, please kill my friend with food allergies. Furthermore, if I ask if something's been frozen or not, own up. I work in this business, too, and honesty sure does help.
The drinks were okay. Not enough punch for the money.
If I'm paying $40 to eat in Bellevue, I'm going to Ruth's Chris, thanks.
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Great food and service. For starter, I ordered their Raw Sashimi Scallops. It's got the asian fushion taste in it. Highly recommend all of you to order this. For Entree I had their Northwest Seafood Cioppino. Never had anything that tasty! I am going back to this place again tonight for happy hour. Heard all appetizers are half price.
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After reading all your reviews, I had hesitation to this place. Since it was for business lunch and someone picked this place, I had no objection.
Most of us ordered from the daily special menu. I expect food should be fresh or chef's recommendaton. My lobster salad was ok, not impressive, the portion was big; my co-worker had an ahi sandwich and she had upset stomach when we were back to office.
Although there is validated parking, it is hard to find a spot at lunch time. We were lucky and it only took us 5mins to find a spot. Our friend parked far away, ie. Lincoln Tower, after driving around for over 15mins in the garage.
For that price, I'd rather go Daniel's Broiler if I want to go through the same parking issue. *Daniel's Broiler has view & much better food & environment.
If anybody reads this before the end of the urban drinks deal (http://www.nwsource.co...), I had a good experience here. 2 drinks + 4 appys for $30 and the two of us were full - it was a great deal. We shared the calamari - sauteed not deep fried, which made it even better, scallop sashimi which came as 6 scallops on the half shell - this was the best dish we had - the soy vinegrette was delicious. The other two dishes were kind of ho hum, shrimp cocktail and mushroom ravioli. The ravioli's were on the firm and cold side, but the scallops and calamari plus a great pear brandy margarita made up for it.
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I'm not a huge fan of eating on the eastside because I live in Seattle and after work want to get the heck over the 520. I made an exception and joined some friends for a Seattle wine meetup. The parking was of course easy and FREE with both Lincoln Square and Belleve Square offering up plenty of it. After a quick walk we reached the restaurant which had good signage. The restaurant had an OK entrance...kind of strange with the large metal object being the first thing you step into and the hostess off to the side and not noticeable. We ended up in a back room which was roomy and simply decorated. Unfortunately I wasn't happy with the rest of my stay. I felt uncomfortable that the waiter wanted to know my name, bread wasn't offered up by default, we had to ask for it, twice. My friends and I weren't served our appetizers at the same time and mine got cold by the time my last friend received hers. I ordered warm spinach salad and it was cold and bland and just not good. My Ahi Tuna Poke was pretty good but award winning? I don't think so. When I was ready for the bill I signalled the waiter and he looked at me, then looked away and walked right by me without any sort of acknowledgment that he was coming back for me. It really is too bad b/c the restaurant has such a cool name!!
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Given the price, you'd expect 0/8 Seafood Grill to deliver a great dining experience. For us, unfortunately, it was not to be.
We had 8pm reservations for a Friday night, and the bar and restaurant were just over half full. The first thing that strikes you when you enter 0/8 is that it's LOUD. Not just "busy restaurant" loud, but "wall of sound" loud. L-O-U-D!
A few positives about 0/8 first. The menu has a nice selection of items, a bit more modern and creative than those at, say, Seastar.
Also, 0/8 has a wine bar, with a good selection of wines by the glass and by the "taste." You can create a flight of 2oz. "tastes," a great way to try a number of different wines.
Now, the not-so-good. The service we experienced was bad, especially for a $100/person dinner. The dinner was not paced well, with long waits before we saw the waiter for the first time, and nearly 30 minutes spent waiting for him to bring a check. Other times, the courses flew out of the kitchen and we barely had time to finish a course before more food came out.
The wines took forever to show up and, as a result, they couldn't be paired with their intended food courses. We ordered one of their 7 "stock" flights of wines, but when they arrived, the waiter read to us what they were from the wine list.
They brought me the wrong entree, then left my wife's to get cold while I waited for a replacement. When my replacement tuna arrived, it was the wrong tuna dish. The waitstaff didn't offer a word of apology about these these problems.
The food itself was good, but uneven. Crab cakes were seasoned well, but served lukewarm. Tuna poke was just OK, but the flavors hadn't had time to blend. Gazpacho was fresh, but oily. The crab bisque, on the other hand, was delicious--rich and hot. Ahi tuna with sticky rice was tasty and cooked deliciously rare.
We may go back, someday, to give 0/8 another chance. For $100/person, though, we've had far better dining experiences in the area.
i am not sure what to give you 0/8!
cons
- calamari is not fried (like i expected)
- expensive!
- waiter talks too much
- ahi tuna had too much wasabish flavor
pros
- steak is pretty good
- caesar salad was good (but you have to cut your own salad)
- live (awesome) band! when i was there on saturday
- waiter knows alot ;P he could recite EVERY damn ingredient possible
3 1/2 if we had a half star! :D
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For my birthday, my homey took me out in Bellevue. She and I had a great time, which probably accounts for the 3 stars. We met in Bellevue on Friday night because it is in the middle o' Issaquah and Seattle. The TC wine bar is located in the sa-wanky Hyatt Hotel.
I was greeted at the door by some very young and very scantily clad young ladies. My server was kinda rude until My friend showed up, then he was all too happy to assist (thanks, April!)...He did not know ji-zack about the wine list. The happy hour appetizer menu was basic and limited. BUT THE HOSTESESS!! They made it all worthwhile. ha ha ... If you've ever seen the movie Waiting, you know what I'm talking about. I got there early. I had a glass of red wine while I waited for Mrs. Graham. The mean-turrned-nice-waiter suggested we try a drive bar down the street, which was kinda funny....We both had some wine (some of us had more than others) and an appetizer. The appetizer was all fried up. The ambiance at the TC is modern, dark, black, sexy.
After the wine, we went over to Joeys. It was packed full of dudes. We couldn't get a seat, so we went to the o/8 Seafood Grill. Our server, Carly (that's right!!) was super! We had some awesome drinks and lobster raviolis. I had a ginger margarita or two which was fabulous! Overall, this was a totally fun night..... Totally different and something I would do again....even though it is on the East side:-).
P.S. Props to my yelper- friend, Carly (yes, another Carly!), or I would not have even known about these places:-)
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I was hopeful because the room is so understated, so plain, that perhaps the message it sent was It's About The Food, Stupid. But alas, this was looking too closely for a meaning. It was distracting because I kept thinking how Crow did this room already so much better with menu @ half the prices.
The underlying ingredients seem to be nuts and bacon. So if your allergy or vegetarian streak is a problem, be careful. Well above 70% of the menu is prepared using these two base items, for dinner anyway.
Nice wine guy. And why not. At a starting point of $70.00 for anything new or decent, I would be the nicest Front Of House rep in the room too. Award winning list and quick reputation (or so I hear), will help keep your dinner down and calm the stomach, after realizing 50% of the $426.00 bill for four was for two bottles.
About 9PM the music starts blasting from the bar area. From that moment it's a little hard to take the dining experience seriously. The bank will, but not me.
The only truly memorable menu item was the Lemon Lime Souffle'. Delicious.
One very positive element of the night were servers allowing me to conduct a business conversation without intrusion of any kind. They knew exactly when to jump in (quickly) as I paused in between paragraphs of boring self delusion and pitching of rather basic marketing initiatives!
For the price range stick with Oceanaire, Sea Star, Waterfront. At least these know who they are and decor is aspirational, not restaurants off a hotel lobby. Even Boka tries to make us forget that.
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I wouldn't quite give it 0 out of 8, but wow I was underwhelmed. Awkward flavor combinations, unappetizing presentation (my blackened mahi fish tacos came out looking like sausages on a tortilla) and Red Robyn-esque service. Granted, this was at lunch time so it's never the crack staff, but I really don't want you swinging by my table to talk every 3 minutes. Especially while I'm in a meeting.
I could definitely see coming here for drinks, and I think it fills this niche in Bellevue quite nicely, though for the same price (of beverages, not food) you could be upstairs in Daniel's with a phenomenal view. They do apparently have a great "by the glass" selection on wine and champagne so you can try some of those bottles you would never otherwise buy.
The appetizers were far superior to the meal itself. Come for happy hour, stick with the basics, and drink a lot.
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***I have yet to enjoy the food/drinks here ... the reason follows*
I went here the other day in hopes to sit down with a friend for the happy hour.
Ended up not sitting down, after a few times of exiting and re entering. The reason? They had a ridiculously loud live band playing. Live bands are cool, live music is great but in a Medium sized restaurant with little sound proofing, blowing up the speakers and having someone sing LOUD semi re renderings of classic pop music is not cool. I mean it was so bad NO one could hear anyone! (The music could be heard a block away).
We weren't the only ones disappointed, a bunch of other people walked in looked to see if it will calm down and left. ... I suggest to them play jazz or something quieter...
I tried this place for the first time last night. It has a nice ambience. I went in a group of 3 couples and we were immediately seated on a raised area towards the back of the room, in a big, comfy wrap-around booth. There was a jazz band playing w/vocalist and they were very cool. The other patrons were generally 30's-50's. It's a more diverse group than a lot of other eastside venues.
The service was great - we had just drinks, no food. The wine list was really good and they offer flights of different beverages. It turned out to be very reasonably priced. The bill came to $54 - for 3 glasses of wine and one bottle of champagne. We all had plenty to drink and there was no cover charge for the live music. I'd definitely go back!
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So many options and so little time, the general 100 yard radius from NE 8th and Bellevue Way is so dense with eating and drinking options that I usually resign myself to the traditional stand-bys (in Seattle). However, the Twisted Cork appeared different and upon entering it was pleasantly surprising to discover something pretty swanky that's conducive to post-desk sloshing. The layout is oddly appealing with the main attraction being the tucked-away cove that is reminiscent of the jazz lounges of yesteryear.
Your mileage will vary with the martinis -- some bartenders know how to make them and some don't, but the wine list is ample and the servers are just plain nice. (Whoever you were, thank you for offering to take the glass back.) Appetizers were delictible. (Every one of them.)
Flip the music track away from the boom-ba boom-ba, turn the volume down a smidge and you've got yourself a classy bar to mix drinks, friends and work with.
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The newest hot spot on the expanding list of downtown Bellevue restaurants. Well know local chef Dan Thiessen has done it right!
Seafood to die for! We have been there twice since they opened have walked away happy both times. Great winelist!
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The food was well portioned and presented. The restaurant was well designed to remove the feeling of eating in a mall/hotel atmosphere, however it had a very industrial decor and was extremely noisy.
The wait staff was eager, but could use some polishing.
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If I were in South Beach I may appreciate a certain type of provocative dress given the abundance of natural beauty in Miami but I hardly think these women are qualified to dress the way they do. It was almost sickening. No joke!!! :( We were honestly ready to leave. We were also turned off by the sleazy qualities,or lack thereof, the manager/assistant manager exuded. . Nothing on this earth could of saved the evening after experiencing all of that...Stick with Bis on main or Mixtura for a quality eveing.
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Even though we booked reservations, we had to wait for them to set the table. Our waiter was very loud and wouldn't stop elaborating on the menu and we all wanted him to shut up and go away. He was very nice, knowledgeable, but just too loud and talked just a bit too much. Ordered appetizers to taste the menu and the seared calamari was the best. Not fried or breaded, quite nice. Oysters were ok, nothing special. Mussels were typical. Ahi poke was interesting with mango but honestly, not my favorite.
Dinner. Asiago Halibut. 3 of us ordered it. Finished the plate clean. The salmon was ok. The free range chicken was salty but palatable.
Caesar salad was something we'd find at any cheap restaurant. Didn't have any flare to it. The mushroom ravioli was just ok. The linguini was rather bland.
We didn't want to be subjected to the loud waiter so we opted out of dessert. Nothing against the waiter, we saw him engaging quite fondly w/ another table and they seeemed genuinely interested w/ conversing with him.
Why 3 stars? Food wasn't exceptional. It's actually great hotel food. This is what I expect from when I order room service from a great hotel.
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Good wine list and live music but having the door right behind the stage seemed odd. People walked in and found themselves walking around from behind the stage to get a seat, sometimes walking right in front of the stage.
You can enter from the hotel lobby but only if you know the door is there.
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