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Categories: American (New), Seafood
Neighborhood: Queen AnneMon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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I know... one more review humping the leg of Canlis, but when it is all said and done, they were pretty damn remarkable.
I had read some negative reviews of the new chef and was worried about taking my Mom here for her @# Birthday (I am not publishing her age!). All my worries were slowly relieved as the night progressed.
We were warmly great when we arrived. They sat us immediately and from then on the servers treated us like royalty. Completely gracious and they encouraged our fun loving evening.
We started off with drinks (their Manhattan was awesome) and we were never pressured to order. When we did finally order we were treated to an amuse bouche of celeriac soup (I wanted to lick that little cup clean)
I started off the the Canlis Prawns and salad, but was able to sample every starter at the table and although I thought the prawns were the clear winner, everyone's dish was excellent. I had the New York steak and the truffle fries. the steak was cooked a little to medium for my liking, but still damn good and everyone loved the fries. My brother order the duck, which was dynamite.
We sampled the desserts. We had the souffle, doughnuts and chocolate dipped in chocolate. The bonus was they brought out a "Happy Birthday" creme brulee with fresh fruit.
While we were waiting for the entrees they brought out a throw back menu from 1950, I think, as a souvenir for my Mom and joked about the prices with us.
After dinner, 11:30PM, one of the servers offered to give us a tour of the place which, I think, made everyone feel special.
This is not an everyday place and I probably won't go back for a while (well maybe for a drink), but well worth every penny we paid.
Here's what Canlis has going for it. A) It is not El Gaucho. B) they call it Wagyu and not Kobe as they should. C) They dry age their beef.
Here's what Canlis doe's not have going for it. A) the ability to cook a filet mignon medium rare. B) the Ability to cook either Salmon or Sturgeon without over cooking it. (Dry Salmon? Really? In Seattle?) C) the ability of their sommelier to pair white wine with seafood.
Maybe I was there on an off night, but I have had better seafood at Anthony's and they need to change their duck recipe to a blueberry port reduction as opposed to that overly fenneled mess they serve now.
Overall - Great meal, great service, great atmosphere. One of the best culinary experiences I've had in Seattle, if not the best. I found the sauces to be amazing, the dishes well-decorated, and all of the food perfectly cooked
Hits:
Halibut - beautiful sear marks, simple dish but still good
Prawns - cooked to perfection, sauces were amazing
Truffle fries - wow! Truffle taste in each bite. and the order is big! Great to share between a few people.
Mushroom Ravioli - a great balance with the simple but elegant halibut. So savory, so delicious, great mushrooms.
Expecting more:
Not exactly a miss, but I'm not used to foie gras. I've had it a few times to know that I like it, but the serving here did not draw me into it like other dishes have in the past. By no means was it bad, but did not get quite a "OMG" experience as I have before. I'm sure I need to try more.
Same thing with the Canlis salad. From all the reviews, I was expecting to be blown away, but after all, it is a salad. It was very good, though I found the dressing to have too much citrus.
There are a ton of dishes that I want to try more, so I'll be back as often as my wallet allows
It is a bit of a wonder that I'd never been here before.
However, the wait was certainly worth it. We had a spectacular table in the back of the bar overlooking Lake Union. Our server, Wanda, was fabulous and the sommelier was extremely helpful. Seriously, when Wanda asked Chris if it would be alright if she could move his plate to set down more cutlery I decided right then that all people of all nations should take manners training from Canlis staff. She called my father by his surname all evening and the whole visit was high class.
The muse bouche was delicious pumpkin soup served in a sake glass, and I had the Canlis salad (all it's cracked up to be) and the Peter Canlis Prawns appetizer for my entree - 5 prawns in a rich butter sauce. What more could you ask for? Oh, the truffle fries - you should ask for those! My dad had the lambchops, which were rich and delicious, and we even ordered dessert to go to bring a friend who was doing us a favor. Every aspect was handled quickly and courteously.
All in all, it was a very special evening, and we were treated like royalty. What a treasure.
I can understand why this is one of the oldest Pacific Northwest restaurants. The view of Lake Union from the restaurant was simply gorgeous. The service was spot on. Our server Erin explained every dish, changed our utensils between every entree, and made sure that we got to appreciate the finer details of this restaurants. (The life music, the awesome pianist, the free postcards with the bill..etc) The hostess knew my coat without giving me a tag. The valet had the car brought out the moment we stepped outside. Everyone at this restaurant strives to make the dinning experience exceptional.
The entrees were also very delightful. The crab cake was very different from the conventional ones. Canlis added its own twist and it's really something of its own. The Canlis prawns, the lamb chop, the donuts for dessert were all wonderfully made. What's most impressive about this restaurant is the attention they give to the finer things. For a cup of aged Sumatra, four-types of sugars were offered (splendid, cubes, regular sugar, vanilla infused sugar from Madagascar.)
The bottom line, this place is pricey, but the experience you get is definitely consistent.
This is a top notch place that will treat you like royalty. The people here are very friendly and extremely polite. The view is gorgeous too. We got a salmon and steak dish, both of which were wonderful. Probably one of the best salmon dish I have ever tasted. The steak was also wonderful. This is a great place to celebrate special occasions if you have got theez money.
However, the whole meal was so expensive that I wasn't able to actually enjoy it. It's weird, but I like cheap good food, and don't care too much for the atmosphere/service.
Really old school, but consistently good food and excellent service. Canlis is the restaurant my husband and I use to compare all other Seattle restaurants. I really like the Canlis salad.
Service was outstanding, restaurant is beautiful. I guess that's what I paid for, because it wasn't the food.
Beautiful little nuggets of food for big $$.
There were no dinner specials, and the menu is pretty limited. So I ordered the ravioli - $12 per piece (3 pieces). Glad that I got the twice baked potato - it was very good and more filling than my 'meal'.
My other 7 dinner guests had the lamb chops and the steak - they seemed pleased. But, the best meal in Seattle? Not by a long shot.
The piano music which I was so looking forward to - was not audible (and I was sitting in the middle of the room.)
Over-hyped. Overpriced.
I recently went for a wedding so I have a very limited review.
The views from the 2nd floor were amazing! In general the appetizers dominated the entrees, but again it is difficult to say when they are cooking for 40 at one time.
My favorite appetizers were the Canlis prawns and the pork belly. The prawns were cooked to perfection and the pork belly had a great texture while not being under or over cooked.
After the tray passed appetizers we enjoyed a cherry gazpacho soup and the Canlis salad. The gazpacho soup definitely grew on me. I enjoyed the sour balanced with the sweetness. The Canlis salad had similar balance, but it fell more on the tart side with the addition of lemon juice.
Lastly the entrees is where Canlis fell a little short for me. Their fillet of beef was nice quality, but pretty flavorless. The salmon was the biggest disappointment considering the quality of the seafood in Seattle. The fish was farmed raised and tasted a bit fishy.
The donut dessert was good, and the preselected wines were excellent.
The service was the star of the show for me. I've never seen such amazing and personalized service for a group of 40! They even brought every course at the same time to each table. Nice touch!
I'm sure Canlis probably doesn't need another 4 star review. But I'm going to give it anyway.
The lineup:
Foie Gras- Amazing! It was the first time I had it and it was totally worth it! It comes with a pear sort of compote and the fruity flavor really added to the dish.
Canlis Salad- I had no idea a salad could be so complex
Steak Tartare- It did resemble cat food visually and maybe that's why I don't think it was not as good as the other first/second courses. It was pretty good for just being raw meat.
Salmon- I don't really think you can go wrong with salmon in Seattle. There were figs on the plate, and typically I'm not a huge fig person, but it suprised me. I'd say try a different main course because it's not huge on originality.
Sides- Truffle Fries & Twice Baked Potato. The Twice Baked Potato was really well seasoned (read: very salty). The Truffle fries had a good earthy-ness to them and was the better of the 2 sides.
Trio of Ice Cream- Probably should have passed on dessert, but when she said cinammon ice cream and pear sorbet I had to get it. The third ice cream was a strawberry. I thought the pear was their best.
The valet was just pulling up when we got out of the restaurant so they had very good service. I also like that they have pretty solid tupperware for doggy bags- high class!
The service is well timed although not always there when you actually do need something. I would also mention that all the other guests were very dressed up. Men were all in suits and women were in cocktail dresses.
I took off a star because it is quite expensive and I really dislike forced valet.
Great stuff. The lamb was better than the lobster, which was a touch overcooked. Unfortunately, they also failed to produce my leftovers when I asked them to pack said lamb, so I only ate a small portion of it and was crestfallen the next day when I realized the doggie bag never got put in the car. The experience was wonderful, great wine, Brian was very charming and likable. One star missing because... I still want my lamb, dammit!
Just visited Canlis for a second time and had an even more amazing experience than before!
A friend of mine turned 30 and for her big day she couldn't have chosen a more appropriate place for a luxurious and memorable meal.
We were greeted at the door as if we were old friends and then were seated at one of the best tables in the restaurant. The view of gasworks park and Lake Union as the sun set... spectacular!
The drinks were superb, the appetizers were to die for, and the Kobe Beef steak I ate was literally the most delicious steak I've ever had!! (And I love steak!)
When you eat at a high end restaurant like Canlis you expect only the best. I paid a lot of attention to small details like the amount of between appetizers and the main course, the amount of time it took to have my water refilled, etc. There wasn't a full minute that passed where I didn't feel taken care of! The employees really know how to balance their tables and make sure that people feel waited on without feeling like they are being spied on. There's nothing worse than service where you feel like you can't have a conversation because someone is always butting in... this didn't happen at Canlis!
Let me see if I can recall what I ate:
-The cherry gazpacho
-The Kobe Beef steak
-Crab cakes
-Foi Gras
-Truffle fries (these are a MUST!! the best I've ever had)
-Watermelon/celery soup
-Lime sorbet (palette cleanser)
I'm sure there's more too.. but it was all excellent. I would recommend all of it.
All in all I couldn't think of a better place to celebrate such an important birthday for such an important friend. Canlis really knows how to make you feel special! I will definitely be back.
Canlis is by far one of the best places to eat in the city! I went with a group of girlfriends and… Read more »
Oh, Canlis.
This is easily one of my favorite restaurants of all time. In the 15 or so years I've been coming here - first as a little girl, all dressed up in my best Sunday dress, and later as the kid who was always pegged by the older folks as the designated driver for the evening (funny how that works) - this has been a special destination for my family. We still make the drive from Tacoma once a year or so, coming for tradition, for the view, the music (Walt Wagner has been playing piano here on certain nights for many years, which kept my Grandma coming here well into her 80s!), the food, the wine, the service... Canlis does it all with elegance and style. Including valet service: I still can't figure out how they know which car is yours, but it is unfailingly parked at the door when you step outside. So mysterious!
I've yet to be disappointed with a meal here, though the menu has evolved over the past few years and some of my old stand-bys are no longer there - like the Wagyu teriyaki tenderloin tips, which I still miss. But all the steaks are top-notch, as are the prawns and the lobster. You can't go wrong with any of the fish offerings. The salads are all excellent, too; most of my family usually goes for the Canlis signature salad, but I try to switch it up a bit.
I'm not ashamed to admit that with all of the draws of this place, the one thing that really sticks out in my mind (aside from the bathrooms, which are really works of art in their own right) is the molten chocolate lava cake. Now they're calling it the Chocolate Covered Chocolate or some such thing, but I imagine it's essentially the same - no reason to mess with a classic! Oooh, ahh. That is one mean chocolate dessert, outperforming any other imitation I've ever tried. Order it ahead, when you order your entrees, so that it will be ready when you are.
The restaurant website puts it exactly right... a meal at Canlis will almost certainly be "time deliciously spent." Make a reservation well in advance, especially for weekends, and give yourself plenty of time to enjoy every minute of your meal here.
I am a huge fan of peanut butter, and let's just say I'd go back and spend $200 more on the main meal here at Canlis just to get to that peanut butter ice cream + banana filled donut desert. So good. Not to mention the molten chocolate cake. It was great to watch my boyfriend's surprise and excitement as he cut into the small chocolate cake to find a stream of chocolate goodness. Yum.
I just had to start this review by praising the incredible desert, but the rest of the food was just as great. We started with crab cakes, which were perfect. It's about time I order crab cakes and actually get crab rather than bread crumb filler. So good! My main was salmon and let me just tell you- incredible flavor and texture. I hate mushy or soggy salmon, but this had the right mix of crisp outside and soft, flaky inside. Ross splurged on the $70 Kobe beef and was not disappointed.
I am not a "foodie" and I am not fancy. This place was spectacular, I can now see why people shell out the big bucks for fine dining. It was one thing when they cleaned up the bread crumbs right before us, but I was shocked to see them ironing the table clothes after diners left.
And for the most random part of the night: My now-fiance and I were engaged earlier that day & he was admiring my new ring much of the night as he held my hand. At one point he took the ring off to look at it, and put it back on my finger. Well, for desert the waiter brought complementary champagne and his congratulations for this "big event". We were confused, as we hadn't told him of our engagement-- but it was even more crazy when the owner came up and told us how proud and delighted he was that we chose Canlis as the proposal site. Ummm... not quite guys. But how strange is that? These people are watching every move & making a few assumptions along the way.
I would love to return, for a big occasion that warrants big bucks on a meal.
I took my husband here for his birthday and we hired the cache room so I can't really comment on anything other than the amazing view and the food as I didn't experience the atmosphere of the resto.
After a shaky start with a mushy (overpriced!) waygu beef, the food was delish! We had the Canlis prawns & Peter Canlis salad to start and they were both melt-in-the-mouth gorgeous. I have never tasted a salad so good. Then I had the chicken for main course which was well-sized, well presented and totally yummy. My husband on the other hand, had the waygu which first off, was over priced (I have had kobe beef for the same price at a high-end London resto) and the initial piece of meat was mushy and yucky. The staff did a good job of re-doing his meal quickly but unfortunately it meant we could not enjoy our entrees together which was a bit of a bummer.
We then shared the molten chocolate cake which was probably the highlight of the meal. Totally delicious and a good way end an almost perfect evening!
Expensive but very yummy food in a nice establishment (although, in my opinion, the interior decor is in no way up to par for such a 'high-end' place)
I must give the disclaimer that I was here for a wedding. While a small group (roughly 40 or so), it may not be the restaurant's best representation of itself. That being said, I wasn't all that impressed.
The wedding itself was wonderful, on the second floor overlooking a beautiful bay/marina (from out of town, so I'm not sure what we were looking at). The one thing I will strongly compliment the restaurant on is the service. Impeccable. We had two people at our table who had various food allergies and the servers sought them out, confirmed everything, and were very helpful.
For the wedding we ate:
A mix of tray passed appetizers, which were tasty:
-Pork Belly with a tad too much dijon, and a bit of caviar.
-Canlis Prawns with dry vermouth, garlic, and a bit of lime. Very yummy and matched the champagne well.
-Lobster Ceviche; it was nice, but most of the flavors were either so bland or so well blended that nothing stood out.
There were others too, but I can't recall specifics.
For the sit-down dinner
-Cherry Gazpacho Soup; Odd flavors of savory, sour, and a tad bit of sweet. I ate most of the soup, just trying to figure out how I felt about it. I'm still not sure.
-Canlis Salad; romaine, bacon, romano cheese, mint, lemon dressing, olive oil, and coddled egg. It was an interesting mix of flavors. I liked it a lot; a bit too much dressing, but still good.
-A friend at the table ordered the Salmon. Since it was Farmed and not WIld, I passed, but did get a taste. it had that Farmed taste I dislike so much. Glad I passed.
-Ordered the Filet Mignon (not sure which one from their standard menu) and was sorely disappointed. It tasted more like prime rib, had very little flavor, and did not have the texture of filets I've had before.
-Cheese plate that followed was ok; No real standouts here.
-Had a few plates of the doughnuts on the table to share. Not too bad. A nice sweet after the cheese.
Overall, I think I've just been spoiled by such good food and had such high expectations here that I was a bit disappointed. Particularly knowing how much everything cost, I wouldn't be pleased if I came here on my own and footed the bill. Again, though, the service, view, and ambience was excellent.
Went here for a work-related dinner...aka FREE meal! What a treat that was! We got the upstair private room to our group. It has a spectacular view of Lake Union! I've been here before on a date and the view from upstair is so much better than the one from the crowded dining room downstair. I suppose this view is worth the extra bucks for a special occasion at Canlis.
Anyways, the food were mostly well executed. We got to try a few appetitizers which were pretty tasty. I had the house salad and for some reason the lettuces weren't crispy. I think they made up a large batch early in the day in anticipation of our large party.
I got the grilled salmon entrée which I enjoyed quite a bit. Well seasoned, grilled to perfection. I was surprise that the salmon didn't come with any sides, just a 3 quarter size potatoes on top of swirls of sauces (see picture). For dessert, we got to eat pineapple crème brulee. Pineapple really balanced out the richness of crème brulee...brilliant idea!
I love the decoration of this place. The architecture design of this resto is beautiful and truly reflects the NW's essence. The panoramic view was greatly enhanced by the slanted wall of windows. I loved it! I agree with Jennifer L. about the Japanese characters on the upstair window...that did seemed out of place. All in all, I had a fabulous free meal and a great time. I would recommend the upstair private room for a group function or special occasions like wedding rehearsal dinner (if you don't mind spending lots of $$$)
I took my wife to Canlis a number of years ago for our anniversary, it was a top notch experience all around. The view was spectacular!I I got the surf and turf and it was quite tasty. Also impressed with the swiftness of the valet. Pretty pricey though, so for me it loses one star because of the QPR, not quite impressive enough for me to shell out another $300 for dinner for 2 there again any time soon. Still very good though.
I had an absolutely beautiful meal here for a special date once. It was a surprise splurge and I think back on that dinner fondly. :) We had a table in the front area after sunset so we could see the lights on Capitol Hill and the lake. The sommelier came over and spoke to us about wine, suggesting a few bottles to us. We had a lovely white with our first course; foie gras. It was delicious. The entire meal was delightful. That's obvious. I had always heard that Canlis was one of the nicest restaurants in the city and I must agree. The wait staff was extremely attentive and when you eventually have to depart this little piece of heaven, your car is outside the door and you didn't even say anything to anyone. There was no valet ticket or anything. It was like a little magic telepathic valet man just knew who you were and what you drove there. It was a cool touch. I suggest this place for an important occasion where you want to be treated like a king or queen for a few hours. I am definitely looking for another excuse to go back.
Most people know Canlis as a fine dining destination but they throw a wonderful block party. They serve a mean burger! Spicy and fresh off the grill. I don't think that you'd find this on their regular menu, but wow. It shows me that they can do everyday fare just as well as fancy, formal food.
More on the block party- Canlis got other local businesses like Jones Soda and Dry Soda to pitch in. They rounded out the block party menu with Tim's Cascade chips and Dick's milkshakes. Local band Kana played while hawaiian shave ice was handed out. This 3rd annual neighborhood bash raised over $1000 for the local Queen Anne Help Line. Nice job, Canlis!
I'll never be able to eat salmon properly since it was so sublime at Canlis. *sniff sniff* That… Read more »
wow.
we live 10 min from canlis and have never been in. my boyfriend took me here for my birthday and it was AWESOME. amazing views. perfect service. amazing wine pairings from the wine staff... and the food... oh my god, the food... we eat out a lot, in seattle and pretty much anywhere else our lives take us. canlis is now one of my favorite restaurants here or anywhere. we had 11 menu items between the two of us and everything was absolutly perfectly seasoned, thoughtfully plated and well put together. chef jason is the man!
thank you, thank you, thank you for making this one of the best, and most memorable birthdays i have ever had. we can't wait to see what is new the next time we are in. i love your restaurant.
Celebration of BF's birthday with parents could not have been a better experience. First of all, the staff here is EXCELLENT; they really made us feel welcome and relaxed. Add to that our corner table with a fantastic view and booth seating, and I was in heaven before I even ordered.
FOOD: The rosemary sea salt rolls were the perfect amount of flavor and salt, though I dipped mine in the on the house mushroom soup we received and found it yummy too. I had the kona tuna appetizer which had a creamy avocado sauce with sesame seeds that tasted mind-blowing. For dinner I had the Mahi Mahi and it was absolutely melt in your mouth fabulous. BF had the sorbets and I sampled them--rich fresh favors with the marionberry, vanilla (my fav) and marionberry. All excellent. Overall I had an extremely pleasant dining experience and exquisite food.
This is a place to indulge every sip, savor every bite, linger over every moment and celebrate everyone around you.
The cocktails are exquisite, the wines are divine (the sommeliers will work with your tastes and budget) and the food is sheer perfection. Service is recognized world-class, deservedly so. Never fussy, always personable and respectful. Everyone--hosts, kitchen staff, the sommeliers, servers and guests--feels like they belong to a well-loved, and loving family.
Be sure to clear your schedule. Do not go if you have someplace you "have to be" after dinner. You'll want to stay a while.
Beware: I'm going to get up on my soapbox right now.
OVER-HYPED. PRETENTIOUS. STERILE.
I wanted to try a new and nice place for an early Valentine's dinner with my boyfriend and after reading lots of reviews and asking around, I settled on this one. I was told that it is super romantic and the type of place people get proposed to at.
I was really excited to try this place. However, I found this place to be pretentious and tacky. It's classified as "Northwestern" cuisine, but has Chinese calligraphy engraved on the walls. Waiters push in and out your table when you try to get up to go to the bathroom. I am fully capable of pushing in and out my own chair, thank you very much. They only have valet parking, but charge you for it and expect a tip.
It is, however, a beautiful restaurant with a gorgeous view. It's spacious and super romantic with candles and private tables. The service is good - the waiters and waitresses are pretty attentive, but I think our service was a bit colder than some of the tables around us. Maybe because my boyfriend and I look about 20ish at best?
The hostess took us to the table and had to pull it out so we could get in (and sit on the same side - one of my pet peeves) and then pushed it back in when we sat down. We weren't presented with any menus so we kind of twiddled our thumbs for the first five minutes or so. No one came around to greet us. Finally a busser came and poured us water. Still no menus. The waiter came around to greet us. Still no menus. WHERE ARE THE MENUS?! I am hungry and I came to eat.
Finally, menus! VICTORY! We picked out the items we wanted, but couldn't find our server. There were SO many staff people, but we couldn't find our server. We finally flagged him down. We ordered and he brought us bread and butter. It annoys me so much when nice restaurants (the bill ended up being $200+) give me cold bread and a chunk of rock hard butter. Really? Is it that difficult to toast bread and melt butter?
We ordered pork belly, foie gras, the risotto with black truffle and duck breast with fennel and black pepper jam. The pork belly was overcooked. I enjoyed the salad garnish more than the actual pork. The foie gras was good and flavorful, but SO heavy and I would have much rather preferred it being served with warm, toasted bread. The risotto was really good - just the right portion and while there was a bit too much black truffle shavings, I can't complain because the flavor was great! The duck was a loser :( It wasn't tender or moist. The polenta on the side was better than the meat.
For dessert, we ordered the chocolate covered chocolate and the panettone bread pudding with glazed apricots and olive oil ice cream. The chocolate covered chocolate was a molten chocolate cake with a chocolate ice cream pop. The molten cake was good and decadent (it's hard to go wrong with chocolate), but the ice cream pop was weird. When bread pudding is done right, I LOVE it. When it's done wrong, it's tragic. This one was done wrong. I'd pick the bread pudding at Joeys over this one.
For one of the most premiere restaurants in Seattle, I was disappointed. I like a nice atmosphere, a nice view, and good service, but when it comes down to it, I am a foodie and ultimately, I go to restaurants to eat QUALITY FOOD. It was decent, but nothing to call home about. If you want a super nice place to propose to your girlfriend, this is probably the place. If you want amazing food that makes you want seconds, this is not the place.
Let me put it this way, if someone proposed to me here, the answer would be no ;)
/soapbox.
I took my husband here for his birthday dinner. The service here is really top notch and the food is really good. The restaurant is very classy. The mini bread rolls are so yummy and the view is really nice. This is a great place to have a nice dinner.
Last night, my good friend Carmen and I headed to Canlis. Below, chronicles our amazing experience! Sorry if it's a bit verbose, I just got carried away!
As soon as we pulled up to the joint, the cab door was opened for us. Then, a girl gracefully opened the main door to the restaurant at just the right moment.
Once we got to the front desk, another girl asked for my name. I gave her my first name. She says to us that she has the perfect table for us with a lovely view, and then takes Carmen's coat.
We are seated, chairs pushed in for us and napkins gently placed in our laps. The view was wonderful, overlooking Lake Union with a view of Gasworks Park. Also, the piano player was playing some awesome music. I knew it was going to be a magical evening when the piano player started playing Call Me by Blondie, a fave song of mine.
We each ordered a cocktail, I had a champagne mango drink that was quite good, lovely fruit flavor and a good kick! Carmen had a gin based drink with lavender liqueur that was both beautiful and refreshing!
We then had a chance to pore over the menu, having a hard time narrowing down our choices. Before getting to that though, they brought us a small portion of soup served in a sake cup. It was a fennel and pear puree and was quite delicious, more savory with just a hint of pear!
One of the servers brought over the bread choices of 3 different kinds of rolls; rosemary and sea salt, pain au lait, and a honey wheat. My favorite by far was the pain au lait, milky and soft, perfect for soaking up some of the sauces over the course of our meal.
After some careful debate, we decided to start with the Peter Canlis Prawns and the Canlis Salad. The prawns were served warm and were wonderfully cooked. They were just done enough, so the texture was softer but in a good way. Though I'd warn those with texture issues that this dish may not be to your liking.
As for the Canlis Salad, it was quite good. The flavors in the salad were quite unique but went well together. And most importantly, the bacon was sooo good, perfectly flavored. You could really taste the bacon, not just salt.
Carmen went with the Forest Nettle Risotto and I chose the Muscovy Duck. The risotto came out and was a bright green color, just beautiful. It contained mascarpone and Parmesan cheese. It was rich, but the forest nettle flavor cut the richness creating a perfect combination. Also, the texture of the rice was firm, so it wasn't at all mushy, just the right texture.
The Muscovy Duck was accompanied with fennel and black pepper jam with a fennel coulis sitting on some fruit coulis. The flavors of the coulis were mild, just enough to accent the duck.
The black pepper jam had sesame seeds throughout, so it had a complexity of flavors that went well with the natural juices and flavors of the duck. The texture of the duck was quite good, although the shape and size made it slightly difficult to cut up.
A small pile of diced golden potatoes with a coriander seasoning complimented the dish. It was a bit salty, but that was just fine as it was a very small portion that went well in between bites of the duck.
By that time we were quite full, but we decided to glance at the dessert menu. We were wavering between the mango and passion fruit Crème Brulee with lychee sorbet or the Standing Cones, cookie cones with house-made raspberry and strawberry sorbets and basil ice cream.
We asked the server what was better of the two. She said the crème brulee was better for sharing, but the Doughnuts were where it was at. We'd thought about the doughnuts before that but thought it'd be too rich to end the evening.
We took the server's advice and went with the Doughnuts, and let me tell you we were not disappointed! There were two small banana and caramel filled doughnuts on the plate, with a touch of cinnamon and sugar on top. The inside of the doughnut was incredibly moist but not doughy. Also, it wasn't too sweet with just a hint of caramel and the banana mainly adding a textural element.
Then there was a small square container with molten milk chocolate. The chocolate was wonderful, once again not too sweet, reminding me more of a mix between milk and semi-sweet chocolate. We drizzled the chocolate over the doughnuts. Then, to top it all off, the doughnuts came with a dollop of peanut butter ice cream on the side along with some candied peanuts. The combination of those 3 elements resulted in an incredibly satisfying yet not too heavy of a dessert.
And after we thought everything was said and done, the server brought out 2 small jelly rectangles, reminiscent of those Sunkist jelly circles or an applet or cotlet. The jelly treats were so flavorful, with the apricot and passion fruit filling up my senses with a tart, fresh sensation. It was the perfect way to end the meal.
So that details in depth my fantastic evening at Canlis. I will definitely be heading back to take my boyfriend for our anniversary in June.
Timeless, classy restaurant overlooking Lake Union (gorgeous view). We were seated by the window (they don't have 2-tops by the window but they set one up for us since it was my birthday).
The steak was outstanding.
The lobster tail was fresh and delicious.
The service was impeccible (it could not be pecced)
Bonus points for seating us next to Howard Schultz. I was already feeling like Seattle royalty but having dinner next to the King of Coffee and his family somehow heightened the whole experience.
At first, I wanted to give Canlis 4 stars. But I've been thinking about it some more and considering what I paid for my meal and comparing it to my other experiences, I just can't give Canlis more than 3 stars. The location is everything - absolutely beautiful. However, we were not lucky enough to get a window seat, even though I made a reservation well in advance and requested a window seat. I really didn't understand why either. I saw some tables by the window that were empty and no one sat in them the entire night! We ordered three appetizers (Canlis prawns, oysters, and pork belly) and two entrees (lamb chops and wagyu beef). The Canlis prawns and oysters were delicious! The pork belly was ok - the fat was still a little too gelatinous - perfectly cooked pork belly should melt in your mouth. We decided to spend extra on the wagyu beef, but I'm not sure it was worth it. My lamb chops were a disappointment. There was so much fat! Lamb chops are NOT supposed to have that much fat! We were ready to leave at this point, but we were shown the dessert menu. We couldn't pass up the doughnuts and mango creme brulee. I loved the doughnuts a lot more than the mango creme brulee.
Canlis was described to me as "the best restaurant in Seattle" and that was from locals! While I don't think Canlis has the best food, they do have awesome service. I was pleasantly surprised when we walked outside after our meal to find our car waiting for us.
For me Canlis is the ultimate special occasion restaurant. Even if it's not a special occasion, the staff makes you feel as if it is. I made reservations for our 16th anniversary 3 weeks in advance. We arrived at 8:00 and were greeted and told that our table would be ready shortly and offered us a seat in the bar while we waited. No problem, a pre dinner cocktail sounds lovely.
We were seating at a table in the upper tier of the restaurant that offered a great view.
We started with the pork belly & Canlis prawns. No matter what you think you want on the menu, the prawns are a must. The sauce is amazing. I seriously had to fight the urge to lick the plate.
Next we both ordered salads. The classic Canlis salad and the arugula melon salad, which consisted of a grilled piece of watermelon with arugula and goat cheese....yum.
Our main courses were the lamb chops and the waygu beef. Lightly, yet perfectly seasoned & cooked. Just luscious.
As if the food isn't enough, the service is what really shines here. Attentive without being overbearing. We were wished a happy anniversary by not only our server, but the owner, the sommelier, the hostess ect. We were not rushed in any way. Which is how a truly dining experience should be. I will be back to Canlis whenever I get a chance.
For almost every year of my youth and young adulthood, Canlis was the epitome of my birthday celebration or just the most magical place for a fancy dinner out. Unfortunately, I was extremely let down by my last visit.
My boyfriend made reservations for my birthday and I was ecstatic. We arrived ten minutes or so early, and expected not to be seated right away, but a few minutes in the lounge turned into 25 minutes after our reservation was scheduled. But even that didn't put a damper on my spirits. What really let me down was the quality of service - something which is usually what I look forward to most. I'm not sure if it's because we weren't drinking that night (severely cutting down the bill, believe me), or because we were younger than their average clientele, but I felt neglected, unimportant and then rushed to leave. Our server shared none of his sparkling personality he so happily brimmed with at other tables with us.
The appetizers were wonderful, as always, I'll give them that much.
The steak I ordered was okay, but under-seasoned and dry compared to what I've come to expect from the kitchen of Seattle's finest restaurant.
And lastly, when our dessert finally came my name was spelled wrong on the plate and that sealed the end of a VERY expensive and very disappointing evening.
To sum it up, I will not be celebrating my next birthday or special occasion at Canlis. For the money you pay to wine, dine, dessert and lounge, I was very under-whelmed. 3 stars for the ambience,
Classy with a touch of perfection.
Canlis could possibly be the only way to get me to eat peas...
My boyfriend and I went on a real date (we go on those once in a long while). This time was to celebrate a raise! And although I think we spent several months worth of his actual salary increase, my tummy was pleased.
When we arrived, they show us to our table and pulled it out for us so we could get seated. It was even nicer that they seated us next to each other looking out the direction of the window (though there were other tables between us and the actual window). The sun had just set and the view was great! The music in the background was crazy piano arrangements but in some cases to recent radio/hip hop stuff (i was surprised to start singing the words "poker face poker face").
We ordered the tasting menu with the wine pairing. I was a little skeptical though because the first course had my least favorite food in the whole wide universe - peas. But this place sure made even that so yummy. I'm not even going to attempt to describe the courses because I'll butcher them greatly, but I do want to say they were each creative and true taste delighting creations. I also liked that our waiter came by with each wine pouring and told us a story about how the wine came to be.
At the end of the meal, I wondered if they'd get my car back to me (since they don't give you a ticket or anything). As soon as I stepped out the door, the valet guy sprinted off at a zillion miles an hour and returned quite soon with my car. Nice service!
Now I want a raise too ;)
Don't you love it when uber-hyped restaurants surpass their reputations?
Canlis is known as one of (if not THE) best restaurants in Seattle, and it did the city justice. We went for a very special occasion - my parents' 25th wedding anniversary - and consequently were in the mindset to go all out, tab be damned. Which is exactly the attitude you need when dining here, unless you drink yourself into oblivion before the bill comes.
I always do my homework beforehand, and aside from salivating over the menu, I couldn't help but smile about their dress code. And I quote: "The bottom line: Everyone likes to look good. In 1950, people knew fashion and loved to show it. We ask our guests to help us keep that tradition alive. Dress to impress, we look forward to checking you out!" As someone chronically (and intentionally) overdressed, music to my ears.
We all ordered three courses plus dessert, and since my stomach is growling just thinking about it, I'll stick to the highlights:
- Peter Canlis Prawns: served warm, deserving of their namesake
- Braised Beef Short Ribs: melt-in-your-mouth and drizzled with pesto and chili glaze = orgasmic
- Lamb Chops: atop couscous, served with swiss chard and a very subtle blue cheese flavor
- Muscovy Duck: surrounded with orange puree and accompanied by an odd-looking but wonderful tasting scalloped potato log
- Pear, Hazelnut & Thyme Brown Butter Cake: no description necessary with those ingredients
- Chocolate Covered Chocolate: totally worth 25 years of monogamy
The whole ordeal took over three hours, which meant that we never felt overly stuffed or rushed. The cocktails and wine were phenomenal, and all courses were brought out by individual servers and synchronized. First two appetizer courses were a wash (wrong recipients), but third time was the charm! Overall, the service was impeccable: our jackets and car were waiting for us before we'd even left our table.
Last but not least, the ambiance is luxurious but subtle. Very Seattle - all hardwood, high ceilings and expansive windows looking out over the city. Counting down to the big 50 - only 25 years to go!
Amazing.
I made my first (and hopefully not last) trip to Canlis for an Alaska Airlines event. The event was well run and the food was amazing. Our jaws dropped from the appetizers being handed out all the way to the dessert which was served. Granted, we had about 6 or 7 flights of wine with our 5 course meal, so it was easy to enjoy everything. However, on top of the great food was the service. As others have mentioned the service is top notch. From the table service, to the hosts to the valet. For example, on the way out of Canlis, I asked the host how to get my car (I wasn't issued a valet ticket). She said to just stand in front of the door and the valet would get my car. It's a nice touch and left me very impressed and I am looking forward to the next time which I am able to go to Canlis.
What I loved best about me trip to Canlis was how carefully planned each detail of every dish was. For a starter I had the pork belly. It was perfectly cooked, and served with three quail eggs. High end bacon and eggs, but easily the best bacon and eggs I ever ate. My main was the hamachi, which was cooked rare and served on a bed of farro and chantrelles. The fish was smooth, bright, buttery, and perfectly complimented. For dessert the doughnuts did not dissapoint. It is the first time I have eaten one that I would qualify as better than Top Pot. I will remember this meal for quite a while.
this was dinner #2 of our girls 2night weekend getaway to Seattle. We had a 9course pairing dinner at the infamous Rover's the night before, so we thought we'd take it easy here.
Arrival: couldn't wait to experience the valet; since they are one of the world's famous valet services... what does that mean? we arrived and they knew our name! they say have a great evening....and drove away. wait; we looked at each other and said; did u get the claim ticket? no? we proceed inside and asked the maitr'de and she kindly chuckled and said; they know who you are, don't worry. ;-) we felt stupid. haha. she asked us if we wanted to sit in the lounge for a cocktail or be seated. it was already 8:30pm and so we decided to get seated.
the view is awesome. however, we were seated on the far east side of the restaurant where the view is partial, but better than nothing. (when making reservations, ask to be seated in the MIDDLE of the restaurant. every table has a full view of the Lake).
FOOD: awesome. presentation obviously beautiful and creative. The complimentary soup in a sake cup was delish. The entree is just shy of a moderate portion, so i recommend getting a 1st course as well. I had the popular Canlis prawns (large and give you about 4-5), and the Salmon. We shared an add on order of Truffle Fries. (how can you pass that up?) Order your Grand Marnier Souffle when you order your dinner. YUMMY!!!
midway through our dinner, we overheard the Somelier tell the server that the Canlis family will be arriving shortly for the table next to us? wow! unfortunately, after that, we noticed our service was slightly delayed due all the attention for them.
In the end (now 11:30pm) our waiter asked if we were interested in a tour of the restaurant. he showed us the various private rooms they had as well as their large private room up stairs that had a panoramic view of the lake. just beautiful. we said we wished we had something like this in the SF bay area.
overall, a great experience. will come again!
p.s. our car was ready and sitting outside as we walked out. they even turned our our heater for us! ;-)
This place is so wonderful!!
I loved everything about this place - atmosphere, food and service.
Oh, actually I'm not sure about the view haha.
I had oysters and fries for appetizer with cocktail, they were good.
And I got the chef's tasting menu with wine pairing - it was absolutely amazing! I never knew that each dish could go wonderfully well with different wine like this. I loved it! I liked wine before but fell in love with wine more afterward.
My boyfriend and I wanted to go there for the Valentine's day but the reservations were all full, so we had to try for 13th, and it was at 930pm.
We basically started eating around that time and were done eating at exactly 1am. Seemed like everyone was drunk when they left and that was funny.
It's still mysterious how they remember who took what cars and which jackets we wore.. Well I'm pretty sure they write down somewhere on a paper or computer but still, that was cool.
The bill was almost $500 for two people after eating like this..
If you don't know what to get, get this menu then you'll know what Canlis is all about.
No doubt one of the top restaurants in Seattle area. Service, food, atmosphere.... all remarkable.
Appetizer= Fries and oysters for appetizer. I didn't want the fries but my girl wanted to try em. It was pretty good.
Main Menu= Chef's Tasting Menu along with Classic Wine Pairing (Please refer to the pictures I uploaded).. OMG it was a perfect night for Valentine's day.
Looking forward to visit more often for special occasions and it was definitely worth spending $500 for two people
Excellent!
I would give them 10 stars (if I could). Excellent meal, excellent service. A little expensive, but a wonderful meal and time.
Excellent wine selection. All dishes were thought out and presented with care and pride.
To summarize my experience at Canlis would be, NOT IMPRESSED! Like other reviews I've read about this place yes they do have valet that takes your car and is ready up and running when you're leaving, but that's about it! The location is so horrible if you miss the turn they you're going to travel north quite a few miles before being able to make a turn around, braised short rib was the size of sugar cubes, Canlis prawns was ok(nothing special), salad is a salad almost cannot go wrong, wagyu steak was nothing to go head over heals for, the duck............different is all I can say. The crab cake appetizer was probably in my opinion our most memorable(sad to say), but it contained probably the most crab meat I have ever had in a crab cake and it was not bad
BTW, I was informed by our waitress that Mark Canlis was going to come and refill our drinks and I was thinking in my head "Wow! What a treat! We get to meet THE MAN!" Ehhh no?! He came by dropped off our cocktails and was on his way! I am no big shot ball player or any CEO of any fortune 500 company, but if I can afford a $280 dinner at your place.............you bet your ass you should come by and say something to me! I am almost certain that was my first and probably my last time there!
Almost forgot to mention their wine selection is almost as bad as reading a webster dictionary, the pages were endless!!!
Oyster Hour Weekdays 5 -7pm!
Neighborhood: Columbia City
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Seattle, WA
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