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Cellar 46
Rating Details »
Categories: Beer, Wine & Spirits, Specialty Food [Edit]
7650 SE 27th StSte 120
(at S 77th Ave)
Mercer Island, WA 98040
(206) 407-3016
Early Bird Special -Monday-Saturday
Join us for dinner at Cellar 46 between 5 and 6pm and receive 15% off your entree --
http://www.cellar46.co...
- Hours:
Mon. 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Tue-Sat. 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
12 reviews for Cellar 46
Really should separate the food service from the wine shop. The wine shop employees are very knowledgeable and have been spot on for helping me find unique wines or special order others.
I had happy hour there as well and the service was very slow, but the wines and food were great.
The wine was good, although arguably overpriced. If the restaurant was located in Seattle, they could not compete at those prices, even for Premium Northwest wine. The sad part is that it goes all downhill from there.
The atmosphere was uncomfortable, because you are never sure whether you are sitting in a restaurant or in a wine shop. They really should do a better job of separating the two.
Seriously, you cannot charge $13 bucks for jam, cheap goat cheese on a crostini.
The crab cakes looked and tasted like they had been nuked and overcooked in a microwave: any remaining crab flavor had been obliterated.
The Salmon was served with artichoke hearts, but it seems they forgot to cut them. The Salmon was served with a mustard sauce (WTF?) AND a tomato on top. Seriously guys, you need to learn how to cook. Again, I've had better Salmon at Ikea.
We went there because we got a $100 gift card . . . and we are still complaining.
Went in here because I bought a $25 off gift certificate on http://restaurant.com. Let's just say it was hardly worth the discounted check amount.
Ambiance: A little too bright for my taste, esp at a wine bar/restaurant. There were about 4 fruit flies buzzing around us the entire meal (we sat at the bar), two of which we whacked mid-meal (ew!)
Wine: We ordered a decent Pinot Noir, but it was one of those forgettable table wines you could drink all night if you had to (not that this is the restaurant's fault). But for $50, bleh.
Food: We ordered the Eggplant Napoleon and the special Gumbo. Both were bland and extremely underwhelming.
You might be wondering: Are there any positives about this place? The waiter gave us two pours of a dessert wine after we paid our check, which bumped this review to two stars.
I'll go back for happy hour if I'm in the area, but otherwise I probably won't make my way over there any time soon.
I am quite pregnant, so I cannot review the wines. Sorry.
A group of friends and I came here for the 3 for $30 (which actually turned out to be 4 for $30 because they added a caviar and bubbly apertif).
The service was EXTREMELY slow for our table. But, I think its more because they are inexperienced at service courses. We started at 5:30pm and didn't get out of there until 8pm!
The goat cheese fondue and fruit appetizer was very good!
The meatloaf was bland, unseasoned and contained no form of sauce or marinade or anything. It was really just a slab of pressed ground beef. The garlic mashed potatoes that came along side needed some salt and pepper, but where pretty good (if lukewarm).
I had the baked pear with fig and chevre for dessert and it was also good enough.
Our waiters were sweet, but generally unknowledgable (one of them was on his first day, so we forgave him). Despite the long waits between courses, they made sure to check on us periodically so we didn't feel forgotten.
My advice, you could probably have a better experience somewhere else for that price.
While I had an enjoyable experience at the bar several weeks ago, my first wine purchase at Cellar 46 was a disappointing one.
I went looking for a wine to go with Chinese roast duck and asked for recommendations from the man behind the cash register. He recommended a Pinot Gris and we chatted about Pinot Noirs, and all seemed well.
However, when I asked him how the Seven Hills Pinot Gris compared to a Pinot Gris from Chateau St. Michelle, I got a very puzzling answer. He said that there really was no comparison as Seven Hills was not "owned by a tobacco company and didn't spent a ton of money on advertising." When I said that I that I didn't understand why that made Seven Hills better, he reacted with an incredulity that might have been appropriate had I sprouted another head or third eye. When I asked for some specifics about the differences between the two wines, he said that there was so much information that I should attend one of their classes to understand them.
He then asked me what I did for a living. That seemed like a non sequitur but I replied anyway and said I was a consultant. He then said, "Then you know what I mean." Huh?
When I attempted to make an analogy to automobiles and how attributes like acceleration and handling can help discriminate among cars, he asked me if Porsches and BMWs were the same. When I responded that they were both cars, he said that I'd probably be better off buying the cheapest wine I could find.
I'm not sure what this experience means but it certainly doesn't make me want to buy more wine from them or recommend others to their establishment.
Postscript: The Seven Hills wasn't bad. It had a pleasant chalky and mineral flavor/sensation but didn't really "pop" with the duck. Given what I had heard about Cellar 46, I was expecting a more inspired recommendation. Going with a Pinot Noir would have been better or even a $4 bottle of Golden Gate from RiteAid :)
From their Website, I was excited to find a cool restaurant which could serve as a fair half-way spot for meeting eastside friends. On-site, our first impression was good. Outdoor seating, friendly staff, small but interesting menu. Maybe we should have taken a clue from the many empty tables on a weekend night.
Wine by the glass options were very limited. The wine list seems more designed for people to buy a bottle in the store and then pay the corkage fee.
We both ordered dinners of an app and a salad. The salads were very good. The apps...not. My friend returned her brie & pear crepe, saying that it tasted like they included the rind. She ordered the lasagne as a replacement - it was judged to be reasonable, but very bland. No spices or herbs could be seen or tasted. My app (fig & chevre crostini) turned out to be too sweet - a few crackers with lots of fig jam and very little chevre.
My advice - If you're on Mercer Island and want to check this place out, stick to a simple glass of wine and one of the salads.
I tend to use the promos to get out and try new restaurants, and Cellar 46 was on the New Urban Eats. I've been intrigued by the "new" downtown Mercer Island and this was the perfect excuse to visit. Rather than offering just the 3 course for $30 option, they also offered a "4 courses for $45" that included the 3 course option complimented by wines and pre-course appetizer, which is what we chose to do. The waiter was well versed in the local wines (well, I don't know much about wines, so he sounded pretty knowledgeable to me), which I have to assume compliments the restaurant's extensive wine sales "section" at the entry way.
The restaurant is hip and modern, yet has a cozy feel to it. It wasn't packed when we went, but it was a little loud so I'm guessing it can be quite loud on nights when all the tables are full. There's not a lot of wiggle room between tables either - another reason for being grateful that there wasn't a crowd on the Thursday night we chose to dine here. The food was okay - not bad, but just not great. The meatloaf was dry and rather tasteless. The roast was chewy. The sauces were good though, which is what made our meals such a big letdown. For dessert we had the pear and goat cheese, which was just way too cheesy for me, but pretty good. The service was a bit slow, but I suspect that was purposeful. The wait staff does have the tendency to want the diners to relax and have a good time. All-in-all, not a bad dining experience, and I would go there again to meet up with Eastside friends as a good distance compromise.
When I lived in Mercer Island, the Mercer was under construction. Good food was a hard find. And despite all the nice new construction and new businesses that have moved onto the Rock in Lake Washington, the good food is still a hard to find. Although my experience at Cellar 46 was just above mediocre, the place does have a cute ambiance, offer a great selection of wines, and has some good promise for the future (assuming it stays in business that long!).
I've only been here once, for happy hour. Which, I have to say, is the best and most delicious happy hour for your money! You can choose ANY wine flight for only $10, and ALL items on the appetizer (or small plate menu?) are half off. I split a delicious cheese plate with my friend for $8.50 total. There's an antipasti plate that's just delicious, and it's only $6! The only thing I would change is that I wish there was a late night happy hour (like 9 and later or something). Right now, there's only a 4-6 happy hour. I highly recommend this place. Anywhere that I can get Pinot Noir wine flight for $10 is worth going to!
We spent a pal's birthday here and the food and atmosphere was excellent . The desserts and apps were really the highlights of our meal. The entrées were so-so, but we were with a large group and they didn't seem well suited for parties larger than 4 or so. The wine selection was superb. Well done.
On the retail side, Cellar 46 has, arguably, the best selection of Northwest wines in Seattle (seriously). The retail staff (Kitrik and Ryan) is well versed (both new and old world wines) and they are extremely helpul and not at all pretentious. Their wine classes are actually informative and helpful.
The wine by the glass selection at the wine bar is not as comprehensive as either Purple or Local Vine but their prices are far more reasonable than either and they do have an excellent assortment of choices.
I believe they recently expanded the menu and while I'll miss the salads (if anyone from Cellar 46 reads this: please bring back the salads!) they have a great selection of light dinner fare. I recently had the Northwestern Crepe, which was surprisingly impressive, accompanied by the Vegetable Misto. Both dishes were well prepared and the staff suggestion for wine pairing was superb.
The downside: it's on Mercer Island and while technically not Eastside (it's still 206) you do have to cross a Bridge AND go through a Tunnel to get there from here.
Cellar 46 is probably the best place on the Island. I'm not sure that it's categorized as a restaurant, but they definitely serve entrees, so it is in my mind. The atmosphere is somewhat upscale; but fairly casual and comfortable. I've had some great wine here and some glasses that were just OK. I enjoy the Brie and Pear Quesadilla app and the Flank Steak in Blueberry Chipotle entrée...a lot.
I believe this place has been opened for about a month now. The space and concept is great! They have fantastic wines, a lot of variety that you can't generally find. They have a solid menu as well that pairs nicely with the wines. Their flight menu has about five different region options and apparently changes every so often which allows for a lot of different tastes! Another great feature is they have storage lockers. You can buy your wine and keep it there in a perfectly temperated room! It is a great addition to the Island. My only complaint is, If I am buying a bottle here why am I getting charged an addition $15 to open it? That is highway robbery! If you are going to charge anything (which I don't think they should unless you bring in your own wine) it should be minimal like $5 at most! Other then that the place is nice. Sitting at the wine bar I wouldn't mind having someone tell me a little more about the flights that I am trying. I may have been there on an off day, as I am sure Sunday is slow, but I like having someone knowledgeable teaching me about what I am drinking. I think it is definitely worth looking into though, and a great spot to pick up a nice bottle of wine!
