Nell's

Ate at Nells for the first time tonight, and it was great! Way more than just a neighborhood place, this is fine dining. The service was excellent — especially the sommelier who custom crafted wine pairings to our tastes. I didn’t catch the somm’s name but our server was Todd. The food was delicious, well presented, and paced well. My knocks on the place are few. I wish the food had been more inventive, though their clientele appeared to be older, so I understand why the tasting menu lacked creativity. The other thing I’ll comment on is the odd restaurant layout that blocks servers from freely moving about the dining room. It’s inefficient and slows service sometimes. But, and I really want to stress this, we were very happy with our meals and the service we received.

Nell's is fantastic! This is a clear winner when it comes to top notch dining around Seattle. The staff are friendly and accommodating. The food is absolutely impeccable! Whether it's on the menu or not, I recommend asking for their onion tart... amazing.

Our dinner reservation was at 6:30pm, and we were seated on time. Service is excellent. The restaurant itself is very simple, decor. Honestly, this discrete place across from Greenlake doesn't look like much. But it is a gem...they go out of their way and accommodate special requests to a fairly small, what i would consider gourmet menu. Calamari appetizer was delicious and served with no tentacles. (cause I mentioned I don't like them- the entire order they removed them before serving). I did not eat it, my parents had the sweet onion tart and they said it was outstanding. They are foodies, so that speaks volumes. Next, a perfectly prepared piece of Halibut. Seared and seasoned simply, delicious. They were happy to replace my fennel and chars with marble potatoes. Never making me feel like it was any trouble. Very nice wine by the glass selection. Desert, I ate the ice cream and strawberries that came with my Dad's hazelnut tort. One suggestion - offer the strawberries and icream as a standalone dessert item. The only real critique would be thrice menu items requested had sold out. That's how Dad and I ended up with the replacement Halibut; They were out of the black cod. Also, how Dad ended up with a the hazelnut tort alamode with fresh strawberries instead of the rhubarb crisp. Fine for me, Halibut is my favorite and the ice cream and fruit were delicious. But, I didn't order my own dessert. They were out of the pineapple sorbet. All worked out well in the end for me, but this could be frustrating for someone else. My mother had hangar steak, I tasted it. Perfection. Also, she was able to get a Decaffeinated espresso! She loves espresso but doesn't often get it because decaffeinated espresso is hard to come by. Finally, we were never rushed but rather encouraged to relax and enjoy the experience.

As always, the food and service were excellent, with the experience further enhanced by jazz playing softly in the background. The restaurant is intimate and quiet, the perfect setting for conversation over a fine meal. It's a shame that most newer Seattle residents have yet to try Nell's; the kitchen consistently produces some of the city's best food accompanied by a very nice wine list and specialty desserts. If looking for the buzz of a busy, contemporary restaurant, Nell's would not fit that bill; instead, it aims to and succeeds in providing intimate fine dining to be shared with loved ones and friends.

Did the tasting menu, everything was delicious! Server was friendly.