IL BISTRO - Seattle

IL Bistro is a hidden treasure for an unforgettable first date. Let's explore its allure: The atmosphere is captivating, situated in a softly lit space...

Made a reservation via OpenTable to this restaurant, selecting that it was for a birthday. We could immediately get sat at the scheduled time, but nobody...

Kinda hard to find this place. If you use navigation it will direct you to a ground level area that has some shops. The restaurant is actually downstairs...

The food was excellent and the atmosphere was quiet and romantic. The service was impressive.

This is our occasional date spot when we want to have a solid intimate candle lit dinner, good food and wine selection cocktails and dessert. The whole nine. This particular experience however was tainted by a very loud table of 4-5 people in the middle of the dining room belly laughing so loud it echoed throughout the restaurant, so much that every other person was interrupted. This is not the restaurants fault obviously however the joy of one table ruined all others and visibly rattled the staff. The staff verbally acknowledged that the table was being disruptive and assured us they were at the end of their meals, but made no effort to politely ask the table to quiet down. Their check must’ve been a fortune because they continued ordering food, desserts and aperitifs after their entrees. I can understand wanting to please the high rollers but there’s always a chance you’ll ruin the experience of every other person there. My opinion, keep your regulars and don’t allow one big check to step on your reputation. Notes on the food: the greens served with the braised short ribs were very salty this time (first time I’ve had a food issue here) The wine menu/prices are out of date and need to be updated. Our waitress seemed visibly stressed about her workload or other, she was a trooper and did her best but her stress/anxiety bled into our experience as well and made things a little more “high touch”. Overall, this restaurant rarely drops the ball. I trust that this perspective will be taken into consideration and changes implemented where management sees fit. It’s important to know the things you can improve on. We will be back to enjoy the bartenders’ whimsy cocktails, the cozy Bistro ambiance and familiar dishes. -AJ