Bake's Place Bar & Bistro — Restaurant in Bellevue

We visited in the evening, parking in the underground garage (save your ticket! they validate parking) and taking an elevator to the restaurant. We were greeted promptly, asked if we had a reservation they should be aware of (we did not), then since it was a slow Tuesday night, we were shown to a very pleasant booth toward the back edge of a large, somewhat circular dining area. Slick, cool, dark. Great for date night or a long-winded business dinner, for sure. A ginormous screen behind a large piano on an oval stage lights up the place, along with mood lighting and a swanky bar. On the screen this night were infos and ads about beautiful places in the world (that we may never see again bc of the pandemic, sadly). Ordering is from a QR code you must have your phone to read. Sorry, not a fan of this, but thanks to Covid it seems the way things are going. Anyway, ordered coconut shrimp that were polite tasting and not over cooked. Also not exciting, but whatever. Harissa marinated olives were tasty, but more like herb marinated (no spice, no heat). The burger sliders were very tasty and tender. The steak with sauteed spinach and fries was quite nice. Dessert of raspberry mousse cake was a surprisingly flavorful rendition. No white cake with jam between the layers, no. This was different. Really actually a mousse. Martini made with my requested vodka was spot on. Service was good, if a little shy at first. Our server was getting used to their computerized system, but made quick work of tapping in menu items and we were never left waiting for long. Once we chatted with the waiter, things got better, we all felt comfortable and human, a nice change from anxiety-ridden times. Really appreciate this restaurant/bar/lounge place, with either specialty drinks or drinks you call out, plus a small but carefully chosen menu that doesn't overwhelm the diner or overstock the kitchen. We would...

We received a Facebook ad notice on Saturday 4/12/19 encouraging fans to come to Bake's Place for the Doctorfunk show that night. This was a great opportunity to entertain family in town from Oregon, so I immediately tried to make a reservation, but all time slots were taken. Although there were no reservations for dinner available, we decided it would still be fun to see the show and enjoy a few cocktails. Unbeknownst to our group of six, you are not permitted to stand in the bar area, enjoy the show, and drink up. Oddly enough, there were a number of tables available upstairs, but the gal (non-smiling, unpleasant) floor lady was not accommodating whatsoever. In fact, she was a snooty, arrogant, un-professional, poor excuse for a manager in the hospitality business. Even the gentleman that worked with her had to apologize for he abhorrent behavior. We recommend not advertising day of for a show that cannot be enjoyed. As we had never had the opportunity to enjoy a show at Bake's Place, we were unfamiliar with the process. The venue was very cool, but the floor lady representing the venue was awful. In the bar/hospitality business, one must take a more professional, un-snooty approach when delivering unhappy news to...

Bake's Place is a beautiful room and could be a very nice place to have a good meal and listen to some jazz. But my first experience of it was on New Year's Eve, a pricey prepaid meal and jazz show. While I was willing to pay a premium price for a premium experience, that is not what I got. Seating was slow and the kitchen even slower; from my reservation time until my entrée was delivered was an hour and a quarter. The entrées are overpriced for what is delivered; while my son's duck was fine, my bass was oversalted and mostly flavorless, indifferently plated with room temperature sides and garnish. The French press decaf coffee was also mediocre, though I do have to say that the desserts were truly great. The service was quite good if a bit harried. Sadly, I won't be back any time soon.

A side note to my fellow patrons: it is considered rude in most circles to carry on loud conversation while musicians are performing. These people have spent decades honing their craft and listening to them is far more worthwhile than whatever inane chatter you are offering to your tablemates at full volume; believe me, I could hear every word, and none of what you had to say was so valuable that it couldn't wait for the music to stop....