Conversation — Restaurant in Seattle

I will begin on a positive note: Scout’s location is extremely convenient in downtown Seattle, located within easy walking distance of the Westlake Center and Pike Place Market, and only a few extra blocks walk to most of Belltown and downtown. They have a reasonably complete bar, with some interesting house cocktail suggestions on their menu. I was one in a party of 4 business associates/friends and we had various cocktails (one had beer) and they were all fine. Among the four of us we had three different entrées and with the exception of one being a little bland—quickly remedied with some additional salt and pepper—we all thought our meals were fresh, tasty, and reasonably proportioned. Nothing was stellar, but nothing was wrong, either. I would eat here again if I happened to be in the immediate vicinity (and certainly if I were a guest at the Thompson, in which Scout is located), but I wouldn’t make a special trip.

Now for the bad news: their wine list, while having a nice selection (not vast, but larger than many similar style restaurants) is staggeringly overpriced. I am not using that expression lightly. I didn’t examine every wine on the list, and I certainly didn’t whip out my phone and start looking up prices online, but I have a few of their wines in my own cellar and know what they cost at retail. Scout is, in most cases on their list, extracting a 4X (or more) markup over retail prices. This is insane. After scouring the list for some sort of reasonable deal, I found a San Felice Il Grigio Chianti for $49 (it retails for around $20-$25.) When the server brought the “bottle” it was a half-bottle! (It was listed that way on the list, but I had not noticed.) I am in my late fifties and have been buying, collecting, and drinking wine my entire adult life. Last night, for the first time ever, I put the list down and decided we would NOT have wine with dinner! We finished dinner and moved on to one of the other very fine local establishments within blocks to continue our after-dinner conversation and drinks. They do offer a corkage fee of $25 per bottle if you bring your own, which, unless they reduce their prices, is the only remotely reasonable way to drink wine here.

Finally, we interacted with 4 different staff members while we were there, and they were all delightful. I really want to like this place, but I think someone has a misplaced sense that “new” or “trendy” or some such nonsense is a reason to gouge on their...

From start to finish, our dining experience felt like the wheels were about to come off. That is, it was a garbage fire without being a catastrophe. We had a 7:30pm reservation, but waited at the hostess stand for 5 minutes before being greeted by a waitress who said "I don't know where the hostess is and don't know how to work the check in tablet." The hostess appeared an additional 5 minutes later, no apology, no explanation, just "hi" as if she had been there the whole time. We were sat directly next to a PoS station, and there was a lot of foot traffic happening directly next to us the whole meal. Also, being next to the PoS station, we heard our waitress say numerous times that she was "over it," insinuating they were having problems that night. The waitress was very clearly overwhelmed, unfriendly, and appeared to be the only one in the restaurant actually working despite there being two other waiters. The hostess would occasionally perform waitress duties (setting tables, serving, clearing) while leaving people marooned at the check in stand like we were. Overall, there was a major feeling of tension through dinner. The food was just fine, but mentally add 20% onto the price for a non-negotiable "service charge", which was annoying because the level of service we received was not worth 20%. At numerous points prior to ordering, we debated walking out and wanted to leave as soon as possible after receiving our food. Total price was $115 for an app, a beer, and two entrees, which is an insane price compared to other restaurants in the area and considering the quality of food and service doesn't match the higher-end atmosphere. I'm giving this 2 stars instead of 1 because my partner...

My partner and I tried something new for our joint birthday date and found Conversation. The decor is nice and the location is in a bustling area near Pike Place...that's about all the positive feedback I can provide for this place.

Our reservation was at 6pm, and we were sat immediately by the floor manager. Our server gave us waters that would never again be refilled. While we ate the admittedly decent Crab Dip, a table of two ladies next to us was visited by the same floor manager who sat them, who asked them to move to a different table so they could accommodate a 3 top. The ladies politely moved but I was stunned.

The $61 steak came to our table and it had been gashed 5 times through the length of the strip, letting all heat and juices pour out of it. The "wagyu" burger came as well (which was either not wagyu or had left under a heat lamp too long as it was bone-dry)Both entrees were on huge plates, leaving us to Tetris our glassware and bread plates around...none of which had been pre-bussed. Our server took this to mean we may want the Crab Dip boxed up. Instead of taking our appetizer plate away to box it, she dropped a box at our table and walked away....still no water refill.

Finally, the check came. Unaware of the automatic 20% service charge, I was floored to see that there was a line on the check for additional tip, as the service charge was "distributed amongst the staff" and 3% would go to hotel staff. I don't know how they are okay with charging automatic gratuity for a 2 top but I suppose if the service is going to be that bad, they have no choice to build in the tip, because I certainly wouldn't have left one based on merit....