Kahlo & Loyal — Restaurant in Seattle

A must-try new spot in Ballard with an elevated (and rotating) tapas menu at a reasonable price. For finger food, they provide a yummy mix of crunchy lentils. For meals, I recommend trying the full tapas experience; every plate was a winner. My personal favorites were the fish and chips, which had a creamy sauce for dipping, and the risotto, which had the perfect consistency with some extra crunch from the bread crumbs.

Moreover, the atmosphere of Kahlo & Loyal shows a real attention to detail. Each room has its own character, whether it's the upstairs lounge where you can watch old films on the projector, or the downstairs bar area that is adorned with trinkets and stained glass. The whole space is covered in a unique combination of South Asian and Mexican artwork, including (appropriately) some pieces of Frida Kahlo herself. There is also a subtle cat theme that pulls it all together.

You can often find the owner, Sheldon, grilling some tasty-looking chicken right outside the restaurant. He is a warm and welcoming guy who seems genuinely invested in making sure his customers have a good time. We'll...

Elevated dining experience at an affordable price 🥹. Highly recommend!

Food: their price in Ballard in 2025 is noticeably below the market, and I am so grateful! I haven't had $2 oyster in a restaurant for a long time, and they even come with thoughtfully designed dressing and toppings! We got the tapas set, the chef gave a little presentation about each dish, it's so cool that they forage all their ingredients locally and change the menu weekly. The calamari was so so good, I was blown away 🤯❤️‍🔥👏, I can't wait to come back and try their new creations!

Services: the owner is so friendly and everyone was so nice to us. They gave us free snacks and tea, and it was cool the chef came out and talked with us. It's a cute spot for a data night or hanging with a couple of friends.

They don't have reservations because they want to keep access to people in the neighborhood first🙌 Go check them out if you are around! Great food offered by the...

Excellent new addition to not just Ballard but Seattle. The menu changes each week depending on what produce the owner can source from the UW’s garden. The calamari was great; incredibly light and crispy batter and not fishy tasting at all. The mussels were large and meaty and had great flavor. My friends and I had a great conversation with the owner, Sheldon. We learned he is a trained chef from Cape Town with experience cooking throughout Europe and the PNW. He was so kind and you could tell he takes a lot of pride in his restaurant and work. My friends and I felt the food and experience was incredible value for what we paid, and we are all excited to come back.

My only feedback is that the toasted bread that accompanied the meal needed a fresh toasting as it was a bit chewy in texture. Other than that, my only regret is that I didn’t take better photos to share. Thanks for such a memorable dining experience...