Nell's — Restaurant in Seattle

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...

Every year on my husband's birthday, we order takeouts from Nell's because it has become a tradition since COVID. This year, however, the experience was so bad it almost ruined the good day and it was because of the bad staff attitude. When I ordered over phone, they asked for my credit card details and security code. I hesitated but gave it to them because maybe they got a lot of pranks so I understand. But then they asked over the phone for how much I wanted to tip. I really don't like being asked to my nose for tips before I get my food as it feels quite unprofessional, so I declined politely. And immediately they had a dry laugh sarcastically over the phone. I already regretted a little about ordering here because of the bad attitude but when I went into the restaurant to pick up the food, another person asked me to sign the bill and there I could write a tip. I couldn't see the point of asking me over the phone for a tip if they would later ask me to sign the bill again. It felt really phishy as they probably think some people might feel pressured into saying a bigger tip amount when confronted over the phone especially before you get your food. I took over the food and said 'thank you' but the staff said nothing back at all. I was shocked as even mcdonald cashiers would have better attitude. I have always loved Nell's and I don't mind supporting a little extra to the staff at this local business but I really don't approve of the way they treat their customers. Respect goes both ways. If you are the manager or owner of Nell's I hope you could change the culture of the business because I really don't want to see the restaurant that we...

We had a wonderful evening! It's been over 30 years since returning to Nells. It is just as good or better than I remember. I love the white linens as most upscale restaurants in Seattle have done away with those. All the food was fantastic, the server Skye was funny, helpful and had fantastic recommendations. The wine list is great! Lots of really excellent wines. We had two red burgundy bottles 125-190 respectively. Really delicious, paired great with the food. The desserts, butterscotch pudding, chocolate tart were yummy. The carrot cake was not very good but not the worst. That was the only item that wasn't very good. We did one tasting menu, all items were delicious. We had the shigoku oysters were fresh and the mignonette was so tasty. The steak was cooked perfectly and a very tasty cut of meat. The black cod was marinated and cooked perfectly. Really everything was just yummy. The cheese plate could have been a little more and was cut up in small pieces, that's a bit strange. Very little item to complain about. The atmosphere is quiet and very comfortable. We will...