We just finished dinner at Canlis and it was amazing! My children (8 and 10) and I are visiting from Boston and this was the one restaurant I really wanted to go to. The setting is stunning, the service is impeccable and the food is exceptional. When we booked out trip, I began looking for Michelin star restaurants and learned that Michelin star ratings don't exist in Washington. From everything I could find, Canlis was one of the closest options for that type of elevated dining experience. I can now say, it 100% would have multiple Michelin stars if they existed out here. Immediately when we arrived, my children and I were made to feel valued and special. The staff was warm, kind, inviting and gave us a variety of options for the kids and I to choose from for our dining experience. Each course was served with Formal Silver Service, the expertly crafted dishes were thoughtfully described and the quality was beyond compare. Additionally, I truly appreciated how my children were incorporated into the experience in an elegant and respectful manner, rather than feeling dismissed as children are sometimes made to feel in fine dining establishments. They tasted all of my dishes and enjoyed theirs as well. My son's favorite dish was the gooey duck and my daughter's was the flourless chocolate cake. I am so thankful that I was able to give them the opportunity to experience cuisine that is unique and sophisticated while cultivating a love and respect for food that is made with those same values at it's core. When we got up the use the restroom, a gentleman complimented my children on their behavior. It was so very kind and we enjoyed chatting with him. He asked my kids if they might like to meet the chef and I kind of thought he was joking, but excitedly, we all said yes! In an effort to be polite and call him by name when (maybe later) we could meet the chef, I asked his name and he responded "Brian Canlis." We were a bit surprised. He was so friendly, warm, approachable and inviting. He was hands on and very present in making sure that everything was running smoothly. We have had many dining experiences where the owner is not on property and hires someone else to run the day to day operations, but clearly, Mr. Canlis was not entrusting his families legacy to anyone else. After we finished our meal, we inquired if it might still be possible to meet the chef. Mr. Canlis, came straight to our table, personally gave us a tour of the restaurant and shared heartwarming stories about his grandparents and the property. The one really special part was that my kids were his focus of attention. They felt like celebrities and had the largest, heartiest smiles on their faces. As a parent, this means the world to me. We ended our tour by visiting the kitchen and meeting the chefs and support kitchen staff. This may sound a bit silly, but I had tears in my eyes because it felt like such an honor and special moment. This last year was pretty challenging and to be able to share this unique experience with my children--I don't have the words to describe how valuable it is. Additionally, I felt like it was so inspirational to see a kitchen with such a diverse staff, a female head chef and an owner that is hands on, approachable and clearly values his staff and prioritizes honoring his family history. Thank you so very much Mr. Brian Canlis and staff. You have left an indelible impression on my children and I. What you have is so very special and I wish you and your family a healthy and prosperous future. Sincerely, Colleen, Cailyn (8) and Teegan (10)

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Besides the great ambience, service, and food this establishment cares about people and treats them right. In an era of constant criticism and cancel culture, I salute Canlis for their outstanding quality and unmatched integrity.

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This is certainly one of the most remarkable and storied restaurants in America. Twenty-five years ago I first visited, and was struck by the beauty of the restaurant, its view, and the food. Now, all these years later, it's great to see that it is still in the family, and has evolved with the times to an even higher level of food and service, without sacrificing the interior design that made it so striking when it was founded in 1950. We had dinner in The Caché, the intimate upstairs private room that used to be Mt. Canlis' office. It commands a striking view, and is the perfect setting for a romantic dinner. A consistent winner of the Wine Spectator's Grand Award, the wine list is both broad and offers good depth of vintages, with great wines for any budget. The multi-course menu offered selections of three of the six courses, and there were actually far more than six because some courses were comprised of many small bites. We loved almost everything excepting the actual main courses we chose, which were not quite the tour de force of the fixed courses. Service was very professional yet friendly. And you can't beat the view!

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My first time, my husband's second (his previous time was with the prior head chef). I was impressed, but my husband says the portions are much smaller than last time, and less filling than Michelin star restaurants. But I was full when we left, and I'd recommend Canlis to any foodie willing to spend $180 for six courses. We went in July and tried lamb (5/5 stars), wagyu (5/5 stars), and vanilla bean parfait (3.5/5 stars), and then for the other set sablefish (4/5 stars), halibut (4/5 stars), and smoked cocoa nougatine (4/5 stars). The other three dishes were also impressive, especially the first one!

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My boyfriend surprised me with a birthday visit to Canlis, and it absolutely exceeded my expectations. From the moment we arrived, we were treated with exceptional service--staff were ready to open our car doors and escort us inside. The interior was stunning, with dim lighting and a beautiful view of the water. We were promptly seated and given menus to select three courses for later in the meal. My boyfriend and I chose different dishes so we could share and sample more flavors. Each of us received 6-7 courses, and despite the small portions, I was pleasantly full by the end of the meal. For my birthday, they even brought out an extra dessert with a candle, which was a lovely touch. The servers were incredibly attentive and professional, and the food was delicious. The ambiance added to an unforgettable dining experience at Canlis, making it absolutely worth the hype!

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Just over a month ago, I had dinner in the Cache room with my husband, and my sister and her husband. We were the last of two reservations in the room, so we had a bit more flexibility with our timeline and could really take our time to enjoy the meal and the beautiful view together. If I could give fractions, I would give this place a 3.7. $$$$$/$$$$$ Be prepared to drop a grand on one dinner. The pros: - The food was beautiful, well-prepared, and done thoughtfully. - The Cache room is stunning. It's quite small, but that makes it perfect for an intimate dinner. I think it was an extra $200 total, which was well spent. If you're going to reserve the room, opt for the later reservation time so the staff doesn't have to rush you through your experience. - The staff was EXTREMELY attentive, fun, kind, and engaging. You pay for top-tier service. Our waitress gave us a personally customized list of places to check out while we were staying in the area, which had some great recommendations. We had SO many different people come into the room to refill water, drop off a dish, bring in drinks, etc. Every single person who stopped in brought a great personality and could also tell you exactly what was in the dish. It's very clear this place does an incredible job training. - I also personally love that the staff get to have weekends off. That's how you know this is a successful place. And I'm sure it helps retain quality staff who are happy to go to work. - Of course, because we had a tasting menu, portions were small; correction, they were TINY. But we certainly didn't leave hungry, so the chef did a fantastic job portioning everything out so you didn't have to go grab a bite after such a fancy dinner. The room for improvement: - Given that this restaurant doesn't have any Michelin stars, it holds itself to an extremely high standard. That comes through in the decor, the staff, and the menu; however, the dinner itself didn't follow any cohesive theme or story, which makes a tasting menu much more engaging. They could have done better to explain what the chef's inspiration was or how the foods were made and take you through a journey to engage your mind as you eat rather than just explain the dishes and walk away. - Along those lines, I believe having a printed menu is important to keep guests in the know about what they are eating. I love referring back to the previous dish to compare and discuss - this would've been nice to have. - The website mentioned something in a downloadable PDF that there was a wine pairing option, but they ended up just having the sommelier speak with us, which was a cool experience, but I would've preferred an option where I could just have a conversation with her once and she could send a pairing (with a smaller ounce poor) for each dish. Alternatively, Canlis could introduce some type of pre-selection during reservations where you opt for the pairing and answer some tasting questions so the sommelier can pre-screen your preferences ahead of time to have your pairings selected before you get there. I just think personally it was too much pressure. Being on vacation, I prefer to relax and not make many decisions, and that is a potential area to get creative and try something different for them as a business. - All of the above taken into consideration, and despite the pros, I was astounded at the final bill. I have been to dinners that are a fraction of the price for a more engaging and better thought-out experience. Just for example, some of the other places we've been to have offered a complimentary glass of wine or champagne when we sat down, a hot towel at the start and end of the meal, wiped crumbs off the table in-between courses, etc. So it's not that the staff didn't do enough, but rather that the experience didn't feel as customized and intentional as it could have for that massive of a price tag.

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The restaurant is a big pink structure off the side of the road that boasts beautiful views in the dining area. Menu consists of 3 set menu items and your selection for the remainder of the 3 courses. There is also an option for the salad for $24/person but would prob skip this. While herbaceous and minty, I didn't feel like it was worth it. For your 1st and 2nd course, go for the lamb and wagyu - so tender, well prepared and flavorful. Desserts were unique and refreshing. My mocktail was delish. Staff was friendly and it's cute that you have the option to fill out a postcard and they'll mail it to you. For the amount of food, price was very reasonable.

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Who the heck painted the exterior hot pink? Food is great but the new color outside looks cheap

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I used to go here a couple of times per year - at least once for my anniversary and once for date night. Back when I started going, the tasting menu used to be a 10-course creative ordeal. They also had a la crate or a 4-course for $160. Also, a 20% service charge wasn't automatic. Now, it's $180 for three courses of unimaginative food and then having to go to Dicks for hurlers afterwards to be satiated. Service has slipped too - on our last visit, we arrived on time but we were told to wait in the entryway for several minutes before even being acknowledged and weren't even offered a seat at the bar while they took 15 minutes to ready our table; then, they brought our food out before our wince was ready to be served. What the heck?! A 250% markup on the bottle and then an automatic 20% service charge on top of that?! Save your money, drop them a line to hire a new chef, and better train staff.

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Simply the best restaurant in Seattle and could easily be a 2 Michelin Star restaurant. The chef Aisha Ibrahim is amazing and the Canlis is at the top of their game. I recommend the lamb and the Wagyu Beef. The wine selection if massive and you can find fair deals. We had a 4/5 Barbaresco for under $100. I can't recommend this restaurant more, make sure you dress up as it is still required.

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Above and beyond what I even expected. Honestly you could not get a better ambiance. The view is incredible and the restaurant itself is nice and open and pleasant to be in. The food is very very good. I only give it four stars because most of the seasoning was simply salt. Everything tasted amazing, but wish there was more depth of flavor with more range of spices. I would definitely come here again. All my cocktails were made absolutely perfect.

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Beautiful place, excellent food and unpretentious, friendly staff. Loved it. Great special occasion restaurant. Pricey, but we felt it was worth it, and had a lovely evening.

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Canlis does not disappoint. My wife and I enjoyed dinner for our 44th anniversary and we had a wonderful time. The atmosphere is fantastic with a sweeping view of Lake Union, the service is top-notch. The service is relaxed, attentive, and very friendly. At no point did we feel anything but relaxed and cared for. The food was fun and innovative. You the diner choose menu items for three courses and the chef will surprise you with at least three more. Each one was delicious and well prepared from the freshest ingredients. I see some reviewers that complain about the cost but I think they fail to realize that what you are really paying for is the experience and I will definitely say my wife and I got what we paid for and a very memorable experience.

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Canlis is an amazing place to dine. The food is innovative and creative. The cocktails are amazing. Everything was delicious.

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I particularly like the piano and the bar in the entrance while you wait to be seated. It was nice to be greeted and offered refreshments immediately. Super spendy, but also also super nice.

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Amazing experience - delicious food, tasty cocktails and the best wine list! Piano player adds to the ambiance and the staff's attention to detail is like no other!

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Order: * Canlis Salad * Beef Short Rib * Apple Cake Pros: * Elegant, albeit slightly dated, ambiance with friendly service. * Short Rib was cooked perfectly, super tender, moist, melted fatty and gelatinous. * The Apple Cake itself was most and flavorful. * Elegant presentations. * Fantastic views from certain spots. Cons: * The salad was a bit overdressed and chopped a bit too fine so it seemed to make the lettuce too soft/soggy. I think bigger pieces of lettuce not so overdressed might serve this dish well and make it look a bit more elegant. * The short rib had some sort of balsamic or tart citrus to the sauce that sort of overpowered the flavor of the beef. Likewise, the two accoutrements were also somewhat tart in flavor and one of the items was a bit chewy. * The whisky sauce on the Apple Cake was a bit too strong. I like a good whisky as a beverage, but I prefer the alcohol to be cooked out a bit more when combined with a food dish. * For the price point and ambiance, I would like the server to give a brief description of the dishes. Comments: * The primary reason for my score is that for the level of dining that it is, I expected a bit more refinement.

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..perfect espresso martini with the crown jewel of the night listening to piano live while seeing the best view in the city. The new menu is epic and the bar bites are incredible and affordable. Love it!! I'll be back soon.

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Great restaurant for a special occasion! Valet parking when you first get to the restaurant. The atmosphere and service is absolutely spectacular. There is live piano music, we got seated near the window and the view was beautiful, and the servers explain the drinks, menu, and each dish very thoroughly, We really loved our experience here. The food itself is pretty good too - we loved the first snacks course, the duck, the wagyu, and the ice cream dessert. Food was good, but service and the ambiance really put this restaurant over the top.

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The food is good but the atmosphere is stuffy and uninspiring and it is soooo overpriced. In the robust Seattle restaurant world, there are just a ton of better restaurant choices.

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Wow! This was my first time back to Canlis in almost 10 years and every single part of the experience was special. The space is beautiful, and there really are no bad seats, you get a good view no matter where you are because of the huge windows. The staff are so wonderful! From the hostesses to the waitstaff and the kitchen staff we met when we were given a tour of the kitchen, everyone was so kind and thoughtful. I liked the pacing of the dinner, I didn't feel rushed but I also wasn't starving or waiting around bored between courses. This was a special occasion as we were celebrating a birthday and a divorce (for someone who was actually married at Canlis) and our delicious meal culminated in their pastry chef sending out a special banana split which you can see in the picture has "Happy Birthday & Split" (lol) written on the plate. They were extremely accommodating and smooth with handling food allergies/issues as well. It was special touches like that throughout the night that made the experience so lovely. Moving on to the food. I really can't speak highly enough! I've seen other reviews where people are worked up about the salad or the bread or the serving size of X, Y or Z. To be clear, this is a fine dining restaurant, you are not getting an Applebee's sized portion of anything (not knocking Applebee's, its just two different types of experiences, which should be expected) but you also won't leave hungry. The salad is delicious, but not revolutionary, same with the bone broth rice that came with the wagyu. I did LOVE the bread and of course I'm a sucker for locally sourced ingredients. My personal top favorites of the night were the scallop toast, the duck, the wagyu, and the calamansi sorbet. The flavors were balanced, and the contrasts with textures in all the dishes were absolutely spot on. Overall a truly special dinner.

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The food has been consistently excellent for decades. Amazing location and view. Top notch staff. And I'll always remember how well they reacted to the pandemic: kept their staff working making to-go meals and donating tons of time and food to charities.

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I have been here so many times I can't even count them. From the moment I pulled into the drive way I felt like I was home. The valet team made me feel so good as if I were one of them. Walking into the restaurant was pure magic, the kind of magic you can only feel. Every single person coming to warm the table and make us laugh and so feel included. The menu that Chef Aisha and her incredible kitchen team brought to the table was heaven. My guest who dined with me were so grateful and most of the night were just taking about the amazing food and how incredible staff was (the tiny details definitely matter) I think every single person that works at Canlis came to our table, rolling 20 sided die, wearing a james beard awards around their necks, teaching us some pretty sweet dance moves, just saying hello and ending the evening by inviting my nephew and nieces into the kitchen to meet and greet with Chef and the kitchen team to be official ice-cream testers. Thank you for making my family feel so cared for and truly turning toward all of us. The hospitality that you all showed to me and my family made me feel so overwhelmed with love and so proud to be a part of this team. I took a part of each of you home with me last night and thought about how I can be better at my job. Thank you for showing me what we do every single night. I am so incredibly proud of all of you and to be a part of this outstanding team and show my family why I love my job. It's the all of you, each and everyone of you. I'm not crying, your crying. Let's have a good service. And always keep the promise.

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We came prepared to be disappointed, based on past meals at Canlis, where we left hungry and went out afterward for a second course. The menu was fixed, and the stream of amazing little delicacies was delicious. We're typically vegetarian but took a little "holiday" as we sometimes do at nice restaurants. It was a great evening, and we were definitely well satisfied in terms of palette, pacing and nourishment. If anything we were feeling kind of stuffed and happy as we left the restaurant. Nice piano music and quite the staff to attend to us!

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We love Canlis. Reviews here by dinner guests are definitely mixed. For the past few times, we just go to the bar, have a couple drinks, and order off the bar menu. All the highlights are on the bar menu including fries and the Canlis salad. Still expensive, but way less than the restaurant and still the Canlis experience. I have to say that I am a bit confused about their tipping policy. 20% is added to the bill and there is no place on the CC receipt to add additional tips. I assumed their tipping policy also covered $$ to the Valet. I think my valet assumption was wrong as my wife had no doors held or closed for her. No tip to the Valet to their obvious chagrin.

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Don’t go, don’t go! So disappointed! Mom’s 95th birthday and looking forward to a enjoying a momentous night with a wonderful meal . We needed to Google 90%of the description. When it came, underwhelmed! $180/ plate! Really- so mad! Just like the king in his new clothes! People rave, so superficial- like cold clam chowder, raw fish, etc🤷🏼 ♀️ ?heading to McDonald’s!

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Hi Forest - I hope you're having a fantastic walk with your dog this morning! The vibes were immaculate and the food was excellent. Kyle - Forest deserves a raise. Mark - Phenomenal craftsmanship on the antlers. To the entire Canlis crew: Thank you for such a phenomenal, fun, and creative evening! You folks are truly the best, thank you for sharing your art and passion.

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The service was very disappointing. The waitperson spilt my cocktail on the table and a little on my dress. Instead of changing the wet tablecloth, additional napkins were placed on the soppy wet table. I had a damp table for my entire meal. Also, instead of replacing the spilt cocktail, ASAP, it took them good 15 mins to get it, while the rest of the table was waiting to start sipping their quaffs. Dont order the Wagyu. it was chewy.

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We were celebrating three September birthdays and chose Canlis as it is touted as THE restaurant in Seattle. It is located on a hillside with a clear view of Union Lake and our table was at the window. The host seated us and left us with a wine menu and a cocktail menu. The serving assistant filled our water glasses and we sat. When the young man topped off our glasses for the third time, my son asked if he could send someone with menus. Not a good start. This is a fixed price menu ($175/person plus a 20% service fee) with 3 of 7 courses provided in the menu. There are 3 choices for each of the 3 listed courses, the other 4 are the chef’s choice. For my choices, I started w roast duck, 2 thin slices plus a duck dumpling in a broth, baked halibut for my entree and a strawberry rhubarb white chocolate kasu. Inserted between these was a butternut squash bisque with a few prawns in it, a mixed salad, and a sorbet. The portions are small, but add up to a full meal. The bisque was extraordinary and the halibut was baked perfectly. Everything was beautifully presented. We started with cocktails. My son had an Old Fashion and I had a perfect rye Manhattan. These were made w high end ingredients and generous amount of alcohol. The extensive wine list has a few bottles for less than $100 with prices running over $1000. Once the service got started, it rolled with a nice pace and everyone was very friendly and informative. Our waiter had asked if our visit was for an occasion and brought out our deserts with a candle on each one. Good touch. Our discussion afterwards was that the poor start was a surprise and while the food was very good, lots of interesting flavors, that it was overpriced. For 3 persons, 1 drink@, an $80 bottle of white wine and the 20% fee the total was $800. I knew going in that it would be north of $600.

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Friends of mine gave my husband and me a gift certificate for Canlis, which was quite a generous gift. We dined there last night, and we both left feeling ... underwhelmed. Before I go any further, I want to state that nothing we experienced was in any way bad. The food was good (some excellent) and the service was exemplary. The overall experience was one of underwhelming value. My husband and I are not wealthy, but we are not poor. We do well in our fields, and we enjoy dining out. We've dined in fine restaurants all over Seattle and the PNW, and in Chicago, New York City and LA as well as in Vancouver, Montréal, Québec City, Paris, Biarritz, St. Jean de Luz, San Sebastian, Madrid and Barcelona. On my own I have dined well in Lisbon, Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo, Brussels, Nice, Cannes, St. Tropez, Köln and Monte Carlo. I know food, and I know fine dining. I know a good meal from a bad meal. I also have a standard of what a good value is. To me, value is derived from the enjoyment experienced balanced with the amount paid. At a certain point there is a level of diminishing returns. This experience of diminishing returns was our take-away from Canlis. What astonished me about the meal was how expensive it was. The two of us had one mocktail each (no wine) and dinner. This came to just under $500. In my world, $500 is not a small amount to drop on any experience, let alone a single meal. For $500 I would have liked to have been blown away. We just weren't. The view was incredible. The staff were gracious and attentive. The food was nice and beautifully presented (the albacore in a tangy potato emulsion, the 'mostly rye' bread and the pre-dessert Greek yogurt with blueberry reduction and olive oil were by far the stand-outs.) But we have had many more 'oh my God!' moments at other restaurants. Our first dinner at Communion in the Central District was one such meal: a never-ending parade of incredible textures, flavors and inventive combinations - a meal that has lived in our minds as one of the best we've had in our lives. We had two meals at a restaurant in Barcelona (Telèferic) that were unbelievably astonishingly delicious. One meal we had in Biarritz (Le Pimpí, which has since changed hands) is a meal we still refer to fondly, even though it happened over ten years ago. These meals were events. And while these gustatorial events were not 'cheap eats' they also did not blow huge holes in our dining budgets. As a result these meals, pricey though they may have been, were excellent values. I'm going to say something here that is going to sound crass in the context of fine dining. But here it is: the food was so tiny. So very, very tiny. I ordered duck breast as one of the courses. This was a sliver of duck breast (two bites - one for me, one for my husband) and a single dumpling in a diminutive ramekin of broth (again, one bite for me, one bite for my husband.) I know intellectually that the preparation of the duck must have taken hours. The duck itself was most likely sourced from the freshest, purest duck pond on a carefully maintained farm. I had my bite of the duck and my bite of the dumpling and it was good. But just good. Not 'oh my god.' Just ... good. The same can be said of the coulotte of beef. It was good. It was tender. But it was not 'oh my god.' It wasn't even 'oh my gosh.' It was just ... good. And tiny. So very tiny. (Let me hasten to state here that we are not Claim Jumper diners. I'd literally rather eat nothing than eat at Claim Jumper, or any other restaurant that features food whose only feature is its hugeness.) I know there are people in the world who can drop $500 on dinner and that's just a regular Tuesday. I imagine these are the same people who do not think twice about ordering a $3,000 bottle of wine to go along with one course, and another bottle to go along with another course. Perhaps Canlis is built for people who live at this kind of wealth level. For my husband and me, we will continue to visit restaurants that elicit a higher level of 'oh my god!' and represent a good value in doing so.

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We tried Canlis multi-course dining experience for a graduation celebration. Service was professional and courteous. Items in the menu comes at bite size ( sampling quantity). Each item is is brought to the table by a team of servers. All items are tasty and artistically presented. Steak bites are tender and juicy…cooked to perfection …. Dried persimmon is very good ….not too sweet. All in all is a good culinary experience (cuisine quality is excellent but not a unique one) if you have $220+ (including drinks) to spare for each person

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The food matches the views. If you ever were going to ask someone to marry you at a restaurant, this should be your choice. Outstanding in every way. I especially loved the soft piano music that was close to our table. The pianist even played George Winston and had a wide repertoire. You need to do this! It's magical!

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Thank you to Wanda and the whole staff for the exceptional service and delicious dining experience. Everything was so fantastic-- from the romantic ambiance, the sablefish that tasted like melt in your mouth butter, to the views of Seattle perfectly framed by the spruce trees outside. I never knew fish could taste so subtle and delicious. The kombu dashi soup of the seabream dish was so comforting and the dessert of cacao and ice cream was soooo yum. We celebrated my partner's 37th and it was truly perfect and wonderful. Thank you for the hardworking staff for going above and beyond to make the night even better than we imagined!

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Either these reviewers are used to at eating high-end establishments all the time, or my crew was high. Either way we all rated Canlis 5 stars for food, service, atmosphere and overall experience. Experience/Service/AtmosphereWe made a reservation 3 months in advance for a 5 oclock seating. We got seated in a great spot with an excellent view on a gorgeous night. It was fun to see the staff doing their nightly check in prior to the restaurant opening. The vibe is definitly traditional/classic/upscale. The pianist was a nice touch- playing a variety of hits throughout the decades. Our server, Forest, appeared to be new, but was super sweet and helpful. We also had a plethora of other staff members assisting with our food, drinks, and clearing dishes. Everyone seemed very freindly and happy to be here. The bathrooms were gorgeous- everything from the doorknobs to the napkins are elegant.FoodWe had the pre-set 3 course dinner with the 4 surprise courses. 6/7 courses were AMAZING (none of us enjoyed the pallet cleanser which was a whipped tofu with orange... something like that). We pretty much sampled the entire menu (minus the Hen of the Woods which I have read not great things about). The overall concensus for favorite dish was the Crab with Whipped Potatoes (please do not quote me on the names... again we are not fancy people over here). If I were to do this experience over, I would have probably gotten the steak over the Makeral, and the squash over the Seabream... but hey ya live and ya learn. The desserts were ALL TO DIE FOR... but the toasted cacao is a MUST! Don't even think about getting anything else! I also ordered a GF/Dairy Free menu, which I would not do again. Nothing was incredibly different beside the bread, but it also did not seem like anything was drenched in gluten or dairy (I am not allergic, just personal preference).We were all so glad we finally got to knock Canlis off our bucket list. While we most likely wont be back (due to financial reasons), it was SO WORTH coming for a fun and dressy evening. Yes the dinner is LONG. Yes the dinner WILL BREAK YOUR BANK. But truly, if you are or are not a food snob, this place really had so much to offer to anyone who enjoys an event to look forward to! HIGHLY RECOMMEND COMING AT LEAST ONCE IN YOUR LIFE

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Saw this from an Anthony bourdain episode on Seattle and the food didn't disappoint. There were 6-7 courses, each extremely delicious and pretty. Loved all their desserts. We had four people so we got to try more variety. We were lucky that we got a window side table and the night view was very beautiful. The drinks were ok not exceptional. It is definitely a very expensive meal but defo a nice place for a special occasion on good weather. Their service is honestly very fast for fine dining. We were hungry so we ate everything quickly and I think we were out in less than 1.5 hrs so that is definitely really nice.

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Just got home from getting dinner here for my birthday and was incredibly underwhelmed and quite honestly & sadly, I would definitely not come back. For starters, there was a wood bug that looked like a beetle that started crawling across our table halfway through our meal. I was going to take a picture but I don't want deter people from coming because of that and I didn't want to be rude posting it but I did want to make a note of it. Granted I know they can't control bugs getting on the table, but we tried for several minutes to get someone's attention to remove it & the lady who finally came over basically said nothing and just removed it. I know our waiter was not notified because he was fantastic and I know he would have at least apologized, even though we do understand that is out of their control. But honestly it was pretty gross :( not to mention several fruit flies throughout our meal. For the price, you can get much much better food and better service elsewhere. Our main waiter was great, but towards our 3rd course or so we basically never saw him again until the end. Several of the courses were way too salty to the point that we couldn't eat it. My fish was so salty and vinegar-y I couldn't eat it. They served a weird tofu nitrogen course as a palate cleanser and it was truly awful none of us touched it. I didn't like my sorbet dessert either, none of touched that either. I would say about 4-5/7 of the courses I didn't even eat. Their salad was good but also way too salty?! The best parts I think was the homemade bread & the drinks. Those were fantastic. And the first course was delicious. The night definitely started on a good note and then just declined rapidly from there. My personal opinion is that Canlis has too contemporary/modern/unique of food that if you're used to a traditional fine dining experience this is not it. I would normally probably give a 1-2 star but I do think that some of this could just be my personal preference rather than all of the food just not being "good" aside from several dishes being too salty. Also, there are several people who wait on you and they do not communicate. My fiancé ordered a drink from another waiter (not our main) and like 5 minutes later our main waiter asked if he still wanted a second drink. And, later on in the evening he ordered a coffee and so did my step mom, she ordered decaf he ordered caffeinated and they got them mixed up. Luckily, my step mom heard the lady said this is a regular and then we wait another 5 minutes to flag down a team member to ask which one was caffeinated or not. At a fine dining restaurant like Canlis I feel like these little communication errors would not happen. All in all, if you're looking to spend over $1000 for dinner for just four people I'd encourage you to look elsewhere. I had heard that the experience has declined since them getting a new chef but we still wanted to try it out ourselves and sadly do agree. I do not want this to deter anyone else from coming and trying for themselves but I did want to share my honest opinion.

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Quality and experience has changed post pandemic. I wouldn't recommend this anymore.

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It's worth the experience. Service is top notch and food is delicious.

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We paid for the Valentine's special 5 course meal which was more expensive than the normal 7 course meal. Somehow they managed to make sub par food for this special day. The only highlight was the wine we brought for ourselves. The American wagyu course was tough and chewy with gristle inside my girlfriend had to spit out. The dessert was a joke with the choose for yourself Pinkberry style ice cream and lumps of caramel "sauce". This was so disappointing as their regular menu was of much higher quality. I almost choked on the long and undercooked grilled leek in scallop course. There was no palette cleanser before the dessert or anything. The only highlight was the starter course. Shame on you Canlis trying to do a quick cash grab and serve cheap food for a higher price on Valentine's Day! I want a refund lol and they have a long way from even getting one Michelin star

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The expectaion is really high due to all rukes and in advanced payment of $100 per person. The photo on yelp and their website are also nice.inside the restaurant (especially if you are not window seated) is below average. I cannot believe it, fastfood restaurants have nicer interior. If you seat at window table, at least you can see outside and get distracted from inside view.The fact that the menue is half picked for you and half you select, raises the expectation. However we did not like our food at all. portions are like a bite and honesty there is nothing special about them.At the end, the prices are crazy, 165 before tax and tip per person which come to 221 per person!!fact 1: you are not gonna impress anyone if you take them therefact 2: with $100, you can really have great dish at a very fancy restaurant. Canlis is a rip off. fact 3: I cannot understand why people are promoting this restaurant!

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So excited to finally go there as it has such a wonderful reputation. The atmosphere is amazing! Cozy, intimate space with incredible views of Seattle. We had a group of 8 at our table. The service and staff are absolutely incredible. That part of the experience held up to the Canlis reputation. The food however was a disappointment. I found most of the courses to be over seasoned or just ok. Nothing wowed me. One person at our table had hen of the woods with the porridge. She hardly ate any of that and after sampling it I knew why. Just weird flavored mush and oily tasting tempura mushrooms. Everyone at our table was disappointed in the food or thought the meals were "ok." Save yourself some $$$, there's other restaurants with great food.

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Canlis has been on my to try list for so long and last month I finally made it happen. I was unfortunately not impressed with some of the dishes. There were a couple dishes that were extremely overly seasoned to my liking. One was the salad and the other was the miso fish. Which I think ruined the other dishes for me because of the saltiness. What I did appreciate was the attention to detail and plating of each item that was brought out. And our server was extremely helpful and everyone that brought out the plates explained everything thoroughly. I'd say if you haven't experience fine dining before, give it a shot. Its of course not a every weekend type of meal as you will be splurging a couple hundred per person.

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Service as well. Understand and accept fully that Canlis was once a home and still (thankfully) has such energy. It's also located alongside an often busy highway and bridge.Get a table along the windows during the golden hour to experience the outside beauty. To be clear, nothing wrong with experiencing an evening without the sun also :) I've heard you can also get a tour of the wine cellar if you ask in advance, though I've never been (yet).

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I have to say it was an overall amazing experience! We elected for the private room and I must say it is worth the investment. Our server was absolutely amazing I wish I remembered her name, but she just confirmed why this place is worth the cost! The food was delicious, well portioned and presentation was elegant. We are big foodies and appreciate quality fine dining along with keeping the ingredients local. The executive chef knew just how to tie those together. I have never written a review before, but felt the need after reading some of the negative reviews. We have eaten at plenty of places that cost more and have mediocre service. This is not what you will receive at Canlis, the food and staff are aware of what you are paying and want it be appreciated. Thank you Canlis and servers for making our anniversary amazing. We are already looking at when we can get a reservation to return. 3 months out, should also say something about how great this place is!

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Having been to Canlis several times over the past 20 years, we could d not get a reservation for a while. When we finally got pulled in from the waitlist we were looking forward to a repeat of the "wow". Needless to say, we were not impressed. The food was very Japanese- it should be marked as a Japanese restaurant. Soy in every dish- including the dessert(at least the flavor). The place was quite empty considering that getting a reservation was hard and saw several people not finish their food. Great cocktails but less than mediocre food. the price seemed too steep for the. experience. So many more places offer better in the area.

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By any definition, Canlis is unique. Yes, they are delicate portions, but so many of the that you will not be hungry by the end. And every selection is an incredible taste. I've eaten all over the world and this meal was clearly in the top tier.

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Canlis is a fine dining restaurant in a design building, off the city center, having great views of Lake Union. They serve a 3-course tasting menu, giving you a choice to choose one each from starters, entrees and desserts. The atmosphere was very nice, service was attentive and the views were great. Amuse bouche was served first. My choice from the menu was the halibut, striploin and the smoked cacao. We had a pinot noire from the Eyrie vineyards, 2017 to pair our food. It was easy drinking, a good compromise to match with the different dishes we had. A very enjoyable experience…

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The staff is super attentive and knowledgeable and the food is worth every penny. The view is amazing and the bar has a love piano player.

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We had planned to celebrate our 49th wedding anniversary in 2020 at Canlis. We had celebrated the last 48 years there and had had a reservation for a year. Unfortunately they were not open for inside dining due to Covid and had cancelled our reservation without even giving us a chance to reserve one of their outdoor spots. Which was probably a good thing since we have not enjoyed the tasting menu since Mark and Brian took over from Chris. So we spent the past two anniversaries at Daniel's Broiler and El Gaucho (two dinners for the price of one at Canlis). Today I decided to check the Canlis menu, just for curiosity, and there was not a single item that was appealing. And no Canlis Salad or Gran Marnier Souffle! We really enjoyed the old Canlis with the Christmas decorations, all our old favorites on the menu, and the best server, Faye! Check out John Howie's tasting menu-it looks delicious and is half the price!

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I had not eaten at Canlis since 1993. Back then, you ordered from the menu and there were many many choices. We even had Chris Canlis come to our table and (everyone else’s) and introduce himself and see how our dinner went. I have spoken fondly of the restaurant all these years. My best friend and her husband joined my husband and I for dinner a couple of weeks ago. The restaurant is now being managed by the younger generation. They have adopted a pre set menu. There are 3 categories and you choose one in each category. They also add in a few other items. Be advised, each item that they bring you, including your “entree”, is about 3-4 bites , depending on your bite size. While the flavors are different and intricate, there just isn’t much to eat. The service is wonderful. We had a couple of cocktails with our meal and it was over $1000.00. As we were leaving, we all joked about meeting over at Dick’s drive in, for a hamburger! I sent an email to the manager, explaining my disappointment and he basically said that most people like it, and perhaps Canlis isn’t the right place for me. It’s too bad that Peter Canlis is no longer in charge. Once service and satisfaction are gone or are not at the forefront, the restaurant just becomes an overpriced piece of real estate. If you have money to burn, eat here. If you want value for your money, keep looking. We will never go back.

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