Bridgewater Bistro

Fish was fresh and perfect and the crab appetizer is not to be missed. Our waitress was excellent and then there is the view.

This is a nice little place on the water, just off of the main drag. The appeal to me was that you can sit on the deck with your dog. There were a few others outside who had obviously heard it was canine friendly. I had a light lunch of pan-​fried Willapa bay oysters, a small salad, and a glass of white wine. It was nice. I would go back.

Our youngest son gave us a Gift Certificate to dine here during our Anniversary.
We shared the Arugula-​apple-​prosciutto salad. So good! The bread, too filing! I
DH said that his ribeye steak was perfectly cooked and with the au jus and horseradish sauce, he ate every bite. The mashed potatoes and over cooked veggies could have come from any high school cafeteria and he barely touched them. I touched a couple, and they were over-​cooked!
I ordered the Ciopino. Italian-​American fisherman’s stew. Shrimp, Manila clams, salmon. I usually don’t like working for my supper, but every bit of that crab was delish! Alan had some, too! With side rice, but it also came with thin toasted buttered bread, nice & crispy!
All in all: the food was pretty good, the service was pretty good and the view was great.

We had a fantastic meal here tonight — New York steak was cooked perfectly, the arugula salad was perfection, and the garlic bulb appetizer could not be beat. The homemade bread that comes with the entrée was soft and delicious. The best part was the garden in front of the restaurant where, as we walked up, was being harvested by the staff. Lastly, the cheesecake with marionberries was AMAZING! One star short for the 4oz salmon that I added to the salad for $ 9 was a bit undercooked in the center.

Well it’s not bad… Service is superrrrrrr slowwww! I ordered the classic cheeseburger because they don’t really have a lunch menu just brunch so it’s a very very limited selection… My burger had a bun that was double the size of the actual patty you can’t put a slider size patty on a large hamburger bun… Place is nice looking but they seem to be very amateur I watched our waitress apologize to all her tables about how slow the food service was… Any slower and my lunch would have been a midnight snack… The lemon curd they serve is delicious and everyone was very friendly…

I had studied the online menu before coming to this restaurant for dinner my first night in Astoria. I had decided on the 4 pieces of wild Alaskan cod and chips priced at $ 15. However, when I looked at the paper menu given to me at the restaurant the price for that same dish was $ 18. I asked the waitress to honor the price posted on their online menu. She told me the $ 15 price is the lunch menu with just 3 pieces of fish. I said «No, the online dinner menu lists 4 pieces of fish for $ 15 served after 4pm.». She did not accept what I told her until I showed her the online menu. She then agreed to check with the chef and he agreed to honor the $ 15 online price. The dinner was delicious. There was a 3 piece band playing soft music. The décor was pleasant and the view of the waterfront and bridge was excellent.
Sadly, the waitress was not at all pleasant with me and seemed to begrudge my asking for the lower price. Her service was sufficient, but not friendly and welcoming as I would expect at a restaurant of this caliber.
I would give this restaurant 5 stars were it not for the attitude I got from the hefty waitress who served me. I do hope the management reads this review.

Best smokey Mac n cheese with crab! Wish I lived in the area so I could order this more often. Beyond yummy!

Food was great, beautiful view, atmosphere was classy, service was great, until we got up to pay our bill upfront. The waitress was concerned we left our table, and acted like we were going to walk out or something. We said we were tired of waiting and wanted to stretch our legs. She argued with us saying we didn’t wait long at all, and she has 6 other tables to manage. I don’t understand why she felt the need to argue with us. That attitude was very disappointing.

Very nice restaurant. They have lots of vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options. It’s clean, the food was great and the view of the Astoria bridge was cool.

Wait staff was great, we were greeted with ice water and then with delicious muffins and lemon curd that was fantastic!!! The food was great and I found the view beautiful. Prices are great as well.

One of the unavoidable hazards of traveling alone and without prearranged plans is that I rarely have the luxury to make reservations for fine dining. Almost every time I walk into an upscale restaurant I’m immediately encouraged to sit at the bar. Now don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy having a few drinks at a bar but when I’m paying a premium for my dinner I much rather prefer the ambience of an actual table.
So on a spontaneous road trip I found myself in Astoria, Oregon. The hotel clerk where I was staying suggested the «Bridgewater Bistro» when I asked for a recommendation for exceptional seafood.
Upon walking in at 6:45 on a Friday night I explained to the hostess that I had no reservation. She did a quick scan of the dining area and told me she would have me a table in just a few minutes. She didn’t even ask or suggest that i dine at the bar and I was instantly impressed! I waited less than three minutes and was seated by a window with an incredible view of the Columbia River Bridge. I couldn’t have picked a more prime table myself.
Well worn repurposed cannery wood floors the color of dark honey contrast nicely with muted pastel paintings of old river port scenes. Soft guitar music sets a mellow relaxed tone. The décor was a tasteful blend of historic elements and ultra modern
At the suggestion of the waitress I ordered the Hedge Cabernet, which I paired with the lamb lollipops with mint chutney for an appetizer,
and the wild caught salmon with mashed potatoes and squash for the entrée. I couldn’t have been more pleased with service. The meal was prepared to perfection as well as being exquisitely displayed.
The entire experience was fantastic from start to finish. Well done!

Popped in here late afternoon on Saturday on the recommendation of a friend and lots of good Unilocal!reviews. OMG — this restaurant did not disappoint! We weren’t all that hungry so we ordered a couple of tapas — arancini and the house-​smoked salmon and brie. A delight for the taste buds! What a lovely place to relax, enjoy a cocktail and the view of the river, and eat some really spectacular food. Our waitress (sorry, I didn’t get her name) was a jewel.
The only downside that I can think of is that when the restaurant is busy it might be kind of loud due to the high ceiling.
The only reason I gave it 4 stars is that we didn’t have dinner there. If we had, it would be 5 stars, I’m sure.

Service is friendly enough. The atmosphere was very nice — if you get a table with a view by the window, even better. Food feels like it wants to be for the fancy-​foodie, but is a bit on the touristy side and quality is average. Ordered seared ahi which was way overcooked. Vegetables looked generic and canned, which is unfortunate considering the availability of awesome veggies nearby. Went for a Sunday dinner, which had a pianist and was a redeeming quality of the restaurant. I probably wouldn’t return unless nothing else was open or available.
Update: The owner reached out to me and obviously cares a great deal about the business and quality of food I experienced. I have no doubt future patrons will not share my initial experience.

Nice place to come and watch an amazing sunset. The weather was perfect for sitting on the patio, watching the sunset and have a nice meal. The beer was nice, Oyster shooters ok… I had the wild salmon and that tasted great. It was very fresh. Service was ok, she was multitasking and wasn’t as prompt as most bartenders. Looking up stairs they have a large wine collection. Worth a stop if you’re after a decent meal.

Nice upscale industrial type space with tall opened beamed ceilings and gorgeous views of the Columbia River and Astoria –Megler Bridge. Tugs and freighters motored by and added to the massive river setting. Live music, friendly attentive service. We needed something light to tide us over until our dinner date and opted to enjoy a generous bowl of delicious, chunky & meaty clam/​mussel chowder paired with a glass of a Washington merlot.
Along with warm seeded bread smothered in sweet butter, an appreciated thoughtful touch was as their Sunday brunch was wrapping up when we arrived, the fresh and fruity tasting leftover muffins and fresh mixed fruit bowls were dispersed to the diners present rather than tossing them out.
Will definitely return again for what appears to be wonderful fish and chips and humongous cheeseburgers! Dinner menu has some attractive seafood entrees.
Call ahead for reservations and have a better chance at one of those precious and popular riverside window tables.

Location, phenomenal. Easy to find in Astoria, and right by the giant WA-​OR bridge.
Ambience, inviting. You can dress causually or fancy and feel comfortable both ways.
Food, delicious and flavorful.
Their gluten-​free bread is divine, and they have many gluten-​free options.
They accomodated our group over over 20 people (with advanced notice) without a hitch.
When you go here:
Eat the gluten-​free bread and slather butter all over it
Get the STEAK or the DUCK
Get the gluten-​free bread pudding with vanilla ice cream.
If I’m in the area again on the way to Cannon Beach, I’ll definitely be stopping by again.

I had a TravelZoo voucher for $ 50 to dine here, $ 75 minimum order. That’s a lot of food for one person, so I knew I’d be getting a lot of it boxed.
The view is wonderful. Definitely at least 4.5 stars. And my server, Ginny, deserves at least six stars; she was friendly and competent, and just a delight to be around.
The food? Not so much.
Clam-​mussel chowder: Insipid. A few bits of seafood (I think I had three mussels and two clams).
Steamed manila clams: The clams were the toughest I’ve had in ages! Truly the sign of an untrained kitchen staff. One-​dimensional broth.
Oyster shooters: NOT CHILLED! They tasted fine, but they were close to room temp. Now, I’m «sure» the restaurant doesn’t keep them at room temp, so I’m going to guess that the kitchen took the little shot glasses directly from the super hot dryer, and put the oysters in them without letting the glasses cool off first. Not pleasant.
Fried oyster plate: Good oysters, but they were cooked at too low a temp, so the breading was soggy and greasy, rather than being crisp.
Prime rib: This was the one dish that I was warned about when I asked for it to be served rare; apparently, the kitchen cooks the entire rack to rare, and then cuts off slices to grill. As it turns out, the prime rib was actually excellent, and cooked quite rare. It seems that the kitchen cooks the exterior, while leaving the interior close to raw, which is a good plan. Even the mashed potatoes were decent.
Side vegetables: my prime rib and oyster platters came with a side of veggies. This day, they were sauteed Brussels sprouts and carrots with onions (there was some evidence that the Brussels sprouts were roasted, but poorly). Now, I like my vegetables al dente, but those Brussels sprouts were still raw!
Wine: I had two different wines, and they were fine. In fact, I’d say that the wine list is nicely diverse, and well-​priced overall.
I took home a lot of leftovers, and have repurposed everything into far superior food. I would love to sit down with that kitchen staff and teach them how every single dish could be improved and enhanced.

Where to start?! Oh, yeah, the loss of one star for Bridgewater Bistro, because everything but that one missing star was spot on. I love to sit at the bar when I can. It always feels a bit more relaxed, and is just my way if doing the things that I do, and this is what I did as a first timer. Our bartender was nice, though we were moving at a quicker pace than she was. They had our scotch in stock. The view, ambiance, food, and feel of Bridgewater Bistro is just my style.
However…
However…
I did not like sitting next to the staff members at the bar waiting to serve a wedding that was coming through. I did not like the loud references to «MILFS», or hearing the women they talked about referred to as b**ches, or the very loud rude comments they made in general about specific people. It was a messy situation that destroyed my view and the lovely food. I would expect the staff around them to correct their inappropriate and offensive behavior in such a professional establishment. Low and behold our polite bus boy had to endure their crud slurrs. I tipped him separately in a small act of acknowledgement for his respectable demeanor in the face of the extremely arrogant talk of employees with nothing better to do than act like *****. It was irritating enough to note.
On to the food. Hungarian Mushroom Soup, and Fish of the day Tacos. The soup was thick and rich with plenty of dill, as it should be. Served with a seeded bread and real butter. It was good with its depth of flavor, obviously, someone loved this soup when they designed this recpie.
The fish of the day was Cod. They did not disappoint. While the fish was fried it held its integrity, and the slaw to top it was crisp and contrast. The tortillas handled the fish and heavy toppings beautifully. It was a good fish taco, again, from a recipe of someone who cared.
I will be back to explore the menu. All of the dishes looked appetizing.

What’s not to like with this upscale vibe in the casual Port of Astoria. Fireplace roaring with a base violin and guitarist adding to the view at the mouth of the Columbia River, at the south base of the Astoria-​Megler Bridge. Great food, great atmosphere and great service. The special for the night was Sockeye Salmon but I opted for something different — Puerco Pibil, with a lot of punch — very spicy but not hot. A Central American dish with orange and lime marinated pork shoulder that is slow roasted with bell peppers, onion and lots of flavor. I was very surprised to find a place like this so far away from the big sister cities of Seattle and Portland.

Great views of the Megler Bridge. Went to dinner here because it was close to our hotel. Very happy that we walked over.
Sat at the bar and the server knew everything about the menu — so knowledgeable. The dinner was great! The mushroom soup was to die for and so were the oysters. Had a tuna dish for the main course. I would suggest get a few and share because there wasn’t a bad item on the menu.