Bin On The Lake

Good service but poor tasting food. Sorry chef.
Husband ordered Salmon and got a sorry tail end with bland flavor. Super disappointing. Nice view but our homemade tuna sandwich on a blanket on the grass would have been much better.

They have a fabulous, fabulous wine selection. Liz, our bartender was very knowledgable about everything in house. All of the staff was very friendly too, went above and beyond. The view is spectacular but so is the happy hour. We had the tuna, Kobe, and mushrooms. We finished with beignet, life changing with a glass of port. We will be back!!!

I’m torn. On the one hand, they have a great selection of wine, and during happy hour, the glass pours are half off. I stopped counting after I passed 50 different types available. I’m a huge wine guy, and they’ve got some spectacular stuff on the list (Silver Oak anyone)? However, I can’t give them as many stars as I wanted based solely on the wine. The food is lackluster to say the least. I can best describe it as over complicated and bland. Obviously, this isn’t the ideal combination.
I think I’ve come up with a plan though, take advantage of the tremendous happy hour wine deal and eat elsewhere. What can I say, I’m a solutions oriented kind of guy.

Great food, great service, great view! I needed to make a last minute change my reservation and the manager returned my email within 2 hours! Parking was easy in the garage next door. As for food and drinks… We had a little bit of everything on the menu. Started with the Dungeness crab toast, yum. All the main dishes were delicious: seared wild salmon, filet mignon, Wagyu Kobe flat iron, Jidori chicken all amazing. Generous wine list and sunny spring day on the lake made for a perfect dinner. A little in the pricier side but must try when in Kirkland.

We went to bin on the lake last night for dinner and it was delicious! Jennifer did a great job explaining the menu and wine. I had the filet and my husband had the pork tenderloin. We both finished our plates! We shared the mousse cake for dessert which was a good sized portion.
There was plenty of parking in the underground garage and they validate an hour and half.
I can’t wait to visit again in the summer so we can catch the sun over the lake!

Great food but INCREDIBLY slow service while the restaurant had barely any people here.

The food was ok. The service was great. We found it very over-​priced. My husband had a kobe beef steak which turned out to be over-​cooked. They willingly offered a new one for us. However, by that point we were a little disappointed already. We had foie gras for appertizer. There was balsamic & white chocolate sauce which made it a little too sweet (which was kinda weird). I ordered scallop with braised beef & arugula (appetizer but upgraded to be the main course). Scallop was good but over powered by arugula. We probably won’t go back there again. Next time we want something fancy, we will just drive to Seattle

A romantic restaurant with a gorgeous waterfront view. I noticed this restaurant when my boyfriend (now fiancé) and I visited Le Grand Bistro Americain in autumn the previous year, and it piqued my interest. The first time we dined here was on a Saturday evening in January around 6:30 p.m. We were seated at a table, not a booth, which I would’ve preferred. This review reflects our first time here and has a few updates along the way.
Parking: There is a spacious underground garage with signs and arrows guiding you to which area of the parking garage you should park for minimal walking. That was helpful. We weren’t charged for parking upon leaving.
Getting to the restaurant: This part is a little confusing. Upon leaving the garage to go to the restaurant, there are two doors once you get inside. One door goes to the restaurant downstairs. The other door goes to nothing (it was dark behind that door). So we entered the downstairs restaurant, walked outside and up the stairs to the front entrance. A couple behind us were much smarter and used the indoors stairs from the downstairs restaurant. Their reward was getting seated before us.
Reservations: They use OpenTable! Lifesaver because due to technology and the 21^st century, I am terrified of talking to people on the phone unless some automated system really cannot answer my questions.
Food: I ordered the Kobe flat iron, which was utter perfection. The sauce was delicious, accented everything extremely well, and the vegetables and potatoes were amazing in that sauce. My boyfriend (now fiancé) ordered the salmon, which was rather bland and had way too much kale. The bread and butter are nothing special, either. We decided to pass on dessert even though the dessert menu was tempting like Delilah. Update: we have also tried the pork belly and the filet mignon. Our favorite is still the Kobe flat iron.
Service: Our waitress was attentive and warm. She gladly took our photo for us upon my request. Update: We’ve had the same attentive waitress each time.
Ambiance: Extremely romantic. Quiet and peaceful. It would’ve had a beautiful view in daylight, especially sunset. Must return after daylight savings. Update: We’ve been seated at different tables each time we visited, and each table has a view!
Payment: I got the $ 35 for $ 60 groupon, so our waitress honored that by writing the groupon code onto our bill at our table, which was not really high-​tech at all. When we got the adjusted bill, we saw that a note was handwritten to please tip on the amount of the original bill, which we’ve never failed to do at other restaurants but also have never gotten a handwritten reminder. Not a huge deal, but it showed that maybe we looked young and naïve so we might not have known. Side note: they take the Microsoft Prime card here, buy one entrée, get the second entrée for free. Must use that benefit in the future.
Overall: I’d definitely recommend this restaurant. I even got another groupon before visiting the first time! Update: We’ve returned to dine here several times.
Update: Fun fact, we saw Edgar Martinez here one evening during dinner. Definitely exciting!

Came here on a Friday night. We were seated quickly with a BEAUTIFUL view of the water. Food took about 20 mins to come out. The hostess and waiter were very sweet. Just the food was not that great. I ordered the salmon and my fiancé got the chicken. Both were meh. And about $ 70 for just our dinner, no appetizers or dessert. There were like 5 options for entrees and 3 options for dessert, which dessert options sucked. Usually a small menu means everything is usually really good but nothing really was. I would not return here sadly because of the food. If I want the same view, I’ll go downstairs to beach café with a way better dinner and dessert menu.

Had a groupon (love those groupon deals!) for Bin on the Lake. Being new to the area, I’m tasting all the cuisine that Kirkland has to offer. The view from BOTL is stunning. We were there right in time for sunset and it was breathtaking.
While waiting for our table, we sat at the bar and had three appetizers: Kobe Sliders, Diver Scallops, and Ahi Tuna. The Diver Scallops were overcooked and chewy but the Sliders and Tuna were tasty and cooked perfectly.
I was a little surprised at the limited dinner and dessert selections, but knew from reviews that their menu featured seasonal selections. Their wine selection was impressive and the price range varied from inexpensive to extravagant. The staff was friendly and well informed regarding the food preparations and selections.
My friend had the dinner version of the Diver Scallops, and those scallops were cooked correctly. The most memorable item was the side dish of Roasted Potato Purée. I really have no complaints regarding the food itself, it’s just that the food was just OK — I was expecting exceptional.
When we left, we had our parking validated and was told there would be no charge. When we left the garage, we were charged $ 3. I know it’s not a lot but I did call BOTL and let them know, so either they correctly informed their patrons or correct the situation with the parking attendant.
I’ll definitely give BOTL another try and update my review if need be. Overall, the view and ambiance outshined the food.

On a drizzly Monday night after dance class we were ready for a good meal. We made what seems to be a very rare trek over to the Eastside to dine where we had been well over a year ago. The restaurant was not busy but provided several open tables next to the window which we happily took.
Our waiter throughout the night was one of the best we’ve ever had. He was very knowledgeable about the menu and wines. He led us to selecting two very good wines and steered us towards some excellent dishes. My dining companion chose the wagyu Kobe beef flat iron with miso bok choy and potatoes which was perfectly cooked and plated beautifully. Meanwhile, I chose two small plates that were really large and flavorful. I had to get the scallops, plated with oyster and shitake mushrooms, brown butter parsnips, and other roasted apples. The other plate I selected was seared ahi tuna that was as fresh as can be, rubbed in porcini dust, seared and sliced over some excellent roasted potatoes, fennel, smoked pork belly and a fantastically creamy eggplant purée. Both dishes were mind-​blowingly good and hard to choose one over the other so I’m glad I chose both! And last but certainly not least we ordered a side of their roasted cauliflower, because who wouldn’t when it says that it is accompanied with caramelized onions, roasted dates and a chocolate EVOO? Yeah, it was freaking amazing!
We were both so full and happy and each and every plate offered the opportunity to dip bread into that we did something we don’t often do that much when we dine out at a fine establishment… we passed on dessert. Yup, we did, but we will be back to try some I guarantee it.

Just had dinner at Bin on the Lake and I would not recommend this restaurant. It was my mothers birthday and we decided to go here for the beautiful view and the menu looked delicious. We ended up leaving very disappointed.
When we arrived the hostess sat us right away and we checked out the wine menu and ordered two samples of Italian wines for my mom to try. Our waitress took quiet some time to grab our order, 30 minutes passed by as she was the ONLY waitress in the room. We have a toddler so it made the wait excruciating. Once we ordered the wine and 4 entrees — salmon, chicken, pork, and the filet mignon — the wine arrive quickly which was nice.
Our entrees took another 30 – 40 minutes to arrive and they were just ok. Not worth the wait. I had the pork and it was a bit tough but the Brussel sprouts were pretty good.
When we finished we finally were able to order dessert after another 20mins — as our waitress waited on 4 other tables. We ordered the sorbet and the flourless chocolate cake. Both were fine.
Once the check arrived it took another 10 mins for her to even see we had our cards in the slot. I almost got up but decided to flag her down instead. Painful!
All in all a dinner that was supposed to be one hour max 90 mins, was an excruciating 2hrs and 30mins. I would not recommend this place based on the service and average food.

Groupon experience:
So I saw a Groupon for this place $ 30 for $ 60, and we still ended up spending more than $ 60. I think it had to do with the fact that we came here before dinner was served (5PM) and had to order from the Happy Hour menu.
The Happy Hour menu is only a couple dollars knocked off from the regular priced menu, so it was an alright deal. The drinks on there were just okay… I just ended up getting a house cabernet anyways.
We got the Ahi Tuna to share (I think this was on the HH menu, can’t remember) and it was really good! Boyfriend doesn’t usually like «raw» (thats in quotes because it was seared not really raw), but he really liked it here. Sauce was delicious and paired really well with the tuna.
For dinner I got Filet mignon and it was pretty good! I liked it a lot. It was seared a little too much for my preference, but you can’t do much about that. Mashed potatoes were perfect!
So if you got through this lengthy review you’re probably confused on why I gave a 4 out of 5 when it seems like I’m just «A-​OK» about this place. The staff was super friendly. We were the only ones there and they didn’t rush or pressure us. The atmosphere is lovely, and I’m sure the view is great during the summer! It was cloudy/​rainy the day we came in, but I love the view from Carillon Point, it’s great anywhere, so I’m giving this place the benefit of the doubt. :)

I had such great experiences here the first two times I visited that I was a little surprised that things were slightly off this last visit. The previous two times I had come were in the spring and summer and I basically ordered one of every item on the bar bites menu with a friend on the outdoor patio. This time, it was cold, wet, and seating limited to right next to the bar inside. I would have preferred to sit near the fire but wasn’t sure if they were seating over that way as it was about 5pm when we arrived. I’m pretty sure we were the only ones in the whole place, as they open at 4pm.
Anyway, they had changed up their bar bites menu into a happy hour menu and the way most items were prepared were more seasonally appropriate — mushrooms in a broth, rather than drizzled with crème fraîche, large dry prawns instead of head-​on juicier shrimp — but not what I was expecting, and not what I was hoping for. Sad to say it was kind of a letdown. I had come here as a sort of belated birthday meal and things were not as they seemed. The saving graces this time were the ahi (delicious!) and the spiced and seasoned cauliflower. I will have to give them another shot come next spring.

Came here on a date during Seattle Restaurant Week. Great deal $ 30 for 3 courses during this special promotion!
Ate the grilled lettuce salad, the Kobe flat iron, and flourless chocolate cake. The steak was the best I’ve had in a while! Major props. Cooked perfectly and seasoning was really flavorful. Enjoyed every bite.
The salad and the cake were both pretty good but nothing spectacular. Keep in mind flourless texture is very rich and fudgy, more like an underdone brownie and not much like cake.
My boyfriend enjoyed his oysters. Scallops lacked flavor but were cooked well. The ricotta donuts were pretty tasty.
Atmosphere is lovely. We watched the sunset from our booth. Our waitress was really good and attentive. Excellent service.

This review is strictly for happy hour.
We came for some wine before dinner since we were staying next door at the Woodmark Hotel.
We grabbed a seat at the bar and loved the wine display they had. It was nice to see so many local wineries (Col Solare, Efeste, Château Ste Michelle, etc). We came for happy hour so wine by the glass was 50% off.
This is especially wonderful when you can try wines that are normally priced at $ 150 a bottle for just $ 12 a glass. You can also choose your pour size if you just want a sample as well!
The wine selection was great and we were excited to try local wines. The bartender was friendly and knowledgable.
The only issue I had was with the food. We ordered brussel sprouts which was just doused in balsamic vinegar. It left the brussel sprouts soggy and drenched. We ended up not even finishing the plate.
They were nice to serve us some bread as well. The bread was nice and soft, but the butter was cold. I think that’s just a personal preference, but I really dislike cold butter. I can’t spread it without butchering my bread into tiny little pieces.
Maybe we just tried the wrong thing on the happy hour menu but I would definitely come back to try the delicious wines at a great price. And not to mention– a beautiful view of Lake Washington.

We had a really nice company dinner at Bin on the Lake. You get a nice view of the water, and the food is really good. I ordered:
Grilled gem lettuce salad: I liked the anchovy dressing
Wagyu Kobe flat iron steak: this steak had an Asian preparation to it, and it was incredibly good. Tasty, tender, and flavorful.
The desserts were a little lacking, though. I ended up ordering the ricotta donuts, which were good, but I would have liked some more, diverse choices.
Overall, from the wine to the food to the view, Bin on the Lake is a great choice for dinner in Kirkland.

This review is for a private group (about 15 people) recently. Overall, we were really impressed with Bin on the Lake. The location was perfect and we had a private area in the back. Service was exceptional — attentive, flexible, and friendly. We started with delicious appetizers — wine & cheese, crab bruschetta, cured meats. The summer salad with tomatoes and burrata was delicious. Entrees and desserts were all stellar (try the doughnut holes!) I would definitely schedule another business dinner here!

High expectations may have led to our disappointment as this restaurant came recommended by a friend. We got there a little before our reservation time of 8:30 at 8:10 pm and were seated by 8:25 pm. So far so good, the hostess was nice and accommodating.
However, since we got a late reservation we were famished and no one walked by our table though they were serving other tables. Finally 15 minutes later a runner brought us water and told us server will come by for drinks. At 8:46 pm I got a message from OpenTable that our reservation for Bin on the Lake was canceled by the restaurant. What!!! I decided to ignore as we were already seated in the restaurant. It was obvious though that the hostess thought we were not there despite being seated already.
HALF an HOUR later after being seated we were fuming. It was 8:55 pm and no server. We saw him serving a table who came after next to us but he did not even stop by to say he’ll come right over. Finally, I asked the hostess to change our table as it turned cold on the porch and our server wasn’t interested in our table. She seated us inside in another server’s section.
He came over right away and said Welcome to Bin on the Lake. Nice, but for someone who had been there already for about an hour it was almost comical. Anyway I ordered bread, wine and entrees together as we were famished. This was 8:58. There was no bread for another 10 – 12 minutes. How long does it take to bring bread over to a table? Most establishments will serve it immediately! It came at 9:10 and it was cold and chewy and inedible.
Then came our entrées, both of us had decided to order vegetarian so we ordered Farm Stand Vegetable Platter. What an insipid dish! It had 2 pieces of almost raw charred broccolini and some other vegetables. My daughter ordered a vegan version so she didn’t even get the spoonful of veggie purée in the sauce. I have to say there was nothing pulling the dish together, it was plain awful. I know how to cook each vegetable in a dozen different ways as I grew up in India — so I was sorely disappointed. 2 entrees for ~$ 50…and nothing to eat! Also why do vegetarians get a raw deal (literally!), put some carbs and proteins on the plate too — and not just the meager protein in broccolini. I’m not even vegetarian I just wanted to try the dish as I love vegetables!
We also ordered the potato purée with pesto side ($ 7) which was essentially mashed potatoes with nothing to elevate it. Just adding a hint of bacon flavor doesn’t make everything great. It wasn’t a great complement to the dish either but our server did not know the menu well as he was new.
Our entrees came but there was no wine yet, so I had to ask again. He brought my glass of wine, which turned out surprisingly tasty. He told me he had to run down to get the bottle which is why it took so much time. I understand but that pointed to the chaos in the restaurant. I saw servers bumping into each other constantly and hostess running around harried, didn’t quite lend itself to the charming ambience that they could have created with a little more planning!
Then as I took a sip of my wine my server came back and said that he served the wrong wine, this is a $ 45 glass which he poured by mistake! But that they’re happy to let me have it if I like. Considering that it wasn’t my mistake I don’t know what I should have done, I asked them if they’d like it back? The wine was a Merlot too and I had ordered a Cab but at least I got a new respect for Merlot after that glass.
Anyway, I was glad to get out of the place it was a frustrating and embarrassing (because of wine) experience. I still tipped the server well as he’d been ok he wasn’t to blame for the initial experience or the bland entrees.
My daughter had been talking about bringing her date here for Prom but changed her mind midway. They probably won’t miss me but I am not going back!

Best ahi tuna I have ever had… pork belly on smoked egg plant. Wow!
Enjoy happy hour at the bar. Liz and company will guide you to the wine of your liking and I promise she will not steer you wrong. Great character and top notch bartender/​wine diva.