Nell’s Restaurant

I went to this restaurant recently during restaurant week when they offered a three course meal for $ 30. That would have been quite a bargain for Nell’s if the food had been up to the restaurant’s reputation. I was excited to try this restaurant, based on reviews here and comments from friends, but I couldn’t have been more disappointed. I was with a group, so am not judging based only on my one meal.
First let me say the service was awesome! The location across from Green Lake and the environment in the restaurant were pleasant. It was the food that disappointed. My rutabaga soup was beautifully presented, but the only flavor in it was from the fresh chive garnish. The rest was as bland as anything I’ve ever put in my mouth. The second course was a piece of cod poached in milk, placed on a bed of mashed potatoes. It doesn’t get any whiter than that. The cod was unseasoned and flavorless. Others at the table ordered an asparagus salad that seemed to please. Their second course lamb was very inconsistently cooked and so gristly that one of our group left half of the serving uneaten and another complained she could barely cut the lamb. Two of the pieces of lamb were so under-​cooked the meat was translucent red, as in raw meat, not even rare, and one was almost well done. The rhubarb dessert was satisfactory to everyone.
All I can surmise is that the restaurant went on the cheap with their restaurant week special, buying a second grade of lamb and fish. I assume the whole idea of restaurant week is to give people the chance to sample a restaurant and see if they want to become a regular customer. If the restaurant cuts corners to offset the reduced revenue, they are shooting themselves in the foot. I won’t be going back.

This was easily one of the worst fine dining experiences that I had in recent memory. Seattle is such a strong food town that it was honestly a shock to the system. I had fond memories of Nell’s from a visit many years ago during Restaurant Week and was excited to come tonight with my husband and son. We had a reservation and were seated right away but it all went downhill from there. We each ordered from the 3 for $ 30 menu and the grownups had the wine pairing. The first wine was a Riesling and a shock to the palate — not good — it was confusing. Then the second wine came out and we realized it was a wine that retailed for $ 10 at Esquin — not a bad wine per se but why would you choose something of this quality to showcase in a wine pairing menu? Just to finish with the wines — the dessert wine was also meh. The manager explained to me what did I expect for a $ 19 wine pairing? My only suggestion would be — just don’t do it. On to service and food — service was so incredibly slow. Despite ordering all 3 courses in one shot — we had to wait at least 15 minutes between each course. My son fell asleep waiting for dessert. The service team was completely overrun with a full house. Everyone looked visibly stressed. So all of this could possibly have been redeemed by the food which fell somewhere between bad and blah. My lamb was not great and a third of the portion was gristle and fat. My husband’s risotto was bland and watery. My son’s cod was bland. I’m just going to stop because my intent here is not to be mean — I’m just genuinely shocked that I dropped $ 160 on this terrible experience. And thankful that an out of town guest decided not to join us.

My wife and I dined at Nell’s last night taking advantage of the Restaurant Week menu. First let me say our server was inattentive, not very friendly and in general did a poor job. He did not ask if we wanted something to drink when he came to our table nor did he offer coffee or an after dinner drink with dessert until we were almost finished.
The mussels were an excellent appetizer, thus our expectations were high. My wife had the lamb that was not edible with asparagus that was poorly prepared. She tried the risotto next which lacked flavor and was quite pedestrian. The desserts were OK. Yet at this time were felt let down and surprised how poorly things turned out. I will say that I had the Cod and it was delicious.

Nell’s uses restaurant week in Seattle to showcase what a local treasure they are all-​year– around. It is a consistently excellent dining experience with an excellent wine and cocktail menu as well. Thank you, Nell’s on Green Lake! Looking forward to sampling your regular menu again soon.

Where to begin… I have eaten many meals at Nell’s over the past 10 years. Things have been on a downward spiral, but last night may have put the nail in the proverbial coffin. Monday night with few folks dining. I would say that there were maybe 6 or 7 tables occupied. This place looks so tired and worn. things haven’t changed much in 10 years (including the tired menu). In any event, there were 2 servers, which one would think would be sufficient, even though they acted as their own bartenders.
Service was incredibly mediocre and at 6:45 they ran out of one their specials and we got the last of what was very good whole grain bread. Really? Can’t we do better than that? We ordered the famous «Saleh’s calamari.» This was a signature dish of the former wonderful restaurant in this location. For $ 13, a plate with about 6 mushy pieces of calamari arrived. Should have sent it back, but was with guests and didn’t want to make a scene, but totally unacceptable. Next on to the main course. I ordered the pork tenderloin. The server politely informed me that the «chef» (and I use that term loosely) preferred to cook the pork on the medium side, perfectly acceptable to me. The pork missed medium by a long time. It was overdone, tough and consisted of what looked like scraps of meat. My friend had the short rib and, although pretty good, was served a very meager portion.
Dessert (sorbets) were acceptable, however it took forever to get the bill! Our server disappeared for what seemed like forever. It is so unfortunate that Nell’s is one of the few locations in this trendy restaurant city where one can sit at a table with a tablecloth and actually carry on a conversation. Come on, Nells, you can do much better. Don’t rest on your laurels or your Hearthstone clientele from across the street and care about the food you serve.

The tasting menu was $ 45 for 4 courses is the way to go imo. A generous portion of perfectly cooked mussels to start, a fist sized portion of delicate mushroom risotto as second, two perfectly cooked lamb ribs as a 3^rd, a cheese plate (optional at additional $ 10. I liked that the cheeses where adventurous even though there was one that I didn’t like), and finally a lemon tart to finish (this was the least spectacular of all the courses and I would still rank it as pretty good. I’m just not a lemon tart fan). Our waiter recommended two wine pairings — an $ 8 pinot gris with the 1^st and 2^nd course, and a $ 12 Cabernet with the 3^rd & 4^th. Both excellent pairing. The ambiance is nothing spectacular, intimate and standard, so fine. Service was very good. My fiancé left saying he could eat more — I was full. Complementary bread basket with refills saved him.

Solid fine dining experience with invariably excellent service. First discovered it through one of Seattle’s restaurant nights, and of all the places we visited, this is the one that went into steady rotation. The food is elegant and expertly prepared. Great place for a romantic dinner or to entertain guests.

If you’re looking for a nice, expensive restaurant with great food and wine, Nell’s is a great pick. All of the food was well prepared — our favorite dish was the lamb. Tables are packed tightly together, but service was professional and knowledgeable. Overall, from my experience, I would not recommend Nell’s if you are looking for something unique or special from the food. If you’re looking for «fine dining» with a heavier focus on the experience, rather than the novelty of the food itself, I think Nell’s is a good pick in Greenlake.

This is one of my favorite places!!! Doubt let the outside or décor fool you. Their food and dining is five star quality. The chef here is amazing and he is very creative with his dishes. Plain old chicken was mouth watering and I crave it every day.
Service is top notch. Can’t wait to go back.

Review based off Restaurant Week:
I came here with some friends and had a nice and delicious meal. Originally we had made a reservation for a later time, but after a few friends had canceled, we ended up showing up early and they took us in and to our table.
They offered a three course meal for about $ 30 and it was nice. Our server took all of our orders at once and it was awesome because once we were done with our appetizer we had our main course and then we had our dessert waiting for us. We had different people helping us to it was hard to tell who was our actual server. Once was our host who sat us, and then we had two different people. Once who brought out our food and took our order and then another guy who came and pour wine to our table. Kind of confusing who I should have tipped.
Dinner was over all great and delicious. Nothing really stood out and left an impression on me. Awesome location and nice staff.

I had a Seattle restaurant week dinner at Nell’s with wine pairing. The food was amazing. I loved the leg of lamb. The paired wines were very nice match as well. Overall, I had a good time.

From the beginning of dinner after seeing a rotating menh, I knew this place was special.
My girlfriend and I started with the red roasted beet salad and goat cheese, it was an excellent choice! The salad was very crisp, fresh, complex yet simple. Lots of complementary flavors.
The second small plate was the fried calamari, again excellent it was. Very fresh, crispy not chewy at all.
For my main course I went with the halibut. Very flaky, one of the best I have ever had, flaky, and perfectly portioned. Came with a creamy, sauce w/​green lentils. My girl got the mushroom risoto, and medium rare tenderloin. I tried the tenderloin, it was perfectly cook and very prime cut, soft and very well seasoned; great beef flavor. Did not get to try the risoto, but she said it was very velvety, cheese and had good mushroom flavor. Parma Sano regiono on top, I could only imagine.
Yes it was worth price, our service was great, very friendly and explained the menu very well. Gave you choices to give you ideas. We will be back soon.

The good, the bad, and the ugly. So the things I like about this place are the lovely view of Green Lake from the restaurant. Getting a reservation is pretty easy and they can be accommodating to people with disabilities and helpful in getting the wheelchair in and out. The food is really good, but I wouldn’t say it’s superb. I enjoyed my drink as well, so they can pour a good & strong cocktail. Also, I love, love, love that they have a parking lot. Although the last time I came, it was during restaurant week and the lot was full so it took me 10 min of driving around Green Lake to find a spot. Great safe neighborhood that it’s in and very mellow relaxing feel to the restaurant.
The only bad things are that it’s a bit pricey for the size and quality of what they are offering, and that service is typically slow. So I guess if you want a place that you can lounge at & spend a lot of time talking, they won’t rush you and this would be the perfect place. If you’re in a hurry, this is the wrong place to be.
The ugly? Ok there really is no ugly. It’s a lovely little restaurant. Overall, I really enjoy it but can’t say it’s one of my favorites. Would definitely come back though.

Nell’s is a French restaurant located in Green Lake. One can see the lake from the view inside the restaurant, which is a pleasant distraction on spring days and if your dinner mate is sharing TMI.
Ambience: Nell’s is white cloth, but like many Seattle restaurants, it’s casual dress. I felt overdressed in my sweater dress.
Food:
Lamb shoulder blade: Lamb was roasted to perfection: juicy meat that fell off the blade and melted in your mouth. If you’ve ever been to The Purple Pig in Chicago, be prepared to cancel that reservation and stay in Seattle for this lamb shoulder blade.
Asparagus salad: light and airy. It takes skill to julienne asparagus the way these folks did. Julia Child would be proud.
Duck confit and pappardelle pasta: house-​made pasta that you know was house-​made. Blew the pasta at Eataly Chicago out of the water. Duck was tender and even juicy. Excellent job not masking the flavor of the meat.
Marlin: Over-​cooked and tough to cut into, but the accoutrements of asparagus and mashed potatoes (almost the consistency of high quality hummus) were the stars of this dish.
Brownie with raspberry sauce and crème fraîche: over-​baked brownie that was almost impossible to cut into. Raspberry sauce was sweet and slightly tangy.
Strawberry rhubarb with ginger ice cream: Creamy ice cream that complemented the rhubarb well. Ginger and rhubarb are like two sisters separated at birth. Thanks for re-​uniting them, Nell’s.
Superfantabulous service. I wish more people my age ate here. There’s more to Seattle than the bars in Belltown and Capitol Hill. Maybe they’ll catch up when they’re 50.

Were it not for restaurant week this year (2015), I probably would never have found this gem. If I were to have walked in off the street to have a peek, I’m not sure that I would have chosen to eat here. It looks dated (90s Wolfgang Puck) and to be observant but bordering on discriminatory — it was filled with a lot of older white people which gave it a stodgy feel. Don’t let this dissuade you!
FOOD
Appetizer: House made Papparadelle with Duck Confit
–To use millennial speech … THIS. It was served in a hearty portion. The pasta was nicely cooked and the duck was amazing. I would eat an entire entrée of this (which is unfortunately not on the real menu). I wanted to lick the bowl clean but lucky for my dining companions, I refrained.
Entrée: Grilled New York Steak with Rutabaga Gratin, Rapini and Horseradish Juso
–The steak was well seasoned but a bit chewy. The rutabaga gratin was interesting but unfortunately all of the cream and butter in the world probably can’t make rutabaga more appealing to me than potatoes. The rapini was particularly bitter but a good companion to the steak.
Dessert: Strawberry + Rhubarb Crisp w/​Ginger ice cream
–Nothing cutting edge here, but done well. These flavors really go well together. The crisp comes warm, which was comforting on the night I went (stereotypical rainy/​cold Seattle). The ginger ice cream was really good. I love ginger, and I thought that it imparted a good ginger flavor without being either too subtle or overwhelming.
SERVICE
Good service. Polite and attentive but not hovering. Our server handled our questions with ease and was very good at describing the dishes that wasn’t just reading the menu back at us.
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They are not trying to reinvent the wheel here but do classics pairings well. I’d be excited to come back here and try the goat cheese flan and black cod. The tasting menu ($ 47) looks like a good bargain.

Thought we would finally have worthy place to have good brunch around Green Lake after weekend walk.
Place is clean, bit old school simply done. Service was slow cause of the single host/​server/​cook at the restaurant at the time. Host told us; they are doing their best to make it better brunch place, hope they would work on the menu and hire or bring more help during opening hours. Waiting for someone to bring some more coffee is no fun, specially when you noticing host doing her best to accommodate 5 – 6 tables on her own.
Ordered: Salmon Bagel, Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Lemon Cinnamon Cake, coffee.
All tasted simple, nothing special, no specialty sauces or recipes.
Cake tasted the worst.
Gave two stars cause it is bit below average overall but for food only would give average 2.5−3 stars.
Would not go back unless they change menu for brunch but will give it a try for dinner. Will support our neighborhood small business.

Nell’s is the most surprising dining experience in Seattle that I know of. Set in what looks like an old Izzy’s Pizza or some early 90s restaurant, the décor will throw you. …But that’s kinda the best part, because then you are seated, served excellent cocktails and get to choose from a thorough menu of dishes on either their tasting menu or a la carte menu. We almost always go with the tasting menu and are never disappointed. The wine list is also impressive, and we love their young-​yet-​very-​knowledgeable sommelier.
I’ve hesitated about writing this review because I love the ease of securing a table on a whim, the ability to carry on intimate conversation without having to shout, and the quaint consistency… BUT I want Nell’s to stick around. So, if you’re looking for a quiet and spot to indulge in a great dinner with your special someone, give Nell’s a try, and enjoy the quirky 90s feel.

This was one of my favorite meals of the year! I’ve run by Nells many times over the past years, but never really knew anything about it until my parents raved about their experience. Then I read that it was one of Ethan Stowells favorites! So tbought we’d give it a try.
We weren’t disappointed. The décor is understated and cozy. Everyone from the waiters to the chefs seem to enjoy working, which reflects nicely on the restaurant.
We started with the beet salad and butter nut squash soup. Both were well sized and had interesting flavors. The main course was a cod for my partner, and the King salmon with chard and potatoes. This seemed like a pretty typical northwest fish so I was a bit skeptical, but the presentation, flavors, and texture of the salmon were among the best I’ve had in Seattle.
Overall, Nells is a hidden gem, and we will definitely return for a date night in the future.

This restaurant was very delicious! My hubby and I stumbled upon this little gem during Seattle Restaurant Week and we are so glad we tried it!
For our starters we had the asparagus salad with bacon bits, pear, and goat? cheese (which was amazing) and the fettucine with clams and cherry tomatoes (a bit on the salty side but still okay). For our entrees we had the Swordfish with Buttered Parsnips, Rapini, Meyer Lemons and Ginger Confit (surprisingly soooo moist!) and the Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Celery Root Purée, Asparagus and Pear, Fennel Seed Chutney (delicious!). For dessert we had the Granny Smith Apple Tarte Tatin with Rum Raisin Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce (hubby liked it… I’m not a big fan of cooked apples…) and the Chocolate Hazelnut Torte with Whipped Cream and Raspberries (YUM!).
Apparently they change print their menus nightly and they tweak it a little.
Service was EXCELLENT I might add.
I would definitely come here again!

My fiancé and I came here for a date night to celebrate 6 months until our wedding. We were quite impressed with this affordable but upscale dining option. We both had the $ 45 four course tasting menu. On the night we came, we started with a tuna tartare appetizer. After that, we had a mushroom risotto. The main course was a rack of lamb. For dessert, we had ice cream sandwiches with coffee flavor ice cream and an excellent caramel sauce. Every single dish was better than the last.
Our service was excellent. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful, but still gave us our privacy. The restaurant also has a very nice ambiance. The inside décor was very nicely done.
We will definitely remember Nell’s for other celebrations — while not cheap, it’s a relatively affordable option for a fancy night out.