I was surprised to find how MASSIVE this place was: what seemed to be TWO bars, an outdoor patio, and a bajillion tables. Hubby and I strolled in due to a recommendation from a local friend.
I really like the ambiance and decor. It's very French, both modern and rustic at the same time. The only complaint I have regarding ambiance was the noise level -- understandable due to the open and massive space -- but it was a little loud.
We really enjoyed the specials: Rob had the king salmon and we shared the morel mushroom appetizer which was just drool-worthy. I also really loved the chicken liver pate. NOMS. The other highlight was the dessert of the pistachio brittle profiteroles: perfect on a hot summer evening, and not too sweet. Rob isn't into sweets and he was stealing all the chocolate drizzled on top!
Now, personally, I was a liiiitle disappointed in my mussels. Nothing wrong with the mussels itself --plump and juicy-- but the Northern African-inspired soup base wasn't to my taste. I don't think this is much the kitchen's fault as it is with personal preference. I guess I was hoping it was more white wine, less mint (?).
We'll be returning, but maybe when there is an event to celebrate as a random dinner outing, it was a bit pricey!
Went here for an anniversary appetizer/dinner. We sat by the fire thing, I'd call it a pit but it's up high so maybe a fire bar would be more appropriate. Anyway I really liked it, very nice atmosphere and great selection of food. If I was ever up in Ballard again I would take someone here.
Review Source:This place was a fun pit stop on our day in Ballard. Note that the kitchen closes in late afternoon to transition from lunch to dinner, which is eaxctly when we visited, so I can only speak to their drink menu. Their decor is impeccable - an awesome Parisian metro vibe throughout. We had a few drinks at the bar. The bartender was very friendly and let me try a few beers before selecting one. The cocktails were good and overall we had a great couple of hours. I'd definitely come back for food later!
Review Source:Small plates galore! They always have something new and exciting on their menu. Or you can go with the old standby of Steak Frites, which is always amazing. Their frites alone are worth going for, especially if you're craving a late-night snack and drink. Head on into the Back Bar. Good beer, great cocktails. The wait-staff can be a little head-in-the-clouds sometimes -- or maybe they just need to hire more people? All in all, a great taste of Paris in Seattle.
Review Source:I have to admit that I have ONLY been here for happy hour....many times. It is one of the best HH's around. Great deals and friendly service. The back bar is my favorite but, you can't go wrong up front either!
Give it a rip......I promise you will not regret it! If you do, sorry that you don't know anything! :)
I have a love/hate relationship with Bastille. I love the location, love the food, love the staff, love the ambience and love going to Sunday Brunch so we can step outside into the Farmer's Market. But we visit so regularly, I have run through the brunch menu completely and I hate that I have tried it all. I want more options and more variety., please. Cuz I want to keep coming back. Unfortunately, a limited menu is a problem I have with other French restaurants in Seattle. But, honestly, Bastille is still one of my favorite brunch places in town. Just needs a broader menu. We'll be back.
Review Source:This place is so awesome! I'm not sure why I hadn't come here earlier for drinks and food! A group of us went to Ballard to celebrate our couple friends' med school graduation and birthday. We started off at the back bar of Bastille with plenty of cocktails and food to share!
I am a huge fan of the Garden Coffin drink - it may actually be my favorite drink I've had in a restaurant ever! I had it with gin and it was super tasty - not too strong, but the cucumber taste was there and very refreshing. The Gin Fix was not as great - I realized that I'm not a fan of absinthe because of the licorice taste. They were $9 each, but during happy hour - they're $7 which is a really good deal.
As for food, the truffle fries were amazing, you didn't really need to dip it in the aioli sauce because it was flavorful enough on their own! Now let's talk about the poutine... WOW. These were the best I've had for sure... I mean I haven't had a lot of poutine, but I really liked the cheesiness, the generous portions of pork cheeks on the fries and well... it was just really delightful and satisfying.
I had a bite of my friend's burger and lamb bolognese. The burger was meh, but the bolognese was GOOD! You could still taste the lamb flavor, but it was faint and the pasta is enough to make you forget about it because it's that tasty.
Service was great for a busy Saturday night. Huge props to our guy! He was really good about checking in on us for more drinks and more food and dealing with our noisy group.
I would definitely come back here for more drinks and dining! I know they have a full pig dinner or something - and that makes me curious...
Amazingly quaint and cute. Â I came here for happy hour on a weekday not expecting much and was quite surprised. Â I had the croque madame and my friend had the burger. Â Both were really good, but the burger was huge! Â As in you may need a fork and knife to eat it. Â I loved the small fireplace near the bar, and the interior is very charming. Â I will definitely be going back here.
Review Source:Visit the Back Bar for Happy Hour. Â Feels like you've walked into a speakeasy. Â Cool chandelier and atmosphere. Â
We had the Moules prepared 2 ways. The Taylor Shellfish mussels were cooked with harissa. Â The Hama Hama mussels were cooked in a wine reduction and bacon. Â They were both delicious. Â The Croque Monsiuer was good, but overpriced. Â The socca wasn't quite like the ones I had when I was in Nice. Â The socca here had a pancake like texture, but still good. Â The socca was topped with roasted cauliflower and cheese. Â
For dessert we ordered the profiteroles. Â Instead of custard filled, they were filled with pistachio brittle ice cream. Â It was good!
The service of course was great! Â The waitress kept my water glass filled with water.
Happened on this spot after dinner one Tuesday night while visiting Seattle. Snuck to the back, where they keep a second bar behind the kitchen. We sipped some Fernet, having eaten way too much at a killer dinner, and enjoyed music by The Djangomatics, their regular Tuesday night entertainment. Kind of a speakeasy atmosphere with a French bistro sensibility. Sexy. Great tunes, fun bar to enjoy some conversation with friends in. Or simply digest Korean barbecue.
Review Source:I really want to like this place. Â Their drinks are great, the service is pretty good, and the decor is just amazing.
But the food sucks. Â First I had rabbit wrapped in bacon. Â It tasted like soggy, mushy, bacon-flavored meat - for $28. Â The next time I was there I had some kind of pasta dish, which, for $18, included about six ounces of pasta in a flavorless sauce, and some gritty mushrooms. Â Still hungry after that, I ordered a pork appetizer, which turned out to be about 90% fat. Â Gross. Â Another time I had the steak and fries, which were ok, but just ok. Â The steak was a little chewy and stringy, and the plating left something to be desired.
So unfortunately I can't recommend Bastille for food. Â It's overpriced and mediocre. Â Go here for the drinks and the atmosphere -- the carafe of house red is a particularly good deal.
Been here several times for happy hour. Â The food here is good - the problem is the menu. Â Most of the items are very heavy. Â The ham sandwich is particularly good but is smothered in cheese and a heavy sauce. Â That would be fine if there were also some light items on the happy hour menu to compensate, but that's not the case. Â
The ambiance is wonderful and seems right out of France. Â It's easy to spend 20 minutes just looking at the interior details. Â
The servers in this place are particularly devoid of personality. Â They are completely serious and focused on business. Â There are no jokes or small talk which is very much out of the ordinary for Ballard restaurants. Â
Overall Bastille is well worth a visit once in a while  If they'd lighten up their happy hour menu we'd be regulars.
I've been here twice and had excellent food and service! The moules and frites are superb! Loved the tartare, oysters, steak and frites, pork chop, ALL of it! Cannot wait to go back and try a burger or the croque madame. Very spacious and fun atmosphere- great for taking kids too. GO!
Review Source:Bastille has the best croque madame I've had in Seattle -- or possibly anywhere, really. It comes in a skillet, which of course makes everything better, and is perfectly marinated in just the right amount of cheese (a lot). You have to fight with the bread a little bit but it's definitely worth it. Â I've also had the burgers which aren't bad either. They had an impressive aioli if I recall.
Beautiful presentation for such a spacious place. I need to stop by for drinks sometime, and I also need to stop ordering the same things.
The Charm and atmosphere won me over right away, but if you're expecting Bastille to blow your taste buds into another world, you'd better lower your expectations. It's just A-OK. I dined with my Food-Lover group and we were all in agreement.
What was shared: A bottle of the Merlot Chateau Mazeau, Chicken Liver Pate, Boudin Blanc (fancy bangers and mash), Roasted Half Chicken, Cauliflower Chateaubriand, the special Salmon of the night and the special Pasta Bolognese of the night, Chocolate Espresso Pot De Creme, and Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee.
Highlights: Chicken Liver Pate, and the Cauliflower Chateaubriand.
Disappointments: The service.
I'll go back for: the Back bar, the Moules Frites and the Charming atmosphere.
Great place to grab a drink with your Lover...
I went here awhile back for Seattle Restaurant week and I LOVED it! I feel as if your transported somewhere else. The decor and ambiance is just wonderful.
They have a pretty nice menu with your usual French fare I ordered the country pate for my appetizer, it was served with grilled bread and was delicious. I love a good pate. For my entree I got the beef cheeks with potato puree, it was very rich and luscious but a bit on the salty side. Finally I ordered the Profiteroles for dessert and these were good, they had a pistachio brittle sprinkled all over...I am such a sucker for pistachios so that totally won me over. We also got some additional bread and butter and it was very good bread and excellent butter
Prices were fare and service was good. I definately want to come back to try brunch or regular dinner sometime.
I was unfortunately disappointed by the brunch menu. The cool decor screams French but the menu was heavily influenced by middle eastern flavors (maybe a reference to the Algerian War?) Chickpea pancakes, harissa potatoes, baklava stuffed French Toast? Fortunately they were able to do a normal Eggs Benedict by request, but unfortunately the hollandinaise sauce was tasteless...wah WAH. Will not be returning.
Review Source:The decor and atmosphere are just fantastic. Â It's a great place for a date or drinks. Â The bar in the back is fun and adorable too. Â The drinks are great but a bit pricey. Â The food is hit or miss. Â Some is authentic French, some is just not executed well. Â The burger during happy hour is a great choice. Â The croque monsieur and fries are very good.
But you do need to know that the restaurant can be quite loud. Â Sometimes this can be good (you can people watch without the need to converse), sometimes this can be bad (if you're trying to have an actual conversation with anyone).
I fell in love with Ballard this summer mainly because of places like this.
I had a craving for a steak and ordered the Steak Frites with reasonable expectations. The steak was really above and beyond what I had expected - cooked medium to perfection, great flavor, great size...I really couldn't have been more impressed.
Nice wine menu also to accompany the dishes. Friendly service, cool decor.
If I was passing through Ballard again I would DEFINITELY stop here for another steak.
I went on a Sunday and from what I saw, Bastille is a great French bar that is very clean and calm place to take friends or a date. Good for a casual light dinner or a cocktail this vintage establishment combines indoor, outdoor, and back room areas for everyone's pleasure. There is even a warm fire pit to sit nearby. The downside is the portions are small but it is worth it for the fine quality food and drinks.
Check out the back room for a better experience. The front room is more for families and quiet gatherings.
Walking into Kickin Boot at 8 PM: "How long is the wait?" "One to two hours."
Walking into Bitteroot at 8:05 PM: "How long is the wait?" "One hour."
Walking into Bastille at 8:10 PM: "How long is the wait?" 30 minutes."
Needles to say, parking in this area is a nightmare, so when I found a great parking spot, I didn't want to move. Third time is the charm, so we waited at Bastille, and ended up geting sat at a window table after 20 minutes (the hostess was great: even apologized to us for having to wait, which is rare to hear). The place was packed on a Saturday night. The design and ambience is very cool, especially with the candles, lighting and mirrors throughout the restaurant. We ordered:
Bread and butter (free refills, from Grand Central Bakery)
Roasted beet salad (nice and refreshing; liked the pistachios for crunch)
Croque Madame (comes in a cast iron, tasted pretty good)
Pasta special (parpardelle, butter, parmesean, mushrooms: not bad)
Steak frites (good, loved the fries)
Ballard has a lot of great restaurants, and Bastille is definitely one of them. If you like good French food in a comfortable environment, definitely check them out.
Hearty food, inventive drinks, tryptophan-like ambiance.
What I like, and what sets Bastille apart (somewhat), are the local producers that they patron - produce and meat/seafood. This place even has a rooftop garden where they harvest arugula and the such. Yes, I like that.
I like other things too: Personable/knowledgeable staff, intriguing and delicious food items, the decor and layout and warmth of Bastille itself.
I had the Roasted Chicken (good chicken, great potato/sprout bed) and a Gin Skiff (not the best but inventive -grapefruit and rhubarb). My lady had a cauliflower "steak" (delicious and completely original - to me at least) and "House of Bourbon" sour (damn fine). It's clear that the menu is fun and different - I doubt, though, that this place will be winning and, well-respected, "Best Of Seattle" awards for any particular dish or drink.
There are kind of four areas; atrium/solarium dining, the regular dining room, a bar/restaurant space and a back bar area where, it seems, the more serious drinkers frequent. I really do like the decor, they put specials on mirrors/glass that are hung up, I saw a table in-the-round with a fire pit in the center and the solarium seems like a cool place to look out from, or in to.
What I like most about this place? It's inclusiveness. Whereas many upscale "dining experiences" desperately aim to find a market (dive, upscale, hipster) this place has no real agenda. You can see this when reading the menu. Market Price oysters fish and oyster, sure. However - you can get a burger or sausage OR even a felafel for a, relative, pittance. I saw a man in a three-piece suit , an old couple in Helly Hansen gear, drunks in ironic t-shirts - all here.
A very comfortable experience for sure, a little flair thrown in to boot.
I'll admit, I am a sucker for atmosphere. It's probably because I'm one of those insufferable design-types, but you can easily sell me on look and feel alone, and Bastille got me there.
The design of the restaurant is just so cozy, warm, and authentic it makes you want to curl up and stay there for hours. We stopped in with a friend after wandering around Ballard for a bit, knowing I had bookmarked this place to try, and we definitely weren't disappointed. We headed straight to the "Back Bar" (which I learned can be accessed from the outside as well, without having to walk through the front) and settled into a corner booth for a night of cocktails, Rainer, and people watching. Bonus bites were the simple baguette and the fries where were to die for.
Definitely a fun place for a date, for a rainy evening, or for a great meal on their enclosed patio!
After day out, we decided to head over to Ballard for Happy Hour to meet up with one of my guy's friends. While waiting for him, we decided to grab some drinks at the Bastille Cafe and Bar.
After checking out the Happy Hour Menu, we ordered a couple cocktails made from a local Washington Absinthe called Pacifique. I ordered the Death's Door, which was sparkling wine with absinthe. My guy ordered the Gin Fix, a gin and absinthe cocktail.
We ordered the cured meats appetizer to accompy our drinks. They came with pickled vegetables which I love. The bartender gave us a nice loaf of french bread and butter to round out our Happy Hour snack.
The drinks were good, the meats were delicious and the bar was cozy. Definately a great first stop on a pub hop around Ballard.
This review is long overdue considering how Bastille is my favorite restaurant in Seattle and always one of my first stops while in town. It is simply top notch in every way and definitely deserves five starts! Talk about FRESH! When I learned about the rooftop farm-to-table restaurant I was intrigued. Many of the fresh ingredients actually come from the roof top garden, they even have bees up there making honey! Amazing.
So many dishes to list as my favorites including the daily specials which are a sure shot every time. Last time we had the scallop sashimi special (not sure it was called that but that's the idea) which was outta sight! I don't even care much for cooked scallops and had never heard of eating them raw. DELISH, would get anytime I see it available. A little surprise favorite is the falafel which was thankfully recommended to me by a friend because I would normally not have ordered at a French restaurant. Now it is my go to dish, along with the roasted beet salad and some frites & aioli. Brunch is another delightful and delicious starting with a fantastic bloody mary. I love the eggs Benedict, the croque monsieur and the smoked salmon and can't wait to try more on this menu. Oh, and of course a glass or two of nice wine that has always been paired nicely by the knowledgeable servers.
The atmosphere is a big reason why I fell instantly in love with Bastille. Whether on a romantic date, dinner with my girlfriends, drinks at the bar, or Sunday brunch, the mood is always perfect with the rich, warm and cozy vibe. Lovely outdoor seating is a very nice option and beautiful when the weather permits. This brings me to the back room bar which is becoming one of my favorite places to kick back and grab a drink. Ambiance is on point- Perfectly intimate and very friendly- a great place to meet friends for after dinner drinks! The bartenders are creative and can make a few cocktails like I have never had.
All in all, one of my favorite all around spots to drink, dine, and feel divine
Holy crap! Â I've died and gone to Bastillion heaven. Â I have no idea what I've just said, but I know what it taste like---yummeee!!!
One of the best brunches my beau and I have ever had, and trust me, we've tried many in and around the greater Seattle area. Â I still day dream about the Croque Madame and the french press coffee. Â It was amaze-ing! Â So creamy and flavorful and just the right portion size. Â The decor is beautiful and service was great. Â Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. Â Must visit in the future for dinner.
Definitely recommend this place for Sunday brunch!!!
Oh Bastille,
How have I never reviewed you before? Your ambience beckons me in every time. Warm fire pit, mood lighting, seasonal eats and fresh, sexy cocktails.
I love your happy hour, although I confess to experiencing slight sticker shock at the recent hike in prices. Still, that shock was nullified once I slowly sipped on a French 75 and caught up with a friend, as is often my excuse for popping in. Biting into an elevated lamb ban mhi (though rather tiny) was enjoyable. You never rush me, it's so very charmingly French of you.
I look forward to the day when I'm able to fully dine in and have a leisurely 3 hour, indulgent french dinner. Your smiley bartenders and high quality ingredients have won me over.
Bisous,
M
To those who've never been, I first fell in love with Bastille in the summer. Stellar happy hour, bees knees cocktails with honey from their roof top garden (I hear they give tours). Love the covered patio to get some sun and people watching, love the back room for more intimate convo, love the bar. It's all really quite inviting. And, admittedly, not cheap. Give it a go though.
Trudged around in the rain like weary travelers and stumbled upon this place after having been quoted a :45 minute wait at another place.
There was immediate seating for dinner in the dimly lit dining area. Â We could hardly see our menus but we, or at least I, had a nice view of the entire restaurant.
I started off with a French 75 and for apps we ordered the pork belly served with a spiced date jam, brussel sprouts, and shallots. Â We also got a baguette for the table.
For my entree, I had the half roast chicken, which I split with a friend, that came with polenta & ricotta pavé, rooftop honey, black kale & almond puree.  The bf had the steak frites and his dad had the raw scallop special.
I normally don't order chicken, but I wanted something light and assumed that it would be doused in some sauce or covered with cheese.  It was actually tenderly baked with a mild seasoning and the puree provided a deliciously wonderful and sweet flavor, something that I've rarely had with chicken.  The polenta & ricotta pavé made for a perfectly mild starch complement.
For dessert, Jena S. & I split the caramel créme brulée.  It was sweetness overload.  Period.
Bastille is a great place for an intimate look, but it's quite noisy for multiple parties.
Our server was nice but not really informative about the specials aside from shoving a pamphlet in front of us to say "here are the specials". Â I expect a little wine guidance in a French-type restaurant, but we didn't really get any of that.
I would try this place again though for a date or for a one on one with a friend.
Parking around here is a bitch and a half. Â Walk or take a taxi.
What a beautiful spot! I felt like I was back in France.
I'm really surprised by some of the lower reviews of Bastille because our dinner last night was perfect. Honestly nothing could have been better.
The service was impeccable; every server and busser I came in contact with had a smile and was very friendly. Our server was right on it and checked in with us just the right amount of times. She was very intuitive and unobtrusive.
And the food. Oh the food!
To start we shared the fresh tomato garden salad and the pork belly. Both were absolutely delicious. The pork belly was among the best I've had, if not the best.
For entrees we had the tagliatelle pasta and the gnocchi. Both were interesting, flavorful, and pretty big portions for being in the "petit plats" section of the menu.
For dessert we had the creme brulee which came with two shortbread cookies. So good. I was really full at that point but was able to enjoy a few bites.
We each had the "Improved whiskey cocktail" which is their take on an Old Fashioned. I have to say, it was quite yummy.
The atmosphere was charming and romantic. The lighting was fantastic. I highly recommend Bastille for dinner to anyone.
Bastille was a great find!!
I caught the tail end of Happy Hour which is from 4:30-6pm (and then again from 10pm-12am). Â I ordered:
Country style pate a la bahn mi tartine: a large piece of toasted bread with thick slab of pate on top. A great deal at $2.
Beef cheek gougeres: 3 mini sandwiches. Â The bread is made from eclair pastry and packed inside is succulent beef check with spicy mustard and pickled shallots. Â Very decadent and super tasty. $5
Petite moules frites: basically mussels with fries. Â Mussels were a good portion and individual mussels were huge! Â They were in a red saffron broth. Â It could be an entirely separate dish, but you also get a cup of fries with aioli dip - great portion size. Â $8
During happy hour, you can also get a carafe of wine - white, red, or rose - for only $10. Â A 500ml carafe. Â Great deal! Â
On top of the food being excellent, they have a large outdoor, enclosed seating area that offers an amazing ambiance. Â The inside of the restaurant also was really nice. Â It is the kind of place where you wouldn't mind sitting at the bar.
Waiter was excellent. Â Our water and wine glasses were always full, dirty plates were promptly removed and overall the service was impeccable despite the restaurant being busy.
There is also the Back Bar for drinks.
I would absolutely return.
I was a little disappointed by this place. The place is super cute in the heart of Ballard, the service was friendly, the food options sounded good but the food itself fell short. We came for happy hour and I started with a 500 ml carafe of white wine for $10. We definitely received more wine than I had anticipated but unfortunately it wasn't that great. It definitely tasted cheap but I guess that's what you get for ordering happy hour wine.
My husband had the poutine and mussels with fries and I had the steak frites. The poutine came with beef chunks that tasted a little fishy to me for some reason. The fries were a little squishy - not the best. He didn't even eat his mussels as he didn't like the tomato based sauce on them. I had the steak frites - the fries were very good and I liked the garlic aioli sauce that came with them. However, the steak was really chewy. And a little too salty.
I think there are definitely better French restaurants in the area. Sorry, Bastille.
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