Sip does not disappoint as far as wine bars go. I really liked the ambiance, the manager came to our table a few times to see how we were doing and chatted with us for a bit which was a nice personal touch, the staff was also very helpful and friendly. The wine was great. My only complaint is that there were not many vegetarian options on the menu. I would have loved to see a few main dishes on the menu for vegetarians, but most were meat related dishes.
Also, if you own/run a wine bar I think it is a sin not to have a Cab Franc on your menu.
Overall great place to hang out, we will go again.
This was a really nice surprise.....I noticed this was on the list of Passport Members and figured why not give it a try. Â We were both EXTREMELY surprised how nice it was inside and how big it actually is. Â Parking is lot and street; somewhat busy on Friday. Â The Menu is varied, descriptive and a little pricey. Â The Wine Lists are all on iPads for each table and very extensive, though prices are rather fair. Â We met friends who were late 30 min so we socialized with the waiter who was very personable and knowledgeable about the menu and the wine list. Â Every appetizer and entree ordered were excellent!! Â I will be back and will bring more friends next time. Â I left a star off because the prices on some dishes exceed Bellevue upscale restaurants and that doesn't make sense to me.
Review Source:So I live literally 5 minutes away and still been here only three times. Partly because of our toddler and partly because of the food.
I have had their Jidori chicken, ravioli , pork chops, steak in the past. All were good but nothing that will be bring me back. Their side dishes however deserve a special mention- truffle mac n cheese was divine and so were the mashed potatoes. Simple preparation but done really nicely. Perfectly salted and spiced.
We recently had their lamb raagu and risotto and were not pleased. The raagu had a good amount of meat which was tender but it was bland. Other than the tomato sauce, garlic perhaps I could taste nothing. No salt , no black pepper, oregano anything. Plus the housemade rigatoni  pasta was thick  and chewy. I have had a better tasting lamb ragu at Toulouse Petit in Queen Anne.
Coming to risotto, very very bland. It's called farm risotto but had no farm veggies in it except leeks. Plus it was very bland and not at all creamy. Tasted like it was made in a hurry. I am no expert but I make a far more tastier version of farm risotto at home, one that is creamier, well spiced and has enough farm veggies in it. And if you are serving that as an entree how can you just have leeks in it and that too for $22! This was such a waste.
I think I will only do appetizers and sides next time.
We had a great experience at Sip. Â The food was excellent as was the ambience and service. Â We were a little nervous about bringing our 7-month-old, as we didn't know if it would be kid-friendly. Â We were very pleasantly surprised to find everyone to be accommodating and understanding. Â We are excited to visit again soon!
Review Source:I came across Sip here on Yelp when looking for a local spot with drinks and good food, and it seemed to be the right spot for a night out with my friend.
Food: Great. We only had appetizers, drinks and dessert, but it was all high quality and tasted great, especially the ice cream sandwich dessert. That was worth the two stars I gave.
Ambience: Pretty place. Nicer than I expected for a local place, and comfortable.
Service: Here's where we go downhill, faster than a bobsled on a sheet of ice.
Our waiter was awful. I expected more out of a supposed wine bar, and you'd think people who were there for the wine/drinks would have a waiter who understood that and came more than one time to your table. I had to ask the busboy for a second round, and by time we wanted a third, we had given up.
We didn't see our waiter again until he brought the bill and asked us if we were "done". Really? Don't go expecting a leisurely time.
We've been here a few times. The atmosphere is very relaxed, even though the food is more expensive. We have always received great service. They are very "kid-friendly" - which is an extreme PLUS in my book! You would assume that because of the type of restaurant they wouldn't be too accepting of children, but it's nice that we can bring the kids and not have to worry about getting treated differently. Always friendly faces and attentive servers. Sometimes they have live music.
The bathrooms are a bit different. They have the separate bathrooms for males/females, then the wash area is combined. It's okay. I'm not crazy about being next to some male that I don't know while I try to adjust my clothing in the mirror.
You can eat inside or outside. We always choose to eat inside though. They give you bread before the meal. The last time we were there, we ordered the artichoke dip as an appetizer. It was delicious.
I ordered a couple glasses of the Pinot Grigio, Zenato. It was good. Although, I always enjoy a decent Pinot Grigio. i'm not overly picky with wine.
I had the Jidori chicken. Normally, when you order chicken from a restaurant, it comes out dry. I wasn't disappointed. It was extremely moist. My other half got the vegetarian ravioli with the house sausage. That was pretty good also. I had a bite or two. ;-) I'm not really a fan of ravioli though.
For dessert, we got the dessert sampler for two. I am a fan of creme brulee, so I always like to see what flavor they have when we go. The Deiros truffles were nice and sweet. There were a couple of other desserts that I didn't bother trying. I was a bit full from the main course.
Every time we come here, the experience is always fantastic. Staff, atmosphere and the food. The price is completely worth it.
So we went to Sip yesterday for Valentine's Day. We made reservations through Open Table and we were contacted by a Sip staff member to confirm our need for hubby's wheelchair accommodation. That was nice. The menu had our names printed on it and was tied with a red ribbon. That was nice. The dessert was a platter of 2X each 1-2 bite passionfruit/white chocolate mousse, choc covered strawberries, eclairs, lemon meringue tartlets and a "special" truffle which was really more like a chocolate covered cherry. We had that boxed up and took it home since the dinner took about 2 hours and hubby was tired.
Here's what wasn't so nice...
1. Â Once again, one dish was so salty it was nearly inedible. This time, incredibly, it was the Raspberry Salad. The vinaigrette was SO SALTY that it totally overpowered the very delicate fruity taste of the raspberries, the macadamia nuts AND the goat cheese.
2. Â The "amuse bouche" which might have been interesting -- a puff pastry heart with gruyere cheese and carmelized onions (or was it shallots) -- was cold. Like it had been in the refrigerator a long while... and the bottom had started to get soggy. Not crisp like you would have expected. Also, when we asked questions about it, it was described as a "croissant", not as puff pastry...
3. Â Hubby liked his 3-oyster 1st course and the taste of my carpaccio was fine but the tenderloin of beef used for the dish was cut thicker than any other carpaccio I've ever had. It was tasty though...
4. Â My duck breast entree was very inconsistent. The duck itself was well cooked although there was a weird little single rectangle of skin oddly remaining on the meat -- I wouldn't have eaten it and it wasn't easy to get it off because the lighting was SO dim (romantic?) I couldn't see what I was doing... The broccolini that accompanied it had been cooked down to green mush -- no texture at all, and really no particular taste either. The menu noted that cioppolini onions were also in the dish but I couldn't find any of them. Finally, the gnocchi was tough. I'm sure it was made in-house but I think gnocchi, in general, is a challenge to make well and this version fell short.
5. Â There were two Valentine cocktail offerings. We each got one of them and neither impressed. Certainly not at the level you'd have thought a $10 cocktail should. We didn't order another...
6. Â Our server didn't know details about the dessert when asked. The menu showed a list of 5-6 dessert items and we asked: do you select one or more, do you get one of each to share -- she found out right away but apparently that had not been gone over in the wait staff prep before diners began to arrive.
7. Â When we went to pay our check (over $208 with dinner, 2 cocktails and tax but before tip) with gift cards that we'd been holding onto, we weren't allowed to cover the tip with them so we still ended up with a $50 credit card charge ($8 over $200 on full gift cards plus the tip) even though we had more than enough gift cards -- and then some...
Reading this list you might say I'm being picky or maybe even petty. I actually thought that myself as I was writing it. But here's the crux of the matter... like other "occasions" at Sip, it was a fixed menu with no substitutions possible. AND it was $85 PER PERSON! Â That's without tip and without wine (other than a complimentary 1/2 flute of champagne that arrived with the amuse bouche. This was a meal that was possibly one I'd have expected to pay about $120 to $125 per couple...
We saw 3 couples come in, sit down, look at the fixed menu, get up and leave. And they did so without speaking to their servers because the tables remained set and waiting for their return -- as if they'd maybe gone to the bar or WC -- for a long, long time. In one case, nearly 45 minutes -- and that was a coveted table right by the fireplace! My point is, that although we stayed and had the dinner, we were not the only ones disappointed by the offerings and the price, even before dining began for some...
For me, the bottom line is this: I've now learned my lesson... if it's a fixed menu occasion at Sip, we will forego the visit in the future. For $250 spent, I could have hired a personal chef to cook us a lovely meal right in our home.
Sip is expensive, but worth it. Love all the employees there, especially Avery, one of the sommeliers.
Their mac'n'cheese, and meat & cheese platter are my favorite appetizers.
The only issue is that they have switched their before-meal crackers and bread to bread only, and eventually to dinner rolls. Hopefully enough people complain that they don't do so, as their crackers and house-made butter are excellent.
Nice environment and food. Â We made a reservation well in advance for an office Christmas party and they sat us by the front door. Â There is only one door so the cold air hits you every time the door opens. Â We asked to move to another table as there were many open and were denied.
Review Source:Conveniently (for me) located in the Issaquah Highlands is Sip Wine Bar. Â They have an extensive selection of wines including a variety of whites and reds from various regions and categorized by body. Â You browse and search for bottles on an ipad which the waiter/waitress provides you, using their custom app. Â
Don't want an entire bottle? Â no problemo, they have flights and single glass options for many of the wines featured by the bottle.
In addition they have great food, including several gluten free options. Â On this visit, I had the handmade tomato ravioli with house made italian sausage in a cream sauce, while my wife had short ribs with beet puree. Â The ravioli was excellent.
Parking is on the street, and the wait staff may be too attentive, but very nice nonetheless. Â The wine inventory indicated on the ipad app did not accurately portray what was actually in stock.
My husband took me here as a surprise (I love surprises!). We'd seen it before, driving by, but had never been in. He bought a gift card at Costco so we could finally give it a try.
The ambiance was very festive and there was a live band. It almost felt like a ski lodge. Fortunately we arrived before the rush and were seated right away. It was a Thursday night, but was still buzzing. Reservations are highly recommended.
When the server came to our table, she gave us an iPad to look over the extensive drink menu. There were several categories to choose from such as wine, spirits, beer, etc. It included information about each drink and you could click on it and save it in your own personal "To Order" list.
The food was excellent and the presentation was beautiful for everything. My husband opted for the Jumbo Tigers as his entree. They were "zippy" as his Aunt would call them, and oh so good!! Meaty, stuffed and served over edamame wasabi mashed potatoes.
I chose to get several small plates and share them. The first was the Bufala Mozzarella and Beets. The cheese was really creamy and the beets were sweet and cooked perfectly. Just firm enough for the fork to go through easily. Next was the Ahi Poke which was served with fried plantain chips. The poke, itself, was fresh and good, but somewhat bland. With the chips, it had a whole new flavor and was lovely and light.
The drink I ordered was the seasonal egg nog cocktail. It was fine, but I think I'm more of a fruity-tootie kind of girl.
After drinks, I ordered the Sip Sweet Sliders, which were heaven on a plate! The Hawaiian rolls gave it a great soft texture and the beef inside was cooked perfectly! Pink in the center and juicy, but not juicy enough to make it greasy. The cheese on it had that gorgeous string as you pull it apart. The perfect bite! I could eat these every day! There was also an option to add bacon for those of you who are bacon lovers.
The Beechers Flagship Truffled Macaroni and Cheese was a decadent meal in and of itself. Â I had the option to add sausage, which I didn't, but I'm sure it would be delicious. It was hearty, rich and cheesy. I brought most of it home to have for lunch the next day.
The House Salad was crisp, and the presentation was nice. It was topped with shaved Parmigiana- Reggiano cheese and contained spicy nuts, so beware if you have allergies.
We'll be back, for sure!
What a great place to go on any night of the week! Â I have been here several times over the years and did not realize I had not reviewed it before. Â Any out of town guests of mine and more friends than I can think of have been introduced to this place by me because of how consistantly I have had a wonderful experience, food, service etc... Here are a few highlights.
The Wine - Their list is extensive with the ability to purchase a glass of wine that can match your food (This is hard to find nowadays) is also available, even odd varietals (Which I personally love). Â The sommelier Avery is very knowledgeable ready to give a suggestion whenever needed and excited to share his knowledge and passion of wine with you. Â He has been a part of making the evening a special expereince and enjoyable on so many occasions I cannot even count.
The Food - Have never once been disappointed by anything I have ordered. Â Fan Favorite would be the Ancho Fillet but I have purposely not had a bite of someone else's food for the fear of food envy. Â Chef Chris has done a great job of creating wonderful and exciting gourmet bites and treats that will fulfill anyone.
The Service - I cannot say enough about the staff here. Â Never once have I had bad service by any of them and because of that I never fear who will wait on me for the night. Small touches can really make the difference to me and it is those small things that make me come back here.
Go to Sip!!
We have been coming here for several years now. And I can not believe I have never written a review. The food is so wonderful. We normally will order so much food because we just cant help ourselves. I cant help it I get food envy. I could literally write a 5 page review on how much I love there food but you wont read that. So my recommendation would be to try the Ancho Filet. It is a party in your mouth and you wont be disappointed. But really you must go back and try pretty much everything else they have. And dont forget the soup!
For drinks make sure you talk to Avery the resident Sommelier. He will pair your meal with an amazing wine or mixed drink if that is what you prefer. He has never steered me wrong. He knows me and my sister so well he just walks up with a glass of bubbles for each of us since that is what we always order to start! Avery you make every experience at Sip the best experience!
From my husband he will tell you to order the Brown Derby for a mixed drink. He has been hooked since the first one.
This last summer we got to do "Bubbles on the Water". The owner invited quests of wine club to join him and his lovely wife for appetizers and champagne as he took us on a tour of Puget Sound. It was the most beautiful day and watching the sunset from the water was truely a memorable experience. Lane the owner and his wife Jamie were so sweet and welcoming they made us feel like longtime friends.
Chef - My hat is off to you! Thank you for the amazing meals you create. You inspire me!
Thank you to everyone at Sip! We love your food!
The food is great. I have had several meals there. The wine is pricey but the selection is good and the service is good too. Given Issaquah struggles with fine dining this place really is the only place to go and feel truly spoilt in a environment that is reasonable well light and has a current trendy vibe.
Note While I am a fan my BF is not he consumed the Ahi Tuna and was sick as a dog for nearly 2 days. Hence the 3 stars and not 4 that I would have given it for just me.
Just went here recently with a couple friends. I only had a salad as I had eaten earlier but it was a VERY tasty salad and the recommended wine for the table was spot on! A bit spendy but it's a great place for a nice night out.
If you have an iPhone and the Pirq app, I'd look them up. We got an awesome deal!
I had such great expectations for Sip and it just did not deliver. I have been there twice and I walk away with the same impression each time.
It is too costly for the quality of food and service. The food is not horrible, but if I am going to pay as much as you do there the food better taste better. Also, if you are starving you want to visit another establishment. The portions are small and the options are not that filling.
Now if you just want some wines and appetizers then this is a great place. Just not a dinner place.
The ambiance is lively and tends to cater to the 30 to 50 somethings crowd. Definitely not a kid place so live the little ones at home.
I just first want to say that this place once was our favorite restaurant and we came here regularly for dinner. Â After coming here tonight, I am extremely disappointed and sadly will probably not come back here again.
When we arrived here at 10:00 pm, we were seated in the dining room and given our menus. Â When the waiter came by at 10:05, he told us that they were no longer serving dinner and we could only order small plates. Â I'm not sure why they even seated us in the dining room and gave us our menus if they weren't planning to serve us... We were disappointed by this, since we have came here at this time before and been able to order entrees.
We decided to go sit at the bar and just order off the happy hour menu instead, which we have done before and didn't like. Â Somehow our bill still came out to $60 before tip from ordering happy hour and we weren't even full or enjoy the food!
What was really disappointing though was that after we finished our food at 10:50 pm, we saw that another couple next to us was getting their ENTREES... they obviously lied to us when they said the kitchen was closing down and could only make small plates. Â When we asked the waiter about it, he said they had already put in their order before the kitchen was closing down... okay so you're telling me it took at the very least 50 minutes for their order to come out?
It is obvious that they can take orders after 10:00 pm because they have done it before for us and apparently they made an exception for the couple next to us. Â We really did not appreciate the service and sadly this place lost their 5 star review.
On top of this, they charged us full price for our drink when it should've been $5 for happy hour. Â Their salted caramel ice cream sandwiches are still good though, and that's the reason they are still at 2 stars instead of 1.
Yesterday two of my good friends got married at Snoqualmie Falls, and it was lovely. What was not lovely, however, was the meal at Sip that followed.
It was a small wedding, so there were only 11 of us in all. We were seated in a cozy booth in a relatively secluded corner of the restaurant, which was nice.The waitress greeted us and subsequently embarked on a rambling spree about the menu. After this, she took some drink orders...kind of. I believe she only got about 3 orders and then left without asking if anyone else wanted anything. She returned several minutes later and then asked again what drinks we would like to order. A friend and I ordered a bottle of champagne, a couple of people ordered glasses of wine, and there were several cocktails requested as well.
Once she brought back the drinks (not including our bottle of champagne or the best man's Brandy Alexander), she took our food order. For some inexplicable reason, she left before taking the groom's step father's order. We practically had to yell across the room to get her attention. After a ridiculously long stretch after that, we were brought bread and butter. It wasn't until some of the food started to come out to the table that we got our bottle of champagne and the best man's cocktail, which we were waiting for so that we could make a toast. Is it really that difficult to grab a bottle from the back and bring it to the table? I can understand the mixed drink being a bit delayed, but come on  - all she had to do was get the bottle.
The food itself was okay, but EXTREMELY overpriced. I had the quesadilla and it was severely lacking in cheese and way too crispy. Several people at the table did liked their dishes quite a bit, but I believe this was tarnished by the awful service. At the beginning we asked if we could have the checks split, but the waitress refused. I guess she really wanted that 18% gratuity that is automatically added to groups over 6. Once the bill came, it took us a very long time to figure out who owed what. The groom himself was working on it for a half hour at least! The waitress kept coming over to ask if we were handling it okay. Um, not really, lady. But thanks for the help?
Is it really that difficult to put in the checks separately? She could have added in the undeserved 18% to each check individually and everyone would have left in better spirits.
This review is tiring me out, so I'm leaving out some other unfortunate details, but I'll just end this way:
The service was atrocious, the food was so-so, and it was overall a huge pain in the rear. I'm don't live in Washington so it was unlikely from the start that I'd ever return to this restaurant, but after the whole affair I can safely say that I will never ever come back. Ever. The waitress was snooty and forgetful. The bathroom setup is creepy. The list goes on. The best thing I can say is that the guy filling the water glasses was attentive and very friendly. Perhaps he should be the waiter, despite the fact that he isn't an attractive blond female.
The staff and food are great here. I've been going here long enough that almost everyone knows me and my wife by name. Â The chef often comes out to say hello and see how things are going.
The large bar is a great place to sit around and converse with others. They serve both wine and cocktails and the wine-by-the-glass selection is decent with sample pours and flights available to expand your palet.
Live music is generally availabe on Thursdays.
I'm not really one to hang out in Issaquah, or wine bars for that matter but I'm so glad I decided to check this place out. The service was wonderful, very pleasant and attentive. We did have to wait longer than we would have liked to get our drinks but the waiter was very apologetic and made up for it by ensuring the rest of the evening went well.
After looking at the drink menu I decided to try the Pomegranate Mojito. I know I know it's a wine bar but I couldn't help it. The Pomegranate Mojito looked so good. I mean how do you pass up a drink where the description reads "A mix of fresh mint, pomegranate molasses and raw sugar are muddled then shaken with Leblon Cachaca and topped with a splash of soda" ? It really was as delicious as it sounded.
I had the Roasted Chicken for my entrée and it was absolutely fabulous. The portions were very reasonable. The chicken had a nice crispy skin on the outside and the inside stuffed with parmesan & prosciutto was super tender and delicious. I was fascinated with my deboned chicken entree.  I kept cutting into the chicken expecting to hit a bone and ...there wasn't one. The chicken somehow magically retained it's shape as if the bone was still intact. Everything was cooked perfectly. The butter truffle sauce, mashed potatoes and asparagus were amazing.
For dessert... ice cream sandwiches made up of chocolate wafer topped with hot chocolate sauce, pecans along with salted caramel ice cream. Â Talk about scrumptious.
Another interesting tidbit. To get to the bathroom you have to go a set of very large doors which lead into a room with a giant wall mirror. In front of the mirror is a large counter/sink with lots of faucets. The men's and womens restrooms are located behind doors on either side of the giant sink/counter. It is a bit unnerving to finish going to the bathroom and then having to wash your hands in a common area with both men and women.  The best part of the sink/counter was the giant  wall mirror with a live video stream of the bar at the top of the mirror. Wasn't really sure what purpose the live bar video served but I imagine it's so people ...can keep tabs on their friends and/or date.
PROS:
Great food
Great dessert
Great wine/drink selection
CONS:
Can get crowded
A bit pricey
Weird co-ed bathroom sink setup.
This place is A-OK for Issaquah. If you're looking for some happy hour deals on small plates and glasses of wine, you should definitely check Sip out. On the other hand, it's too expensive for dinner and the menu selection just isn't what you can find in say Redmond or even other places on Gillman.
During my most recent visit, our waiter was very friendly and accommodating. My only regret is that we didn't sit at the bar to enjoy the happy hour specials and instead had to order off the regular menu. His recommendation of the chocolate lava cake was right on though.
I know there really isn't that much nightlife happening in Issaquah, but this place definitely was not my cup of tea.
Come on Issaquah!
My husband and I thought the food was pretty good, just wish there was more of it. I am a small/petite girl with a healthy appetite and for spending over $30 on 2 small appetizers. I was pretty bummed we just didn't go get my favorite Mexican dish down the road and spend half that and have leftovers.
The atmosphere seemed cool, but sometimes the people make it or break it and it was a pretty snobby feeling in there.
I will probably give this place one more shot. Â Maybe I went on a lame night? Well it is Issaquah......
I'm a huge fan of dessert and I came here with my friend for dessert and coffee. Â Here's what we had:
Bittersweet chocolate tart - the chocolate was smooth, rich, not too sweet and came with a really good pistachio ice cream on top of a cute cookie. Â
Pumpkin cheesecake (THE WINNER) - this was the most delicious cheesecake I've ever had. Â It blew all the cheesecakes I've had at Cheesecake Factory out of the water. Â What do I even begin?? Â It tasted like fluffy and soft pillows of pumpkin goodness. Â My friend and I raved about how awesome this was and kept digging in.
I'm definitely coming back here just for the pumpkin cheesecake.
Oh yea, the ambiance was nice, the fireplace was lit and the lighting makes your skin look flawless. Â
Not that I'm into it or anything, but Sip seems like a good place for cougar watching...
I get why this place has such a high rating. Â Isaquahtites are celebrating that civilization is making baby steps towards their wild and unruly vicinity. Â It's nice to go out once in a while without having to drive for half an hour. Â So, they do not want to spook off the little wine bar restaurant creature.
I can also guess why Sip Wine Bar and Restaurant has this strange situation with food.  The entire budget was spent on the bar décor (good job, by the way).  And perhaps, the owner's friend agreed to cook for them with a big discount in pay.  So, I have a suggestion.  It is easy.  Remove the "Restaurant" part from the title and remove all the food you serve.  You will become a decent bar with pleasant ambience. Â
Sip. Selection. Â $12 for that? Â Really?! Â For one little sad looking cheese? Â The funky coloured tortilla chips were tasty though. Â Whole Foods?
The soup of the day. Â Okay, lukewarm soup with the cold crab cake floating in it, is not something I expected. Â Get a new microwave, really. Â The crab cake with the cold middle was seriously gross.
The ravioli of the day. Â Too. Much. Salt. Â Trader Joe's carries a pretty good selection of frozen pastas. Â Try those ones. Â And do not put salt. Â They come pre-salted.
Halibut.  It was alright.  However, the carrot purée...  Remove that awfully tasting spices and you have a potential of having one decent dish.
Resume: Good wine bar potential and bad food that made my taste buds feel depressed and suicidal.
I've been here twice now and been disappointed both times. Food is just ok and the service was terrible...especially the second time!
I was with a group of 8 people...some people were ordering white, some red etc. I point to an $70 syrah on the menu and say the name. The server brings out a $130 syrah and does not present it to me! I am not wine expert but I do believe that wine 101 is that you present the bottle to the table for just that reason. This guy just starts pouring it down at the other end of the table.
When I realize it is the wrong wine and tell him...he has this "well what do you want out of me attitude". The $130 syrah was not even on the same page as the one I pointed at and the names sound nothing alike. Mistakes are mistakes...no biggie...but I was sure has heck not gonna pay for a $130 bottle of wine that I did not order...and this guy is throwing me attitude like it's my fault and I ruined his night. Well...needless to say, he was just peachy to deal with after that...probably will not go back.
After being given our check by our waiter at Purple in Kirkland the other night when we weren't done drinking we decided to head here. Â My partner in crime for the evening lives in Issaquah so it wasn't so far fetched, really.
We walk in and I immediately loved the place the bar in the center of the restaurant is huge and roomy and perfect. Â I wasn't sure what I wanted to drink, the bartender asked what wines I like and he suggested the K Vintners Boom Boom Syrah. Â I fell in love with the name and when I took my first sip of the sampled pour I fell in love with the wine. Â It was delicious and a great pick for me. Â The white wine drinker enjoyed her Russian River Chardonnay and the other went with the Boom Boom like me.
We decided on the cheese plate and it was an excellent item to nibble on while sipping our vino. Â The bartender was great and put up with our antics until last call.
Oh my how could I forget the bathrooms they are worth a visit and get this while washing your hands at the unisex sinks they have video monitors so you can watch what's happening at the bar so cool if you want to see what everyone else is doing. Â If you don't want to be on camera sit at the far end of bar closest to the restrooms and you're save from the cameras, at least the night I was there that spot was safe.
We made the pilgrimage to Sip last night to Issaquah, WOW it's a freakin' drive! I had no idea how far it was. I love the atmosphere and thought it had a warm and inviting feel. We brought in our own wine ($15 corkage) and had the salmon and shrimp cakes they had good flavor. Also the carmel beef skewers were tasty and loved the little salad. It's good food, not too refined but good. For our entree we split the pay-day paella we both loved it however it had tiny little tomatoes on the sides that had all turned. WAY over rippened and in my opinon one of the worst tastes ever. The paella was good, however it was missing the crispy aspect that I love so much.
Untill this point I was happy.
Dessert left a bit to be desired, our french-press for two was some overly ground  coffee with luke warm water. We had wanted some fresh stuff however our server was MIA. It also took an extremly long time to deliver our microwaved, dry, bizarre bread pudding. I should never order bread pudding because it's such an art and nobody (except my Auntie T) ever gets it right.  Our server took the coffee off our final check and made kind of a production over it saying "I went ahead a took care of some items on your bill."  translation: I took the coffee off your bill that you did not drink beacause it was cold and yuck.
I had a good time and it was worth the drive, but Sip needs to take a lot more pride with their desserts. No matter how good the food is if dessert is lame it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. pun intended.
We will come back though, it was a swank little place. I really like the bathroom, wish I would have used before we left though. I-90 is a looong strech of freeway with never-ending bumps...
Fancy schmancy Issaquah joint.
The most interesting part of the restaurant is that the men and women share the same sinks -- the toilets are separate but the sinks are shared. It feels so... progressive... and European, even though I have no idea if Europeans do this or not.
Great food. Their french fries are totally kick butt. Good wine too.
Sip is a home run. Â Great set up, beautiful bar and a really cool little "vip" booth that I need to find a way to hang out in. Â The restaurant was warm and inviting and the "Water Closet" was interesting - there were separate bathrooms for men and women, however the wash area was common - so I couldn't adjust the "girls" as freely as usual. Â Also - you can keep an eye on your date by the bar monitor that is set inside the mirror. Â Cool!
I met a couple of friends and we sat at the bar and order the chips and dips and the ahi poke - both of which were delicious and beautiful to look at.
James was a great server/bartender who gave us great suggestions on food and wine.
Prices are fair - my only critique was the wine list was lacking "local depth", we ordered Mark Ryan's Dissident by the glass, and ended up with a bottle from Basel Cellars.
It would be cool to see more Woodinville producers on there....but all in all I'm definitely going back and will probably order dinner next time!
Update 5/14/08
We had 1 single heavy topic on the agenda last night, and decided to take the convo to Sip. A little wine and some tasty food couldn't hurt, right?
The place was full and had a good energy. The noise level was just right for us to have our talk, hear each other and not feel like others could listen in. Service was much better than my 1st experience. There was a winemaker's dinner going on, and entree selections were limited to 3, but that didn't bother me at all. I prefer stuffing my face with small plates anyway.
The apple fritter pudding was worth every single calorie. Go get some before they switch up the dessert menu!
Original Review 4/22/08
Getting there:
On my way there, I thought to myself: "There's actually a wine bar this far out on I-90? How much further? I seem to be leaving civilization now... Am I gonna end up in Chelan soon?" And then there I was, in Issaquah Highlands. Wow, nice Park 'n Ride!
Overall impression:
If my world were limited to the Eastside, I'd give Sip 4 stars. It's likely I will suggest meeting at Sip if my friends happen to be in the area. If you live on the Eastside, I'd recommend checking it out at least once. The space feels comfortable. The fireplace is a nice touch. The menu offers a good range of choices without trying too hard.
Service:
It was Thursday night and not terribly busy @ 5:30pm. I took a small table by the window, near the bar. It took quite a while before anyone acknowledged me, even though I did make eye contact with 2 of the servers working at the bar. I was so close that they could've simply waved and said hi. The waitress finally did come by with water and the menu, but never offered me the complete wine list. (I thought this was a wine bar?!) She's definitely one of those "only do the minimum" type of waitperson: no introduction, no suggestion, no explanation. She was also very keen on moving the process along. Well, I can't say she's not efficient and business-like.
Food:
My friend and I shared the Mozzarella & beets salad, and the Vietnamese beef skewers. Both were excellent. The portion size is quite healthy... at least for 2 girls.
The wrap-up:
I will most likely find myself at Sip again at some point. I don't dislike it, but it didn't wow me, either. The deals on Wednesday and Thursday nights are good, and the late night hours will come in handy.
I went to Sip with two friends, a Girls Night Out, if you will. Â We sat at the bar which is surrounded by the dining area. Â Staff was good & attentive, wine choices thoughtful & well-represented across the board. Â We drank big reds which were pleasing, the L'Eccole 2004 Cab garnered the most votes. Â We had small plates - the kabobs which were slightly over-marinated & thereby too salty & the sweet roll miniburgers which were DELICIOUS I'mnotkidding! Â Sliders & miniburgs are current trend & so many places offer the little guys. Â Sip's are in the top 90% in my book. Â Prices are a bit up there - I agree with other reviewers: Â three for the price doesn't quite cut it. Â
When all was said & done, we had a nice two hours of convo, good wine & pretty good food. Â Who could ask for more on a rainy Thursday evening? Â I'll be back at Sip real soon.
A wonderful taste sensation in the middle of the incredible example of human blandness that is the Issaquah Highlands.
Sip is a bizarre counterpoint to the Highlands. Â Sip is well decorated, the menu is balanced, the wine selection is impressive. Â The Highlands are vapid, their decor obvious, the land largely undeveloped (but still devoid of trees) and the layout oppressive.
At Sip, we went through a good number of their small plates, including:
- Ahi Poke - a very citrus heavy (in a good way) poke, refreshing and light - which was interesting because there was a lot of avacado in it. Â
- Vietnamese Caramel Beef - which was actually sort of close to my Chinese Char Siu. Â A nice dipping sauce on the side capped these skewers off. Â Excellently done, and a must try.
- Sip Sweet Roll Sliders - Also a must try. For a little burger, these were simply awesome. Â But .. since we had a group, they went fast and I didn't get enough tastes to really figure them out. Â Also highly recommended.
- Bufala Mozzarella and beets. Â Both golden and red beets with a little drizzle and ample helpings of fresh Mozzarella. Â Very tasty and certainly infinitely better for your than the previous appetizers.
- Curried Clams and Pork Belly - The pork belly was really quite good. Â The curry sauce was pretty salty, so I stopped at one. Â This was the only dish the table didn't finish.
Then we moved on to salads. Â The salads were perfect salad sized salads. Â
Mine was the Washington Rhubarb Salad which was rather complex with fennel, arugula, macadamias, feta chunks, rhubarb, a sweet balsamic dressing. Â A great mix of savory and sweet.
The ancho steak was my main course, also a very well balanced sauce and a very good piece of meat (though my medium rare was medium well). Â The rest of the table had varying degrees of medium rareness as well - with some being under done, some just right and then mine.
By the time we got there ... we were too full for sweets. Â So we stopped. Â Sated and happy and very impressed that such a wonderful restaurant would be located in the middle of a clear cut old growth forest.
Highly recommended.
I tried this place last night and it is all that and 3 bags of chips! Â Everything from wine to beer to appetizers to main course meal are all very refined. Â The wait staff is terrific and the decore is upscale but not pretencious. Â
Best of all -- the Chocolate Ravioli for dessert. Â OMG. Â Heaven in your mouth.
My wife and I went to Sip tonight and found it to be hip and classy, but yet casual all at the same time.
The food menu isn't expansive, but there were enough good sounding things to choose from that I had some difficulty in deciding what to eat. Â They also have a few small plate or appetizer dishes that were very good (I always go for the Tuna Tartare when I see it on a menu). Â The dishes were delicious as well as excellently presented.
The wine list fills a notebook, as it does at many restaurants, but this one was in really small print. Â There were a lot of wines listed. Â We chose to have the wine and cheese flight and a glass that was paired with the Gnocchi that my wife ordered.
The ambiance was very nice, low lighting, the wine rack to the rear of the restaurant, quiet music (sometimes hit or miss, though) and a wait staff that was both attentive, but discreet.
And one more that Sip had going for it was it's hours. Â Remember that it is in the suburbs, but it closes at midnight on it's earliest night (Sunday). Â Weekdays and Saturdays, it is open until 1:30 am.
We've had problems finding places to go when we want dessert when we are out late. Â Now we know where to go. Â And on to dessert....
I had the half baked chocolate cake and my wife had the bing cherry tiramisu - both of which were really good. Â The tiramisu was soaked in merlot, a change fitting of a wine restaurant. Â Surprisingly, they didn't serve espresso, but they did have pretty good coffee.
For a nice dinner, close to home or a late night dessert, Sip is someplace close and nice to go to.
Sip is a relatively new (opened in July 06) wine bar and restaurant located in the Issaquah highlands. Funny how they are located very near the suburbs, but the locale suits this restaurant-bar.
Sip is an upscale place with fabulous decor and ambiance. I went with my friend from out of town, and even though we were dressed like bums in shorts and tshirts, we were still greeted graciously. We were seated promptly and our server provided great service.
In the center of the restaurant is a very large wine bar. I couldn't begin to count the number of wine bottles I saw at the bar and shelved on the walls. There were plenty of staff so it looked like every patron was well cared for. The crowd seemed to be older couples or young married couples. I saw a few that looked like they were on a date. Sip would be a great place to bring a date I bet, after a pleasant evening, they could go retire at his/her condo near by!
The food on the menu looked like it was seasonal so the menu may change every so often. However, there was not too large of a selection when it came to entrees. Probably a choice between 6 or so. I had a chicken sandwich which was about 12$ and came with fries, and my friend had a steak which I remember was overpriced for the amount he got. We also ordered an appetizer, but the portions were small for what we paid. But that is usually the case with all fancy restaurants: the fancier and more complicated the food, the less you get.
I asked our waiter on what Syrah he would suggest, but he was new  did not know the selections very well, so I ended up just picking one blind. Regardless, the wine was great and I have plans to go back and sample some more.
Our meal went by pleasantly and the owner/manager herself came by to make sure we were doing OK as well. Sip is a great place to have a drink and relax. I saw a guy sitting at the bar reading a book and slowly sipping away at his wine. I personally would not do that since the lighting was too dim, but it just goes to show how relaxed people can be at a place like Sip.
Take your girlfriend or wife on a date to Sip, you won't be dissappointed, but don't travel all the way out here to Issaquah unless you already live close-by. Don't want any happy-drunk-drivers on the road!
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