Fall City Bistro

To me, Fall City Bistro has a bit of an issue figuring out what its identity is. The menu is all over the place — lots of Asian inspired dishes, a few traditional American mains, a few pasta dishes, fresh fish, truffle popcorn, etc. There’s no real theme with the dishes. The décor is very modern, and very… purple. It doesn’t feel like a bistro inside, it feels more like a trendy fine dining restaurant.
I think the chef prefers Asian fusion because those dishes tend to be the better ones. The won ton appetizer is really good, and my wife’s seared tuna was good as well. My tenderloin was the first time I’ve had tough, chewy tenderloin… it almost seemed like it was a sirloin. But, at the $ 28 price tag, I couldn’t complain.
The service was very good, attentive but not overbearing. The blackberry mojito cocktail I got was tasty.
My suggestion to Fall City Bistro would be to narrow the focus of the menu into one or two themes — pick Asian, or French bistro, or New American… whatever, just pick one and build the menu around that. Having duck won tons, crab cakes, and alligator frites as appetizers on the same menu is strange.

It’s pricey but I don’t think the prices are out of line for the level of dining. This place is super friendly, unpretentious, and the food is fantastic. From the outside it doesn’t look like much, in fact I had driven by it many times without a second look. Definitely worth the $ though, excellent.

Best food in the valley and I would even go as far to say it rivals any restaurant in Seattle. Chef Sean and his team doing an amazing job incorporating local and natural flavor a and ingredients. True farm to table awesomeness!
You have to try the 5 course meal and let them surprise you with all kinds of foods you wouldn’t expect. Seriously great stuff.
Not to mention everyone who works here is extremely kind and attentive.
Get the Zongo for dessert!!!

We got the groupon but I don’t think it is a good deal. From the other review, seems like all are getting the same food and I am not very impressed with the food. The service is good but the Asian fusion is really not my type. I would prefer authentic rather than fusion.
The sesame oil is way over powering. Perhaps if you order from the regular menu, the food will be better?

This was very close to 4 stars but considering all aspects of the overall experience I would say a good 3 is more appropriate. Too bad you can’t give half stars here.
I’ll say that the opinion on the décor and atmosphere is highly subjective. My opinion is the atmosphere is better described as eclectic than upscale or fancy. The furniture varies from traditional dining chairs to red vinyl upholstered benches like something from a cheap steak house or family Italian restaurant to a love seat that you might find in the living room at your Grandma’s house. It felt like a single level home that had been converted to a restaurant. So I’d give the interior decorating 2.5 stars but I can’t imagine what it used to look like so I’m sure it has come a long way. It’s all relative to one’s tastes. A person who grew up in a trailer is going to have a different opinion of what ‘fancy’ is than someone that grew up in a multi-​million dollar home. I noted they did have a pretty basic outside patio which is a nice option if they use it.
The Chef sat us and was pleasant and friendly and maybe a little nerdy (unlike the Grouchy Chef in Everett which actually is a very similar dining experience.) We didn’t know he was the Chef until he came out again and ‘surprised’ us and then explained the tasting menu process. This would not be the first surprise.
Right off the bat, my Hendricks martini was not well-​made but my girlfriends lemon drop was excellent.
Next was the free truffle popcorn with parmesan. supposedly a Wednesday special offering. Good but I felt a little odd eating handfuls of popcorn in a supposedly upscale sit down restaurant but works for me.
Then came the tenderloin with wasabi and house made ketchup and siracha. It was dry and served room temperature (which I imagine might be the ‘proper’ temperature for the dish?) Then the waiter comes out after we are done and asks if we know which animal it came from. He said Kangaroo from Australia. Well, I’m from Australia and Kangaroos are like dogs to me. I had several of them so I was horrified to find out I just ate my dog. Just kidding. But I think it’s risky that they do stuff like that. The house made Siracha was excellent. Very spicy and flavorful.
The seafood curry was very flavorful but too much sugar in it.
The snails were excellent but I actually found the sauce and the cherry tomatoes to be the highlight of the dish, not the snails themselves. The chef was obviously eager to show off his classic French training.
The dessert was by far the most memorable dish. It was superb.
While the execution on the food varied from course to course, I’m comfortable giving the food a solid 4. But I have always believed the Unilocal rating on a restaurant needs to be about more than the food which I don’t think it really is with some of these other reviews giving it 5 stars.
Overall it was a positive experience, A-​OK (high 3+ stars) but with these minus points:
— Décor/​Atmosphere felt somewhat ‘lost’ between quaint/​comfortable/​casual and cheesy upscale. Maybe part of not feeling super comfortable had to do with he sat us in the middle of the room while everyone else was sitting at the edges.
— Service not evenly paced. Service was overall good and I realize this is supposed to be a relaxed paced tasting, but there were a couple times I felt like there was too much time between courses.
— Bar needs to learn how to make a good martini.
— To me they came across a little pushy on ordering wine. I felt a little bit like the Groupon was the bait and then they try to inflate the bill from there but that’s pretty common with other restaurants like this too.
— Non Groupon prices are a bit overpriced considering the location. It’s a diner with a makeover in Fall City, not Salish Lodge.
— A couple lackluster dishes mixed in with some very very good ones.
— Shouldn’t serve people meat without telling them what animal it is.
If you are a foodie, then the drive might be worth it since you just want to try something new but I’d say calling this a ‘destination dining experience’ justifying the drive is a bit of a reach. Herb Farm, Salish Lodge, etc I consider destination dining but I probably would only dine here again if I happened to be in the area. Needless to say Fall City is lucky to have this place.

I don’t even know where to begin, so I guess I’ll start at the beginning. My roommate has (had) a real douchebag for a boyfriend. She wanted to plan something extra special for his birthday, and ended up booking a chef’s tasting out at the Fall City Bistro. Being him, the boyfriend did something boneheaded and ignorant, as usual, so she (the roommate) decided to invite me, instead. Which was great, because I’m way more fun than he is, anyway, so I knew she’d have a better time. That’s not particularly relevant to this review, but I like to make fun of him whenever I get the chance.
Moving on…
OK, so we go out there. It’s a funny place, because the outside looks like some rinky-​dink old roadside diner. Your typical small town greasy spoon type place. But when you go in, it’s immediately a much different atmosphere. It’s fancy. More so than the kind of place I would ever choose to go, on my own. Not so much that I felt underdressed, but then, I was wearing a collared shirt. The one collared shirt that I still own. I looked good.
We ordered champagne immediately from the hostess. The chef came over very soon after, and we were off and running. Having never experienced a chef’s tasting before, I didn’t really know what I was in for. Basically, he comes over and chats for a bit, asking questions about our tastes and level of adventurousness when it comes to food, and then creates a customized menu of multiple courses. I’m not what many people would describe as having especially exotic taste, but I explained that I was in the mood to try new things, which seemed to be the thing to do. The chef was funny and charming, returning to our table as each course arrived to tell us about it and gauge our enthusiasm. It was a cool and unique experience. He, and the rest of the staff, really made us feel at home and welcome, helping us pair the perfect wine for each course, and never once made me feel like the knuckle-​dragging food neophyte that I really am.
Each of the 5 courses was absolutely fantastic. We had kangaroo, which was a personal first, bison, a curry soup with alligator, and more. All of it was excellent. The absolute best, though, was the dessert course. The dessert, which was the chef’s own unique creation, was something like a warm churro stuffed with cheesecake and served with vanilla ice cream. It was absolutely ridiculous in the best possible way. To top it off, they paired it with a B-​52 martini and coffee, which was served direct from a French press.
All in, the dinner lasted a little over two hours. It was an excellent experience, and one which I have already recommended multiple times to friends, in the week since. Whether you’re a foodie, or simply interested in a beautiful meal served by great people, take a night and drive out there. It’s worth it. It’s only a couple miles from Snoqualmie Falls, which made for a nice pit stop on the ride home.

I have mixed feelings here on 3 vs 4 stars. I’ve had some dishes (Asian ribs, Halibut) that are knock out tasty, but other plates fall flat. The accompanying side dishes need work, most are very plain and not as well paired with the main entrée. The chef loves his truffle oil a bit too much. When they have a great dish, it is awesome, but many of the other dishes are just average, but the prices are much to high for the overall quality.
Looking forward to improvements, and I’ll be back.

We just ate here last night and LOVED it! From the moment we walked in the door, we were blown away. The service was amazing and everything we put in our mouth was incredible. We used a Groupon and don’t drink, but we never felt like that made a difference to them (some places treat you way differently). They saw that we were celebrating my husband’s birthday and every server wished him well and even gave us a complimentary dessert. Even the employees who weren’t technically our server were extremely kind and attentive (they all stopped by and asked how everything was). It is on the pricey side for a regular night out ($ 65 for 2 people with a shared bowl of soup and two entrees), so we won’t be able to eat here often, but for special dates we will DEFINITELY be back!
I will say that the exterior of the building could use some love… you would never know the gem that it is when driving by it. Do yourself a favor and check it out!

Do you want food that blows your socks off? Takes you to heaven and wake up the next morning licking your lips? This is the place! We celebrated with friends trying the chef’s 5 course tasting and were blown away. The chef came to our table and asked if we had any preferences or dislikes. And are you willing to be adventurous? YES! We had a meal that would make San Francisco and Seattle jealous. Soup, appetizers (including perfectly prepared gator), sea bass with clams and veggies, Kobe ribs that melted in your mouth, rib eye with Gorgonzola and mushrooms; inconceivable yet perfect. And then, at the end of the meal: Dessert. We died and went to heaven. You have to go to Fall City Bistro. On the outside: humble. On the inside: comfortable, classy and delicious. The service was 5 stars. Everyone made sure your expectations were exceeded.

This place wouldn’t be considered «kid friendly». They place me and my family witch has a few kids in it toward the bar end of the restraunt. The food was alright but expensive. My family had to trade around our food because what we ordered wasn’t exactly what we liked. All and all I probably won’t come back but I think you might have a better experience.

What a disappointment! Went there this past Sunday (March 27, 2016) for dinner. 1^st sign of trouble should be when we noticed that only 3 tables were taken at our 5:30 PM reservation time.
Service — Very Poor. Though attentive upon our initial arrival, we were never asked if we needed/​wanted a refill of our beverages. The staff was nice, but seemed to forget there were customers.
Food — An Utter Disaster! I had Curried Eggplant and my wife had the Thai Chicken. We were both sadly disappointed — food was salty and really underwhelming. Sad… Very Sad…
Price — Little Value for Money Spent! — 2 glasses of wine, 2 main dishes $ 72 + tip.
Bottom Line — Avoid… Avoid…Avoid…REALLY AVOID. I had heard some good things about this place, but reality was far from expectations.

I don’t think the chef and I have the same food preferences. It might be fine for someone else. I didn’t enjoy it and felt our meals were overpriced.

We had dinner here for the fist time last night and let me just say WOW!
The food was incredible. I had the Thai chicken which was just the right amount of spicy and the apple jicama slaw stuff that was on top was the perfect balance to the spiciness of the chicken. My husband had the pork ribs which were tender and juicy and oh so delicious.
The perfect date night place if you are looking for something special and unique. Can not wait to go back!!!
Another wonderful thing is it is chef owned so you can tell the chef is invested in making each meal the best possible… Our service was great and toward the end of our meal live music started happening which was a pleasant surprise.
Do yourself a favor and eat here!

This was a gem of a find. The togarashi ribs were tender and portions were generous. It came with a side bowl of noodles, which was a great complement. My wife had the chicken nachatta, and it was so good, that it was finished completely (we opted to box the remnants of the ribs). This bistro will hold its own against any other in Seattle. It’s that good and I will definitely keep it in my ‘to frequent list’.

Fall City bistro– where the f$&@ did you come from? You are the sparkling diamond in the rough among the spattering of mediocre restaurants that overcharge patrons in the valley!
You are literally located across from the river’s parking lot and a roundabout– yet you serve kangaroo, crocodile and popcorn with truffle oil! Truffle oil! Not only do you have a burger, it’s a kobe beef burger with pork belly +other stuff I glossed over on FOCACCIA bread– genius!!! And it’s only $ 18?!! You know what $ 18 gets you at those awful bar/​grills on the ridge? A sad burger on a yellow egg bun purchased from the IGA across the street– oh and with McDonalds fries. You are so good that I’m willing to give you these 5 stars while overlooking the smell of manure surrounding your restaurant.
We ended up getting the escargot, dragon eggs (dumplings), ahi tuna steak and a lobster-​leek pepperdele. All amazing– but honestly, I don’t think you can go wrong with any of your menu options. We finished with the Molten lava cake, which was set on fire– very appropriate to replace our 4^th of July fireworks!
Oh yeah, since we made a reservation, we got free truffle popcorn! Hell yeah!!!
If you’re reading this review and you’re looking for a place to eat– pick up your phone, make a reservation for lunch/​dinner at Fall City Bistro, and get your ass here and enjoy your complimentary popcorn (and dinner, of course).

We had a late dinner at the bistro and it was fabulous. We started with the truffle popcorn to the artichoke crab dip, and both were delicious. It took all our willpower not to lick the plates. My entrée was an Arctic char done to perfection. Crispy skin with the fillet moist and flavorful. My daughter ordered the mushroom pasta with an incredibly rich and creamy sauce. It had three different mushrooms all grown locally. Our favorite was the lions head mushroom. My wife ordered a great spinach salad with mushrooms, bacon and an excellent dressing.
For dessert we had the Zongo! Bananas, cheesecake, wrapped in a tortilla and deep fried. A scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side was the perfect finish!
I’d also recommend the Hendricks gin mule. Refreshing drink on a warm summer night.

We loved it. Very unassuming building, never expected a classy restaurant inside. Décor is bit eclectic but its fine, fits Fall City and simple farm surroundings. Food was delicious. I had Wild Mushroom bisque, husband could not stop from eating it too. Very intense flavour, rich but full of aroma and flavour. Super good. Then Duck and pork Alfredo — same great taste. Very intense, sausage tasted home made, pasta was perfect, the whole dish was superb. My husband had lasagna and enjoyed the taste as well though I have the feeling my choice was better. Maybe bit heave on a cream but still really good.
Desserts _​chocolate mousse, teramisu and Syrah — all very satisfying. We are definitely coming back.
Now, I saw some reviews complaining about the prices. Understandable as the menu prices are not low but considering the quality of food, they are very well justified. Many of ingredients we were told were organic and tasted as such. All food tasted super fresh and made from scratch, except 22 year old balsamic vinegar… which tasted as such. Delicious! These things are expensive. We were thrilled to have such a great food in Fall City, well worth a drive for us.

Great restaurant for those living in and around Fall City area. It’s not not having to go all the way into Bellevue or Seattle for a high quality, tasty dinner.
Drinks are good — appetizers are good — food is all around good!
Yes — it is a little bit of a dive place, but that’s what adds to the atmosphere. The Chef definitely cares about his restaurant and you can see so not only through presentation but the taste in food!
Everything on their menu is good including the salads — try the house made honey mustard dressing, one of the best I’ve had.
You won’t be disappointed with anything. We went on a weekend night and there was a lady there playing a piano — added to the ambiance.
Near or far — give this place a try. Classy to semi casual, there is no right or wrong but to expect to spend a decent penny (at least $ 100 for two for dinner including an appetizer and entrees, that’s not including drinks)

This little place in Fall City is amazing! You wouldn’t be able to tell from the outside but the food, service, and ambiance is really great.
We had the chefs tasting menu which consisted of curry mussels, wonton cups, wild boar, and togarashi short ribs. Every aspect of the dishes were very well executed by the chef and I assume owner Sean.
He came to our table to ask what we liked, and subsequently didn’t. He then paired the meal with our choice of drinks for the evening. He did a great job.
The server was very friendly and attentive to our table throughout the whole night. Water was always full, more importantly wine was always full. She really seemed to care that we loved every course.
The owner (Sean) has a passion for his food, restaurant, and your overall experience; You feel that when you’re in his restaurant, a extension of his home, essentially. There aren’t many restaurants in Seattle that have this quality. I think the last time I’ve been to a restaurant with this feeling was La Rustica in West Seattle where the family runs it.
Wonderful night. Highly recommend.
Thank you Sean

From the outside, it looks like a regular diner. until I saw the rating on Unilocal and then I realized what was inside it. I saw it from the parking lot after inner tubing with some friends.
Service was 2 stars. not only did I not have to flag down the server for water, but also, this place has a unique tasting menu… the chef comes out to figure out what you like especially in terms of food and then tailors the food to the drinks that you like. I have never had an award winning chef come out to me to listen to my input or even help customize my tasting menu, so I HAD to do it. His menu changes depending on what you like to drink. It was a must to do the wine pairing as well.
Food: The chef highly recommended the berry shrub when I mentioned I liked mojitos so I got it. It was fruity, light, and berrylicious as well as sparkling. Wasn’t too sweet nor too tart or dry. My friend and I liked it a lot
Our first dish was a Thai curry fusion. I had requested a seafood tasting menu, my friend requested a vegetarian menu. The curry here is American fusion, as tasted by the sweetness in his curry. Well cooked especially the tofu that was slightly crispy for my friend and not mushy at all. It paired well with the shrub and my friend’s wine. It only came with a small bowl of jasmine rice however. This was the best dish out of the 4.
Next was the peking duck taco-​like salad. It came with a side of what tasted like a wasabi greek yogurt mix, standard sweet and sour sauce you would find with lumpia and a thin soy sesame sauce. The wrapper was fried like a taco salad bowl, but with a Americanized chineseified thick wrapper like what you would find with egg rolls or crab rangoon. Quite frankly, the coleslaw was a mixed cabbage salad that wasn’t mushy, topped with a few pieces of peking duck. TBH I have had peking duck in Beijing and around Seattle for weddings and dinners… there were two problems. no peking duck fried crispy skin and the soy sesame sauce should have been replaced with the typical thick plum peking sauce. The white wine although it was good, didn’t heighten anything in the dish.
Afterwards I had a fish dish which had tilapia with a thick miso soup made with kombu on a bed of jasmine rice. It was overly salty, to the point I could only eat the fish and the rice just couldn’t save it. When the chef came out, I had to voice out my opinion of his dish. It was just too salty, even for my friend who tasted mine. My friend liked his dish which was another curry.
Since we told the waiter that we were almost stuffed, the last dish was dessert. It was a whipped vanilla cheesecake wrapped in a crispy egg roll wrapper (that was more Chinese), drizzled with caramel with some vanilla ice cream and a line of chocolate powder. It was ok, but not remarkable.
The experience is awesome! Definitely a must especially since it came out to about $ 70 per person after tax and tip with the alcohol/​wine pairing. And I love the fact I get to meet the chef and tell him my thoughts about his food in person rather than having to tell the waiter to relay the message. Will definitely be back.