Bisato

We decided to take a chance on this place. Not many people here but it was Wednesday night. We were told it was tapas style servings so we expected small portions, but our expectations did not prepare us for the meal.
The food was well prepared and delicious, but the servings were much smaller than expected. I would describe this as fine tasting but not fine dining. In fairness the meal presented was very tasteful, but wish there was more.

I ate here back in June; finally got around to posting my review on Unilocal,and I notice that it’s now closed. I have to say that after reading all the great reviews on Frommer’s and Unilocal,I was very excited to try this place, but was disappointed. Nice atmosphere, interesting dishes, but were all pretty unusual and very small. I love good food, but I it was a little too pricey and strange for me.

I got to eat at Bisato on Sunday October 14, 2012, which was its last night. Yep, this restaurant is now closed.
I had a series of tiny courses, each with a degree of novelty and all quite delicious. Overall, the menu was quite dairy-​heavy. I would have liked to see more vegetable options.

Truffle pasta. Mouthwatering.
They cure their own meats.
This is a terrific place for dinner late night snack after the show.
The waitstaff is professional yet welcoming.
One of the best Italian restaurants in town.
21+ (not family friendly).

I have never seen a James Beard Award Winning Chef in action before. So I was really delighted to be a part of the Bisato experience and enter the mind of Chef Scott Carsberg.
We entered in at around 830pm and the establishment was almost ½ full seating. It took a moment to be greeted by someone. After sitting in the back corner area. It was a good view of watching the chef and his cooking staff operate.
But the largest downfall was the service. It took over 5 mins for someone to swing by our table. By this time about 3 different workers walked past our table to look over but not say anything. Finally we were able to place our order.
We tried the following items:
Pecorino Toscano Cheese baked on Cedar Plank with Truffle Honey
Braised Short Rib in Barolo wine
Polenta with Meat Ragu
All the dishes were plated with finesse and design. The flavors of the food fell short or wowing our tastebuds compared to Rovers, Spur, or Crush. Maybe because we didnt try more of the daily menu or pasta dishes.
The server was good at explaining each menu item and compositions. But in the end it took forever to get our check and pay the bill. I don’t understand why it took 3 people including one asian women circling around our area with out asking if we needed any service.
I’m sorry Bisato but we will not be back. I really truly had high hopes for this restaurant.

I must admit that up until the first time I ate at Bisato I had not eaten good food. I am a world traveler-​having traveled all over Europe and Asia. I’ve enjoyed food in many different countries.
Enjoyed is not the word that I would use for Bisato though. It is on a much higher plain of satisfaction-​complete and utter satisfaction. The sight and flavor of the food takes me to places I’ve never been before.
My only regret is that it took me 16 years to try Chef Scott Carsberg’s cuisine.
How foolish that I feel that I’ve squandered that time, those 16 years-​not really living. I worked around (Lampreia) Bisato for years passing by the windows of the restaurant with the fine white table cloths and exquisite cuisine-​not realizing the magic that was being created just inside.
I now regularly lavish and bask in the wonderful cuisine prepared at Bisato. It is truly ineffable to describe Chef Carsberg food in words as words do not properly describe the cuisine as there is more of an emotional aspect involved.
How many times have I gone out for food and when asked about it, I said, well it was ok-​not very memorable. You will not have an experience like this at Bisato. You will not quickly cut into Chef Carsberg’s food-​as you fear to harm it’s total beauty. Once you muster the courage to part the food you will not want to swallow it. The food will stay in your mouth longer than any food ever has-​wanting to completely enjoy every morsel.
My review feels contrived while rereading it. It isn’t though-I’m just not that good describing my feelings about his food-​it is a truly wonderful experience.
Thank you Chef Carsberg.

I’m an out-​of-​towner who favors a few neighborhoods when in Seattle. This review is a bit late, and I don’t remember much about what we ate. What I do remember is that it cast a spell on me and my (now) wife and we still talk about our dining experience two years later. Seriously.
What seems kind of unassuming from the outside turned into a night of fine dining, 5-​star service, and a refined party for the senses. It delivers thoughts of «intimate food experience» and «this-​is-​one-​really-​special-​occasion» all at once.
If you want a memorable business dinner venue, look no further. Everyone will be talking about their meal and «so-​and-​so» who suggested this place called Bisato.
Actually, the only thing more memorable would be going on a hunt and feasting on fresh kill that you and your party ran down, field dressed, seasoned and cooked on the spot.
If you want an extraordinary date, just start here — because anything else afterwards will inevitably go well, unless you’re foul or unskilled and don’t know how to deliver a superb date. Foreplay starts with the quality of service and being led through the menu, (take your time) then the cocktails, (take your time) then the food, (take your time) then the dessert, and then… you wake up not knowing where you left your clothes or your car, you’re sore in strange places and you don’t care because your date continues to claw at you, wanting more.
Bisato makes magic happen on many levels and that’s the truth.

The main reason I liked this place was the deals for drinks at happy hour (how nice is it that you can drink at 6:30 in Belltown at happy hour prices?). My cocktail was only $ 5 and I ended up getting two. Strong and oh-​so-​delicious. Good prices on beer and wine too.
I don’t think I’d go here outside of those times because it’s just not in my budget. You would have to order a lot of those small plates in order to feel full, and they are very expensive. We had the beet blini and the polenta with meat ragu. Tasty but tiny!
If you have a ton of money, great. If not, go get happy hour drinks and then head to Belltown Pizza, which is just a couple doors down.

Good and bad things about this place.
Fist of all you can’t call a cuisine Italian just because you use 2 Italian words in the menu. Nothing is Italian here.
Secondly the portions are so small that when you start tasting the food… it is gone… finished! I’m not a fan of fast food portions, but it is not the small portions make a luxury restaurant. They could start for example by investing in better decoration.
The good thing is the food… it was delicious… from what my mouth can remember… as I said the portions are very, very small.

I am somewhat tired of the «tasting» menu restaurant. My wallet took a big hit after dining there.
The Octopus putanesca is delicious with right balance of salty and sweet. The braised short ribs is rich, fork tender and delicious. the Vale sausage is good but the risotto cake is chilled which take me by surprise.
The Kitchen is small so it can be overwhelmed by the number of people in the restaurant. It took them two hours to serve my three small dishes.

I have nothing but great things to say about everything I had here for dinner tonight. The food is incredible with a chef who is highly regarded and there’s no question as to why. I ordered the special which was a pasta sheet with black truffle and the risotto as well. Both fantastic!
Saying this, there are a few things to keep in mind when deciding to come to Bisato:
1. Order 2 – 3 dishes per person. You will starve to death if you think 1 dish will be sufficient. For example, our friend ordered the ravioli. We were surprised to see only 1 ravioli was served on a plate. We have since decided that when a single ravioli is served it is called a «raviolo.»
2. This is a restaurant which stands for quality not quantity. Keep in mind you are ordering «tastes» of food, or «snacks» not full meal servings.
3. For the price, be prepared to shell out some serious moolah if you want to get full. One item, or «tasting» cost $ 18 to give you an idea and I could have probably eaten 4 or 5 of them if I wanted to get full.
I cannot lie, as shocked as we were by the expensive snack-​sized portions, we were more taken back by the out of this world taste and quality of the food. I could tell at times we all wanted to complain for not being full as we had thrown down some serious cash at that point, yet everything was so delicious it was hard to complain, especially when we were informed by our extremely knowledgeable server to order more food per person than we did.
As one friend said… if only we were millionaires, then this would be our restaurant of choice every night.
It was unanimous — the food was nothing short of absolutely amazing at Bisato.

Bisato has unique dishes in a upscale atmosphere. I had the octopus putanesca, which was very delicious (and still currently on the menu, unlike the other things we had that evening.) The portions are very small, so you can easily run up a huge bill, especially if you get drinks. Also, nobody under 21 is allowed. At all. Even just to eat. This is, of course, preposterous, but hey, not a place to bring your 19 and 20 year old college friends. Also, don’t order the tea, it’s not even loose leaf.
In short, the food is excellent, but I have to subtract a star for the awkward service. It was very stiff and the waiter constantly referred to me as «the lady». There might be less fussy places to dine in Seattle, but Bisato is worth trying.

You can easily drop $ 100 here without knowing it. Everything tastes better in smaller portion.
First favortie– Lamb Chops! Wow at a $ 6 a chop, they were possibly the best thing I’ve ever eaten. I’ve been on a hunt for the next best lamb chops ever since. It was so good, I had to reorder another 3 chops after my first plate. Just divine!
Second Favorite: The octopus putanesca –just divine! And the duck egg and polenta and so on.
The chef Scott himself is a very funny man and he has a lot of stories to tell. I simply love this place. Makes you feel as if you were somewhere in NYC-​maybe even Eataly. It is unlike any other places in Seattle.

This place is amazing.
It’s not the place to come for a boatload of pasta and a Texas steak. it’s not the place to bring your localvore, vegan, Alice-​Waters-​worshipping fiancé. It’s not for the unadventurous, or for those intimidated by excellence. And it’s definitely not the place to come if you hate being surprised — even shocked — at the ingenuity and brilliance of that which you’ve ordered.
I know. I’m gushing. But really, though, Bisato, in my view, is Seattle’s best-​kept gastronomical secret, and in part because it’s not obviously *Seattle.* (Don’t tell me you don’t know what I mean by this.)
Bisato interprets modernist cuisine (which some might consider trendy, and which may be true, but which, nonetheless, is a not an easy art to master) at a level that puts certain New York restaurants to shame. I don’t know where they found their chef, nor what sort of Faustian bargain he made in order to deliver the dishes he does, but I don’t really care: the place is, again, amazing.
Just go. Grab a seat at the bar, close your eyes, and point to anything on the menu — or just tell the staff a little about your preferences and let them make recommendations. The plates are small but reasonably priced, so you can try a nice sampling before the evening ends.
And trust me: three or four small plates at Bisato puts most tasting menus to shame. Try it. I promise. You’ll see.

One of the best meals I have had in awhile and it was basically a snack! Small plates is overplayed in Seattle, but there is much creativity and perfection in Bisato. When was the last time you had a blini cooked to order in Seattle? The blini of red beet with gravlax salmon and crème fraîche was just that, and warm spongy beet blini (it was red!) was very satisfying with the salmon. Also tried the tomato filled with halibut rillette served with panzanella sauce. On the plate was one perfect tomato, but the surprise is inside when you reach the halibut rillette. The freshness and acidity of the tuna is a perfect balance for fish. The mainly European wine list offers some good choices, and I was pleasantly surprised that most of the by the glass choices were under $ 10. I was even more impressed to find a bottle of Bulleit Rye in the bar, which was the perfect dessert.
Overall, Bisato elevates the dining experience in Seattle. Sure, the chef Scott Carsberg keeps a close watch in the kitchen and on the guests. But he is a perfectionist and the food certainly shows it. At around $ 10 per plate, the tab can add up quickly, but it is worth it. And there are almost 20 dishes to try including specials, so I’ve barely put a dent in the menu. Looking forward to trying a few more at a time soon!

Even with getting my order wrong, I’m giving 4 stars. Why? Because the service was great and they corrected my order with ZERO fuss.
This is another example of a restaurant that is all about the food and solid service. I can’t think of anything we DIDN’T have, however what sticks out in my memory were the truffle pasta, the foie gras + pink lady apple dish, and the vanilla tartelettes. There just wasn’t enough pasta to go around. You could honestly make a whole meal out of a few plates of it. Between the foie gras with figs (mistakenly ordered) and the foie gras with apples (correct order) we were all duck liver’d out. But how can you say ‘no’ to foie gras?
I love the layout of the place and the fact that you can see your food being cooked. The chef was curt, but appreciative to have us there. It’s a very casual atmosphere and the «bar seating» actually overlooks the kitchen and is apparently a good spot for singles to mingle and chat.
I’d love to come here again.

Delicious food. Fantastic presentation. Great service (all attractive young men in their 20’s…is this a new theme in Seattle restaurant service? as I’ve seen this a few times now at fine dining establishments. No complaints, just interesting). Dined here with a few friends, one of which is a friend of the chef/​owner so it was extra cool having an opportunity to talk with him which we did a fair amount. We all loved our food, but I only ate and can comment on the following:
*bread (a la Macrina bakery) with olive oil — just fine, run of the mill
*crudo of hamachi, escolar and yellowfin tuna — perfect; and the presentation lovely
*truffle pasta sheet with cheeses and truffle oil — I am not describing this special — not on the menu — with nearly as much pizzazz as it deserves but it was the thinnest sheet of pasta I’ve ever laid my eyes on, cooked just right and the cheese-​truffle pairing gave it an appealing richness. I only wish there had been more of it.
*orange confit with chocolate caramel mousse — I knew I had to order this before I even walked in the door, as according to Seattle Met magazine it is/​was the #1 new dish of 2010. Check out the website, as the photo of this dessert is incredible. The orange confit had the most striking orange flavor and taste ever, and paired well with the small mound of creamy mousse.
The ambiance and environment are welcoming. Lots of 2-​top tables and I can see where this could be a very romantic dining spot. The 180-​degree bar facing the open-​air kitchen is attractive. Warm lighting. NOT your typical Belltown establishment, as this place is not a trendy see-​and-​be-​seen spot.
It is more expensive than I expected as the plates are definitely small and you need to order a few to several to make a meal which is not at all obvious from reading the menu, and I don’t think our server told us this (one of my friends was in the know). When asked, our server said that 2 – 4 dishes per person was recommended… which surprises me as I have a healthy appetite but I’m not a gorger and I ate 2 savory dishes + dessert and was still hungry shortly after I left.

My bf and I wandered into this place hoping to get a full meal/​dinner. We loved the two dishes we shared: the macaroni with pesto and wine sauce, and the meat ragu polenta. If only the portions were actual dinner sized portions!
PROS:
1. Delicious food.
2. Good service.
3. Romantic, ambient, etc.
CONS:
1. Tiny ass portions. The ragu polenta was seriously, like, 1×3 inches. Enough for two or three bites.
2. Overpriced. $ 12 an «entrée». They should clearly call them small plates on the menu instead of being misleading.

Two words: honky tapas.
When we entered bisato, I scanned the faces of the people working behind the counter. Everyone, and I mean everyone, looked horribly depressed. And who could blame them?
Our server recited a list of specials almost as long as the menu items. One or two specials is expected, but a recitation makes me question the chef’s ability to edit his menu options.
To his credit, our server was diplomatic in his description of food portions. So that happened.
The plates made their way to the table, and why I’m being served a 14″ dinner plate for food presentation that exceeds no more than 4″ in diameter is astounding. If the actual food is prepared in small bites, that’s fine. But come correct and use plates that don’t magnify my disappointment.
Three of our friends ordered the poached duck egg. What was presented on the table can only be described as an ABC After-​School Special for high school pregnancy. Holy Mother Mary, the presentation of the poached egg was beyond terrifying.
This isn’t to say that the food didn’t taste good, but they weren’t enough to warrant the prices and presentation. Our friends who ordered meats & seafood – and that unfortunate embryonic journey – described their meals as rich. If you opt for the veg plates, like we did, you will find other words to describe your meals. Like «okay» and «small» and «I need a pizza.»
As a friend of mine so often says, «white people will pay anything.» Her adage could not be more apropos for bisato.

I wrote this for Lampreia, the previous incarnation of bisato, and much of it remains the same:
«I have come to understand that this restaurant is not for everyone, but it was made for me.
«The food is refined, suave, inventive and funny, intellectual and animal at the same time. The restaurant is quiet and melts away so you only really feel the presence of the food, the company you’re with, the chefs in the window, and the wait staff when you need them.
«The menu changes seasonally and has changed through the years, reflective of new interests, inspirations, and ideas the chef, Scott Carsberg is working with. This is not a business so much as a venue for him to practice his métier. For instance, there is no table turnover. It’s yours for the evening. Relax, savor, luxuriate.
«Yes, it’s pricey, but I’ve never regretted a cent. It’s my husband’s and my hands-​down favorite splurge.»
What’s new NOW? A more modular format where you can graze instead of dine, a fresh approach to menus, décor and food, and lower prices. The food: Just as funny, intellectual, animal, and refined. GO!!!