Blind Pig Bistro

I so wanted to love this place! We went here for my birthday. The wait staff was excellent, and the drinks were delicious. Everything was explained well and we all felt comfortable. The food was just not very good. I’m so disappointed. I may come back at a different time of the year when the menu is different, but probably not. The lamb tartare was chewy (I actually couldn’t swallow it and had to spit it in my napkin). The squid was… so so. The steak was good, not spectacular, but was served with basically raw potatoes. I left hungry.

I have been here several times to a changing menu and it never disappoints. Big group, little group it doesn’t matter, the service is ALWAYS on point. Buy the kitchen some booze and they’ll most likely send you out a little off menu concoction that is well worth the money spent on buying them a drink. With Babirusa next door, the cocktails are excellent and very creative. Choose a liquor and tell them to go for it with their creativity. Seasonal menu so it is always changing and has everything from beef to vegan and makes it all taste incredible.
Intimate setting in a strip mall no less, but don’t be baffled… the location doesn’t matter, they bring their A game every time.
Don yourself a favor and GO!

I’ve been here half a dozen times. It’s great. They keep a core set of dishes, and change up how they prepare each based on that i available fresh that day. Some dishes I was really skeptical of at first, because I wasn’t a fan of some of the ingredients, but they turned out to work together to make for some really great flavors. Oh, and hey have a good wine selection and great cocktails.

I had a really great dinner here on a cold weekday evening last week, and I would definitely go back again. My friend and I shared 5 plates. Actually we only shared 3 because she doesn’t eat meat, so we parted ways over 2 dishes, and i was lucky enough to eat the house-​cured pastrami cracklin’-type nuggets of garnish that came with her soup. Oh boy, those are dangerous. Portions are good sized for the price. We had: a cheese plate, which as simple as they should be, was better than most; a kale/​smoked trout/​lots of other stuff (pear? cheese?) salad; i had the pork/​duck country-​style pâté (huge portion, but what? no bread?); she had some type of vegetable soup (parsnip?); and we finished with homemade fat pasta noodles with cauliflower and gobs of goat cheese. Divine. Our servers were extremely pleasant, although as time wore on they kind of disappeared even as the place cleared out. It’s tiny, and the ambiance of the sister place next door looks more welcoming, but this is a keeper.

We had a really nice experience here last Saturday. My fiancé, an ex-​chef, is much more interested in food than I am and he said it was one of the better meals he’s had since we moved to Seattle 1.5 years ago. The tasting menu was a nice way to try a lot of different things and we were quite full at the end of the meal. They were also very accommodating to my gluten free diet. Personally, I’m a simpleton when it comes to food (salad, burger, dessert, done) and so I probably won’t be coming here often but my fiancé has already decided to bring his whole foodie family here when they come to visit in a couple months.

As a casual dining experience with friends, this place does quite well with its recommendation to «order the board» and share the experience of multiple little bites together.
Loved the option of having variety although some of the dishes were less imaginative than others.
Grilled escarole w/​candied walnuts, sole was less than impressive, veal croquettes flavorless and only came w/​2. Great sauces though and would’ve loved to have more of it for sopping purposes.
Overall a good experience in an unlikely strip mall type location.

Dinner was ridiculously good and for a fair price too! Simply get «everything on the menu» for $ 50. Every dish is a different delight and you end up with a 12 course tasting meal. Joanna who was the sommelier and waiter did an amazing job of picking the wine exactly to my preference and was super pleasant throughout the meal. I’ll be coming back again!

My boyfriend and I went to Bling Pig Bistro to celebrate our anniversary and we were blown away. We both ordered the «Whole Menu $ 50 per person,» giving us the opportunity to actually try everything on the menu except dessert and the cheese plate… so we ordered the cheese plate in addition! We were given a small/​medium portion of ~12 dishes and each were heavenly in their own way. The service was fantastic, very thoughtful, attentive and explained the dishes very well.
We were also pleased with the way they transferred us so effortlessly from Babirusa next door, where we got drinks before our reservation.
It can at first seem like a spendy dinner, but its well worth the price and you won’t regret it! Best meal I’ve ever had, and we will be back to celebrate weekly/​monthly/​annual anniversaries to come :)

Wow. That’s all I can say after a six course tasting menu that included scallops, beet salad, bread, salmon, rutabaga soup, steak or lamb, and delectable almond cake and chocolate mousse.
I was blown away by this menu! Rene fit us in at the last minute and Natasha really took care of us. She didn’t just serve our food. She babied us. She made us feel at home. She talked with us about the food, the pairings, our lives and she made us feel good about ourselves. She even brought us newspapers to figure out our plans for the evening. We came away feeling like rock stars getting comped at a five star restaurant.
And the food… the food!!!
The menu changes based on seasonal availability and some seriously creative chefs.
The same people own Babirusa next door, which is a frickin awesome bar. I don’t know how they manage it, but it’s classy and grungy at the same time. You can get amazing craft cocktails. But also order the kitchen a shot for when they get off work.
They have the oddest small plate combos I’ve ever heard of, but they all work.
These two places — Babirusa and Blind Pig — work in tandem. You can have a mind blowing sit-​down meal at Blind Pig, while whetting your appetite with fabulous drinks next door.
They’re not cheap. They don’t have a huge space. But if you want to have an incredible meal, unbelievable drinks, and talk for hours with your friends — and get super mad props for your taste in food and beverage, this is your place. You will want to bring a cot and sleep there and be there every day for the rest of your life.

Loved this place! Went here for «date night» and it was perfect for that! The restaurant is fairly small and dark so it feels intimate. There was a decent size group (maybe 6 – 8) at the middle table but you’d be hard pressed to get a group much larger than that without taking over the entire restaurant.
The food was amazing! I feel like this should be labeled as a tapas style restaurant on Unilocal instead of just American (especially since I’ve noticed that Unilocal doesn’t seem to restrict the «tapas» classification to only Spanish cuisine restaurants). They have a dozen or so dishes on the menu and can be ordered a la carte or, for $ 50/​person, you can get a smaller size of one of every item on the menu. We opted to select a variety of our own plates instead of the full menu option and were happy we did because we got plenty of food and spent less than if we would have gone with the full menu. We chose 5 or 6 dishes and there was only one that I would say was average (mind you not bad though); the rest blew it out of the water! So flavorful and well balanced too. I was in foodie heaven! The menu is seasonal and apparently changes frequently so I’m excited to try it again another time. All of the drinks come from the bar next door, Babirusa; no complaints there!

Be careful. They charge a substantial fee for cancelling a reservation. No amount of food can justify that punative policy. If you agree, you’ll go elsewhere.

I cannot say that «I am a fan» so this must be 3 stars. Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Just that the setup is a bit weird for me.
This is a very small restaurant in a small strip mall. The server was very friendly and helpful. She recommended the «tasting menu» and I understood it to be everything on the menu which is on the black board hanging on the wall. Instead, we ordered 5 items, plus bread. She had no problem with our «a la carte» approach. We observed the next table who got the tasting menu and concluded that they basically got about a quarter of the portions of ours. I actually think the a la carte approach is a better way.
Scallop Crudo was interestingly seasoned and mixed with buck wheat that gave the crunch. Jicama salad was refreshing. Squid, the first hot dish, was wonderfully done. I felt it can be «charred» a bit more. Pork Collard was a substantial dish that can by fulfilling. I think the pork was marinated or seasoned for a very long time. The flavors penetrated very deeply into the meat. Duck was medium rare and tasty.
The beer bread was not worth the $ 4.
Overall, this felt like that went off the beaten path too much. Although the foods were very well prepared, but for this level of creativity, I was expecting much fancier plating and décor. So the foods and the rest of the restaurant mismatched.

Extremely underwhelming and over-​priced.
The majority of the people here who have rated this highly have done the tasting menu. Perhaps that’s where the satisfaction lies because ordering an actual entrée was a disappointment.
To start, my Moscow Mule was not a Moscow Mule. Had the rest of my experience been good, I wouldn’t mention this, but it tasted like a vodka lemonade and it was served in he same kind of glass as my boyfriend’s bourbon. If you have a Moscow Mule on the actual menu (which they did) you should have the proper brass mug to serve it.
The tasting menu is probably what they excel at because it was seemingly impossible to get two dishes out at the same time. Woefully inefficient. We specifically each individually ordered our entrees and then said we’d have a salad to share. We got the salad. Then we got my boyfriend’s entrée. When that was completely finished, there was a bit more of a wait and my entrée came out.
That works fine for a tapas place, but what we ordered weren’t tapas (except for maybe the portion size…)
The food was «meh» to «ok». The duck was probably my favorite part, but some of it was «blue» which is not how duck should be served. Rare, sure… But not blue. The dishes didn’t really have any flow to them… A lot of the ingredients didn’t mesh well.
And for the portion sizes, they were very overpriced.
They should probably quit offering full entrees if they can’t serve their food in a way that allows customers to eat the entrees together. If they stick to the tasting menu and don’t offer up the rest, it would probably be better for everyone.

This place has gone down hill
I had to move the seats are crammed together everyone else’s conversation in your ear while you are trying to eat.
I asked for extra bread they charged me 2 $ for a slice of bread, really get over yourself.
The food used to be much better, it is really not what it used to be. The items on the menu were imaginative it was bland and nothing special. Don’t waste your money

Really good place! They have a season menu. Don’t let the location of this place fool you since it’s right between a subway and Eastlake Market. Friendly service and very intimate place to grab a fancy, delicious dinner.

Well I have to say that I was very disappointed and really will not be coming back.
I’m a planner so I made reservations and encouraged friends to go BECAUSE of the tasting menu and wine pairing. When I made the reservation I confirmed both the 8 – 9 course tasting for $ 45 and if we would like the $ 25 wine tasting it would also be available. I made the reservation 3 weeks in advance. I also confirmed all of the above 3 days before going.
Well when we got there first impressions a nice laid back feel, clean environment and nice table and chairs. Our table was however was conected to another group which I would of prefered a little space between them.
To our disappointment when we were asked what we would like !!! duh !
we were told that the choice was a 5 course tasting menu for $ 50 ! was available or we could order entrée’s by them selves. Oh and by the way they dont do wine pairings any more !
So with out making a fuss we decided to go ahead with the tasting any way…
Really wish we had not !
The food was just okay, I can totally see where they were going and give them 3 stars for effort. But really thats about it.
we were first served Scallop crudo a very delicate dish if done right it would of been great, it was overpowered by the cumquat 2 stars for the presentation it was very nice.
Then we were given grilled asparagus with some (4) leafy greens and 2 globs of blue cheese with the same old boring balsamic drizzle. A little heavy on the sauce (maybe edit that instead of the tasting menu edit)
Next we were treated to arctic char (the star of the meal cooked well) in a very disapointing kimchee broth which overpowered the whole dish. I was also disapointed with the size of the fish VERY SMALL.
Then we had the steak dish… now you know steak tidbits the kind you find on a nice happyhour menu from a swanky place thats been drizzled with teriyaki sauce and a side of ginger. Get the picture !
Now take one of those small pieces slice in to three and plate it on a dish with 2 tiny chunks of potato the size of a quater with 3 very small bits of cauliflower and oh lets not forget the bit of spring onion and a very last but not the least a very tasty tablespoon of roasted eggplant blended with AGAIN BALSAMIC spread on my tiny plate. YA Feeling me !
I know I sound bitter but after all this dessert was upon us and my friends tell me it was yummy. To be honest I opted for the cheese plate instead because truth be told we were still hungry and lets face it who can go wrong with a nice cheese plate.
Will I go back ??
hmm not in the near future.
I know they are working the kinks out and its hard to please everyone and I’m all up for supporting a local restaurant. I just dont like having a bate and switch happen. So a bit of advice if you are changing a menu tasting so drastically then I feel you should let the party know especially if they let you know how much they are looking forward to trying out your 9 course tasting menu !
Also just went to their web site and I quote —
«The benchmark at Blind Pig is our WHOLE MENU program. For a day price ranging between $ 45 & $ 50, you can enjoy a coursed menu prepared from seasonally offered ingredients.»
So like I said very disappointing

3.5 stars overall. We ordered the entire menu (how can you not?). Our menu consisted of:
farro + celery root
pecan & chili soup with salsa verde
bavette steak
arctic char
parisian gnocchi
beer bread
pork collar
scallop crudo
and dessert which was the chocolate crème mousse
I will give them props for trying — you can tell this place definitely tried to make a unique menu with the style of cooking and the interesting mix of ingredients in each dish. While interesting, I will say however that most of the dishes in flavor didn’t get my palate too excited. There wasn’t specifically any dishes that really stood out to me either as being really great.
Probably my least favorite dish was the scallop crudo — the scallops were not super fresh in flavor and the pairing of the kumquat/​horseradish/​sunchoke didn’t seem to fit very well. Raw scallops can be sweet and amazing if served right.
My favorite dish by far was the arctic char. Seared perfectly, skin crispy, and the fish was cooked nicely without being overcooked. The accompanied vegetables were also delicious. A runner-​up would be the dessert, which sadly isn’t part of their tasting menu. That crème mousse or whatever it is — is DELICIOUS! A must-​get. A third favorite might be the gnocchi, but I think I liked that dish a lot because of the chanterelle mushrooms and not necessarily the gnocchi.
All their other dishes were good or slight misses — for example in their steak dish there was two pieces that were cooked a nice medium rare, and then two pieces that were done medium well.
Another somewhat disappointing thing was that the portions were really small. I had eaten maybe less than two hours prior to this meal and I walked away just full, but some others at my table were clearly still hungry. Additionally, the service, although very friendly, was extremely slow. The place was only half full and the entire tasting menu took about 2.5 hours. I believe that would be acceptable at a nicer restaurant or somewhere with slightly larger portions so you didn’t feel so hungry/​antsy waiting around for the next dish to come out, but for a restaurant without a full house the night I was there I was slightly disappointed by this.
I can see that this place has potential and again I commend them on their attempted creativity. Worth a try maybe, but doesn’t make my Seattle favorites list.

Best flavors in Seattle.
Yup, I said it. Since I’ve been here, I’ve tried SO many places. Check my check-in’s! I’ve been everywhere. Bling Pig, is 11 out of 10, it’s 6 stars.
It should be on the Unilocal Hall of Fame.
It should be on Food Network.
The chefs, bless them.
It’s not hidden, but you wouldn’t be able to tell that it’s a super nice restaurant if you were just driving by. My friend recommended it.
If you’re going to come here, it should probably be for a special occasion.
A date, or a friend from out of town, it should be special! Because regardless, the food will be perfect.
Get the $ 45 option, where you can then taste every thing they serve that night. A normal dish here would be in the $ 15-​$ 25 range, so getting the $ 45 taste option is worth it. 8 plates total were served to our table BEFORE dessert — which was orgasmicly good in itself.
The menu will consistently change, so doesn’t make sense for me to speak too much on it. But my favs included the Pork dish, the Salmon (wow good), and the scallops. Dishes are small, like fancy small. So if you’re starving… hope you pre gamed some food!
The dishes that they do have consistently everyday is the Steak w/​Eggplant which was my favorite, and the chocolate mouse dessert — super rich and delish!
The service is amazing, it seems like everything would always be control because of how cute and small the place is. Very cozy. There’s a parking lot. The owner also owns the place next door.
Make a reservation if you’re coming, and spend $ 45 to taste everything.
Best food I’ve had in Seattle. Yup, I said it.

One of the highlights on our trip the the Pacific Northwest, the Blind Pig Bistro is a fantastic example of fresh ingredients cooked right.
Our group of four split four dishes. My wife ordered the spatzle, which I’m reasonably sure had pesto in it, was delicious, and I can’t remember another thing about.
I ordered the char. Char has a reputation for being a really fatty fish, but this wasn’t the case at all here. Rich, yes, but also tender; the best whitefish I’ve had a long while. It was dressed simply with fresh corn, beans and chard.
The pork collar was my favorite dish of the night. Imagine the most flavorful pork loin that you’ve ever cooked, covered in a toasted hazelnut coating. Again, this was simple, but very good. The texture of the collar was top notch; just a bit of bite.
We also shared the steak, which was served with cauliflower, eggplant, mushroom and turnip. Quite possibly as a sauce. This was well liked also.
As far as setting goes; there’s only about six or seven tables inside, and we were in the room at night when it was dimly lit. So I would go so far as to say it was the most intimate setting we’ve been in for many, many years. That doesn’t mean it’s inaccessible, though: our toddler fit in just fine at the restaurant. Even though she kept calling the boar’s head hung over the bar a puppy.
Best to go into the Blind Pig with your eyes wide open; it’s a great place to get a special dinner.

I tried Blind Pig Bistro for the first time for my 26^th birthday dinner last Friday. I had tried to make reservations at a bunch of different restaurants, but they were all booked up — so, as usual, I turned to Unilocal and it told me to try Blind Pig. I called them and the person who answered was very friendly, and able to reserve a table for two at exactly the time I wanted.
As others have noted, the restaurant is in a fairly unassuming little space with a small parking lot out front. If you looked at it, you wouldn’t think it was a place you NEEDED to visit. But you’d be wrong! It’s the shiniest diamond in the rough I think I’ve ever met. The space is simple and intimate, small but not crowded. The spacious restroom has chalkboard walls (where other patrons have chalked hearts and affectionate bons mots), which is a fun touch.
Per the review recommendations, my partner and I decided to each order the full menu, which was about 9 courses strong that evening (see my photo of the menu) and only $ 45 a person. We didn’t know what a few of the options were, but we’re adventurous eaters, and we had a good feeling about things.
As it turned out, we made the right choice. Every course was inventive, flavorful, unique, beautifully presented, and damn delicious. Each one seemed to improve upon the last. The portions are small — think European — but by the 9^th course we had both hit the sweet spot of fullness, and we couldn’t stop gushing to each other about how awesome it all was. I recall saying, «I feel like The Beatles the first time they discovered LSD.» At the end, I had a hard time choosing between the two desserts offered, a spicy chocolate option and a panna cotta with rhubarb; ultimately I can never resist a good panna cotta. It was lovely.
Throughout our meal, our servers rotated and every one of them was a gem. The service at Blind Pig reminded me of a much fancier restaurant, without being over the top — just perfectly attentive, with a dash of flirty, which I found appealing. We met the owner, Rene, who chatted with us as if we were old friends. We felt SO welcomed and content at Blind Pig, and that we got double or triple the bang for our modest buck.
We ordered a couple rounds of «kitchen booze» (shots for the kitchen staff) and perhaps that endeared us to them, because at the end of the night they invited me to take a birthday shot with the staff. They chose chilled vodka. Usually I don’t like straight vodka, but I already trusted them totally so I went for it. It was SO smooth.
The whole experience made me feel like a very special princess, in the best of ways. A totally amazing night and one I can’t wait to repeat; I also look forward to visiting their more casual restaurant next door as well. I have gushed about Blind Pig to everyone who will listen since last Friday. Do yourself a favor and GO.