Dinette

Dinette is closing down to find itself a new space with a bigger kitchen and larger restaurant facilities, which is completely understandable. We sat at the bar which is practically in the entryway so anytime someone came in or left, we got treated to a blast of Arctic air. The ambiance in the actual restaurant portion is better, although it seemed a little dark.
I had the sangria which was small, but potent, and the happy hour toast of the day, which was delicious. I was less fond of the pork belly sandwich, but I think that has more to do with me and pork belly than anything wrong with their preparation. If you like pork belly, go for it.
When the move is complete, I hope they stay reasonably conveniently located to me so I can pay another visit.

I heard that Dinette is leaving its home on Olive and moving somewhere else, yet to be determined, within a couple of days. That breaks my heart. I love Dinette’s style and food and people. I can only hope that they’ll relocate somewhere close to where I’m about to move (Madison Valley), because I don’t know that I can go on without them. (But they are very underrated in their current space, and hopefully will get more recognition in a new one!)
Melodrama aside, my boyfriend and I had dinner at Dinette last night, to pay our respects to the space and to create one more lovely memory there. It was our intent only to get a couple of drinks and an appetizer and entrée to split, but we ended up with drinks, two appetizers, two entrees, and dessert.
I got the Ginger Snap cocktail, which was stronnnnng but good — though not as gingery as I anticipated — and I loved the little brandied cherries that came with it. My boyfriend ordered Le Roi and he liked it very much.
We got the Frittata and Cresenza toasts to start. The Frittata is truffly and salty and so so good. They once had a full sandwich version of it and it was like an egg salad sandwich grew up and got sexy. The Cresenza was very tasty, with a soft, mild cheese, roasted black grapes, and pistachios. We gobbled both toasts up in minutes.
I ordered the Crespelle, which the menu described as «pork– & mascarpone cheese-​filled crepes baked with Fontina bechemel & tangy tomato sauce,» and which I described as «fancy enchiladas.» Very good, but not as good as the special dish that night, which my boyfriend ordered — the DUCK. I should know that if I’m going to eat meat and there’s duck on the menu to always order the duck! It was perfectly cooked, perfectly salted, crispy around the edges, and nestled in a bed of mashed rutabaga and cauliflower, well-​cooked and juicy little pearl onions, and garam masala grape sauce. The duck liked the sauce very much.
We split the bread pudding. It was square, which I liked, and thick and eggy, not overly sweet despite the caramel sauce. A very nice ending to a very nice farewell dinner.

This is a very cozy and tasty place. The dimly lit atmosphere feels like a clean, warm sanctuary from the outside. It’s been described as hipster which I disagree with — it’s classy but welcoming.
I’ve had various pork belly sandwiches here which have been all quite good, though some definitely better than others. The selection of food seems to rotate a bit. On occasion I’ll get some odd flavors mixed in with my sandwiches that I wish they left out, though everything always tastes reasonably fresh. Generally though, the food is worth the premium price. The bartenders are notably friendly, but I don’t usually get cocktails while here. The bar does seem a bit small.
They have a late night happy hour which is nice but I wish they didn’t close so early. Seems a shame, especially given their location.

You know, the first time I came to Dinette, it was awesome. The food was awesome, the waitress was awesome, the whole place was bomb diggity. But for some reason the second time I came in, I had a different waitress and she made the experience terrible.
But this will be on account for my first experience:
I had the pork belly, which is rich, flavorful, and memorable. I also made a half order of gravy and biscuits, which I highly regret because I SHOULDVE MADE A FULL ORDER.
I still have biscuit dreams to this very day.

First off, this place is so super cute! Really great atmosphere – it’s smallish and cosy and warm. They also have a great food and drink happy hour!
I love small plate style of dining, so this is the perfect place for me. I tried and loved the goat cheese stuffed dates, the patatas bravas, the toast with prosciutto and fig/​anchovy spread, and the warm pretzel. I also tried the lamb meatballs with white beans and wasn’t as happy with the flavors or the value of the dish.
The ginger snap cocktail is also very good!
This will be definitely be a place I take guests when they come to visit!

I have been to dinette only once, but I loved it so much that I logged into Unilocal right away to share. This place might become one of my favorite restaurants! I personally hate to deal with parking difficulties so, Capitol hill restaurants usually get pushed aside when I browse my bookmark. Dinette has been on my list for so long and Im so glad I finally decided to check this place out.
We were welcomed by very friendly waitress and instantly fell in love with romantic atmosphere. Candle light on table, nice blue toned interior with gold accents. Most of all, we loved the pianist. He played piano nonstop for the two hours we were there. with the beautiful music playing in the background, we had an amazing dinner, talked alot and came out of the restaurant feeling satisfied.
Food was great as well. We tried two kinds of toasts– frittata and chicken liver. Frittata toast was served with thinly cutted egg omeletts on top of moist bread and it was just perfect. Creamy aioli complemented the dish very well. Chicken liver toast was on more crispier bread, had nice creamy chicken liver spread on top. Although these two dishes are both listed under «toast», the different texture made them go together so well.
Our main dish was braised short robs served witn gnocci, shallot and mushroom. Beef was tender and gnocci was chewy. Perfect amount of flavor.
It was our workout after dinner night, so we didnt have any wine, but their toasts would perfectly complement any bubbles. We definitely will be back in the near future for some more romantic dinner. Do not hesitate to try them.

One of my favorite restaurants in Seattle. It always delivers. The service is always spectacular. The food is always superb.
It is my go-​to whenever I have a guest in town.
I’ve made the mistake of taking people to whatever place the Met and Stranger are over-​hyping, which is scientifically proven to cause the wait-​staff to become giant-​effing-​douchebags.
Dinette is one of these places that manages to serve great food, cocktails, and atmosphere without an extra helping of ego.

I’ve come here a few times pretty recently, and I’ve left happy every time.
They had a deal come up a couple of times on Bloomspot (RIP) which I eagerly snagged. For a restaurant that’s on the pricy side of semi-​casual dining, a discount is always welcome! Unfortunately, I didn’t read the fine print the first time and came in on a Friday when the deal was only valid Sunday through Thursday. Whoops! That just meant I had to come back a second time. #HARDLIFE
Dinette is a restaurant you feel good being in. It’s really cute and homey — definitely shabby country chic, yet it manages to feel elegant somehow. The tables are tiny, but the kitchen manages to stagger the food just right, so you don’t feel overwhelmed. The service has only ever been just okay, but I’m not terribly bothered.
The food is excellent! The menu changes fairly frequently, based on seasonal availability. A dish that was on the special board was included on the menu on a later visit, and another dish that we’d tried and loved had disappeared. It does keep things interesting that way.
We’d tried the toasts — chicken liver mousse, smoked salmon, croque monsieur — and loved every one. I remember trying the pork belly as well, and there was a mussel stew, a proscuitto crêpe, a crudo that was all delicious. We’d tried the ice cream sandwiches several times — I believe there was a green tea and a ginger ice cream — and they were consistently awesome as well. Carafes of house wine are $ 20 and the house is actually quite decent!
One time they had a piano player, which was lovely. It’s a great place for a date or friend-​date when you’re after someplace nicer, but still casual, with great food. Go here with a friend, and go hungry and thirsty because there’s so much to try.

The restaurant was really cute and the food was decent, but everything came out really slow… It’s also pretty loud in there which was kind of surprising to me.
I made a reservation because it seemed like the right thing to do and we were placed in the back corner of the restaurant. Looking back, I think it would’ve been nicer to sit closer to the front of the restaurant so it’s easier to flag down our server.
We started off with the frittata toast which was tasty. I really liked the fried egg strips and the flavor of the aioli spread. We also ordered the roasted asparagus, clams and gnocchi. The mushrooms that came with the asparagus was really good, but I thought the dish was way too overpriced at $ 11 for the small bunch of asparagus that we had.
The clams ($ 21) and gnocchi ($ 19) were the best part of the meal. The bread was a nice addition too to soak up the broth in both dishes. I liked the sausage in the clam sauce and the pea vine in the gnocchi was unique and delicious!
My only complaints were the wait time and price because I don’t think I would’ve paid full price for the food here if I didn’t have my Bloomspot deal. The restaurant really is cute, but unfortunately, I’m just not a huge fan.

I’ve wanted to check out this place for awhile and finally had the chance after a screening at SIFF. We enjoyed yummy toasts for an appetizer. One of the appetizers, however, was ceviche-​style fish, and while it was good, the avocado tasted nearly frozen– it was strange so I wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not. I had linguine alle vongole which was pretty good. The best dish of the night was the ice cream sandwich for dessert– it was spectacular. Overall, however, I felt everything was overpriced for the portion size. A dinner for three (and one of us didn’t even have a main course) was way over $ 100.
The ambiance was very cozy and the dining room was beautiful.
Service was competent if not a little cold– it felt a bit like we were unwanted, especially when we left.
In the end, I wouldn’t rush back here, but nothing too bad about the place can be said either.

«This food is delicious! But I’m never coming here again.»
This is what I said after finishing my meal here. Everything was fantastic. First, the Sangria. I actually take what I said back; I would come back for this alone because it was delicious– best I’ve tried in Seattle so far. If I could get a pitcher to go to drink in the park, believe me, I would!
I got the truffled fritatta toast which was really good. It wasn’t too greasy, which is a hazard when doing dishes with truffle oil cos people tend to go overboard. My friend got chicken meatballs and there was a grand total of three on his plate. We like to order to share so we can taste different things on the menu, but I didn’t want him to starve, so I didn’t try any of his. The portions are tiny for the price, and the service is kind of off. I say this as a person who mostly eats vegetables. I wasn’t expecting mounds of meat on my plate, but certainly I should be able to get a belly full on $ 20 worth of veggies. I had a salad, and again, really good, but it was also tiny. Even organic local veggies aren’t that expensive– the markup was absurd.
When we entered, the waitress and the bartender both looked at us like we weren’t supposed to be there and said nothing for a few awkward seconds. Then told us, or mumbled to us, that we could order off the chalk menu in the front, or that the happy hour was still going. We were confused. Then it took us forever to get our cheque after we’d finished eating.
So, yes. Great food. Small portions. Excellent sangria. Disinterested service.

Hipster without the hipster. Or if hipsters knew how to cook. Oh, wait. These folks know how to cook! We ordered an array of food that was available on our night. Plus an array of well made drinks. All were spot on. Add that to great service, a great Capitol Hill locale, and you’ll see they got it going. A great food night.
Typically hard to park location, and the place is small; but very well worth the effort.
Bathrooms are very clean and well maintained. Thank you.

I finally got to try out Dinette for dinner. It is a cute, rustic restaurant with lots of character. We had a 6:30 Friday night reservation. When we first arrived it was pretty quiet which seemed weird but it filled up quickly. The staff was super attentive and friendly.
To start we got the pesto toast and the kale salad. The toast was delicious. It has plenty of pesto and huge chunks of cheese melted on top. Pretty sure you can’t go wrong with that… The kale salad was okay. Some bites would be great (mainly due to a lot of the good toppings) but some bites were a little bland.
For entrees we had the ricotta gnocchi, pork shoulder, and the special of the night which was a pasta dish with beef and some spice from chilis. I think the gnocchi was by far the best. I just wish the dish were larger. Every bite was full of flavor and there was enough of the brown butter sauce to soak up some of the good bread they brought to the table. I’m not a huge pork person (I know I probably just lost a lot of friends…) but I found that dish to be a bit boring. Even the tzatziki sauce was bland. The special was pretty good and had some heat from the chilis but wasn’t my favorite.
For dessert we got the bread pudding. I’m a sucker for bread pudding. The caramel sauce was great. It’s not my favorite bread pudding of all time… but it was good.

Dinette is one of those places on Capitol Hill that you could easily miss even as you walk right by it although, once you walk in, you may never want to go anywhere else. This is a perfect place to bring a date, or just to stop in to enjoy one of their cocktail creations with a few friends. The ambiance is definitely set up for quiet encounters and stays far away from the type of loud, hipster vibe that permeates the surrounding bar scene.
The food here is pretty delicious with a rotating, seasonal menu filled with stuff you are guaranteed to enjoy. During my first visit here, I started off with a delicious pork belly snack plate that was so good, I can’t even remember what else I had although it was all pretty amazing stuff. Their happy hour runs nightly from 5:00pm to 6:30pm and on the weekends they run a later night happy hour from 9:00pm to 11:00pm.
This is one of those places you will fall in love with from the moment you walk in the door and the helpful staff does everything they can to make sure you walk away with the same feeling.

Four stars for their happy hour!
I am a little more of an early eater and have dropped in for a bit earlier in the evening. They have a great selection, with different appetizers and small plates. Great little Capitol Hill locale, with a good atmosphere and courteous staff.

So this place has BRUNCH now and it’s delicious!
We went on a Sunday which was their second brunch seating. We loved it and would love to spread the word. We clearly over-​ordered but it’s hard not to. We got crumby biscuit in gravy, root vegetables/​potato hash with a spicy garlic-​y sauce, cauliflower frittata and sticky pecan bun for 2 people. Everything was great and the service was super attentive. It’s also very inexpensive for the amount/​quality of food.

I met a friend for dinner here to catch up, and the atmosphere and unpretentious food made it the perfect place to do this. The dining room is cozy and decorated with soft cream and pink accents. It had a French vibe.
My friend is gluten intolerant, so the waitress worked with us to find items that would fit that bill.
We started with a couple of sangrias ($ 4 during happy hour). We ordered the large fermented vegetable plate and the chicken liver toasts to snack on while deciding what to eat for dinner. The vegetable plate was so yummy. There were carrots, beets, cabbage, fennel, and butternut squash, along with 4 buttered toast triangles. I got to eat all the toast :-). The butternut squash was genius and delicious and I wanted more. The toasts were also fantastic. The liver was smooth and flavorful, and topped with Mama Lil’s spicy peppers (which I love on their own). Again, I got to eat my friend’s toast that she scraped the liver off of. Still, to die for.
We shared the Coq au Reisling for dinner. The chicken was fall off the bone tender, and the mushrooms that came swimming in a delicious Reisling sauce were the best mushrooms that I’ve eaten in my life. Really.
All in all, this was a fantastic dinner in a relaxing environment. The food was delicious and I’m looking forward to returning and tasting more of their dishes, especially the toasts!

I still love Dinette. I have to say it’s one of my favorite places in the city.
The dishes are thoughtfully put together and delicious and the prices are very reasonable for the quality and portions.
I was a bit early arriving to meet my friend so I had a sangria at the bar. At $ 4 this was a steal and the sangria was quite tasty.
I have to give props to the woman running the show that night. She was the bartender and the only server for the restaurant and she did an outstanding job.
She was friendly, accommodating, and warm without being overbearing in the least.
I think this service level is a delicate balance and she did an amazing job.
The two of us shared the Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates with Balsamic syrup ($ 6 for 4 dates), the Crisp Pork Belly with grated beet slaw with black mustard seeds, chiles, and pickled yellow mustard seed sauce for $ 10, the salmon salad ($ 13) and the Coq Au Riesling– half chicken braised in Riesling with cremini mushrooms, brussel sprouts and caraway spaetzle ($ 22).
Every dish was wonderful. The dates were top notch. I was impressed with the size of the chicken dish. Big portion for $ 22. The pork belly was crispier than we were both used to but the flavors were great and we finished every bite. The salmon salad boasted interesting flavors and textures and was satisfying.
We really enjoyed our meal here. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Dinette to anyone looking for a place to have a nice meal in a comfortable, low key but still upscale environment.
I wish there was piano music that night but maybe next time!

What a find amidst the bars and bustle of Olive/​Denny in Capital Hill.
Much larger space than I think would be expected. Wonderful décor, romantic setting and a truly fantastic Happy Hour menu. Went with my brother and just had a sandwich and glass of wine at the beautiful, small bar at the entry.
The sandwiches blew us away-​Absolutely incredible! (Without a doubt, the best I’ve had in years and at $ 9, a steal!)
Pace is definitely slower/​more European but is attentive and thoughtful. Also had a Sozo cab, one of my favorite new wineries-​very happy to see it on the list.
Will definitely be back and cannot recommend highly enough.

I’ve had nothing but good experiences at Dinette. It’s a small, charming space, and the food is delicious. I’m the type of person who will guiltily order the same thing over and over at a restaurant, so I’m thankful for Dinette’s constantly changing seasonal menu because it forces me to eat something new each time.
Favorite thing is, hands down, the toast. There are about a half dozen choices, all sounding super-​fancy, and for $ 5 – 7 each, it’s a fantastic deal for an appetizer or snack. Yesterday, I went in, asked the waitress for a recommendation, and ended up eating toast with pork belly, date relish, and blood orange mayo. How yummy does that sound?! And for $ 6!
And don’t forget to get on the mailing list for the Sunday suppers. They tend to fill pretty quickly, and for good reason. Each time it’s a mystery menu, but the email will tell you the cuisine. They tend to fill up fast, and for good reason… the cassoulet I had at a French Sunday supper was a wonderful, wonderful meal.
Dinette is pretty small, so if you’re set on dining here, you definitely should have reservations. They take them on Opentable now, which is convenient. I’ve come on a weekday night and have them turn me away. But yesterday (a Saturday night), there was plenty of space in the bar for a walk-​in. You never know.