Lakeside Bistro

YOU HAVE TO PAY $ 5 FOR ENTERTAINMENT AT NIGHT, *NOT* DISCLOSED UNTlL YOU SEE YOUR BILL! Yes, that’s right. We live in the neighborhood decided to try out dinner, since we tried brunch a couple weeks back and it was decent. We looked online and saw «dinner specials» for $ 10 plus «live entertainment» on the weekends. The live music was fine and our meals were okay… did not taste one bit like Vietnamese. It was more like Chinese/​Thai. The food was mediocre. Could have gotten better food from any Chinese joint in town. So… I am posting this because NEVER EVER, EVER have I eaten somewhere, gotten the bill, only to be surprised with a $ 5 «Entertainment» charge PER PERSON! That’s right. Our $ 10 entrees, plus wine, added up to over $ 50 because they CHARGED us for the entertainment! This is totally bogus and should be VISIBLY disclosed outside of the restaurant before you even walk in and consider eating there. This is a bizarre restaurant that can’t decide if it is American or some Asian fusion, and the creepy American «greeter» who opens the door makes it an even more awkward place. Add on the $ 5 entertainment fee per person, and this place is doomed to fail. We love giving local places a try, and tried this place out twice. We will never return again! What a disappointment.

Closed?! I drive by this place everyday on the way to work. I noticed all the windows were papered up and just assumed they were doing a remodel. Looks like their domain is available and they are closed for good. Does anyone have the scoop?

My wife and I had dinner on my birthday — 9÷16÷13. We discovered this place by chance while I was looking for a restaurant on
. The food and the service was excellent. The cuisine was a alluring and with a location on Rainier Ave across from Lake Washington, the location was very easy to deal with. Jazz is the music of choice i the background. All told, I highly recommend Lakeside Bistro for an outstanding and intimate dining experience.

One of the best meals we’ve ever experienced in Seattle. We dined at Lakeside Bistro on a Thursday evening August 15, 2013. The meal started with an excellent and very fresh spinach salad then went on to an exceptional broiled salmon The meal was made even more enjoyable by the music of Primo Kim and friends.

Rereading this review I can’t help but to feel for the ownership, (who did update me regarding that server) who may have just made a bad hiring decision. I was NOT impressed by the buffet offerings, maybe I was more disappointed then anything else. But for the price they charged, I probably should have known better. Based on the owner contacting me and the potential for better lunch or dinner offerings, I have upgraded them to 2 stars but I would caveat that they’re probably «at least» 2 stars based on potential. I can only judge what I experienced and it’s rare I try a place that doesn’t excel more then once.

Love this restAurant. Te best one I ever been:)) u shod come here guys…

I’ve been to Lakeside Bistro on many occasions. First off I would like to say that Michael (owner/​chef) and Tim (manager) will go completely out of their way to make a wonderful experience. The food is absolutely delicious and they have an excellent Sunday brunch. The restaurant is very open and it’s never a problem to bring plenty of friends to this hidden gem.

Went to Lakeside Bistro for the first time and it was a winner for me.
The food was very good, and the proportions were better than expected.
The live jazz was the best, the musicians were very funny when taking requests.
The staff was just so nice, very patient with us and even the chef came out and talked to us for a while, asked us if we wanted to try something new he was thinking about adding to the menu. It was delicious! I’m hoping he did because that’s what i’ll be ordering next time!
The whole ambiance of that place is just very neat, definitely would recommend for a nice winding down place, or anniversary dinner? :)

After reading these reviews looks as though I’m going to have to eat here again. At first I thought perhaps these are old reviews and new management took over, but nope reviews recent in 2012!
My friend and I were looking for brunch in Renton and given are from Ballard area, so brunch is easy to find. We come across lakeside bistro. Why not!
Ok maybe it’s just me… Having a buffet breakfast alright I can do that, but whn things are in crock pots, and on hot plates, electrical cords everywhere made me a little nervous. Plus the variety from fried rice, eggs Benny, to tamales?!? My eyes and stomach were highly confused… Given food was good but you could tell it was made day before and just put out that morning.
I will say with reading others reviews I’ll hae to give it another try just so I don’t feel bad giving this review, but hey these are ones opinions and well mine was a confused situation.
Other reviewers are right service great!

Visited Lakeside a couple months ago with a friend. Had just picked up my friend at the airport and was looking for good eats nearby in the late evening. Checked Unilocal and cross referenced my entertainment deal book/​app (I am a die hard deal hunter), and landed on Lakeside. I had made reservations in advance, and that turned out to be a good thing, because this place was pretty busy upon arrival. Noticed fairly quickly that this restaurant caters to an older crowd… My friend and I were easily the youngest patrons by ten years or more. The place was very festive, lots of laughter and chatter, with live jazz played by an ensemble for the duration of our meal.
Restaurant is in a strange location between two roads, with limited parking above it. It is a rather long, rectangular shaped location, so the pathways between tables are fairly narrow and the seating area is pretty small.
Service was very good; our waitperson was very friendly, fast, and helpful in making entrée choices. I had the entertainment deal coupon, as I mentioned, which was a buy one entrée, get one free. If you use those, remember to bring your card for this location– they can’t scan mobile or the key tags.
Friend ordered the spicy lemongrass chicken, and I ordered the grilled wild Alaskan salmon with dill and caper pesto sauce, on the recommendation of the waitperson. Also ordered egg rolls and lettuce wraps. Enjoyed lettuce wraps, but not the egg rolls so much. My friend did like both however. Food arrived fairly quickly, and my friend and I shared both dishes. Really enjoyed the seasoning, etc on both dishes. My friend preferred the salmon. Through out the meal felt like although the music was nice, it was too loud for such a small space and took away from our ability to have a conversation during our meal.
Would I go again? Yes! I like the food, the spot is pretty convenient to Seatac, and service was very good. The waitperson even gave us a free coupon for a dessert for our next meal. However, when going on a live music night, definitely make reservations and don’t anticipate talking with your fellow patrons much.

I’ve been here 3 times now. The service is great! They can get busy on weekends, but even with a crowd they are extremely friendly and helpful. The atmosphere is cozy and on weekends the live Jazz is a great touch.
I’ve ordered 3 different meals off the menu and every time I am extremely pleased with the presentation of the food and the taste. I would highly recommend

Charming little locale across Lake Washington along Rainier near the Renton municipal airport. The service is extremely attentive and the food is delicious.
We ordered a BUNCH of food and everything was very well prepared. My favorite was the filet mignon cubes (in Vietnamese, we call these bo luc lac). Delicious and nice choice of cut for this dish.
The only item I would say you should pass on are the eggrolls. Not enough stuffing and too much wrapping, for my preference.

What a terrific neighborhood gem! I made a reservation thru Open Table w/​special requests as my elderly father-​in-​law has some minor requirements. Arriving 15 mins late, we were greeted kindly & cordially, table was waiting & all requests met! The manager, Tim, came over & made sure all was in order for us even tho he was busy getting the live jazz musicians set up for the evening! Our waitress was absolutely adorable & knowledgable, helping with suggestions & answering our questions! A true delight, all service was impeccable!
We started with the Fresh Spring Rolls & they were probably the best we’ve ever had!
Dinner consisted of the Fire Roasted BBQ Duck with Pineapple (tender, tasty & great flavor combo!), Garlic Cubed Filet Mignon Hot Sizzling Platter (terrific flavor, cooked to perfection!) and the Basil & Coconut Curry Seafood Hot Pot (lovely flavor with lots of seafood!!!). It was all delicious and we were sure to tell Chef Michael this when he came by to check on us!
The wine list & pours were quite nice ;) The music was enjoyable but not intrusive!
We live on the Kitsap Peninsula, so this is not convenient for us, but with the father-​in-​law living just a few miles away, it’s wonderful to know that such a classy, excellent restaurant is available for our frequent visits! You can count on seeing us again for sure, we look forward to it!

My absolute FAVORITE restaurant in Seattle! I’m from Charlotte, North Carolina but every time I’m in Seattle, I HAVE to stop by Lakeside. The restaurant is filled with vintage décor (paintings of Marilyn Monroe) with a modern, classy spin.
The cuisine is a nice blend of authentic Vietnamese food with a French influence. I had the Fresh Spring Rolls as the appetizer. I noticed several customers around me ordering the same. It must be a local favorite, as it should be! Delicious!
I’ve tried several of the entrees and have loved them all! I The clay pot fried rice was yumm!
My gluttonous nature is the worst with sweets. The Famous Crispy Banana Caramel Cheesecake Xangos are a must try!
Chef Michael Le is a true delight!

For something different this place is great. We eat Vietnamese all the time, the bistro puts a nice twist on the menus with a bit of french. We went not knowing what to expect and were pleasantly surprised. Living in Lynnwood, this is a drive for dinner, but I think it’s worth it.

On our way from my visiting a relative, me and my parents decided to drop by Lakeside for a quick bite to eat. My dad is a huge brunch fan and wanted to check it out. At first, we were a little hesitant because of the size, but trust me, it’s definitely a good restaurant.
When you first walk in, you are greeted right away. They had a brunch buffet going on ($ 5 a plate, what a deal!) and it was delicious. And what a variety! Eggs in many different forms (scrambled, in a sandwich), sausages, bacon, biscuits and gravy, french toast, cinnamon rolls, muffins, quick breads, fruit, and so much more!
The best part, all of it was delicious! The coffee and tea were both excellent and the service was superb! The only downside (and hence the taking away of a star) is that we got there towards the end of the brunch service and the hot food was warm, but not hot.
I am definitely looking forward to returning and trying their lunch and dinner fare. Thank you for a great meal!

Lakeside Bistro is a little nondescript from the outside but very well decorated once you go through the front doors, pretty traditional feeling and nicely appointed. The staff was overwhelmingly nice and you could tell they were very appreciative of your business, which made me like them even more. The owners and waitresses were very welcoming and had a really nice vibe going in the place with some live music from a talented musician. The older couple that was dressed as Dracula for Halloween in very classy costumes were absolutely adorable dancing to the music, watching them enjoy themselves really made for a fun night out… The waitress was very attentive and had a great personality, we both really liked her — awesome service overall!
…On to the food!
We ordered the fresh rolls with prawns to start with, they arrived pretty quickly and were presented very nicely. They truly were the nicest looking fresh rolls that I’ve ever had, most places just slop them together, but at Lakeside Bistro they were incredibly well assembled and presentation was obviously important to them… Seriously, it was impressive! Oh, they were tasty too ;-)
For the main course, I had the red curry with chicken and my girlfriend had the ginger cubed filet mignon. The portions were MASSIVE and we both like to EAT! I eat pretty casual Thai food almost every day and could immediately tell the quality improvement in my red curry at Lakeside Bistro — it was night and day better than what I’m accustomed to. My girlfriend’s steak was tender and delicious as well, she was very happy with it. We left with tons of leftovers that I devoured later that night and for lunch the next day.
Oh, and the wine pours were very generous :)
The owners thanked us for coming by on the way out… Lakeside Bistro is a classy, local restaurant that hands-​down deserves your business, we had a really enjoyable time and will be sure to return again soon.

I was heading to Renton the other night and decided to swing by here Sat night during music. It’s a wonderful & warm atmosphere as is, but the live music adds more flair and sometimes good humor. I had sake and the fresh rolls with jicama & tofu. Both Tim and Chef Michael Le stopped by to say hi, which is always cool. And they always seem to have pleasant and professional staff. Dallas (s), one of the waitresses, was just that and rather playful — I didn’t mind because that’s just me & there might’ve been slight chemistry.
A-​a-​a-​nyway… thumbs up! Stop by this Bryn Maur neighborhood gem if you haven’t, yet. Chef Le said it’s been pretty darn busy during primetime. It was a nice relaxing change, though, since it was a bit more mellow than usual for Sat (there was one large prom [yay!] group and a few couples), he said. Also, they’re just starting a brunch.

On the outside, Lakeside Bistro looks a bit run down but once you get inside, it is cozy and clean with friendly staff.
Salad: Sunset Lemon Beef and Fresh Star Fruit. Hand shaken — not stirred — charbroiled Choice Angus beef and star fruit, tossed in a ginger balsamic & olive oil vinagrette dressing topped with pistachios and fresh herbs. This dish closely resembles the traditional Vietnamese Bo Luc Lac (shaken beef with salad) but with Chef Michael’s own flair. Beef cooked to perfection and salad crisp and fresh. This dish is perfect for me if I were eating some lunch with some steamed rice.
Entrée: Tilapia with Fresh Baby Dill & Red Snapper Fish Cake Sizzling Hot Plate. Not the traditional Vietnamese Cha Ca Thang Long (Grilled Fish with Vegetables) as it is usually served with rice paper, a full assortment of lettuce, sprouts, mints, basil and peanuts. The Chef, however, adapted his version to the more traditional way in order to ensure that we could eat it our preferred method. He definitely did a great job but I still do like the traditional preparation style more with the shrimp paste.
Smoothie: Got a mango smoothie. Did not like it as the drink came out very liquidy, not enough fruit flavor and was too sweet. I would say that a smoothie here would not be a good idea. Just stick to the good food!
Overall, small location that offers up some high end Vietnamese French type fusion that satisfies. I definitely will make sure I return next time to get the highly recommend Garlic Filet Mignon Sizzling Hot Plate and enjoy the smooth Jazz events that they hold every Friday.
Will update after another visit.

I was in town with friends, shooting a wedding — I’m from Mobile, AL. I tried this place by chance and was completely floored by the experience. This was the best food experience I’ve had in my life!
I didn’t know what to expect walking in, though it was very comfortable. The people working here were extremely nice! We tried a clam dish which was a big bowl of clams in a bisque-​type creamy sauce that was GREAT!!! The spring rolls were GREAT! And my main dish was a black bean pork that had veggies and fried rice.
To sum this up without exaggerating, everything was cooked perfectly! The ingredients seemed SOOOO fresh and vibrant! The staff were very affable, friendly, and sincere. The atmosphere was great!
I ate out for two weeks straight in Seattle and this place was the best overall experience for me and when I come back to Seattle it will be the first place I go.
I’m really shocked that other people may have had a less-​than-​great experience here — oh well, everyone has bad days when nothing is good enough. I know I’ve had those days, although this place made me a very happy person on the day I went.
I’m uploading the two little snapshots I got with my iPhone — this was after I started eating it and realize that I had to document that occasion!