Shaker and Spear

I was inbetween three stars and four stars but the fact that out of 4 plates that we tried only one was good, three stars seemed appropriate. For starters we ordered the octopus and chowder. Sigh… Not good at all. The octopus was over cooked and the chowder was meh. For entrees we had the scallops and albacore. Albacore was not pleasant tasting, I would’ve preferred the albacore from the tuna cans. The second entrée we had were the scallops, absolutely delicious and I would highly recommend. Aside from that the service was absolutely amazing and the restaurant décor/​ambiance was nice. The beer/​cocktails were also very good. For the amount of money spent, I wish the food was better. But everyone’s taste palette is different so it’s at least worth a try.

We ate here one night while staying at the Palladian Hotel. We were greeted by a friendly fellow who asked if we had «rezos». We didn’t have any «rezos», but there was plenty of empty tables and we were seated close to the window in the dining area. This restaurant is really nice and the décor is contemporary and clean. The wait staff was super professional.
We started with the Oysters served with the Bloody Mary mignonette and celery. We were not fans of these. We first tried them with the mignonette and the celery was actually micro celery leaves sprinkled on each oyster. We didn’t like two things about this, 1) they were not cold and were served on rock salt as opposed to ice. It may just be something I’ve never experienced, and I know it’s not uncommon to serve oysters on rock salt, but just not cold enough for me. 2) the celery was a bit off-​putting. I don’t think it really added anything to the oysters, so we flicked the rest off the other oysters. My girlfriend only had two before conceding the rest to me and not being one to waste, I finished them off.
For our entrée’s, my girlfriend ordered the Free Range Chicken with garlicky broccoli rabe, cauliflower purée and white wine jus. This was delicious! The chicken was perfectly cooked, juicy, and tender with nice grill marks on the skin. This was the first time for us trying broccoli rabe and it didn’t disappoint. It made us wonder why we’d never had it before. The purée and jus were perfect compliments to the chicken. The whole plate was perfectly balanced and delicious. If no one was looking, I would have licked this plate clean.
I ordered the Bistro Filet with duck fat fingerling potatoes, arugula and chimichurri. My steak was cooked perfectly to medium rare as I requested and the chimichurri, another thing we’ve never tried was very flavorful. It added just enough to take the steak over the top. The potatoes and arugula were a bit bland but enjoyable. I actually was so eager to try the potatoes that I burned my mouth on my first bite.
The grill they use imparts a very unique flavor to their food that I guarantee you’ll not taste anywhere else. I’m not sure if it’s just the seasoning on the grill or what, but like I said, it’s 100% unique to this restaurant.
All in all, it was a good meal, with good food. I don’t really think this place is our scene though. It gives me the vibe of being more of a yuppie hangout, so if you’re not into yuppies, maybe skip this place. I watched the host who sat us, do the full sommelier service for one table complete with presenting the cork to the, I don’t know, «man» of the table. If at the very least, it was amusing watching the bit of pretentious show.
If you like that sort of thing, then this is the place for you.
I know they serve breakfast as well and are also serve the room service, but we didn’t get to try either of those during our stay at Palladian.

My dear husband and I went here for dinner tonight. We ordered the pumpkin starter, scallops entrée and the hangar steak special. The pumpkin had great texture. The scallops were cooked just perfect. The hangar steak was cooked well but my husband wished some bread came with the marrow that accompanied the hangar steak. For dessert, we had the pistachio crumble. That was good as well until I bit into an overly salty bite. I don’t know if I would order that dessert again.
While the food was good, what will make this restaurant experience memorable was our server. (I wish I got his name!). He was so attentive and had great recommendations on both drinks and food.
I would recommend making reservations on opentable as there is limited seating.

Sunday Brunch at Shaker and Spear was surprisingly quiet. There is a big breakfast business but the afternoon at 1:00 was almost empty. My first time here and I ordered the «Cornmeal and Ricotta Pancake with Fresh Berries and Maple Syrup» from the recommended Shared Dishes on the menu. My companion had a House Cheeseburger with a side of Truffle fries. I have to say I won. The pancake was thick, light and fluffy and tasting of corn with the fresh blackberries, strawberries and blueberries, melted butter and warm maple syrup. It was the best pancake I have ever eaten. I will go back for this again, but also to try the restaurant for dinner and lunch.

Shaker and Spear is pure excellence from the moment you are greeted by the staff. With an enthusiastic cocktail list, accompanied by a well executed wine list, you’re sure to get the evening going on the right foot. What I find most unique about this place is you have the ability to either eat in the main dining hall, the bar, or the open kitchen bar (highly recommended) where you can watch the kitchen prepare the delicious cuisine.
Famed and notable Chef Carolyn Spence, who heralds from Los Angeles’ esteemed Château Marmont and Bar Marmont (yes, she’s practically fed and kept every A-​list celebrity coming back for years) is on point for what I believe may be Seattle’s next big thing. From the amazing West coast locally sourced oysters, accompanied by an amazing Bloody Mary mignonette sauce, to the ‘fries with eyes’ a dish with fried smelts that will leave you wanting more, you’re sure to find the right tapas dish that will set the evening at a gracious tone.
Also– make sure to try the octopus, accompanied with cannellini beans. Amazing.
You can’t go wrong with any of the entrees– they are beautifully plated and sure to surprise.
I must also give a shout out to the amazingly attentive and accommodating staff. The smiles and enthusiasm of what they’re doing makes the experience that much better.
TRY THIS PLACE. I will be back on every trip to Seattle.

Good food, a bit salty, but generally impressive. The service people are very nice too. Although it is a little strange that there is a socio-​economic and racial divide between the breakfast and the dinner cooks; it makes one a bit uncomfortable for many reasons.

This is a really cute spot almost hidden on the side of the building. I sat at the bar on a Saturday afternoon at 12:30. The bar tender was super sweet and accommodating. She let me try the 3 red wines on tap (which were all really nice) and recommended the Barbera to pair with my beef hash. The corn beef hash was phenomenal as was the side of house made sausage. On top of the great food and wine, the service was wonderful! The bar tender got me a map of the city to show me the neighborhoods and recommended some places to live and visit. I will certainly come back!

Ambience: great!
Service: great! Even split checks for a group
Cocktails: delicious!
Food: I really wanted to like everything but was disappointed.
Steak bistro– meat was cooked medium as I requested but came out cold.
Albacore– good fish but risotto was cold and dry.
Apple dessert– molasses lacked flavor, I expected more sweetness to balance the cheese and tart Apple.
Pumpkin brûlée– no pumpkin taste, cream was chunky not smooth. I’ve tasted better at buffets.

The food and service here were both amazing. I wish I had gotten our servers name. We were there for NYE and had a great meal.
Between all of us, we had the steak, fish and scallops. For appetizers we had the octopus which was soooo fabulous. The sauce and the crunchy chickpeas were delicious. For dessert we had a hot fudge ice cream dish that makes my mouth water thinking about it. The other one was some sort of caramelized baked apple thing that I didn’t care for. Flavors were good but somehow it tasted too healthy or something.
I would definitely go back to get that octopus small plate again.

5 stars — food was fabulous (steamed clams with duck, tuna, trout all delicious) but I have to say our waiter Mitchell was a standout — attentive, took amazing care of us — had a lovely beverage made for our teenage daughter that knocked it out of the park (kudos to Joe the bartender another Rock star professional). We will return and will highly recommend to friends.
Thank you for a memorable evening.

We continued with my brother’s birthday celebration and he wanted to go to a seafood place and Shaker + spear did not disappoint us. Easy reservation made through open table. We were given complimentary prosecco to help us start the celebration which I’m sure made my brother feel really special. Our server Hannah was so sweet and bubbly, and always checked in to make sure that everything was going well. All of our dishes were amazing! We kept on questioning among ourselves how all of our plates were cooked to be so tender. The black cod that my brother got was my favorite. I’m not a big fan of fish but the way this was cooked may have converted me. I saw many people ordering the oysters so I can’t wait to go back and try!

My girlfriend and I chose Shaker and Spear for a very special evening of celebration. We came with high expectations, and not a single element of the experience disappointed. The staff were attentive, kind, knowledgeable and prompt; the atmosphere is lovely but approachable, with perfect lighting and comfortable seating; and the food… holy smokes! Our minds were blown on at least three separate occasions as we ate our way through a variety of dishes. I cannot say enough amazing things about Shaker and Spear — suffice to say I will happily return for brunch, lunch, dinner, and bring as much of my patronage to this restaurant as I can, and will sing their praises to everyone I meet.
We started with cocktails — our amazing waitress, Heidi, expertly guided us to two delicious choices: the «reimagined» Old Fashioned (made with brandy) and the Walk the Earth. Both were exactly as she had described, and totally perfect.
We then asked if it were possible to get a half-​order of the oysters. I love them but my girlfriend doesn’t, so 6 was too many. But Heidi was happy to accommodate us and promptly brought three oysters our way. As a mark of how great they are, Lauren tried one and loved it! They were fresh and creamy, with a perfect amount of jalapeño topping for a little extra excitement. As an oyster snob myself, these were great.
At this point, Heidi asked if we were celebrating anything special. We were, in fact, there for my 4^th anniversary of being cured of cancer. She was extremely sweet and congratulatory, and came back a few minutes later with a surprise second round of oysters, paired PERFECTLY with a crisp gewurztraminer, courtesy of the manager, Ryan. Ryan, she said, is obsessed with quality wine-​food pairings. This was evident, because this pairing was mind-​blowing.
After our first courses (along with a plate of to-​die-​for focaccia) we ordered the black cod and seared scallops at Heidi’s recommendation. AMAZING. Utterly, incredibly, fantastically AMAZING. I don’t even like cod, but this was flavorful without being overwhelming and not the least bit boring. The scallops, however, were the real show-​stopper. Perfectly seasoned and topped with bacon, sunchoke purée, and capers, these were the most perfectly-​prepared scallops I have ever had. Lauren and I both were completely knocked over by how fabulous they were. They melted like butter with each bite and were fresh and flavorful. Easily my new favorite dish, ever.
When we had sufficiently recovered from our amazing entrees, Heidi and Ryan very generously surprised us with two desserts, paired perfectly (of course) with sherry. The coconut ice cream with caramel was TO DIE FOR, and when paired with the sherry I just about lost my mind. Ryan is truly a pairing master. And the pumpkin crème brûlée was everything I hoped and dreamed it would be: flavorful, creamy, and oh-​so-​satisfying without being too heavy.
To finish off our night of celebration/​gluttony, we each ordered an after-​dinner cocktail — Lauren stuck with the reimagined Old Fashioned (so, so smooth) and I tried the Jack Rabbit Slim’s: a unique and sweet drink, which Heidi had accurately mentioned is perfect for a post-​meal dessert treat. It was the most wonderful end to an incredibly lovely meal. (And we discovered later that these were comped from our bill as well. The generosity knew no end.)
I simply cannot recommend Shaker and Spear enough. Heidi and Ryan were amazingly generous, and I left feeling overwhelmed with happiness. However, even had they not been so kind, the atmosphere and food at Shaker and Spear would have brought me back time and time again. Each plate was beautiful and delicious, and the wine and cocktails were truly wonderful. Everything about the evening was absolutely, 100% perfect. I will return to this restaurant with friends and family, and sing their praises from the rooftops for years to come. They have set the bar extremely high.

Great staff, great ambience, and most importantly, AMAZING FOOD!
Best scallops I’ve ever had.
Best chicken I’ve ever had.
I’ve gone two nights in a row for dinner because of staying onsite at the kimpton Palladian, and may go a third night because why go anywhere when the food and drinks are so delicious???

4 stars for ambiance and service, 3 stars for execution.
The halibut is truly incredible and not over-​hyped — perfectly cooked, flavorful and well-​paired with broccoli, almonds on a smoked chili aioli. Couldn’t get enough of this dish — outstanding.
The salmon, however, was a disappointment — was actually dry, which is really hard to do to salmon. The XO sauce covered the natural flavor of the salmon, instead of enhancing it. The plated waxy /​green beans were bland and almost raw, didn’t finish though I normally love green and French beans.
Unfortunately, dessert didn’t fare much better, with both the taste way too sweet and texture odd/​mushy. Between my friend and I, we could only manage a few bites.
Server was very attentive and took the salmon off our bill given we really didn’t enjoy the dish. Might return for drinks but based on this experience, a bit overpriced to gamble on dinner.

This place was a great place to eat. No mind boggling dishes, but the atmosphere was good, and food didn’t disappoint. We ordered the clams as an appetizer with some bread on the side and hot damn, that bidness was delish. We got oysters and a slab of bread to share as well. The oysters didn’t taste as fresh as I’ve ever had, but no stomach turning non-​sense here. The herb glaze atop wasn’t too bad either, but still not my favorite. If an oyster is high class, there’s no need to dress him up.
For the main course we ordered the meat of the say which was a giant slap of beef to share with the table. T’was seared nicely on the edges and juicy through the middle, but it still left something to be desired. The carrots and potatoes served with it were OK too, but if I expected seasoning anywhere, it would’ve been there. A sprig of rosemary or some salt would’ve been a nice touch. They were overall pretty blasé.
The staff was friendly and professional and the atmosphere was dark, but comfortable. I’d hit it again, but it wouldn’t be my first choice.

Arriving bleary-​eyed from a 5 hour long flight from Atlanta, we rolled into Shaker and Spear around 9pm on a Thursday night. No reservations.
I was immediately impressed with the décor, and how it specifically avoided many of the hipster-​y elements that have become cliché at nearly every farm-​to-​whatever restaurant out there these days. Clean, modern and comfortable. We were immediately seated at a two-​top near the window overlooking the street. The place was probably about a third full. Noise level was average. We had a loud group next to us, but my wife and I actually like that as we can usually be a little louder ourselves and not worry about eavesdropping on conversations.
The food was excellent. Smallish portions but very rich and flavorful. I actually appreciate the fact that they charge for bread and that it is considered optional. I deny bread all the time, trying to save all those delicious carbs for other dishes.
My wife had the halibut, which she annihilated after an entire day of eating airport/​airplane food. I had the cornish game hen which was delicious. I guess it could have been a little bit juicier, it may have been a little overcooked but I was just getting off a plane and it was just a notch below perfect. Plus, undercooked game hen I’m guessing would be much more unpleasant.
Prices are common for this type of food in this type of neighborhood. Pretty confused as to how other commenters on Unilocal don’t understand that. It’s not cheap, and it’s not expensive. You’re dining out, and you don’t deserve a deal just for walking in the door. Give it a try first.
What was the true, ultimate strength of Shaker and Spear that boosts it from four to five stars?
Service!
Our server, Tiffany, was perhaps the greatest server that my wife and I have ever encountered at any restaurant. Extremely friendly and courteous without being over the top. Going out of her way to understand the nuances of our conversation and adjusting accordingly. We casually mentioned we were in town for my wife’s birthday. Unprompted, with the check, she dropped a small gift from the chef: a small bit of ice cream with a candle in it. It was delicious. She helped us even find some live music places, consulting with the owner (a Seattle native) which we eventually did visit and had a blast. If I could give six stars just for service, I would.
Definitely visit Shaker and Spear on your next trip to Seattle, and request that Tiffany be your server. You won’t regret it.

I was quite impressed with my dinner here, glad we came by to check it out. Its been open for about 6 months now, it shares a common entrance to Pennyroyal if you were wondering.
Great interior décor, great setting with a open kitchen, a good amount of tables and felt very comfortable the whole time. We opted to sit by the window, didnt realize until later they had seats in front of the chefs to watch as they cooked.
Menu is pretty straightforward with about 6 – 8 starters, 4 salad options, and about 8 entrée selections as well. Server was very helpful explaining the menu and very knowledgeable about each dish. Gave us time to look and was super friendly.
We decided to start off with the Steamed Clams w/​Duck Pancetta in Sherry. We also ordered the delicious bread as well as were we ready to dip in the broth. A wonderful way to start the meal, clams were very tasty especially with the bits of duck pancetta in the bowl. The sherry broth was very good too, a bit on the salty side but stil delicious when you dip your bread into it. Bread was nice & crusty to just rip apart, comes with a delicious whipped butter and 2 salts to sprinkle (Hawaiian clay salt & sea salt).
As for our mains, we ordered the Salmon and the Halibut dishes. Salmon was perfectly cooked, the skin was so crisp and wonderful!!! Fish was moist and perfect. Comes with 2 kinds of beans (green & waxy) cooked with XO sauce and a Thai basil drizzle around the plate. Wow, just delicious!
The Halibut was also wonderful, perfectly cooked fish with yummy black garlic flavor, comes with delicious sauteed broccoli & cauliflower, almonds, with a delicious smoked chili aioli at the bottom of your plate. A well cooked dish, a bit heavy on the salt but still very good. Portions seemed small but we were actually pretty full after eating so we didnt feel any regrets.
Overall, we enjoyed our dinner very much, service was great with a lovely atmosphere. No room for dessert so we just finished our drinks and relaxed for a bit before we left. It was a pretty early dinner and the place was pretty empty, so hopefully they stay around for a while. They are offering brunch on weekends as well, so this place may be a good option.

The breakfast sandwich was pretty good, although at $ 14 for a fried egg and a sausage in a ciabatta, I was expecting more. Ask for the selection of sauces and there are some really good flavours in there.
$ 3 apple juice (with free refills) was a nice touch — freshly squeezed and really good.
Service was fast and good, although it was pretty empty so I would have expected that.
Overall, good food, but was a little on the expensive side for what it was.

Service: 5 stars. We were promptly greeted, and were accommodated by a very friendly hostess even though we arrived a half hour early. Our server was wonderful. She was extremely knowledgeable about the menu, gave helpful and thorough opinions when asked, was very attentive — our water glasses stayed full, and even gave us an extra pour of wine when our entrees were taking a little extra time. There was a manager taking laps through the restaurant making sure all was running smoothly — I honestly think he passed by around 30 times.
Food: 5 stars. Everything was really delicious. Apps: I had the Penn Cove Mussel Chowder which was citrusy, light and refreshing. Bf’s raw scallop dish was so creamy and so light — he said one of the best he’s had. Entrees: My seared scallops were perfectly cooked, and the greens on the side were just the right amount of sweet — an ideal accompaniment. Bf’s grilled opa got his approval as well. Dessert: the vanilla panna cotta was light and wonderful, with a delicious sweet smoky clove sauce underneath.
Atmosphere: 4.5 stars. I thought it was very pleasant — great lighting on the tables so you could see what you were eating, but overall still dim and low-​key in the restaurant. Open kitchen. Bf thought it looked too much like a typical hotel restaurant, but I didn’t really see it.

What a fantastic meal I had last night! It’s rare that my boyfriend and I have time to go out together because we have opposite work schedules. So when we plan a date night and do dinner together, it’s always somewhere new or somewhere we love. Thanks to Shaker and Spear, they’re going from the «somewhere new» list to the «somewhere we love» list. We’ll have to come back again and again, that’s how enjoyable this experience was. In fact, we’re soon to be neighbors with this restaurant so after we move we plan to come back a lot!
Having read rave reviews for this new spot, we rushed to get there for dinner. The space is absolutely stunning! There are big round tables for large groups, soft seating for folks who want to sit along the wall, there are 4 tops in the windows, and there are seats at the bar and the kitchen.
We love to see the action so we picked seats at the bar and spent a lovely evening talking with the bartender. As huge fans of sherry, we were most excited to come try sherry cocktails! The sherry Old Fashioned and the sherry Manhattan were excellent.
The only terrible thing was being forced to decide on what to eat. The entire menu looked outstanding so it came down to asking our server for some advice and then still ordering a little more than we needed so we could try as much as possible. Many dishes are seafood and have some European flair.
Little details were also a big hit. Not just the presentation and execution of the food, but everything from the stools (so gorgeous!) to the napkins, the silverware, the glassware, and the plates. I loved the plates! I know this seems silly to mention, but really, if a restaurant cares about the presentation of the business, the atmosphere, and even the napkins, you know the food is going to be fabulous. And it was!
We shared a Opah dish that was so flavorful that I can’t put it into words. (See photo!) We also had grilled octopus, baked clams, diver scallops, and a really amazing apple, cheese and black pepper salad. I could only describe the dressing as «grown up Ranch.» It was creamy and rich and tasty, but with lots of fresh cracked pepper that made it a little more interesting and refined. I could eat that salad for the rest of my life!
For dessert (yes, get dessert) we tried the chocolate pâté, presented like a savory dish but absolutely sweet in all the right ways. The beet/​lemon sorbet on top was excellent too. And if that’s not all, we also had wine (great list!) and a plate of cookies. If you’re cheap about dessert, stick to the cookies! You get 5 or so and they’re all fresh, delicious, and different. Best bang for you buck.
All in all we ate a ton, drank a ton, and still got dessert. We easily spent more than we could have but if you want an amazing experience, you could still walk out of here having spent about $ 80 total or less for two people. Extremely reasonable for what you’re getting. Portions are great, food is better, price is worth it.