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17 reviews
Neighborhood: Fremont
"This is hands down my favorite restaurant in Seattle. I'm the type of guy that loves to go someplace casual and get amazing food from…" read more »
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Yes, okay. So this place can be pricey. And I'm always confused about which of the hostess desks I'm supposed to stop at to be recognized and seated. Those two things aside, this place rocks. The food is consistently amazing, and the drinks are quirky and delish.
Best reason to go? Their caramello dessert. This is the secret ninja dessert nobody knows about, because it's not on their menus. Just ask if they have it. If they do, expect heaven.
The Pink Door's patio rocks my world.
As we walked to my car last night after seeing a concert at the Moore, we randomly ran into my favorite people who just happened to be up from Canada. I know.. random, right? Drinks were a must since I see them only a few times a year. As we pondered about where to go, someone mentioned the Pink Door. It was an easy decision since I hadn't had the chance to eat or drink there yet.
As we walked down Post Alley, which reminds me of Greek Row on any weekend night, past Kell's and the Post, I was happy to see that the giant outdoor patio housed only a few patrons.
The view in Seattle doesn't get any better than this.. Especially on a clear Seattle evening. The weather was decent with just a touch of fall in the air. I enjoyed a couple of deliciously tart Pink Madonnas (pink lemonade & vodka) and an hour or so of convo.
One of the best evenings I've had in a while: A lovely dinner at Cellars, followed up with The National at the Moore, and finally drinks at the Pink Door. Gotta love those evenings where everything just works out perfectly.
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When I first walked in, everybody ignored me for like 5 minutes. Finally I had to walk up to the lady & tell her that yes, I was there & it's not an apparition. Ok, I didn't really say that but I wanted to! The waiters and servers were pretentious and acted as if they couldn't be bothered to answer simple ?'s about the menu. Our waiter interrupted us waaaay too many times and was annoying.
The food was mediocre (risotto with mushroom & roasted corn that wasn't cooked). The wine suggested (that was the most expensive per glass) was sour.
What I liked was the outdoor seating and atmosphere.
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This place is amazingly perfect! Do not leave without ordering the cheese plate. I repeat, DO NOT LEAVE WITHOUT ORDERING THE CHEESEPLATE. The fig spread is unbelievable. One thing I will say is when I went with my family and my 82 year old grandma on a hot (correction - THE ONE hot) summer day, it took some serious convincing and a possible bribe to get them to let us eat inside vs. the steamy outside. Inside was closed at lunch on a Thursday - weird. Regardless, staff was lovely and our waitress even gave my grandma a stain stick after a messy fumble with the soup. Thumbs up!
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The good? They kept my reservation request for 4 on the deck... my squid ink spaghetti was delicious and the Cab blend I had for $8.50 a glass was totally worth it... as was the vanilla creme brulee dessert with rhubarb compote!
The bad? The gin lavendar martini was horrific... and the other two had risotto (the arborio rice was not cooked all the way!).. and risotto should be nice and creamy.. it wasn't.. and another had the "it's our famous" lasagna was very cool in the middle (omg)... And when we were finished with dinner the waiter asked us (not even kidding) 6X if we needed anything else- repeatedly interrupting our conversations!!! I mean, I guess he needed the table free? I dunno, there were other open tables around us though~ That was pissing me off since we were there to see my good friend I hadn't seen in a few years.
It's really busy in here.. but the host at the stand didn't smile once and neither did our waiter. Are you guys happy to be working at The Pink Door? lol
Oh well.. it's ok but I'm sure I could find better Italian in Seattle.
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If you haven't been here yet, you are missing out! It's in Pike Place Market in the Post Alley and there is no signs, just look for the pink door. Reservations fill up pretty quickly, but if you can score a place in the bar it's even better because they have live entertainment. Beware though, it can be a little hard to have a conversation over the (mellow) noise.
Within the past few years they have opened patio seating and I love the new addition. It is amazing to me how this place is always so busy and it's been this way since I started coming here in the 90's. I'm sure it was that way since it opened in 1983.
The servers are all very hip and friendly. Jackie, the owner is also very gracious and hands on.
On my last visit, we ordered the roasted garlic and cheese. If I could eat this as every meal, I would be OK with that. Nothing should taste that good. We split that, a Caesar salad and the stuffed chicken. I probably wouldn't order the chicken again, it was a little bland. I wanted a spicy, oozing mess. I ordered several drinks called, I think it was the Pink Madonna. Be careful, they're tasty and they're expensive... it's very easy to suck them down. Woopsies.
I will be back, I will always come back here. A true Seattle establishment.
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With a friend visiting Seattle, I figured this was finally the moment I had to go try out Pink Door for myself. With all the raves I've heard about this place, I was sure that I'd be able to impress my guest! I got reservations but was told I would have to wait about 10 minutes for the table, or we could go to the bar. The bar worked out fine since it was more casual, but I was a little sad we missed out on a live band. We ordered ourselves a cheese platter to share - which came with four cheese (unfortunately I have forgot the names) - but they were paired with fig compote, dark chocolate, an orange segment and honey & walnut... which tasted like 8 different cheese experiences, really. The only thing I would have liked was more of that flat bread because the cheese:flat bread ratio was a little off. I ordered the pesto lasagna which was so good and rich, and the portion was just right. My friend got the rabbit and from what I tasted it was cooked really well, and those grapes were a nice addition to the dish.
Overall, it was about $80 (including a glass of wine and beer) which is a typical nicer-dinner price. My expectations were met. The service was attentive and too bad it was a crappy rainy day, otherwise I would have enjoyed the view a bit more.
Oh good Lord the cheese.
My boyfriend took me to the Pink Door last night, and it was enchanting from the first step. The decor is unique and strangely classy, and the staff is friendly and helpful.
I'm pretty sure that our waitress was even genuinely smiling at us.
The house red wine was excellent, even though I'm by no means an expert. Or even know what I'm talking about when it comes to wine. I'll just go with "Yum."
Anyway, my boyfriend ordered something very much Italian, so I kind of felt odd ordering the "Cheese Plate Deluxe" after him, but... wow. Cheese has never been s'damn good.
Awesome atmosphere and delish food.
A little gem in the market. The bar, the patio or the main dining room - it's almost like three places in one. I prefer the bar with the random entertainment (cabaret, burlesque, etc) on what must be the smallest stage in town. Food is very tasty - savior each bite. I think they've had the same wait staff for the last ten years, so they must be treating their employees right.
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two details you can't forget.
Very romantic in the early fall. With a bar and dark corners.
The patio reminds me how much I love patios. Amazing view,
very hard to get onto unless your timing is right.
Food is solid, seattle prices, but I feel it's ok to pay extra for the atmosphere. It's worth it.
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We went there for our anniversary...it was only ok...I have heard amazing reviews about the pink door, and perhaps had my expectations a little too high. The food was delicious, I will admit. The lasagna was incredible-it's their specialty, I hear. However, the portions are really tiny and for the price, I expected more than just a tiny dish of lasagna...But the quality of the food is fantastic. The service was a little slow, but our waiter seemed nice enough. We sat on the deck which was refreshing on a summer evening, next time we will try sitting inside and hope for the trapeze artists to be there! I would definitely try it again, just maybe I'll eat a little at home first! That way I won't be hungry after dinner! ;)
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Hard to not love this place. If I define Seattle in one restaurant this would probably be it. Located next to Pike Place, with beautiful outdoor rooftop seating during summer time, wonderful view, live music, nice rustic feel, dark romantic corner, packed crowds. It just embodies all of Seattle charm. Heard they're performer but didn't get to see it myself
Service = ok
Ambiance = Woohoo! As good as it gets!
Food = Loved everything I've tried. Portion isn't the biggest, but point here is good food, with great atmoshere.
Crowd = Great place to hang out! Loved to ppl here
Price = $$$
Favorite = the company, come here with ppl you want to hang out with!
Worst = creme puff wasn't all the good :( but not enough to ruin the 5 stars
Meal for two = 100
Final Say = What Seattle dining is all about!
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I decided to splurge when a couple of friends were visiting from out of town, and am I glad I did.
We were walking around Post Alley looking at the various hidden restaurants and looking for The Pink Door when we saw a big covered patio overlooking Puget Sound, with tables covered in vibrant flower tablecloth. My friend said, "I want to eat there."
The patio belongs to the Pink Door. Patio seating was plentiful on this warm evening. We had a very funny waiter who brought us little bowls of really good green olives for the asking and gave us generous samples of wine. I had the Obama-rama cocktail, it was citrusy with just the right touch of sweetness. We got the bruschetta, squid ink spaghetti with seafood, and the pappardelle bolognese. The bruschetta was not made of your typical chopped up bland tomatoes overcompensated in flavor by garlic, but big wholesome slices of heirloom tomatoes on toast with seasoned olive oil. The squid ink spaghetti with seafood was perfectly cooked and a little spicy. The pappardelle pasta was cooked perfectly al dente.
The pasta dishes were generous for 1, perfect for 2 if you want to slurp spaghetti with your honey like in that Disney movie with the two dogs.
There was an Eastern European band playing when we left, so we did a little polka before we left. It's fun for friends and romantic for lovers.
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This place is more about ambiance than anything.
The food was hit or miss. My friend's calamari was deemed tasty. The caprese salad was awesome! (I'm amazed at how many restaurants manage to make it bad!) The gnocci? Don't bother - it was mushy!
The environment was fun and we came back for the burlesque show after. The guy who hosts it was born for the job. The women... well the first couple of performances were good (the waitress number was the BEST) but I could have left at the end of the first act. The Prosecco/raspberry drink was quite good.
If I lived in the area, I could definitely see frequenting the place to hit up the deck on summer evenings and try out more of the drink options. I'm sure I'll be back on one of my future trips.
Blah. A friend and I went in recently after work to unwind on their patio. The host claimed that they were between shifts so we'd have to wait. We cooled our heels at the bar, which smelled like cat piss.
The male called our name a few minutes later, It was surreal- he called our name in a very casual manner, as if we were old friends. We headed immediately for the host stand but there were no male hosts around. A hostess gestured outdoors and there he was, out onto the patio and not even waiting for us to follow him.
Needless to stay, that got our visit off to a bad start.
The rest was just mediocre.
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Though I grew up in San Francisco, I often came to Seattle to visit family and, later, on breaks from college. I thought I'd seen everything right around Pike Place, but it wasn't until this spring that I found The Pink Door.
I came for lunch on a weekday and it wasn't crowded, but I might not have noticed even if it was, because I was so interested in looking at the fun decor on the walls, ceiling, and those suspended from the ceiling.
I'd give this place three stars just for what I've mentioned so far, but the food was great. I had the most amazing salad with all sorts of delicious green vegetables and a wonderful dressing. My soup of the day was tasty too, and the two dishes were quite filling.
I'll definitely remember this place for future trips to Seattle.
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A townie friend took me here on a recent visit to Seattle, man was it a treat. I ordered salmon which was beautifully prepared, fresh and seemed like a large portion for just $20. We sat outside and got a spectacular view at sunset of the harbor. There was also live music inside, which was very cool too. I hope to bring my lover back here when we visit Seattle next for a romantic and scenic dinner.
What's the worst thing about a vacation in paradise?
That's right: coming home.
Why not recreate a little of that magic at the Pink Door?
The outdoor terrace has one of the kickingest-ass views in Seattle. Grab a glass of bubbly, dig into comfy, non-challenging Italian dishes (like the cozy jammies you can't wait to get into after a long day at work [I've heard a long day at work can be very taxing]) e improvvisamente si sono tornati in paradiso.*
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*and suddenly you are back in paradise.
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My boyfriend and I made reservations for my birthday dinner here after reading about it in the Stranger, and I could not have been happier I did! I had the spinach lasagna and it was amazing, which our server helped me pick out. He mentioned that it's their signature dish so how could it NOT be?! Gad, I'm drooling already..
Anyway, the service is great! They're attentive without breathing down your necks and our server was so patient even though we took a while to decide what we wanted. I was also asked to Prom in this restaurant and the hostess kindly brought me the flowers my boyfriend brought and even gave me a hug after I said yes!
Overall It's just one of those hidden Seattle treasures that I miss terribly and can't wait to come back to!
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Charming romantic hidden delight, right off Post alley in Pike's Market. The food is terrific, great wines and cheeses and amazing pasta. The staff kitschy and friendly, and the entertainment is French Pop and Burlesque. On some nights, tight bodied young lasses swing above, to and fro on fancy swings to Edith Pilaf. Really, there's nothing like penne pasta and round derriere to satisfy a craving.
I live nearby and we dine here 2-3 times a year and are never disappointed.
Summer nights can be uncomfortable, I think this is at its best on a rainy winter Seattle night.
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We had lunch here on a Saturday strolling through Seattle. Of course we had Mobile Yelp open and that's how we found out about this place. Amazing views and solid food? We're there!
My hubby had the Meatball Panini (which could have had more meat in it) but was good overall. I had the salad with some chicken. It had red and yellow beets in it-and was SO good! Gorgonzola cheese and Balsamic dressing too? I could eat and eat this salad. :-)
Great views and very good service too. The rustic bread is yummy!
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How you impress your out of town friends with one drink or less:
Take them to the Pink Door.
Love it here. The aesthetics are pleasing. Service at the bar is kinda iffy, but is definitely made up for once you're seated. If it's nice outside, venture outdoors. The food is incredibly delicious. I've had a few of their pizzas, mussels w/ white wine (great for dipping bread in), the elephant garlic spread, a few salads, and just about every cocktail on the first page of their drink menu.
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I really enjoyed everything about The Pink Door - the service, atmosphere/location, food, and the wine/drink selection. Their crab cioppino was to die for...and I'm no stranger to this dish - everything blended together perfectly with just the right amount of spice to it. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about the wine list and picked the perfect bottle twice that night! The cheese plate we ordered to go along w/ our first bottle of wine was gone in less than 8 minutes, so damn good!!
We sat outside, and though we froze our asses off in the little dresses we were wearing, it was worth it (hence the two bottles of wine too). Our seat overlooked Pikes Market and the bay....it was just gorgeous! A good date spot I must say. The night was topped off by discovering they serve Fernet at the bar!! I'm from San Francisco and was disappointed my first night in Seattle to find no one serves my go to drink! WTF?! Thank you Pink Door for making my trip to Seattle complete with your great menu selection, amazing food, friendly and knowledgable service, and for serving Fernet!!
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Purple violet martinis, a live band, and the trapeze artist get this place 5 stars. Having to wait a long time to get yr purple martinis gets it 4.
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If only NYC had a place this good.
I lived in Seattle for a while before coming back home to New York City...I wish there was a place as good as Pink Door here. I could go on and on about this spot, but just read the reviews below. This place is unbelievable. It's also on the same alley as a place called The White Horse....one of the coolest bars I've ever seen.
Best block in Seattle, hands down.
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This place was beautiful with great service, creative dishes, and a lot of ambiance... unfortunately, we didn't get any of that ambiance because we sat outside on the deck. We even made reservations, and the inside wasn't crowded (maybe they thought people wanted to sit on the deck because it was a nice day, but you miss the performances and all the dark, fun decor).
Our service was very friendly, and the meal was great. We had the risotto special, which was totally overpriced ($19 for risotto with mushrooms!) but delicious, the capanata, the house wine (it's a Pinot Grigiot, but it doesn't say on the menu), the Respect Your Elders gin drink (pricey at $9.50), lavendar pana cotta for dessert, and an "art tea." With tip, it was $77. If we had sat inside, I think I would have thought the price was a little more worth it, but the food was very, very good; I also liked the chipped metal water cups. :)
Make reservations. Also, there are not a ton of vegetarian options, if that is important to you.
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No sign. Just a pink door. (I don't know why I was looking for a dark pink door......but it's actually a light pink door.) Might not even notice it as you walk down Post Alley.
Moving on.
Make reservations!!!!
When you walk in from Post Alley, you go down a flight of stairs. You hit the formal dining room. Candles, linens...a romantic and elegant atmosphere. The hostess said we needed reservations to sit here so she told us to go to the back room and try to seat ourselves at a table. So we walked into the back room.
TOTALLY DIFFERENT!
This room is crazy....loud music, a bar, packed tables, great entertainment. That night, they had a band that played interesting music...sorta gypsy-like. I liked it.
We didn't see any open tables. I kept a hawk-eye on anyone that might be leaving so I could grab it in a second. So I strategically placed myself so I could have a good view of the room. More people started filtering into the back room trying to get a table....but I made sure to give them the "eye" to let them know that I was here first. (Sounds b*tchy but when it comes to food, DON'T MESS!!!
We waited an hour for a table. Why?? I don't know =(
But I do have to give props to the head waiter or manager or whoever he was. He kept looking out for us to see if anyone was leaving, and he asked us many times if we were ok or needed anything. I appreciated that. And when 2 tables finally cleared up, he made sure to give us the larger table that was more cozy in the back. (remember, this back room is pretty crowded.)
Onto the food! (See Pictures)
I first ordered the "Everything Green" Salad (bibb lettuce, english peas, fava beans, asparagus, avocado, and a light creamy vinaigrette $11). It was good. I thought the salad was light, crisp, and refreshing...but there could have been a little bit more dressing, more flavor.
For my main course I ordered the Lasagna (fresh spinach pasta layered with beciamella, pesto and topped with marinara sauce $16). The lasagna was a good size and was very yummy. The only bad thing I can say about it was that it was a little too cheesy for my taste. I couldn't finish the entire thing because of the cheese....but it was still REALLY delicious!!!
My husband had the Bolognese (slow simmered meat sauce with fresh pasta). It was sooo good. He inhaled the whole thing in a few minutes. Perfect portion, too. Get it. Enough said.
We wanted to order the crème brulee trio but they were out. DARN!!!
We were a little bummed that we didn't get to see the trapeze artist. But the entertainment in the back room was good.
We'll definitely go back if we're in town again.
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Well apparently I won't have much to add to the extensive reviews already given to Pink Door, but maybe my review will catch the eye of Chicago Yelpers heading to Seattle!
My mom, dad, sister and I went to Pink Door for a final meal after a week in Seattle for my brother's wedding. We were really tired of touristy sea food and burgers that our extended family members seemed to prefer to drag us to. I had noticed this adorable terrace while drinking with my uncles earlier in the trip at Kells, and when my brother suggested this as a place for us to grab some nice Italian, I jumped at it.
This is the sort of place I would probably come really often if I lived here. I loved the interior (perfect little date spot it seems- romantic decor, hidden-away feel), and the patio seating was just perfect- having some of the water view, some shade, a little quiet with very little traffic noise...such a nice little break after the madness of the market! The food was great as well- not the best Italian I've ever had but I wasn't expecting to- it still hit the spot (I had lasanga and the house white, yum yum)! The olive oil that came with the bread was actually really good. Service was a tad slow but I noticed that everywhere in Seattle and am chalking it up to a different pace of life :)
I would put this on the list of must-try's to anyone I knew heading to your lovely city!
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Blink and you'll miss it. There's no sign, just a pink door in an alley.
The vegetarian pink lasagna was tasty and cheesy but not too heavy. The beet/nut/cheese salad had good proportions of cheese to beets. I.e. lots of cheese. Yum.
Sadly, our night didn't feature a trapeze show.
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Always have their pizza of the day... last time I was in there was a capicola pizza... perfect thin crust... yes, please! The bruschetta was a winner, with a beautiful assortment of yellow, red and green heirloom tomatoes. Perfect thickness of kosher sea salt, and the baguette slices it came on were the ultimate crunchiness pairing wonderfully with those tomatoes! Ask for their specialty drinks... they have drinks named after the staff! I loved the little neck clam linguine done in a basic garlic white wine sauce, but my personal favorite was the lavender panna cotta, with chocolate, hibiscus, and one other sauce (I am blaming my consumption of the awesome drinks for my forgetfulness of the third sauce). Magnificent! Combine all of this with the view, and this is my spot for dates or just drinks with friends! And they have a rockin' live jazz piece complete with stand-up bass and all! The staff are friendly, but this is a restaurant for people that enjoy rustic Tuscan. If you need to satisfy some serious carb-feasting, check out the Bolognese! Not to be missed!
I must bring the good weather wherever I travel because it was a gorgeous evening in Seattle, so much so that we had the unique opportunity to sit on the outside deck of The Pink Door. It was a definite treat to my friend who lives in the area -- she was completely tickled by the idea since she had been there a couple times before and had sat indoors, which by the way, is very beautiful as well.
For starters, we shared the "Green" salad and clearly were not disappointed. Everything presented to us on the plate was differing shades of green: butter lettuce, avocado, lovely little sweet English peas, crunchy pistachios, and tasty fava beans, which I generally haven't been fond of in the past. Altogether it was a delightful mix of ingredients with a light dressing that complemented everything else in the salad.
I had told one of my friends that I was going to be eating at Pink Door and I forwarded him the website. He totally honed in on the cioppino, and from that point on I couldn't shake that idea out of my head. The seafood stew was fantastic! The broth was a brilliantly spicy and the seafood in it was a wonderful mix of cod (I think), mussels and clams, plump shrimp, and tender squid. Oh my goodness, I think that I slurped up every last bit of it and was completely satiated!
Until of course, we saw the dessert menu and was taken in by the creampuffs with warm chocolate syrup drizzled all of them. Practically orgasmic, I'm telling you! We were practically fallling out of our chairs at how decadent they were!
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The Pink Door is that cute place you've been searching for with warm staff, delicious food and lovely decor.
Its quirky and most known [or unknown] for it's unsigned entrance. Simply a pink door, which has served as more of a notice than an actual sign.
Things to order: Vegetarian Lasagna, the Garlic spread appetizer, the Vongole Linguini.
I've been once before on a night with live music and it was so damn cute I squealed.
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This place was recommended to me by co-workers and it is such the hidden gem of a restaurant. Very indiscrete within this alley and with no big sign on the outside it's very easy to miss. It's a really cute, romantic and quaint restaurant.. reminds me of stepping into part of an old castle. I remember ordering the gnochi and it was very good. I think my bf and I also order this olive spread appetizer and it was a very generous serving (I went there awhile ago so my memory is a bit splotchy). Anyhow, I would definitely recommend this restaurant for visitors to Seattle or locals - it's kind of a 'special occasion' type restaurant though. Good service, nice atmosphere and tasty food.
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The Pink Door was recommended to us by a fellow traveler who shared a taxi with us to our hotel. We were actually headed to a different restaurant which was no longer operating when we realised how close we were to PD. We came in through the back entrance (there are 2 pink doors, one is labeled for the Bar).
We shared the Pappardelle al Ragu Bolognese - it's a sort of soft egg noodle in a meat/tomato sauce - so good. For dessert we had a piece of their chocolate "cake" with butterscotch sauce, which was very rich and had more of a torte consistency, not very cake like. We had a few cocktails between us at $8 each, which I think is average for downtown bars. Our total bill came out to $60-ish (but half of that was drinks).
Portions are on the small to medium side, but the atmosphere was great, loved our swishy waiter (mean that in the best way possible!) and the terrace was lovely. Would definitely recommend.
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I want so badly to love The Pink Door, but I consistenly leave disappointed. Yes, the patio has a great view. Yes, the dining room is nice and there is entertainment. But lately this place has just come off as cheesy.
My first experience with the pink door was over 3 years ago, the first night of my first visit to Seattle. After dinner, a friend took us down the mysterious post alley, through the pink door, down the stairs and into a jam-packed bar with live jazz. I felt like I was in a speakeasy that no one knew about. I ordered a vanilla stolli martini, which was delicous.
Now, the dining room and bar are consistently empty. I stop by occasionally for jazz and exit immediately becuase it so awkwardly empty. I've eaten on the deck twice this summer. The dinner is overpriced; I had the lasagna which was tasty, but nothing special, and a small portion. We ordered oysters - they were served warm with no ice shavings beneath (needless to say, they were absolutely horrificly terrible, if not insulting to be serve). Last night I thought I would try visiting for dessert only to take in the sunset - my tarimasu that was recommended by the water was totally sub-par (this is supposed to be an italian restaurant, it had absolutely no rum flavor). The coffee was cold and lacking flavor as well. And on both visits, the waiters were unnattentive.
Last night was Sunday, and they had a violist playing the most cheesy love songs recognizable from various movies. He played without passion to a stereo system backing him up. He wore a bedazzled shirt. I know this is Italian, but come on, keep the cheese on the pasta.
Still need to try the burlesque show, but I have a feeling this will be disappointing, too.
At the risk of sounding repetive, Have you seen the view from their outdoor patio? Elliot Bay in all it's glory and just enough shade for the translucent ones in your party.
Good food and good drinks abound. I have never eaten inside and on hotter days it can seem a bit stuffy - so keep to the bar and patio and save room for dessert!
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Ok, based plainly on the food, I give the place 5+ stars.
-1 star for having pretentious portions
-1 star for being insanely high-priced
+1 star of redemption for the great waitress
We came here on recommendation from my boyfriend's brother's coworkers. The last time we did that, despite the food being spectacular, it was also super inexplicably expensive. This was the same case.
I ordered the Pink Door Caesar with Alaskan dungeness crab
Fantastic flavor (more garlic than I'm used to in caesar salads, but this was a definite plus), SUPER fresh crab (decently generous on the crab). But be prepared that the salad comes out as romaine hearts with caesar dressing drizzled on the leaves - not cut up like you may be accustomed to. You have to cut it yourself. The croutons are fennel-dusted which add a nice flavor to a traditional caesar and the salad comes with a hard-boiled egg split into two halves, also dusted with fennel. $18 (a small salad with lots of visible plate space?!!!)
Boyfriend ordered the Pappardelle al rag Bolognese
Fantastic flavor. The classic meat sauce was jazzed up extra buttery-flavored with perfectly cooked noodles. Not much else to say about this, except that he ate it terribly slow to savor the tiny portion. Total portion was probably about 1 cup noodles (cooked) with sauce.Imagine a tiny mountain the size of a 5-foot-3 girl's fist. $18
Boyfriend's brother ordered the Lasagna
This was pretty good - nothing fantastic to write home about, but it was definitely tasty. Pretty "decent" portion (as in, it was larger than either of ours) but it was really watery and soupy. $18
Meals came with really chewy bread (sourdough maybe?) and a tiny dish of bland olive oil (I know olive oil and this was not very flavorful. I'd rather pick some up from the Pike Place Farmer's Market to satisfy my love of fragrant olive oil) with 2 tiny olives lounging about the oil.
The waitress, like I mentioned, gives the restaurant a luckily-added extra star. She had such a bright and charismatic personality. She had curly hair with a raspy voice and was dressed really funky (I only detail this in case she reads this and thinks "oh that's awesome!" b/c she really made me smile). She told us she was from Encinitas, CA (which explains her crazy-but-refreshing personality) and entertained us with some friendly-but-unique banter along with gestures to match, from start to finish.
Oh, we came for lunch. The dinner menu was far more extensive, but surprisingly - the repeated items were the same price for lunch and dinner.
Don't let the website fool you. Prices have gone up and lunch selections have gone down.
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