Altura Seattle

If I could give more than five stars I would. I had dinner with friends, to celebrate one of their birthdays and it was the most spectacular experience. Not only was the food phenomenal in taste and presentation but the staff was so attentive and made us feel so special, down to the purse holders that one of our attentive waiters magically pulled from his apron, to help us keep our purses off the floor but close by and accessible. The careful selection of food pairings, even those adjusted so those in our party that were gluten free didn't feel shortchanged in the experience, was magical in flavor. Napkins were refolded, if not exchanged for new ones, when a member of the table left left to use the restroom, and when it came time for dessert the staff made sure to present an extra dessert with a hand crafted white chocolate with a milk chocolate signature of happy birthday written on it. I highly recommend the wine pairing, which I shared with my husband. Not only was every pairing perfect but each bottle was presented with a story and history of its significance. This dinner experience was a gift for all of us on so many levels. I can't wait to pay it forward.

I had the lucky experience to sit at the counter for dinner. I was able to watch the chefs prepare each meal. The decor blended well with the light and restaurant. Several times through the night, I visited the bathroom, and each time, the staff were vigilant to ensure we dont bump into them. The staff were very friendly and fun to talk to. Some even played along with my jokes. The chefs were very focused on creating their dishes. Despite this, they enthusiastically answered any questions I had about the meal. I learned a lot about the preparation. As a chef myself, I can see the passion they had for the food they served. The food was immaculate. Each bite made me wish for more. In total, about 7 courses, but some courses were split up into multiple pieces. In the beginning, the appetizers consisted of local seasonal cuisine to seattle as well as local seafood. The plated items captured the diverse agriculture of seattle. Overall the experience was amazing ans i cant wait to come back one day for their delicious food.

Recently came here for my birthday dinner, which my wife booked (lucky me!). I am not a "fine dining" type of guy, as it more often than not leaves me befuddled as to portion size to dollar ratio - i.e. pay a lot...for tiny morsels of food...which doesn't even taste that special. BUT, Altura completely blew me away and is easily now one of my (and my wife's) favourite restaurants. Course meal started off with an amuse-bouche of oysters and caviar. I was thinking here we go again - tiny food, big price, relying on fancy presentation. It was pretty good, but honestly I don't really remember it standing out (maybe because the rest of the meal was so incredible). Next was the stuzzichini with eel and beef tartar. It was also pretty good (really good) and now my interest was piqued (or maybe I was just getting hungry). Next was the tomato dish, sliced beef tongue and frozen pepper thingy. This is when Altura turned the tables and punched me in the face with a flavour explosion! I have never tasted anything like this. Even the tiny pieces of basil were incredibly fresh. 10/10 for this dish. I was now really getting into the course meal experience at Altura. Next was the noodle pasta with anchovy flakes. Probably my wife's favourite meal of the night. Cooked and seasoned perfectly. I could have eaten a whole trough of this. 10/10. Next was ANOTHER pasta dish (bonus points as I was starting to feel like I was getting my money's worth of food). This time with black truffles and other local ingredients. Excellent but heavy, which made me slightly prefer the preceding noodle dish. Then there was an intermission of the best type - sorbet! Probably the last thing my low-brow taste would think of eating MID-MEAL, but it absolutely worked and cleansed my palate. Next were the big guns - pork and wagyu beef, the later being an add-on at $25/oz (min 2 oz order). The wagyu was pricey, but wow, the only way to describe it was like I was eating a beef flavoured Fruit Gusher - the moment you bite into it, it explodes and melts in your mouth with savoury/fat/bbq/salt flavour. At this point I was absolutely stuffed (maybe the first time I can ever say that at a fine dining restaurant). Desert came out which was some kind of ice cream thing. Pretty good, but honestly I was so full that I couldn't even remember what it was. At this point, I even told my wife that I was glad that it wasn't a chocolate dessert (my favourite) because I was too full. Next came ANOTHER dessert which was affogato and chocolate. Although I just said a moment ago that I didn't have room for chocolate, I devoured this thing! Absolutely incredible way to end the meal. If I had to nitpick (there isn't much), the red wine (by the glass) wasn't the greatest, but maybe that's just preference as I like more full-bodied reds. The restaurant decor is "interesting" (stuffed owl...really?). And this place is pricey (but you probably knew that). To conclude, the service was impeccable, most of the dishes were truly mind-blowing and I've never tasted anything like it anywhere else. This is a special restaurant for special occasions. Without hesitation, my wife and I said we would be back in a heartbeat, which I think is the true test of how good a restaurant is.