Went to BluWater on South Lake Union the other night with some friends. We had never been there but based on some of what we'd read, we thought it would be a good adventure.
Adventure is definitely what it turned into. We arrived and were immediately sat away from everyone else in a corner overlooking the trash bins... Apparently due to the size of our party (5 - not the 6 required for a reservation) this was the one table they had that didn't have obscene lighting on it (I'll talk about that more later).
We took it, not knowing about the wonderful view (of the trash cans) when we sat down. We learned of the view when we asked to open the shades so we could see the water...
Okay, so we asked to be moved -- and were, to a table with a better view. However, in order to sit at the table, we had to put up with not just one, but two, 100 watt halogen bulbs in their sconces next to the table. At first we thought this wouldn't be an issue - but it quickly grew into something where we were trying to devise ways of hiding the light and managing a better ambiance. Ultimately, we ended up propping two menus in a triangle over the lamp just to dim the light to a degree where we weren't burning our faces (okay, so it wasn't quite that bad).
Eventually the food arrived. We enjoyed the wine so we were fine with the delay on the food... Until we tasted it.
We had raviolli, steaks, fish and their "gyros bites." All were terrible -- and cold.
The steaks were mediocre cuts that hadn't been cooked very well. Most dishes were served with mashed potatoes -- all of them were cold.
The fish dish was hard, rubbery and old. The gyros bites, well, let's just say it was a 15 year old who was eating them and he said he'd never order them again... That should say something.
The service was poor overall with a waitress who did not know how the chefs (who I can only assume after eating there are line cooks) tend to cook their food. Neither did she know how to open a wine bottle! I swear we watched her for nearly 5 minutes battle with a standard (and overpriced) bottle of Chard.
What's my summary on the BluWater Bistro? AVOID IT. It's a waste of money and time. There are so many good restaurants in Seattle -- find something else.
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