Athenian Seafood Restaurant and Bar

Great lunch at Athenian! This is our 3^rd visit & a great place to stop on a return visit to the Market.
Joe’s Scramble, Caesar Salad, Market Salad — all great choices. It is such an iconic spot. View is amazing & a beautiful Seattle day just adds to the ambiance.
All who visit the Market should come to the Athenian.

Worth the wait! The famous fishwich is amazing! The clam chowder is a must. Get a bowl and share it. The same for the sandwich.

Love this place! Food was delicious, had the fish tacos and since i was freezing i got the Dawgs Hot Tottie. My new favorite drink!!!

Wow! Such beautiful views! But this review isn’t about the view, it’s about the food. Wow. So bland. So unappetizing. So… yuck.
We started off with an order of fried calamari that came sitting in a pool of grease. I get it, it’s fried, but couldn’t you let it rest in the basket a few minutes, or toss it our onto a sheet lined with paper towels or something? Besides the grease, there really wasn’t any other flavor to it. I found it a little over cooked, but my husband said he likes it «crunchy».
For my entrée, I ordered the crab and shrimp cakes. I’ve had better crab cakes from the frozen section of Fred Meyer. They came with a side of steamed vegetables that we’re completely bland and unseasoned, and garlic mashed potatoes that contained no trace of garlic, or any other seasoning. The potatoes were also completely overcooked — you know how potatoes get all gritty and starchy when you boil them too long? Yeah, like that. You could tell something was off just looking at them. At first I thought they were instant potatoes, but they were actually worse than that.
My husband ordered the surf and turf with shrimp. His also came with the bland steamed veggies, but he chose rice as his second side. Surprise, surprise — no seasoning to be found. His steak was well cooked — medium well, just like he asked — but needed lots of steak sauce to give it any flavor.
The food made me think of a rest home I visited about 15 years ago. Why do people always think that children and the elderly don’t have taste buds? But I digress…
Aside from the food, our table was very small and awkward. I know they’re trying to give everyone that million dollar view, but when it means half your seat is taken up by a beam, it’s hard to enjoy yourself.
Needless to say, this place was a HUGE disappointment. We won’t ever be going back — there are plenty of other places to get an equally beautiful view.

so I made the mistake of coming here on a Fri afternoon. this being my first time at pikes place, I had no idea. my son and I were hungry, so we ducked into this place. to get a table would have taken 15 – 20 min, so we sat at the bar. I sat in the same seat Tom Hanks sat in when he filmed the movie… but I didn’t feel any more kind of special.
knowing I was hungry, I ordered the bowl of clam chowder, a cup of seafood gumbo, and a corn dog kids meal. I was worried the bowl of clam chowder wouldn’t be enough, but it was filled to the brim… more than I expected.
the clam chowder was good… can’t say it was spectacular or anything, but I did enjoy it and would get it again. the seafood gumbo… not so much. from the first bite I knew I didn’t like it, but gave it a few more objectionable bites thinking maybe it would change. nope, still nasty. it was tomato-​y (not a word I know), and slightly spicy… when it should have been so much more. so I recommend passing on that and trying something else.
for that and the kids meal, the total was 14.23…much less than I expected to pay. it also helped that the waiter removed the gumbo from the bill.
the guy next to me had a plate full of lobster legs that looked fantastic… maybe I’ll indulge next time.

Great place in the Pike Place market to grab brunch or some seafood. If you’re 2 – 3 people, get a seat on the 2^nd floor by the window for a wonderful view of Puget Sound!
The Fishwich is a huge sandwich — great value. The coleslaw isn’t heavy either, it’s fresh slaw. Sub for the side salad to make the meal more balanced.

Visiting from Atlanta and a friend from here recommended this place. I would have given this place four stars but husband insisted I give it five. Staff was friendly, ambiance was nice, great view, reasonably priced, and pretty good food. I had the salmon fish and chips while the husband had the Fishwich. We gobbled them up like there was no tomorrow.
My two cents: Well worth the wait if there is one.

The waiter took 1 hr to take entrée orders. He forgot about us. Then, he got all of our orders wrong. He didn’t have a pad when he took it down. Then, he had the audacity to sound defensive when we asked why our orders were changed. We asked in a really polite manner. I just asked, oh i think we ordered mashed potatoes as the side. And he just bum rushed out. Very sad service. Very sad time. He was also upset when we asked politely for our orders to be taken an hour later after being seated. He said that he thought we ordered already lol! My family likes to respond to impolite people with kindness so we left a great tip and lots of thank yous. I hope they feel guilty for ruining what was supposed to be a special day.

Great bloody Mary’s love this place for the Mary incredible taste. The breakfast was kind of not really anything impressive and actually compared to what’s around I would go back just for the bloody. Service was good and prices were great for pike place. Not a bad place and I’m not slamming it at all. It’s just not like a Beth’s or a Voula’s. It is your basic bacon, egg, sandwich type which is great. People there are all really nice and cool just the breakfast itself was really average.

Just got to town and stumbled in here – fortunately. I had the excellent fish and chips which was hot and fresh and served with the best tartar sauce I’ve ever had. My husband had the copper river salmon which he also gave 5 stars. Good service, beautiful view!

Came here today on a whim since my husband and I were already walking through Pike Place and wanted a good and kinda quick sit down place.
I ordered the fish and chips and my husband order fish tacos. I could tell the fries were frozen, which was a turn off. My fish, was also drenched in oil. There was actually a small puddle of it on my plate. I had to keep dabing my fish to get the oil off. It was awful. The fish itself was not bad though. My husbands fish tacos were also really good.

Waitress with purple hair. Rocked! Crab Benedict delish, Hasbrowns excell! Haven’t been here in years, I’ll be back soon!

Outstanding happy hour! About ten very modestly priced fresh appetizers with everything from seafood, beef, pork and chicken. Frosty pint mugs on many local beers were also discounted. Our server was Joshua and he hooked us up with knowledge of the local beers and attentive service. Management of this fine establishment should recognize his efforts (and he didn’t pay me to write this).
My girlfriend tried the vodka sirracha oyster shooter thing. It was her first foray into oysters and she went head first. Get them here since this is truly a unique dish!

These guys did a pretty good job nailing it when it comes to serving seafood right at Pike Place Market. Apparently, Tom Hanks was here for Sleepless in Seattle but I later found out that there are a ton of restaurants out in Seattle that he has been to, so apparently it’s not that special.
They have a pretty darn good view while you eat. They made sure that everyone was sat at the tables with the view, should get 5 stars just for being cool like that.
I had the Prawns and Chips and I have no complaints. Except for a few fries, I finished my plate. My wife had their version of Eggs Benedict with crab cakes instead of Canadian Bacon. I happened to try a bite and although mine was good, it made me want what she was having.
The bill was a little high but it is Seattle and one of the most touristy places in Seattle, so it’s expected.
Definitely worth going back.

WOW. From the view to the service to the food– this place is a-​ma-​zing! Not just that but the history here is rich. Tom Hanks sat at the bar in sleepless in Seattle. We had the smoked salmon Benedict and all I can say is hands down the best Benedict I’ve ever had. Portions were huge. My daughter mentioned that we were sharing and they split it for us into two plates. That kind of service is the kind that earns a place it’s 5^th star. Going above and beyond without having to ask. Thoughtful service that makes you feel at home. Melvin was our server and from start to finish he was a rockstar. Hats off to you gent. Thank you, Athenian, for the best breakfast I’ve had in a long time.

Eggs Benedict all day, everyday? I’m sold.
I’m a recent transplant from Cleveland and I’m slowly learning what’s good/​what I like in downtown Seattle. One thing that brings some familiarity of home is down-​to-​earth diner fare. And what I loved about Athenian was the familiarity of the laid back food, but the fresh, delicious seafood, view and flair that I love about Seattle.
Thankfully, I’ve made awesome friends already who are savvy, local experts. Otherwise, who knows how long it would have been before I tried this place. This time around I opted for the traditional eggs Benedict. It was delicious and prepared just the way I asked. I’m a pretty big fan of shredded hash browns and these were perfect – crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Next time, I’m going to have to order a seafood dish of some kind. I mean, obviously. But I know it’s not going to be easy to say «no» to the eggs benny.
It’s under a mile walk from my place and you get to walk though Pike Place Market, which is always a treat. What’s not to love? Touristy? Maybe. A delicious, laid-​back classic? Definitely.

THE go to lunch joint at The Market.
The cod fish and chips are what you should order if it’s your first time.
The french fries are always GREASY and LOVELY. The beer is always delightfully cold.
The views are always wonderful. Nearly every seat is at a window overlooking Elliot Bay.
The service is always friendly and excellent.
We’ve eaten at Athenian at least 5 times over the last couple of years and will keep coming back many more times!

Busy restaurant at Pike’s Place Market. Apparently it’s been around for many years and it even makes an appearance in Sleepless in Seattle yet I knew nothing of this before coming here.
I was looking for a sit down restaurant in the area as I was trying to avoid the long lines at many of the stalls in the market. This place had a spot at the bar so I just went for it. I ordered the fish and chips since I figured I should at least some seafood while in Seattle. While there was plenty of food, I wish the fish was a bit more flavorful. It was somewhat bland in my opinion. Service was okay considering how busy it was but could have been better.

«Taste vs atmosphere»
The food isn’t all that great from what we tasted. We had the fresh salmon that was overcooked and overpowered by the garlic sauce that they poured on it. It may have been fresh but it sure tasted like frozen. Even the asparagus was overcooked. Off night? It wasn’t crowded so it couldn’t have been because they had too many orders. The side Athenian salad was pretty good but nothing to write home about. The service was great, friendly and attentive servers. Not pushy at all.
So the draw? Views overlooking the water, especially from the window booth seats were fantastic. Going there at sunset has to be that optimal treat.
Another draw? Movie buffs– you can sit at the counter where Tom Hanks & Rob Reiner sat in «Sleepless in Seattle». Located right across the greeters stand in the front– ask, they’ll point it out.
Recommendation: go for happy hour specials and small plate stuff, order a cool tall one and watch the sunset from a great view restaurant, take a pic at the SIS counter. Worth checking out.

I didn’t know this restaurant was featured in Sleepless in Seattle and that’s probably what drives most of the customers in because everything else was just ‘alright.’ Walking through Pike Place Market, it was one of the better sit down restaurants we found that had an amazing view, so we gave it a try.
First off, the host was not very friendly. We asked for a table of five and she literally said okay and then walked away from us. Not sure if we were supposed to follow her, so I asked another host who had the most puzzling look on his face as if he didn’t know what we were doing in there. We asked again for a table and finally the first girl came back with menus and basically dropped us off to our table (which was also a bit crammed). Not the best way to be greeted, but at least she gave us a table right by the window with an awesome view.
As for the food, I ordered the a clam chowder and the Seafood Bowl. The presentation was not that great but I was surprised at how good all the seafood was. Everything I ate was noticeably fresh as if it was all caught that day. The broth was a nice touch and perfect for the cold weather. However after a while the taste did get a bit bland. I had to constantly add salt and pepper for a little flavor after every bite and eventually got bored of the dish. Not to mention, the price of the dish was pretty steep for what it looked like, but I’m assuming it was because of how fresh everything was.
All in all, not the best choice for a restaurant while I was visiting Seattle. I don’t see myself coming back here on my next trip.

DER Wahrscheinlich beste Platz im Pikes Place um den sagenhaften Ausblick über die gesamte Bucht zu genießen !!
Typisch nach dem Motto «wait to be seated» kann man nach dem Empfang zwischen dem Barbereich (der auch Tische am Fenster hat + Happy Hour) und dem Restaurantbereich wählen.
Die volle Speisekarte gibt es auch im Barbereich, welches mein Lieblingsplatz ist. Hier kann man an den kleinen Tischen super reaxen und eines der lokalen Biere probieren. Grossartig! Toll ist das Konzept Snacks zum Bier: Allerhand Kleinigkeiten (Popcorn Shrims, Buffalo Chicken Wings, Fish & Chips, …) gibt es nur in Kombi mit einer Gerstenkaltschale — 5 $ für die Pilsette + ca 3 $ für super Fingerfood.
In dem Barbereich kommen Abends ein Haufen «Locals» aus dem Fischmarkt.
Und zu guter letzt: hier wurde auch «Schlaflos In Seattle» gedreht :) !!!

Tres bon rapport qualite prix, jolie salle avec du cachet, vue agreable, bonne cuisine et service sympa en plein coeur de Pike Market… allez y