Ventana Restaurant

I was lucky enough to make it back for their last day. I will miss this place greatly and I hope chef Joseph Conrad lands somewhere soon because I am really looking forward to seeing what he does next. Our usual waitress Carin was there and took excellent care of us as always.
I would review the food and the view and all of the other wonderful stuff that will be missed but, I would only further depress me that I will no longer be able to come here.

Can any other restaurant compete against Ventana’s Happy Hour?
Let’s see what Ventana has to offer:
+ HALF OFF the entire dinner menu and drink specials at the bar
+ 2 Happy Hour sessions! 4:30 — 7:30pm and 10:30 — Close
+ wonderful view of the sound
+ Elysian Men’s Room on tap, pint for $ 3
+ $ 6.50 for super juicy Chicken and Waffles
+ $ 3 Truffle Fries where the smell of the truffle on your breath last for hours
After reviewing their information, can anyone find another restaurant that can beat all these traits? I really don’t think so.

I need to listen to Katyface more often. She told us about this place and I never ventured in. Whoa.
I tried to arrange a pre-​funk here before a business event and a few people got lost. So it just ended up being me and a buddy. Since it was just the two of us, we settled in a bit and decided to take our time.
Steak and eggs and a Ventana burger, along with a couple of rounds of Manny’s. The steak was good… good to my order and his burger was huge! Half price during HH!
There’s a gorgeous view outside and because we were on the early side, we found street parking right outside.
I’m coming back and I’m listening to Katy now!

HH all day Sunday FTW!
This time, we had…
the Short ribs
truffle fries
lamb
chicken soup
oysters
Oysters, truffle fries were great as expected. Got the thai chili sauce for the oysters on the side and I’m glad I did bc the sauce was definitely sweeter than what I would have expected. I ended up eating the oysters w/​o any sauce and they were tasty and fresh.
The lamb wasn’t bad, but the portion was quite small. The chicken soup was unremarkable and the short ribs would’ve have been great except it was way too salty. Definitely could’ve reduced the salt on the meat or it would have been good with a side of rice (or some starch).
Bottom line: The truffle fries never disappoint! And is definitely one of the main reasons to come here. Otherwise, stick to the chick and waffles, oysters, or hot dog.
20% gratuity for parties of 6 or more.

I didn’t realize Ventana and Twist are owned by the same owner until I saw them next to each other and receipt showed «Twist». I’ve heard good things about Ventana from friends. Finally, I got to try it! Though, I wasn’t sure if Seattle Restaurant Week would be a good time to try it since they already had a pretty good regular menu.
Location 4 STARS
It’s very close to the water front. If you drive, there will be tons of street parking on Western or Elliott. If you are taking public transportation, there are a lot of bus routes going to Beltown and walking distance to pretty much everywhere.
Décor 4 STARS
High Ceiling, modern, and relaxing. Two areas: Bar and dining seating. My friend, Leakhena and I were seated by window table and were able to enjoy the view.
Service 4 STARS
The hostess was able to recognize my name as soon as I told her my reservation time and we were seated within 1 min. The server was able to introduce us with both regular and Restaurant Week menus.
Food 4 STARS (
)
I had pan seared sea scallops and alaskan troll king salmon. They were probably seasoned and cooked. The sea scallops were really fresh. Without the curry sauce, I actually tasted the original sweetness from the scallop itself. Alaskan King Salmon was cooked medium rare. That’s the way I wanted. Over all, the food was very delicious. My eyes are always bigger than my stomach. But, after all three course plus a glass of wine, the portion was just enough for dinner. However, I feel the dessert, nutella was not my kind of dessert. Though, putting good food on Restaurant Week menu is a good way to promote. I am a good big!
I enjoyed Ventana. I would like to go back and try their Happy Hour and food on regular menu.

So… I had no idea this place existed until I came here for a friend’s birthday party. And I assume another friend liked Ventana so much that he wanted to have his birthday here too. It was so much fun both times! For the first party, we had lots of shots and cocktails… and my oh my were they stiff. *thumbs up*
Their happy hour deal is definitely tough to beat especially with AMAZING FOOD & DRINKS. beers were like $ 3 until midnight or something… even Stellas!!! Can you believe it? AND, don’t even get me started on the truffle fries. I’m seriously on a quest to find the best truffle fries in Seattle… I thought I came close at Saltoro in Greenwood but the portion at Ventana is way more reasonable. Ventana is now on top in terms of truffle fries and a lot of other things actually… it’s a pretty huge restaurant and the dim lighting is romantic.
I can definitely see it as a cozy, warm place for a nice date and a place to unwind after a long day at work. It’s right next to Twist so I can’t believe I’ve never noticed it before… but anyway, COME HERE AND EAT THEIR TRUFFLE FRIES AND DRINK THEIR $ 3 BEERS. DO IT.

Service was a little slow even though they restaurant didn’t have that many people there. But the food was tasty. The small plates were really small so when they describe it that way they’re doing an accurate job describing.
I would only go for happy hour. Everything is half off their dinner menu. I had the fried chicken and waffles. And their truffle fries were great. they were savory, and had a lot of flavor (maybe I’m just a sucker for truffle flavor).
The decore of the location was really fancy, but I guess that’s what you’re going to get when you’re in the Belltown area of Seattle.

Joseph Conrad the author, wrote one of the most famous, story-​within-​a-​story novels with «Heart of Darkness,» about the dark and complex nature of the human psyche.
Joseph Conrad the chef, concocted one of the most delectable, elegant and perfectly cooked pieces of snapper last night, adorned with perfectly crisped skin, swimming in a little pool of curry that we wiped clean with the rosemary bread. It made my psyche experience joy and happiness and none of the darkness that I felt when I read the book by the other Mr. Conrad.
On our second visit to Ventana, it seems that Mr. Conrad cranked up the delicious dial to 10. The oysters with Thai chili topping, the fry bread that will figure prominently in my dreams, and of course, the aforementioned fish.
If you add to that exemplary service by Jaime, my current favorite server in the universe, you have a near-​perfect dining experience.
Don’t get me started on the s’more, a brownie confection filled with sumptuous creamy filling and served with a dollop of cinnamon ice cream. It makes me all crazy in the head, especially since I’m eating a plain salad for lunch today, to make up for the thousands of calories ingested last night. Trust me, the extra time on the elliptical is worth it.

I had mixed feelings about Ventana when it first opened. But I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt before writing a review and I waited till I went back a few times before making my final opinion.
They have figured out the happy hour and makes their menu very affordable, half off their menu and drink specials.
Truffle fries are AMAZING!!! Chicken and Waffles WONDERFUL!!! Rib and watermelon are so yummy. These are my favorites, but the best this is the red velvet cake!!! I will be going back to Ventana, A LOT! ;)

Time after time the service, food, and experience are wonderful. The view is great overlooking the Sound. You can see the sunset and the ferry come and go.
Whether happy hour or dinner, the experience is great. Like most restaurants, you get better service when you are sitting in the dining room vs. the bar which makes sense considering all the food is half price during happy hour! Happy hour is every day from 4−6pm and 10−1am.
My favorite dishes are the pork ribs, the Ventana Burger, and the chicken and waffles but almost everything I’ve had here has been top notch. If you come with a friend you should probably order 3 dishes to make sure you have enough food since they are small plates. If you order the burger with fries that is a lot of food so you could probably order only one other item and be satisfied.
Ventana is easily one of my top 5 favorite restaurants. And… the margaritas have jalapenos in them! Yum.

Second time at Ventana and even more impressed than before. The main reason being Dante, the most amazing server I’ve ever had. Really.
I mean who remembers that you’re a pescatarian AND what you ordered the last time you came (which was 2 months ago and my first time!). If you’re at Ventana (which you should be, and if you’re not, go there!) then ask for Dante. He’ll describe each menu item in such savory detail that your mouth will be watering in no time.
And the food. Oh the food! We tried some new menu items this time, all were also amazing. We had the truffle oil fries, truffle potato soup, ahi tuna sliders, and joes fettuccine pasta. All delicious. If i had to pick one as the least fav of all ordered I think it would be the pasta… but it was still good.
And to top it all, you can’t beat their happy hour prices! So go to Ventana asap, and ask for Dante. It’ll become one of your new favs, trust me.

All good things must come to an end…
Not Ventana, thank God. But the Sunday Supper.
And that, my dears, is sad. The small holiday crew gathered, having feasted on Basque cuisine, and lingered after dinner to digest it, and the announcement, and to just sit with the chef and glasses of wine. Silky piquillo pepper enfolded salt cod, gorgeous white beans with a pink wisp of chorizo, thick-​sliced golden potatoes bathed in a just-​sweet cinnamon tomato sauce, saffron paella studded with frutos del mar, ivory-​smooth caramel flan, and that’s barely the half of it… Of all the suppers I’ve attended and loved and turned over and over to savor in my culinary brain, this was the best.
So, of course, saved for last. Lovely.
Sunday Suppers I will miss. But I am delighted that other suppers (wine! tequila!) will materialize, and other tables will groan under the weight of some of the best, most perfectly innovative-​yet-​simple food in Seattle. And that I still have a place, my only place in Seattle, where I can go and someone does know my name and I can eat too many luscious small plates and look out at the lights on Elliott Bay and sip deep dark red wine and just be at home. And grateful.

I just can’t find anything to dislike about their happy hour.
I first found myself here for an elite event pre-​funk, so we had a group of about 12. The waitress was fantastic the entire time, we enjoyed our cocktails, and the food was delicious. I was especially fond of the truffle fries and the carlton farms pork spare ribs. (Mmmm… minted warmelon salad.)
On my second visit I was alone and sat at the bar. The bartender was fantastic, I enjoyed the window view across the room, and the very filling and delicious olive oil poached tuna salad. The tuna was just right, the arugula was a great «green» addition, and the six minute egg was very filling (and new to me). It really is great when a salad can be a perfect meal!
Next on my to-​try list:
* cattail creek farms lamb leg: baby bok choy, roasted quince, vindaloo spice jus
* truffled chesnut veloute: dungeness crab, lobster cream, local black truffles
* lustrous pomret: puttanesca, chantrelle mushrooms, spanish olive oil

Weeknight happy hr w/​8 girlfriends — server Dave took excellent care of us, great service throughout.
Too-​good-​to-​be-​true happy hr (4:30−7:30, 10pm-​2am — impressive), ½ off cocktails/​select wines/​all food.
Dangerous cocktail list w/​plenty of tempting creations. Had the plum habana (plum lavender mojito), other recs would be magic bullet (bourbon), flaming mango, dirty parisian (martini)
Ventana is a small plates concept, would be slightly overpriced but is a remarkable steal during HH.
Ranked in order of recommendation:
(4) carlton farms pork spare ribs w/​minted watermelon salad, pomegranate glaze, cocoa nibs — grilled to perfection, glaze lightly crispy while ribs still very juicy. elegantly presented, watermelon adds refreshing complement.
(3.8) truffled chesnut veloute (lobster bisque w/​dungeness crab, black truffles) — perfect for winter, is as indulgent as it sounds, was a terrific hit.
(3) truffle fries w/​black truffle oil, truffle salt — well done, well salted. these were polished off as well.
(3) fried chicken & waffles w/​cheddar waffle, mashed potato, maple brown butter glaze — server introduced this as their top-​seller, but wasn’t particularly blown away. maple brown glaze on the waffle was a nice touch.

(2) painted hills beef short rib w/​sunchoke purée, swiss chard, hazelnuts — while swiss chard was delicious, hazelnuts enhanced overall flavor, but sadly ribs were way too salty.
(2.5) red velvet cake w/​chantilly cream, fresh berries, raspberry sauce — cake itself was delicious, but cream frosting was a bit heavier than my tastes.
(2) cardamom donut holes w/​raspberry fonduta, chantilly cream — these were surprisingly doughy/​heavy. Head to Tom Douglas (Lola, Dahlia Lounge/​Bakery) for much better donuts — made to order, airy to perfection, freshly shaken w/​cinnamon sugar tableside.

This is definitely one of the more swankier places to eat in Belltown… but that usually means a really good deal for HH! Everything on the bar menu is half off which is a steal. There are specials for beer/​drafts and cocktail specials around $ 5…I tried their Carin’s Key Lime Pie and it was pretty good!
Most of the food for HH do come out in smaller portions, but I recommend getting the Ventana burger for the best deal in terms of portion size. The burger is legit… it’s stuffed with chili relleno and cheese AND comes with bacon. Try asking to substitute their normal fries for their famous truffle fries with that and you got the best combo! For $ 6.50 how can you beat that? One of my other favorites is the chicken and cheddar waffles with chive mashed potatoes and maple butter.
The ambiance is not too loud which is perfect for holding a convo with the person next to you, and it is really nice and spacious inside. The service was pretty attentive and our waiter was nice in helping us decide on what to order. I would stick to coming here during HH in the future :)

Half price off ALL food items and drinks from 430pm-​730pm and 10pm-​midnight daily = sweet deal. I would avoid coming here when you have to pay full price. (Check website in case hours change.) 3 stars for Ventana at full price, but 4 stars for half price.
The first time I came to Ventana I was unimpressed and probably would not have come back had I not had a Groupon to use up. My second, third, and fourth visits were MUCH better.
Ventana has a big space, and it doesn’t seem to fill up. You probably will not need a reservation unless you have a large group.
The food is overall good, interesting, and nicely plated. The cocktails sound tastier than they are and are a bit weak on alcohol content.
Dishes I’ve tried listed below in three tiers:
== Yea dishes ==
— Chicken and waffles: Yummy. The mashed potatoes underneath are delicious, especially if you mix in the fried bits of chicken skin that fall off!
— Poached tuna salad: Love the «barfing egg.» Dijon aioli and the dressing are good.
— Coffee & coco rubbed flat iron steak: The kale and cipolinni onions on the side were delicious.
== Ok dishes ==
— Truffle fries: Unless you really really love fries, you might want to avoid these if you are getting either the slider or burger as both come with piles of fries, less the few drops of truffle oil.
— Ahi slider: A bit small for sharing.
— Ventana burger
— Crispy skin coral cod: Very small piece of fish. Not that special.
— Roasted maitake mushrooms
== Nay dishes ==
— Rosemary bread with truffled parmesan butter: A lot like a flaky Chinese green onion pancake but way too greasy! The butter, which would have been great with bread, made the grease levels worse.
— Edamame: I never know why people pay for this stuff. The sea salt doesn’t add much unless you plan to suck on the pods.
— Buffalo mozzarella: Flavorless and overly salty.
— Carbonara: You can get better elsewhere.
— Almond joy: A bit too dry.

TRUFFLE FRIES!
CHARRED BROCCOLI!
EDAMAME WITH SOME TASTY TASTINESS SPRINKLED ON THEM!
MUSSELS!
BEST KEY LIME PIE COCKTAIL IN SEATTLE!
Have I mentioned TRUFFLE FRIES?
So. Belltown. Not exactly my favourite neighbourhood, but I will go there if it means I get a cone of yummy truffle fries.
After playing frogger to get across the street, my Unilocal Elite cohorts and I met up with more Unilocal Elite cohorts for a UYE.
This was my second time @ Ventana & definitely the more enjoyable of the two b/​c I actually got to sample more tasty bites.
And a delicious cocktail.
And great service.
And a clean table.
And we could actually talk w/​o shouting over the music.
Ventana’s happy hour is awesome — half off everything and cocktails are good and cheap. For 4 fancy Stella beers, a key lime pie cocktail, plus 2 appetizers, it came to a whopping $ 29.
Now THAT, my friends, is a fucking deal.
We’ll be back. You can count on it.

WOW! I was impressed with Ventana!
We made reservations for 6pm on a Friday night, as we walked in, there was only one other occupied table. I noticed how nice the space was and although it was a cloudy, rainy Seattle day — we still enjoyed the views of Elliott Bay out the huge window near our table.
We got there in time for happy hour, which seems like an amazing deal (½ off the entire menu?!!) but we had a groupon to use and unfortunately groupons aren’t valid for HH. No worries — we’ll be back! We started with some cocktails — the Bolero Margarita & Magic Bulliet — both were just ok.
THE IMPORTANT STUFF: THE FOOD
I already knew what I wanted going in… I do my research before hand! :)
I knew the fried rosemary bread and truffle fries were a must. I also wanted to try the burger and the chicken & waffles. The burger came with rosemary fries, but our waitress let us substitute the truffle fries for an extra $ 2…done!
Fried Rosemary bread: AMMMMMMMMMAZING!!! Holy cat, yum. Served w/​truffle butter? I could feel my arteries clogging up with each bite… but who cares, that didn’t stop me from eating MORE than my half.
Burger w/​Truffle fries: The burger was huge, filled w/​green chilles… it was pretty good but not the best I’ve ever had. The fries — they were good! I love how crispy they were, but honestly couldn’t taste ‘truffles’ on it… I wasn’t even sure if they actually did the upgrade like we had asked… oh well, they were delicious either way.
Chicken & Waffles: I liked that the chicken pieces were more like chicken strips — they were boneless, a plus in my book! The mashed potatoes were pretty good… the maple sauce that accompanied it was yum too!
Although I was stuffed — mostly of fried food yumminess… there is ALWAYS room for dessert. The Red Velvet cake here is so so good! Again, I ate more than my half… my poor bf needs to start eating faster.
So why just 4 stars? The service could use some improving. The hostess, waitress and busser were all nice, but they seemed liked they would rather be somewhere else.
Ventana — solid 4 stars! I will be back to take advantage of their HH soon! Good stuff!

I like small plates and I can not lie
You other brothers can’t deny
That when the waiter walks in with that big ol tray
And small plates in your face
You get sprung!
We got a deal through one of the discount group buying sites after a recommendation from Hannah L who clearly has excellent taste.
This place was amazing, gorgeous view (both of the sound and the hot bartender), nice laid back downtempo music, killer happy hour deals and amazing cocktails and great wine.
We ordered:
Truffle fries– Katy H was right, we couldn’t finish them, but we tried, they were like fried and re-​fried, with an extra crispy exterior, just the right amount of seasoning and yummmm-​mmmy.
Steamed edamame– came with this killer salt/​seasoning on the outside, a huge portion for $ 2 during happy hour.
Carlton farms pork spare ribs w/​ed watermelon salad, pomegranate glaze, cocoa nibs– OMG, Becky, look at those ribs! They were as meaty as Sir Mix Alot himself, and the flava was just as banging, watermelon salad had fresh coconut shavings (similar to shaved parmesean sized) and mint and made my mouth do a little dance, make a little love and got down that night.
ahi tuna crudo w/​shaved fennel salad, grapefruit vinaigrette, piment espellete– hubby had this, it was stacked in three neat piles with the ahi on the bottom and he made little noises I thought only I could make him make.
Then we had dinner…
flatiron steak w/​mashed potato, lacinato kale, vega de llos butter– this was a kick ASS steak sliced similar to a london broil, cooked to perfection (medium rare, people, always!) and topped with some heavenly blue cheese butter, with kale on one side and these soft as butta potatoes under as well. Yum. SUPER YUM.
Hubby had a fish dish that was the special I believe and after 2 of the Pom cocktails, well, I can’t remember it clearly… he liked it a great deal, I know that.
Then dessert…
We went with the bartender’s recommendation of the cardamom donut holes w/​raspberry fonduta, chantilly cream — you say chantilly cream, I die a little inside with anticipation. They came lightly rolled in sugar, with both of the ‘dipping sauces’ and were divine.
The total price of this extravagent meal– not including any discount, but including 2 cocktails and 3 glasses of really nice wine was just over $ 75, doesn’t seem spendy to me at all. The drinks were almost half the bill and the experience was worth twice that amount.
So, overall, I have to say that this place is a reason to go back to Belltown. SOON.

When I hear the word truffle fries, watch out! I had a date night here a while back and the reason I chose Ventana was because they have truffle fries. I’ve had them at various spots around town so it was necessary I come here to compare them. The Humboldt Fog dipping sauce in insane! The truffle oil was a little much for me as the serving portion was MASSIVE! I love when flavors pack a punch but I didn’t need a giant pile of fries. But hey — I know so many people who prefer larger portions to smaller. You totally get your money’s worth here!
I also ordered their bacon bloody mary that’s made entirely in-​house. It was to die for! Almost too spicy, it was the most creative and flavorful mary I’ve ever tasted.
The dishes here are lovely. Food is made using local ingredients and everything is fresh and delicious. It’s apparent that a lot of thought goes into each dish. To top it off, the service was excellent and the décor of the place is adorable. Ventana is Spanish for window and all of the tables in the restaurant are actually made from window frames. So creative! I could see this is a great spot to take someone on a date, take a parent, or friends from out of town.