Altura

Atmosphere is nice though, I do quite like the 'casual fine dining' thing they have going.Service however is subpar.The food is lackluster for such a fine dining experience. There's nothing wrong with the portion size, the ingredients they use, or anything like that. Just... there's nothing special at all about the food. It's not even 'different', really. It all tastes okay... not bland or overseasoned or anything like that, but just okay. Imagine if you get a meal from a cafeteria or something? It's kind of like that. And yes, there's original spins on the food, but that shouldn't be a sole determinant of whether the food is 'good' or not.

We ate here for my wife's birthday. Their tasting menu is fantastic. I felt as if I was taken on a culinary journey. The restaurant was not overly crowded. This place is a great choice for any special occasion. I'm looking for an excuse to go back.

This might be one of the most amazing food experiences of my life. I'm not even sure I can properly describe it. So apparently their menu changes daily and that's so difficult to know because that just means I'm going to constantly want to go back but my wallet knows better unfortunately. The service was amazing and I like the concept of going in without knowing what we'll eat (and being given the menu at the end of the meal as a souvenir). Each course was incredibly creative, delicious, beautifully, and unique. I really want to describe each one of them but then this would turn into an essay. But it also sounds contrived to say that it wasn't just a meal, but a mind-opening experience. I just couldn't hold in my shock with each bite that the food could taste the way it did. My head literally kept shooting up from the food to look at my boyfriend to try to express the feelings I was feeling from the food. Did I mention that EVERYTHING was amazing??? Even the things that were raw (very few) which I normally really can't eat. And there were so many courses that we started counting down and guessing how much more we would get. We also had an extra entree - during one of the courses, there was a small little blip in the food (not anything big at all and nothing that hindered my enjoyment of the food) so to make it up for us, we got both the entrees: both the lamb and the wagyu. And we were STUFFED by the end. Like couldn't have managed a single more bite stuffed. We didn't get a drink pairing either but did do a couple cocktails. I like the pairing options though: their menu had a wine pairing, non-alcoholic pairing, and a "balancing act" where they alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic. I also really liked the number of desserts: the first one before the entree as a palate cleanser, 2 more after the entree, and a box of sweets to take home. Overall everything was so thoughtfully and tastefully done, the chefs looked like they were having fun in the kitchen, and through the entire FOUR hours of the meal, I had a blast. Never would've guessed how long we stayed there. The next day, my friend tried to get me to do a tasting menu at another place and I realized that my taste buds had already been so overwhelmed at Altura that I physically couldn't lol.

We came here for my birthday dinner with my family and it was the best meal I've had in Seattle. Yes, it's pricey but food quality is superior to other restaurants with the sameprice point. We splurged for the wagyu course and it melted in your mouth- totally worth it.

I am a HUGE fan of Altura. I came with my boyfriend for our one year anniversary, and I came again with my parents for my dad's birthday, and both times were great. Our first time, we sat at the counter and watched the chefs assemble the courses, which was a great experience. I had the opportunity to talk to Chef Lockwood, which was highly entertaining :) Our second time, we sat at a table, which was better for conversation. I actually liked our second meal more in terms of yumminess but both meals were equally interesting.One thing I love about Altura is the fact that they give you a menu and dessert at the very end, so you can do your own research afterwards while you eat a dessert at home. It also helps to not dwell on what you just ate while you are anticipating the next part of the meal. I kept thinking that I would be too full, but each course was spaced out with enough time.Each time I have come, I have not wanted to drink, so I am very thankful that they have a mocktail part of the drinks menu. The second time, I didn't like any of the mocktail options (all were citrusy), but our waiter made me an alternative option that was delicious. Love the flexibility of the entire kitchen! If I had it my way, I'd be coming back for every big event in my life! Will definitely be back.

The food is EVERYTHING! Our meal was spectacular and worth every penny. The flavors, textures, temperatures, colors, and plating were all very purposeful. It was a meal I will not soon forget. I won't specify what we had because it changes every day. I will be back! The only 2 improvements would be: 1) larger wine pours. At $22/glass I want wine in my glass. I felt they skimped there by a lot!! And 2) invest in new chairs that aren't worn and torn. For the amount of money I paid for dinner, I don't want a cheep torn chair to sit on. Other than that, everything was a pleasure. The service was lovely. The staff was knowledgeable about the food. Dinner through dessert was paced well - definitely didn't leave hungry!

I used to read about Altura often, but I never got around to dining here the last time I lived in the Emerald City.  Now that I'm back again, I made a point of connecting with one of my fellow food adventurers to head here for dinner.  I turned out to be even better than I had imagined it would be!Altura has a multi-course tasting menu they create each day, using seasonal ingredients sourced from both the garden and from the sea.  Your server will describe each plate as it's served, and a menu with full details for each course is provided at the end of the meal.  The meal begins with a series of small bites (know in Italy as Stuzzichini), and then progresses to several beauitfuilly presented and well-plated dishes.  There are various house-made beverages (wine, beer, and/or non-alcoholic) available to pair with with your meal.Tip: The price for the tasting menu is $175 per personService is attentive, the venue is small and cozy and the overall feel is warm and intimate.  Each and every course in our meal was off-the-charts delicious, so it's impossible to single out any single dish as a favorite; when you dine at Altura the entire dining experience will become an instant favorite!

Most likely the most sophisticated Seattle trying to emulate the Michelin model. My problem is, this was closer to Japanese cuisine, portions and pacing than Italian. I left hungry as this simply missed one or two dishes with a real portion. One ravioli, one meat bite, the entire wonderful adventure feels "sample size." The kitchen needs one large cook.

We had the best dinner here on my husband's 50th birthday. I treated him to a trip to Seattle to mark the occasion, and for the actual day of his birthday, I knew I had to find somewhere special. As foodies, we love a good tasting menu, and after doing some research, I decided to make a reservation at the chef's counter at Altura. I highly recommend reserving at the counter so you can see the chefs preparing each course. We shared a bottle of champagne rather than doing a wine pairing (reds give me migraines), but the sommelier also gave us a very generous taste of a sparkling from England that he had open (we'd never tried a sparkling from England before). Every course was delicious and innovative. They also had A5 Wagyu available as well as a supplement, and we happily added it to our menu - so rich and tender - served with some flaky salt to dip into. I am also not big on lamb personally, and when they learned that, our server happily mentioned that they could substitute a fish course instead. It was cooked in a brown butter sauce and was so tender and flaky - I loved it!Every course was amazing. The menu changes so I won't go into everything that we had, but trust the chefs - they will surprise and delight with every bite. At the end of the meal, I had ordered the add-on cake for my husband's birthday, but they asked whether we would like to have a slice or just have it packed up, and after all of the amazing food we had to pack it up and take it with us. It survived the flight back home (haha - TSA asked me if I had anything prohibited, and then asked me instead if I had something delicious when they saw it), and it tasted amazing the next few days - the best cake we've ever had! The decor is warm and welcoming - perfect for a special occasion such as ours. At the end of the night, the sommelier also asked if we would like to have some grappa, and gathered the chefs to toast my husband's 50th before we headed out. It was a perfect way to end the night. We have been to several Michelin star restaurants, and while Michelin doesn't rate this region, Altura keeps up with some of the best (I think just behind SingleThread and Atelier Crenn, but don't tell Thomas Keller that I said so, lol). We loved Seattle, and Altura was the highlight of our trip.

Great tasting menu, little pricey but worth it. Awesome spot in Cap hill.