Service in Seattle is about as fictional as Sleepless in Seattle so when one experiences an exception it is worth writing about. My family decided to hold a major family dinner event in Seattle. We needed to find a place that could host 14 people for dinner, in a 'special' location befitting the occasion. We selected the Waterfront Seafood Restaurant and we are glad we did. Everybody had a great time, everything went smoothly, the prices were reasonable, the view was wonderful and the food was good.
Waterfront is the fish equivalent of a steak house. They serve large chunks of high quality fish cooked to perfection with simple but satisfying sauces. While this may not necessarily be the most creative food on Earth, it is the type of food that works extremely well for large groups. Their name comes from their location right on Seattle harbor which affords an amazing view they take every advantage of. The restaurant itself is elegant but not 'black tie' fancy although the serving staff do run around in various states of formal dress. Our experience with the Waterfront showed what service should be but almost never is, at least in Seattle.
Arranging for the room was easy and well handled, the terms reasonable both in policy & price. The day of the event the staff was well prepared. The door staff knew where to direct people. Our photographer had shown up early and the staff helped him set up. The room itself was nice, very relaxing, although a bit tight for 14 people (it was hard to push the chairs in and out) and had a sumptuous view of Puget sound. The colored walls even made a great background for pictures, people looked alive rather than washed out.
The main waiter was really good. He directed everything and did it well. Orders were taken quickly but without rushing anyone. Food was served by a squadron of waiters but it was done so quickly and well that the conversation was barely interrupted. Food, water, bread, etc., all seemed to just appear. The end result was that the family could focus on the celebration rather than the restaurant.
The only time the restaurant intruded on the event was when we invited them to. For dessert we had a cake we had bought from Le Fournil Ltd. French Bakery. Waterfront doesn't have a bakery so they are happy to have you bring in your own cake and charge a reasonable platting fee. In addition we also purchased two baked Alaskas for the table. Waterfront has a whole show that goes with the baked Alaskas and it was a lot of fun. The waiter who handled the baked Alaskas did a great job of entertaining both the adults and the kids.
If you want to host a stress free event I can wholeheartedly recommend the Waterfront Seafood Grill in Seattle.