Central Bar + Restaurant

Rather than give the restaurant a 1 star rating, I wanted to leave all 3 stars (moderate) and write a detailed analysis. Two times we had OpenTable reservations at the Central, and both times we were asked to leave due to private events during December. The restaurant indicated they had issues with the OpenTable system, and I escalated those to OpenTable, who made it right. However, the restaurant indicated they reached out to my office on two occasions, but my IT, call center, and assistant had no trace of this call. Either way, if I make a reservation via OpenTable, and the restaurant needs to cancel, it should come via OpenTable notification. That is on both this property and OpenTable to figure out. Hopefully I will return to this great venue in the future, but I doubt I will book anything business related until the two systems are fixed.

Rather than give the restaurant a 1 star rating, I wanted to leave all 3 stars (moderate) and write a detailed analysis. Two times we had OpenTable reservations at the Central, and both times we were asked to leave due to private events during December. The restaurant indicated they had issues with the OpenTable system, and I escalated those to OpenTable, who made it right. However, the restaurant indicated they reached out to my office on two occasions, but my IT, call center, and assistant had no trace of this call. Either way, if I make a reservation via OpenTable, and the restaurant needs to cancel, it should come via OpenTable notification. That is on both this property and OpenTable to figure out. Hopefully I will return to this great venue in the future, but I doubt I will book anything business related until the two systems are fixed.

Service was slow but food and attention was very good

Central is great. Good place to watch the Football game, but quiet enough to still talk. Great food, fabulous staff.

Overall was great but the dish I ordered was not that great (halibut taco).

Nice time. Thank you

Food quality was very poor for a restaurant trying to compete in the upscale Bellevue restaurant scene. Ambiance is lively with a vibrant scene but that can't save the lack of quality in the cuisine. This was the third and last time we go back.

Great dinner but so loud it is hard to carry on conversations.

It is a very loud place. Been saying that since they opened and they havent done a thing about it. I ordered the sea bass and it came cold, no flavor. The waitress was very nice about it. Took it back and they made me a new one. Just ok, I wouldn’t order it again. It was bland.. it needs to be marinated or spiced up. The took a drink off. The other food was average but they charge above average prices. A good place for drinks.

Overall I’d say the experience lacked attention to detail and polish. I’m sure others have better experiences but not for me and my business partner. We should have left immediately based on seating. When we arrived, we were walked to the very back of the restaurant to the most remote and uncomfortable tables pressed agains a wall beside exterior glass doors. Hostesses were surprised that we didn’t want to sit by exterior doors on a cold day or that people with reservations would find that section undesirable. Since there were plenty of tables we requested a different one. The server at the new table was pleasant. The kitchen experience was also lacking - despite giving my autoimmune condition requirements in detail, wings came out with a key ingredient I cannot eat in the batter. It would have been helpful to not bite into the food to find out. My business partner’s food tasted good but immediately at her hotel room she spent the night expelling the food. On my end, I had to take emergency medication to minimize an autoimmune flare up.

When attempting to split the bill at $75 and the rest to balance, and one card was charged $8.75 and the other $85.85. This, for me, was disappointing and just lacked logic. I follow the restaurant online and was dying to try it. Well, I did.

Stopped for a quick dinner while Christmas shopping. I had the prime steak sandwich which was delicious. My wife had the fish and chips which was really enough for 2. She enjoyed it. Lots of great choices on the drink menu. Service was excellent. Our glasses were never empty. The place was very energetic. We plan to go again.

This is my 5th time here within the last couple of years and they haven’t missed a step. Service is very good, the food options are plentiful, prices are reasonable and it tasty. Great drink options and specials, doesn’t feel too crowded and it’s a great place for casual, romantic, group or solo.
Staff is engaging and super polite.

Amanda and Nicole took good care of me and my guest.

Food was creative n really good

It's a bit on the pricey side especially on drinks, but the food was excellent.

Great vibes overall!

food was cold. eggs were overcooked. the ham on the eggs benedict was cubed with like 5 cubes per english muffin. pricey for crap food and cutting corners. nothing had flavor. will never return.

Great environment and nice staff! The food is good too.

We go here a lot for everyday. Met a business associate there for dinner and he loved it as well. Excellent food, service and ambiance.

Meh. The location is solid in Bellevue and the atmosphere is good for an after-work get-together. The rest of the experience is mediocre. The food is average at best; either mass-produced/frozen/reheated or overly-sauced for many dishes. The cocktail menu is fancy and makes bold claims about itself but is middling at best.

This is a visually beautiful restaurant/bar and great location. First time we were there our food and drinks were fantastic. A few weeks later we brought some friends on a Saturday night to enjoy dinner with us. Our server was very nice but service was extremely slow. We ordered the same thing we had ordered a few weeks before because we liked it so much, but it was like a completely different dish! Definitely not as good and very over "seasoned". We didn't know that the menu could vary so much based on different chefs? We will probably try again to see if that was just perhaps and "off" night.

The ambiance, food, an server were amazing. I would have to say the two things that stood out the most were our server who was on point and attentive and the cocktails. The cocktails were different from other places we've frequented. The food options are plenty, making it a great place for diverse palates.

Appetizers and desert were awesome. The main meal was alright. Definitely have the caramel cheesecake, that made the meal fantastic!

REALLY loud. Start with a calamari appetizer which was so bland we chose to leave and go elsewhere.

The menu on their website is very different than the actual menu. Open table lists that happy hour is daily until 6pm but we were never offered a happy hour menu. Definitely won’t be coming back.

Great breakfast. Good food good attentice service. Definitely recommend.

Based on this last experience, I wouldn't recommend to a friend. I have frequented Central Bar & Restaurant 6 times and each time the service hasn't been great. During our last visit it was the worst. We kept having to waive down our server or asking others for water, black pepper etc. The food was just ok. Halibut was scorching and potatoes and vegetables cold. Server never came back to ask how everything was. Just to clear 1/2 eaten dishes.

Smooth reservation, prompt service and food was excellent

Good food, nice bar, picked the wrong time to go due to football game being on Tv and an extremely loud crowd of people sitting next to us

Great, quiet restaurant. Has televisions on though when it's a game day but I liked that. Food was good. Roasted cauliflower appetizer and steak salad was delicious. I didn't have alcohol but their cocktail menu looked great.

Great breakfast, perfect service, great value for the area

Thank you Central! I came with my girlfriends for dinner before my bachelorette party. I left a note about it on my Open Table reservation and we came in to a table with balloons and a bottle of champagne to congratulate me! That was so wonderful, thank you so much for hosting us. I love this place.

great experience on a Friday night. we celebrated our 22nd anniversary and had a wonderful time. our server was awesome and the hostess and management were great. I highly recommend Central for any occasion.

Had a wonderful meal. Everything was as ordered and our coffee cups were kept full. Our portions were just right, sometimes there is just too much food. The French toast was yummy and the scrambled eggs were done just right. It was nice to be seated in a timely manner and that the restaurant accommodates larger groups. We will be back.

Services was very slow and not attending.
Halibut was super salty, tuna was very plain and etc...

Loved our waitress

Appetizer was good- Flash fried cauliflower but thought they could have given more for the price that was charged

Food was good

Room for improvement- let your guests finish their salad before bringing out their entrees. They should be able to time it better. I still had half of my salad left and my husband wasn’t finished either.

Took a group here after a fun day of wedding dress shopping. The service was great. We were 20 minutes earlier than our reservation but seated immediately. And the food... amazing! I had a cobb salad but made a few substitutions including adding quinoa. There were no extra charges and I couldn't even finish the portion. So great! Will definitely go here again.

Very disappointed in the food. Selection was average, rather boring, nothing exciting or innovative. Worse was preparation. Calamari was delivered cold, small portion, gloppy aioli with congealed crust from sitting around. Macadamia encrusted halibut was recommended as best dish. Fish was mushy, not flakey, macadamia not crunchy. Fish and chips reported as fine, not greasy, nor memorable. Service was fabulous, Nichole was professional, personable, and responsive. Ambience super cool. Work on the food Central!

This is an amazing restaurant in Bellevue. Terrific location. The Central has terrific food and a great dining experience. What makes this restaurant special is it’s people. They are extremely friendly, attentive, and they make each dining experience a good one. The Central always makes you feel at home.

A hidden gem tucked between hotels and across the street from Bellevue Square. A perfect location to meet up for a drink and/or dinner. Outside seating is limited but available. It was surprising light for a Friday night, but we arrived at 6:30 pm; started to pickup as the night went on. Drinks were unique and good; the food was amazing! Great service too. Definitely worth a visit.