Ponti Seafood Grill

Went here the other night, started w/ happy hour, ended up staying for dinner, we were having such a great time. The new chef has really incorporated some great Northwest eats, the drinks are always great, and happy hour was sweet

Pros: The food and drink and ambiance

Cons: none

Posted 11/08/09

I go to many places for HH but always gravitate back to Ponti's. Maybe it's the great views on the patio in the summer, or the wonderful cocktails/wines. I think mostly it's the ambiance which is always classy but never stuffy. I only wish I could afford to dine here more often!

Pros: Good food, outdoor patio, view

Cons: Price!

Posted 05/22/09

Pontis is always a treat to visit.
I took my Husband on his Birthday. I forgot that I mentioned it was for his Bday when I made the reservation.So to our surprise there was a hand written Birthday card wishing him a Happy Birthday and to enjoy our dinner. Oh boy did we ever enjoy our dinner. I ordered the smoked Black Cod marinated in a miso type sauce. My Husband had the Saddle of beef fillet cooked to perfection as was mine. Along with Oysters on the half shell and the Tempura prawns for our appetizers.
Let me just say this..there was not any left overs to take home.
Also our waiter as well as all of the other staff took such good care of us we didn't want to leave .
My Husband I and everyone we know who has dinned at Pontis also has only great dinning experiences to report. It I would say is on the Seattle to do list for out of towners looking for a great meal as well as ambiance

Pros: The food the ambiance, also the service

Cons: Ahhhhhh......no I can't think of one:)

Posted 04/06/09

What a great dinner we had at Ponti. Honestly, I came here because a friend recommended it. I read a few of the reviews about the service not being great and was a little nervous. I'm big on good service when I go out and spend good money. The service we had was fine. I don't have any complaints to mention. They were pretty busy, but he seemed to stay on par all night with us. The food we had was spectacular! I am a seafood lover and the choices were so impressive. I had the fantastic ahi and my brother had a seafood pasta. Both were absolutely delicious. I will definitely be going back!

Pros: Amazing food

Cons: Crowded on weekends

Posted 10/05/08

I went here for the first time this weekend. The food was really good. I had the grilled halibut, and it was so flaky and perfect. Our table had a wonder full view of the water as a couple ships went by. It's cool because the dining room was large but felt very personal still. Definitely recommended for a romantic date or any occasion.

Pros: water view, FOOD

Posted 09/28/08

I went here for a celebration and has terrible service and the food made my stomach turn. I also ordered the Thai Curry Penne: Grilled Scallops, Dungeness Crab like the user below me, but mine was for dinner so it was $28, I was completely disappointed. It was awful! There was no crab, and the scallops was undercooked and all you could taste was the char burnt flavor from the grilling of the scallops. I would not go back nor ever recommend this place.

Pros: nice location

Cons: gross undercooked overpriced food

Posted 09/21/08

Richard Malia, I picked up your card on the way out of your wonderful establishment after we had just spent over two hours enjoying a superb diner (magnificently presented), admiring your beautiful dining room and accoutrements, world class service, and view of the canal and many sailing and powered craft that epitomized what the Seattle area is all about. Every detail of our evening was handled by your professional staff with remarkable flair and competence. My wife and I were in Seattle on business and of all our dining over the four days we were in Seattle yours was by far the finest!
You are to be commended for creating such a memorable dining experience. We shall be sure to both highly recommend Ponti Seafood Grill to others visiting Seattle and we will return ourselves when we visit the Seattle area in the future. Bravo!

Pros: Service, atmosphere, and food

Cons: I wish we lived closer

Posted 09/17/08

My wife and I went here for our anniversary and had a great time. Our waiter was great and was able to recommend a nice wine to go with our meal.

My wife had the salmon and she said it was the best she had had in a long time. It came server on a bed of mashed potatoes and was topped with fresh spinach. She said that it was the first time she had eatten everything on her plate.

I had marlin for the first time and it was excellent. It was grilled and served like ahi tuna, which made me a little leary of getting it, but our waiter said it was very good and I was willing to try something new. I am glad that I did. Whatever they used to grill it with gave it an extra smoky flavor that really added to the taste

While the restaurant was busy it was not loud and we were able to have a nice conversation while we ate. One of the best things was that not only were we not rushed to eat we were actually encouraged to take our time and enjoy our dinner.

After dinner we took a nice walk along the Ship Canal trail that is right next to the restaurant.

We had a great time and will go back again. Also we would recommend Ponti to others for a nice dinner experience.

Pros: Food, wait staff

Cons: Parking

Posted 09/17/08

We had reservations and was early so we sat in the bar. Later we decided just to eat in the bar as well. The waitress made us feel that we were inconveniencing her when we wanted another drink and wanted to order our food. We felt so unwelcome and horrible service. I even wrote a letter to the manager about our experience and didn't even get a response. I'm not coming back due to service.

Posted 09/03/08

I have always like Ponti. I live nearby and have been going for years. I really like the owner, Rich. He is really a nice guy and vey sincere. Anyways. Ponti has a new chef. I was worried. But the food is better than ever. I always recommend Ponti to my freinds. My favorite entree is the seared ahi. A close second is the smoked black cod.

Pros: food, ambience, and friendly owner

Cons: none

Posted 08/23/08

We joined them for happy hour. The happy hour menu and cafe menu had creative well executed choices for the foodie in you. We enjoyed the Tempura Prawns and Salmon Quesadilla on the $5 happy hour menu. Tempura was lightly battered with large prawns and a great dipping sauce. Quesadilla was flavorful and not too cheesy. We also had two choices from the Cafe menu that were great! Nice view, great service rounded out a nice evening! The patio looked nice, but on this cool intermittent rainy day that was not an option. Great way to end our trip to Seattle.

Posted 08/17/08

I have yet to have a bad meal here. I hope i never do!
I am a local seattelite too and just love to know that some place has lasted all these years and still has good standards in food and wine!
keep it up guys i love it....

Posted 07/25/08

I had another great dinner at Ponti. They have a new chef. I love the seared ahi, it was delicious and had a great apple tart tartan.Ponti's patio is the best. The views of the ship canal and the beautiful gardens. It is a very romantic experience. I like to hold hands and kiss my boy friend, just like we did in a small restaruant in Paris. I like to tell my friendsabout Ponti, it is really a hidden gem. I can't wait to go back. They have the best patio in Seattle

Pros: always a great experience

Cons: summer is not long enough

Posted 06/27/08

I went to Ponti again. I have been going for a long time, for dinner and for the bar. It is such a beautiful restaurant. The seafood is always great. Very fresh. The vegetables are wonderful. And the service is attentive. I feel comfortable there and I often recommend Ponti. It is a special Seattle restaurant. It has been there for a long time. That says something. And it is locally owned, even better.
I realy liked the ahi tuna dish. The waiter said they fly the tuna in from Hawaii. Ponti is better than ever. You should go there and bring some friends.

Pros: always great. Very dependable

Cons: None

Posted 06/16/08

This is a classic seafood restaurant in Seattle. It's been here as long as I can remember. Every time we go we get the salmon, halibut and various appetizers off their menu. Always fresh. It's a super fun place - usually quite busy. The bar is usually packed but the restaurant is totally seperate. The outside patio over looking the water is one of the best dining seats in Seattle...fun place! Great food.

Posted 05/07/08

The place is a classic. It's not Canlis nor it trying to be - this is a really nice restaurant that is usually very busy for a good reason - great deck, great bar, really nice food, amazing wine list and a young, friendly staff. This restaurant has been serving happy customers for years in Seattle - and when I go there, I see why! Get their salmon or Halibut.

Pros: food, service, wine, outdoor dining

Cons: young crowd at happy hour

Posted 03/10/08

Wow! This locale made my eyes pop, from the elegant decor to the views of the ship canal. The Rosemary chicken, boned and grilled, is a simple, but very elegant dish that satisfies wonderfully without overwhelming the wine or the other dishes. And wonder of wonders, this is a restaurant without a tin or exposed ceiling, so one can have a civilized conversation (and no blaring TV or too loud music. ) And the waiters and waitresses are attentive without being intrusive, friendly and knowledgeable without being overbearing. So the ambience is GREAT! Alternatives to the chicken worthy of mention are the Thai Penne Curry and the grilled Ahi, which melts in your mouth. Well worth the money, and definitely a place to go for great food. The icing on the cake? Patio dining, weather permitting, along the water, away from traffic noise. Not your typical seafood restaurant. Worthy of building a family tradition, which I plan on doing.

Posted 02/19/08

My wife and I have been eating a Ponti's for about 10 years. We have taken out-of-town guests who had a great time. Along with the regular meals, they have a spring patio party which is a wine tasting and buffet, all for around $40 -- a really good deal. We've never been disappointed with the food or the service.

Anyway, we went there to celebrate Valentine's Day and had the special price-fixed 5 course meal at $70. Sounds a bit pricey, but the food was so good we thought it was very fair. After 2 hours of eating and talking (yeah, we still talk to each other after 37 years) we both agreed that it was one of the best meals we have ever had. There were 3 selections in each course, but we, of course, could only try 2. The tempura oysters were melt in your mouth - best tempura I've ever had. My wife had the duck confit which she loved. I then had the lobster bisque and my wife had the grilled romaine. Both were really tasty (as you can tell, we taste each others food and sometimes share the portions). I then had the smoked black cod -- really a melt in your mouth smokey treat, while my wife had the ahi tuna - seared on the outside and raw on the inside - just like it is supposed to be. The filet mignon was medium rare and exceptional, and the lamb loin was served in slices that were tender and medium rare. The desert was a small selection of cheese cake, chocolate decadence cake, and spiced madeleines -- yummy and just the right amount since we were both getting full. It's amazing how small portions of great food fill you up. Maybe we overdid the bread with olive oil-balsamic vinegar dip (and butter if you wanted it). We are both suckers for good French bread and this was about the best we've ever had. Anyway, with a bottle of wine, it was a memorable meal.

The service was attentive and friendly without being overbearing. The valet parking is a bargain at $2.

We can't wait for the next patio party.

Pros: Really great food and service.

Cons: Wish we could eat more.

Posted 02/18/08

With reservations late in the evening, we expected to be seated right away. As we stood among other annoyed guests who had not been seated on time, we remained positive. We were seated 10 minutes after we arrived. We ordered from the special Valentine's Day menu which was a pre-fixed menu. The 5-course menu was delightfully displayed with about 3 choices for each course. I first ordered the ricotta gnocchi, which was good. My boyfriend had the oyster tempura, which was quite disappointing. There were three oysters, that were about half the size of a regular oyster, on top of a bed of course salt. Next, my boyfriend had the lobster bisque, which was served lukewarm...disappointing again. We shared my grilled hearts of romain, which was tasty. Next, I had the black cod, while my boyfriend ordered the ahi sashimi. Expecting more for our money ($70/person), my boyfriend was disappointed, yet again, to only be given 4 sliced pieces of sashimi. After this, we waited approximately 40 minutes for our fourth course. Patrons who had been seated after us were finishing their dessert or had already left by the time we got our food. We were quite annoyed and had the food boxed up. Lastly, we had the desserts for two. The cheesecake was good as was the spiced madelines. We only had one chocolate cake to split,,,perhaps because it was so late in the evening. We noticed that other couples were served two cakes....but oh well. The experience was average, we expected more for the price we paid. We will not return...

Pros: Decorations

Cons: Service, food, parking

Posted 02/14/08

Showed up on a Friday for happy hour. After paying for valet parking (as it was the only option) we go in to find out that they have closed the whole restaurant for a private party.

Cons: horrible parking

Posted 02/01/08

I took my parents fro dinner the other night. I had always heard how good Ponti was and now I know. I had a great ahi tuna appetizer and my mother had the Thai Curry Penne. Both were outstanding, The service was professional. And Ponti is very beautiful. I will be back often and I will tell all of my friends.

Pros: Great menu, Friendly staff

Cons: I wish I could go more often

Posted 01/22/08

I reserved a private rom. I was nervous because I had some out of town clients I needed to impress. I have used Ponti in the past, and I was very pleased with the food and the service. Especially the private dinning person I worked with. There werr a lot of details and everything went off perfectly. My client was very happy and I will definitely use Ponti more.

Pros: Great for business dinning

Cons: Needed to take a cab from downtown

Posted 01/22/08

i took my parents here for their first visit to seattle...yikes! the food was really expensive, despite our reservation we were seated 30 min late and the food was really not special. fancy ingredient combos lacked taste adn it came out cold from the kitchen. in addition to cold food...my father was seated underneath and air conditioning vent which was on high blast for the evening. were were both freezing throughout the entire evening and had to keep our coats on the entire night. when we mentioned it to the waiter there was no apology only a lackluster acknowledgment of the chilly environment. would never go back on my own dime.

Pros: pretty views

Cons: WAY overrated food

Posted 01/18/08

I was excited to take my Mom there for dinner, as I heard great things, and it is near my home in QA. The service was fine. We sat at a cute table outside. The food, terrible. I could tell as he placed the plate down, my halibut was cold... My Mom's was cold too. I hate taking stuff back-- worried about what really happens to it-- so we ate it... Aweful. It is so crazy to lay down $120 for a dinner and it can't even be served at the right temperature. They WERE not busy-- it WAS NOT a Monday... I may try it again-- but it won't be because of my choosing.

Posted 12/15/07

I took my wife to Pontis on our tenth anniversary. I could not have made a bigger mistake. I had reservations for five o clock and when we arrived we were thefirst people in the restaurant. When we complained about not being served the restaurant was almost full, others were eating, and it was over an hour later. When the food finally came my meal was cold and inedible. I sent it back. My wifes halibut was luke warm and water logged (a sign that the "fresh" seafood is actually frozen) by this time she was so upset that we left. When I complained to the manager he was rude and rolled his eyes. I can only say that they made my tenth a "memorable" one. I thought that they could not make me feel any worse until I called the manager/owner later in the week. She swore that this was not the norm and that she would make it right and send me a gift certificate. I received a $50.00 certificate via mail. WOW! Keep your money, I won't be back.

Pros: It's Close to my home

Cons: Food, Service, Management, Respect for Customers, shall I go on?

Posted 11/09/07

I recently had dinner at Ponti, I enjoyed a delicious heirloom tomato salad and shared Ponti's famous crab spring rolls with my wife. I ordered the fantastic king crab leg, WOW! My wife ordered the parmesan crusted halibut with a grilled sweet pepper salsa, it was sublime. I have always liked Ponti and I recommend it to my friends and business associates . The service is always prompt and professional. It has a beautiful canal setting and the decor is warm and upscale. Ponti is truly a treasure, we are lucky to have such a great restaurant.

Pros: Great local restaurant, wonderful seafood, service, and ambience

Cons: None

Posted 09/12/07

This was the worst place I have ever been to in my life! The waitress we were assigned to was rude, snobby, forgetful, unfriendly, talked down to us, and disappeared whenever needed. We waited so long that we had to ask other waiters and waitresses for menus, to take our order, and to remind them of our drink orders. When one of our friends came late and joined our party, the waitress didn't even acknowledge her and get her a menu. The drinks were watered down and the calamari was partially burnt and way too salty! The management clearly does not care about who they hire or how to train their employees. The food was below average, the service was repulsive and slow, and the place needed cleaning. Ponti does not care about their customers. I will never go back.

Pros: There are no pros

Cons: Everything, service, manager, food, ambience, parking

Posted 09/06/07

Went to Ponti for the first time a couple weeks ago, and happy with the choice! My boyfriend and I both were looking forward to the Lamb and Polenta after reviewing their menu online. We shared the dungeness crab 3 ways- my fave is the crab mango salad. Also shared the green salad with blue cheese and walnuts. Good salad- can't say much as we ALWAYS order any salad with blue cheese and nuts, however I wasn't fond of the beets. Enough of the sharing! We each ordered the lamb and polenta and it was cooked to perfection! we barely spoke to each other since we were focused on our dish. the customer service was awesome- we were seated almost immediately...almost meaning we waited less than a few minutes because they saw that a table with a view was opening up and asked us if we'd rather sit there. Our waiter was available to us at all times, but not suffocating us or interrupting our conversations. Drinks were kept filled...nothing here to complain about. Even as we left the hostess was still attentive.

Posted 03/28/07

My husband and I went to Ponti for the first time to celebrate an anniversary. We had reservations and were greeted warmly by a very gracious hostess. We were promptly led to our table by a young gal who appeared nervous and didn't speak. At our table, we were delighted to find some scattered rose petals and an anniversary card. When I commented on how nice this was, the young gal simply stared at us and hurriedly left.

Our friendly server came a few minutes later, offered us the wine list and then left us to peruse it. It took nearly 15 minutes for her to return and for us to get any bread. Once we got the ball rolling, service was very efficient. Our courses arrived promptly and our water glasses were filled regularly. Our server was very knowledgeable and helpful and never seemed rushed although the restaurant was full. My Thai curry penne pasta was WONDERFUL! My husband's halibut was not. Although it was the same thickness throughout the filet, half of it was cooked perfectly while the other half was overcooked and tough. (How does this happen?)

We had hoped for a romantic ambiance but we were seated in the middle of the dining room and it was so loud in there we could barely hear each other. There were two couples at a nearby table who were laughing and shouting so loudly I'm convinced they were drunk, yet no staffer approached them to request that they lower their voices.

We decided that, in spite of everything, we still liked the place, but for the price, there are other restaurants in town with better ambiance, more consistantly trained front-of-the-house staff and better kitchen quality control.

Pros: Awesome Thai curry penne pasta, seated promptly

Cons: Inconsistent food quality and service

Posted 02/20/07

I visited Ponti for the first time last week. I chose Ponti because it was highly recommended by friends who live in my neighborhood. Our group of 4 was treated to an amazing table and we watched the snow fall outside through the huge bay window. However, the view really paled in comparison to the food - which was AMAZING. For the appetizers we had the seared scallops with a ginger brown butter sauce, calamari and tempura prawns with a mango dipping sauce. The scallops were cooked perfectly and the sauce was just perfect - not too heavy. The calamari was sauteed, not fried, and was cooked with watercress and green olives and the sauce was flavored with garlic and olive oil. Really the best calamari I've ever had. The prawns were good with the sweet mango flavored dipping sauce. The salads were good but I'd rather focus on the entrees. The Grilled King Salmon I ordered was flakey, flavorful and cooked perfectly with a slightly pink center. It was NOT cooked all the way through and dry, which is so often the case. My friends ordered the House Smoked Black Cod, the Lemon Crusted Ling Cod, and the Thai Curry Pasta. We shared everything and all agreed that the smoky, rich Black Cod was perfect with the acidity of the roasted red pepper sauce. The Lemon Crusted Ling Cod was delicate but filling with the red beet risotto and the sauteed greens. The Thai Curry Pasta blew us all away. No one wanted to pass the dish to the next person! It was a little spicy, sweet, tangy and had the most amazing ginger and tomato chutney to compliment the crab and grilled scallops in it. For dessert we shared the rustic apple tart with ice cream and the warm chocolate torte. The tart was freshly made and the ice cream was very creamy. The chocolate dessert was good, but too rich for me. I dine out so often that I don't usually take the time to review every place I go, but the food was so wonderful I was compelled to share my experience. The service staff was professional and intelligent.

Posted 01/14/07

My daughter and I had been talking for sometime about wanting to give Ponti a try, so we did so. on Christmas Eve. What a mistake. From the moment we sat down, it went down hill. (We did get water right away though.) The waitress came and got our drink order, that did go well. Then we ordered dinner and a bottle of wine. The wine guy came and it was not what we had ordered, so he had to go back and get the correct bottle. At $85 a bottle we expected to get what we ordered. When our meals arrived they were only warm not hot and my daughters was not cooked in the middle. As it was not Sushi she assumed her Salmon would be cooked through. My son-in-law said his tasted good but was not hot either. I got the Swordfish with black rice cake, and being luke warm it was was not very good. Warm rice is yucky. No one ever came to re-fill our water or wine glasses or to take our cocktail glases away. The service, in other words was not good. They were actually not that busy either, as it was an 8:30 reservation. The waitress was nice and did her best, but her back-up was not. She was embarrased that no one had come to fill our water etc. but by that time it was to late. I will have to think twice before trying this place again.

Cons: Poor service, warm food

Posted 12/28/06

I have always loved Ponti. I came here first when it opened in 1990. We sat at the fireplace, there was a huge snow storm, and ordered a couple of coffe nudges. We have been going back ever since. The food and service is always excellent. The owner, Rich Malia, knows us by name. Where do you get that anymore.
We have taken our staff and clients for many dinners. Always good, without exception.
We went tonight, a cold and wintery night, just like our first visit in 1990. Rich greeted us and we sank into the comfort of the beautiful bar. Michael the handsome bartender who has been working at Ponti forever took excellent care of us.
We had a nice bottle of wine andi I ordered the lamb shank with creamy polenta. It was so tender it fell off the bone. My husband ordered the Arctic Char. It was delciious, I tried to steal as much as I could.
I love Ponti. Anyone that doesn't has not invested the time or effort. It is a great local restaurant.
Seattle is lucky to have such a great place with an owner that really does care about the art of hospitality.

Pros: Great service, great attitude towards customers. I can always count on a great time

Cons: I wish I could go more often

Posted 11/28/06

How did this restaurant get such a great review? We must have been there on an off night. We were so unimpressed we will never return. We felt very uncomfortable from the get go. The valet guy was very rude, the hostess was upset with us because we didn't want to sit in the bar. We had a reservation and asked if we could sit in the dining room. We were told it would be a long wait, however 3 tables were wide open. When I peeked around the corner to see the empty tables I asked why we couldn't sit at one of those and I was told those are for parties with 3 or 4 people. Since we were just 2 people we needed to be squeezed in the bar area to eat at a tiny 2 top that was 1 foot away from the next table. We were finally seated in the dining room by the hostess who now had an attitude. The coat person didn't even say hello to us. We sat down and were not acknowledged for 15 minutes yet our waiter must have walked by at least 5 times. Once he finally came over we ordered drinks which we got 10 minutes later. Then he didn't return to take our order for another 10 minutes. It was over 1/2 hour before we got to order our food. Our salad came before our appetizer. The appetizer is suppose to come first. Then when the appetizer came (clams) they were cold. We sent them back. I assume they were sitting there while we were eating our salads. My husband ordered the $42 filet mignon. It was to be cooked "medium". It came "well done". I told him for that money he should send it back but he ate it. I had the chicken which was good but not great. Service was very poor. I mean we saw our waiter when he dropped out food and brought the bill. After spending $130 for two people we were so dissapointed that we felt we had to write this review. If you like snobby, rude staff with overpriced average food, then this is your kind of place.

Cons: Poor Service, Average Food

Posted 11/14/06

I have gone to the 25 for $25 at Ponti for the past 3 years and have yet to be disappointed. This year my boyfriend and I went a little early to sit in the bar before our dinner. The bartender was extremely nice and promptly provided us with water and took our drinks orders. The syrah I ordered was very good. My parents arrived shortly after us and even though we were early, we were seated right away. Our server, Shawn, was extremely knowledgable about the menu and very nice. For an appetizer I had the Roasted Butternut Squash. It was served cold with arugala and some sort of sauce on top, which was not what I was expecting but ended up being very good. The wine we had with dinner was also very good. I was pretty impressed by the wine list. For an entree I had the Proscuitto and Chanterelle Linguini. It was served with thin strips of crisped linguini, arugala and perhaps cooked in a little bit of olive oil. Again, not what I expected, but ended up being extremely good. I thought it was going to come with a sauce, but this dish definitely did not need it. I may try and duplicate this recipe at home. Dessert ended up being my favorite dish of the night. I had the Honey Roasted Pears. The pears were atop a breading of some sort and had a honey-type sauce drizzled over the top, sweet but not too sweet. It was a wonderful combination of flavors and something I hope they do not take off of the menu anytime soon. As we were leaving we were thanked probably 3 times by various staffed that we passed. We were also given two certificates for money off of our meal if we came back in Januaray. I will definitely be using that certificate :)

Pros: fabulous service, food, ambiance

Cons: a good view, but not the greatest

Posted 11/13/06

I was treated to lunch here and long before our smoking ban was in effect, I was impressed to see that Ponti started a smoking ban so early on.
As a true Seattleite, I should like seafood however I tend to be picky, but the seafood at Ponti is great and I plan to come back for dinner next time.

Posted 11/03/06

I went to one of my favorite restaurants, Ponti, Saturday night. It is such a warm and great restaurant. I chose to sit by the fireplace because it was cool outside. Warming up, I decided on a few of my favorites; the grilled calamari, the cajun prawns, and a great artichoke salad. Ponti's firepalce in the bar is always inviting and the warm atmosphere and service is always great. They really care here. I always feel appreciated, no matter which waiter takes care of me. They have a great bartender, Michael. He is probably the best in town. He has been at Ponti ever since I've been coming here, over ten years. He is a real professional with a great attitude, alwasy calm and friendly with great bartending skills. I often order a flamed Spanish coffee for dessert, it is really good, and when he flames the sugared rim it is a real show. Oh, I forgot to say anything about the lamb shank I ordered. It was so tender, it fell off the bone, It was served with a creamy polenta. A great fall dish. I go to Ponti because they care about their guests and the food is always great. I really recommend Ponti.

Pros: Great service, great attitude towards customers. I can always count on a great time

Cons: I wish I could go more often.

Posted 10/21/06

I came her with my dad, who RAVED about the place, a few Thanksgivings ago. The place was actually pretty empty and the food tasted like it had been prepared yesterday then reheated for service. Clearly their main chefs were home with their families, becasue it was not up to normal standard. I will, however, try again for a non-holiday meal.

Posted 10/18/06

I have to give Ponti a below average rating. The hospitality (not the service) left such a bad taste that we will not return. Even though the food was perfect. It sounds stupid recounting this but my husband saw postcards stacked on the hostess table and he assumed these were put out for customers to pick up. They were $20 off postcards. When he told the waiter we had one his response verged on an accusatory tone: "How did you get that?" My husband explained that they were sitting out and the waiter said flatly "no they weren't". Well, they were on a shelf that you saw immediately on entering, in full view, not behind a podium or hidden in any way. A discussion ensued on whether or not the cards were "out". This was pointless - we don't work there and it simply wasn't obvious to us that they weren't intended to be picked up. We had to ask twice to see the manager. He was tart: "this promotion hasn't started yet, these are to be mailed out...my hostess was multitasking" well,that was okay - but his tone dripped with disdain. And even after we had already said "okay, that's fine." he continued to lecture us on why they couldnt be used! All right already! All they had to say was: "I am so sorry for your confusion, but these arent valid yet" sincerely, of course. I've waited tables in many high-end seafood restaurants in both Chicago and Seattle and this is the absolute opposite of the how I was taught to treat customers. At $20-30 an entree I expect the manager, minimally, to be nice. There are way too many excellent seafood restaurants with exquisite service to bother with this one.

Posted 10/12/06

The food was great; really some of the best I've had in Seattle. Unfortunately the evening--a special birthday celebration that we had looked forward to and dressed up for etc.--was pretty much spoiled by the service. An indicator: the only person from start to finish that made us feel truly welcome in this restaurant was the young man filling the water glasses; he was friendly and engaging, and not only did he immediately tune into the fact that we were unhappy with where we had been placed, he went to talk to the hostess to see what other tables might be available. The hostess tried to place us in a really kind of dingy back room next to two families that each had a very young child. When we asked for a different table please, she allowed us into the main room but just barely--right inside the door, even though the restaurant was not full and never did fill over the evening. The waitress was rushed and mechanical. There are many other restaurants in Seattle that deliver the whole package--- fine food and great service. After so many years of hearing all the raves about Ponti, this evening was a great disappointment. And looking at the other reviews on this site, it seems to be a running theme. I would maybe give Ponti one more try but would specify that I wanted to be in the main room or on the terrace. On second thought, I really don't think I would give Ponti another chance...at these prices, why would we put ourselves through this unpleasantness again?

Pros: Excellent excellent seafood

Cons: Bottom of the barrel service

Posted 10/11/06

This is it for Seattle. It's not some "new", "hip", "must try before it's not cool anymore", kind of place. This is a culinary staple. I love the food here. My colleagues, out-of-state guests and long time Seattleite friends love it. Ponti's service is on-par with Seattle's best fine dining restaurants, without the annoyance of the staff making you feel like you should sit up and take notice of it. You can eat the best Wild Alaskan Salmon entree in town sitting at the bar in your jeans. Or, dress for the opera, dine on a four course meal of the best seafood (and most interesting preparations) available and love your table overlooking the twinkling lights of the passing boats. Either way, the service and food is always impeccable - and this Seattle staple will undoubtedly deliver. I never hestitate to recommend Ponti to anyone looking for a true Seattle dining experience.

Posted 09/17/06

Last week, my girlfriends and I came in for Happy Hour and stayed til 9:30pm. We had so much fun, great view and nice service. We shared a couple of items off of the happy hour menu, tempura prawns and the calamari and some crab rolls off of the bar menu. We had a great bottle of wine and even tried a dessert wine which was surprisingly good, not too sweet. I was happy and very satisfied. Great desserts (chocolate cake and ginger peach pie) and very friendly staff our waitress was very friendly and knowledable about the meuns (there were three) and asked us what we wanted. No pushy sells type service just good food and a good time.

Pros: warm and inviting

Cons: cold in the bar at night fall

Posted 09/15/06

Ponti has always been one of my wife's and my special places and we have come to love Ponti. We are treated with friendly professional service always. It is our place to unwind and sit back and enjoy a great meal in a comfortable setting.
Ponti's dinning room is remincent of a Tuscan restaurant we visited a few months ago, near Florence. And the patio on the ship canal with a garden of tomatoes used in Ponti's salads and soups is an added plus. We saw many tomato plants in restaurant gardens in Italy.
We especialy like Ponti's fish dishes. We had a seared wild king salmon with a sweet corn sucotash that was exceptional. The smoked black cod is wonderful as well.
We have met the owner many times. He is a true resturantuer. He always greets us with genuine warmth and hospitality.
My wife and I are both working professionals. We often travel and have eaten at many of the fine restaurants in the US and abroad. Ponti is as good or better than any.

Posted 09/15/06

Stand by for a long wait for the same of stuff, high prices, poor service, nasty waitresses. couldn't get out of there fast enought, only regret is that I brouht someone else to this place.

Pros: there're open

Cons: they shouldn't be

Posted 09/13/06

Don't know if it was just because it was Friday, but service was p-a-i-n-s-t-a-k-i-n-g-l-y slow with almost an hour between the salad and entree. It was also ridiculously expensive ($40 for ONE alaskan king crab leg). However, the food was delicious and the host/owner gracious. The restaurant does indeed sit above the canal, but the view is not really visible from anywhere but the al fresco dining tables.

Pros: Food, Ambience

Cons: Food service wait, Price!

Posted 08/10/06

I suggested Ponti as the place to host a dinner for one of my company's most valuble clients. I knew that Ponti would be great as it has been on my previous visits. But my entire party was blown away by the staff's attention to every little detail of evening. When I made the reservation I mentioned that it was a very important dinner for our best clients. I was amazed when the Chef sent out a small appetizer to everyone in our party right after we were seated. It was a perfectly seared piece of ahi with daikon radish sprouts and a dressing of sake, soy sauce and sesami oil. Overall, our guests enjoyed every dish - and they all raved about the special attention we received. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to my colleagues.

Pros: Attentive service, excellent food, great cocktails

Posted 05/14/06

Given the fact this region is saturated with excellent seafood establishments we left feeling somewhat cheated. I know, I know it sounds harsh but when you drop $523.00 for a four top you could at the very least hope for a memorable evening. Aquire some competent staff (Yes this starts at Management) & we may be back for seconds. P.S.You call that a Bar scene?

Pros: Wine, View, Value

Cons: Service, Quality, Variety

Posted 05/04/06

my wife & I have dined here numerous times over the past 5 years or so. If you have not had a meal on the patio on a summer eve, you are missing one of seattles finest dining experiences. This patio is so comfortable with the crews, power and sail boats going by, and the bridge up and down. It is fabulous. We have reflected on the overall consistency of the meals, and it has always been well above average (great ceasar, and
some of the best seafood prep in town, at least the top two or three). Check it out. It is also pretty quiet in the main dining room, very elegant and well kept.

Posted 11/25/05

I've stoped here two or three times a week for the past month. I've never been disappointed. I dig the happy hour specials. Good service. High quality food. 1/2 shell Oysters are a bit expensive...but if that's the worst thing...

Pros: Quality food, Good service, On the way home

Cons: Pricey oysters

Posted 11/19/05