Palace Kitchen

It’s about time I did a review of Palace Kitchen; one of the Tom Douglas restaurants of Seattle. My fiancé and I have had many enjoyable trips to PK, every one an amazingly positive experience. This last visit was… exquisite. First of all, I’ll talk about the cheese tray. We get this, literally, every time. Not just one, but all five cheeses. Every time. Bravo to whomever chooses the cheeses, they are always amazing. This round we were treated to: dylan, enchante, boerenkaas, humboldt fog, and dunbarton blue. This was probably the best five cheeses we have had at Palace Kitchen. (So far.) I don’t have unlimited space on Unilocal,so I won’t go into detail; so let me just say… wow! Never been disappointed, but this selection blew me away! Instead of entrees, we opted to peruse the Starters menu. First, the goat cheese-​lavender fondue. It had a creamy, almost whipped consistency. The lavender worried me on the menu, but was very, very mild in presentation. The grilled bread pieces were perfectly done, and the apple and pear slices were a nice addition. We were hesitant, but glad we chose this one. Next, the goose point cornmeal crusted fried oysters. Served with green tomato remoulade. Surprisingly crunchy crust, full of flavor, and the dip was perfect. We then had the seared weathervane scallops. With quinoa and pureed avocado, and blood orange, bacon vinegarette. I am, personally, not a huge fan of quinoa, but my fiancé loved the mix accompanying the scallops. The scallops, themselves, were not overly flavorful, but they were perfectly prepared. With the quinoa, avocado, and vinegarette, the dish was quite lovely. Lastly, the Washington beef carpaccio. Layed thin over the whole of the plate, the beef was topped with cured egg yolk, pickled shallots, caraway aioli, fried capers, and some kind of croutons or bread crumbs. This was, (in addition to the cheese tray), the highlight of the evening! The combination of temperature (ice cold), flavors, and consistency (soft, mixed with crispy & crunchy), was absolutely amazing! If we had known how much we were going to enjoy this one, we would have ordered two! The flavor of the beef was subtly present behind the more obvious shallot and capers, but never lost. Every bite was equally satisfying and we were, honestly, sad to see the empty plate when we were done. We finished off the meal with a chocolate, caramel, peanut, cake with chunks of nougat and a dollop of banana ice cream. Very rich, but very well done. Like a deconstructed snickers bar. My fiancé would, also, like to add, their hot buttered rum was one of the best she has ever had. –as an aside, the restaurant has changed the usual giving a tip, to an across the board 20% service charge to every bill. It’s, basically, a tip. It all goes to the employees. I will say, as a (repeat) paying customer, it’s worth it! I would easily tip 20% for the food alone. On top of that, the sevice is always friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. And the guess work is removed, as you don’t have to do any math at the end of the meal. The «tip» is already included. Obviously, we will be returning to PK, as soon as we can. If you want a top notch dining experience, look no further, you have found the place! (Even late, they are open til 1AM)

Disappointed, the food was salty. Ordered a burger due to small menu selection. Wings were soggy and salty. Cauliflower was good, but the overall taste and quality was disappointing for a Tom Douglas restaurant. This place has been checked off my list.

Oh Tom Douglas. You are on the verge of becoming the Evil Empire of the Seattle Restaurant scene. You own everything. But I won’t hold that against. Corporate restaurants can still be good
I’ve been to Palace Kitchen before but have never written a review. One thing that they recently started doing was adding a 20% service charge to all orders so that you don’t have to tip the waiters. Although I thoroughly support people in the service industry I don’t agree with this practice. Allow me to provide a brief example from my last visit.
We go to Palace Kitchen with plans to have a fee drinks and appetizers before catching a movie at Cinerama just up the street. There was a long delay in getting us seated (2 people and there were about 6 empty tables so this shouldn’t have happened). Then the first table we sat at was wobbly so we had to move. Strike 2. Now on to the meal. We had Brussel sprouts, fondue and order of the wings (3 in the order). We also had 2 cocktails a piece, 4 in total.) The food and drinks were fantastic and all items we ordered were appetizers or off cocktail menu. thoroughly recommend the fondue for presentation alone. Now it was time for the bill. $ 125. Reason was the 20% service charge. Honestly we were in and out in 60 minutes. Service wasn’t great even though the food was. If I had a choice the tip would have been 15% instead of 20%. But I didn’t have a choice. I feel like I was forced to reward very average story. I think service charge should probably be 18% so that it’s more fair to both parties. Especially in situations like mine where dining experience wasn’t excellent.

I’ve frequented this place in the last couple years, and can say its always consistent and interesting, but I just come here by myself because the food is good enough.
Palace kitchen is one of the only restaurants that does great food after 10pm in downtown. Ribeye and scotch at 12:30am? hell yea.
Restaurant week every year is awesome because they do a 3-​course $ 30 dinner.
It’s not Tom Douglas’ flagship restaurant so expect more comfort food atmosphere than Dahlia Lounge.

Pretty good food but not yet to the extent of «WOW, this is FANTASTIC» especially considering the price. On the upside, it is nice to have a legit place to go late at night and the service was excellent.

Been here in the past for the burger, which was always top-​notch. This time it didn’t compare. Menu says it’s a ½ pound, but this thing wasn’t close to that. Overly salted patty on a huge Dahlia bakery bun. Felt like I was chomping more on the chewy bun than I was the burger. Plus, it now costs $ 20.50? For a burger and fries of this caliber, that’s ridiculous. For two burgers and two beers, the bill came to $ 79, including the 20% service charge. I get that this place is high end and you’re also paying for the name Tom Douglas, but I’m definitely going elsewhere next time.

The beer & service was fantastic, but our table view was of the service station not allowing us much to enjoy of what looked like a potentially fun first dinner in Seattle atmosphere.
On the food front… other than the coconut pie to go our meals were so-​so. I had the char; if I wasn’t so tired and hungry from traveling I would have sent it back. Room temperature fish that looked beautiful yet only tasted average was not worth the $ 30 cost. My daughter loved her burger & fries but again the fries were soggy and lukewarm.
I could have overlooked the seating for a hot, great meal. Overall, a disappointing first night out in Seattle experience :-(

In town for a seminar and found this place… on Unilocal!It was a great experience. Ate at the bar and found myself surrounded by friendly people and equally friendly staff. Had the enormous croûton romaine salad and the whole trout with a side of kale and mashed potatoes. Wonderful! The trout was really perfect and yummy! The place is obviously popular and filled up early. Finished off with the famous Coconut Cream pie… fantastic! Even though I was alone I sure never felt like it! Very glad I went to Palace Kitchen!

Planned a large work dinner at Palace, and the experience was absolutely amazing. Incredible service, amazing food, and great atmosphere.

Great food and nice beer/​cocktail list (didn’t look at wine). Our waitress was very nice and we were seated immediately. Excellent food & service. Great atmosphere for a casual date night!

Great time at the Palace Kitchen. We had the private room for a work dinner and it was an ideal setting for a string of large table cross-​conversations. The service was great, with multiple servers coming in and out constantly — we never needed anything. The smoked chicken wings (the entire wing) was amazing. Being from Alabama, we do BBQ really well and those wings were on par with anything we have back home.
There were several great options on the menu, but I was in the mood for a great burger. I’d give it a solid B+. It was cooked correctly and presented very well, but it just wasn’t anything special. That shouldn’t be any reason to stay away from PK, but it’s just an aspect of the experience that kept it from being a 5-​star thing. That’s just me.
Overall great place. I’ll definitely go back when I’m in Seattle again.

Awesome food. The cheese fries and wings for apps though you only get two wings. I listened to the Unilocalers and got the burger — so dang good.
Its a smaller place so if you have a big crowd go early.

Beautiful restaurant even though it’s well over packed with tables. The food was decent but my burger was way over done and some entrées on the menu are very misleading. My boyfriend ordered a porchetta and what he got was closer to a pork chop then anything. It wasn’t stuffed with anything, which is what a porchetta is. Service was good. Probably will try other places before returning

Super good! Had the burger, and the ravioli. Soooo yummy, will definitely come again. The server was very sweet and helpful too.

A new staple! The ambience is very relaxed and chic. When sitting at the bar, they give you pistachios to snack on while drinking and waiting for your table. We were seated quicker than expected. We started off with the bacon flavoured mussels for an appetiser. Those were some of the best mussels I’ve ever had. The flavor was so good with bits of bacon and sliver of onions in there. The bread was perfect for soaking up the sauce. I ordered the trout which they deboned at the table. Roasted Brussel sprouts, and mashed potatoes. My guy ordered the steak with greens. I had a Rosemary lemon drop martini which was pretty good but strong. My guy had his regular old fashioned. The food was extremely good except for a few bones missed in my fish and my guys steak over cooked a tad. Other than that I loved everything and can’t wait to go again.

We typically go here when we are seeing a movie at the Cinerama. We particularly like to eat at the bar as it has so much character. The food is always good but the fried King Edward potatoes are the kind of thing that show you a real chef has created the menu. Fantastic!

First time in on New Year’s Eve. We did not have a reservation but they were still able to sit five of us immediately. Started with some appetizers — Lavender and goat cheese fondue (reg menu) and the seared lamb belly with roasted garlic soubise, tokyo turnips, baby carrot and ginger compressed pear (special New Year’s menu). The lavender was able to brilliantly tone down the harshness, usually accompanied by goat cheese. The lamb belly simply melted in my mouth. Every bite was delightful.
For the entrees — Three of us got the $ 20 hamburger. What surprised me here was the typical tomato and onion that comes on the side of any burger, you get anywhere, was pickled. That was a nice surprise for me. It really brought all of the flavors together. The bun also deserves an honorable mention. Baked at their Dahlia bakery, this bun was soft and had terrific flavor. My two other companions got the organic rotisserie chicken with port orford cranberry chutney served with greens and mashed yukon potatoes (reg menu) and braised short ribs with buttered celeriac, faro gnocchi, king oyster mushroom, pomegranate and cress (New Years Eve menu).
All of the desserts sounded amazing but we had to skip due to the fact that was were so full from such a wonderful meal. Our staff was attentive and knowledgeable (we ordered several glasses of wine to pair with the meal) and made our evening start off with a bang. I am excited to go back to try other offerings off the menu and I was pleasantly surprised at my experience due to the fact that I have had lesser experiences at other Tom Douglas establishments. Great date spot or to celebrate an occasion. I will be back.

Great service, delicious food. Love the wings. Also the coconut cream pie is very popular.

I had the burger that was amazing, but a little too much salt on the fries and wait was a little longer than I’d expected. But other than those minor observances great place

I’ve come here a couple of times, but most recently last week. I got the Palace Burger, which was very tasty! It was cooked perfectly, and the fries was great.

Best burger in Seattle. They must grind the beef themselves or something — it just melts in your mouth. Paired with the sharp cheddar and some dijon (my addition) the flavor and texture is perfect. Desserts are usually great as well.
Haven’t been as impressed by the fine dining menu, hence four stars instead of five. Much better options in Seattle for fine dining.
But the burger… oh, the burger. Indespensible.
Sad update: Palace hiked the burger price to $ 20. Was already a stretch at $ 16. I asked and they said it was a reaction to the minimum wage hike. So no more tipping, right? Wrong. Just read that in Feb, we have a 20% service fee. (I usually tip 20%).
I will leave my review at four stars because I’m reviewing the food, not the price… but I’m sorry, Palace Kitchen. I’m leaving you for John Howie.

We ventured out here right before we headed back to the airport since we got some time to spare. Also, I heard that they have the best coconut cream pie in town — I can’t pass up that opportunity now, can I? ;)
Anyways, I didn’t realize that this is a fancier restaurant. With our backpacks and jackets in tow and no reservations for our party of six, they sat us towards the back of the restaurant. We ordered some appetizers, couple desserts and a drink for me — moscow mule. The food wasn’t bad but not memorable either. The desserts were ok but not the greatest. I guess I was looking for the wow factor since people raved about the coconut cream pie like it was no other.
It was overall an OK experience. It’s not something that I would be thrilled to go back to anytime soon. Thank you for accommodating our big party last minute though.

Everything I at here just got better and better after every bite.
The yummy Shisito peppers and sope were SO savory and perfect.
The lavender goat cheese fondue was aaaaaahhhhmazing.
The squash oh my gaahhhhhhh
Ok and the kale salad was perfect too.
I guess everything was my fav.

We dropped in for just a few quick bites here on a Sunday night, and had an absolutely fantastic evening here! Service was top-​notch, and we had no problem walking in and getting a table during dinner-​time.
Highlights were definitely:
WOOD-​GRILLED CHICKEN WINGS w/​CORIANDER CREAM.
HANGER STEAK w/​BLEU CHEESE BUTTER.
Both dishes were absolutely fantastic, and when we requested to share the entrée, we were brought out two beautifully plated versions of the dish, with very generous serving sizes.
Palace Kitchen is definitely on my list to visit again!

This was the first time I have ever had coho king salmon– I loved it! Great restaurant. Appetizers were outstanding. Loved the goat cheese fondue (very mild) corn on the cob and ravioli. Generous portions.
With a party of 6 we got in quickly. Service was so great we returned 2 nights later.
Don’t forget to try the coconut cream pie– it’s unbelievably good!

GREAT happy hour.
Coming from Chicago, where happy hour was illegal until very recently, I was woo’ed by Palace Kitchen’s happy hour. From 4:30 p.m. — 6:00 p.m., there is a menu of drinks and eats for only $ 6.
We scored an awesome window seat, which was perfect on the breezy afternoon and ideal for people watching. The ambiance is trendy and inviting, our server was attentive and friendly.
The Rosemary Lavender Lemon Drop is my kind of cocktail. I also tried PK’s white sangria, which was fantastic.
The Goat Cheese Lavender Fondue did not disappoint and was a nice appetizer to absorb our happy hour cocktails. It wasn’t as floral as I expected, but I think the goat cheese may have covered up the flavor of the lavender.
I was only a tourist in this beautiful city, but I would recommend Palace Kitchen to both locals and tourists. It’s a pretty spot for a date or to kick off your evening with that happy hour.

Came here for dinner with friends and ordered family style.
Awesome friendly bar tender — great Moscow mules in copper mugs! Dirty martinis come with blue cheese stuffed olives that they were out of when my friend ordered, so the bartender hand stuffed them for him (also good to note in case you don’t like blue cheese as my other friend asked for hers without)
No reservations for less than 6 but a quick 10 minutes wait for 4 people on Friday night at 7.
Apps — the homemade ravioli are divine! The broccoli cheese fritters were just okay.
Entrees — the salmon was delicious, cooked to perfection. The pasta dish (I think there’s only one) was just as delectable as the ravioli with a uniquely light flavor. The hangar steak (med rare) and mashed are a little heavy for all the food we ordered but I enjoyed every tender morsel of steak and creamy spoonful of potatoes. The burger (med. rare) with cheddar was juicy and beautifully balanced with the bun.
Highly recommend!

Easily one of the best restaurants in the city. The ambiance is absolutely warming as you walk into the small vestibule connecting the Seattle street to the dimly lit dining room filled with the intoxicating scent of wood fire. If you let your eyes wander a bit, you’ll notice a fully stocked bar, bowls of fresh oranges, lemons and limes, ready to be freshly squeezed into one of their expertly crafted cocktails, a bar top fully stocked with big bowls of endless pistachios, and a fully exposed kitchen. They have a small but great local selection of craft beers in bottle and on draft. If you’re looking for a great appetizer, try their amazing mussels or wings. Anything off their wood fired grill is mouthwatering; from the burgers to the salmon. Please do yourself a favor and try the Palace Kitchen as soon as you can. Or, as late as you can, they are open beyond midnight!

Palace kitchen is my favorite Tom Douglas restaurant. It is the perfect blend of high quality food and fancy dishes and a laid back relaxed atmosphere. The fried corn appetizers is one the best preparation of corn I’ve ever had. You can’t go wrong with the burger and mountain of shoe string French fries, but if you’re feeling a little more adventurous you won’t regret it.
They only take reservations for groups of 6 or more but usually the wait isn’t too bad.

Nom Nom Nom.