Café Nola

Very good service. Food was good. A little pricey. We would recommend this restaurant.

Came in here with my wife and mom for a snack while we were on the island. They quickly seated us in the back and then totally forgot about us. Several waiters came by to help other guests. After 15 minutes and only a glass of water and a refill to show for it we left $ 5 on the table and walked out. On the way out, three servers were sitting around thanking us for coming in like a bunch of fools. Lazy servers and poor service. No thanks.

Decently nice place, the inside seemed kind of small and the outside seemed a bit cramp. Weather was amazing when we went, so we went outside. Super starving, boyfriend ordered the special mushroom risotto (I was eyeing it) but it was fairly bland. Our friend got a fish burger, the bun wasn’t special but the fish was fairly good. I got the fish and chips and the fish was scrumptious but the fries were less than spectacular. Our waitress forgot about us, I had to ask multiple times for a coke and water refill. Not really great to just sit around and wait around while on vacation. But there isn’t much to choose from, it’s just alright…

Best scallops I’ve ever had every time. My husband took me here years ago and I loved the scallops with grit cakes and it was amazing. I had them again last night… still incredible. My husband had the filet and it was great, good size and came with onion rings that were perfectly crispy and not oily. For apps we had the clams and they were large and delicious. We also had bacon wrapped dates. We loved the bit of chorizo inside! Yum. For dessert we shared the cheesecake with rhubarb sauce-​so perfect! Our waiter was attentive and brought out wine samples before we ordered glasses. It was a great meal and we will definitely be back!

This well located corner café in the heart of downtown Bainbridge offers solid performance, but potentially could be a lot more…
THE ROSES: Pleasant dining space that offers indoor and outdoor seating. Very nice menu with a lot of exciting choices. Efficient service.
THE THORNS: often times, what separates the good restaurants from the truly great ones is attention to detail. Café Nola could really gain a lot by paying attention to these details. Cold bread is served with olive oil. If they warm the bread a little bit and include some balsamic vinegar, it would be that much better. Service, while efficient, wasn’t terribly pleasant. While I did not feel unwelcome, I certainly didn’t get the feeling that my business was appreciated, and I almost had the feeling that once we were done, even though the restaurant was mostly empty, the staff really would’ve liked us to ‘eat it and beat it’. My fish stew, while competently executed, was not terribly brilliant. You could really tell that the bulk of the ingredients came right off the SYSCO truck. The cod and shrimp were excessively chewy, and only the scallops stood out. Finally, for what you are getting, this place is just a little on the pricey side.
THE VERDICT: café Nola is a run of the mill upscale bistro that has the potential to be a lot more if they would just try to swing for the fences every now and again. As it sits, they seem content to be satisfied with hitting singles and doubles. This is a pity, because if they would just try for a grand slam now and again, I think they really have a chance to give places like restaurant Marche a run for their money.

I have wanted to try this cute restaurant for years, and since the Four Swallows closed, we’ve been looking for a great place on Bainbridge to dine on special occasions. Based on the great reviews for this café and the fact that it’s been around so long, we decided to give it a go. And we were rather disappointed in our experience here.
The place itself is cute enough: kind of like the interior of a Victorian dollhouse, with small booths lining the perimeter, and a small room in front and back with tables, and a lovely outdoor patio on the corner, too — perfect for people-​watching on a summer day.
We had reservations and checked in at the front counter. The lady there was lovely. Oddly enough, though, she turned away a couple and their child who came in without reservations, saying they were full. We were ushered back promptly to our table and noted that the table behind us was vacant, and it remained vacant throughout our entire meal there, until we left. My husband and I wondered why they did not give that table to this family. In fact, other tables vacated while we dined, and although I’m sure there were reservations for them later, they too remained vacant until after we left. Lots of downtime/​vacancy time for all these tables. It just didn’t seem to make much sense to us.
Our server was pleasant but we didn’t get «the warm fuzzies» from her. There was no «how is your day going?» or any other pleasantries. She smiled but that was it. She forgot to bring the accoutrements or condiments with both my husband’s and my meals and we had to remind her about them (i.e., the malt vinegar that, on the menu, says it comes with the fish and chips. And my salad dressing that I requested on the side). After the meal, I asked if they had Earl Grey tea. She asked «green tea?» and I said no, Earl Grey. With some honey please. She has a gentleman bring out green tea for me. I returned it, asking for Earl Grey. It eventually came. But of course there was no honey. I had to flag our server down to get that.
Ordering and service issues aside, I must say, the food was pretty darn good. Hubby wasn’t a fan of the side cole slaw, but he said his fish and chips were fantastic. And his Caprese Bloody Mary was incredible! I had a sip and it was truly delicious! I had a crab salad that was excellent (even without the blood orange vinaigrette, which I eventually decided not to even get). The crab was so fresh, and the side salsa with black beans and bananas was really wonderful.
So…a mixed bag, for sure. If you only care about the food, this would be a great place to go. If you care about consistency in service, not so much.

We’ve been coming here for a few years and have always loved the food and no complaints about the service. Sadly this last time the service was awful. Not only did we have people getting seated before us, the hostess tried to sit us in the most undesirable spot even though there were other tables available. When we asked to move we were given dirty looks because they had to clear a table. People seated after us were immediately taken to better tables in the back. Then a couple that came in after us had their order taken first and were served first. Our orders were taken almost 10 minutes later!
Unfortunately this time the action of the service staff usurped the delicious food and talent of the chef.

Hands down best decision to have lunch here!
We had the crab melt on focaccia and the grilled cantaloupe.
The crab melt was perfect. You tasted the fresh crab and the light and airy bread made for perfect pairing to let the crab be the center of attention.
The grilled cantaloupe was nothing I’ve ever had. Unique to grill cantaloupe and serve over crostinni drizzled with balsamic vinegar and fresh mixed greens. This was a wonderful twist on bruchetta and I will definitely have to try recreating it at home.
Lunch left us light and not weighed down with greasy unoriginal food. This was the best mini getaway in a getaway you could get.
The town is cute and this local establishment is worth a stop into.

Don’t order the caesar salad. The worst I’ve ever had. Chopped romaine lettuce with NO dressing, a minuscule shred of cheese and four completely tasteless croutons. I don’t know how the chef could allow the salad to be served to anyone.
The mashed potatoes were cold — not lukewarm, but cold. The rest of our dinner was fine. Service was excellent.

Horrible service would not recommend going to this restaurant. Host was extremely rude!

Not much on ambience, but the chef is an angel from heaven.
Being short-​staffed, our server was also the bartender for a crowded venue, so we often waited for drinks, etc, but the food was superb.
If I’m ever that way again, I’ll stop for dinner!

We came in a group of 4 over the weekend and I am sure glad that we did! This place was delicious. For starters, we had he calamari. TO. DIE. FOR! It was breaded just perfectly and so tender. Not to mention the amazing dipping sauce that it was served with. For dinner, I had the beet salad with these wonderful corn cakes — it was perfection. After a day of wine & beer tastings, I wanted something light and this was perfect. My date ordered the steak oscar and he too was in heaven. A must try for dinner when visiting Bainbridge!

Café Nola has been around for a few decades and maintains a loyal following with island natives and visitors alike. Considering it’s Zagat rating, the last few times we’ve been here have been mostly underwhelming, with dishes feeling way overpriced for the caliber of food– classified as American bistro style. Read: simple fare. The bread is good. The beet salad is too, as was the mushroom soup on this particular day.
Courteous service can be lacking here– and a nice greeting and friendly vibe can go a long way. This is a dining establishment. People come here for an enjoyable experience. The location is great, and in the warmer summer months, the patio seating outside is lovely. Decent fare with room for improvement.

0 stars for service. I don’t know if the hostess/​waitress was just having a bad day or what, but she was very, very unwelcoming and clearly didn’t want to be there.
The cocktail I ordered on the other hand, the spring blossom, was divine and worth 5 stars! Very nice presentation with several flavor notes coming together in perfect harmony.
Overall I really enjoyed my Bainbridge Island day-​trip and will be returning, but I’ll won’t be coming to Café Nola ever again.

Café Nola… just say NO!!!
Sitting here writing this as I look at my misrepresented Seafood Stew. Described as having mussels-​none, scallops-​one, white fish-​yes, salmon-​yes, dungeness crab-​sprinkled on top, spicy tomato sauce-​no spice. Sautéed greens with white cabbage ice cold. First waited 10 minutes to be greeted by the server, hubby had to ask for his wine, bus boy wearing tacky dirty jeans finally asked if we wanted bread after I’d finished my salad. What the heck?!? Thought we’d give it a try. Last visit over a year ago was questionable at best. This cemented the deal… never again!

Almost didn’t stop here because Unilocal says it’s not good for kids. Not so. Staff was super friendly, they had kids menus with word search and paper table tops for coloring. Even offered to do a half order for kids off main menu if they didn’t see anything on the kids menu. Aside from all that, I had the porchetta off to he brunch menu and it was delicious. The fish and chips and eggs Benedict were also good. Give Café Nola a try if you’re visiting Bainbridge.

Food is good. Needs to do some updating décor and menu

Been here several times before. Had pickled salmon salad. This is an amazing dish. If you’ve had pickled herring or Matias in Europe this dish is sure to please you.

My boyfriend and I were hungry so we decided to stop by this café on Bainbridge Island.
It’s really cute inside, ambiance is normal loud meaning you can still carry on a conversation.
Now the reason for 3 stars.
When we walked in it was a little busy, we tried asking the host how long the wait is but she over looked us the first time, then we asked again and she sat us right away.
We were just in time for lunch hour.
They took a while to take our order but there was only one server on the front side of the restaurant so we understood
when she finally got to us she was very friendly, My boyfriend and I ordered the soup & salad combo. I had a caesar & creamy clam chowder my boyfriend had the tortilla crab salad & beef curry soup.
The order came out pretty fast. I was not satisfied with my order the salad was an ordinary Caesar salad and the «creamy clam chowder soup» was more like a watery chowder broth. My boyfriend enjoyed his food he’s never had curry before so he loved it I tried it and it was okay. So in general the food was okay.
We asked for our check and that took forever too. Overall this place is okay

The weather was good so we decided to take the ferry over to Bainbridge. One of my friends is from there and she said it’s a great island to wander around. The ferry took about half an hour, and remember, your ticket is for roundtrip… do not buy a return ticket like we did. We walked up to the town… it’s not that far away from the dock. Looking for somewhere to eat, Café Nola came up on Unilocal.
Friendly greeting when we entered, there were a number of people in the front dining room. The sweet hostess put us on a table sort of in the hallway but away from people which we like… LOL! Nice wine list and we ordered a local wine which we have found that the local wines are very good. We also ordered the bacon wrapped dates to start and those were delicious! I had a cup of the clam chowder and my fellow traveler had the chili. Both hit the spot and a chilly Seattle day.
For lunch I ordered the dungeness crab melt… very good and the FT had the chicken club. Both were perfect for lunch on Bainbridge. The service was friendly and funny, since we told her it was our first time here, she recommended some sights to go to. Honestly, we just came over for lunch and a walk around the town. I would definitely come back if I come back… which shouldn’t be too long… Seattle is a great city and I need to explore the surrounding areas even more!

Rude, horrible host. Although it is a tourist location, do not waste your time (or money) at this place. Tim is the rudest person I have ever met in the service industry. There are many nice places to visit on the island; this is not one of them.

I think I’m done coming here. I don’t care if the owner and chef have a problem with children. I’m tired of getting shoved in the back or waiting 30 minutes for a table when there are nice tables in the front of the restaurant available now.
I’m unhappy when I walk in at the same time as another group into an empty restaurant and they immediately order apps and meals and 25 minutes later I finally get drinks and bread.
I’m more unhappy when this happens to me on Veteran’s Day when I’m out with my family.
The worst part is that when the food finally did come, it’s fantastic! My wife had the stew, I had the papardelle. We shared with my 9 year old daughter along with some of the truffle fries and the fried cauliflower. My daughter thought the curry sauce with the cauliflower was the best thing ever.
So I’m very conflicted. But even she has noticed that whenever she’s with us, we get shoved in the back or have to wait even when there’s seats up front.

We enjoyed a peppery Halibut that rested on potatoes with green veggies surrounding it. And the Eggplant Parmesan was tasty and done with a light red sauce.
The Pumpkin Pie was perfect.
Soft music would have been more pleasant for a dinner than rock and roll.
But it was all enjoyable.

The food was just okay. We arrived for brunch/​lunch and the service was terrible. The other Unilocalers weren’t kidding when they said that the service is slower than molasses. We ordered the french toast that was all the rave of the Food Network. It was just okay. The best thing on the plate was the thick cut bacon.
Our waitress had her head in the clouds and combine that with the average food, I definitely won’t be going back.

The ambiance is very cozy, and the food is fantastic! I’ve never had a bad meal here. I am only giving it four stars because the wait staff can be a little flaky at times. Otherwise, this is one of my favorite restaurants. Now that we’ve sadly lost the Four Swallows, it might even be the best restaurant on Bainbridge. Great for lunch and dinner, but especially weekend brunch. Their French toast didn’t make it onto the Food Network for nothing. ;-) It’s heavenly!
In short, this is a lovely little restaurant and I would definitely recommend it. :)

Disappointing
We had high expectations, but they were dashed by indifferent service (Wednesday evening), and entrée’s that had good presentation, but flunked in the fundamental areas of seasoning and taste. When you have to request ground pepper from the wait staff to add some type of flavoring to the Seafood Stew, it is an indication that something is wrong.
Appetizers were good, and original, but things went downhill after that. Despite a largely empty restaurant, we had to flag down wait staff for a second piece of bread, while they were standing around doing little.
I wanted to award at least three stars, but our experience was just too disappointing, and its unlikely we will be back.

Good food (delicious Green Goddess dressing!), wonderful service. Nice outdoor dining.
A bit pricey.
I saw how much my large salad cost and got excited thinking it was going to be really, really good, but it was just, y’know, a regular salad.

Cute space. Good service. Decent food. Medium portions. But pretty dang pricey for brunch.
I used to think $ 18 for a crab Benedict (from toulouse petit in seattle) was pricey, but this place sells it for $ 24! It was good and the hollandaise sauce was tasty and not too heavy, but dang it’s expensive. The server recommended to add spinach and tomatoes to it for $ 2 more. Making it $ 26! I felt like that was a good add otherwise it’s literally just a small dinky English muffin crab eggs and hollandaise sauce. My boyfriend got a classic breakfast: two eggs, sausage, toast, potatoes $ 15. Very simple and a bit higher prices like most other items on their menu. Portions were just enough for us to finish it all. Not hungry and not too full.
I don’t know that id recommend it because of how pricey it is and food was good but not amazing for how much it cost.

Really really liked the ambience. Ordered the eggplant parmesan and loved it. My daughter complained that her kids cheeseburger tasted, well, burned. The patty and the bread were clearly burned.
Anyway, would love to try their breakfast offerings.

Stopped by here with some friends on a beautiful weekend afternoon. Of course there was a wait, but the hostess kindly took our phone number so we could continue to enjoy the shops along Winslow Way while we waited for a table.
A little while later, we got the call we were waiting for, and came back to get our outdoor table on the side deck. We were not disappointed in the food, which included lobster deviled eggs, truffle fries, and the Dungeness crab melt. My husband had the caramel pecan french toast. All of it was very good. I could suggest a few tweaks, for example, maybe a milder cheese rather than a cheddar on the crab melt, but that’s probably my personal preference. I also wonder if it would be better to try putting the lobster in the deviled egg mix, rather than just on top, but… I’m not complaining, it was good!
The service was excellent. It was a warm, sunny day and the servers kept our drinks full and cold, that was much appreciated!
Overall, it was a very nice brunch experience and I would recommend checking it out if you’re on the Island!

Lovely brunch spot that looks like it is in a classy, quaint house. Like any good brunch spot, there are a variety of options from sweet to savory, healthy to decadent. There’s even a kids menu and our server was considerate enough to ask if the little ones needed their food first, give them crayons, and not give us dirty looks when a bunch of pasta ended up on their carpeted floor. Thank you for being patient and kid-​friendly!
The food and mimosas were delightful. The eggs were perfectly runny, the spring vegetable hash was delicately seasoned and made with fresh ingredients. The kids seemed to enjoy their noodles with butter too!
Definitely recommend making a reservation, especially if you have a party larger than 4. It’s quite small and popular!

We stumbled across this café on Winslow (the main drag on Bainbridge Island) because the visitor center was closed and it was one of the top places on the pamphlet barely shielded from the rain.
The Mexican crab salad was exquisite. If they sold the dressing, I would have bought a bottle. I ordered the smaller size, but easily could have finished the larger portion.
The duck with «pancakes» (somewhere between a tortilla, naan bread and the spongy Ethiopian bread you eat with your hands) may have been the best duck I’ve ever eaten: flavorful, tender, and neither gamey nor greasy. It’s a starter not an entrée so not that expensive.
The interior is cozy and rustic with nice oil still life paintings by the booths for two on the side. It’s a perfect place to eat alone as there is a little bar in the center of the room in the front. The windows allow you to see the trees along Winslow and the warm tones make you feel as though you’re eating at a friend’s country house.
The wines by the glass are inexpensive and our server let me taste the red blend and Pinot before deciding. I went with the blend and would have had two glasses if not for my one-​month slim down booze rationing pre-​college reunion.
Café Nola also has a wonderful and unusual chili worth a ferry to Bainbridge even if you have nothing else to do on the island. It’s thinner than most chili but extremely spicy.
A perfect lunch from start to finish.
Real Estate Postscript:
My boyfriend’s mother wanted to retire to Bainbridge instead of Scottsdale. Now I know why. I don’t know how anyone could choose Scottsdale over Bainbridge, but if you insist on a palatial house on acreage as his father did, Bainbridge is too expensive. If, however, you’re content with 3000 feet on a half-​acre, Bainbridge is more than doable.
Another problem with Bainbridge Island: there is a lot of mid-​century modern, which was unacceptable to my boyfriend’s father, who is attached either to prewar or new construction, but not the junk built in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
I am convinced the only reason well-​off but not ultra-​rich people choose Scottsdale is because they have a bee in their bonnets about giant houses on many acres. I’m a city girl and don’t see any point to a plot of land larger than an acre unless it’s a country retreat in upstate New York.
If you have only one residence, what is the point of two or more acres? I cannot begin to understand the appeal of lots of land in the desert. If I don’t have water, I gotta have trees and cactus aren’t trees Water is life. Desert is by definition dry and thus closer to death. If you live on the water, you don’t need a ton of land. This at any rate is this Pacific Palisades/​Santa Barbara/​Manhattan girl’s view of the matter.
Bainbridge Island is paradise.

Cute little spot with good food!
Decided to get out of the city and decided to make our way to Bainbridge Island. Left our car somewhere in downtown, and walked over and took the ferry. It was about a 15 minute walk from the ferry terminal to Café Nola (which is pretty much at the end of their downtown area, walkable).
We were worried that they were going to be super busy because it was noon on a Saturday, but the only waiting we had to do was to get to the greeter who then showed us to our seats.
Service was fast. I ordered the smoked salmon omelet with ricotta, which came with a side of salad and fruits, and the hubby ordered the country fried steak with eggs, potatoes, fruits, and a very light and fluffy biscuit. Both were really, good. The eggs were fluffy for both of us. The country fried steak was on point. Also ordered a side of truffle fries (can’t say no to anything with truffles).
I would love to come back here (but probably after I try some more other eateries on the island).

Our first trip to Bainbridge and therefore our first visit to Café Nola, via recommendation from friend. Luck us, We chose a great day to go, as the locals were at the Seahawks game and we avoided all crowds.
Upon arrival we were greeted by hostess and bartender, seated within minutes and our server was table side in no time. This place is so cute!
Ordered:
Smoked Salmon Omelet, which was light and fluffy and flavorful. The little side salad, which comes from their local garden per menu, was delicious.
Poblano Rellenos. This was an interesting twist on what we are used to. Large poblano stuffed with potatoes (mashed at that) and a hard chorizo (like salami), dredged in cornmeal and fried, with Fresh pico. This was richly flavored and quite yummy.
Overall good experience and glad we stopped in.

Cute little place with a nice patio to grab a quick meal/​drink while visiting Bainbridge Island. We had a house bloody mary each and the lobster deviled eggs while waiting for the next ferry back to Seattle. The appetizer and drinks were good, but docking a star for pretty inefficient service.