Prelude

We arrived at 6 pm in advance of a 7:30 pm production in McCall Hall, and we were seated immediately. It took quiet some time, however, before our server visited the table. Our drinks and first courses arrived in a reasonable amount of time. Our plates were cleared, and we waited about 20 minutes at which time the server came with dessert menus. I informed her we hadn’t receive our entrees, and she said she would check on them (no apology). We ordered wine, and that came out right away. Our entrees arrived at 7:10 pm (an adjacent table that had arrived 20 minutes after us already had their check). The server offered no apology – just that the kitchen was backed up. When I pointed others seemed to be getting their food in a reasonable timeframe, she offered to comp the wine, which I appreciated.
The smoked salmon salad was quite good, but the cauliflower soup was rather bland. The pork loin was tough, dry, and overcooked. Overall, the experience was quite disappointing. I had a similar experience several years ago, but went in hoping things had improved. I won’t be making that mistake again.

Prelude is a nice restaurant and the perfect place to have dinner before the opera, but it is overpriced.
Service: 4 Stars — fantastic service. Our waiter was very friendly, and attentive. The other servers were excellent as well. Our wine glasses never ran empty, and we have no complaints about the service.
Food: 3 Stars — As the Unilocal guideline for 3 Stars says: A-​OK. Nothing earth shattering, but just fine for a fancy night out to the opera. We had a house bottle of some Washington red blend and that was the highlight of the meal. It was superb!
Atmosphere: 3 Stars. Again — Just fine for dinner before the opera, but nothing more.
Overall: 3 Stars, primarily due to the price. Had our meal plus the wine come in at 30% less than what we paid, then I’d be happy giving Prelude 3.5 stars.

Absolutely horrible (in a very first world problem kind of way). Crappy food, crappy service, crappy ambience. We went for lunch before seeing The Nutcracker. Service was very slow (place was not busy) and server was not visible in her section. Had to ask for several very basic things, twice. I worked in restaurants for 20 years do I’m not a complete jerk when it comes to dining out, I know that stuff happens, but this place genuinely sucks. Iced tea comes in a plastic bottle with a glass of ice on the side. Asked for an extra plate because we were sharing meals and they brought me a saucer. The Reuben had almost no sauerkraut on it and they don’t offer mustard at all. My daughter ordered beef sliders and they were like cold hockey pucks. When the manager came over to discuss our concerns, he explained that the food was pre-​made offsite and warmed there. So now it makes sense, they do meals like airlines do. Save your money and go to one of the many restaurants nearby, this place can is a poor start to what should be a pleasant event.

I went there last night. The food was mediocre, the service terrible. We had to wait for a long time to get our dishes and we were informed that their computers were down and that was the reason. When we asked for the bill, we were assured that the computers were back up but it again took them so long to give us the bill and then gather the credit card to pay for it. We went to try to pay for it because we were trying to get to our event, and then they went in search for our server, and when he came, he was so rude. They could have offered to reduce the bill for such terrible service, which they never did.

Dinner before the Ballet.
Upon arrival I was suddenly confused, it’s like it’s trying to be fancy but just misses the mark. It’s open air. It’s like it used to be an employee café and now it’s a restaurant.
We had champagne — average
We had the Steak Tartar — below average
We had asparagus with cheese — average
We had the bread basket — it was a bread basket — enough said
We had the Seafood Pasta Puttanesca — below average — tasted too fishy, not fresh
I can’t explain why but it just feels like it’s trying to be something it’s not. Like a gay guy trying to be straight. Prelude is a gay guy trying to be straight. It’s not gonna work.
Examples:
Great Beautiful Menu /​No liquor available !!!
Wonderful food descriptions /​average to below average food !!!
High prices /​no value in food ???
I will say that the service was very good. This was the saving grace from a one star review. Also for people needing a quick, expensive and below average bite before a show, the location is great.
I think that the rent is probably really high for this place so they have to serve some high priced food. If I could speak to the owner: I would recommend doing some traditional salads, soups, pizza’s and stop trying to be so fancy. Just add some fancy ingredients and keep the prices high to cover the rent.
Meh. I’ve experienced better.

Convenient location. Friendly, yet painfully slow and inattentive waiter. Menu lacks variety. Food lacks taste. Of all the dining choices in Seattle, this one needs to step up to the plate. Beet salad had tiny cubed beets and very few of them mixed with a couple of hazelnuts, minimal greens and a splat of ricotta. Pasta with pork was flavorless, watery and more pasta than anything else. Waited far too long with empty water glasses. Also waited far too long for our check.

I made the reservation, but I was told I needed to wait in line like everyone else. So that was the first problem, then when I looked at the menu, there’s nothing I can eat that will fill my apetite. I ordered Smoked Salmon, baked eggs, leek cream sauce and dill. It’s not edible. There were two eggs in the middle of the rich, creamy sauce, but I didn’t see any smoked salmon. I needed to order another dish, so I chose beet salad, that was OK. I wish the brunch menu is a little better with more portion. We needed to sit in opera for three hours. A little creamy sauce dish would not do. The server was attentive enough. I have been to opera house for 25 years now, I have seen it better.

Decided on Prelude for a pre-​show dinner. Thankfully we were able to be seated in a few minutes without a reservation, so we were very thankful!
Firstly, their menu is in three courses (or acts) if you choose to do so. Each «act» only has 4 – 5 options. I decided on chicory salad with poached pears & candied walnuts. The pears & walnuts were so tasty! The salad was rather meh, & I ended up leaving about a third of my salad on my place. For my main «act,» I chose the braised pork with polenta & brussel sprouts. It was rather bland & underwhelming. The pork was tender but lacked flavor. I’ve never had polenta before so I can’t really comment on that.
Our server was friendly & our food came out quickly so we really appreciate that. But for food, it leaves a lot to be desired.

Good service and beautiful convent location especially before seeing a ballet. But food was terrible and weird and overpriced for the quality of food. I am for goodness sakes the bread isn’t even warm when brought to your table. The only compliment I can give is to the water. Very disappointed

Really good option prior to show. Wine very good. Butternut squash was awesome. I had smoked salmon and eggs and it was the bomb! Per my daughter, avoid Philly Cheesesteak. Other than that, bravo.

Sad not to give this place more stars. It’s a great concept that you can have a convenient and nice dining experience while at the ballet or opera. But, the menu is less than stellar. They have a very limited menu and not very vegetarian friendly. And the prices were a little on the high side for what we got. What I did like was the friendly staff, however it seemed like they were understaffed, because she only popped by a maybe once during our meal. I was fearing we would miss the beginning of the performance because we couldn’t get our bill. The other thing I liked was that we pre-​ordered dessert and it was waiting for us during intermission, which I was told that most folks aren’t aware of that service. May just go here for dessert and drinks from here on out.

While the location and ambience were nice, the meal was not. The food, marketed as gourmet, and priced around $ 30 per plate, and was basically a rewarmed cafeteria-​grade meal. The «chicken pot pie» was like lukewarm canned soup with a biscuit on top, and the chicken tasted rancid. The seafood stew was slightly better, but still seemed like a rewarmed frozen dinner. The beef stew had some fresh veggies under the low quality meat slabs and canned gravy. The wait staff were nice and attentive. This might be a nice place to get dessert, but I would definitely not recommend dining here.

Awful. What a mistake it was to pick this place to start off a special evening of dinner and ballet! Sliders my son ordered looked and tasted like cheap microwaved food and the Asian pork dish my husband ordered was portioned so small that we had to have another dinner after the ballet. And the restaurant really doesn’t look as nice as it does in pictures. Perhaps my expectations were too high but this was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had.

Sorry to say this was some of the worst food we have ever had. Goat cheese and mushroom puffs that taste like they were defrosted from a frozen food box and warmed to room temperature. Ick. Scallops and some other kind of indistinguishable fish «crudo» swimming in cold, salty broth. Ewww… Salads that have wonderful sounding names and very unsatisfying flavors and textures. Plus terrible service. And all for the convenience of eating at McCaw Hall. We will never make that mistake again. Ewwwww!!!

Overall, the dining experience at Prelude is a pleasant, but not remarkable one. The menu would lead one to believe that the dishes, combined with the convenience of the location merits the price. It doesn’t. The main selling point remains the convenience.
Meal: The soup was quite nice. The compressed watermelon (cubes) with an arugula-​based salad was interesting as a concept, but never came together. Main course was seared Ahi Tuna, which was pleasant, but unremarkable. The presentation definitely outstripped the cooking. We ate several desserts during intermissions for The Ring. The chocolate flourless cake had an unpleasant gritty texture but a chocolate torte was amazingly rich and pleasant. Strawberry shortcake was well executed, my grandmother would have approved.
Cellar has a nice variety of half-​bottles, but the full bottle selection is sadly lacking. Had the full selection been better, I would have been more likely to buy one, since you can have them hold it for you for seating for a dessert during an intermission, which is a pleasant option.
There are better options within easy walk of McCaw Hall.

Very good food for pre-​show dinner place in the theater! Ahi tuna was good, very nice watermelon salad, unmemorable dessert.
BUT.
Service was not good at all. Waited too long to get orders, left our unopened bottle of wine sitting on the counter and didn’t come back to pour it until we received our appetizers, and then only with «oh, she didn’t pour this for you?», then we waited a good long while for the entrees to come out, and finally at 15min to curtain, had to request the dessert course because with elderly folks at our table, we needed more than that to scarf down the dessert, order/​receive/​drink coffee, give the card to the waitress, have her run it and then sign the credit slip.
That part was very disappointing. Why spend the extra money for convenience if I can go up the street to Crow or 10 Mercer and have great, well planned service?

The holidays were upon us and what better way than to celebrate in the midst of it than heading to see a performance of the Nutcracker. We were quite a bit early and initially thought we would just hit up the Armory for some cheap eats but then saw that the attached restaurant was right there… plus we eyed the really cute guy host and decided okay, we’ll stay and eat here lol. I read the reviews on here before we ordered and was sad to see such low star reviews… overall, if you are at the venue to catch a performance, Prelude does add to the experience as we had some nice wine beforehand and our waitress was FAAAAAABULOUS. We were even able to order our drinks for intermission instead of waiting in long ass lines at the concessions and actually relax and sit in the table we dined at. Is the food overpriced, of course but it’s what you’d expect from a place like this. Was the food bad? No, it actually was a darn good meal. Plus points for ambiene and service especially since it felt like Christmas around there. Thanks Prelude!

We visited Prelude again last Saturday prior to the performance of Cinderella at Seattle’s Opera House. It was one of those magical nights. A true date night for my husband and me where everything was good and fun. Cinderella was a delight. Cudos to the costume manager, staging director and production team! And we truly enjoyed the excellent voices, especially Cinderella’s and the prince’s, who almost got upstaged by the delightful six dancing rats.
For our meal at Prelude, I had the pan seared cod with a kalamata caramel. It was gently cooked, served with brown butter parsnips and sections of a blood orange. A very innovative presentation and delectable! My husband chose the braised short ribs with whipped potatoes and lovely steamed haricots vertes. He gave me a taste. The meat was like butter, the beans crisp and the potatoes light. Good service too!
Between acts, we enjoyed half a bottle of bubbly we had pre-​ordered. The table was set with flutes and our bottle was cooling in the ice bucket when we arrived. Our waitress took prompt notice of our arrival and popped the cork. Salute!
In the past, dining at Prelude has been a bit of a game of chance. Sometimes good and other times it was just food. But last Saturday was truly a 4-​star night. Cudos to the chef and staff at Prelude Restaurant!

I wish I could give half stars on Unilocal.Prelude doesn’t warrant two, but it’s not quite great enough for three stars in my book.
My mother and I have eaten here twice as a convenient treat before seeing the opera. The first time was last season, the second time was last night. I don’t remember my first visit, so my comments are for the most recent excursion.
I will start by saving the service was great. Our waitress was very nice and easy to get a hold of. She checked in often, but not so much that I felt she was being creepy. We split an excellent half bottle of moscato and had a light salad as our appetizer. The salad was delicious (butter lettuce, fresh crab meat, blood orange slices, avocado), even though it was small. I think I finished mine in five minutes. For our main course we both had the cod with potatoes. The vegetables were good, the cod left something to be desired. It had an overly, fishy taste with no seasoning whatsoever. For what we had I was shocked that the bill was $ 112. Not worth it… unless someone else is paying. :-P

I came here with some friends before going to see a show at McCaw and it was pretty good. To be honest, the real incentive to eat here isn’t for the food but for its location. The atmosphere is great with HIGH 30 foot ceilings. Space is just beautiful.
Would I recommend this place? If you are in a hurry and are hungry, eat here. However, you could also end up waiting a while if you don’t have a reservation and they are busy.