The Walrus And The Carpenter

What a special little restaurant- the epitome of a "hidden gem". They do not take reservations, which can be a little problematic for those of us that want to make plans for our evening (hence the only reason I am giving them a 4 star instead of a 5). The food is of the highest quality. The service is fast. The atmosphere is quaint, fresh, friendly and vibrant, in that classic and hip Seattle vibe sort of way. If you're looking for that unique and special way to celebrate friendship over oysters on the half shell, this is the place! Due to them not accepting reservations, either go on a day/time that isn't typically as busy for dining, or set your expectations for not being seated. I have eaten here 2 out of the 4 times I have visited, due to 2 of the times having exhaustively long waits of over an hour and a half. IMO, restaurants that do not take reservations are not considering the fact that people driving 45 minutes from the east, north, west or south to dine, especially people with parties larger than 2, need a reservation service. Also, food isn't always the only thing on the menu for people trying to create a night on the town. What happens if people are trying to see a show, ball game or have other plans besides dinner? Anyone that has timing requirements for their evening should definitely create a backup reservation in the area just in case Walrus and Carpenter is too busy to seat you. Like I said, the wait was too long 50 percent of the time I have attempted to go. But yes... don't give up. It's that good.

Great restaurant, with yummy, fresh oysters! The sardines were amazing too! I liked the dates dessert too :) The squash salad though was only okay. Good, super friendly service. You may need to wait until a table becomes available (for us, we got one way before the anticipated time). Would come again!

A hidden gem restaurant and bar famed for its fresh oysters, crudos and other small plates. Also had a solid cocktail and wine selection. They don’t take reservations so you’d have to plan enough time for it. We got there at 5:45 on a Sat night for a party of 6 and didn’t have to wait. Our fav dishes were the fried oysters and the scallop crudo. The food was good but I’ve had better seafoods for the price. Overall one of the best restaurants in Seattle for fresh seafood and small plates.

I can't even begin to explain the incredible experience that we had. So, let's just jump to the food reviews, OYSTERS wow, a must! And Steak Tartare was out of this world!! My family has no interest in tartare, I love it, and begged them to try it, it has now turned them into fans!! They both agreed it was the best thing that we ordered!! We also had the olives, clams and fried oysters. All of which were fantastic as well. We also enjoyed a cocktail off of their drink menu as well as cocktails at the Barnacle bar right next door while we had waited for our table. Which was also a very cool spot to go, the atmosphere and decor of both places was very hip and lovely.

Really loved my experience here! It’s quite busy in the evening but they have space at the bar for smaller parties. The space is all the way at the back of an unassuming building. It is definitely on the pricy side but I think the quality and taste is worth the price. We got two of their oysters, halibut crudo, grilled sardine, summer squash, tartare, and panna cotta. I would get the oysters, crudo and summer squash again if I were to come back. The oysters were very meaty and tasted really fresh with the horseradish and house vinaigrette. We also really enjoyed the mix of flavor of the halibut crudo, I highly recommend it! Tartare was good but on the salty side, but it had great texture. The grilled sardine was good, on the heavier side if you want something to keep you full, but not something I would want again. The panna cotta is super creamy and delicious, a great way to finish off our meal.