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Prelude at McCaw Hall, Seattle, WA

Prelude at McCaw Hall

4.3
4.3
2744 Reviews
$31 to $50
Contemporary American

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2 people
20:30
Booked 5 times today
  • Vegan-friendly
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
Welcome to Prelude - on the Promenade Level of McCaw Hall at Seattle Center. Sophistication, artistry and signature dishes designed by our Executive Chef await your visit. Prelude features the freshest local produce, artisanal products, a nice selection of wines by the glass and bottle, as well as liquor/cocktails and our sublime take on cuisine executed by the OVG culinary team. Our seasonal menus provide the perfect prelude to a Pacific Northwest Ballet or Seattle Opera performance. Reservations are strongly encouraged in advance.
~We DO NOT accept CASH
~We are open 2 hours prior to opera & ballet
~Show Run-Time permitting;
~Please note: Intermission pre-orders are NOT feasible for 1000 Pieces as runtime for the first act is too short!
~Harold & the Purple Crayon will not have online reservations

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American
  • Hours of Operation
    Open 2 hours prior to performances Daily 09:00–21:00
  • Phone number
    (206) 615-0404
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Cash not accepted, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Scott Mclean (FOH MGR Tony Bock)
  • Catering
    We apply our extensive experience in both large and small-scale events at most any location in the Seattle Area. Our culinary team and experienced sales staff have created custom menus and unique special events to successfully support world-class events for small groups or thousands of people. You can be sure we have the expertise to handle every detail of your event, from site coordination, to rentals, to securing a pleasant service staff. Contact us to learn more.
  • Private party facilities
    Opportunities for private events abound at McCaw hall. Whether planning a large party in the dining room or looking for a private space, or larger events our team is experienced and ready to handle the details for you. For larger parties please ask for our Catering Director and we will be happy to put you in contact with her.
  • Area
    Seattle Center / Lower Queen Anne
  • Cross Street
    4th & Mercer
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Additional
    Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 2,744 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.3
4.3 based on recent ratings
  • 4.1Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.1Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Prelude at McCaw Hall offers a convenient dining experience for opera and ballet enthusiasts. Guests frequently praise the "excellent service" and creative dish presentation. While some dishes, like the chocolate dessert, receive raves, others note limited menu options and occasional portion size concerns. Overall, Prelude excels in ambiance and pre-event dining convenience.

2,744 Reviews
  1. HDawn

    Seattle

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 10 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The menu for this Matinee performance at Prelude was amazing! Delicious cheese and fruit platter that fit a five year olds tastes. Perfect pumpkin scone! Even a “Shirley Temple” that delighted and sparked. Kudos & Bravo to all who created a lovely dining experience!

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  2. Samuel

    Seattle

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 10 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Thank you for the great evening. The food was great. Wine was great. The waiter was great.

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  3. Barry and Jill

    Seattle

    14 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on 10 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious dinner. Great wait staff. Beautiful venue. Dinner and then PNB Ballet

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  4. Hazel

    Seattle

    26 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    26 reviews

    Dined on 9 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our meal choices and wine choices were excellent. Well prepared, lovely presentation, impeccable service. Thank you, especially to our waiter, Charles.

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  5. Lee

    Seattle

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 3 November 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Restaurant only half full yet out of two of the four entrees; chicken and pork. Then we had the ravioli but are you ready; no ravioli in the entree. Wow! Finally ordered the lemon curd dessert and exactly one Teaspoon of lemon curd on dessert. Just a collosial bad meal. Waiter was great and did the best he could to cover for the poor kitchen planning. Sorry but this is an accurate review!

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  6. AliST

    Seattle

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 2 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Brunch before the Ballet was very pleasant. Excellent service. Only complaint: no Kalamata olives on Greek salad w/feta.

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  7. Jane

    Washington DC

    13 reviews

    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on 27 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We really enjoyed our meal. Thought the vegetarian and pescatarian options could have been more extensive. Also timing was weird as it was so much faster than prior operas. We awkwardly got our food so fast that we were done by 630 - so what to do the the whole next hour.

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  8. David

    Seattle

    19 reviews

    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on 20 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Our go-to place when attending a performance at McCaw Hall

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  9. Gwen

    Seattle

    6 reviews

    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 13 October 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Service just terrific! In every way! Coffee undrinkable!

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  10. George

    Washington DC

    26 reviews

    4.0

    26 reviews

    Dined on 13 October 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely setting and very convenient for those going to a performance at the opera afterwards. The menu, though, was too limited for a pescatarian/vegetarian. Not a single main course had a savory option without meat. I ended up having a salad and a cheese plate, both very tasty, but I had been looking forward to a hot lunch. The dessert, Kouign Amann, a specialty of Bretagne, France, was very tough and disappointing. My husband ordered Mexican pozole —soup, which he said was good and authentic and he also had beef roulade. He enjoyed both. The service was efficient but not very savvy about the menu. There was a mistake in the description of the main items which we had to point out. We had no alcohol so the total bill was a little pricey for what we consumed but it was a really beautiful cafe.

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FAQs

Prelude at McCaw Hall is rated 4.3 stars by 2744 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
20:30
Booked 5 times today
Google Map for Prelude at McCaw Hall

321 Mercer Street, Seattle, WA 98109

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    4th & Mercer
  • Area
    Seattle Center / Lower Queen Anne
  • Hours of Operation
    Open 2 hours prior to performances Daily 09:00–21:00
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Cash not accepted, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Scott Mclean (FOH MGR Tony Bock)
  • Additional
    Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Non-Smoking, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (206) 615-0404
  • Catering
    We apply our extensive experience in both large and small-scale events at most any location in the Seattle Area. Our culinary team and experienced sales staff have created custom menus and unique special events to successfully support world-class events for small groups or thousands of people. You can be sure we have the expertise to handle every detail of your event, from site coordination, to rentals, to securing a pleasant service staff. Contact us to learn more.
  • Private party facilities
    Opportunities for private events abound at McCaw hall. Whether planning a large party in the dining room or looking for a private space, or larger events our team is experienced and ready to handle the details for you. For larger parties please ask for our Catering Director and we will be happy to put you in contact with her.
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