Best Bellevue Restaurants

Supreme Dumpling House.

Applying the truisms of Seattle restaurants to the booming dining scene in Bellevue does nobody any good. Different rules apply on the east side of Lake Washington. Bellevue is its own place, with a population that’s 38 percent Asian, compared to 16 percent in Seattle. Some favorites are as luxe as the retail lineup at the Bravern, others hide in aging strip malls. The Chinese food game is unstoppable. And Old Bellevue is, well, Old Bellevue. Here are some reliable destinations for kathi rolls, Szechuan dishes, pasta, and a duo of great of new Mexican restaurants.

Supreme Dumplings

Bel-Red

Xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, are the reason people pack this sleek and silver-toned dining room (reservations are essential). Supreme makes seven versions, from spicy Szechuan or black truffle and chicken to classic iterations. But the fried rice and noodle dishes are just as meticulous.

Carmine’s

Downtown Bellevue

Carmine Smeraldo built the legendary Il Terrazzo Carmine in Seattle. His sons and wife carry on his legacy with a Bellevue spinoff that feels as essential to its surroundings as the original. This is old-school white tablecloth Italian food, executed by the next generation.

Adrian’s Restaurant and Tequila Bar

Downtown Bellevue

Former Carmine’s GM Adrian Lopez applies white tablecloth finesse of his previous workplace to flavors from his native Mexico (chef Francisco Bautista is also a Carmine’s alum). You’re undoubtedly in Old Bellevue—sliced wagyu drives the tacos de asada and a few dishes feel more calibrated toward power dining than posole. But the food is unrelentingly excellent, from enchiladas to salads to a chile relleno with filling that changes seasonally. The tequila selection and wine service are equally adept.

Jun Takai is the Eastside’s center of sushi gravity.

Takai by Kashiba

Downtown Bellevue

Jun Takai was mentored by none other than Seattle sushi legend Shiro Kashiba, then went on to build a following of his own. Kashiba tapped his former apprentice to give the Eastside a long-overdue flagship for destination sushi, though the dishes are undoubtedly Takai’s. The menu is entirely omakase; diners who wrangle a seat at chef Jun’s 10-seat sushi counter experience a 24-course version that’s slightly longer than the version available in the dining room.

The Roll Pod nails all the textures inherent to a good kathi roll.

The Roll Pod

Bel-Red

This fast-casual chainlet delivers the best kathi rolls in the region, layering flaky roti with a fried egg and your choice of fillings. The results nail the kathi roll’s essential blend of flavor, freshness, and texture. Roll Pod’s menu has tons of combos and lets you order items as a bowl, with rice and tomato gravy in place of the roti wrap.

Castilla

Downtown Bellevue

Of the restaurants within Bellevue Square, this Spanish restaurant and tapas bar deserves way more attention. Chef Clara Gutierrez Carroll (yes, she’s from central Spain’s Castilla region) puts out the sort of enormous menu built for a mall’s worth of tastes. But there’s exciting stuff here: grilled chorizo, empanadas, bacon-wrapped dates or shrimp, and massive pans of bright paella. The bar (or, more specifically, the menu of build-your-own gin tonicas) is worth its own visit.

Resonate Brewery and Pizzeria

Newport

Technically, this spot is just a laid-back brewpub that puts out individual-size pizza and an accessible lineup of IPA and lager. But the attention to detail in both food and beer (not to mention friendly service) makes it a versatile standout. Gently sourdough pizza crusts update classic parlor combos with quality meat (or you can build your own).

Bright lights, curved booths, and piping hot fish pots at Spicy PoPo Szechuan Fish.

Spicy PoPo Szechuan Fish

Bel-Red

In a city full of great Chinese food, the fish pot (and dry pot) here stand out. Diners customize their ample cauldron of halibut, chiles, and fiery broth with their preferred mix of additional meat, vegetables, and rice noodles. You can choose from three spice levels, but even the mildest delivers a Szechuan-style spicy-numbing odyssey.

Chaat House

Bel-Red

Northern India’s broad category of savory, crunchy street food anchors the menu at this functional counter-service spot. Chaat House’s all-vegetarian menu includes a standout papdi chaat, chole bhature, and some Indo-Chinese dishes, like hakka noodles.

Cantina Monarca

Downtown Bellevue

Wood brought in from Tulum wraps the walls and ceiling of this modern Mexican spot, bringing a genuine sense of rustic glitz to the ground floor of the Lincoln Square South tower. Monarca (owned by the same folks as the casual Moctezuma chain) excels at anything margarita related, including a flight of three different choices from the cocktail menu. Sure, this is the sort of spot where diners photograph themselves rather than the food, but dishes like hefty individual tacos, lump crab enchiladas, and steaks with corn tortillas live up to the surroundings.

Patios go fancy—and offer unusual eastward views—at Ascend.

Ascend Prime Steak and Sushi

Downtown Bellevue

It’s as if a tiny piece of Las Vegas landed on the 31st floor of the Lincoln Square. Ascend is a high-end steak restaurant (and in-house sushi bar) that’s as serious about drama and presentation as it is about its bespoke beef menu. A sizable lounge offers perpetual party vibes and a trio of patios let you choose between mountain or skyline views.

Dan Gui

Bel-Red

A lengthy menu of Szechuan dishes (plus other Chinese American restaurant staples, like honey walnut prawns) are prepared with care, and best enjoyed as a group. That way, you don’t have to decide between classics like ma po tofu, dry-fried green beans, fish with peppercorns, toothpick lamb, and eggplant with preserved egg.