We were 40 minutes late to Ponti's. I felt bad since our friends were waiting there the entire time. Apparently, they had gotten on the waiter's bad side by returning drinks they didn't like the... More

We were 40 minutes late to Ponti's. I felt bad since our friends were waiting there the entire time. Apparently, they had gotten on the waiter's bad side by returning drinks they didn't like the taste of. Whatever, the customer's always right. I was in a good mood, so I was working the waiter's good side so he wouldn't spit in our vinagrette. However, bad bartending struck again. Jason ordered a Cape Cod and it was the most watered down shit he'd ever had. He walked over to the bartender for a pow wow. This time, he ordered a double and it *still* tasted like water. WTF? Yeah, this and the whole being out of Pinot Grigio puts Ponti's on my shit list. The food wasn't too bad. I had the Cajun Prawns in a nice sauce. Too bad the bread was fricken $2 (happy hour price too, hello!) else it would've been a nice light meal. Jason had the salmon quesadillas which were decent. Not amazingly awesome, but the flavors were what I expected them to be. Then he and I split a bacon cheeseburger and fries (they had no ranch dressing, wtf?! Plus they had the audacity to use a condescending tone when we asked for it). Frankly, McDevil' s has a better baco-cheeseburger but their fries were good. Overall, Ponti's can suck my balls. The servers were total dicks and didn't hide their contempt for us that well. I was a total sweetheart to them and they looked down their snooty noses at me. To top it off, the drinks sukd and the food was overrated.
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i've always wanted to try ponti and had high expectations - totally set myself up to be let down. that did not happen - yay!. we were seated quickly by a very nice host and the waitress was... More

i've always wanted to try ponti and had high expectations - totally set myself up to be let down. that did not happen - yay!. we were seated quickly by a very nice host and the waitress was quite attentive and had great wine and food suggestions. the food was great - perfectly cooked fish in a sauce a bit heavier than i like. there was a bit of a lag between salad and entree so we stuffed ourselves with bread and skipped dessert. they make excellent mixed drinks, and the waitstaff remained attentive throughout dinner. they also have a deck that makes for a lovely summer eveining...right on the water and watching the boats go through fremont. i will return.
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This has been one of the consistent dining pleasures we have experienced in Seattle. With one exception, every meal has been top notch, well prepared and served. Love the crab spring rolls, choc.... More

This has been one of the consistent dining pleasures we have experienced in Seattle. With one exception, every meal has been top notch, well prepared and served. Love the crab spring rolls, choc. deserts, wine selection, fresh fish...and occasionally the lamb. Atmosphere-wise this place rules. Main dining room is spacious, both decks are great, and the bar is one of our favorite late night snack stops. Highly recommended. Make a reservation. If not, eat in bar...happy hour prices are killer.
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The views are beautiful and the interior of the restaurant is quite nice as well. The waitstaff that I interacted with were terrific - friendly, helpful, and very accommodating. I would definitely... More

The views are beautiful and the interior of the restaurant is quite nice as well. The waitstaff that I interacted with were terrific - friendly, helpful, and very accommodating. I would definitely agree with the reviewer who said that the Asian-inspired dishes were probably the best. I got sushi-grade tuna, seared, with a wasabi ginger sauce that was unbelievable! The people I was with got other dishes that were just ok. I would go back in a second for my dish though; it was delicious!
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Well, experience at Ponti's has been mixed on Judy's Book, but we've been going there for probably 10 years. It is a good place to get to as long as you stay with the seafood, the brunches and the... More

Well, experience at Ponti's has been mixed on Judy's Book, but we've been going there for probably 10 years. It is a good place to get to as long as you stay with the seafood, the brunches and the various pastas. Actually, the Asian inspired stuff is what we really like there. They had a curry-crab-prawn thing that was really great. They also have a nice spicy soup. They do get very crowded, but the brunches are really great on a summer day. And you can stroll down. The only real bummer is that I wish there was a place to tie up your boat, then it would be perfect!
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Ponti, a seafood restaurant near the historic Fremont bridge, is a real lousy restaurant. It has a lot of things going for it: great views, nice dining room, nice valet parking guys. But the... More

Ponti, a seafood restaurant near the historic Fremont bridge, is a real lousy restaurant. It has a lot of things going for it: great views, nice dining room, nice valet parking guys. But the waitstaff and the food is average at best and if you're going to eat dinner at a pricey seafood restaurant, you at least want decent food. It's not that hard to get good seafood in Seattle; so why can't Ponti prepare any?
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Last night, a few of us decided to capitalize on the 25 for 25 again and try out Ponti. I was totally disappointed. The first course was a beet salad. Not enough dressing, but overall, the... More

Last night, a few of us decided to capitalize on the 25 for 25 again and try out Ponti. I was totally disappointed. The first course was a beet salad. Not enough dressing, but overall, the beets were fresh and good, and kudos for including yellow beets. I wasn't blown away, but I was feeling optimistic. My second course rapidly burst that bubble. I had ordered the Halibut Enchiladas in Lobster Cream Sauce. It arrived and was barely warm and tasted like nothing. The fish had not been seasoned at all. I had to add a ton of salt just to give it any flavor. Dessert was supposed to be chocolate mousse. Have you ever been to Cost Plus and bought the instant mousse mix? This stuff was along the same lines, but included strawberry goo and a cookie. It was nasty - and served warm. Overall, it was one of those meals where I just left feeling like I got robbed. Ponti is on my personal boycott list now.
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I went to Ponti for Valentine's Day a year ago and I was delighted. Our waiter was funny and charming, and all the courses excellent. Endorphins accounted for, the meal was exquisite. This... More

I went to Ponti for Valentine's Day a year ago and I was delighted. Our waiter was funny and charming, and all the courses excellent. Endorphins accounted for, the meal was exquisite. This weekend, I returned for the 25 for $25 March promotion. The physical offerings varied slightly from the online menu, but were still a nice selection. I had the oyster tamale, which was better than I expected. Everyone in my large party seemed at least satisfied if not pleased with their appetizer. Unfortunately, it went downhill from there. After trying the halibut enchilada, my friend remarked, "Wow. That tastes like enchilada... but without the red sauce." Although my dish came out looking and tasting nearly picture perfect, the other two diners who ordered pork tenderloin were less than enthused. Their cuts were much smaller, less fresh and way overcooked; one friend's likening it to a microwaved meat appeared dead-on. The desserts were also met with mixed response. With more than two people disappointed with their meal, it's hard to give a blanket recommendation. At least I can say I've always enjoyed my dinner at Ponti. Not all seats are created equal, so if you're hankering for a view, you should mention it when making the reservation. The dining area to the left, near the bar, is also darker if mood is part of your objective. Parking, I believe, is all valet--unless you park a block or two away and make the short walk over.
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I have only been here once, and you can never know for sure what a place is really like based on only one experience, but Ponti's was great! The food was outstanding. I had seared Ahi tuna. The... More

I have only been here once, and you can never know for sure what a place is really like based on only one experience, but Ponti's was great! The food was outstanding. I had seared Ahi tuna. The fish was sushi grade and beautifully presented on a bed of sesame coleslaw and a sesame coconut rice patty, with delicious pickled ginger and wasabi sauce. The Ahi was grilled/seared to perfection and was unbelievable. Everything on my plate was absolutely delicious. My fiancé ordered paella and it was very good. I think my dish was better, but I did try his and the saffron flavoring was excellent. We also ordered grilled scallops for an appetizer. They came on a bed of thinly sliced sweet potato "chips". The scallops were very good but the sweet potatoes were incredible! Not the very best scallops I have ever had, but WAY better than most. We also ordered a bowl of the soup of the day, which was New England clam chowder. Being from Massachusetts, I have to say it wasn't very New England-y, but it was delicious nonetheless. Even the bread that accompanied the meal was excellent and high quality. The prices were pretty expensive, but not more so than I had expected. The Ahi was $27 and the paella was $21. The scallops were $11. Wines by the glass started at about $7, and they had beer both by the bottle and on tap. We easily spent $100 without dessert or wine. The atmosphere in the restaurant was very fancy and I noticed that many of the men had on ties (it always surprises me to see this in Seattle!). There seemed to be quite a few business people there, although there was also a table with a toddler, and lots of other couples and groups. The view over the canal was beautiful. The wait staff, and especially the busser, were very available and professional. I was impressed. Overall, I will definitely go back there.
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