The George is a restaurant located in the Fairmont Hotel right across the street from the downtown W Hotel in Seattle. The hotel has a somewhat pretentious exuberance to it because it has a lot of that old Ritz Carlton feel when you walk in. I was in a predicament where I had to stay in this hotel for just one night, but I was excited to see how this differed the modern feel of the W Hotel.
Ambiance
The hotel decor has a lot of that Ritz Carlton feel where it feels it has been around for a while and has a lot of old rustic ballroom grandiose vibes to it. The lobby is actually on the second floor of the hotel, and does not have a dedicated room normally like other hotels. In the lobby, there’s a bar, and two way paths either to an area with some small shops or to The George restaurant. It was rather confusing walking in, but eventually I did make my way to the check in table. After I received my check in table, the elevators were directly behind me which was odd as well.
As mentioned above, the restaurant is at the far end of room where the lobby is. When you walk in, it has super high ceilings and feels like you’re going back in time somewhat. The architecture is actually very pretty. I walked into the restaurant and was told that they only have a few tables for a party of 1, which is basically at the front facing this entrance. I told them I would prefer to sit at the bar, and I just happened to be the only one there.
The bar is located at the side of the restaurant, and there was an older gentleman (aka bartender) who took my order and served my drink. His service was top notch in that he took my order and left me alone unless I was requiring attention.
Food
I asked for a Manhattan with Woodbury Reserve rye ($16 + $4). It was very smooth and delightful. I’ve started mixing Woodbury Reserve as my mixer which might be a bad thing, but it absolutely creates a smooth Manhattan.
The Halibut ($42) came with spring onion soubise, English peas, and pea tendrils. The fish was cooked perfectly and had a very nice crust to it. I loved the taste of the peas and spring onion soubise. Everything tasted very fresh, a’la farm to table emotions. My only criticism is that it’s rather expensive. It literally was just this for this amount, but I guess part of it due to this restaurant being in a more bourgeois hotel.
I got the Baked Alaska ($20) which came with coconut ice cream, passion fruit, aged meringue, sugar cookie, and a flaming grand marnier. When they served this, they poured the grand marnier and lit it up to burn the tips of the meringue.
The Baked Alaska was pretty good although nowhere near the best I’ve had. It would’ve been nice if they added more flavors such as strawberry or pistachio. It felt mostly one dimensional and not as complex as other places do it. Regardless, I did enjoy it, but I probably wouldn’t get it again especially at $20 for what they give you.
Final Verdict
The George’s food seems to be pretty good mostly. It does have a little of a pretentious vibe to it, and it doesn’t justify the high cost of the dinner items. Regardless if you’re wanting to spend or desire a more refined outing, this place could be a decent spot to consider in the downtown Seattle area.
Yelp Jabs
The portions were small. Definitely needed to go out for another dinner afterwards.
I concur somewhat here. I ended up spending a good amount for myself, and I did not truly feel satisfied at the end. It seemed they charged a bit too much for their value proposition.
The “baked” Alaska was not “baked”. We had to explain to our waitress that the grand marnier did not burn off and it literally tasted like a shot of orange liquor was poured all over the top… and NOT in a good way.
I am curious what “baked” in this context meant. Did this Elitist expect the dessert to have been baked previously? Regardless, it sounded like they didn’t light up the grand marnier in the right area. But yeah, if you taste the grand marnier raw without being burned, that’s how it tastes like.
Revisions
- Jun 22, 2022 - Initial revision.