Rover’s Restaurant Review

Picture from Rover's Website

Rover’s is supposed to be one of the top restaurants in Seattle, very upscale and pricey. I always wanted to try it but just never got around to it or wasn’t ready for a 3 hour dining experience. But recently we finally made reservations to try out the 8 course grand menu at Rovers.

Rover’s has a little private court yard right outside, very cute, once we got inside it was very quiet and nice, what I expected. The décor is very simple and not stuffy at all. I don’t know why I have thought stuffy but that is what I was expecting. I actually like the simple atmosphere.

We had already decided we wanted to try the 8 course grand menu, but they have other course tasting as well as a la carte, which I did not know. You can choose between the following: Grand Menu Degustation, Eight Courses $ 135, Menu Degustation, Five Courses $99, Vegetarian menu Degustation, Five Vegetarian Courses $85, A Taste of Luc Menu, Four Courses $49.

Then there is an additional cost if you want to do a wine pairing with your tasting. It would have been additional $75 for the 8 course. We decided to just go for a bottle. The Wine director was excellent and recommended a wine we really enjoyed.

Our 8 course meal started off with Amuse-Bouche, which were 3 different little tasting on a plate, all I can remember was the celery root soup. The other two items I didn’t really enjoy. But each item was enough for a taste only, very small portions. After that we got another plate with Ahi Tuna Tartar, Osetra Caviar, and Kushi Oyster with Meyer Lemon Mignonette. The Ahi tuna was very nice and Oysters I am not a fan of but my husband said it was delicious. After that we got Marinated Dungeness Crab with Spiced Cucumber Relish, Frisée Salad and Olive Oil. The crab was way too salty.

A this point of the meal I was still starving and had to order some extra bread. The tasting items were a little too small for me and the wait between the meals was a little too long. It was going to be a long night. Then the best thing on the menu came. We had a Scallop in Celery Root soup. It was delishhh! I don’t want to spoil the rest of the review but this was the best thing the whole night. If I ever go back I would just order this. After that we got Sweetbread with mushrooms. I am not a fan of sweetbread, but I finished it. Next course was Salmon with Lentils and with red wine reduction. It was tasty. Next course was Seared Foie Gras with Poached Apple and Apple-Cardamom Gastrique, it was good, but Café Juanita does a much better Foie Gras, best in the Seattle area I think. Then after that was the second best thing on the menu which was Grapefruit Sorbet with Campari bubbles. After that we got the Lamb with Fingerling Potato Rissolé, Turnip, Fennel and Sauce which was good.

The dessert was 4 different items on a plate. The best thing was the panna cota part, the other three on the plate were nothing special and I didn’t finish them since it wasn’t very good. Tea, Coffee and Mignardises are served at the end. Mignardises were 2 pieces of chocolate and 2 pieces of some jelly candy.

Overall I am glad I went and experienced it. Rover’s is the old school fancy dining experience. But if I go back I would do a la carte, I was not a huge fan of the grand menu degustation. Some things were delicious like the Scallop and other I would never order again. Everything was prepared very well i was just not a fan of it all. So if one is going to spend the large amount of money they should get what they really want which is a pick from the a la carte.