Crow’s Nest

Outstanding class! Started with nice Pinot Noir from an extensive wine list, moved on to the crab bisque, scallops entrée and topped it off with bananas foster. Food was exceptional, service was superb, and the ambiance magnificent! Beautiful views, it was both comfortable and relaxing. Our waiter, Logan, was perfection! Thank you — we will be back!

I had the roast duck.
I thought it was wonderful.
my friends had the NY Steak.
They thought it was wonderful.

Great food, and the best view in Anchorage!

We were given the best table in the house, which had the best view overlooking Anchorage. The meal was phenomenal, from the starters to the dessert. Loved the service too, our waitress did a great job in making our meal a very memorable one.

Service was the worst, slow always making excuse order coming. Food cold
Expensive for the lack of quality and sevice

A wonderful restaurant — by any standard — with a world class view. My wife and I enjoyed a romantic Friday night dinner in February (Fur-​Rendezvous). The setting, service, and food were highly impressive — our standard being Seattle.
Highlights: foie gras, wild boar, and the incredible view!

The wait staff have horrible attitude and will roll there eyes a lot at you. I recently went with my boyfriend on our anniversary and it wasn’t the best location to go. We were welcomed by a nice woman who sat us down at a window seat facing the city, when we had requested an ocean view (there were three other full tables in the restaurant). We then waited 10 minutes before anyone else spoke to us, then another 10 minutes before they brought us a food menu and the waiter took our order. After the waiter took our order, he made some snide comment about us being impatient because after 10 minutes of waiting I asked the hostess for a menu. After we made our order for dinner, we asked the waiter if it was a good option, we ordered a few appetizers since the menu is basically all meat, and he said that he wouldn’t order it himself and left it at that. The only thing that was good was the food.
Save your money and time and go somewhere were you feel welcome and respected.

Wow! Highly recommend this place. We had Chelsea serve us, more like our palate tour guide. She took us on an adventure that is remembered for years to come. 12 years ago I had my favorite steak, in Maui on an outside patio. The aged steak at Crows Nest has finally surpassed that wonderful memory of red meat. We can’t wait to go back for another memorable event.

Perfect martinis, and a really nice spread of appetizers.
I’ve been here a couple of times, never with a reservation, and sit up in the bar area. With the exception of one time (a salty waitress), I’ve had good service and a good food. I think the only downside is that the food is on the heavy side.

A couple months prior to our visit a reservation was made for ten guests at 7 PM. On 12-​18-​2015 my wife and three other couples arrived at the restaurant and checked in. We were advised that our reservation had been pushed back an hour because a group of eighteen had a reservation too. The staff advised they had tried to call the day prior, there was no record of a missed call on my cell phone. 8 PM rolls around and we are seated at a great table with an amazing view. One of the couples ordered oysters as an appetizers. They ate all but the last one when the wife used her fork to eat the last one. The wife found an inch long worm in hers that was still alive and moving all around in the shell. Almost immediately this was brought to the attention of our waitress. The waitress began to give advise. She recommended we go to Walgreens and get some sort of medication in case any worms had been ingested. There was no apology at the time. The waitress took the live worm in the shell and said she would be right back. The waitress said she spoke with the manager. (who didn’t bother to respond to our table). The waitress returned soon after and said she was advised its not uncommon to have live worms in an oyster and they had no control over it. There was never an apology or anything said about what was found. From the point the worm was found, the attitude of the staff tending to our table had changed. It almost felt like they were treating it like it was our fault we had found the worm and we should have just dealt with it.
I had the scallops and thought they were fantastic. My wife had the cod and found it to be flavorless. One of the guests had the rib eye and found a large portion of it to be fat and inedible. My wife and I shared the banana split and felt it was the best part of the meal. My friends who had eaten the oysters all mentioned they were not feeling well after their meal.
The view was amazing but the overall experience was not even close to what I would expect for a restaurant of this class. Unfortunately my wife and I will not be returning.

Scene of the crime: Saturday 9-​5-​2015, 8pm local time .
The Four of us were greeted by the host and were told if we were having drinks we could sit anywhere that wasn’t carpeted. We walked into the bar area with the wood floors and scoped out a table. We found an empty table and looked for a few more chairs and the server who was working that part of the bar told us we couldn’t do that as he needed to get through. Totally understandable. He then pointed to another table and said we could sit there when he wiped it off. He looked angry and mentioned that it would be awhile as he was really busy .
During this time we walked around and checked out the stunning views. After about 15 minutes went bye he got the chance to wipe the table and rotate it so we could all fit around it. He came back a few minutes later with menus and made a snarky comment about how we let the largest person sit on the corner of the table and made a disgusting laugh. We let that slide even though it was passive aggressive nonsense .
We looked over the menu and I pointed to the a list that had wines. He preceded to raise his voice at me and said that was the table of contents and that if I wanted the Viognier (he rudely corrected my pronunciation) that I would have to turn to page 27. He pushed my hand aside, rudely laughed loudly, and condescendingly told me that this was where the list was. I asked him if he found it funny that I had made a mistake, and he said it happened all the time chuckling agin. My entire party was exasperated by his tone. We got up and left promptly. I left feeling bullied and hurt .
With the right server this place could have been very enjoyable. Sadly it was not .
What could have been a lovely evening was ruined by a waiter who shouldn’t be working in customer service .
We ended up walking across the street to Simon & Seafort’s and had a wonderful dinner with excellent service.

I loved this place. We came for a drink one night and were back for dinner the next. It has a 360 view of the mountains and the sound. In August it is light all evening so it was really beautiful.
Cocktails were perfect
Bread was perfect
Crab soup fabulous
Liver pâté the best I have ever had
Finally I had the red Alaskan crab which was heaven
The service was just right
The prices were high as I would expect for this level of restaurant.
It would be my top choice if I lived here
Really nice

While checking out some places to take my friends for a special occasion while I was in Anchorage, I was blown away by the Crow’s Nest’s view of the surrounding downtown and epic mountains in the distance. Paired with the positive reviews, it had me sold.
We showed up to the valet stand on the 4^th Avenue side around 7:30pm on a Friday and it was already back up and lined with cars. Later on we figured the busy valet was due to the 3 other restaurants, huge bachelorette party, and concert/​event thing going on down stairs. Not to mention the fact that Captain Cook is a hotel! Whatever, we were enjoying the AC and when we finally got to the front the guy told us he’d leave our car up front for us. Nice.
Even though we were a little early for our reservation, we were seated right away at a perfect table against the window, just like I requested. And yes, we had the epic view to gawk at throughout our entire meal.
While we were given our menus we also got the amuse-​bouche — a small cup of green gazpacho soup which was a great start to the meal! The menu here is pretty big with plenty of seafood, steaks, veggie options, and even rabbit. To get things started I got one of my favorite dishes for the table to share — roasted bone marrow (with shallot and black cherry jam, pancetta butter, parsley, capers, and lemon country bread) as well as the cheese slate (with summer berries, honeycomb, and 3 cheese options). The bone marrow was fantastic and was served in the bone, as it always should. The bread was baked to a perfect crisp and offered a great base for this spreadable amazingness. I even forced my picky-​earter friends to have some. They were skeptical at first, of course, but really ended up enjoying it! The cheese plate was nice too with just as great bread to go with the cheeses. The berries were nice and fresh and the honeycomb was pure and simply delicious.
For my main dish I landed on the Alaskan salmon (with butternut, brussel leaves, pickled onions, cedar smoke, and charred lemon beurre blanc). The huge brick of salmon was flaky and cooked to the perfect tenderness even for being so thick and the beurre blanc was just subtle enough to heighten the flavor of the fish without drowning it out completely.
Even after so much food (yes, we had leftovers), we still felt dessert was a must. While the banana split sounded and looked so delicious each time one went flying by our table, we ended up getting something a little less rich — banana ice cream (with summer berries). The ice cream alone was still incredibly rich, but it was so good I didn’t even care. The subtle traces of caramel sauce, crunchy pirouette cookies, and fresh berries made each bite even better!
In my experiences, restaurants with this type of view usually bank off that alone and the food is almost an after thought. Crow’s Nest delivers delicious food in a classy environment that enhances the view, instead of cowers behind it. The whole staff was very friendly and was always on point. The wine and cocktail lists are solid and there’s a smaller lounge menu if you decide to sit on that side of the restaurant. Take one tip from me though, request a window table with your reservation so you can enjoy an obstructed view for great photos as well as a wide open view of the whole Anchorage area!

Solid. Great atmosphere for dinner and view of city. Most places like this then compromise on food and wine quality, not the case here. We enjoyed a long relaxing dinner with food and wine pairings along the way. The staff is friendly and sommelier experienced. When all is said and done, can’t leave evening without the bananas foster: Save room, yum!

Sat down to have dinner at the bar. Never greeted by the unhappy bartender. Ordered a beer and water. Never got water until I asked about 5 times. Looked at wine list and asked if they had everything on list. He sneered and said yes, that is why it is on list. I ordered a wine and the sommelier came over and said they did not have it. No problem the sommelier was very nice and let us upgrade wine for same price. Bartender could not have cared less. We decided to take our wine and go sit down in lounge for dinner. We did have to settle up wine and could not transfer to new ticket. We left good tip and went to sit down in better seat.
We got new server and she was awesome. Very attentive and fun and a hard worker who, obviously loves her job. Ordered a caesar salad and the Ribeye steak with potatoes and broccolini… The steak with thin and bland with a rich sauce that was not bad. Could not tell if it was grilled, tasted like it was boiled! Potatoes had NO taste and were in a form mold. Waxy, greasy and absolutely no taste. Never had potatoes like that. The broccolini was good and two small stalks, cold but good texture. Caesar salad had so much sardines it was un eatable.
What a sad experience. Food was very tired and bland and not worth the view. Bar service very poor, but server was very good. Overall not a good experience. View is great but food is for tourists and not up to high standards. Please hire people who love their job not people who are not happy to be there.
I would go there for a drink but not for food. Locals all say they do not like the food and I agree.

This place is an example of why people are afraid to try new things. I’ve been here a few times and have never left happy.
If it’s the view you want, it’s better at Snow Goose. If you want fine dining and a view, both are much better at Seven Glaciers in Girdwood.
Often touted (by people who apparently haven’t been there) as the best dining experience in Anchorage, I just don’t think it’s worth the effort. My most recent visit was on a whim after hanging out downtown for First Friday. We did not have a reservation, so we sat in the bar area. That’s great, I love bars. The server, however, did not love us. I can only assume it’s because my fiancée ordered a drink and I didn’t. I have heard that is code in some establishments to make your table miserable. We were not given the little dishes of nuts and olives that everyone around us received as they sat down. When we asked the server why, her response was a terse, «Oh, you wanted some??». The table next to us ordered drinks well after us, got them before us, and the server apologized to them for the delay and informed them that their drinks would be comped (They were not better dressed than we were). We received no such apology, and obviously no compensation, as we got ours well after they did.
As far as our meal, we wanted to order oysters for an hors-d’oeuvre, but learned they were out (about 830 – 9 on a Friday night) so we ordered the Charcuterie with excitement. It was a platter of little meats and some pieces of mini toast that was not very good. We elected to cut our losses and leave before ordering entrees at the risk of our disappointment reaching dangerous levels. I know they won’t miss my business, but I will not be trying this place again. And can’t, in good conscience, recommend it to friends.

I ate at the bar and came here to try the elk tenderloin. It was suveed and finished on the grill. The elk was served with a trio of onions and on an onion purée. The texture and flavor were amazing and the onion paring was phenomenal.
After dinner I had a Japanese whiskey flight. The bartender was excellent and even poured me a sample of scotch I thought one of the whiskeys reminded me of.
I had an excellent experience, and will go back if I am in Anchorage again.

Another top Anchorage restaurant! We visited for our wedding anniversary, and the whole experience (not just the meal, but the service, ambiance, and special touches) was lovely. This was my third visit to the restaurant but the first for dinner. All three times have been spot on.
First, in the winter at night, ask for a downtown view, and in the summer, an inlet view, and you will have the dining view in the city.
Then, if you enjoy wine, you should definitely take advantage of a recommendation from Tom, the sommelier. His choices, from the champagne with the oyster appetizer, to the perfect red and white combination for our crab and black cod dinners, were excellent, and they made the meal just that much more delicious. Plus, as one who likes wine but knows little about it, I enjoyed being able to just put my trust in his choices for something new.
One of the things I always wonder when people dis the service at a place like this as slow is if they are expecting to get in and out quickly. Restaurants like Crow’s Nest (or another fave, Torchon Bistro) are places where the meal is an event, meant to be savored and drawn out. For us, the service timing was great – they were attentive and fast when needed (like getting us our drinks right away to start) and more stand-​offish, while we perused the menu, talked, etc. I like waiting between courses, ordering a bit at a time, and not feeling rushed at all. I think someone calls this European dining style, which is accurate. However, the one time we only had time for a drink and an appetizer, we got in and out relatively quickly, which still feeling relaxed.
Anyway, back to this night and the big event, the food. I LOVE the food here. They execute it well and make it interesting. The amuse-​bouche was light and flavorful. The oysters super fresh and well-​garnished (the sorbet was surprising and yummy). The fois gras appetizer (which wasn’t on the menu as an appetizer, but they indulged my request) was so delectable that I could eat it every meal for the rest of my life (which would be much shorter from all of that fatty goodness). Hubby and I shared the King Crab legs (a nice, tasty splurge) and the Alaskan black cod (which is delicious on its own but made brilliant by their oxtail and romesco sauce concoction). We each got our own Chocolate Delici cake because we knew it would be too good to share, which it was.
For me, the portions were perfect because we like trying multiple courses. Plus, we like high quality ingredients. However, this is not the place to expect to gorge on one course. Is it expensive? Yes. Is it more expensive than other restaurants outside of Alaska like it? Probably – this is the land where prices may vary, as they say. But I never felt cheated.
Our previous visits included cocktails and apps (where I discovered the fois gras), which the restaurant is even more well-​known for, and I concur with those who praise the wonderful, creative drinks. Just one more reason to like this place.
I look forward to going back for another great experience.

4 stars for the view from the 20^th floor. The service ranked one star below, but that is just because our bartender seemed aloof and too busy to crack a smile.
This place is just gorgeous, as is the hotel. A surprise, amongst a city full of bars that are tucked away in mall-​like buildings. The dark wood and gold accents gave it a classy, old school feel even though it was only built in 1965.
We were told by numerous people that if we went anywhere for a drink. it had to be here. I’m so glad we listened.
We were arriving after my birthday dinner elsewhere (another spot we were told we «had» to go to) and I’m kinda wishing we’d eaten here instead.
We took some seats at the bar and got into some interesting conversation with some other tourists. We didn’t eat again, but the lobster tail the guy next to us looked fantastic and he ate every bite, saying it was fantastic.
I stuck to a local amber, but my brother ordered a shot of salmon vodka and chased it with a IPA. The bartender told him the vodka would be gross, but my brother actually thought it was decent.
Before we left, we took a walk around the restaurant and took in the view of downtown Anchorage from every corner. In doing so, we came across a wine library (that’s what I call it) which looked to be a decorative locked cabinet where regulars can store their fine wines. So pretty, I actually felt the need to pose in front of it.
I have no idea if or when I will ever be back to Alaska, but if I do, I am having dinner here next time.

Came here for our anniversary dinner and had a great time. Lovely dinner with an awesome view. Wish we had gotten a table on the other side by the water, but the downtown view was still beautiful. Avg dish cost about $ 40. I had the halibut and my husband had the ribeye. Oh man, his steak was ginormous. I didn’t really think it would be that big. It was cooked perfectly and the sauce complimented it very well. My halibut was light and refreshing. They have a huge selection of wine. We ended up ordering a bottle of cabernet. I was a bit disappointed at how small the crab cakes were though! I believe it was $ 16 for just one patty. Delicious, but I would probably not order it again since the portion was so small.
It would have been great if they had given us a «Happy Anniversary» cake though. When the reservation was made, we did specify that we were there celebrating our anniversary. But other than that, this is definitely a nice, romantic place to take a date!