The Black Cat

Go for the Corpse Reviver #2. The menu is a bit small, so it won’t be a place you go to often as you’ll run out of things to try, but it’s definitely a great place to go for drinks and a cool atmosphere.

This place has amazing food and great service!
We had been hearing great things about this place and finally decided to check it out. Our only regret is not coming here sooner! I ordered the dungeness crab baked mac — this is a MUST! It’s the best I have ever had. I meant to take a picture first, but I dove right in and finished my plate before I even thought about it! We also ordered the beef stroganoff and it was delicious! Everything here is house made from scratch and is fresh! Every entrée we saw leave the kitchen to be served looked so good. We can’t wait to go back and try more. We finished with their chocolate truffle cake, which was very dense and rich — yum! Great service, great food and drinks!

I had an outstanding experience at the Black Cat… I had the Nana Tinos Pot Roast and it was absolutely incredible… the mixture of the mashed potatoes, vegetables, and the meat was wonderful… the pot roast was perfectly tender… Highly recommended

This restaurant was at the end of Chuckanut Drive in the little town of FairHaven. We had a hard time finding it until and circled the area once, until we saw the sign that said they eye on the 3^rd floor. They probably need a more obvious sign at the entrance of the building or something. Once we made it upstairs, it was self seating and we sat ourselves by the window. The atmosphere was great, and the wait staff was extremely courteous. We ordered some side salads, local beer on tap, fish and chips, and a burger. The food and beer was good, and the ambiance even better. I highly recommend this spot for good drinks, food, service and an overall really cool spot to chill in.

Love the view! Definitely the place to hit for all day Sunday Happy Hour. If you’re a Mac and Cheese fan you will be very happy! Also like their blackened prawn taco and Caesar salad. Happy hours on other days 3:00 — 6:00 and 9:00 till close

I finally tried this place after the new owners took over and remodeled and was pretty impressed. This place always had the best location so I’m glad to see it come back to life. I went with my wife and two friends and we all really liked our food and drinks and loved the atmosphere. I had the burger and fries and the burger was just a burger but had quality ingredients that made it taste very good. I love burgers that don’t have a bunch of fancy crap on them to take away the integrity of a normal burger and this place hit the spot. My wife had the croque monsieur and I had a bite and it was delicious and decadent. I love sitting by the window and getting the view of a sunset too. Definitely coming back!

Please Black Cat listen to your reviews. Bellingham loves you but your food needs improvement! It’s not right I can go 3 floors down and get a lovely salad or appetizer at mambo and last time I was at BC I was served a Caesar that was long ago pre dressed. Remember when the black cats Caesar was THE BEST? Also just get rid of the portobello burger. I do really like the servers and the clams. Don’t serve a cold fondue though. It’s a tell tale of a microwaved meal. Fondues are made ala minute and should be piping hot.

My partner and I went here for dinner today and payed $ 60 for our meal including tip.
The Food–
For an appetizer we ordered the fondue. The cheese was really sharp and one dimensional. Needing salt and acidity just to make it edible, we ended up using a lemon wedge and salt shaker to (greatly) improve it. Also the food brought for dipping is cut significantly larger then bite sized, this meant using our metal knife to cut up apple and french bread on a porcelain plate. The noise it caused was close to painful. We ended up only eating about half of the appetizer as it was way too much food for 2 people.
I ordered the steamed clams for my entrée and my partner ordered the pot roast.
The clams had amazing flavor and truly saved the night for me. The onions were soft and caramelized in a bath of clams, wine and butter. It came with 3 thick slices of french bread which I happily soaked in broth after the clams had been demolished. A–
My partners pot roast had a really hearty flavor and the mashed potatoes were soaked in beef broth and delicious. B
The Service
The Service overall was a disaster, I would give the service a D– overall.
The restaurant isn’t overall very large, fits about 15 tables single file along the wall. However there were about 10 staff roaming back and forth leaving the space feeling incredibly crowded.
With this amount of staff I was sure we would be well attended to and I turned out to be incorrect. After being seated a women came up and told us her name was Taylor and she would be our waitress tonight. She asked what we would like to drink saying they had «Pepsi Products», my partner asked for Dr. Pepper and she explained they were out, he then asked for Mountain Dew which they were also out of. Finally she said «Well, we have Sprite and Pepsi.»
A few minutes later Taylor brought back our drinks, that was the last time we would talk to Taylor for the night.
We set our menu’s down after deciding what to order. We both attempted to get Taylor’s attention for a few minutes to noeval despite her walking past us several times.
Finally a manager walked over and took our order without introducing herself. She then took over roll as our waitress the rest of the night. However being manager she spent a lot of time delegating to staff and forgetting about us.
At one point a girl we didn’t recognize asked to refill my partners Pepsi. We agreed a few minutes later both the girl and the manager (now waitress?) each brought him a Pepsi.
On our way out the hostess were taking selfies and balancing things on their heads. We had to apologize as we attempted to get past them and out the door.
Overall it was very clear that there were far too many people working at once and not enough communication happening.

I love going to this place. It’s a calm atmosphere and a «French“ish theme. Staff were super friendly, good beers on tap and good comfort food! Decent priced!

Awesome happy hour specials here! My friends and I started going to the Black Cat on Sundays a few weeks ago. They have really good food from appetizers to entrees. The cheese fondue is a great appetizer if you’re going to get drinks with a few people. At the time of this review they’re offering $ 4 – 5 microbrews and there was a burger and fries special for about $ 6. I’ve tried a few of their signature cocktails and they are also delicious. The cocktail menu gets updated with different drinks regularly so you can always find something new. The atmosphere is casual but still classy. Service was always quick and friendly. For a pretty small location they always had lots of waitstaff around. Overall, the Black Cat is a pleasant getaway from busier bars in downtown Bellingham and a great dining experience for the money.

Since this place was remodeled, it has gotten a new menu. I have tried several items but the nana tino’s pot roast is just ridiculous. Tender, flavorful I will come back for this again and again. They also have a nice happy hour, the fondue is really tasty. Nice place, nice vibe, one of my favorites in usually lackluster Bellingham.

I tried coming here about a year ago but it was closed (from other reviews, I’m assuming it was during the remodel). I’m so glad I decided to give this place another try. My husband and I enjoyed this place so much that we’re been back here again 3 weeks later.
Both times, we were there for happy hour during the week. Happy hour menu is pretty limited – about 6 options, but the options that they have, we’re pretty happy about.
Quality of food is delicious.
Speed of service exceeded my expectations.
View down on Fairhaven (and peakaboo of Bham bay) is one of a kind.
Metered street parking wasn’t a hassle at all – I’m sure this DEFINITELY depends on time and day that you visit though :)
Either way, we will definitely be back

I’ve been to The Black Cat before, but before the recent change in ownership. We came here for a drink and appetizers on a weeknight. The restaurant looked good, the recent remodel made things look fresh.
We arrived in time for Happy Hour and took advantage of a decent selection of competitively priced items. I ordered a petite Caesar salad and my companion ordered the $ 5 cheeseburger & fries (can’t beat that!). We also had the crab cakes. Since these servings were small, we selected the Petit Fondue (a friend had recommended this dish).
The crab cakes were really good but as mentioned, quite small, almost like tapas. The petite caesar was good, very garlic-​y and flavorful.
The petite fondue was good as well but not the best I have ever had. The cheese was pretty runny which was different, but it tasted pretty good, though it was fairly mild. I prefer my fondue to be tangy and flavorful.
I would like to return to for dinner and to enjoy full items on the menu. The service was very good from a cheerful server. In addition to our drinks, our water was kept full. We sat in the corner with a nice big window with views of Bellingham Bay. Sitting at the Black Cat can be a fun way to take in a beautiful view and a good meal for a decent price.

I came here with my partner and enjoyed the food, wine, and service, but especially the building itself. It was fun even to walk to the restroom and stop and look at the incredible stairway.
The best part is that my partner and I officially got engaged here in July. :) I will always have good memories of this place.

Great atmosphere and fun food options. Excellent place for a date night. The menu options are very reasonably priced and the beer selection includes a good mix of local brews. Being new to town I have been looking for a place like this.

Normally, I have a rule where I do not eat anywhere where there is papyrus font on any of the menus or signs. This time I made an exception and was not glad that I did.
Both our drinks were terrible. The cherry in the whiskey sour tasted like public bathrooms smell.

Tonight was my second time coming here. Mom and I ordered a caesar salad, shrimp cakes, and baked mac n cheese to share between us. Salad was good, it had a nice garlic flavor. The shrimp cskes were hot and flavorful. The sauce served on the side with it had an Asian taste to it and complemented it well. Mac and cheese was creamy and warm.
We split crème brulée for dessert. It was vanilla bean flavoured and excellent. I love the warm, french bistro atmosphere of this place. There are lots of pictures of the black cat from le chat noir around the place, very fitting. It isn’t too expensive and there are lots of seats by the window to enjoy the sunshine and look out at the street. Overall, a wonderful place with delicious cuisine.

My first time going to the black cat an it’s awesome. Right away I was taken care of me also they the hostesses have a friendliest attitude and very welcoming personality. The food was satisfying. I ordered the tarragon chicken. Sweet and savory with a little spice. I am so going here again.

There is a noticeable improvement in the service. However, long time favorite menu items (specifically the stroganoff, the french dip, and the fondue) have changed. They no longer have the «wow» factor they once had. They have become average at best, and despite the great location, the food is what kept us coming back.

The happy hour menu is a hit and the $ 5 burger/​fries is a great deal. All day happy hour on Sundays, and late night happy hour Monday — Thursday, which is great when you’re looking for something to eat after 9pm in Fairhaven. Service has gotten SO much friendlier since my last review. Keep it up!

We came to this place at the perfect time. It was about 3:30 on a Tuesday afternoon. There were only a handful people in there. The view was awesome, and our service was really good. They checked in often, but they were not over-​bearing. I got a lovely nicoise salad, and it hit the spot. Very light and flavorful. The sashimi had a delicious pepper taste. It is a little spendier than other places – my salad was $ 16 – but I really enjoyed it. I would like to go back and try a dinner there – and maybe some dessert:)

Excellent value and what a nice choices on the menu. The Salade Nicoise was superb and one of the finest I have ever tasted. The French Dip was refreshingly tasty with perfectly tender and juicy beef and an au jus that wasn’t too salty or thin. Very good service and nice selection of beers and wine. I only wish that their accompanying fries were cut from fresh potatoes — that would truly merit 5 stars. Still this is now one of our favorite, «Go To Places,» when we visit Bellingham!

My mom and I were really excited to try this place and walked away disappointed. The ambiance and atmosphere of the bar was nice and so were the staff, although our waitress didn’t seem to know much about the wine they carried or much about the menu at all. The food was very bland and not as tasty as we had hoped. We might have to give it a second chance, we will see!

Well I was dying to try this place, but didn’t expect a Valentines Massacre. The service was actually pretty decent for being Valentines Day (VD), but the food came up very short. This might be because of the large crowd for VD (wait was 45 min), so maybe ill trying them again in 6 months or so (if I can convince the wife). They have a rule about no reservations (not sure why), so this doesn’t help matters regarding waiting.
At first glance the prices seem really reasonable, but when you get the food you do not have that value feeling. The atmosphere is nice and it was dark which lends to a little romance. It might have been dark just so you couldn’t see the food though.
We started off with the Fondue $ 14. Yeah seemed a little steep on price, but a good fondue would be worth it. This one was more like a $ 4 one. First off it was cold, any other day I would have sent it back right away, but with it being VD I thought it might be even colder when we got it back. The cheese was flavorless and the consistency was that of grits. It was plated nice with bread, apples, and for some reason cold green beans. Unfortunately for the wife the apples were Granny Smith and she cant stand them, this was also unfortunate for me because it left me to eat all the apples and save the bread for her.
Oh, yeah drinks. we didn’t have anything fancy just DR pepper for the wife and an ice Tea for me. I had to mention it though, because I never had an ice Tea that was as bitter as this one was. Pretty hard to make a bad ice tea and this one ranks as one of the worst I had. Guess that’s there way of saying order a beer.
The wife ordered the Portabella burger $ 12 (hold the spinach and onions) and I had the Fish and chips $ 13. When they showed up it was not visually appealing at all. It was all real dark. Mostly you saw the french fries which looked like the fryer oil needed to be changed. The Bun for the «burger’ was burnt and the fish was also very dark.
Neither the wife no I knew when we ordered it, but the Portabella burger also came without a hamburger patty. It was strictly a veggie meal. I called the waitress over and explained to her and asked if they could bring just a hamburger patty ($ 4) to put on it. She said yes, but didn’t know how long it would take. I couldn’t very well let my wife sit there and watch me eat so I took the ONE piece of fish I got and split it with her.
Yeah one piece of fish. I guess I expected at least 2 pieces for $ 13. It was advertised as beer battered, but it was not even close to what beer batter means to me. I don’t even know what kind of fish it was, it says seasonal and I forgot to ask. Some sort of white fish, maybe it was halibut and is the reason there was only one piece? The fish was very lightly breaded and even though it was dark the fish was not overcooked. The house-​made tartar sauce was the highlight and was very good (too bad the whole meal wasn’t as good as this sauce) The fries were nothing to write home about, but gave us something to munch on while waiting for the burger.
A different waitress came by and tried to clear our plates (still a crowd outside), but we informed her we were waiting for a hamburger patty. Poor girl, I could tell that had her confused. The burger finally showed up (¹⁄₈ lb?) and the wife cut it in half. After two bites it was gone. Probably should have just stopped at Wins Drive in on the way out.
The waitress came by with check and didn’t even ask us if we wanted dessert. Guess we overstayed our welcome. (got there at 6:00 and left at 8:00). It was probably best she didn’t ask about desert because they only have 2 deserts on the menu. Crème brûlée and chocolate truffle cake, I guess they just don’t expect you to go for dessert after you sit through one of their meals.
Total bill before tip $ 52.

Having stopped into the revamped version of The Black Cat on several occasions now, I think it’s readily apparent that the new owners have put in endless hours to undo some of the less desirable aspects of the old Black Cat.
The New Owner said «Let there be beautiful wood floors!» and there were beautiful wood floors. The New Owner said «No more!» to kitschy, Parisian décor, and kitschy Parisian décor was no more. The New Owner said «Be gone, ultra-​dark corners that seem to be a magnet for creepy Fairhaven fisherman!» and they were gone, and it was good.
Most importantly though, the food and drinks are vastly improved. My girlfriend and I appreciated the delicious vegetarian options (the salad and portobello burger were particularly tasty), and the new cocktail list is comparable to anything we’ve found at Temple Bar. They’ve also hired some of the better bartenders and servers from around town, and it shows: service here has been excellent and attentive, and I don’t think I’ve waited more than 20 minutes for food, even at peak business hours. If that’s not a new restaurant coming together fairly well, I don’t know what is.
Regarding the negative reviews of The Black Cat, note that while concerns and criticisms are valid, they’ve only been open for three weeks. So, even if you did have an expensive happy hour tab, it’s your responsibility to read the prices, which are clearly listed next to what you’ve ordered. As far as not taking reservations, every business has that right. And if that’s inconvenient in some way, come in 20 minutes earlier to get your name on the list, or take your business elsewhere. Either way, there are worse things, and leaving petty reviews is hurtful to new, small businesses that are doing a lot of things right.

A wonderful blending of the old and the new. New owners gave respect to the old ambiance and created something new with a deft painterly touch. Former patrons should love it. New customers should get on board. Just leave me a space at the bar.
The new kitchen is gorgeous and the wait staff and bartenders are polished, professional and friendly.
Do try Kyle’s Shrimp Cakes, made with bangalore sauce.
Ignore the missing star… that was a mistake… it’s a 5 star restaurant and bar.

The new owners of the Black Cat have done a wonderful job preserving a little bit of a beloved Bellingham tradition while adding great food and service! The Cat is still the comfortable and fun bar I remember but it’s newly cleaned up and the menu is looks amazing. I can’t wait to try everything! A happy hour menu has just been added as well as reduced prices on late night dining. I will be a regular!

20 years ago this was my go to special occasion place. Over the years the service and food went downhill. How excited I was to learn new owners were revamping it and making it new again! Sadly when my girlfriends and I went for happy hour we found not only no happy hour food menu but zero drink discounts! Spending $ 40 a person for a happy hour snack and 2 drinks? Ummm, think not. We do this every Wednesday and have never come across a place that didn’t even offer the smallest happy hour deal. The drinks were ridiculously over priced, smallest martini I’ve ever seen. Service was ok, still looks the same overall inside. My friend ate there 2 weeks before and told us her dinner service was horrible. Sadly, we won’t be back.

Oh my! Fantastic service & you have to have the garlic prawns! Lost star was for the lame wine glasses. Will of course come back!

This place is what’s up. Super cool, dark and elegant ambiance. Simple menu, nice bar and good background music. Take your date here and your chances of getting laid just went up. If your date takes you here they have good taste.