Artemis Cafe & Bar

Came here Sunday morning for their brunch (11am — 2pm) and ordered one of the specials: apple cinnamon french toast. Extremely tasty. Fresh slices of apples cooked with cinnamon and sugar were on top. The bread was made with ribbons of cinnamon already throughout it and was nothing like the plain unremarkable slices of sandwich bread that I’m used to getting when I order french toast. Could taste the egg, yum. Here’s a pic I posted on Brightkite of the dish:

We stopped in here last night for some drinks and small plates, and I was thoroughly impressed. First by realizing that our bartender was Cam (of Bottleneck fame), so I knew our drinks would be outstanding. I believe he’s actually managing the restaurant now.
The interior is warm and has incredible views of downtown. The food and service were also top-​notch. We tried the roasted cauliflower, the mussels and clams with chorizo, the spinach gnocchi, and bison tenderloin. The bison was incredible, and I was sad that I had to share it.
We will definitely be back here soon.

Sweet little neighborhood café, just down the street. We’ve been there twice, and everything was good — complex flavor, original taste and presentation.
This last time we had the Parsnip soup (awesome), a salad (strange tower of lettuce, but very fresh and original), Flatbread (nothing flat about the taste), and the Spinach Gnocci, sans the ham.
All of it was good, but I’m going to be craving that soup — parsnip, vanilla, orange zest, YUM!

I’m lucky enough to live just down the street from Artemis, and I think this has the potential to become my favorite go-​to local restaurant. I had a yummy pumpkin soup which also had pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top that gave it a great added texture (and who doesn’t need some extra fiber?). The featured salad had apple fritters that were tasty and went well with the overall harvest fall theme of the menu.
Portions are solid, even for small plates, and the wine list is admirable. Service was friendly and unhurried, and I had a nice table by the windows. Overall it was a pleasant dining experience.

Great space, high ceilings, perfectly lit, just noisy enough without being too noisy… Definitely worth checking out. I am a small plates kind of girl, because well, who doesn’t want the opportunity to try multiple items from the menu without having to stick their fork in their date’s food in a completely rude way? Me, that’s who. Small plates provide you with the sampling license to try away. My favorite item was the clams and mussels with chorizo. Wait, it might have been the tri-​tip, or wait, maybe the flat bread with mushrooms? I don’t know, I liked them all and now I’m hungry and I want to go back.
And bonus– the dessert was amazing– they make all of their ice cream in house.

Fabulous view, fantastic food, and excellent service…
We were pleasantly surprised when we walked in here last night for dinner only to find a $ 5 wine tasting in the sitting area (fee to be applied to your meal). When we asked for table before we were aware of what was going on, the host told us he had a table for us if we liked, but that we could also have a few in the tasting and by the time we were done, there’d be a table waiting for us.
Well that’s a no brainer…
We went for the wine. We sampled generous tastings of savignon blanc, a Riesling, a Merlot– cab blend, and an 100% Cabernet. It was a perfect way to prefunk before dinner.
If you haven’t been to Artemis yet (or even if you have), I highly recommend this spot for a hot date night. The space is dimly lit, the music is well thought out, as is the space. it’s perfect for an evening when you’re looking for special, without an outrageous price tag.
We started with the flat bread, which was a generous portion. It came to us piping hot and covered in arugula, thin slices of pears, and ricotta… it was delish! We moved on to the clams and mussels with chorizo in a red sauce (tasty), and the gnocchi with prosciutto, which was perfectly browned and probably our favorite of the bunch. We finished up the meal with the bread pudding w/​vanilla ice cream. It was good… not as good as mine, but then again I’ve yet to have one that is.
We were very happy with our meal and the service, and even happier with our bill. Quite reasonably priced for what we got out of our experience this evening. This will absolutely become one of our ‘go to’ dinner spots on the hill.

Tasty food… check.
Tasty cocktails… check.
Pleasant service… check.
Seating for large groups… check.
Unless you are looking for this place, you won’t find it. (I think I walked past it about fifteen times before I realized it was a restaurant.) But the effort you put into seeking it out, is well worth it!
The fruit smoothies are amazing, so are the mimosas. In fact, the entire brunch menu is pretty great. The menu rotates fairly often, so there are always new things to try out. Not to mention it is soooooo nice to be able to walk-​in with a large party, at the height of breakfast time, on a weekend and not have to wait.
The one time I had dinner here, it was pretty tasty. The oysters were delicious! Strong and tasty cocktails… Left with a happy belly!
One last thing… If at all possible, walk to Artemis. Parking in this area of Capitol Hill is especially excruciating!

Too many of the good brunch spots on the hill require an early arrival or a long wait to procure a table. My friend and I meandered over to Artemis on a Sunday morning just before 10am and were called inside a little early because we were «thrumming.» We were told we could sit anywhere so we chose the perfect seats by the window with a view.
We ordered the eggs benedict (with nettles!), a breakfast sandwich, and the fruit smoothie. All of the food was good but they do their roasted potatoes particularly well — very crispy and flavorful. The staff were all very friendly and made our morning absolutely delightful. I mentioned casually that it was my friend’s birthday and the waiter surprised us by bringing out pound cake with whipped cream, blueberries, and two candles on top. It couldn’t have been a more perfect way to start the day and we’ll definitely be going back!

Fabulous on every front. The food is superb, the service is friendly and unobtrusive, and the interesting wine selection is fairly priced. The décor is clean and simple allowing the amazing view to take center stage.
I loved this place and recommend it wholeheartedly. It was by far the best dining experience I had during my most recent trip to Seattle. I wish there was something like this in LA that was affordable!

Perfect pour and a perfect portion. $ 4 for the House White wine on Happy Hour and it was actually a pretty good wine for the price (even the non-​Happy Hour price). The menu changes regularly and the waiters make great recommendations.
We’re so accustomed to paying more meaning getting more quantity, but Artemis changes it up and gives you quality for the price. Both the fish special and the pork duo entrées were what you would expect to see for an appetizer at most restaurants. It was a perfect portion to not over-​eat and to enjoy a well made meal. Leaves you wanting more, but knowing you got the right amount.

This place disappointed me.
My $ 8/​glass pour of white wine (Adelsheim pinot gris, lovely) came out well below the equator. We’re talking tropic of capricorn here. I had to send it back to request a real pour.
Things should not be this difficult, certainly not in Seattle.

Perfect date night… my hubby and I strolled over from our apartment around 5pm on a Friday night, expecting it to be busy. Totally wasnt, so we got the BEST seat in the house — overlooking their next door neighbors gardens. I opened the window and nursed a very good bottle of rose.
The grilled califlower is amazing as an appetizer. I got the quail and was NOT disappointed in the taste and hubby got tri-​tip which was slightly overcooked, but was soo delicious. We got this decadant chocolate mouse for dessert and very attentive and charming (if not a little timid) service.
Artemis will not disappoint. It is the best bistro I have been to in Seattle.
and the only one i have been to. but who cares.
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Update 11/​11/​2008
I went to Artemis for their new brunch with four other friends, and AYE ME. This is one awesome, inspiring, filling, and DELICIOUSOUSUOUS brunch.
worth.every.penny.

Oh my geez — where do I begin? Ambiance, good. Drinks, decent. Food … well … not so good. Price for the food, bad. They say it’s about the plating and such. but really, plating wasn’t anything spectacular. Like others have said, lots of blank space on the plate. Cheese plate for $ 10? Not worth it. Came with grapes and some sauce. See picture attached in the picture section of this page (excuse the poor image quality — eh, it wasn’t worth the photo anyway).
My chicken came half cooked. In fact, another one of my friend’s chicken came half cooked. We gave it back to the chef to fix. I guess what surprised me was that it seemed like they just microwaved the chicken ’til it was not red in the middle. Pork dish, tinyy = 2 mini slices… I could go on and on but you get the gist. The lavender crème brûlée was tasty though.
Waitress had an attitude the whole time. She bugged. Period.
Only great part was the unlimited bread with oil/​balsamic vinegar. Well, the lavender crème brûlée was good too.
Bottom line, I’d have to really like the people I go with to go back to this place or be quite intoxicated … or both.

But what about the cheese? Artemis suffers from my second most hated of upscale restaurant faults (The most hated being presentation over function). Artemis fails in the category of high prices for plates with more open space than food on them.
My party visited Artemis for a Thursday happy hour. We decided to order the featured cheese for $ 10 expecting a cheese plate. What we got was a wedge of gorgonzola that would have left a mouse wanting more. Sure, we were just looking for a light nosh, but this cheese wedge provided 3 people about two bites a piece. I think they tried to make up for the skimpy portions by garnishing the dish with 6 almonds and as many cranberries? cherries? They were red, shriveled fruit… Oh, and we got what looked like part of a cracker, but which tasted like licorice.
My companions said the carrot dish was tasty, and the full entrees seemed reasonably priced… at least on paper. $ 16 is not bad for a steak. However, given the portions on the cheese plate, they probably import some rare pygmy beef from Borneo or something.
At least the happy hour beverages were reasonable. The house wine is $ 5 on special with $ 4 wells.
Over all, I was wavering between a two and a three-​star review, but after reading the chef’s incredibly unprofessional response to one of the other reviews, I decided to make it a solid two stars. As someone who works in local theater, I have gotten my share of bad reviews and you just have to learn to take them with grace.

My girlfriend and I stopped into Artemis last night for drinks and snacks. We decided to sit at the bar although it was only about ¾ full. I happened to look at Unilocal prior to stopping in and decided to try the scallops based on the recommendation and the butternut squash ravioli. We are quasi-​foodies so can appreciate spending a little more for a little less with a lot of flavor. Since I knew what I was in for, I wasn’t turned off by getting only three scallops and six ravioli. The scallops were perfectly cooked and were fresh and the sauce was not over powering. The ravioli was light and delicious. I wouldn’t recommend going here if you are expecting really large portions, but more if you want to taste some really good food.
They have a minimalist cocktail list and a seemingly French focused wine list. The staff was very attentive and the bartender was personable and timely. The area in the back around the big picture windows was completely crowded and seemed to be the ideal seating area due to the view.
Parking might be a little difficult to find (nothing new for the hill), but I think the atmosphere at Artemis is great and worth stopping in, especially for a first date.

Artemis definitely wins extra points for being, literally, a one minute walk from my house. Being so close, I really wanted Artemis to be good… or at least passable. I wasn’t disappointed.
I was dining with a group of friends, and arrived a little early, so I hung out by the bar. The mojito I ordered was not only very reasonably priced (at $ 6), but was also pretty damn good.
I really liked the atmosphere at Artemis. It is small, had really nice soft lighting, good music, and a stunning view of downtown Seattle from a large bay window in the back.
The food that I ordered was all excellent. My paella was some of the best I’ve ever had. It was spicy, but not so much that it overpowered the seafood. The portion size was also perfect. For dessert I ordered the grilled pear and ice cream dish. The pears sweetness mixed perfectly with the smoky taste of the caramel. Very good!
Our waitress had sass, which I could appreciate, and she was all too patient as our group attempted to split the bill for 30 minutes.
Overshadowing almost everything else, however, was the joy of a semi-​drunken 1 minute walk home. Amazing!

I can walk to Artemis, since it’s less than a full block away from my apartment so I can’t echo the concerns about parking except to say that parking is pretty difficult to find in this dense residential community.
I started my meal off with a mojito, which was reasonably priced at $ 6 relative to many other restaurants in Seattle. The drink itself was really good — too bad they ran out of mint so I couldn’t have a second.
I started with scallops, which I think are must haves and were the best scallops I’ve ever had. The buttery flavor wasn’t completely overwhelming and the seared outsides were great.
For my main dish I ordered a leg of lamb. I was warned that the dish would be served medium rare, but it was even a bit more rare than I had expected. Which would have been fine, but the meat itself was fairly cold and wasn’t that flavorful. I expected a bit better for the price.
I finished off my meal with a molten chocolate cake served in a coffee cup topped with rock salt. The salt added a very distinct flavor, though I was never really sure if I enjoyed it or didn’t. The cake itself was to-​die-​for and fresh out of the oven (or whatever was keeping it warm and moist).
The scallops and dessert were both amazing to me. It’s a shame the main course was served too cold and with no interesting flavor to speak of. It’s a nice addition to the neighborhood, for sure, but I think the main courses need to mature a bit.

My first time in I was alone, and it was the bartender’s bday. Needless to say it was a fun visit. I find the wine list to be excellent for the quaint size of the place, which is a huge compliment because I’m a tough beeyotch on that particular factor.
Second time in, went with a boy and we wanted a table. There was a lovely four-​top in the back, but the hostess wouldn’t seat us there «in case» a four-​top came in. We waited for 30 minutes for a table, and that four-​top sat empty the entire time. What’s worse, after we were seated, another table for two came in, and were sat at the four-​top! Grr.
Regardless, our server was terrific. We were frazzled and h-​u-​n-​g-​r-​y, didn’t want to look over the menu, and she took us under her wing. She kept the plates coming until we told her to stop. I believe her name was Jennifer– definitely ask for her if you go. She saved the experience. Duck pita thing, delish. And Meatballs (!!!) were awesome. Scallops were overcooked, which we mentioned, and she took them off the bill no more questions.
They’re definitely new, and working out the details. But they’re worth the trip. It’s a sexy little place. And the vibe in there is that they really want to be good. It’s not that «we’re soooo cool because we’re on Cap Hill and we can be assholes» vibe that you get at a hundred other places like, say, Bimbo’s.
Plus they make a wicked margarita. Ungh!

I must have looked really hot that night cuz I had no reservation and got seated right next to the window in the back with the nice Space Needle view. This place has a very nice intimate setting and good wine selection. The food is more tapas style and inventive. The Shiitake mushroom skewers are fantastic.
Next time I go I I hope it’s with a romantic date. :)

This place is pretty fantastic and this review is long over due. 6 of us popped in and went for it. We had one of each. Indeed, one of everything on the menu, dessert included. Amazing soup. Great meats. All unbelievable.
And old friends had moved in. Kam who’d left Bottleneck Lounge was pouring the drinks, all perfect.
This spot is a must go.