Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi
Fine dining restaurant · Bellevue ·
Steak & sushi with sweeping views; enjoy happy hour bites
Steak & sushi with sweeping views; enjoy happy hour bites
"Cross a 31st-floor view of Downtown Bellevue with an abundance of Pat LaFrieda beef and cocktails featuring “mixed berry air” and you get Ascend, a stylish spot to grab steak or sushi. The real power move is to stick to the lounge, though. From leather chair fortresses, you can soak in the skyline and frenetic chatter, guzzle coupes of pear-sweetened Grey Goose, and pretend you’re in an episode of “Industry” without all the British accents." - aimee rizzo, gabe guarente, kayla sager riley
"The Seattle area’s most stylish steakhouse is a place where it’s easy to drop hundreds on fancy beef, sushi, and cocktails that feature “mixed berry air.” Most of the action happens in the lounge, where high net worth people clink glasses from plush leather chairs. The view of downtown Bellevue is impressive, even if the food isn’t—but at least you can wear a pair of nice shoes. Eastside jetset (okay, mainly Microsoft managers) Whatever Prada bag you just bought at the Bravern" - aimee rizzo, gabe guarente, kayla sager riley
"This high-end, high-elevation spot sits at the top of a stomach-dropping elevator ride above the Bellevue Collection mall complex and offers panoramic views of the Eastside. It has a dinner menu that’s heavy on the flash — we’re talking caviar service, seared foie gras, steaks that easily hit three figures — but also offers plenty of comparably chill happy hour bites, like sushi tacos and oyster shooters with uni and caviar. Too much is never enough. –Harry Cheadle" - Meg van Huygen
"What do you get when you cross a 31st-floor view of Downtown Bellevue with an abundance of Pat LaFrieda beef and cocktails featuring “mixed berry air?” It’s the Seattle area's most stylish steakhouse, which excels mainly in lounge-bound snacks and drinks. From leather chair fortresses, you can soak in the glittering skyline, guzzle coupes of pear-sweetened Grey Goose, and double-fist spicy tuna handrolls. With all that, you can just skip the steak." - gabe guarente, aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley
"What do you get when you cross a 31st-floor view of Downtown Bellevue with an abundance of Pat LaFrieda beef and cocktails featuring “mixed berry air?” Welcome to Ascend, the Seattle area's most stylish steakhouse—which could use more substance. Unless you run casual shopping errands at The Bravern or your boss is picking up the check, it’s best to limit your exposure to this elitist amusement park. Ascend mainly excels in lounge-bound snacks and drinks. From leather chair fortresses, you can soak in the skyline and frenetic chatter, guzzle coupes of pear-sweetened Grey Goose, and double-fist spicy tuna handrolls and snooty-but-solid riffs on deviled eggs. Call it a day after that, because a full dinner here is ultimately disappointing, especially if you get seated in Ascend’s soulless back room. Starters are miniature, bland, or both. Steaks can’t hold a candle to Seattle’s repertoire. And then there’s dessert. Ascend’s sweets are whimsical art projects, and the presentation is certainly admirable—until you realize that the edible forested microcosm you paid $22 for is just chocolate pudding. You really want an expensive elevator ride that badly? Go to the Space Needle. Food Rundown Nitamago Deviled Eggs Catapult us toward a window sofa with these deviled eggs and we’d never leave—only available in the lounge, these decadent vehicles for bacon jam and whipped yolk taste good chased by a cocktail. photo credit: Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi Spicy Tuna & Prosciutto Handroll If consuming sushi at a steakhouse is important to you, this pleasant (and thoroughly spicy) handroll belongs on your plate. A bundle of buttery prosciutto adds a welcome dose of pork—we’re just bummed there isn’t more throughout the cone. photo credit: Makena Yee King Salmon & Ikura Sushi Tacos The fish inside this thing is great, but pairing a wafer-crisp wonton shell with a cumbersome sheet of nori in the same handheld item makes it a mess to bite. To top it off, the ikura is marinated far beyond recognition. We never met a more skippable appetizer. photo credit: Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi Pork Belly No crimes are being committed, but shelling out $27 for a few thin slices of broiled pork belly and exactly three thimble-sized agnolotti (with pasta sheets rolled one notch too thick at that) is not particularly satisfying. photo credit: Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi Steak The steaks don’t have much of a seared crust going on, and the cheaper cuts tend to suffer from a lack of charisma. Order some luxe marbled wagyu, or keep it moving. photo credit: Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi Potato Puree & Butter No need for boring truffle mac when you have a silky puree duo of yukon golds and purple okinawan sweets. Truly the best route to take for dinner here would be to go in on some handrolls and a personal pile of mashed potatoes. photo credit: Makena Yee Magic Mushroom Essentially, a dirt cup for grown adults who can part with $22 for a dirt cup. photo credit: Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi" - Aimee Rizzo
