The Shops At The Bravern

Nice, well-kept mall with some high-end vibes. Free parking for up to 6 hours with validation, though that part feels a bit unnecessary. Not a huge selection of stores or restaurants, and it’s all outdoor.

This is a beautiful shopping center with a number of luxury stores. Parking is pretty easy, though you need to get validation for free parking. The shopping center is elegantly designed with a sense of quality. Even the washrooms are nice and clean. Bonus, it can be quiet on a weekend which makes shopping such an ease and relaxing experience. One thing I noticed is that all signs had chinese characters, so I'm assuming there's a target group here, especially with the high-end stores.

Stopped by to drop into the Leica shop, the folks there were great and validated my parking. Was pretty slow on a weekday afternoon but bet this place gets busy on a weekend

This is a fancy shopping venue with great stores. The parking is easy, but you need to get your parking pass validated at a store to avoid a hefty parking fee. The location is great being right off the interstate and also near other great Bellevue shopping areas. Some very nice restaurants at the Bravern. The staff working here treat customers like royalty.

Very nice shopping if you like high end products. Very high-end clientele. If you’re into photography, the Leica store is your store. There are only seven Leica owned stores in the United States and you can fine one right here!!!

Nice place to walk around. Center for exclusive designer shops in Bellevue, but not too snooty at all.

What a day we had!! This was my first time to the Shops at the Bravern and I was so impressed!!

Bougie and parking spots are tight. Need to validate when you buy something. Uppity attitude in designer places like Moncler.

Great luxury shopping in the greater Seattle area. LV, Hermès, Gucci, and Moncler. There used to be a Neiman Marcus too which unfortunately closed. Let's hope Chanel, Celine, Dior, Saks, Bottega and others make their way here soon! There are some good restaurants too and valet parking which is nice!

This review is on the valet. The two guys who interacted with me were excellent. I didn't know the valet stand I used closes at 8 pm, so when I got there to pick up my car, I called the number listed. It was another valet stand who drove my car to me and wouldn't accept a tip. I didn't have cash on me and he said their POS doesn't allow tips. Someone give this guy a raise. I was in serious pain and couldn't walk well, so he brought me my car instead of having me walk to him.

Well I was looking for the most upper crust shops that I could in the Seattle metro area and I believe I found them at The Shops At The Braven. Truthfully it's probably the most upper crust for all of Washington state. Here you will see stores like Louis Vitton, Gucci, Prada and more. All with what I feel is upper crust as just opposed to higher end. And with upper crust also comes quite literally the Emperor's New Clothes meaning at work here. Even though all staff was pleasant to deal with it was still of pretentious air. With that said some of the shops I did enjoy. There is a fairly decent cupcake shop here (Cafe Trophy) and I liked the Gucci and David Lawrence stores. At David Lawrence I came across a brand that I really liked. Diesel was the brand and they had a small selection of that brand's jeans. I prefer the brand's shirts but it was nice to see the label again as you don't as often (I noticed the brand more often in the 1990's). Diesel clothes are very well made and I have a few of their shirts that have lasted forever (since the 1990's). Also at David Lawrence there was lots of Versace which I loved seeing with my own eyes again. Despite liking some of the shops and the place overall I can't quite say it hit the nail on the head for what is my style. What is my style you ask? Well, throw in the clothing of subcultures of punk, cyberpunk, goth, some drag, a dash of fetish and a pinch of rave and skater and blend it all together and there you go. I know my ensembles are a success when I get very confused looks from people and it's a extra joy to perplex the subculture gate keepers. Despite that it is nice to at least know there is an option for shoppers to go to upper crust shops like this somewhere in Seattle and Washington rather than yet another hastily built Wal-Mart.

Nice shops and the stores we have frequented have been extremely friendly and helpful.

As you've read from several reviews or even just from visiting, The Shops at the Bravern is a shopping center for only the wealthy. Truly, the selection of shops here is limited and exclusive. Your average person could not go on a shopping spree here because the stores are all high-end designers, which caters to a certain kind of clientele. If that's your thing then that's cool. The Shops at the Bravern will be worth your time. But for me, it's not my thing. I will say though that the design of the layout is very nice. It's an outdoor shopping center that has two levels. On both levels is seating in front of a fire place, in addition to tables and chairs spread throughout the area. I also like that there are multiple entrances here, which is accessible for walkers. If you don't/can't walk though, there is a parking garage and valet. As for eateries, there are a handful of restaurants, with only one casual concept. Most of the dining options are on the pricier side. I've seen a lot of transition of stores, opening and closing here at The Bravern, as with the restaurants. It's always interesting to see and hear what goes into The Bravern. Overall, I come here occasionally, usually to visit a specific business. Yet the selection of stores and restaurants are limited; therefore, this would not be my first choice for shopping.

Please read: this is a gorgeous upscale mall but looks deceive. My friend and I, who shop luxury brands, arrived to Bellevue for business. We are looking at opening an upscale men's salon. Anyway, we came to this shopping area and were almost immediately turned off. Developers and business owners take note: nobody makes an appointment to walk into Gucci or Louis Vuitton etc. What a most ridiculous experience. It harkens the memory of Ben Stiller in "Meet the Fockers". Stand in line, outside, waiting for an associate to become available. Meanwhile, peer through a window to see one other customer in there. Really? To add insult to injury, the required hand sanitizer station puts about a gallon of liquid into your hand. Gross! Oh, but we aren't done, let's pour salt into the offended injury and not tell customers until they are exiting the parking garage that the "free for 4 hours" only applies if you got "retail validation". Beautiful aesthetics, great location, terrible business plan and customer service. I will never again shop here.

This is a 3.5 stars review. The Shops at the Bravern (a mouthful) have all the luxury shops at one spot - Gucci, Prada, LV, you name it. My most frequented is Neiman Marcus, mostly to return my online purchases. Hehe. Despite coming here since it's opening, I still get all turned around and rely on signs to go to the different shops. This mall is not straight forward. There are two Towers with 3 floors. I've never quite learned what is where. I know my usuals, but going to a different shop typically requires convoluted walks. I hear people complain about snobby salespeople. Well, I see plenty of gawkers here, so can you blame them? If you are real, they are too, even if you don't buy anything. I went to LV to get an empty box for a purse I bought overseas but couldn't bring a box back. They were super nice, and I clearly wasn't going to buy anything. There are multiple parking elevators marked by gem colors - sapphire, ruby, etc. Be sure to remember it or peel off a parking reminder slip.

I had the most horrible experience here and I absolutely need to let others know. The issue was with parking and customer service. Scenario My family arrived for a 7pm dinner reservation to celebrate my daughter's 21st Birthday. We dropped our car off at valet and then went to Sugar Factory (review for that listed separately) . We had a lovely time at dinner, paid our bill then headed to valet. We arrived at valet only to find a sign but no one around to retrieve our car. We check our ticket and we were well within hours of operation - in fact we had about 30 minutes before closing time . The sign says to call a certain number - which we did. The person who answered said "wrong number" . Whaat?? Ok so maybe we dialed wrong.. we check and try again . This time dialing very slowly and precisely. Again "wrong number" . So it is getting cold and I'm getting worried. Finally I locate another number in small print on the very bottom of the backside of the valet ticket. I call that number and the person says that I should ask security to bring me to my car. Problem is.. there is no security . There is literally no one around. I call , I tweet , I email . Nothing Finally, I look in the parking garage and see a golf cart. A young man emerges saying he will take us to our car. However we need to walk into the parking garage. There are no sidewalks headed to the garage. We proceed to walk heels and all, to the parking garage to a golf cart. We get in and are then transported to our car on a somewhat perilous journey through the parking garage in a golf cart . Bottom line- if I wanted to walk to the parking garage in my heels and fancy attire - I WOULD NOT HAVE PARKED VALET. This experience ruined what was otherwise a very lovely evening . To date, I've received no response to my outreach . This was a complete #valetfail

I used to go regularly but of late the snootiness has reached a new level. If you don't look and dress the part, you are not welcome here. I am taking my business elsewhere. And don't get me started on the parking. This mall is deserted as is. What a waste of good real estate!

I had the intention of buying my aunt a nice bag as a 60-year b-day gift. I had no idea that I was going to be followed by the damn security guard the whole way through. Talk about profiling to the max level. Was it because I wasn't wearing an off-white shirt? Was it because I wasn't wearing a $10,000,000 Rolex? Was it because I wasn't wearing a $1,000 hoodie from Saint Laurent? Was it because I didn't fit the stigma to go to some boujie store (Louis Vuitton)? I'm a confident person, I don't need to wear these clothes to justify myself. Shaking my damn head. Anyway, the security guard followed us from the parking lot and asked us where we were going. I said restroom, and then Louis Vuitton store. He showed us the restroom, waited for us to get out, and followed us all the way to the store. WOW. I felt so damn proud going into that store, and coming out with a damn bag for my Aunt. The store itself was extremely helpful. The Bravern itself was whack.

I enjoy The Shops at The Bravern because the parking deck is extremely bright, with ample parking, it's clean, quiet, there are a variety places to seat to eat or even catch up on work, it's usually not overly crowded, if there are a lot of people there it's not multiple groups of teenagers like at most malls/shopping centers, and lastly esthetically it's very modern and designed nicely.

Enjoy shopping here when I'm looking for high-end clothing, shoes, purses, etc. Friendly customer service and validated parking. Love happy hour after shopping at John Howie Steak.

As of 2021, shopping here isn't 10/10 since a lot of the stores have closed. Since I've shopped at LV, Gucci and Hermès here. Each location has their own experiences. However as a whole I would recommend this location if any specific store that remains is still here. They will validate your parking if you purchase a certain amount. Again each store has different experiences but never had any bad ones. If I don't dress up- which actually has been the case all of the time. Everyone has treated me good. :)

A super gorgeous mall! The decorations they put up during the holiday season are always so cute! The stores here are definitely more on the high-end side, so just keep that in mind before going here. I'm not sure why people get upset because it's a luxury mall. You don't go to rodeo and get mad it's only upscale stores lol. I definitely recommend looking up malls & the stores they have before going so you aren't taken by surprise when you get there. They also have a ton of restaurants, but they're only open for take out right now. As for confusion with directions, I'm not sure how people can get confused when it's pretty much a straight shot + they have directories. Also, keep in mind this is an outdoor mall so be sure to bundle up!

On a few occasions, I attempted to shop and eat here and thus far my perspective hasn't changed one smidgen. The location is right by the freeway on NE 8th St and you have to make a U turn to get to the entrance where there are approximately 50 cones of two or three different colors leading you either to the underground parking or the valet area. When you hit this fork in the road, you think to yourself if you should take A) Valet, give 1 of the 15 valet professionals in their neat black outfits something to do or B) Take your chances at underground parking of tightness (for those who aren't so good at parking, good luck!). Once you are in, you grab a handy-dandy map to navigate you to the acclaimed "vibrant outdoor village" after you pick which precious gemstone elevator to take you to the next level. Let's see, there's Ruby, Sapphire, Amethyst, Emerald and don't forget our wannabe Amber ; we all know Amber is not really a gemstone, but I digress. You'll then discover that level 2 is actually level 1/ground level and level 3 is really level 2. Huh? Well, just ask the valet guy who obviously has nothing to do anyway, he'll show ya.... Once you figure out the logistics, the area looks like a ghost town as there are very few patrons out and about. I imagine that when the rain pours, business is even worse. Neat fireplaces outside burning and burning fuel with no one to enjoy, except for me and some stunning woman with her Coach purse, Versace blouse, Prada shoes and an enhanced rack only Dolly Parton can get away with. I wonder how this place survives as I visit high end shops like Jimmy Choo's, Hermes and Salvatore as they are usually empty. I guess it could be the celebrated chef restaurants like John Howie and the Artisanals coupled with Trophy Cake or Wild Ginger that keep the human traffic constant during times that I am not here? As long as these places pay the rent, the shops will stay open, however I suspect that the well will surely run dry in the near future.

I love the Bravern shops and David Barton Gym but the people who run the parking office left a little envelope on my car stating I was parked in reserve when I clearly was not. I have parked in the same retail spot at 6am - 8:30 am for 5 years now for my daily gym workout. I went to the parking office to clear it up. There wasn't anyone there that had the authority to do this. What??

i went to Oliver Peoples to get my eyeglasses nose pad replacement and I couldn't lea the garage because my car on their black list . This is the first time I ever heard. I tried to put the parking ticket in the insert slot but won't go through and I called parking attendant. the guy told me my car is on black list and that I drove someone else's car. he said my car is belong to someone who works at Oliver People. So, basically he said I stole my car. I told him that is impossible because I owned the car and he can come out to see my driver license with my car registration document. He hung up. I called again and he opened the gate to let me out. He made me waiting for more than 15 minutes and accused me stealing someone's car but the car is belongs to me. I bought few eyeglasses from Oliver People and I came to that stores few times within 2-3 weeks from the past 5-6 months for adjustment and pickup. This is very bad how could they put my car on black list and thought my car is belongs to Oliver Peoples employee? The parking attendant even refused to let me leave the garage.

Nice shops, nice clean bathrooms. Big spacious self parking that they validate for 6 hours. I came here for my husbands hair cut ( separate review) and unfortunately had to spent there whole day without enjoying it.

Gorgeous place. We went straight to neimmans and bought what we needed and got out. Didn't get to enjoy much but you can tell that it's a place for the more privileged.

This is just an absolutely entertaining and interesting place to be. First of all, it's particularly always empty so any action going on sticks out like a sore thumb including running into people that's shopping for their other significant other who isn't their spouse, or analyzing how everybody that walks out of the salon looks exactly the same; bleach blonde hair, Botox, and orange skin, and the Ferrari that is doesn't trust valet but can't park themselves and take up 2 spaces in the garage. This is where the 1% do with their time, unfortunately this is probably where I'll be once I get wrinkly old and all my friends are too busy with their own family to hang out with me so I guess I'll just hang out shopping with my sale advisors at one of these high end stores and waste money on things that I can't even take with me once I die. Parking is free even if you didn't end up buying anything, but you have to remember to grab your ticket and run into a store to get it validated. Garage is confusing the first time, but you'll figure it out by the next time around. There's residential apartments, Microsoft offices, high end shopping, and nice restaurants. My favorite is Dolar Shop hot pot, John Howie has good happy hour and regular menu actually, Sugar Factory is a one time for the one time Instagram photos or to meet a celebrity that they bring out once every while to promote traffic. You can find the mainstream luxury brands here like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hermes, Prada, Jimmy Choo, etc. Chanel can be found in Neimen Marcus. As hard of a place to get to, the architecture of the building is beautiful. Christmas lights are up now. And just your luck, the place is usually empty so you can comfortably take photos. My favorite part, there's umbrellas at every entrance and store so you don't have to walk around in the rain and get wet since it's an outdoor mall. Tell me about your experience if you've been here or is going to after reading this review:)

Came here at lunchtime and it was impossible to find parking. So frustrating! I'll valet next time but I'll honestly think I twice about making an appointment for anything here during the lunch hour. I hope it's better other times of the day. This is the first time I've had a problem in the 20 or so times I've been here so either I happened to come at a better hour before, or they just got really crowded with whatever new businesses they have here. I should add, that this place is beautiful. Love the fireplaces and bathrooms and I enjoy having a drink and snack at John Howie. I'd go to Nieman's much more if It weren't so far away from the rest of my usual shopping stops. Nieman's and the rest of these shops should be closer to Bellevue Square.

Are you wondering where LV, Gucci and Neiman Marcus are located in Seattle? Well, it's here at The Shops at Bravern, which is in the heart of Downtown Bellevue. Here is where you'll find all the extravagant shops and lavish architecture for your eyes to see. The size of the shops are huge and luxurious! Nothing that I've ever experienced before. The size of the shopping center is spacious and tall, but yet occupied by the big structure of these shops. There are parking lots located around 3 sides of this shopping complex: NE 8th Street, 110th Avenue NE and 112th Avenue NE. They offer 6 hours free parking with validation and no purchase necessary. The time I went to visit was in the late afternoon during a work week. Hardly anyone occupying the shops. It was peaceful and I enjoyed walking around the complex with the beautiful warm weather outside. Most of the valet guys and staff in the shops were on their phones. They didn't pay any attention to me. I was not there to shop anyway. This place was on my bucket list since I've always passed by this complex every time I went to Bellevue Square since the day I moved to Seattle. They only have two or three restaurants and I've noticed that there's residential living quarters here. One word, Penthouses! I can only imagine what the view at night must look like. How I would love to get a shot at night up in one of these units and see the Bellevue city lights. It's a pretty price to pay to live here. Honestly, I just wanted to see the butterflies at Neiman Marcus. 8i8 ^________^ Will I be back? Hmmm, maybe to see the Christmas decorations.

My first time stopping by ! I was originally going to use the valet, but the kind gentlemen informed me that I could self park for free if I was shopping ! My first stop was Hermes and they validated my parking without being asked. Amazing service throughout this shopping center. Every shop offered to validate the pass, the steakhouse did as well. Very clean and very professional staff at the shops. Will come back again !

Why so many negative reviews for this ultra-luxe shopping center in Bellevue? Perhaps because The Bravern celebrates so much of what people come to Seattle to escape: conspicuous consumption, indulgent excess, environmental insensitivity, fakeness and overall bad taste. Looking more like something that was plucked out of Dubai or Dallas, The Bravern is Seattle's salve for the region's emerging 'luxury deprived' who need to exercise their pent-up demand for conspicuous consumption of over-priced 'luxury' goods. Beyond bringing the first Neiman Marcus to the Pacific Northwest, The Bravern is host to a small collection of equally expensive and generally soulless shops and restaurants. Ferragamo, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, are just a few luxury retailers claiming large chunks of square footage here. The Saturday morning I browsed Neiman Marcus you could shoot a cannon through the store and not hit a soul. There had to be something like a 4-1 ratio of salespeople to customers and the men's department was downright customerless. Surprised? I know the market for $2,400 Armani suits and $200 Kiton ties is somewhat limited in the best of times but those prices seem absurd in the midst of a deep recession where the Washington state unemployment rate is over 9% and heading north. Of course, Neiman Marcus and the others will be here long after the recession is little more than a cautionary tale and all of that lost equity on Mercer Island will come screaming back; still it's not the right mix for the times. The physical design of The Bravern couldn't be less inviting. The complex at the base of two office towers and a high rise condo is designed for very limited access including a small driveway that encourages you to valet park and charges you to self-park without validation. LA this isn't. Walking in from the street [I parked several blocks away] it just doesn't work. The Bravern looks and feels fortress-like behind ridiculously high walls. Nothing about The Bravern is pedestrian friendly or inviting and, in turn, the public has picked up on this stay-away overtly-exclusive vibe. The restaurants, including a grossly over-priced steak house [aren't they all?] and a faux-French brasserie were devoid of customers, and the off shoot of the brasserie that serves pizzas and pastas was ridiculously overstaffed - I counted close to ten staffers behind the counter while four diners sat for lunch. The only retailer with any sales was the frilly silly cupcake shop where I counted 11 customers [all women] standing in line for $3 indulgences of too cute cupcakes while being attended by four counter staff. If you're a guy looking to meet 'rich' women, this might be the place to camp out because it's the only place doing any real business. The Louis Vuitton had the usual assortment of Asian girls obsessing over the details of $2,000 bags but in the end, after spending 90 minutes at The Bravern, I didn't see anyone walking around with shopping bags. In short, there's very little here for most of us. To be frank, I don't shop at the dollar store nor wear hand-me-downs from the Salvation Army, far from it. And to be perfectly blunt, I've spent plenty at NM's Boston and San Francisco's stores. Still, The Bravern just doesn't work for me; it's uninviting, soulless and just not worth the effort. I'm not the only one who feels this way and I think they've got their work cut out for them.

Wow! Venomous Seattle Yelpers killing this property for sure. The Bravern is what it is. Yes, not a design or layout compatible with winter days. No, Target is not an anchor store here. Yes, parking involves paying attention - what a refreshing idea for you! Yes, you all wish you lived upstairs. Quit fronting. You know you do. Review like the adults you may one day become.

I used to work in Bravern tower II for MS, and I used to live a few blocks away, and then got addicted to John Howie and Wild Ginger's HHs, so I have spent a significant amount of time at the Bravern. I haven't reviewed it until now because honestly it didn't feel like a place that was meant for me, as I do not have the kind of money to go into most of the shops. So, I'll just make this about what I did experience, and not what I would like to if i had the cash. Wild Ginger and John Howie are two of my favorite restaurants and happy hours. Wild Ginger is more affordable and has a wider drink selection, but John Howie has the amazing tempura fried bacon and burger, and some times their cocktail of the month is outstanding. That steak frite ain't half bad neither. The cupcake shop I was never particularly fond of, so I was happy when Vovito opened up, their gelato is reeaal good. Anthropologie is probably the most affordable non-food shop there. It's nice, but the clothes aren't my size (shock) and all the stuff is very cute but not super affordable, so i've only ever gotten a few gifts there. If i did have the cash, I think Tory Burch is where I would lay some of it down. Their shoes are sooo cute. Le sigh. The parking situation did confuse me at first, but after a while I got it. Don't forget to get your ticket validated! It says free parking for 6 hours, but that's *with* validation. They are pretty nice about it if you seem legit, but just try not to forget. As this place kind of screams money, it can be rather intimidating, but that's what this place is, and so just go for the awesome HHs if you aint packin super cheddar!

The Bravern (shops-wise) is usually pretty empty but the parking can still be a little hard to find -- and I only come here during work hours on weekdays... It has a handful of nicer shops, which is nice since designer shopping can be hard to find in Seattle. The Neiman Marcus is honestly way too small, though, and the customer service is so mediocre (will save further detail on that for the Neiman Marcus review). It has the only Oliver Peoples store in Washington, which was convenient when I needed to get my lenses replaced. Don't forget to get your parking validated if you're here and shopping around. My biggest gripe about this place is the parking and lack of stores... I mean, it has a Gucci, Moncler, Jimmy Choo, NM, etc. but seems to be missing some pretty big designer staples... It's hard to find designer shopping in Seattle and this place is probably the closest you'll get to it, besides the few boutiques that are inside the Nordstrom in downtown Seattle.

If you have any inclination to know what Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, CA feels like, visit the Shops at the Bravern. Uber high end retail on the Eastside? Seattle's Eastside elitist mall has officially arrived. High fashion shopping including: Neiman Marcus, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Omega, Jimmy Choo, Prada and Tod's, among others. Extravagant shopping at its most pretentious. The Bravern is a shopping experience made of unlimited funds and "what if?" dreams. We arrived for an event at one of the vendors and decided to take a walk around the Bravern to window shop. We looked on the outdoor Map of Shops to get the lay of the land and were immediately greeted by a Bravern worker asking if we needed help. Was he reading our minds? A very kind customer service gesture. We thanked him and continued along with our window browsing. The Bravern was exceptionally clean and upkeep was meticulous. I'd imagine the Bravern would be beautiful eye candy during the holidays with over-the-top lights and decorations. After our event, we forgot to get our parking ticket validated. $15 for a two hours stay seemed excessive. No empathy or budging from the parking attendant. Lesson learned.....validate next time!

I really hate this place. Why would they even charge for parking? I don't understand... Oh wait, I guess only the rich and elite shop here so they can afford to pay for valet OR even the $3 for 30-minute parking. Ridiculous. It's just really lame that they charge for parking when they already house expensive retailers... I won't lie, I really liked the fireplace. It was very cute. And the only affordable store was probably Trophy Cupcakes, which I can't seem to hate. Plus for having Trophy Cupcakes, a decent cupcake joint in downtown Bellevue. When I walked into Neiman Marcus... none of the salespeople offered to help me. It was SO SAD. I mean, I know I can't afford these $695 Manolo Blahniks but can't you pretend to at least offer some service? Guess not. Total waste of my time. I would've had more fun browsing the online web site.

This is literally shops for high end stores ONLY. Literally luxury brand and no other. Place beautiful and well taken care of. Beautiful during holiday. Neiman Marcus has closed for good :/

We were here on a Sunday of New Year's holiday weekend. Not sure if it was a quiet weekend all over Bellevue, but it was dead here. Maybe people come here to buy their fancy items and quickly leave? There's no warmth, here at all, no reason to stay and linger, even on a sunny day. Completely agree with another Yelper when they said there is no life or energy here. Having said that, the garage parking lot was plentiful with spaces and we basically had our pick! And your stay is validated if you shop from one of the stores there, so who doesn't like free indoor parking on a cold rainy day?! The attendant at the parking garage was also very helpful, in helping me with the ticket. Oddly enough, I didn't find parking confusing at all -- follow the P signs and you're good. Thought the small waiting area for the garage itself was an interesting touch. But it's not the valet parking and who would just sit there and wait? As someone mentioned, this place was a little confusing. I feel like the map was misleading, in terms of third level, and then the elevators don't even go to a level 3. So you had to make sure to find the proper escalator leading to the third level, which was a bit hidden. The most front and center escalator was the one leading down to Sur La Table, and the Valet parking, etc. Very festive looking for the holidays -- loved the giant decorated tree and giant ornaments scattered around. An outdoor mall, so could be cold shopping here! Several tables in a small seating area, and four seats directly in front of a fireplace. Given the weather, no one was out there. That was pretty cool. I imagine it would be awesome to linger here with a hot beverage and catch up with friends. In addition to the expensive name brand stores like Jimmy Choo, Louis Vutton, Neiman Marcus, etc, there are some restaurants, but not all of them open for lunch time: John Howie Steakhouse, Wild Ginger, Mariposa, and Trophy Cupcakes. Near the steakhouse, there's another nice looking lounge area, with tables and chairs. That was the coziest looking spot of the entire mall, in my opinion, but it was technically indoors and not outside with the rest of the stores. Maybe they have it there for the diners waiting to be seated? Hoity toity -- the place even has a Concierge?! Guess those richie riches do not want to meander around and waste any precious time. The woman smiled and seemed friendly, but I detected some snobbiness (perhaps we didn't look like we could afford to shop there, and well, she would be correct. I came for Trophy Cupcakes and nothing else, thank you very much. No shame). Bathrooms were awesome -- right when you walk in, there is a small couch/lounge area, a very fancy looking garbage basket right by the door, mirror to check yourself out, multiple stalls, and a very clean sink area. I imagine this is a solid place to grab exactly what you need, and maybe peruse and browse the shops if you have nothing else to do other than meander leisurely, grab a bite, have some cupcakes, etc. But it's just not for me.

I'm torn as I write this review, on the one hand, they have several shops that I frequent; Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and Salvatore Ferragamo. On the other, the parking (even the valet) is a complete nightmare. The wait time to get your car from the valet ranges from forever to eternity. I understand they're busy folks, but couldn't they have figured out a way by now to streamline the process? Fortunately, I live in downtown Bellevue so I just walk to the Bravern Shops, but the parking is a huge deterrent if you're looking to drive in for your shopping/dining experience. The dining options here save them from a two star review. John Howie Steak, Wild Ginger, and Blue Martini all offer solid options to quench your thirst or feed your hungry belly depending on what you're in the mood for. If you're looking for truly high end stores, Shops at Bravern will have no problem maxing out the average consumers credit card.

I actually come here quite a bit for everything other than shopping (i.e. eating, working out, storytime) . . . it's fairly conveniently located and usually easy to park (though the spaces are a little snug). We've really been enjoying their Little Bookworm program where they have someone come and read stories to the kids and provide free snacks and mini Trophy cupcakes!

I like nice things. I work hard to afford nice things. I see some poor reviews here, but if you can't afford anything, you can just window shop. I haven't had any bad experiences at the stores, whether I bought something or not.

What asshole dreamed up the Bravern parking garage? Do you hate my car Mr. Bravern? Do you hate all cars? Please don't hate. Embrace the automobile. It's what made Bellevue possible. The silly "grandness" of the Bravern starts with the parking garage elevator codes: Ruby! Sapphire! Amethyst! So very fancy and evocative of JEWELS - get it? But those names relate to exactly nothing within the Bravern itself. Where the hell is the Ruby elevator? Don't ask me I just parked there. Once we were sure our car was safely stowed in a crunch-free zone, we headed on up. At first I was all ooooo, big fireplaces, cool. But we didn't see one person enjoying the fireplaces. And when Mr. LB walked over for a closer look, I understood why - the spaces are so out of proportion and uninviting that he looked weird standing there. I snapped a photo and waved him back to me. We almost wet ourselves laffing as we deleted that pointless photo - almost as pointless as the stooopid fireplaces. Mr. Bravern, you kinda over-did the grand. The "grand" height of the walls combined with the narrowness of the walkways made me wonder if you were going for wind tunnel-chic outside the Tory Burch shop. Wind HOWLing. Seriously. As for actual design within the shops, I give huge props to Tory Burch and David Barton Gym. Both of those places took one outside the usual blah of Bellevue. As for the rest of the shops, they were either boring or tacky or, in the case of Neiman Marcus, both. Although Mr. LB did find the sparkly lint over the NM escalators a nice touch. Seriously - David Barton Gym almost made me rethink my whole I'd never ever ever live in Bellevue in my life thing. Almost. So one extra star for that. And if Mr. LB comes through for me with that Tory Burch Tunic, I may just up my rating to 3 stars! But if he gets just one scratch on his car while fetching said tunic, then you're down to one star. Hear me Mr. Bravern? You. Have. Been. Warned.

This review is specifically directed at the parking garage staff. When I'm coming out to spend 1000 on dinner, and there is barely anyone else in the parking garage, just maybe don't fine people over not parking perfectly within the spot, it's petty and bad business. I was literally one of the maybe 5 other cars in an empty garage, so I'm sure somebody must had been bored out of his or her mind with nothing to do but to pick on tiny things. Thanks to whom ever gave me that parking ticket, I will take my business elsewhere. Perhaps the reason the garage was as empty as it was was partly due to the pettiness exhibited by the parking garage staff.

Carly L.: [The Bravern] is like Fashion Island. Me: Really? (Is that possible?) Carly L. nods in disgusted agreement. Me agree with disgust.

A riot of baro... Ahem. While this is one case where I do not support the minority view with any particular gusto, I do differ a bit from the prevailing bottom-of-the-barrel view of The Bravern. Does anyone actually call it The Shops at The Bravern? The Shops? That would require customers... but I'm probably getting ahead of myself. The Bravern is different, feeling like neither Seattle nor Bellevue. The outdoor design feels like a bit of high-end Phoenix suburb transplanted into a rainy region. I don't mind. My experiences are admittedly a bit different given that I live near the "downtown" core: - The valet-parking borders on Barnum-esque and the absurdity of the self-parking story is well-documented elsewhere... but I walk here. - To the degree to which the space is full, it is of high-end boutiques with markup that I wouldn't pay for things I actually use and enjoy, like the smartphone I will hypothetically purchase in 2011... but for the most part I just come here to take a long walk in the sun. - John Howie, deserving of its own review (forthcoming) can back up its price tag with quality commensurate with its weight class... and I don't mind it when entertaining high-rolling out of town guests. - The original happy hour hours were relatively limited at The Dining Shops... but stiff competition from the proximate crowd (El Gaucho, Daniel's, Palomino, Monsoon, etc.) resulted in the recession timing extension I've come to expect spreading. Therefore, it is with some hesitation that I pronounce its likely death knell - excluding the restaurants, it's generally quite empty and I personally feel no compulsion to support it when I visit. Unless the margins are as disgustingly bloated as one would become by patronizing Trophy Cupcakes twice a day or it's gouging Microsoft enough to keep the whole concrete Titanic afloat, I don't know if it's going to last long enough to absorb the best of the Pacific Northwest culture to become viable instead of a final identity as abandoned semi-urban blight being a reminder of more lucrative times.

The new shops at the Bravern are ridiculous. The shops are too high end for me and I can't afford anything. I thought they would give Bell Square a run for it's money, but it doesn't seem like anymore. The parking I didn't find as that bad, but it sort of resembles the Galleria parking, which is a bit tight. During the time I was there I didn't see a lot of people with shopping bags. Just a lot of window shopping going on. The restaurants seem interesting, though I didn't try any, but they could have some decent eats. If I wanted something high end I'd probably go elsewhere, this place would be my last resort.

It's a 1.5 for me. The parking is annoying, but people could use some exercise and extra walking never hurt anyone. I love high end shops. I love Brooks Brothers, Piazza Sempione, David Lawrence and Hermes. They're in my top 15 list of places to shop. Neiman Marcus is again another favorite of mine. The shop layout is horrible, and no just from a Seattle standpoint. I used to shop in New York City and I've never seen anything this bad. It's quite confusing layout-wise. When walking from store to store I ended up getting rained on quite a bit. That irritated me. There was no shelter. By the time I got to the last store I was soaking wet. It started raining when I had been shopping in Neiman Marcus and prior to that it had been a nice day. I entered Hermes looking somewhat like a wet dog. I was dressed appropriately. I went to look around and found that the staff was staring at me funny. I smiled and waved, but they could barely fake a half smile, let alone wave back. They continued to stare at me and whisper among each other. I felt very uncomfortable. I said hi, and asked how they were doing. Nothing. Similar things had happened in other shops in the Bravern but they usually chilled when I said hello. I looked at the price of a scarf I had had my eye on for awhile. The price? $700. Now that's a bit odd. I saw the same scarf in Bloomingdales for $450 (not on sale, either). After looking at a few of the other pieces they also were over priced compared to seeing them elsewhere. When I went to leave Hermes the man working there stopped me at the door and asked to see my hands. Confused, I showed them to him. He asked what was in my pockets, and I pulled out some tissues and my wallet/phone. He huffed and walked away, without so much as an explanation. They had assumed I was shoplifting! Absolutely horrible. Nothing, I repeat, nothing, is more insulting to a customer than being accused of shoplifting in a place where they had intended to spend money. It's a horrible, horrible feeling to know someone thinks that about you and makes those assumptions. One thing that was positive about this place: the people in Piazzo Sempione were the only ones who actually bothered to ask questions and help me around the store. They were friendly and warm. It's a shame that the other places are just not worth going to. High end shopping? Sure. Only I'd rather go to a place where the employees don't treat you like walking trash just because you're a little ragged looking from the rain.

It's hard to review The Bravern. On one hand, I liked that it was so quiet but it also just seemed so bizarre that no one was there shopping on a Saturday. The shops were obviously carefully selected but I couldn't relate to anything other than Anthropologie and Trophy Cupcakes. The deadness there makes the salespeople seem all the more desperate. Overall, it was fun to take a peak at how the 1% lives...I can't really complain about it but I also don't feel it's worthy of a stellar review. Free parking seals the deal.

Unlike most of the reviewers, I am not necessarily opposed to pretentious, grandiose, self-deluded retail projects with poorly designed garages. I firmly believe that if you want to spend $400 on a shirt that's your business. But not having a cafe suggests to me that the developers really don't "get" Seattle. Where am I going to get my caffeine fix? The cupcake joint has espresso but no place where I can cool my heels and watch the passerby. And there's all that awful blue paint. Hopefully the abrupt departure of Artisanal will convince the owners to "go local." We need a Tom Douglas restaurant on the Eastside!

Parking sucks. Layout sucks...went there while it was raining (because that's so rare here) and could not get around without getting wet. Shops are all yuppie overpriced crap.

Another horrible experience at the Bravern- no wonder why the mall is always empty! This review is for whoever is managing the parking lot services, not the retail shops. Two out of three past experiences trying to get out of their parking lot- even after spending plenty of money- has been met with rudeness and stress, and they trap you in no matter how much you have spent if you can't find your ticket or have a validation, or else you pay a hefty fine- all for spending your time and money to shop there. Just read the other reviews here- no need to go on about it in this review. It is sad that the Bravern, and their shops, allow their patrons to be treated so rudely.

This is one poorly laid out place. Horrible. Its not conducive to shopping and really makes you feel like you are in a rat maze. The parking lot is the worst I have ever seen. Do not go here unless you have to and I suggest parking in Bell Square and walking over rather than endure the never ending confusion that is the Bravern parking.

The Bravern itself is very nice. It's got a lot of shops and would be fantastic if it was built somewhere where winters were not chilly and rains a billion days out of the year. Still have not been able to shop here comfortably because some dude thought it'd be great to freeze while shopping. If only they had some kind of heating system... I'd also appreciate it if it had more dining selections. The website lists 6 restaurants, but Trophy Cupcakes and a Cafe is not really a restaurant, in my opinion. Also, I found the parking spaces to be a little too tight. Interesting because the garage has never been packed when I visited.

Confusing. I mean, perhaps it's the lack of money in my wallet that makes me less than psyched about a super high end shopping center that is hard to park (drive around the block much?) and even harder to navigate once inside the parking garage paired with super snooty clientelle. I liked some of the shops I visited and all- hello Chocolopolis!- but all in all, unless I need to buy something fancier than I can afford anyway, I'll skip it next time. Update: I have to admit, once I'd done it once, it became much easier the next few times. I've been back and the parking experience was actually quite nice, the attendant was cool when we forgot to get validated but my large and full shopping bags were enough to show him we'd been real customers. Still spendy for my tastes, but that giant fireplace and friendly staff about are really A-OK as the 3 stars show.

The only thing I could afford was a Trophy Cupcake and only because I needed to validate parking. I know, I know... If I can't afford a pair of Jimmy Choos, what am I doing here in my Forever 21 sandals and Macy's top... I'll let you know, I joined a play date group and it's held in the Microsoft building and regular story time is held here every Wednesday at 11 am. My review is for the parking, Microsoft building, and the very kind custodial attendant who helped me navigate the very oddly-designed "mall." Everyone I interacted with was very kind. The Building is well-maintained. The parking sucks because they tell Microsoft visitors to go to P3 and off I went... and went and went. Definitely do the valet, if you can, just to have the valet parking. Why not get the experience of "high-class" for a supposed $7? My car smells like Cheerios and baby powder so I'll opt out but doesn't mean you should.

Went once to view it, wouldn't go again. Parking, layout, greenery/seating areas could be much better. Don't care for location either. It feels dead/very corporate with microsoft building attached to it. No "soul" such as other cities who have exact same high end stores, such as on Rodeo Drive... (overlapping stores: Bottega V, Gucci, Hermes, LV, Prada). Nothing else worth viewing here. Uninspiring chunk of real estate. It should be more like University Village (which gets 5 stars!).