Vivienne's Bistro

Tony was a great server and Irene a very friendly hostess even making small talk with us at the table. Came here after watching the Demon Slayer movie in 4DX at Regal (so good and so fun!!) This space used to be Loulays which was near and dear to my heart but happy to say Vivienne's Bistro (this is their second location, first being on Mercer Island back in 2022) can proudly occupy it as all the food we had was very good! We did 3 appetizers: Lobster Rangoons, Kolbi, and Wontons in Szechuan Chili Oil. Had the General Tso's chicken with a side of white rice and finished with the Pumpkin Donuts with Blueberry Couli Jam. Lobster Rangoons: I'll be honest, I am not crazy about rangoons crab or otherwise, but these were quite good. Perfectly fried with flavors that lasted and had a good amount of lobster meat. I recommend it. 7/10 Kolbi Steak: Very well seasoned and a good portion size. It was cooked at the right temperature too. Not much to add, just a quality product. 7/10. Wontons in Szechuan Chili Oil: Mixed with minced garlic and cilantro it had good flavor and the szechuan wasn't super spicy if that puts you off. Personally I hate cilantro so I'd ask for this without next time but the dish works well. 7/10. General Tso's Chicken: Ah, the classic made for Americans dish that isn't actually Chinese but kinda almost has become it from osmosis of the cultures now. Well this was good. Cooked the way you'd hope it would be if the idea for it actually originated from China. The glaze is sweet, the fry is to the amount it needs. No nasty aftertaste like cheap Chinese food joints. 7/10. Pumpkin Donuts with Blueberry Couli Jam: It's mochi based so if that is off putting for you -- not my favorite -- you might want to skip it. Even so I can respect it's integrity and rate accordingly as if it was a texture I like. They are piping hot so you might want to mix it with the jam and break it open. The pumpkin is there but not overpowering. Solid. 7/10 here too. The ambiance is great. Lively for downtown and Sunday and it wasn't a wait at all without a reservation to get in. The food came out exceedingly quick and you can hear the chef in the back working with a massive flame from the wok. By far though, Tony being open to great service made this very enjoyable. He recommended movies to us -- and we talked about Demon Slayer -- and overall just a good server to customer interactions. Would have already returned for the food but the service makes it that much better. For that reason I'm happy to rate it higher because this is the extra piece that's missing from most restaurants these days and what separates a good experience from a great one! And for all this food we got it was less than $100 for two people! Overall, 8/10⭐

Located inside the Sheraton Grand Seattle Hotel, Vivienne's Bistro is an Asian-esque restaurant that can be accessed from the street or within the hotel. The primary reason for low rating was due to the service. The server, Tony, was insulting, arrogant, and showed no concern or respect for customers. I was absolutely floored how he was so blatantly rude. The food in general was just good. The portion size is small. One main dish is really just enough for one person. We ordered the Grilled Tofu, Crispy Brussel Sprouts, Szechuan Style Green Beans, Steamed BBQ Pork Buns, Orange Peel Chicken, Kung Pao Surf & Turf, Mapo Tofu Fish. Most of the dishes were good (not great), with the exception of the Steamed BBQ Pork buns. They were NOT good. Very little filling and it was over-steamed as the bread was mushy. I would not order this again. The Grilled Tofu was just ok. Also note that it is soft tofu that they grill, not the firm tofu. The Mapo Tofu Fish was disappointing in that you cannot tell if there is any actual fish in the dish. If you pay real close attention and sift through the sauce, you may find a "big" enough piece to actually identify it as fish. The flavor itself was fine but I wouldn't call it Mapo Tofu FISH if it's that hard to find the fish. This is where Tony's true personality and arrogance showed up. After our meal, he asked how everything was. I expressed to him that the Mapo Tofu Fish was disappointing in the you couldn't really tell there was any fish. Tony then proceeds to tell me that maybe in the future, instead of ordering Mapo Tofu Fish, I should order FISH Mapo Tofu. Really??? He's saying that I ordered incorrectly? Mind you, there is no such dish available. So he's not only being rude, he's throwing shade at me?!! I could not believe it. First, do NOT ask the customer how everything was if you do not want to hear their answer. Second, if you do receive an answer you do not like, how about saying something like, "I'll pass that thought along, or I'm sorry it wasn't to your liking, sorry to hear that, I hope you like the other dishes." Instead Tony decides to be upset at my opinion, be rude, and then give me an attitude? HORRIBLE customer service. Truly unbelievable. Never again will I come here because of the service.

❤️Forbidden roast duck ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - like how crispy the skin is - I like the citrus included ❤️Xiu mai ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - juicy and delicious Honey walnut shrimp ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ - not overly sweet - love how crispy it was - wish there was more melon Pot stickers ⭐⭐ - just ok Master chef noodles ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ - I really liked this

We visited Vivienne's Bistro after reading a review claiming they had the “best General Tso’s chicken ever,” and my husband couldn’t resist checking it out. From the moment we walked in, we were impressed—the restaurant is spotless, the atmosphere inviting, and the staff incredibly attentive. Our server made sure our drinks never dropped below half and checked in often without ever being overbearing, which made our meal feel extra enjoyable. And the food? That review wasn’t exaggerating. The General Tso’s chicken was absolutely the best we’ve ever had—crispy, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. We also enjoyed the Master Chef Noodles. Every part of our experience exceeded expectations, and it’s rare to find a place where we can’t come up with even one thing to critique. If you’re in Seattle and searching “restaurants near me,” do yourself a favor and stop at Vivienne's Bistro.

Had an amazing dinner at this place. Not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t this. Best Chinese food I’ve ever had! Even the vegetables were next level. My table shared the forbidden duck and the braised ribs. The skin on the duck was so crispy! It did not disappoint. And the ribs were tender and flavorful. I also had the duck fat old fashioned. It was soooo good and savory. Ting was our server, and she was delightful. Can’t wait to go back.

My new favorite restaurant downtown!! I don’t even know where to begin with how amazing this place is! But let me start with the Service Irene and Tony are super stars! So friendly, so kind, helpful, knowledgeable. I’ve been in many times now and every time they make the experience better. They give the best food recommendations too! And this time we came in to celebrate my brother’s birthday. We had a large party and Tony, Irene, and Brian were incredible. So accommodating and fun. Can’t wait to come back and celebrate again soon!

New Chinese restaurant with many old favorites and some interesting new twists. We started with dumplings and then had the Nine Flavor Beef (on a bed of bean sprouts), crispy and spicy green beans, and crispy pork belly. It was all cooked perfectly and presented beautifully. We enjoyed everything! Our server, Tracy W. helped us through the menu, and made sure everything was awesome. Great place, it's great to have a good Chinese restaurant downtown again.

What a tourist trap! Our mistake! The hot sauces were not hot. The soft shell crabs were way way over coated. The cucumbers had not marinated long enough and only tasted of cheap sesame and chili oil. We ordered the whole duck too, which I failed to take a photo of, but it came with wilted cilantro and lumpy plum sauce. Definitely an overpriced tourist trap.