Best Fine Dining Restaurants in Mercer Island

Look, I judge restaurants by the food primarily. So the small things I prefer or don't like about noise, value, or service timing matter, but not that much. Because the food at Terra Plata was really really good. We had one course from each quadrant of the menu (starter, earth, land, sea), and they were all good. We had the albracore crudo (really really good despite finding one pinbone), shishito peppers (normally an afterthought at restaurants - not here, the spices added a lot of depth), and the truffle and mushroom risotto (perfect texture). The land course (portuguese roast pig) was probably the only disappointment because it just wasn't as much of a flavor bomb as we expected from the ingredient's listed and just lacked something special. But it was still quite good, just overshadowed by the other dishes. And finally, the dessert (Basque Cheesecake) was amazing. No store bought pre-made dessert here. Unbelievable texture and the blood orange caramel was perfectly balanced. Tiny notes: the food comes out as it's done, which sometimes leads to awkward timing unless you plan what makes sense to have in what order. The service is good, but the restaurant was busy and you won't have them checking on you often. Not inherently an issue - I would rather have someone bothering me less than more. And we did find a pin bone in the crudo. But overall, it's a place I would recommend to foodies.

What an incredible experience overall! Everything we had was absolutely amazing, from drinks and appetizers to the entrees. The staff was very kind and attentive, and we can’t wait to come back!

Always delightful to dine with wonderful Italian cuisine and service in the classic space. We’ve been patrons since the 1980s and we keep returning.

I have heard a lot about John Howie steaks and I must tell you, they are delicious! My dinner partner and I started out with the tempura bacon and bread basket for appetizers. The bacon is thick and it is simply fantastic. The sauce was a must try. I wish I could eat tempura bacon every day. The bread basket was a nice touch and provided a good assortment of warm bread. We also had an honeycrisp apple salad. The sweetness of the apple complemented the light dressing and greens. For our entrees, we sprang for the 8 oz. Japanese A5 Wagyu ribeyes. Of course this is one of the best steaks on the menu. I had high expectations for this steak in the hands of a steak connoisseur like John Howie. It was the best wagyu I've eaten outside of Japan. These are Miyazaki Wagyu, so you know it is quality meat. They are highly marbled, very tender, and exceptionally delicious. They had a very nice wood grilled flavor. I ordered mine medium rare, and my partner had medium. Both were cooked perfectly. We also chose the truffle fries for our side. They were awesome and they were a shareable dish. For dessert we tried the flourless volcano cake and the crème brûlée. Both were done well, but the crème brûlée was phenomenal. The ambiance is nice as it is an upscale restaurant surrounded by upscale designer stores. The music was playing and the volume was just right. The service is five star all the way. These folks work hard for the automatic 20% service charge. It's one of the few places where you truly do get exceptional service. For example, our water glasses were always full. Before they were half empty, they were magically refilled. All of the service was fast, efficient, personable and professional. I highly recommend entering the garage via 8th avenue NE. You can use the valet or use self park nearest the Amethyst elevators on level P1. Parking is validated when you check in at the restaurant. This is definitely a superb special occasion venue. I will be back.

Great place, delicious food and nice people with pretty good experience out there. The view is fantastic !!