Magnolia's Restaurant & Lounge

Are you looking for a date-night kind of place with a relaxed atmosphere? This is a great pick. I loved the combination of well-thought decor and lighting. The service is truly perfect, both Manny and Fabio were great during our visit. The food is quite yummy but I felt I was missing something in the flavors. It might just be that I expected this place to taste like Mexican food and it was my first time having Peruvian food. We had the coconut prawns which were very tasty but also kind of basic. We also had the octopus and that was just below the average of octopus I’ve had elsewhere. The lomo salteado was really good and the sides it came with were tasty. Sadly we didn’t have the ceviches which is apparently the main thing here, we’ll try them next time. Can’t fault the place for a single thing other than the food being “just good”. My wife and I really liked it.

Upon walking in, we were greeted by a soft atmosphere with candlelight and Central American music playing at low volume. We were able to be seated immediately at 6pm on a Friday with no reservation! My partner ordered a Pisco Sour, which like everything ordered, had a beautiful presentation and a llama carefully carved into its froth, and I tried their Malbec. This restaurant might have the best plating in Seattle! For entradas, we ordered the ceviche Nikkei and Causa Nikkei. The ahi tuna was sushi grade and both dishes tasted SO refreshing. We were delighted by the presentation, it looked too beautiful to eat! For dinner, we tried the Cordero Pachamanquero, which also came with a side of rice. The highlight of the dish was the exquisite broth and the lamb was cooked to perfection. We also tried the Pesto Risotto with tenderloin, we recommend trying each bite with a tomato! Both dishes were as delicious as they looked! The main course followed the appetizer at the perfect pace, and we had plenty to take home with us. As we were running late to our show, we did not have time for dessert, which was heartbreaking. We will be back next time for Tres Leches!

Perfect date night destination. Cozy atmosphere, expert service, delicious food. A small restaurant with a nice fireplace and table or bar seating, with the kitchen visible. The lamb shank (Cordero Pachamanquero) was hearty and rich with potatoes and yam and a thick gravy. The Pesto Risotto with Tenderloin was flavorful and satisfying, nicely seasoned. With no drinks or dessert we paid $45 each.

We came here for restaurant week on a Saturday only to find out they don’t participate in restaurant week during the weekend. So that was very disappointing. The service was excellent and the food was okay. I felt like the food left a lot to be desired in terms of flavor and Peruvian influence. My beef dish offered “potatoes” on the side, but they were just basic russet fries. I would’ve appreciated Peruvian potatoes since they are so notorious for their multiple varieties. I suppose this is their missed opportunity. Overall everything just seemed okay, but not amazing. I expected more for the price.