Coming from a food hub (Charleston) and being a self-proclaimed foodie, when I moved to the Seattle area I was underwhelmed with the higher end options that didn't break the bank. I'm all about eating at a Michelin star restaurant, but sometimes you want local experiences to match the weekend getaways. Archipelago is that. When you walk into the restaurant you are greeted with adoring staff from the first minute they introduce themselves and take your coat until they wish you on your way after a beautifully designed several course meal. Each server learns your name and ensures everything you need is covered before you ask for it. With cozy bar seating for the ultimate chef experience, the evening was reminiscent of Bird Song in San Francisco, but with engaging historical stories highlighting important figures in the Filipino culture here in the PNW. In true Filipino culture the evening ended with extra food if you wanted and a take home gift with more history packed away for later. The food speaks for itself and if you're here for that part, I'm not going to give it to you. The food is amazing. But it is the people and the history that make Archipelago a staple in the Beacon Hill area and worth every penny.

I tagged along with a friend to mark a milestone with a nice meal. Well, the evening turned out to be quite a surprise, and of the most pleasant kind. The team is exceptionally welcoming. The attention to detail is exemplary, the highly choreographed service is a joy for the eyes. The general friendliness and the care they shroud you in from the moment you walk in until the moment you walk outside the door are astounding for a relatively young place. The food takes you on a culinary adventure both through space and time. It is filled with deep respect for the cultural heritage of the team and the geography and history of PNW, and it is not shy about the flavors either. Archipelago is best experienced rather than read about, and IMO it runs laps around many other institutions in Seattle and beyond. I hope they get the recognition (this is at minimum a 1 Michelin star level, easily), as it is very well deserved. Highly recommended for a date or a special night out.

For what it's worth, this review is for an experience from like 3 years ago. But this is still the best meal I've ever had, full stop. I haven't shut up about it in the 3 years since. The food was amazing, of course, and you can pick between dozens of reviews attesting to that, but what made this truly special was the service and attention to detail in the presentation. The way they wove the food and its local and historical significance into the service was really unique. They've really created a new sort of art form with the service here. My wife wants me to add that it literally brought tears to her eyes. Archipelago has ruined me for fine dining. Every time I go to a top ranked restaurant and I'm simply served high quality food with decent service, I am underwhelmed due to sheer comparison to Archipelago. If I haven't said anything in this review that convinces you this is the best restaurant in Seattle (or was 3 years ago at least haha), then just imagine I am a better reviewer and I wrote whatever review could have convinced you of that.

Delightful staff, killer food, tucked right into our Hillman City neighborhood. I've done both with wine and with the non-alcoholic choices, and thoroughly enjoyed both.

Out of sheer luck, a friend of mine invited me to join her reservation at Archipelago this week when her spouse was unable to make it. She let the restaurant know about the swap the night before and asked if it would be possible to accommodate my pregnancy dietary restrictions. Despite the last-minute change and not insignificant list of modifications, the team assured us they would be able to accommodate everything. The moment we sat down at the "chef's counter," I was met by a kind, thoughtful team member who was clearly knowledgeable of each of my dietary limitations, yet still took extra time to ensure they were aware of everything. They explained how they were adjusting my courses and double checked specific menu items were safe for me to eat. As specific courses and their Filipino histories were introduced by each of the team members, Sous Chef Ronnette took the extra care and effort to stop by my seat to describe the particular adjustments they had made to my individual dish. Dish after dish that I expected to have to skip was adjusted to ensure mine and my baby's safety. Steamed instead of raw oysters. Fully cooked wagyu beef. Substitutes for any raw cheeses. I didn't expect this level of attention or care. Pregnancy and all the specific dietary restrictions that come with it make eating out, especially fine dining, feel like such a precarious experience. At Archipelago, I never had to ask or worry about whether I was eating safely and could truly relax and know I was in competent hands with Chef Aaron's team. To have a group of kind strangers tell you for a night, "sit back, we've got you" was one of the greatest gifts I could have received as a mom of a toddler and with a baby on the way. When I shared with Chef Aaron how rare it is to have this experience at a restaurant, and how I had assumed fine dining was off limits while I was pregnant, he told me how families and children are an honored part of Filipino communities and how they believe in that tradition in their restaurant as well. He shared the ages of his own small children and credited his wife for making his life's work possible. I never expected a 2+ hour dining experience to be such an intimate exchange with members of my community, in addition to a nourishing and caring meal. Huge shout-outs to Chefs Aaron and Ronnette, as well as the entire Hillman City team. Five glowing stars for Archipelago. A standout community and business that more than exceeds in their mission.

My sister treated me to this unique experience based on our Filipino culture.. wow it was amazing! Not going to review base on price since it was gifted but with just customer service and flavor of the dishes alone.. they deserve a well deserved 5 star review! Everything was executed perfectly with timing of courses and the movement of the servers along with the little culture presentions. I actually left feeling really full along with the juice pairing. 12 courses were pretty bite size but it was a good amount of food. I suggest to arrive with a mentality of art & history with the dishes vs thinking it's feast time lol. It's not for everyone but I feel honored to experience fine dining.. and extremely proud on what Chef Aaron was able to accomplish to elevate Filipino food and have you feeling a sense of admiration for Filipinos. Highly recommend!

Archipelago is a whole dining experience and not just a meal. Food - I think there were a total of 12+ courses and every course had a story behind it. I loved the unique plating and the flavors all melted very nicely together. They were all very unique ingredients that were seasonal and fresh and used to its best ability. I can't say I have seen these combinations elsewhere before. I just appreciated and was impressed by the creativity and the unique nature of each course. I also appreciate that for one of the courses. The chef asked us how full we were and based on the number that we gave he gave us more to eat. I really liked this because sometimes you walk away from a fine dining restaurant hungry and that is not acceptable. Even though he gave us more to eat based on the numbers we gave, some of us regretted not giving indication that we wanted to eat more, but that was OK because the chef had prepared even more food and gave us plenty more to eat and really filled our bellies before the dessert courses hit. Atmosphere - since they only take small groups, it was a very intimate setting. I was in a group of four and we were the only group of four while everybody else was either one or two. Since it was such a small space I feel like we got a lot of attention from all the servers. They always kept our drinks full and delivered the dishes at the same time to our table. This is fine dining at its best. Service overall was just spectacular. They also added the unique aspect of storytelling to the dishes. Some of the dishes came with a little picture slide or a little history lesson and I really enjoyed that aspect of the experience. The reason I took away a star is three out of the four of us got the juice pairing and they were $92 each. For such a price we expected the most delicious drinks we've ever tasted and it was just not it. I think we got about four or five glasses of different juices and they were honestly just juice... Things that we could've made in our own blenders. I didn't think they complemented the meal or courses in any particular way And again at the price tag of $92 I just did not see the appeal or how that was justified. My friend who got the alcoholic beverage pairing, was really pleased with his pairing and said that was definitely the way to go. So I would still recommend this place as peak, fine dining, but I would recommend not getting the juice pairing because it really was not necessary. If you want to drink alcohol, then the alcoholic pairing might be worth it. Honestly, I still have a hard time saying it was worth the money but at the end of the day I really enjoyed my meal and the entire experience and I don't regret spending the money.

Incredible and unique dining experience from start to finish. Loved the history, fresh ingredients, attention to detail, and warm service. I don't eat meat and they were super accommodating. Everything was delicious. Hard to get reservations but worth it - I highly recommend Archipelago. Salamat!

This place is amazing - I am unsure on the function of a review of Archipelago at this point in their existence. I believe that any positive review is correct for any number of reasons. If there's a spot open, go. If the open spot is later than your usual dinner time (8:30) - take it. If there are extra seats (4) - take them. If you're on the fence, get off the fence. The dinners at Archipelago are more than the sum of their parts. The food is good but it's more than the food. The service is personal but it's more than the service. The kitchen is clean but it's more than the polish. I am no poet and yelp is no place for poetry, but if you're reading this and without a reservation, recheck the site and find your place because Archipelago can be a bright spot on your calendar when we as adults are beyond theme parks and movie premiers, friends and food are suitable replacements. Leave your phones at home and bring your friends to Archipelago.

Beyond good food and artfully presented dishes, Archipelago gave us an experience - one that revolved around community, culture, and a compelling narrative. The dinner began "normally" - we were welcomed to our seats and they offered us beverages. But as they served the first course, they introduced us to each and every staff member from chef, front of house, dishwasher, etc. and then started telling us stories w/ each course - histories and contributions of Filipino Americans in the Pacific Northwest. My husband and I were enthralled with it all - the bold, delicious flavors of the food (our favorites in the attached photos), the kindness of the staff (it's noteworthy that nearly every single one made an effort to get to know each diner), and the fascinating histories shared (look up Maria Orosa!). Very highly recommended!