Four Swallows Restaurant Review

The Four Swallows restaurant on Bainbridge Island. The Four Swallows is the consensus favorite Bainbridge Island restaurant of locals, and the ferry trip from Seattle is worth it just for the appetizers. The 35 minute ferry ride offers spectacular views of Seattle from Elliot Bay, and The Four Swallows restaurant is only a 15 minute walk or five minute drive from the ferry dock. A visit to Bainbridge Island for dinner at The Four Swallows is a great idea for a romantic evening, or the perfect way to wrap up a day on Bainbridge Island. Patio seating is available during the warmer months, weather permitting.

Four Swallows Basics:
The Four Swallows restaurant is located on Bainbridge Island, a 15 minute walk or five minute drive from the ferry dock:

The Four Swallows
481 Madison Avenue N
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 842-3397

• Dinner: Tuesday–Saturday, 5:30pm-10pm
• Parking: Lot in back of the house
• Cuisine: Pacific Northwest, Italian
• Cost: Dinner with an appetizer, one drink, and dessert is about $50 before tax and tip.
• Full service bar, wine list
• All major credit cards accepted
• Ferry Schedule

The Four Swallows Overview

The Four Swallows is the overwhelming favorite restaurant of island locals. We spent the day on the Bainbridge Island, and whenever we mentioned we had dinner plans at The Four Swallows, we were told how much we would enjoy it. The restaurant lived up to its reputation with great service, excellent food, and a fun and unique atmosphere.

The Four Swallows menu combines the best seasonal Pacific Northwest ingredients, including fresh organic vegetables from Bainbridge Island and wild seafood, with Italian cuisine. Classic menu items like the Seafood Brodetto rotate depending on the catch of the day, while local island favorites such as Pizza Margherita remain by popular demand. The Penn Cove Mussels appetizer might be worth swimming to the island.

The Four Swallows is a charming farmhouse-turned-restaurant with a lot of character. The front of the house provides many open spaces great for larger parties, and lots of natural light and eclectic mirrors. There are also plenty of cozy tables for couples. The area toward the rear of the house includes the bar and several intimate private booths. Sommelier (and co-owner) Mike Shark has put together an excellent wine list, which includes a half bottle of L’Ecole N^o 41 Cabernet Sauvignon – the perfect amount of an exceptional wine to complement dinner.

Four Swallows Appetizers

The aforementioned Penn Cove Mussels are truly remarkable. An almost obscene number of absolutely amazing mussels sit in a broth of Spanish sherry, leaks, tomatoes, cream, and smoked paprika. We agree with our server’s assesment, “I would be happy just eating the broth.” Fortunately, the mussels come with a large piece of grilled bread perfect for dipping.

The Antipasto is an impressive spread of roasted garlic, goat cheese, sopressata, caponata, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, cipollini, and olivada. The components change with the seasons, and there is more than enough to share. Ricotta Gnocchi with brown butter, sage, and aged balsamic is a great option for those with richer taste.

Four Swallows Salads

The fresh, local vegetables are one of the best things about Bainbridge Island, so it is no surprise the salads are excellent. The Four Swallows features a classic romaine Caesar Salad with white anchovy, a Butter and Blue with butter leaf lettuce, blue cheese and butter milk dressing, and an exceptional Pear~Blue Cheese Salad featuring seasonal greens with Point Reyes blue cheese, candied pecans, and balsamic vinaigrette.

The Main Course at The Four Swallows

Chef (and co-owner) Geraldine Ferraro’s cuisine offers a great mix of Italian flavors, fresh seafood, and seasonal Northwest ingredients. Perfectly cooked Muscovy Duck Breast comes with a unique wine sauce, spaetzle, and delicious, island fresh spicy greens. It gets my vote for the best duck in Seattle. Many of the dishes incorporate fresh, organic vegetables from Bainbridge Island.

Huge Gulf Prawns over spaghetti with a tomato-cream sauce with vodka and red pepper flakes offers lots of flavor. The prawns are plentiful and enormous, and the flavorful sauce pulls the dish together exceptionally well. The seafood on the menu depends on what is available fresh that day, but Wild Alaskan King Salmon with horseradish crème fraîche, Dungeness Crab Cakes with a menuire sauce, and Seared Sea Scallops with applewood bacon are likely to find their way onto the menu. If you can't decide, go for the Seafood Brodetto with a little bit of everything.

Italian entrée choices also include pasta favorites like Clam Linguine and Pasta Pomodoro, and pizza specialties such as Pizza Margherita (fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, basil) and Grilled Eggplant Pizza with goat cheese, roasted red peppers, and oregano.

Four Swallows Desserts

The Four Swallows dessert menu features several lighter desserts – great after a big meal. The Bread Pudding lived up to its billing by our server as “crème brûlée suspended in air.” The light, fluffy dessert was outstanding. A delicate, traditional Panna Cotta comes with an inordinate amount of fresh island strawberries – a real treat.