Bistro Baffi - Normandy Park

Service: Dine in Meal type: Lunch Price per person: $10–20 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

The restaurant has moved to a new location and replaced its old Italian charm with a modern vibe reminiscent of a strip mall. The atmosphere now includes irritating modern music and a sports bar playing on television. This place used to be a popular destination for parties and one of the few remaining authentic Italian restaurants in the area. Unfortunately, there is no Verizon cell service. However, the bartender/server was friendly and accommodating to special menu requests. The food was enjoyable, with several dishes featuring mushrooms, which I love. The highlight was the super fresh and chewy pappadelle noodles. However, the high prices did not match the ambiance.

I haven't been to Bistro Baffi since it moved to this location. If you had never seen the beautiful decor atmosphere of the old restaurant, you wouldn't know you were missing anything. There is nothing wrong with how the restaurant looks now I appreciated it was essentially sectioned off into 3 seating areas so seemed more private intimate.Our service was excellent. Just attentive enough without being at all intrusive. The food was delicious. We shared the mussels in a white wine tomato sauce- the mussels were perfectly cooked. There was a bit of spiciness to the sauce but it wasn't hot. Suspect it was calabrian peppers... a sweeter heat.My dining partner had the lobster risotto was delighted with his meal. I had the halibut maniere. The halibut was done perfectly which is high praise. It is a lean white fish that is easily overcooked can become dry. This was moist tender. The white wine oil sauce was nicely seasoned with probably shallots garlic cloves. The grilled asparagus was tender not charred. There was a lovely side of penne in a delicious sauce that I wonder if it wasn't the vodka sauce I noticed on the menu as a main pasta dish.We passed on dessert as we were both full but tiramisu, chocolate walnut cake, chocolate gelato or lemon gelato sounded like any would have been a taste treat.

Now located in Normandy Park, Bistro Baffi offers many of the delicious menu items offered when located in Burien. Their menu offers so many intriguing options it was hard to choose without over ordering (which we did). Portions are “generous “ so ask your server if you might want to share so you can try more dishes. Appetizers easily serve four. We really enjoyed the Plato Rustico. Meat dishes were moist, flavorful and nicely seasoned and/or sauced. The wine offerings, though not extensive, were selected to pair nicely with menu items. Pricing commensurate with the preparation, quality of the meals and generous portions. Casual, comfortable dining experience appropriate for a date night. Ample parking on site. Looking forward to returning and trying different dishes and not over eating!

The new location in Normandie Park is a definite improvement. The service was quick and friendly, and the complimentary focaccia was tasty. I ordered the grilled eggplant appetizer, which was inexpensive and cooked just right. The only critique is that it could use more balsamic drizzle. The lobster risotto was okay, with the highlight being the lobster itself. I plan to return to sample other main dishes in the hopes of finding something better than the risotto.