Recently my wife and I stoped by the Bridgewater Bistro for dinner on our way to a concert.. The eatery is located in what appears to be an old warehouse that has been completely renovated. There is a full view of the Columbia River, the Astoria bridge is almost overhead, great setting. The exterior is ordinary but the interior is attractive featuring lots of woods with metal accents. Set off in one corner by a wall of wine barrels is a wine tasting room featuring the Flying Dutchman Winery. We were offered a free tasting with subsequent tastings at $4. I tried a '06 merlot, drinkable but with no special merit, bw had the '03 pinot noir reserve which was quite nice, fruity with a smooth finish. I also liked a syrah. The attendant mentioned if we bought a bottle the restaurant would not charge a corkage fee. We bought the '03 Pinot paying $36.
We were seated in the loft dinng area. There is a gas fireplace in the upper dining area but no fire was lit that evening. Our server appeared promptly and offered to open our Pinot, I choose to begin with a glass of Laphroig.
We ordered the gruyere fondue for an appetizer, the gruyere had a pleasent hint of sharpness with good flavor, the bread alas was a tastless day old french. Luckily our table bread, a fresh rye, was served straightaway and we used that for the fondue. My house salad was a fresh mix of assorted greens with the house sweet and sour dressing, I liked it. My wife decided on the Greek salad as an entree which she enjoyed, I had King Salmon fixed New Orleans style which entailed a reduction flavored with NO style herbs, quite good really, I would order it again. The side veggies were stir fried just right, not overly cooked. The coffee had good flavor but was medium bodied, I prefer full bodied.
Our server was friendly but appeared very busy, we had to ask twice for our table candle to be lit. the fondue candle was not lit, small things. All in all we will go back. With the wine and one drink dinner was right at $100 plus tip.

I have enjoyed many meals at the Bridgewater. As a long standing patrons of the Shoalwater Restaurant, my friends and I have found that the Bistro is meeting and exceeding our expectations for service and food quality. The food is interesting and prepared with the care we have come to expect. The appetizers are unusual and tasty (e.g. the fries with three sauces). The small desserts are wonderful and we loved having a chance to order many desserts without undue guilt.

I look forward to many more trips to try more items from a menu that constantly changes. It reflects local availability and the interests and creativity of the owners and Chef.

I will not go into specific detail but we really loved the Bridgewater. We stayed at the Cannery Pier and since this was a short walk, we ate here for dinner and then the following morning for brunch. We especially liked that they had tapas, because we love a lot of variety.
Loved the clam & mussel chowder, dungeness crab cheesecake (have you ever had anything like it?), prosciutto wrapped quail... the steak-on-a-stick was okay, but we'd pass on it next time.
Drinks were yummy!!! Dessert was excellent - we got three desserts to split, and I was in heaven!

We were excited for brunch because it was brand new - only their second weekend doing brunch. Again - wonderful. Started with a bloody mary and a pomegranate mimosa. The bread/muffins were awesome, I could've filled up on those!

Our hostess was the best, we had her both times and we had a great time joking around with her. She gave us the same table the next morning! And the service we had both meals was excellent. We also loved the atmosphere - big and lofty with warm wood. Loved the live music on Saturday night!

Mmm, I hope I can go back soon!

My husband and I have had the opportunity to eat at the bridgewater numerous times since it opened and have had a great time during each of our visits.

Sure during our first visit (only weeks after the restaurant opened) there were some timing gliches between the waitstaff and kitchen but nothing that made the night terrible (especially since we knew that the restaurant had just opened). During our more recent visits to the restaurant we have had great service, wonderful food and a great time.

The "small bites" menu has a great variation of flavors that allowed my husband and I to both have an appetizer that was to our liking without spending too much or filling up to quickly. I liked mine so much that I ordered two "small bites" for my entree while my husband filled himself with a steak (perfectly prepared by the kitchen). We each finished with a small dessert which was the right size to fill my stomach but not too much to make me feel overly stuffed.

I highly recommend this restaurant to everyone that i know is going out to Astoria. It is a fresh breath in the culinary scene out there and will only get better as time goes on! I do hope that the other reviewer before me will give the restaurant another try...