It does not require a degree in the fine arts to appreciate that ART Restaurant and Lounge is an exquisite piece of work in its creative design.

ART, located downtown in the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel, opened recently under local chef Kerry Sear, who creates each dish with a unique style and arrangement. Unfortunately, while the presentation was often exceptional, the dishes were more hit-and-miss in taste.

The restaurant features a detailed wooden interior and floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Elliot Bay and the Olympic Mountains, although customers can still see many of the industrial buildings below, including a rather large and distracting Public Storage.

I ordered the wild mushroom bisque as an appetizer, which came with mushrooms, Asian pear, walnuts and celery root already in the bowl. The server then poured a thick brown liquid into the bowl, which I could only assume was the soup. I enjoyed that the presentation was unexpected, but I wouldn’t pay $12 for the dish again.

For my entrée, I had the duck roast five-spice breast, which was delicious and tender. I was a bit disappointed with the simple appearance, as the pieces of meat were simply lined up on the plate. However, the duck was very flavorful, so I chose to think of the half-hearted design as a deliberate aim to produce a minimalist dish.

I also sampled the lasagnette with crab, clams and prawns. I enjoyed the texture and freshness of the seafood, but the white-wine tomato sauce was too sweet for my liking.

Another dish, the wild king salmon, was pan-seared to perfection; the Indian spice was subtle but complemented the smooth consistency of the fish.

I ordered three sides all involving potatoes — perhaps I was in a starchy mood because of the formal atmosphere of the restaurant. The first side I had was the french fries with rosemary and garlic, which were extraordinarily tasty and presented in a cute, cone-shaped container. The Yukon gold mashed potatoes appeared bland but were not unappealing in flavor, while the German fingerling potatoes with sage salt and sour cream were gray and tasted just as they looked. At $6 each for a side, I would only recommend the french fries.

I was excited to see if the desserts would be as creatively crafted as some of the main entrées. Unfortunately, my choice of vanilla-dusted donuts with crème fraîche sorbet reminded me of frozen yogurt, and the pomegranate compote was a bit sour. I felt that both dipping sauces were too tangy to complement the light, creamy texture of the donut holes, although it was a fun finish to the meal.

ART offers a variety of cocktails, beers and a 12-foot wall featuring more than 100 wines. As for the more abstract, a counter at the restaurant serves smaller plates of food, from raw-marbled tuna belly to geoduck clam pasta.

I was told my ticket for valet would be validated if I dined at ART. However, by “validated,” the staff actually meant that it would cost $9 instead of the usual rate. The menu is also steep for a college student, with an average price of $12 for an appetizer and about $28 for an entrée.

You don’t have to sell a kidney to pay for parking yet, but you may have to take out a small loan for a fine dining experience at ART.

Reach reporter Carolyn Yuen at

arts@dailyuw.com.