Nobu Restaurant and Residences to debut in Bellevue
Nobu is set to open its first Pacific Northwest restaurant and U.S. residential project in Bellevue, rebranding the towers at Avenue Bellevue.
BELLEVUE, Wash — Luxury restaurant and hospitality brand Nobu is coming to downtown Bellevue, bringing the Pacific Northwest its first Nobu restaurant and launching the brand’s first residential project in the United States.
Nobu, co-founded by actor Robert De Niro and celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa, will rebrand the two residential towers at Avenue Bellevue as Nobu Residences. The project will also include a 10,000-square-foot Nobu restaurant slated to open in 2027.
For Avenue Bellevue, the partnership represents a major milestone after years of searching for a signature retail anchor.
“This is really a game changer,” Shawn Katz, president of Silverstein Capital Partners and the executive overseeing Avenue Bellevue for owner Silverstein Properties, told the Puget Sound Business Journal, which first reported the deal.
According to the Business Journal, Bellevue will become the site of Nobu’s first residential opening in the United States, ahead of planned projects in Miami and Orlando. Silverstein Properties entered into what Katz described as a business agreement with Nobu, though financial details were not disclosed.
Katz said the company had been holding the development’s anchor retail space for the right tenant. When Nobu began exploring expansion into the Puget Sound region, specifically Bellevue, the fit became clear.
“Bellevue has really emerged as a global destination for business and luxury entertainment,” Katz told the Business Journal. “We both really wanted to do this at the same time, and ultimately their vision was much aligned with ours.”
The Nobu restaurant will occupy the development’s long-vacant anchor retail space and is expected to become one of downtown Bellevue’s highest-profile dining destinations.
Known worldwide for blending traditional Japanese techniques with Peruvian and South American influences, Nobu has built a global following around signature dishes including black cod with miso, yellowtail jalapeño and rock shrimp tempura. The restaurants are also recognized for minimalist luxury interiors featuring dark woods, warm lighting and upscale lounge-style atmospheres.
A typical dinner for two at Nobu can range from about $200 to $400.
Over nearly four decades, Nobu has expanded from a single restaurant in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood into a global luxury lifestyle brand with more than 50 restaurants and dozens of hotels worldwide.
The Bellevue location will mark Nobu’s first restaurant in the Pacific Northwest and another addition to Bellevue’s growing luxury dining and retail scene.
Avenue Bellevue is a mixed-use development valued at more than $1 billion, located north of Bellevue Square in downtown Bellevue. The project includes 365 condominium units ranging from 959 to 4,725 square feet, the 208-room InterContinental Bellevue hotel, and about 80,000 square feet of retail space.
According to Katz, about 35% of the residences have sold since sales launched in March 2025. Condo prices currently range from about $795,000 to $16 million.
Residents should not expect dramatic renovations inside individual units, Katz said. Instead, Nobu is expected to enhance shared spaces and introduce hospitality-focused amenities tied to the company’s international network.
Benefits could include priority reservations at Nobu restaurants worldwide, discounted access to Nobu hotels and other exclusive perks tied to the brand’s global portfolio.
The project has faced questions in recent years over its unfinished retail vision. Earlier restaurant concepts announced under previous ownership, including plans involving Michelin-starred chefs, ultimately fell through.
Even with Nobu secured as its anchor tenant, Avenue Bellevue still has roughly 20 vacant retail spaces remaining. Existing tenants include Jo Malone, Refine Beauty Salon and Fleur Studio.
Katz said the development is close to finalizing additional retail deals and hopes to position Avenue Bellevue as a premier lifestyle and cultural destination in downtown Bellevue.
“We intend to distinguish ourselves with the retail and as being this great lifestyle, cultural center for people to stay, live, eat, entertain, shop,” Katz told the Business Journal. “Nobu is the anchor.”
