Nobu will open its first Pacific Northwest restaurant and U.S. residential project in Bellevue and rebrand the Bellevue Avenue tower.
Bellevue, WA — luxury restaurant and hotel brand letter Coming to downtown Bellevue is the opening of the first Nobu restaurant in the Pacific Northwest and the launch of the brand’s first residential project in the United States.
Nobu, co-founded by actor Robert De Niro and celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa, will rename two residential towers on Avenue Bellevue Nobu Residences. The project will also include a 10,000-square-foot Nobu restaurant, expected to open in 2027.
For Avenue Bellevue, the partnership is an important milestone after years of searching for an iconic retail anchor.
“This is truly a game changer,” Shawn Katz, president of Silverstein Capital Partners and an Avenue Bellevue executive with owner Silverstein Properties, told the Puget Sound Business Journal, which first reported the deal.
Bellevue will be Nobu’s first residential opening in the U.S., ahead of planned projects in Miami and Orlando, the Business Journal reported. Silverstein Properties has what Katz said is a commercial agreement with Nobu, but financial details were not disclosed.
Katz said the company has been holding the development’s prime retail space for the right tenant. The fit became obvious when Nobu began exploring expansion into the Puget Sound area, specifically Bellevue.
“Bellevue has really become a global destination for business and luxury entertainment,” Katz told the Business Journal. “We really wanted to do that both, and ultimately their vision aligned very well 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 most high-profile dining destinations.
Known for fusing traditional Japanese techniques with Peruvian and South American flavors, Nobu has gained a global following with signature dishes including black cod with miso, yellow tail jalapeño and rock shrimp tempura. The restaurants are also known for their simple yet luxurious interiors, dark woods, warm lighting and upscale lounge-style ambience.
Dinner for two at Nobu typically costs about $200 to $400.
Over nearly four decades, Nobu has grown from a restaurant in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood into a global luxury lifestyle brand with more than 50 restaurants and dozens of hotels around the world.
The Bellevue location will be Nobu’s first restaurant in the Pacific Northwest and another addition to Bellevue’s growing luxury dining and retail scene.
Avenue Bellevue is a more than $1 billion mixed-use development located north of Bellevue Square in downtown Bellevue. The project includes 365 apartment units ranging from 959 square feet to 4,725 square feet, a 208-room Bellevue InterContinental hotel, and approximately 80,000 square feet of retail space.
About 35% of the homes have been sold since sales began in March 2025, Katz said. Apartment prices currently range from about $795,000 to $16 million.
Residents should not expect extensive renovations within individual units, Katz said. Instead, Nobu is expected to enhance shared spaces and introduce hotel-centric amenities tied to the company’s international network.
Benefits may include priority reservations at Nobu restaurants around the world, discounts on Nobu hotels and other exclusive benefits related to the brand’s global portfolio.
In recent years, the project has faced skepticism over its unfinished retail vision. Early restaurant concepts announced under previous ownership, including plans involving Michelin-starred chefs, ultimately fell through.
Even if Nobu becomes its anchor tenant, Avenue Bellevue will still have about 20 vacant retail spaces. Existing tenants include Jo Malone, Refine Beauty Salon and Fleur Studio.
Katz said the development is close to finalizing more retail deals and hopes to position Bellevue Avenue as a premier lifestyle and cultural destination in downtown Bellevue.
“We intend to stand out in the retail industry and become a great lifestyle and cultural center for people to stay, live, eat, entertain and shop,” Katz told the Business Journal. “The letter is the anchor.”
