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Purple Café and Wine Bar
Categories: Restaurants Canadian (New) Nightlife Bars Wine Bars Canadian (New), Wine Bars [Edit]
1225 4th AveSeattle, WA 98101
Neighbourhood: Downtown
(206) 829-2280
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 11 pm
Fri 11 am - 12 am
Sat 12 pm - 12 am
Sun 12 pm - 11 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street, Validated
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Classy, Trendy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
782 reviews for Purple Café and Wine Bar
Review Highlights
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"The lobster Mac and cheese was seriously great." In 84 reviews -
"The baked brie - my god, don't miss out on it." In 66 reviews -
"gorgonzola stuffed dates, pine nuts and saba." In 24 reviews
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- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
782 reviews in English
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Review from T D.
Petaluma, CA
5/21/2012
Purple is a place of soothing comforts, visual as well as culinary. The large, airy, glass-walled minimalist space more or less completely fails to offend the eye, and is thus inherently relaxing.
I stopped in for a "light" lunch at the bar, and had the baked bucheron with honey, thyme, and dried cranberries. Just delightful, and a flight of Austrian light whites to go along.
There aren't many places to find an assortment of Austrian wines, and Purple can challenge any obscure-wine snob with what it has. The bartender was friendly and very knowledgeable. -
Review from Cat T.
San Francisco, CA
5/22/2012
the atmosphere is cool, but the hosts/hostesses, bartender, and waitstaff are so full of themselves - meh
the food sounds great on the menus but the quality of the food, like the quality of the service, just does not fit the quality of the space
granted, I do not know Seattle all THAT well, so maybe this is pretty good for the area... this wouldn't last or get nearly as much traffic if it was operating like this in San Francisco. not exactly apples to apples, since each market is different.
/end rant -
Review from Chris O.
DId not know this place existing. When my friend texted me "dinner at Purple tonight" I thought he meant Chinese at Purple Dot.
As any good yelper would do before going to a restaurant for the first time, I consulted yelp. The first review that popped was a 5 star ratings from Stephanie M. that recommended the creamy basil pesto pasta with prawns ($24). I ended up getting this and was thoroughly pleased with it. The basil pesto was on the creamier side and the prawns were of nice size and very buttery.
What I really enjoyed about Purple Cafe is the decor and vibe it gives offs, and also that "tower" of wine in the center of the restaurant.
My friends to have equally enjoyed the food, wine, and their experience at Purple Cafe. I definitely would recommend this place if you want to impress someone without burning a hole in your wallet. -
Review from Liz M.
5/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
I came here for a work lunch and was pretty happy with the overall experience. We had a reservation, which was a good idea as this place gets pretty busy. The waitstaff was good, checking up on us just enough without being hovering. I ordered the cranberry chicken salad, which was huge - I probably should have just gone with a half - and some tea. It's definitely on the upper end of the price scale, but the food was good and I would definitely come here again if I wanted some place a little upscale that wasn't going to break the bank.
One downside is it does seem to get loud in there and the tables are close together. -
Review from Brad H.
Seattle, WA
5/24/2012
I am torn on this place...
Food: Quite good. Lamb Bolognese was good. Crabcakes were ok. Brie was great. The wine was delicious.
Service: Reasonable attentive, although something about our waitress was perhaps a bit too casual considering the place. I wasn't entirely satisfied with the service although I can't figure out what I didn't like about it. Also, a number of times I've gone in there the place is half empty and they act like without a reservation we'll never get in.
Decor: Like the wine spiral. The chairs are ridiculously heavy as is the door. It's a little overdramatic for my taste.
Is it hypocritical to say that this place feels a little too corporate, when I was there on a corporate dinner? It seems corporate. -
Review from Jane J.
Seattle, WA
5/22/2012
Perfect for my girlfriends night out. The baked brie is our fav paired with amazing wines. Service is a bit slow so a minus 1 star.
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Review from Marilyn V.
Seattle, WA
5/1/2012 3 Check-ins Here
I've been here many times throughout the years and I always forget to write a review. I like coming here for their vast wine selection, great cheeses, small plates and excellent service. It's really a great atmosphere to grab some wine and sit back at the upstairs bar.
I enjoy coming here to grab their small plates and cheeses. The few times that I've been here for dinner, I wasn't too impressed with the entrees. Don't get me wrong, their dishes are pretty good, but I felt my meals lacked seasoning. Their pasta dishes could have used more salt, but that's just my opinion.
The service is always great here, everyone is always on the ball and very attentive. This location is great for intimate dates or large groups; they are very accommodating. It can be pretty busy during the weekends, so if you plan for a large group be sure to contact them ahead of time, you may even be able to book their large room. -
Review from Favoloso M.
San Francisco, CA
5/8/2012
Came for dinner with some friends and had a wonderful time. The wine selection was great and I enjoyed a sumptious malbec and my friends loved their wine flights. We ordered some of their small plates, loved the gorgonzola stuffed dates, the roasted beets, although the roasted garlic white bean puree was a bit tasteless.
We also had the apple and stilton salad which was fantastic, and creamy basil pesto pasta (incredibly delish) and halibut ( a tad dry but very good). We were treated to their amazing salted caramels and that was enough for dessert! The bill was reasonable and we commented on although it was a Friday evening and they were packed, the noise level was tolerable and we were able to communicate quite comfortably.
Will definitely be back to this place again and please try it out! -
Review from Clint d.
Seattle, WA
Updated - 5/7/2012
Their menu doesn't change often enough.
Their service is still sterling. Food quality is marvelous.
It must change once or twice a year to bring me back. It doesn't affect their business, though.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/12/2009
I love this place. Their steak sandwich with the fontina is divine.
I have never been dissapointed… Read more »
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Review from Chica D.
Seattle, WA
4/18/2012
Stellar 5-stars!!! :)
Pros:
The staff truly helps and makes a difference if you have no idea what to expect or order! Great wine selections (duh!) Great dishes & desserts! Really cool wine display & staircase to be amused & mesmorized by!
Cons:
Does having to make a reservation count? Expect to make one lol but if you're dining here you should just know it's a place where you should make one.
Classy, fun, and exquisite place to sit & enjoy company! Went here for my birthday, beyond a lovely experience!!! Bravo!!! :) -
Review from Victoria C.
Rowland Heights, CA
4/24/2012
I'm an out of towner that came to Seattle for a vacation. I heard about Purple Cafe and thought how perfect would it be to come and celebrate my birthday.
So the lack of a 5 star is due to prices (tapas are so expensive but I guess that's normal). And anothe thing was the hostess' knowledge of wine. He seemed to know a little bit about wine when we asked him questions about the flight, but I don't think he was close to being very knowledgable about wine..andi ts a wine bar so you would expect so.
Service: The service was great otherwise.The hostess came around at just the righ times to fill our cups with water or take another order etc.
Ambiance: Great ambiance for a group of friends or even couples who just want a chill night out. I made reservations so we didn't have an issue with getting a seat, but it looks like it can get pretty crowded. FYI the 2nd floor seating is first come first serve only.
Food/Drink: Delicious food (but on the salty side)..that's what the wine is for right? Pizzas are all really good, so are the cheese plates. The tapas are great as well and the wine flights are a fun way to explore new wine for new and seasoned drinkers alike. Of course the wine selection is quite large.
I would definitely come here again the next time I'm in Seattle. -
Review from Hila B.
Central District, Seattle, WA
5/18/2012
A great place for a romantic dinner or a relaxing lunch! they have huge selection of wine and cheese from all over the world and the service is great.
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Review from Tony L.
Currently, this is in my top 5 restaurants in Seattle.
I can't think of a single critique for Purple Cafe, aside from the fact that it is part of a franchise, and although I typically try to stay away from franchises, I don't blame them to have reached a certain level of success to enable the opening and running of multiple locations.
I love every aspect of this restaurant; to sum it up in one word - sexy.
Let's start with the beautiful decor. The minute you walk in, the obvious centerpiece is the amazing spiraling tower of wine smack dab in the middle of the main dining room. To put it into context a bit more, the space itself is huge from floor to ceiling; the front 3 walls are completely covered with magnificent floor to ceiling glass windows. I really had a hard time taking my eyes off of this tower the whole night.
There's a second level which also houses a full bar and several more tables for diners; on my second visit here we were able to get a table against the railing on this second floor with a view of the entire main floor which was awesome. There's a section along this wall with exposed brick with really nice candles dispersed along the wall, and once again, a great touch by the designer.
The ambiance is everything you want it to be: chic, savvy, smart, sophisticated, artsy, intimate, you name it. In other words, this place is appropriate for any occasion you can think of, whether its a romantic date for two, or a business meal amongst executives, or just a group of friends catching up.
And the crowd accompanies the ambiance accordingly. You'll find all types of people here, and chances are, they're the type of people that know how to have a good time and not afraid to take risks in doing so. This is definitely my kind of scene.
I was so impressed by the food that I had to make two visits here within a single weekend to try some of their other dishes. One of the most notables is the lobster mac & cheese. Earlier that day I had some mac and cheese at Beecher's in Pike's Place but this blew them out of the water. The gorgonzola stuffed dates were also delicious, but to be honest, everything on the menu is good.
The service here is flawless; shout out to our waiter, C.T., for providing a superb dining experience overall and his attention to detail and execution. And even though C.T. took care of our party with impeccable flair, I noticed every staff member was also constantly checking up on me, mainly because I kept looking around and admiring the decor.
Just to elaborate a bit more on the wonderful service I had received for dinner, I had trouble deciding on which wine flight to order and proceeded to ask C.T. for his recommendation. Naturally, he asked me what kind of wine I was going for and I indicated I was most interested in reds, specifically Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. On the fly, he constructed a customized wine flight consisting of two Pinots and two Zins, all from different regions around the world. On top of that, he wrote the names and vintages of each of the wines on a piece of paper for my future reference. That is what I call world-class service!
There's no doubt in my mind that Purple Cafe will be on my itinerary for any future visits to Seattle and I would not hesitate for a second to recommend this place to any of my friends and family. -
Review from Amy X.
4/7/2012
LOVE:
- Baked Brie: salivating just thinking of this... so amazing that a friend who doesn't like cheese even though it was good
- Mushroom Bruschetta
LIKE:
- Apple Walnut Stilton salad
- Four cheese pizetta (had it at lunch at the Bellevue location but didn't see it on the dinner menu here)
- the cool column of wine bottles and the general decor and ambiance
- good wine, and very reaonable on Mondays with half off bottles!
- the service
MEH:
- Italian sausage pizza: too much ricotta and potato... too much creaminess and not enough of the pop-in-your-mouth pizza flavors -
Review from Danielle F.
Santa Monica, CA
3/13/2012
What a disappointment. With just a few nights in Seattle, we chose this place because of the reviews and the amazing venue which is a genius cover for some terribly mediocre at best food. Its incredible that this stunning bar serves such terrible food. I mean really. You just assume the minute you step in that the food is going to be delicious. When I asked the waiter if the pasta was fresh pasta, he looked confused and told me they make it everyday and bring it in. He then returned and told me it was out of a box and precooked. All of it. My crab cakes were stringy, the tuna tartar was old, the cheese plate was simple with unimpressive cheeses and the wine list was just blah. This place really has the wool pulled over people's eyes. They serve cheap food with poor ingredients and totally get away with it. It was the worst part about my trip to Seattle.
Shame on you Purple. You are expensive and your food could be purchased from a food truck. -
Review from Ava W.
Cupertino, CA
5/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place was fabulous! Our waiter, I believe his name was Chris, was fantastic and couldn't have been sweeter. But what I really loved was my tequila chicken risotto. It was SO amazing! Everything was delicious and the service was great, will definitely return !
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Review from Jack B.
Van Nuys, CA
5/9/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Amazing trip and can't wait to go again when I visit. Our server was very cool and helped us pick out a great bottle of wine. The best part was that it was 1/2 off any bottle and we could walk to our hotel afterwards!
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Review from Chantelle E.
Tacoma, WA
3/19/2012
I love this place. We have been here a few times for different things, so this will be a compiled review....
The service is outstanding. We were doing a wine tasting with a gf who is a somalier, some of the wine wasnt fresh, they were more than happy to pen a new bottle (even if it was just to replenish a 1oz pour!). They also were happy to add in a complimentary wine to add to our selection (free wine? helz yeah!).
The food is always great, have had most of the apps on the menu, as well as some entree's, really nothing bad to say.
And this particular location is beautiful! The wine tower in the middle, high windows, ect, makes you feel a little swanky without the swanky budget! -
Review from Lisa M.
Bothell, WA
3/5/2012
I called ahead to get reservations rather last minute...and "quel suprise"...they were booked. But the hostess told me that we could walk in and try to get a table anyway. I asked how long of a wait typically...she told me 45 to 90 minutes. So...we bit. Our evening got off to a rather late start, so we got to Purple about 8pm. Amazingly enough, we got our table...for a party of 4... in 30 minutes. Everyone was very nice.
We started off with delightful flutes of various sparkling wines...to celebrate a birthday. Our meals arrived, and I, of course turned into a seagull and dive bombed everyone's plates for a sampling. Our dishes included.. Ratatouille, purple chopped, the Greek and Maine lobster mac and cheese.
Excellent flavors!...of course I ordered the Lobster Mac....and shared it with everyone. It looks like an individual serving...but definitely enough to share.
Will we be back? DEFINITELY... -
Review from Frank E.
3/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great for wine flights and scotch flights. Lobster Mac was delicious. Pizza was delicious. Great place to take out-of-towners. Great place for a date. Great place for a drink at the bar.
Food: 4
Service: 2 (our waiter was a little weird, not attentive, and had to ask 3 times [still never received it] for Tabasco for the Mac.
Price: 3
Quantity: 4
Quality: 4 -
Review from Joshua N.
3/13/2012
We did not eat dinner here, yet we enjoyed crème brûlée for dessert and a few glasses of wine. For our purposes this place earned 4 stars for the ambiance and decorum. The windows are huge and offer great views of the outside. The wine list is large, as well as the display of wine bottles spiraling upward from the downstairs bar.
We sat at the upstairs bar which is sort of like a loft area, a great place to relax and build a buzz, it can be a little pricey though so make sure there is room for it in the budget! -
Review from Loon E.
Seattle, WA
5/7/2012
4.25, service is very good, food is very good, not an expert on wines, but that's what the sommelier is there for :p Very helpful. Can get pricey, but when doesn't it when you're at a wine bar.
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Review from Ashley T.
Reston, VA
3/8/2012
Delish.
Was in town for a few days, and this place was the first on my (very long) list of food places to visit in Seattle. The ambiance, the food, the wine, the service... all really great. Our waitress was awesome and allowed us to just take our time and relax- thanks for that, as after being in an airplane for more than 5 hours, I definitely needed it!
We had a cheese sampler, and were very happy with the quality presented. We also had the Beef Carpaccio and the Warm Duck Confit small plates. Both were superb, but the Beef took the prize in that showdown. Although I will say another quail egg would have been the only thing to make a really fantastic dish even more perfect.
Fiance had a special that evening, some sort of penne with ground lamb. It was really, really good, but my dish blew it out of the water: the Free Range Chicken with Truffle Parsnip Puree and some sort of delicious concoction sauce... Just really, really fantastic.
The only reason this place doesn't get 5 stars is because I'm a cheap bastard who tends to hold out now and then when it comes to restaurants. My problem, not theirs!
As a side note: I saw a few comments about the prices in other reviews. I will say this... it's all relative. Maybe in Seattle that's a pricey meal, I honestly don't know, but I was literally shocked (like, I laughed when we got the bill, no joke) at what a great value it was (at least to us!). Maybe I'm just used to the ridiculous prices in the DC area, but I really felt this place was priced very reasonably. -
Review from Madison G.
Seattle, WA
3/7/2012
Purple is definitely one of my favorite places to eat in Seattle. It's the perfect mix of fine and casual dining, this place is super swanky and has an extensive wine and cheese menu.
This is a great place to have a glass of really good wine and an appetizer before a movie at Pacific Place or a show at the 5th ave... such a beautiful restaurant (that staircase!!!) and 5 star service. Their servers really know their stuff, which is saying a lot when you consider how many different wines they have!
My favorite thing is their Delice cheese and Moscato dessert wine, and don't even get me STARTED on those amazing house crackers. Whatever they're doing, they're doing it right! -
Review from Etta T.
3/7/2012 3 photos
I'd been to the Purple in Woodinville and absolutely adored it so I was very excited to try the one here in Seattle once I discovered it. The first time I went we sat at the bar as the weight was long and we were hungry (and thirsty!). We ordered an excellent Bordeaux per the servers recommendation when I gave him an idea of what we were looking for and our price range. We then proceeded to order nearly every small plate on the menu. Unfortunately, we were a tad disappointed with the food - felt that the flavors were nearly mute and the presentation didn't make up for it (not that I'm sure it could). But I decided to hold off on Yelp until I could sit at a table and really order a meal.
So we went back! And adored it! We were lucky enough to get the same server as before who remembered the wine we'd ordered and was able to recommend something similar when we learned that the other was out. We ordered the sweetbreads (delicious!), the duck (the wild rice with this dish was absolutely incredible) and the short ribs (yum!). We also got an order of tuna poke (very good) and duck patee (classic) from the tasting menu.
The ambiance in here is unbeatable, service is excellent and the diverse menu kept my pallet entertained. I'd definitely recommend it for a lovely date night.
Also highly recommend a reservation! -
Review from Cindy H.
Tacoma, WA
5/1/2012
Sunday afternoon, definitely no reservation needed. Table was a little chilly and guests had to endure people swiping the backsides of seats when walking by. Pricey for the amount of food served and for the attitude of the server. Spoke wine-ese by rote, not by experience. Have eaten here about four times...probably not a fifth.
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Review from Eric L.
Philadelphia, PA
4/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
Nice place with very cool spiral staircase wine bar. Had steak risotto that was really good.
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Review from Christopher D.
Benton Park, Saint Louis, MO
4/30/2012
While visiting Seattle we had dinner and wine here with a local couple. Great choice on their part, I enjoyed a wine flight and had a wonderful dinner. Service was above average and the spiral wine tower was amazing. Definitely a great experience.
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Review from Mario P.
2/29/2012
Two negatives, so let's get them out of the way early. First, we ordered four bottles of wine, and two were out of stock. Second, the place was packed (even on a Tuesday night) and our service was very slow. 3 hours for a dinner for a group of five. Excruciating.
The food was really good. Shrimp, bruschetta, cheese appetizers all really good. Various entrees. I had the pork chop which was very good. Somebody else had the ahi, and thought it was bland. Mixed bag of nuts, that is probably generous at a 4 star rating, but part of the delay is probably on us for not being in a huge hurry and ready to order immediately. -
Review from Danielle M.
Seattle, WA
3/18/2012
I'd say this is one of my top three restaurants in "downtown downtown" Seattle (this is my incredibly official distinction for the area not including Belltown or Pioneer Square :)). I notice many reviews have varying accounts of the food quality; I can only speak to my own experiences wherein the food has been excellent. It's one of the few places where I actually order dessert because those little mini-tastings are to die for. I agree that service can be a little slow but in this place, I don't mind because it makes me feel like I am not being rushed.
Oh, and be sure to make a reservation (even on a weeknight) or else the hosts may flip you crap. -
Review from Dennis D.
2/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'd been to the Purple in Bellevue, and while I can say this one pales in comparison, it's still pretty nice and has good food.
With its high-ceilings and large windows, the place gets a LOT of light, but that also means the inside can feel a tad like how the outside feels, in terms of temperature.
I recommend trying the baked brie and an artisan pizza. -
Review from Maria G.
4-4.5 star.
I came here for dinner and was amazed by this place. It is affordable and classy!
The food is pretty amazing. They have a good menu, although not super extensive, but with a good variety of selections to choose from.
The fritz with the prawns for the appetizer is a MUST try. They used special sauce for the prawns and it was perhaps the BEST prawns I have ever had in my entire life. No joke.
I enjoyed my steak as well. Compared to my other fine dining experience in a steakhouse a couple of months ago, this place's steak (again) uses lots of sauces to add to its flavor. It is super yummy and tasty. Every single bite of the steak melted in my mouth. However, the steak is not closely selected as the other finer steakhouse. My steak here had more fat whereas the other steakhouse I went to only offered lean meat/steak with no/little fat.
I like how their napkin/forks/spoons are wrapped in a metal ring thing. It is super unique!
The cons:
Once my friend and I got seated, we were immediately served with bread, crackers, and other side dishes. We were puzzled but did not say anything since we were busy looking at the menu. About 7-10 minutes later our waiter came over and asked if we have touched those food yet. We said no, he immediately took everything away because they are prepared for another table. The service does not particularly stand out or impressive. But it was not bad, either. I wish they could change their background music. However, given their loud and noisy atmosphere, I could see why they keep the kind of music they have right now.
I would most likely come back again! -
Review from hester d.
Seattle, WA
2/18/2012
Time and date of visitation: Friday Evening at 9
Atmosphere: Sexy and Elegant
Purple is a wonderful place to visit with a group of friends or with one other person. It has a versatile nature where a cordial meet up can comfortably take place in the presence of an intimate one. The noise level was comfortable and the lighting was romantic.
The service is very prompt and unobtrusive. I loved how the waiter never asked outright "if everything was OK" or something along those lines like other restaurant establishments do - it gets obnoxious, especially when one hasn't gotten a chance to sample the food or drinks yet. The waiter just glanced furtively over onto table tops and he often frequented his designated area so that making requests was easy as well. Though it was clearly busy that evening, he did not rush through the ordering process at all. In fact my date and I had a great conversation with him! (Thanks, Adam, for letting us try the Rose! You're a super awesome person - Hope to see you around :-)
The food that we ordered was amazing. The duck and New York strip steak was perfectly done (rare) and the portions were just right. (Well, I actually couldn't finish my steak, but my date didn't complain....;-) *Hat tip to the cook
Thank you purple for a wonderful, memorable, and enjoyable evening. We will be back. (not in a creepy way.) -
Review from Joyce J.
2/23/2012
I came here with four other friends before a show at Fifth Avenue Theatre on a Sunday at 5pm. The hostess seated me right away even though all my friends were late. She also took down their names so that they can be directed to the right table when they come.
This is the only Purple Cafe that does not have happy hour. However, it does have tasting plates on its menu which are like HH items. My friend and I tried the tuna poke, the lamb empanada, and the duck confit. These tasting plates were decent though the portion was on the smaller size (as they should be I guess for tasting plates). My friend and I then split a steak risotto which was the special of the night. It was a superb risotto and they really did it right.
I would definitely recommend this place for dinner before a show at the Fifth. Subscribers get 10% discount of the overall bill. -
Review from Chris L.
Purple is one of my favorite haunts downtown. It hits on all fronts: affordable and tasty lunches, great wine list and apps, and luxurious dinners, all served up in a distinctive setting.
Food: from the small bites to the pizzas (try one with arugula and truffle oil!) to the selection of cheeses to the larger entree sized items, their food has it going on. I've never not liked their risotto (many restaurants don't mind it properly while it cooks and it ends up not being that creamy mass of awesome that risotto should be) or really anything I've eaten here. Plus, yhey rotate items on and off the menu with enough frequency to keep you coming back to find new faves.
Drink: oh, the joy of their wine flights! Some are centered around a varietal, but much cooler are their flights that are built on a theme. For example, their Dirty flight has wines that feature a lot of terroir and minerality, and the Heavy one I tried recently is all about big, round, ass-kicking wines. There are cocktails here too, and my friends seem to enjoy them, but I just stick to the vino.
The place: the location is great. Huge windows let in a lot of light and sky, and the room is open and airy. There is a lot of lounge seating that opens upstairs in the afternoon, so getting a table usually isn't hard. There is no valet, but there's lots of underground parking nearby (including under their own building) to avoid the downtown fracas. -
Review from Bill G.
2/21/2012
I do not know if I am personally cool enough to say this but, here it goes... The Purple Cafe & Wine Bar is "the bomb"! OK I said it!
This was our fourth Purple dinning experience and they have all been very fun and great experiences. They offer fun wine time by trying or creating wine flights - this does not involve an airplane - but, is a great chance try 3 to 4 wines - 2oz pours of similar and complimenting taste and of course their wine selection (that comes from a huge tower of wine in the middle of the restaurant) is about as good as it gets.
The "tasting bar" is small apps that you pick and make up your appetizer dish - we had lamb empanadas, white prawn ceviche and the ahi poke - you literally can not miss with any of the selections.
The entrees are great - I had the duck (reco med) - it was very good - my wife had the BLTA - you'll want a pound of this bacon to take home!
I have read some Yelpers reviews who had concerns about poor service - ours has always been excellent!
Our only complaint would be that the restaurant is a bit cold - with the prices they charge they could crank up the heat just a bit!
This is a WWA cant miss! -
Review from Claudia R.
Montclair, CA
4/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Beautiful decor! Great city view. Great food! Chill.
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Review from Nicole N.
Seattle, WA
4/21/2012
One of my favorite places in Seattle. I always opt to sit at the bar; I could stare at the winding staircase of wine bottles for hours. The bartender is a sweetheart with so much patience. It's always really dark inside & always so cozy. Great place for a first date.
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Review from Angela C.
2/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
I really like the atmosphere here and I LOVE that wide staircase in the middle of the restaurant. However, I do think that you are paying for the ambiance more than the quality of food.
I got the risotto special that night, which had mustard flavored beef and pearl onions, which a touch of beef undertones in the rice. It was pretty tasty but I didn't think that it was worth the price. I ordered a glass of wine and after tip, my meal was close to $40.
While I did enjoy my food and LOVE the atmosphere, be advised that you are paying a premium for it so don't be surprised at the pricy bill at the end of the night. -
Review from Amanda M.
2/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
My girlfriend and I chose the Purple Cafe as a place for a late evening catch-up over drinks and small bites. First impression: this place is hopping! Even on a Thursday night at 8pm, there was a wait for a table. Fortunately, we made a reservation ahead and were seated within a few minutes. The wine selection is interesting - it features wines from around the globe, with fewer west coast representatives than you might see at other area wine bars. I liked the wine flights by taste/type, which were reasonably priced in the $15-$30 range. We sampled several tasting plates, which were quite petite for the price but delicious. Standouts included the curried lamb empanada and gorgonzola stuffed dates. The dungeness crab cakes were also good.
Perfect place to catch up with friends or dine with the parents. Just make sure to reserve ahead if you want to avoid waiting for a table.
