The Seattle Traveler

Purple Cafe & Wine Bar

by Mary Jo on October 31st, 2006

The Purple Café & Wine Bar joins an ever-expanding list of restaurants in the downtown city core.

It’s a large place (225 seats), with a high ceiling in the front part of the restaurant and an upstairs loft with bar and seating toward the rear.  The front of the restaurants has floor to ceiling windows facing out onto Fourth Avenue.

The décor has a solid feel to it, lots of wood, metal accessories, with steel latticework in the ceiling.  At the center of the restaurant is its main bar, with a circular staircase rising from the center of it, wrapping around the two story wine tower.  A second, smaller bar is located in the upstairs loft.

I’ve been to Purple three times, at three different times of the day (lunch, dinner, late afternoon).  Make a reservation, or it could be a long wait.  Every time the place has been full of people and fairly raucous.  It hasn’t been so loud that I’ve had to shout to my dining companion, but it’s also not the place for a quiet, intimate conversation.

The menu focuses largely on comfort food, adding a few taste twists to familiar items.  (Macaroni and cheese gets a healthy infusion of lobster.)  Also on the menu:  a good variety of starters, salads, pasta, sandwiches, pizza and desserts.  There is also a prix fixe option, three or four courses, with or without a wine flight.

Then there is the wine.  Ah yes, there’s a reason “& Wine Bar” is in the name of this restaurant.  Wine pairing suggestions appear through the menu, cheese and wine flights are available all day, and there is a separate menu of wine flights (red, white, and one combo).  It took me longer to choose a wine flight than it did to make my dinner selection.  Purple offers over 75 wines by the glass.

Location and Hours:

1225 4th Avenue (corner of 4th & University), Seattle.  (206) 829-2280.  Open Monday- Thursday 11 am-11 pm.  Open till midnight on Friday and Saturday, and till 10 pm on Sunday.  Reservations are recommended.

Parking is available at the Financial Center Parking Garage (directly beneath the restaurant).  Enter on the south side of University, between 3rd and 4th Avenue.  After 5 pm, parking is $4, with validation from the front desk.

Ambiance:

Urban hip vibe, a bit industrial, combining a casual, yet festive mood.  Dress is fairly casual, although you’ll see lots of suits and ties with the after work crowd.

Tasting notes: 

Comfort food and lots of wine.  Lobster Mac & Cheese ($20); Meatloaf (17); Apple, Walnut & Stilton Salad ($7 half, $10 full) great soups (price varies).  Sea salt caramels for dessert were to die for.  Rhubarb, cherry, verbena crisp was a little too mushy for my taste.

From the wine flights menu, a selection of four pours, my recommendations would be the “Bold yet Elegant” ($17) or the “Teethstainer” ($15).  Both flights have a nice selection of big tasting red wines. 

Specials: 

Every Sunday is “wine by the bottle day.”  All bottles priced $50 and under are half priced with a $25 minimum food purchase.

Price: 

Price range is from $6 (half Caesar salad) to $30 (filet mignon), with lots in the mid-range.  Wine flights $12-30.  Wine by the Glass $5.25-$35. 

Prix-fixe option is available after 4 pm, and includes a special menu with a choice of starter, salad, entrée, and/or dessert priced at $30 for three courses, $35 for four courses.  An optional wine pairing (3 ounce pour per course) is available for an additional $10.

All major credit cards accepted.

Miscellaneous:

The Purple Café & Wine Bar also has locations in Kirkland (323 Park Place) and Woodinville (14459 Woodinville-Redmond Rd N.E.).  Each restaurant location has a specialized menu.

Photo credit:  Purple Cafe & Wine Bar

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POSTED IN: Food & Beverage