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Purple Cafe and Wine Bar

1225 4th Ave Seattle, WA (206) 829-2280  reserve online
Website: http://www.thepurplecafe.com/
Menu:

Hours  

Purple Cafe and Wine Bar is a American, Tapas, and International restaurant where most Menuism users came for a romantic date, paid between $25 and $50, and tipped less than 15%.

People describe this restaurant as American, Gift Certificates, Trendy, Reservations, OpenTable, Downtown, Wine Bar, Tapas, International, and Casual dining [ tag it ]

Stats

  • # of dishes people have entered : 15
  • # who want to try this restaurant : 3
  • # who have favorited this restaurant : 2
  • # sites linking here : 0

Overall

****0/4

4.2 avg. based on 9 ratings & 5 reviews

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From the Restaurant

Purple Cafe and Wine Bar is an urban haven of rustic elements with wrought iron fixtures and an extraordinary bar. Purple features a global wine selection coupled with a menu that blends classic American styles, seasonal Northwest ingredients and Mediterranean themes. Our wine menu offers 75 varieties by the glass, over 300 selections by the bottle and 14 rotating wine flights.

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Reviews

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5 reviews

Award_star_gold First reviewed by:  YueFei
Oct 20, 2007 Link

A new pretentious presence

Pretentious, but the clientelle don’t even bother to dress.

I was excited to try the place after looking at the reviews here. My wife and I enjoy red wines and I had noticed the high windows and open decor from the street previously.

My first impression upon entering was the noise. The place was fairly full on Friday night and it was necessary to yell to be heard. That’s not so uncommon in a night spot, but all the metal furnishings and 3 glass walls form an echo chamber that became rather uncomfortable over time, even as the restaurant emptied.

Then came our server. He could scarcely be bothered to look at us while we ordered. Then the order came: the appetizer followed the main dish. The form of apology was that the appetizer we ordered sometimes takes a little longer – so getting our dishes out of order was our fault.

We ordered a flight of 4 wines for $20. I’d hoped that this would be the highlight of the evening. The wines were interesting, but not one was notable. The servings were generous tastes, but I don’t think they equated to 2 decent glasses.

I suppose this is a fine place to go if you want to hang at the bar and drink a variety of mediocre wine by the glass. I’d rather go where they select a couple of decent bottles to pour by the glass – usually at a better price.

Don’t eat here!

What I ate:
  • **

    It’s petite. It had a distinct smoky flavor. I was highly disappointed since I ordered it based on the rave in an earlier review. Try the fallen chocolate cake at Carmelita, instead.

  • *

    Verging on inedible. A pile of wilted iceberg.

  • *

    Greasy green goo on penne.

Extras:
I came here for
a romantic date
My meal cost
between $25 and $50
I tipped
less than 15%
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Jun 28, 2007 Link

fun and tasty!

This is a really fun place to dine. It’s got that city feel- kind of loud, bustling. I guess it depends on what you’re in the mood for, but I appreciated the atmosphere when I went.

Everything I ate was really good, and I only wish i could have tried more. They have a lot of choices, and a lot of the choices are pretty unique. Honestly, I didn’t know what a lot of the stuff on the menu was, but we just chose what sounded good, and asked the waiter for a cheese recommendation and everything turned out to be really good.

And for dessert lovers, this place is excellent! Again, lots of choices, and none were disappointing

What I ate:
  • ****

    the waiter described this as “duck fried in its own fat” it’s a little on the greasy side, but tasty (one of the tasting bar items)

  • *****

    mmm! pork meat on top of toasted bread… another tasting bar item

  • ****

    i liked this pasta because it had a lot of vegetables (spinach, peas, cherry tomatoes). served with a yummy cream based sauce. i split this dish with someone, and it was still plenty

  • *****

    best brownie i’ve ever had

  • *****

    this was so good… regretfully small portion

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Jun 21, 2007 Link

wine bar with choices galore

Maybe it was the company, but I really enjoyed my experience at Purple. The service was great – we were told they needed the table at a certain time when we sat down for another party but then the waiter arranged on his own so that we didn’t have to move. Very nice. He gave some good wine recommendations and all of the food was delicious.

Fun atmosphere. Things that stood out most were the selection of wines and choices in terms of samplers, taste testers, flights, food, desserts, and a bunch of fancy beers. We were a little overwhelmed by the choices but luckily everything was good!

I would recommend sticking with the wine, appetizers, and cheeses at this place. Absolutely delicious.

What I ate:
  • ****

    delicious warm baked brie with a crispy cracker to go with it

  • *****

    Wow! One of the best appetizers on the menu. Delicious dates stuffed with cheese and pine nuts on top.

Extras:
I came here for
fun with friends
My meal cost
between $25 and $50
I tipped
between 15% to 18%
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Jun 1, 2007 Link

This is one of the best place I like chilling out with fr...

This is one of the best place I like chilling out with friends. Enjoy the cozy & relaxing atmosphere, good food and wine, delightful service. If you like pairing cheese & wine, you can’t miss this place. I once tried out several textures of cheese with my friends. I am definitely not a cheese-fans, but I enjoyed the experience!

What I like: - dining @ the tables by the windows, looking out the 4th Ave and the building where I work :) - high ceiling and spiral stairs - portion and quality of food – just right for me! - the educational menu (w/ wine terminologies)

What I wish: - more selection in the menu

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Oct 12, 2006 Link

Classy but stuffy

Purple has pretty good food but not very big protions. The downtown location is pretty much made for a business meeting lunch, or classy dinner. Staff is friendly and attentive.

What I ate:
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    ***
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