Lenox
Caribbean restaurant · Belltown ·
Afro-Latin soul food with rum cocktails & tropical ambiance
Afro-Latin soul food with rum cocktails & tropical ambiance
"A stylish Nuyorican restaurant in Belltown opened in 2024 by chef Jhonny Reyes, this place is sort of Puerto Rican, sort of Cuban, incredibly ambitious, and one of the hippest, best dinner destinations in Seattle. The not-to-be-missed lechon is a crispy-skinned pork belly that satisfies all your animal-brained cravings for fat and adds a whiff of spice (cardamom? cumin?), with a bonus of greens braised in coconut milk whose coconutty creaminess carries a sophisticated bitterness. For salad, the Tres Hermanas stars roasted corn and summer squash with chunks of soft farmer’s cheese and a Green Goddess dressing; the last time we had it, tiny pickled cherry tomatoes exploded like little pockets of sweetness and acidity. Find a way to incorporate plantains into your meal, whether as crispy tostones or our favorite sweet, caramelized maduros served with a bright chimichurri. The room is stylish by Seattle standards—you can (and should) try to pull off a fit—and the interior is a breath of fresh Miamian tropical minimalism despite the surrounding rough edges. Speaking of style, the coqui frog logo looks great on hoodies and hats; check out the restaurant’s online store." - Harry Cheadle
"In Lenox I felt Jhonny Reyes trace his family’s path from Puerto Rico to New York to Seattle—palm fronds and a subway sign for Lenox Avenue set the scene while dishes move between uptown-bodega empanadas, a Seattle-summer salad of sweet corn with pickled cherries and squash, and a clarified, dangerously quenching piña colada—each plate a personal snapshot offered without pomp or ego." - ByThe Bon Appétit Staff
"Embarking upon a rowdy bar crawl is normally the only way to have a fun time in Belltown. But if you require a full meal (and an earlier bedtime), there’s Lenox. This Afro-Latin soul food spot feels as electric as a night out at a luxe resort. Majesty palms and lively chatter are abundant. Crystal-clear clarified piña coladas look like ice water and taste like vacation. And lest we forget the phenomenal food—like braised beef wrapped in empanada pastry flakier than a third-tier friend, grilled chicken thighs on a swipe of guava BBQ sauce, and crackly lechon with coconutty greens we’d like to protect at all costs. Let the rum flow and get cozy with the fact that you might not be able to hear your friends over the atmospheric buzz." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley, gabe guarente
"Let’s all take a moment to appreciate a beautiful lettuce-free salad. Belltown’s new Afro-Latin spot Lenox serves a simple-yet-refreshing mix of snappy green beans, roasty toasty corn, summer squash, pickled cherries, farmer’s cheese, and other great stuff tossed in a creamy green goddess dressing. Pair it with the restaurant’s clarified piña colada and toast to the fact that there’s nary a piece of boring romaine in sight." - aimee rizzo, gabe guarente
"There are closer restaurants to Climate Pledge, but none are like this Afro-Latin spot in Belltown that feels as electric as a night out at a luxe resort. Come with a big group and order a smattering of dishes, like braised beef wrapped in empanada pastry flakier than a third-tier friend and the char-marked bavette that could feasibly sneak in undetected at Seattle’s best steakhouses. Or sit at the bar for a quick clarified piña colada and a Happy Hour burger, if you’re running a little late to the game. The palm-packed place is so much fun, you may not even mind missing the first period." - gabe guarente, aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley
