Danielle C Bax
Google
After my first experience with Respite I cannot recommend this gem enough! As someone who does not drink alcohol, I've never been so excited to return to a wine bar. I was thoroughly impressed with the beverage selections for drinkers and non-drinkers alike, the ambiance (casual but elevated and would be great for a date, girl's night and they have room for groups on the mezzanine level) and the quality of the food is outstanding. 10/10 would recommend and I've included more details below.
My partner and I met a friend for dinner and drinks early in August within two weeks of Respite's opening. After starting with a glass of bubbles we decided to order every dish on the menu. Over the course of the evening the Respite team made sure we had everything we needed from wine suggestions to water that stayed filled, clean plates and utensils, and perfectly spaced food. We loved everything we ate and drank and couldn't believe how every wine or dish that came out seemed even better than the previous. All of the food is fresh, perfectly portioned, and well seasoned but the homemade seasonal Galette, Shisito Peppers, Beans + Chorizo and Olive Oil Cake still stand out in my memory.
Ambiance: The space is modern and warm with a large and gorgeous stone bar, beautiful light fixtures, open wood shelving and comfortable seating. Upon entering one of the owners (either Madisyn or Hanley who are both hospitality industry vets and run the food and wine programs respectively) greet and seat you. Madisyn took care of our group and was attentive and knowledgeable about every item on the menu. She recommended we start with the house bubbles and pointed out an NA wine option as I do not drink alcohol. As a non-drinker I wasn't sure if a wine bar would have options for me but the owners curated a thoughtful selection of non-alcoholic and alcohol removed drinks including the best NA wine I've ever tried. Usually I'll have one or two drinks max and I ended up having four over the course of the evening!
Wine: While I cannot speak to the alcoholic selections, my partner and friend loved their pours and tried the house bubbles, orange and red wines all recommended by Madisyn and Hanley. I loved my NA selection so much I ordered some to enjoy at home! Respite also offers bottles to go so I highly recommend taking one with you.
Service: Throughout the evening we were impressed by how attentive Madisyn and Hanley were while balancing greeting and seating customers, plating food, serving wine, and maintaining conversation with patrons at the bar. It's obvious the owners have years of experience and despite having just opened the service was extremely smooth.
Food: The food at Respite is a huge selling point for me as a non-drinker! If you were planning to come just for drinks you'll want to try at least a snack or dessert. Weeks later I am still thinking about the seasonal galette (zucchini and onion) and the olive oil cake. The homemade crust on the galette was delicate and flakey and it was paired with a lightly dressed salad. I would go back just for this dish. We wanted to take photos of each item but kept forgetting because we couldn't wait to dig into the next plate that came out. The Respite team was more than happy to accommodate coursing out the dishes we ordered and the progression from cheeses to fish to meat to larger plates (including the galette and beans + chorizo) and dessert was flawless. We also loved that the owner posted our order on Respite's instagram page and also re-posted 1-2 of our photos, adding to the fun of the evening.
Overall: we cannot wait to return to Respite and try some new dishes (the owners let us know they plan to change some items on the menu seasonally) the next time we visit Seattle. While we went a little over the top ordering the prices are reasonable but we have no regrets trying every dish and multiple wines! We highly recommend you stop by and trust Madisyn and Hanley to curate your food and beverage selections!
