Palace Kitchen has been Seattle’s go-to for luxe late-night dining, craft cocktails, and the occasional celebrity sighting since 1996.
All of that came to a halt in March of 2020 when the world suddenly had little room to think about hand-ground burgers and expertly made Manhattans.
Many restaurants changed concepts to weather the uncertainty, but the James Beard Award-winning Palace Kitchen chef and owner Tom Douglas says that wasn’t an option for him: “We were open until 1 am for dinner daily. We were an industry favorite. If it wasn’t going to be the Palace, it wasn’t going to be.”
The reopening squad includes general manager Kristen Burns and chef Ron Anderson, a familiar Belltown fixture from El Gaucho and Brassa.
“If we could have found the right mix in our team,” says Douglas, who took his time to find the right team, “we would have been open a year ago.”
A little more than three years after initially closing, Palace Kitchen is back and just as welcoming as ever with wood-fired fare and killer cocktails served well into the wee hours.
The Food
“Wood-fired cooking, that’s the heart and soul of our restaurant,” Douglas says of the timeless, comforting fare that won Palace Kitchen a spot in the hearts of generations of Seattlites.
While cooking over an open flame has become commonplace in the past decade, Palace Kitchen was one of its pioneers nearly 30 years ago.
The restaurant found inspiration from the plentiful produce of the Pacific Northwest long before farm-to-table was par for the course at fine-dining establishments. Douglas is particularly excited about the reopening coinciding with asparagus season and will pair halibut cheeks with an array of early spring vegetables in the opening weeks of the restaurant.
Expect to see other close-to-home produce, including Walla Walla sweet onion and peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants from the restaurant’s farm. Douglas has been perfecting a Texas and Tennessee-inspired dry rub for the rotisserie chicken that he’s keen for diners to try.
He will keep the menu fluid through the seasons, but fans of Palace Kitchen’s signature Burger Royale have nothing to worry about. The hand-ground burger served with housemade pickles and double-cooked fries returns in all its former glory. House favorites including wood-fired wings and plin, a handmade pasta with braised pork and chard, also return to the revamped menu.
The Drinks
“When we opened 30 years ago craft cocktails weren’t on the scene,” Douglas explains. “When you ordered a Greyhound, we’d squeeze fresh grapefruit juice and that wasn’t being done much at the time.”
Palace Kitchen has been serious about its cocktail program from day one, offering classics such as the signature Palace Old Fashioned, along with seasonally inspired additions.
A jalapeño and cucumber margarita is made with chiles grown on the restaurant’s farm, and a house pistachio infusion is finding its way into a tiki cocktail made with rum and spiced bitters.
The Space
Regulars will find the space freshened up, but all of the restaurant’s signature touches remain, including the iconic neon signage and the warm dining room with picture windows.
The centerpiece of the space is a massive painting commissioned from Seattle artist Jennifer Carrasco. The Rococo-inspired piece depicts a bacchanal that Douglas envisioned as an ode to the restaurant’s staff eating, drinking, and enjoying life post-service.
It’s a nod to Palace Kitchen’s longtime reputation as a go-to spot for hospitality industry professionals to unwind with a cocktail and late-night bite.
When it comes to the reopening of Palace Kitchen, Douglas has something of an ‘if it ain’t broke’ perspective. “It’s a classic,” he says. “And we’re going to keep it that way.”
When to go
Palace Kitchen opens April 22. The kitchen is open 5 pm to 12 am, Tuesday to Sunday. Late-night breakfast specials start after 10 pm. The bar will pour cocktails until 1 am.
Caroline Tache is a food and wine writer based in Portland, Oregon.
