Lioness — Restaurant in Seattle

We have been regulars here and usually enjoy it, but this visit was such a letdown.

We came on a Friday night because we wanted to spend time on the patio for the last of summer. When we checked in we were told we were next on the list, but we watched several groups who didn’t opt for drinks get seated first, which was confusing.

Inside, the tables were jammed so close together we could hear every word from the people next to us. It was loud, uncomfortable, and not set up well for a relaxed dinner. After our 40 minute wait, we were not given any option to stay outside, even though that’s why we had come.

We were ready to order just an appetizer and an entrée, but the server encouraged us to add two more dishes to make it a full meal. After two somewhat bigger “small” plates than we expected, nothing else had been entered into the kitchen. The food itself was okay, though mostly overseasoned basics, and we had high hopes for the mains. By then we had already ordered a second round of drinks, including their martini service, expecting more food to come. When the third dish finally arrived, it had been almost 45 minutes since the last one, and we found out the pasta — the dish we were most excited for — had never even been started. At that point, nearly two hours in, we canceled it, boxed the third plate to go, finished the drinks we had ordered, and left to get a bite elsewhere just to fill up.

They did comp a round of wine, but the bill still came to $160.20 with an automatic service charge. We left feeling hungry, uncomfortable, and disappointed.

I am not sure how well the seemingly overwhelmed staff are looked after given that automatic service charge and how poorly things were explained. There have been reports from Sea Creatures restaurants about confusion over these charges and how much of them actually benefit workers rather than the house (see Why Is Bateau (Temporarily) Closed, Though? in The Stranger).

The food here can be good, but this night showed how fragile the experience is. If you are hungry, celebrating, or expect comfort and clarity, be aware you may spend a lot and leave very...

The food is good, but the wine situation is bizarre...

The main issue is the wine corkage fee of $40 PER PERSON! Yes, you read that right — NOT per bottle, but per person. As a result, a party of four would have to pay $160 just to drink the bottle they brought.

This wouldn't be as much of an issue if the restaurant's wine selection were better. Unfortunately, the wines were strangely "off." We tried three different wines before the restaurant, to its credit, allowed us to drink our own wine at the (still steep) $40 corkage fee instead of charging us the full $160. They also did not charge us for the wine bottles they opened, which was appreciated.

On a positive note, we enjoyed the food, which was quite good. However, the service was a bit slow. This might not have been as noticeable if we hadn't been limited to one bottle of wine.

Full story:

After purchasing a nice bottle of wine from a nearby wine shop, our party of four decided to have dinner at this restaurant. We intended to enjoy the wine with our meal.

However, when we asked about the corkage fee, the waitress confirmed the ridiculous policy: $40 per person. She explained that this fee was intended to discourage patrons from bringing in outside wine. Reluctantly, we agreed to try the restaurant's wines instead.

We started with a Chianti Classico, but it wasn't to our taste. Next, we tried another wine, which was also disappointing. Finally, on the sommelier's recommendation, we tried a Napa Valley-style red blend — but it was no better.

At this point, we were at a loss. Thankfully, the restaurant agreed to let us open our own bottle with a single $40 corkage fee (instead of the original $160) and did not charge us for the two bottles they had already opened. This gesture was appreciated.

It’s hard to say for certain what went wrong with the wines. It’s entirely possible that the three of us who tasted them simply didn’t like them. But that seems unlikely. I suspect there may have been an issue with the wines' transportation or storage, as something about them just...

I've been wanting to try this place for months and finally went with a friend. The vibe was cute, quaint, and very welcoming. It's a small place with about four tables inside and some outdoor seating with heat lamps, which was nice. We had to wait over an hour for a table, despite being told it would be 30 minutes for outside and 60 minutes for inside. We passed the time by grabbing a drink at a nearby restaurant and then returned after an hour. Eventually, we were seated outside.

The drinks were decent, with the espresso martini being a standout thanks to its minty twist. However, the food was a huge disappointment and I couldn’t stop thinking about how bad it was for days. One of the main reasons I went was to try the meatball dish, but they were out of it. Running out of one of their three main dishes on a Saturday night at 8:40 pm was quite frustrating! I wanted to leave but we were starving.

We ordered three dishes to share, which seemed to be the norm there. The burrata was good but served cold, even though it should be at room temperature. Oddly, they brought us one piece of bread for two people, and we had to ask for another piece—surprisingly, they didn't charge us for it. The lettuce gems were just okay, but loaded with way too much cheese. The pasta dish tasted exactly like the lettuce gems, which was bizarre. Both dishes had an overwhelming cheese flavor, masking everything else. We love cheese, but it was just too much.

The service was good, no complaints there. But given the high prices for the portions and quality of food, I won't...