Purple Cafe delights the palate

July 9, 2:09 PMSeattle Wine ExaminerKelly Barry

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Purple Cafe and Wine Bar, located in downtown Seattle, has that perfect combination of expansive wine list, innovative preparation, friendly service, and energetic vibe.  The wine list is arranged by bottle, glass, and flights, and offers a delightfully broad array from the typical Bordeaux styles to the more unusual, such as a rustic Saperavi from Mildiani in the Kakheti region of Georgia - yes - it's available as a glass pour! 

Purple Cafe always has a number of interesting flights, arranged by style, tailored to your mood.  Though it's not on the website menu, they currently have a rosé flight, which happens to include four lovely selections that in their entirety, will pair to most of the menu options as well. This international group of dry rosés includes a pale and delicate French Reuilly (Pinot Gris), the light-styled Spanish Muja Rioja (Tempranillo), the more substantial South African Mulderbosch (Cabernet Sauvignon), and the beautifully deep-colored and robust Argentinian Melipal (Malbec).  The perfect weekend lunch has got to be this rosé flight paired with the BLTA (A for avocado) or grilled chicken sandwich.  For dinner last night I had the rosé flight with the provençale fish stew and mixed green salad - yes!

Purple Cafe is one of my favorite downtown spots for food that is reliably tasty, and I can always find a new and interesting glass of wine to try - did I mention that the wines are delicious?  This is the kind of wine list I would put together if I were running things, but thankfully Wine Director Dawn Smith and Sommelier Chris Horn have taken care of it already.  As an experienced Sommelier myself, I can tell you that there's something for everyone here - you're not likely to be disappointed.

Because the restaurant is often busy at both lunch and dinner, I like to bypass the afternoon and evening crowds and head straight upstairs to the wine bar, where I take a seat on one of the comfy leather couches and peruse the wine list and appetizer menu.  The upstairs is more slow-paced, and is a perfect respite if you've been out shopping downtown - best of all, there's no need to wait for a table.  If the couches are full, sit at the bar upstairs or for lunch, at the bar downstairs.  Enjoy!