Charles Koh
Newly-opened in Seattle’s Chophouse Row, Light Sleeper offers innovative small plates inviting guests to indulge their curiosity and enjoy indoor-outdoor dining
Light Sleeper announces new concept, accessible natural wine list and adventurous menu after opening initially during the pandemic as a wood-fired pizza restaurant. Owners Eli Dahlin (chef) and Ezra Wicks (sommelier) bring Seattle a hybrid “terroir bar” with numerous eclectic glass pours not found elsewhere, and a world-class menu that offers rotating small plates, each designed to be a singular culinary experience. Additionally, guests will experience a concise list of handmade and terroir-inflected spirits, and cocktails highlighting sherry, vermouth, brandy, verjus, and other grape-derived ingredients.
Dahlin made his mark as the original chef at Ballard’s The Walrus and the Carpenter and Pioneer Square’s Damn the Weather. Both restaurants received accolades during his time there including The Walrus and the Carpenter’s recognition as one of the best restaurants in the country by Bon Appétit, GQ, Food & Wine, Esquire, and Seattle Met. Dahlin’s experience also includes Portland’s lauded Dame, and prior to opening Light Sleeper, he and business partner Ezra Wicks, worked at Bar Ferdinand.
In Light Sleeper’s casual atmosphere, guests can enjoy a sunlit dining room filled with hanging plants and old school hip-hop from the house turntable, snacks, draft wine including orange wines and champagne by the glass. They can also create a bespoke tasting menu of small plates and enjoy a bottle from Dahlin and Wicks’s adjacent bottle shop, Wide Eyed Wines, or from Light Sleeper’s own cellar. Food is served unpretentiously by knowledgeable waitstaff and cooks from the wood-fired kitchen and emphasizes a playfulness and simplicity complimentary to the wide spectrum of wines offered. Separate menus are provided for those just looking for a small snack to punctuate their drinking experience and diners seeking a serious meal highlighting the Pacific Northwest’s unique ingredients and talent.
Both food and wine offerings change regularly; dishes are created from sourced, seasonal ingredients, and an equally seasonal wine list offers deep variety for every occasion, knowledge, and budget. Recent menu items include sea urchin custard with apricot vinegar gelee and habanero, gooseneck barnacles in oregano scented tomato butter, whole rockfish roasted in turmeric butter, curry leaf and lime, and sakura ice cream with fresh koji and candied plum leaf.
The space, thoughtfully designed by Graham Baba Architects, offers a natural, relaxed, wabi-sabi inflected environment. Indoor seating accommodates 46, with an additional 24 in the courtyard, which includes a fire pit, stage, and additional public seating where drinks are also served. No reservations are taken, but ample seating allows for maximum flexibility and minimal wait times. Light Sleeper is located in Capitol Hill’s Chophouse Row 1424 11th Ave Ste D, Seattle, WA 98122, open Tuesday and Wednesday from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm, and Thursday to Saturday from 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm. For more information, visit www.lightsleeperseattle.com or follow-on Instagram @lightsleeperseattle.
