Text in italics written by Brian Canlis, co-owner of the restaurant.
“Running our restaurant can feel like a Broadway show. The daytime is packed with hustle and preparation. I’m almost always wearing chinos and a T-shirt. From a distance, it could seem chaotic, but a closer look reveals order, precision, and intentionality behind every movement. We have a thousand details to prepare. Ready or not, the guests will come.
As the clock approaches 5 pm, the energy shifts. The morning crew of twenty has grown into seventy-five, and together, we prepare for the two hundred with tickets in hand. Lighting levels are adjusted. Six hundred glasses polished by hand. Every napkin placed a perfect 90 degrees juxtaposed from the edge of the table. Glistening garnishes waiting in perfect rows, tweezers at the ready. T-shirts are traded in for pressed, made-to-measure suits. Thin white aprons discarded for heavier charcoal-colored ones. We meet in one big circle, locking eyes a final time before the curtain is raised.
Every single night for the twenty years I’ve worked here, we mark this moment by drinking espresso. As the guests start to trickle in, the barista ritualistically delivers macchiatos and espresso shots to everyone in the kitchen. The dining room staff scribbles orders on receipt paper and slides them onto the drink rail. The guests don’t need coffee yet, but we do. And we love it.
It’s one of my favorite traditions. A final shared moment of community that will soon be overtaken by the bright blur of intense service, each of us playing the part we have worked so hard to perfect. Each of us holding the soft secret anticipation of applause.”
Each night, before opening, the barista at Canlis dials in their espresso for their most important customers of each night: the staff. The coffee station resembles a modern espresso bar: modern grinders, high-tech scales, and a white Linea PB at center stage. Because Canlis’ service is an inclusive tasting menu, most of the night’s diners will have an espresso or cappuccino before their dessert. After five exquisite dishes, the coffee had better live up the food.
Canlis has been an integral part of Seattle’s fine dining scene since it opened its doors in 1950. Now owned by Brian and Mark Canlis—the third generation to run the restaurant—Canlis has constantly evolved to exceed the expectations of modern diners. But one thing has been true for Canlis since the beginning: the quality of the food and drink they served was only as good as the environment and service that guests experienced.
“Canlis is a 75-year-old experiment exploring a simple idea: Can a family business become one of the most respected restaurants in the world because of the hospitality we show to our staff and community? I don’t think my brother and I could come to work every day if we didn’t believe we could.”
Coffee is integral to the experience at Canlis, and it’s important that the staff start their evening the way most guests will end theirs. This mirrored version of hospitality creates an immediate connection between the staff and the diners each night. Filling in the space between those moments, however, is the food itself.
Helmed by Executive Chef Aisha Ibrahim, the food at Canlis represents immaculate attention to detail designed to create an intense tasting experience. Ingredients selected reflect the bounty of the Northwest—fresh fish from the coast, mushrooms foraged locally, nori and pickled daikon reflecting Seattle’s diverse heritage—and each dish is composed carefully and thoughtfully.
The progression of each dinner happens seamlessly as the front-of-house staff of Canlis sweeps in to clear plates and reset place settings in an instant. The effect is almost magical, letting guests continue their conversation without interruption as the meal is coursed out perfectly. But that doesn’t mean that the staff disappears completely: ordering the house salad brings a tableside preparation complete with an in-depth story of Canlis’ history as a family restaurant.
It’s the sense of family that you truly feel once the coffee course is delivered. Instead of standard coffee service, guests choose from an espresso menu designed to match their exact specifications and have a moment of reflection before dessert arrives. Somehow, in this beautiful modern building overlooking Lake Union, it’s easy to feel like a friend invited you to their family table. And knowing that the staff in the kitchen started their evening that same way makes those feelings even stronger.
Visit Canlis’ official website and follow them on Instagram.
