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    Lioness

    3.9 (54 reviews)
    Open 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    Lioness Photos

    Business Info

    LIONESS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Lioness

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    Reviews With Photos

    Brianna F.

    Delicious food, top notch service, and an amazing wine selection. Plus toasty heaters for outdoor seating! Thursday dinner was prefect. The wait was only about 15 minutes, and we sat outside under the heaters. Two of us ordered the black cod mousse with ikura, gem lettuce salad, and the cavatelli (without guanciale), with two glasses of wine each. Take pics of your place setting! The entree plates are all unique and hand painted.

    Burrata
    Rebecca Q.

    Cutest little Italian restaurant hidden in Phinney Ridge! Limited indoor seating/no reservations, so get there early! Great wine deals during happy hour from 4-5. We enjoyed the burrata and especially the salty, nutty cavatelli, but prices were a little high for size of dishes/quality of food.

    Abby S.

    Loved the ambiance and charm! Incredibly intimate spot, perfect for a date night or 2 person dinner. Some outdoor seating with heaters for larger groups. Our service was great and our server was attentive. We started with the gem lettuce salad which was great and a good portion to split between two. For mains, we shared the pasta fagioli and added a side of white corn polenta and it was delicious and filling. Would come back in the future

    Chocolate cake, panna cotta
    Katrina C.

    We had a party upstairs at the rooftop and it was an amazing experience! Such a pretty venue with the greenhouse. We had a special menu for the party with a few apps, steak, sides and desserts. Almost everything was delicious, especially the lettuce gems (perfectly fresh and crisp with the right amount of shaved ricotta). Everything was flavorful. The steak was somewhat overcooked so that wasn't the best and the chocolate cake was a little dry. Those would be my only small complaints.

    Lioness
    Mojdeh S.

    How I heard of this place: A couple of friends at our local gym were talking about going to Lioness to try the newest restaurant in the neighborhood. Soon after, another friend texted to ask if I'd yet tried it. It seemed like the universe was leading me here. Type of cuisine: "Lioness opened in 2023, featuring crispy martinis, refreshing spritzes, Italian wines by the glass, and a full dinner menu--including, cured ham, meatballs, house-made pasta, steamed clams, seasonal oysters and more--in a tiny, lively space. A charming courtyard patio and social standing bar round out the offerings. Walk-ins welcome! " Ambiance: "Inspired by Renee's travels to Italy and her love for cozy, Italian bars and neighborhood ristoranti, Lioness opened in late December 2023 in Seattle's Phinney Ridge neighborhood with dreams of becoming a beloved neighborhood hangout. Lioness is designed to be a place where guests can either drop by for a drink at its standing bar or have a seat at a table for a leisurely dinner with friends - and everything in between." The space is dreamy, reminiscent of cozy, neighborhood eateries in the alleys of quaint European cities. From the entry in a shared courtyard, boasting heat lamps and cramped patio seating, to a warm, amber-lit interior with even more limited seating, everything feels pleasant. An extensive standing bar, friendly service, the clinking of glasses and friends laughing, exchanging stories and sharing bites add to the ambient experience. What I ordered: My dining companion started with half-dozen oysters, lemon, nuovo olive oil (mp), then we moved on to 36-month parmigiano-reggiano, leonardi balsamic ($12), and mortadella, preserved fennel, pecorino crackers ($18). From there, our main entrees were served: cavatelli pasta, cavolo nero, pistachios, pecorino ($28), and beef & pork meatball, san marzano tomato sauce, ciabatta ($22). We rounded out our meal with dark chocolate cake, soft espresso mascarpone whipped cream ($14). What I loved: Everything was served with care, attention to detail and robust flavor in each mouthful. The parmigiano was strong and paired beautifully with the balsamic. The mortadella brought me back to being a young child and enjoying it at family gatherings. I loved the cavatelli, it's earthy greens and soft round bites. Saving the best for last was certainly experienced with the dark chocolate cake, soft and decadent, which went down easy paired with the espresso cream. Why I loved it: Soft vibes, neighborhood feel, and cozy aesthetic. We loved the friendly, personal service and the opportunity to linger, without feeling rushed. Cost: High

    Menu and cute decor
    Serena S.

    This place is so cute! Don't give up on seeking it out. On the map it seems like it's on the street front but you have to walk back into a small restaurant and store space to find it, but it's worth it! I had a nice white wine that the waitress recommended and ended up being the one I was eyeing. I also had the burrata with pistachios, apricot and mint on warm toasty bread! There was so much good food on the menu I could have ordered 8 more things but had to go to my next event. I will be back!

    Rosso spritz
    Valerie S.

    Lioness is such a cute little spot! We went on a Friday night around 6:30pm and got seated right away. The restaurant itself is small but they have a lot of tables outside. Service for us was good. This is a great place for a group to split a bunch of appetizers and shared plates. The highlights of the meal were the scallop crudo, prosciutto l, and oysters. The entrees were just ok.

    Michael L.

    THE BIG: Located in Phinney Ridge inside a building complex next to Holy Mountain Brewing. Indoor and outdoor seating is available. Parking is relegated to the street. THE BLACK AND WHITE: I came here with the wife and two of our Seattle friends for a dinner and catchup. The vibe is nice with low lighting and decor that resembles Italy! The wine list is exhaustive and primarily Italian wines. They have a somm in house that can navigate a little bit of the wines. Theres over 350 Italian grape varietals, so the bottles can get overwhelming. For the dishes, we got the cavatelli, burrata, meatball, heirloom tomatoes, and melon prosciutto. The highlight was the cavatelli and everything else came up short. Was expecting some nice flavors and they all ended up being flat. I believe their menu does rotate so maybe it was an off day for the restaurant but I left unfulfilled. THE FINAL BAMBOO: Overall the damage done for 5 dishes and a bottle of wine was around $180. Alright food, wine was great, but I'd look for another Italian spot if you're looking for better flavors.

    Earth K.

    Have a great time here.Food comes out really nice and unique. Wine selection for this bar is great.

    Scallop crudo
    Katie K.

    Went right at 4pm (opening time) on a Sunday to grab seats as they don't take reservations- we were easily able to get a table and 30 minutes later it was pretty full! The inside is pretty small, I think next time I'd want to try sitting outside if the weather is nice. Food was excellent/ great. Service was great, though we had a 30 minute wait for our second round of drinks, which was a bit odd. They burnt the bread/ toast on both dishes we had it with (I guess this is deliberate?) which I didn't like, but I just avoided the burnt parts ‍ What we ordered: 5/5 - oysters - Hama Hama - great oysters 4.5/5 - burrata - this had a rhubarb sauce and was quite good (aside from the burned toast previously mentioned) 5/5 - scallop crudo - LOVED this one - very unusual flavors with the Meyer lemon and crème fraiche, but balanced 4/5 - clams in butter - this was yummy 4.5/5 - sausage and polenta - huge piece of sausage, pesto-like sauce and the creamiest most delicious polenta (I almost didn't order this dish because I usually don't like polenta) I had the NA espresso martini which was quite good, not $16 worth it to get more than 1 It was a very expensive meal, so we'd come back but not frequently or maybe just for appetizers.

    Cheers! (1/30/24)
    Marie B.

    Another score for Chef Renee Erickson and her Sea Creatures restaurant group with the grand opening yesterday for Lioness in Seattle's Phinney Ridge neighborhood. This intimate space joins other popular destinations in the same building: Ben's Bread, Doe Bay Wine, and Holy Mountain Brewing & Taproom. It's been a chaotic week, so when there's even a smidge of victory it's great to celebrate. Stopping by the perfect spot on the way home for a beverage, apps/small plates, and/or dessert is a major score! It was fortuitous to survive the usual traffic backups, find street parking, and snag a spot at the bar counter as a party of one without a reservation. After all that sitting at work and the commute, it was actual pleasant to be able to stand and be able to see all the craft cocktails, wine pours, plus culinary action. Welcoming wait staff at the host stand. The din was a bit loud, but bearable. Lots to see from the art work and light fixtures. All the items at the bar shelving and counters. Watching culinary ballet among the wait staff, bar staff, and kitchen staff - well executed! I was offered a choice of sparkling or still water. I really appreciated the gentleman behind the counter who answered my menu questions and provided excellent recommendations. I had a glass of the Lambrusco Quarticello Ferrando Rosato ($17). Delightful beverage! There are wines by the glass, 3 page wine list by the bottle, cocktails, and NA bevs. I then tried the Smoked Black Cod Mousse with olive oil crackers ($18). Loved the flavor, lightness, and pop of the ikura. I'm happy for the serving knife, it allowed me to get every last bit of mousse after I ran out of crackers. Wrapped it up with a slice of the Chocolate Cake with Espresso Mascarpone Cream ($12), I was initially skeptical at first glance of the size of the cake slice, however, with its decadent richness with the espresso mascarpone cream, it was perfect. Not too sweet, not cloying, or dry. Exercised great restraint to create a spot on dessert. Essentially the three items ordered today were Goldilocks-perfect. Considering it was just Day 2, the entire staff was fairly polished.

    Outdoor couryard
    Maureen M.

    A friend & I dined at Lioness this evening-- in the darling outdoor courtyard area. The courtyard- which serves Lioness and Ben's Bread- is a brilliant architectural idea in these days of continuing covid cautiousness. I had the burrata; my friend had the clams. The burrata comes with one piece of bread-- the server said to let him know if I'd like more bread. I did-- and received another piece. It was a bit surprising to learn later that I was charged for it. The food was tasty and the experience pleasant. My friend asked for a take out container for the remaining portion of her meal. "Oh, we don't do take away..." Here's a tip: if you try to make a res via their reservation system, don't believe that they are booked up. The server told us that the system maxes out at 6 reservations-- so they may very well have room. Call them and ask if they have a table-- sometimes the old school methods trump the new.

    Menu 2/17/24
    Torrie N.

    Was super excited to check out Lioness with some girl friends on a Saturday. We were unable to get a reservation so we arrived at 4:00 (when they open) for the best chance of getting a table. We were able to get one and were told we had the table until 5:30, which was fine! They have a large wine list but also feature cocktails as well. I wish there were some descriptions on the wine glasses, as I was not familiar with many of the wines... for example: "favorita - tibaldi langhe" or "muller thurgau - kurtatsch". The server was helpful though, when I described what types of wine I typically like. Unfortunately, I didn't end up loving the wine I got (garganega - gini soave), but it was great to try something new. We got the oysters, which were tasty (and I had never had olive oil on oysters before). The other food looked tasty, but we didn't order anything else this time. The one downside, which was a big one for us, was that the music was super loud and the acoustics do not seem to be great (everyone's voices seemed echo-y and amplified). I read another review about the loud atmosphere here and decided to check it out for myself. We were a group of 3 and I had a hard time hearing my friend who was sitting next to me. It also seemed odd to be that loud, given this is not a club or club-y type bar. It's a nicer wine/cocktail bar with elevated food, so not necessarily like a sports bar atmosphere or somewhere you'd expect it to be so loud. We were hoping for a more low-key /chill atmosphere. I'd definitely give them another chance, as they opened recently --seems like there is potential for things to improve (and for me to try more of the food, but would hope that they address the noise/music volume). Just note that if you are hoping for a chill/relaxing environment to catch up with a friend, this may not be your vibe.

    Corner table

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    Great new restaurant. Excellent service. Nice addition to this neighborhood. Get their special martini!

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    Ask the Community - Lioness

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    Interior (7/14/23)

    Doe Bay Wine Phinney Ridge - Seating adjacent to shop. Located by Ben's Bread. (7/14/23)

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    Lioness - italian - Updated September 2026

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