"James Beard winner John Sundstrom's Capitol Hill room builds a four-course Northwest tasting of small plates worth booking for a milestone."
About Lark
Lark is chef John Sundstrom's fine-dining room in Seattle's Capitol Hill, opened in 2003 and moved to its current, larger E Seneca Street space in December 2014. Sundstrom won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest in 2007, and Lark was a 2023 James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Hospitality. It is one of the most accomplished tables in our Seattle guide.
The cooking is artisan-focused Pacific Northwest, built on a deft read of the region's produce, served as a four-course menu of small, shareable plates that changes each month with the season. For why a kitchen that turns its menu with the calendar tends to cook better, see our guide to the signs of a great restaurant.
The Kitchen
The format is a four-course tasting, around $120, drawn from a list of small plates grouped by cheese, vegetable, fish and meat. Signatures have included a hamachi crudo with fennel, preserved lemon and green olive, and wild salmon dressed with orange orbs of ikura. Portions run bigger and heartier than the high-end tasting norm, and the seafood hand is sure. The wine list leans hard into the Northwest.
The Room
The dining room is intimate and warm, low-lit and grown-up rather than showy, the kind of room built for a long conversation. It suits an anniversary or a proposal as readily as a quiet client dinner, and the service is informed and unhurried across the courses. A street-level wine bar, Bitter/Raw, sits alongside for a drink before or after.
Best for an anniversary or a proposal
Book the four-course menu for an anniversary or a proposal; the calm, grown-up room and the Beard-winning kitchen also make it a fine place to impress a client.
Not for
A quick, casual or budget dinner: this is a small Capitol Hill tasting room paced slowly across an evening, not a walk-in for a fast bite.
Frequently Asked
Who is the chef at Lark in Seattle?
Lark is chef John Sundstrom's restaurant. He won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest in 2007, and Lark was a 2023 James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Hospitality.
How does the menu at Lark work?
Lark serves a four-course tasting, around $120, chosen from a list of small, shareable plates grouped by cheese, vegetable, fish and meat, with the list changing each month by season.
Where is Lark in Seattle?
Lark is in Capitol Hill at 952 E Seneca Street, the larger space it moved to in December 2014 after opening in 2003. The phone number is (206) 323-5275.
What is Lark known for?
Artisan-focused Pacific Northwest cooking, with signatures such as a hamachi crudo with fennel, preserved lemon and green olive, and wild salmon with ikura.
Do I need a reservation at Lark?
Yes. It is an intimate Capitol Hill room and the best evenings fill quickly, so booking ahead is recommended.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Lark
Book ahead; the Capitol Hill room is intimate and the best evenings fill quickly.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address952 E Seneca St, Seattle, WA 98122
NeighbourhoodCapitol Hill
CuisinePacific Northwest, four-course small plates
Price$$$$ · four-course menu around $120
RecognitionChef John Sundstrom, James Beard Best Chef Northwest 2007; 2023 Beard semifinalist
SignatureHamachi crudo; wild salmon with ikura
