Champagne-forward omakase hiding on Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill · Seattle · New American · Visit Website ↗
Updated October 2026
Reviewed April 10, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Violet’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
The wine list at Violet doesn't try to be everything — it's tight, intentional, and leans hard into bubbles in a way that feels genuinely considered rather than accidental. For a cozy American omakase spot on 12th Ave, the Champagne selection alone is punching well above the restaurant's weight class. You open the list expecting safe house pours and instead find José Dhondt and Billecart-Salmon sharing the same page.
The list skews heavily toward sparkling, with a Champagne section that covers real ground: grower producer José Dhondt Blancs de Blanc sits alongside the more recognizable Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve and Drappier Carte d'Or, plus a Jane Ventura Cava Brut Natur for those who want fizz without the Champagne price tag. The red wine side is thin but deliberate — Corliss Syrah from Walla Walla and a Powell & Son GSM from the Barossa give you two serious, food-friendly options that hold up against a multi-course tasting format. There are obvious gaps: no white Burgundy, no Italian to speak of, minimal depth beyond a handful of bottles. But what's here is chosen with a clear point of view, and that counts for something.
Glass pours run $12–$17, which is honest pricing for Capitol Hill, and the Drappier Carte d'Or at $17 by the glass is one of the more legitimately good house-level pours we've seen at this price point in Seattle. The by-the-glass program appears limited in total options — we don't have a full count — but the range seems to mirror the bottle list's sparkling-forward sensibility. If they're rotating the glass program with any frequency, that data hasn't surfaced, which suggests it may be fairly static.
Drappier Carte d'Or Champagne Brut — $17/glass
At $17 a glass for actual Champagne from a solid house, this is a legitimate deal. Retail on this bottle runs around $12, so the markup is fair and you're getting real fizz — not just something with bubbles — to kick off an omakase.
José Dhondt Blancs de Blanc Champagne Brut
Most tables at Violet are going to gravitate toward the Billecart-Salmon because the name is familiar. José Dhondt is a small grower-producer from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger making serious blanc de blancs that most casual wine drinkers have never encountered. It's the kind of bottle that makes the table stop and ask questions — in the best way.
Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Reserve
At $100 a bottle on a ~$70 retail bottle, the markup isn't outrageous, but Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve is everywhere and you can do better on this list. The José Dhondt is right there. Unless you're ordering for someone who only trusts labels they recognize, move on.
Corliss Syrah Walla Walla 2012 + Grilled New York Steak
A decade-plus Walla Walla Syrah from Corliss — one of the region's more serious producers — is exactly what you want next to a grilled steak. The wine has had time to settle into something savory and structured without losing its fruit, and it holds its own against seared beef without one steamrolling the other.
The Bottom Line
Violet isn't a destination wine list, but it's a thoughtful one — especially if you want to drink Champagne through a tasting menu without getting gouged. For a small neighborhood omakase spot, they've made better choices than most restaurants twice their size.
Downtown · Seattle · Brazilian Churrascaria
The real headline here is the half-price South American bottles — available Monday through Thursday, all day, on bottles under $150 — which turns a polished steakhouse into a legitimately reasonable wine night. The list won't excite anyone who came for the wine, but if you came for the meat and want a solid regional bottle at a fair price, this deal is worth planning around.
Plays It Safe
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Active Program
Acceptable
Ballard · Seattle · Italian
A short, Italian-leaning list with most of its bottles in the Old World red section. Order the $11 Montepulciano by the glass, or the $69 Travaglini Gattinara if you want to splurge a little, and confirm prices on the day. This unrated guide covers the posted wine menus, not service, storage or markups.
Downtown · Seattle · Pacific Northwest / New American
A hotel wine list with a Pacific Northwest page up front, Champagne, Bordeaux and Italian sections behind it, and a separate glass list on the drink menu. Start with the $12 Treveri Blanc de Blancs at happy hour or the Mark Ryan 'Goldfinch Tavern Red Blend', and check the current list before you go, since the restaurant says menus are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list and drink menu, not service, storage or markups.
Lake Union · Seattle · Steakhouse
A long, Northwest-first steakhouse list with plenty of bottles under $100 as well as a $300-to-$550 tier of Leonetti and Quilceda Creek Cabernets. Start with the $20 Five Star Cellars “Prime” Cabernet by the glass, or the same wine at $55 on the bottle pages, and confirm prices because the list says vintages and availability change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Capitol Hill · Seattle · Italian
An all-Italian list that is easy to navigate: 11 wines by the glass from $13 to $30, a bottle list sorted by region, and $8 house wine during Apericena. Order the Soave at $13 or the $17 Kerner by the glass, or the Villa Venti Sangiovese with the tagliatelle al ragu, and confirm prices because the page says they are subject to change. This unrated guide covers the posted wine list, not service, storage or markups.
Central District · Seattle · Seafood
A mostly natural, mostly French bottle list that stretches from $60 Muscadet to a $455 Champagne, with a deep run of Jura, Savoie and Loire bottles. Start with the $60 Hautplanty Muscadet or the $72 Laurent Herlin Cabernet Franc, and ask about the list’s ◆ and ◉ key if you want help choosing between classic and wild. This unrated guide covers the posted drinks selection, not service, storage or markups.
· Round Rock · New American
Whiskey Cake Round Rock isn't a wine destination, but it's not trying to be — the all-by-the-glass format keeps things approachable, the pricing is honest, and there are a couple of genuinely good pours hiding in a short list. If wine is your priority tonight, look elsewhere; if you're here for the vibe and want something decent in your glass, Chehalem and Altocedro have you covered.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Columbia · New American
Motor Supply Co. Bistro appears to put its energy into the kitchen, and that may be the right call — but three wines is not a wine program. Until this list gets a serious rethink, order a cocktail or call ahead to ask about corkage.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
MIA
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Atlanta · New American
THREE isn't trying to be a wine destination, and the list makes that abundantly clear. If you're here for cocktails or the bar scene, you're probably in the right place — but if wine matters to you even a little, this four-item lineup isn't going to do much for you. Order the House Champagne at $5, accept the situation for what it is, and move on.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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