A ‘new’ Canlis with its traditional values is coming to Lake Union
Feb 6, 2025, 9:16 AM | Updated: 7:08 pm
A photo of the exterior of the world-renowned Canlis retaurant. (Photo courtesy of Canlis)
(Photo courtesy of Canlis)
There are many changes afoot at Queen Anne’s nationally-renowned Canlis.
The restaurant is known for its world-class food, stellar service, and stunning view. According to its website: It is “striving to be the world’s most respected restaurant and having a good time along the way.”
According to the New York Times, third-generation owner Brian Canlis is leaving Canlis for Nashville, Tenn. and work for Will Guidara, a legend in the industry. His brother Mark will remain in Seattle.
‘Talk about whiplash:’ Restaurant that got boost from popular TikTok food critic closes its doors
There will also be changes to the people making your meal. Executive chef Aisha Ibrahim will leave in April along with her wife, executive sous chef Samantha Beaird. The pair will be departing to consider opening a restaurant in New York or Los Angeles.
““There’s the excitement around what’s next, and also there’s a gratitude and the sadness around leaving people behind who mean a lot to us and who’ve put in a lot of work for us to be able to be as successful as we’ve been here in the last four years,” Ibrahim told The Seattle Times
The restaurant is now looking for a new executive chef.
Chokepoints: Bellevue considering getting rid of free street parking
Despite all the changes, Mark Canlis is committed to maintaining the same high-standards that has made it an elite restaurant in the region. He said it is a “no-brainer” that the next chef will have to be top-tier.
Opened by their grandfather Peter Canlis in 1950, the storied restaurant will turn 75-years-old in December.
According to the restaurant’s website:
This storied building was first designed by Roland Terry in 1950. Both Jim Cutler and George Suyama have helped develop it into an iconic expression of modern design. It continues to delight guests from all over the world with its natural light and stunning views of Seattle, Lake Union, and the Cascade mountain range.
Mark and his wife Anne Marie Canlis will take over day-to-day operations.
Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.
