In the 1990s, the Kirkland Roaster & Ale House was an Eastside staple for more than a decade. A young Merrisa Claridge hosted there and washed dishes. This year she brought her family's name back downtown with a new restaurant on Park Lane. A few blocks away, a longtime Kirkland Avenue burger spot has reopened under the owners of another Kirkland restaurant. On Lake Street, a croissant shop that took over a former Starbucks pours wine chosen by the woman who ran Costco's Kirkland Signature wine program for three decades.
Downtown's new places for 2026 all have a Kirkland backstory, and they sit close to the streets where the holiday season happens. Knowing their hours makes the November and December calendar much easier to plan.
Von's 1000Spirits brings a Kirkland family back to Park Lane
Von's 1000Spirits opened at 115 Park Lane this summer. 425 Business reported a ribbon-cutting in July. This is the third Von's, after Woodinville and the Seattle original, which has been open more than 35 years. The menu is built on $7.99 scratch martinis and sourdough pasta and pizza.
In her interview with 425 Magazine, Claridge called the Kirkland opening a return to the neighborhood. She said she designed this location as a family spot that suits a walkable street like Park Lane. She also told the magazine the team "had a little more fun with this one than our other locations." The Von's signatures are here too: the wagering wheel, a lock box for high-end spirits, and the sourdough pasta engine, where you can watch your pasta being made.
For holiday planning, the most useful detail is the reservation policy. Von's lists Kirkland hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday. It takes reservations Monday through Thursday and seats walk-ins only Friday through Sunday. You can book a table before a weeknight show. Weekend plans mean showing up and waiting.
The New Slip keeps the burger on Kirkland Avenue
The Slip at 80 Kirkland Ave is back. Ricky and Maria Eng took it over this spring, and What Now Seattle reported in April that they planned to honor its legacy as a burger restaurant. The restaurant's own site now says it is open as a casual waterfront spot serving burgers, salads and pub food. Ricky Eng also owns BeachHouse Bar & Grill. The site calls it "The New Slip." It doesn't list hours yet, so check before you go, especially on an event night.
The address matters this season. The Slip is on Kirkland Avenue near Lake Street, and that corner is one of the two places the Kirkland Downtown Association puts its Letters to Santa mailboxes.
Le Croissant Bar connects Lake Street to the Kirkland Signature label
Le Croissant Bar is at 116 Lake St, in what What Now Seattle identified as the former Starbucks space. Owner Monica Kuchman started BraveHeart Mountain Coffee in 2020 to support wounded veterans. She then began baking croissants for farmers markets and trade shows before opening a storefront. The outlet listed croissant flavors including classic almond, strawberry vanilla, peach cream cheese and blueberry lemon curd. The strawberries come from a Skagit Valley farm where Kuchman picked berries as a teenager. Savory options include the "Miss Figgy Piggy," made with fig jam, prosciutto, pears and brie.
The wine list has a Kirkland link. Kuchman's sister, Annette Alvarez-Peters, led Costco's Kirkland Signature wine program for more than 30 years. She now curates the shop's wine selections, which change quarterly or every other month. The shop's site says that when she visits Kirkland, she sometimes hosts small wine-tasting evenings. What Now Seattle reported that the shop planned beer, wine and champagne pairings on Friday and Saturday nights.
Kuchman's site says the shop is in a soft opening and still adding to its menu. Current hours:
- Tuesday to Thursday: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday: 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sunday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Monday: closed
The Monday closure affects a couple of dates below.
Plan the season around the new spots
Each new place covers a different part of the day. Le Croissant Bar covers mornings and early afternoons. Von's covers late nights. The New Slip sits on the same corner as the Santa mailbox. Here is the downtown calendar from the week after Halloween to mid-December, with the nearest new stop for each event. Kirkland Performance Center is at 350 Kirkland Ave.
Early November
- La Velada: An Alchemy of Past and Present, Sunday, Nov. 1 at 3 p.m., at KPC, presented by Spain Flamenco Arts. A Sunday matinee lets out in time for an early dinner. Von's is walk-in only that day.
- Emma Willmann, Friday, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m., at KPC. Von's is open until midnight on Fridays, which leaves time after the show.
- Seattle Deepavali Kondattam with Gopinath, Saturday, Nov. 7 at 3 p.m., at KPC.
- Revisiting Creedence, Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. Thursday falls inside Von's reservation window, so you can book dinner beforehand.
- GUNJAN – Raga, Retro & Remix, Saturday, Nov. 14, with shows at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., presented by Pratidhwani.
Late November
- Letters to Santa mailboxes go out Nov. 19 and stay through Dec. 19, at the corner of Kirkland Ave and Lake St and at Urban Plaza. The Kirkland Downtown Association asks families to include a return address so Santa can write back.
- Piff the Magic Dragon, Friday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m., at KPC. It's a Friday, so Von's will be walk-in only.
- Seattle International Comedy Competition: Semi-Finals, Sunday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m.
- Warren Miller's "Days Off," Monday, Nov. 23 at 7 p.m., at KPC. The annual ski film plays on a Monday, which is one of Von's reservation nights.
- Kirkland Arts Center Holiday Art Market, Nov. 23 through Dec. 21 at 620 Market St. Gallery admission is free. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The market opens on a Monday, when the gallery isn't open, so the first chance to shop is Tuesday. On Saturdays, a 7:30 a.m. croissant on Lake Street still leaves plenty of time before the market closes at 2 p.m.
- WinterFest at Kirkland Urban, Saturday, Nov. 28, 3 to 7 p.m., at 202 3rd St. It's free and presented with the Kirkland Downtown Association, with Santa photos, activities, entertainment and seasonal treats. If you plan to eat downtown afterward, keep in mind that the Saturday after Thanksgiving is walk-in night at Von's.
- Susan Rice Live at KPC!, Sunday, Nov. 29 at 5 p.m.
Early to mid-December
- Google Lights, listed for Dec. 4 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Feriton Spur Park, 509 6th Street S. The Kirkland Downtown Association describes more than 10,000 lights, festive music and a petting area with animals by the pickleball court. Check the Kirkland Downtown Association winter events page for updates as the date gets closer.
- The Movement Collective: Chapter One, Sunday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m., at KPC.
- Christmas With The Carpenters, Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. A Wednesday show means Von's will take a dinner reservation.
- KDA Sips and Sweaters Wine Walk, Thursday, Dec. 17, 5 to 8 p.m., downtown, with tickets through the Kirkland Downtown Association. Participating stops listed so far include Purpose Boutique, Lake Street Diamond, Heyday, Via Lago, Vision Music School, The Remontant, Mermaid Hair Extentions, Moss Bay Hall, and Realogics Sotheby's International Realty, the brokerage I work with. The association says a walking map is coming soon.
The Kirkland Wednesday Market at Marina Park wrapped its 2026 season on Sept. 30, so for now the Lake Street pastry case and the Arts Center gallery are downtown's weekday stops.
One weekend, three new stops
Here's one way to do it on foot. Saturday, Nov. 28 starts with croissants on Lake Street when Le Croissant Bar opens at 7:30. Next is the Holiday Art Market at 620 Market St before the gallery closes at 2. WinterFest at Kirkland Urban runs from 3 to 7. Then walk to Park Lane for a walk-in table at Von's, which stays open until midnight. On the way, stop at the corner of Kirkland Ave and Lake St so the kids can mail their Santa letters next to The Slip.
If one of these new spots or a holiday event gets you out exploring downtown Kirkland this season, I'd love to hear how it went, and I'm always glad to swap notes on where to eat before a KPC show. You can find me at Katlin Lee. Let's Connect.
