Q: Why is there a dress code?
A:  Since 1950, Canlis has lived up to its reputation as the swankest, dressiest restaurant in Seattle. Today, we maintain that tradition by requesting that men wear a suit or sport coat (though we don't require it in many areas of the dining room). Casual attire? Not appropriate. The bottom line: Everyone likes to look good. In 1950, people knew fashion and loved to show it. We ask our guests to help us keep that tradition alive.

Q: What is your corkage policy?
A:  We ask that bottles not be on our list (feel free to call and have us look it up, or you can download the list here ) and that you bring no more than three 750ml bottles. The charge is $35 per 750ml bottle.

Q: How do the valets do it?
A: They never hand out tickets, yet, somehow, your car is always waiting for you before you even make it to the door! We've been accused of never telling the secret. The truth? You wouldn't believe us if we told you.

Q: Is that whispered rumor true?
A:  Believe it or not, 60 years later, we still hear of people scared to come in for fear of “the dreaded card.” Is it true that if you don’t spend enough at Canlis they give you a card asking you not to return? Peter Canlis offered a thousand dollars to anyone who could produce the card with his signature. That stack of bills still sits in our safe today, untouched and unclaimed for over half a century.

Q: Table #1: How did it become so famous?
A:  Table #1 was Peter Canlis’ personal table for 27 years. Only he or his personal guests ever sat there. It was the only table that had a telephone, and from this vantage point he could keep an eye on the entire restaurant. When John Wayne began to frequent Canlis, he claimed table #1 as his table. The Duke and Peter disagreed fervently on this, and the owner once left Mr. Wayne in the lounge for an hour while the table sat empty...just to prove his point. Today, it is our most requested table, and the phone is still there!

Q: Does Canlis really have a “personal whisky consultant” on staff?
A:  Yes...and thank God for him! The oldest of three sons, Matt Canlis, a minister, lives with his wife, Julie, and their four children in Scotland. As a result, the family has been collecting and cellaring one of the country’s rarest single malt whisky collections.