Spirit in the Bottle Cocktail Bar Launches Inside Capitol Hill’s Marmite

Since restaurant power-couple Bruce and Sara Naftaly opened Marmite’s takeout window in late December, Eater has been tracking the roll-out of the various elements of this new venture on Capitol Hill, from lunch to brunch to dinner. The final component, Sara’s Spirit in the Bottle cocktail lounge, is open as of a few days ago.

The setup is reminiscent of the Naftalys’ previous restaurant, the famed Le Gourmand restaurant and Sambar, the cocktail bar nested inside. The enterprise, which Bruce launched in 1985 and closed in 2012, cemented Bruce and Sara in the pantheon of Seattle restaurateurs.

Now, they’ve created another take on that formula, with Bruce handling the food side at Marmite and Sara in charge of the drinks at Spirit in the Bottle, which the website describes as “an intimate lounge named after a Brothers Grimm fairy tale taking the unmatched cocktail craft from Sara Naftaly's beloved Sambar in Ballard to new heights.”

Speaking of drinks, expect original cocktails like The Strangler, made with Old Ballard aquavit, bergamot, lemon, saison-beer reduction, and Cava, as well as a twist on the classic gin and tonic, with Byrrh, lemon, and juniper. There’s also a snack menu with dishes unique to the bar: samon rillettes; a bao with pork belly, pineapple, pickled shallot, peanuts, and a panang curry vinaigrette; and salt cod and potato fritters.

Here’s a look at both menus:

Spirit in the Bottle also promises a happy hour addition soon; keep an eye out on Marmite’s Facebook page for updates.

Open Tuesday to Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10-ish.