Babirusa and Blind Pig Will Be Reborn in Belltown

Babirusa, the shuttered Eastlake cocktail-and-dinner haunt, will reopen in Belltown this March. The respected restaurant closed its original location in December but promised to return, and now it will be reborn in the former home of Kushibar at 2319 Second Ave, reports Seattle Met.

The move will also mark the revival of the tasting menus from Blind Pig Bistro, Babirusa’s former upscale sibling in Eastlake, which closed in 2016. Blind Pig/Babirusa owners Rene Gutierrez and Charles Walpole will combine the best of both businesses — Blind Pig’s of-the-moment seven-course menus and Babirusa’s cocktails and casual plates — at this new location.

The new digs will be slightly larger than Babirusa’s original Eastlake home, with seating for about 100 people spread throughout an indoor dining room and outdoor patio. The kitchen is also larger, allowing Walpole to dabble with his tasting menus again.

Between now and early March, Walpole and Gutierrez are raising money via Gofundme for some renovations to the Belltown space, like patches on the roof, insulation for the patio, and a few more upgrades. So far, about $14,500 has been raised, with a $35,000 goal in mind. Rewards for donating include T-shirts, hugs, and an invitation to the opening party with free food and drinks.