Experience Fire and Ice at Pioneer Square’s New Drinking and Dining Destinations: A Hearth-Driven Restaurant Spotlighting the Pacific Northwest and the Neighborhood’s First and Only Rooftop Bar Serving Glacier-Inspired Cocktails
SEATTLE (May 22, 2025) – Salt Harvest and Firn, the Pacific Northwest-inspired restaurant and bar delivering an exciting fire and ice experience in storied Pioneer Square, are now open at Populus Seattle, a carbon positive hotel that celebrates and reveres the natural world. Salt Harvest, inspired by fire, is a hearth-driven restaurant celebrating the bounty of the Pacific Northwest. Firn, inspired by ice, is Pioneer Square’s first and only rooftop bar, featuring skyline views, curated bites, and cocktails crafted around the pure, elemental forms of ice.
These dynamic new drinking and dining destinations are an integral part of Populus Seattle, an environmentally-forward, adaptive reuse project that represents the transformation of a historic 1907 building into 120 modern guest rooms and suites, two flexible event spaces, and The Café at Salt Harvest, all created by Urban Villages, a leading real estate developer and environmental steward, and brought to life in collaboration with Aparium Hotel Group, a visionary operator of independent, luxury lifestyle hotels. The hotel and its restaurants anchor the RailSpur micro-district, a cultural hub developed by Urban Villages that is comprised of three historic buildings and the alleyways that run through them, where culinary, art, music, history, and community converge.
Salt Harvest and Firn reflect Populus Seattle’s reverence for nature through local seasonal ingredients and biophilic design, and align with its carbon positive approach by responsibly sourcing ingredients and turning all food waste into compost. At the helm is Executive Chef Conny Andersson, an internationally recognized chef, cookbook author, and Four Seasons and Six Senses hospitality veteran, who is joined by Chef de Cuisine Jonathan De Paz, an esteemed alum of The French Laundry, Eleven Madison Park, and Restaurant Daniel, to bring these culinary experiences to life.
“We are thrilled to welcome guests to Salt Harvest and Firn – both of which offer distinctive dining and drinking experiences that celebrate the ingredients, natural landscapes, and energy of Seattle,” says Rod Lapasin, General Manager of Populus Seattle. “The talent of Chef Conny and Chef Jonathan, combined with the vibrant atmospheres, delicious menus and fun, innovative drinks, ensure that both venues become exciting new destinations that guests and Seattleites want to return to time and time again.”
“It’s such a gift to cook in Seattle and have the bounty of the Pacific Northwest at your fingertips,” says Chef Andersson. “At Salt Harvest and Firn, we’re focused on sourcing the best possible ingredients from local purveyors to create menus that honor and celebrate the region. Every dish tells a story of place, season, and the power of flame, and we’re so excited to share them with the public.”
Salt Harvest: Bold Cooking Led by Fire and Pacific Northwest Flavors
Salt Harvest represents the Pacific Northwest’s culinary identity, where bold flavors spotlight the region’s abundance. Anchored by a wood-fired hearth, the dishes embrace Seattle’s unique location at the intersection of both land and sea, featuring local seafood, meats, and produce handled simply but intentionally.
As an all-day dining destination, Salt Harvest serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bar menus. For breakfast, diners can choose from an array of plates such as the Cold Smoked Salmonwith capers, deviled egg salad, and shaved onions ($26), Classic Pancakes with macerated seasonal berries and maple syrup ($16), and Soup Noodleswith coffee egg, pork belly, mustard greens, and ginger ($23), as well as pastry and bakery items and fresh juices. For lunch, diners can enjoy a variety of salads, sandwiches and mains, including the Charred Cured Salmon & Local Asparaguswith frisee, and a poached organic egg ($26), the Wagyu Beef Burgerwith pure country farm, Beecher’s cheddar, and walla-walla onion jam ($26), and theEmbered Cauliflowerwith blistered tomato, preserved lemon, and avocado green goddess ($26).
Salt Harvest’s dinner menu features a selection of elevated dishes divided into raw bar, seafood, from the hearth, and vegetable-forward dishes. Highlights include Beef Tartare with pure country farm wagyu, vegetable ferments, and bottarga ($29) and Dungeness Crab Salad with gem lettuce, quail egg, and bourbon spiked cocktail sauce ($27), and mains like Puget Sound Treasures with halibut, baby fennel, aromatic herbs, and essence of shellfish ($44), La Belle Duck Frites with duck fat fries, spring fruit chutney, house salad, and natural jus ($39), and Spätzle with foraged mushrooms, spinach, and melted Beecher’s cheddar ($24).
The beverage program follows the same ethos — thoughtful, restrained, and ingredient-driven – featuring timeless libations with a modern lens, local Washington wines, and a minimalist approach to spirits, house-made infusions, and hearth-dried herbs.
Salt Harvest’s interior design by Curioso also showcases the beauty of the region, folding in thoughtful, nature-inspired materials and colors with a blend of raw materials, rich wood tones, and warm light. The restaurant includes a variety of dynamic seating areas including a glass-wrapped The Solarium that evokes a Pacific Northwest rainforest with over 42 potted plants suspended from the ceiling, giving guests the unique opportunity to dine under a canopy; a nine-seat Chef’s Counter that offers an immersive look at the live-fire kitchen, and two private dining rooms, creating an atmosphere that feels both intimate and lively, rustic, and refined with captivating art and artisan touches.
Salt Harvest is open daily. Hours include breakfast from 7:00am to 11:00am, lunch from 11:30am to 2:00pm, dinner from 5:00pm to 10:00pm and bar service from 11:30am to 10:00pm.
Firn: Innovative Ice-Focused Cocktails with Skyline Views
A vibrant addition to Seattle’s dynamic bar scene, Firn is inspired by the Pacific Northwest’s rugged beauty, weaving in elements of the nearby glacial landscapes, natural materials, and sweeping views of the city skyline and waterfront. The name Firn (pronounced fɪərn) draws from the alpine world and refers to the compacted snow found on nearby glaciers. It is a subtle blend of Fir and Fern, rooted in nature and layered – much like the rooftop space itself.
The beverage menu demonstrates the inherently transitional nature of “firn” in its snowy form. Cocktails center around the concept of water and the evolution of its cycle, manifesting into various types of ice and drinks with a variety of textures and visual presentations. The menu is organized by ice style: shaved ice, crushed ice, cubes of different shapes and sizes, and refreshing frozen cocktails. Highlights include the Diamond Sea, a clarified milk punch with mezcal, tequila, strawberry, lemongrass, and hibiscus tea with a large diamond-shaped ice cube ($24), Get Schwifty, a shaved ice cocktail that serves two with vodka, Japanese melons, honeydew, lime and mint ($32), the ice cold Sea-tini, an elevated dirty martini with truffle and blue cheese stuffed olive ($20) and the frozen Seattle Freezewith brandy, coffee biscotti liqueur, chocolate and dairy ($19) – Firn’s innovative take on a frozen espresso martini, ideal for a cocktail hour ‘pick-me-up’ – along with a variety of spirit-free cocktails. The wine list spotlights Pacific Northwest vineyards, offering crisp, refreshing pours perfect for sunny afternoons.
The food is a simple offering that complements the cocktail program and is designed to be enjoyed with friends. The menu is divided into Tidbits, featuring snacks like Dungeness Crab Dip($27), Charcuterie & Cheese($25) and Pimento Cheese Profiteroles($16); and Preservations, which is focused on capturing the region’s produce, meats and fish in peak season, then pickling, canning and preserving to serve throughout the year with offerings.
With an open-air setting and a lively atmosphere, Firn is the perfect spot for post-game drinks, golden-hour cocktails, or lively late-night bites. The lush rooftop with skyline views connects guests to their surroundings and features local fauna, nurse stumps and native wildflowers by local landscape designer, Site Workshop, that attract butterflies and hummingbirds – designed to have a positive impact on wellbeing and bring nature back into the city.
Open seven days a week, Firn’s hours 4:00pm to 11:00pm on Monday through Thursday, 12:00pm to 12:00am on Friday and Saturday, and 12:00pm to 11:00pm on Sunday.
The Café at Salt Harvest: A Comfortable Neighborhood Spot
Located on the second floor beyond the main dining room of Salt Harvest, The Café at Salt Harvest is a comfortable neighborhood destination where guests and locals can linger, serving Monorail Espresso and artisan pastries. It also features a direct entrance from the public alleyway, providing a convenient way for locals to grab a coffee and bite during their morning commutes. In the evenings, the café shifts into an intimate venue, hosting rotating pop-ups, themed cocktail nights, and community-driven networking events. The Café at Salt Harvest is open daily from 6:30am to 3:30pm.
Responsibly Sourced, Zero Waste Dining
Salt Harvest and Firn are designed with sustainability at the forefront, committed to initiatives that eliminate food waste, minimize carbon, repurpose organic materials, and exemplify Populus Seattle’s dedication to environmental stewardship. Menus utilize ingredients that are seasonally and responsibly sourced from small purveyors who share Populus Seattle’s values of regeneration and are the outcome of profound care, thoughtfully created by experts who know and respect the land and sea.
As the country’s second carbon positive hotel, Populus Seattle is committed to offsetting both its embodied and operational carbon footprints throughout the hotel’s full lifecycle. This commitment to environmentally forward hospitality extends to Salt Harvest and Firn, both of which are zero food waste via composting.
Salt Harvest and Firn are located at Populus Seattle at 100 King Street. Reservations are recommended and available online via OpenTable. For more information, please visit www.PopulusSeattle.com and follow along at @SaltHarvest_Seattle and @
ABOUT POPULUS HOTELS
Populus Hotels is a collection of carbon positive hotels centered around a deep and authentic reverence for the natural world. Each hotel is designed to reflect and celebrate the region’s locale and natural beauty, while serving as a new benchmark for environmentally forward hospitality. All Populus Hotels sequester more carbon than they emit throughout their lifecycle, use 100% renewable electricity, plant a tree for every night’s stay through the One Night, One Tree Program, and feature zero-waste restaurants–allowing guests to effortlessly experience responsible hospitality. Populus Hotels is owned and created by Urban Villages, a leading developer and environmental steward, and brought to life in collaboration with Aparium Hotel Group, a visionary operator of independent, luxury lifestyle hotels. Populus Hotels comprises the award-winning Populus Denver and Populus Seattle., For more information, visit www.urban-villages.com andwww.aparium.com.
