Downtown Kirkland's New Spots Outlast the Waterfront Season

Downtown Kirkland's summer additions were three restaurants within a few blocks of each other. Von's 1000Spirits opened on Park Lane, Le Croissant Bar opened on Lake Street, and The Slip reopened under new owners at Marina Beach Park on Kirkland Avenue. Between them, they keep downtown open from 7:30 in the morning until midnight. The waterfront's seasonal anchors have wound down, so these three addresses are what carry a downtown day this fall.

What wound down, and when

Over the last month, most of downtown's outdoor anchors have either closed for the season or been interrupted.

• The Kirkland Wednesday Market ran Wednesdays from 3 to 7 p.m. at Marina Park, 25 Lakeshore Plaza, from June 3 through September 30. That was its last day for 2026.
• Beach swimming stopped and started all summer. Houghton Beach closed to swimmers on July 7 because of bacteria and reopened on July 28. On August 18, the City closed the swimming areas at both Houghton and Juanita beaches and left the rest of both parks open. Juanita reopened a week later, while Houghton stayed closed. Juanita then closed again from September 15 to 4:15 p.m. on September 22. The August 25 notice is the most recent Houghton update we found, so check the City's news page before you go.
• The Cross Kirkland Corridor has been closed between Northeast 52nd Street and 108th Avenue Northeast since September 8. King County is repairing a culvert under its Eastside Interceptor sewer line and building a retaining wall. The work is expected to take three months, which puts the reopening around early December. Crews work weekdays from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and a signed detour is in place.
• The I-405 ramps at NE 85th Street have been fully closed since 10 p.m. Friday, October 2, and reopen at 5 a.m. Monday, October 5. NE 85th Street is also closed between Sixth Street and 120th Avenue NE through the same weekend.

None of this is unusual for a lakefront city in October. It does mean that downtown's busiest summer hours were outdoors, and this fall the day runs through the three restaurants that opened during the season.

Three addresses, one long day

The three spots open and close at different times, so together they cover a longer day than any one of them does alone. Here's the current schedule from each restaurant's own site:

Le Croissant Bar covers the mornings. Monica Kuchman runs it, and the menu is croissants, espresso, desserts and hot chocolate. One standout is the Miss Figgy Piggy, a savory croissant, and the dessert case includes tiramisu, affogato and banana pudding. The Seattle Times wrote it up in July as one of the Eastside's new openings, describing a ham croissant sandwich and a dessert croissant topped with pear and figs. It also pours wine and Champagne. Kuchman's sister, Annette Alvarez-Peters, picks the wines and changes the list quarterly or every other month. She sometimes hosts small tasting evenings when she's in town. The bakery's site says it's 90 days into a soft opening and still refining the menu with a new baker, so the pastry case may change over the next few months. An April preview from WhatNow mentioned Friday and Saturday night pairings, but the bakery currently closes at 6 p.m. on those days.

The Slip covers the afternoon. The waterfront burger spot closed in September 2025, and Ricky and Maria Eng, who also own BeachHouse Bar & Grill, took it over this spring. The menu is burgers, salads, pub-style food and shareables, along with cocktails and beer. The site lists weekend brunch as coming soon but doesn't give a start date. If brunch launches, The Slip and Le Croissant Bar would both be serving weekend mornings a few blocks apart.

Von's 1000Spirits covers the evening. Owner Merrisa Claridge opened the Kirkland location on June 10. It brings the sourdough pizza, handmade pasta and Scratch Martinis from the original Von's, plus a collection of more than 1,000 spirits. It's the only one of the three still open after 9 p.m. Its happy hour runs from 2 to 6 p.m., starting at the same time as The Slip's and running an hour longer.

The weekday advantage

Von's takes reservations Monday through Thursday. Friday through Sunday is walk-in only. So if you want a guaranteed table there, book early in the week.

Monday works the other way. Le Croissant Bar is closed, so Monday morning is the one gap in the three restaurants' combined schedule, while The Slip and Von's both open at their usual times. Tuesday through Thursday, all three are open. On those days you can have coffee on Lake Street, eat at The Slip during its happy hour, and have a late table at Von's without a weekend wait.

The calendar runs along Kirkland Avenue

Most of downtown's fall programming is indoors and close to the restaurants. Kirkland Performance Center is at 350 Kirkland Ave and Peter Kirk Community Center is next door at 352, on the same street as The Slip. Here's what's scheduled from now through December:

1. October 5 to 9: Costume donations are accepted for the City's free Costume Swap. The swap itself runs October 10 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Peter Kirk Room at City Hall, 123 5th Ave.
2. Through October 10: Kirkland Arts Center's juried "Best in Show" exhibition is up at 620 Market St.
3. October 10: Wheels & Reels shows Hoppers at Juanita Beach Park. Admission is $20 per vehicle, with advance registration.
4. October 17: Amplify KPC 2026, 7:30 to 9 p.m.
5. October 22: Souper Bowl at Kirkland Arts Center. The ticket includes soup, a handmade bowl and an artist talk.
6. October 24: A free, all-ages Día de los Muertos event at Peter Kirk Community Center, 2 to 4 p.m.
7. October 31: Anuradha Sriram Live at KPC, 6 p.m.
8. November 20: Piff the Magic Dragon at KPC, 8 p.m.
9. December 9: Christmas With The Carpenters at KPC, 7 p.m.
10. December 17 to 19: The Nutcracker: Symphony of Lights at KPC.

Several of these line up with the restaurant hours. The October 31 concert starts at 6 p.m., the same hour Von's happy hour ends. The Piff the Magic Dragon show lets out on a Friday, when Von's is open until midnight.

The City's Halloween event, the Pee Wee Monster Bash, is on October 30 from 10 a.m. to noon. It's at North Kirkland Community Center, 12421 103rd Ave. NE, not downtown, and costs $18 per child with limited spaces. The Kirkland Downtown Association's events page currently lists no upcoming events. Explore Kirkland describes Winterfest as a December event at Marina Park, but no 2026 date has been posted yet.

What still happens outdoors

Peter Kirk Park, at 202 3rd St, added six pickleball courts on July 2, the first outdoor addition downtown has had in a while. The City is also planning to expand the park's skatepark to more than 10,000 square feet, with construction expected in winter or spring 2027. The courts are a few blocks from the Kirkland Avenue venues. If you're heading to the south end of town, plan for the Cross Kirkland Corridor detour until King County finishes the culvert repair.

If you're comparing parts of the city, our guides to Kirkland's neighborhoods and how Downtown, Juanita and Rose Hill differ cover the other areas, and our post on Kirkland waterfront living covers the lakefront.

Two more openings are on the way. Hako San Café & Bar has leased space at Central Peak Residences downtown, plans to open in 2027, and will serve specialty coffee, Japanese- and European-inspired food and bakery items, wine and cocktails. Farine Bakery & Cafe plans to open at 13033 NE 70th Pl. in Modera Bridle Trails, with construction expected to start in late 2026. Its March 2026 announcement put the opening at "next year."

If you've lived near Park Lane or Lake Street for a while and want to know how these changes compare to past years, or what they could mean for your own plans, Stephen Snee has followed downtown Kirkland since 1991 and is happy to talk it through. Let's Connect.