A warm, natural aesthetic welcomes guests to Bombo Kitchen and Bar, the signature restaurant inside the new Seattle Convention Center expansion, Summit. Operated by celebrated chef Ethan Stowell, the 4,200-square-foot restaurant sits prominently along the center’s primary corridor—the Mixing Zone—and opens directly onto the 9th Street Plaza.
Project Name: Bombo Italian Kitchen
Studio Name: Graham Baba Architects
Location: Seattle, Washington
Defined by culinary richness and architectural craft, the space blends traditional Italian cuisine with seasonal Pacific Northwest ingredients. Its corner location embraces the energy of downtown Seattle and offers views toward the historic Paramount Theatre.
From the plaza entry, guests are given a glimpse into the Bombo Bar Lounge, located a half-level below. Moving further inside, the restaurant reveals a sophisticated interior grounded in natural materials and a sense of warmth. At its heart glows a Woodstone pizza oven, clad in handcrafted terracotta tiles from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The tiles’ earthy tones and texture are set against rusticated white subway tile and framed by blackened steel. Stowell’s signature open kitchen invites interaction through maple butcher block countertops and exposed oak shelving—stacked with white dishes, cutlery, and pizza boxes—bringing the craft of cooking into full view.
A 22-foot custom wood-and-steel bar ledge lines the restaurant’s exterior wall, offering convention guests a casual perch to enjoy a slice or drink while watching the flow of people through the Mixing Zone. Around the corner, bent metal countertops define the plating and service area, leading into the richly detailed bar space beyond. Here, ebonized wood fronts, more hand-crafted terracotta tiles, and suspended oak shelving pair with custom concrete aggregate countertops flecked with colorful stone. Some tiles bear faint cat paw prints—unintended imprints from when they dried under the Mexican sun—adding a layer of humanity and charm to the crafted environment. Three large bi-fold Douglas fir doors open the corner entirely to the corridor, dissolving the boundary between restaurant and convention hall and reinforcing the openness at the heart of the design.
Downstairs, The Bar at Bombo fronts 9th Street, spanning 2,160 square feet and divided into two distinct experiences: lounge and bar. The lounge area greets guests with a high-backed, tufted leather banquette that curves sinuously through the space, paired with movable tables and chairs for flexibility and comfort. Designed as a casual retreat, the lounge provides a place for convention attendees to gather post-event or for travelers to unwind in a living room–like setting. Unique floor tiles differentiate the lounge from the adjacent bar area, enhancing spatial identity.
To highlight the lounge’s 26-foot-high ceiling and create a visual beacon from the street and plaza, a custom “smudge pot” light fixture—crafted by a local fabricator—hangs above. Inspired by the weathered orchard heaters of France and Italy, the glowing installation adds both warmth and sculptural character. Between the lounge and bar, fritted channel glass and solid cedar columns provide visual depth, filtering light and movement between spaces.
Above the bar, a floating canopy of slatted wood panels enhances intimacy and draws attention to the bar’s centerpiece: custom steel shelving filled with smokey glass and bottles that shimmer under soft light. The bar front is clad in rotating, striated gray limestone embedded with traces of ancient shells and bivalves, while the solid walnut countertop invites touch and connection. In fair weather, two large bays of Douglas fir bi-fold doors open wide to 9th Street, extending the bar’s convivial atmosphere outdoors and reinforcing Bombo’s seamless relationship between craft, comfort, and community.
