Cocktail Lounge entertainment in North America
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A
Zig Zag Café
For serious cocktails, this is the unmissable destination in town. Classic and inventive drinks are made with precision by handsome and nattily attired alchemists – including Murray Stenson, widely acknowledged as the best bartender in Seattle, and the charming Erik, who vaguely resembles Twin Peaks ’ Agent Dale Cooper. These fellows know how to sling a bottle of chartreuse; sitting at the bar on a quiet night and watching them command the stage is a treat. You’ll see all manner of potions behind the bar, most of which you’ve probably never heard of (and if you’re nice, you might be offered a taste). Drinks start from $5 during happy hour.
reviewed
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B
Flash’s Cocktails
With its old-fashioned neon sign shining bright across the Back Bay, Flash’s offers an awesome balance between retro and ‘right now.’ The menu includes classic cocktails known as ‘Flashbacks’ and contemporary concoctions, which they call ‘Flash Forward.’ Considering the fancy-pants drinks, it does an admirable job of preserving a neighborhood atmosphere. Good comfort food, but it’s not served on weekends.
reviewed
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C
Tavern Law
Named for the 1832 law that legalized drinking in public bars and saloons and sparked the golden age of cocktails, Tavern Law is a mandatory stop for those making the rounds of the best drinks in Seattle. Drinks are crafted by star local bartender David Nelson. The food menu consists of whatever’s written on the chalkboard that day; if you’re lucky, it will say ‘provolone pork belly cheeseburger.’
reviewed
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D
Lime
Meet George Jetson, his ex Judy, and his new partner Joe, all getting chummy over the signature citrus cocktails. Perch atop the outer-space fungi that passes for seating, slurp a key lime martini or two, and pretty soon you'll be able to picture a future where earthlings are uniformly rosy, cozy, well-groomed and a tad giggly. At brunch, order the bottomless around mimosa at your own risk.
reviewed
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E
Marcus’ Martini Heaven
A shadowy, black-and-red dungeon (albeit a pleasant, friendly dungeon) situated beneath a pho restaurant, Marcus’ is renowned for its excellent happy hour (3pm to 6pm), during which you can wrap a fist around one of its 30-plus martinis for as little as $4. The room feels atmospheric yet modern, free of the ‘Olde Pioneere’ kitsch that afflicts many other bars in the area.
reviewed
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F
Drink
There is no cocktail menu at Drink. Instead you have a little chat with the bartender, and he or she will whip something up according to your specifications. They take seriously the art of drink mixology – and you will too, after you sample one of their concoctions! The subterranean space creates a dark, sexy atmosphere, which makes for a great date destination.
reviewed
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G
Alchemist Lounge
The accomplished alchemists behind the bar do magically scientific things with alcohol, eg combining cognac, honey and soy milk to create the Honey Dove, or the Ginger Smash, with gin, apple liqueur, cranberries and ginger. There’s also a decent wine list, where everything comes by the glass, and live music almost every night. Now that’s gold.
reviewed
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H
Diva Lounge
For cocktails made from ginger infused rum or allspice vodka, check out this trendy bar with a decor crossing the ship from Space Odyssey and a Lego set. The walls and ceiling are entirely covered with large panels of formed white plastic bubbles against which pastel lights reflect. Decent DJs spin on weekends.
reviewed
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I
Enormous Room
Enter through the door marked with an elephant to find a harem-like room with people draped on cushions. The New York–inspired lounge was almost obnoxiously cool when it opened, though modish waitstaff seems oblivious to the fact that it has now jumped the shark (and thus nicely mellowed the crowd). Good olives.
reviewed
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J
Stone Rose Lounge
With the glow of his Sky Bar slowly fading, bar baron Rande Gerber has dreamed up this glamour vixen at the hip-again Hotel Sofitel. Dressed in warm crimson and passionfruit, the lounge lures chatty sophisticates huddled in intense tête-à-têtes and grateful for the mellow lighting and low sound levels.
reviewed
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K
Minibar
Everything about this place is small. Miniature portions, including bite-size Kobe burgers that get rave reviews. Splits of champagne and half-bottles of wine. Even pint-size bottles of your favorite top-shelf liquor. It’s a swank space with cushy couches, sexy people and good vibes. No pint-size prices, though.
reviewed
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L
Degrees Bar & Lounge
In the lobby of the swanky Ritz-Carlton, this classy place captures the feel of an incinerator with exposed brick walls and black slate floors. The lounge is all the rage among the businesspeople who work in the area and come here to sip the signature Zentini, which replaces vodka with sake in a martini.
reviewed
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M
28 Degrees
‘Over 40,883 Bellinis served, ’ boasts this super-slick bar on the edge of the South End. The cocktail of champagne, peaches and vodka is just one on the list of perfectly chilled treats, which change seasonally. The interior is a sweet spot to impress a date. Don’t leave without checking out the loo.
reviewed
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N
Alibi Room
The perfect place to hide from the perfect crime, the Alibi provides entertainment as well as a hideout, with regular DJ nights, art installations, stand-up performances and experimental-film screenings. Good eats, too, and the happy hour menu includes $5 food items, $4 well drinks and $3 beers.
reviewed
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O
Tiki Bar
Amid the salsa dance clubs, this South Pacific–themed bar spreads on the kitsch with bamboo-fringed walls and teak floors. The wacky cocktails are the real draw: not just mai tais but chocotikis, mojotikis and various other rum creations thrill a celebrity-studded crowd.
reviewed
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P
Liquid Kitty
If you're in the mood for a purrrr-fect martini, hit this laid-back lounge bathed in bat-cave darkness, perhaps after fuelling up on cheap tacos at Don Antonio's across the street. Don't look for a name out front, just for the twinkling martini glass. Live music sometimes, cover never.
reviewed
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Q
Ladies Night
A-list ladies who eschew Doc Martins for Jil Sander gather for Thursday cocktails and networking at Orson, the restaurant helmed by local power-dyke Liz Faulkner. To meet lesbian society, there’s no faster track. Confirm location online. Join its Facebook group for the latest.
reviewed
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R
Gazuza
A lounge that strives for the heights of hipness, Gazuza is more like the place where folks warm up for, or end up after, a good night out. Hey, it's still fun – all the pretty things eventually come here to drink on the patio and pretend they're not checking each other out.
reviewed
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Rohan Lounge
Here you'll find the tastiest soju cocktails in the city for about around US$6 a pop, with yummy fusion Korean bar food to top it off. College hotties mingle on the snaking red velvet banquette, while sophisticates trade glances over the low-lit, streamlined bar.
reviewed
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Revolution Bar & Grill
The bar inside the Experience Music Project makes for a good excuse to check out the EMP building without forking out the cash for a ticket, if you’re feeling cheapish. There’s good music playing, a good happy hour (5:30pm to 8pm), and 50 beers on tap!
reviewed
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U
Rob Roy
A proper cocktail lounge, Rob Roy (formerly the Viceroy) is dignified yet comfortable – there’s a long, dark bar and sophisticated touches like cologne in the restroom, but there’s also puffy wallpaper, squishy leather couches and a boar’s head and antlers on the wall.
reviewed
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Mandarin Bar & Tea Lounge
With panoramic Strip views from the hotel’s 23rd-floor Sky Lobby, this sophisticated lounge serves exotic teas by day and champagne cocktails by night. Indulge in full afternoon tea service or spoonful-sized global-fusion appetizers after dark.
reviewed
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W
Una
Often voted ‘best martini bar’ by various local publications, Una is a trim and stylish lounge with a decent assortment of wines and a crowd that favors cocktails over beer. Also on hand are tapas, oysters and tasty lighter fare.
reviewed
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X
Alibi
There are actually two hot-to-trot drinking venues in the Liberty Hotel, both architecturally impressive and socially oh-so-trendy. Downstairs, Alibi is set in the former ‘drunk tank’ of the Charles St jail. The prison theme is played up, with mug shots hanging on the brick walls and iron bars on the doors and windows. Upstairs, Clink is the opposite, set under the soaring ceiling of the hotel’s lobby. Both places are absurdly popular, so you’d best come early if you care to sit down.
reviewed
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Y
Crush
Slip into this sexy lounge with all the pretty people and order one of the exotic cocktails. The menu's gourmet (try brunch) and there's a 'vice' room just for smokers. Great for a girls' night out, straight or lesbian.
reviewed
