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Neighbours
Referred to on one occasion as a 'big, soulless, cha cha palace,' Neighbours is ostensibly a gay disco but attracts a varied crowd - even newbie suburbanites come in for its weekly '80s night.
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Neumo's
The 'new Moe's' fills the big shoes of its long-gone namesake in booking some of the best local and touring rock shows in town.
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Nine Pound Hammer
This darkened beer hall in Georgetown is generous with the pours and the peanuts, and the mixed crowd of workers, hipsters, punks and bikers vacillates between energetic and rowdy.
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Nitelite Lounge
This little place attached to the Moore Hotel has an outsized charm, thanks mostly to the seen-it-all-and-liked-most-of-it bartendress and the unpretentious regulars. It can get crowded with hipsters on weekends, but most of the time it's a comfy place to hang out, have a cheap drink and shoot some pool. The sign out front is cool but misleading: alas, the Nitelite's no longer open 24 hours.
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Online Coffee Company
Just because there's wi-fi in every corner of every scraggly soup-kitchen bathroom these days doesn't necessarily mean you brought your laptop with you to Capitol Hill. If you need a quiet place to check your email over a latte, this coffee shop in a renovated house is a good bet. Internet use is 14¢ per minute, and students get an hour for free. There's free wi-fi too, of course.
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Owl & Thistle
You can choose a room to suit your mood at this multi-level Irish pub. Feeling bookish? Settle into a red booth by the fireplace in the library room. Aiming for a pool game? There's a room for that, too, as well as a large dining area and the usual murky bar section. The happy hour here is great, and food is a notch above the usual pub grub. Most nights it books Celtic folk bands or acoustic singer-songwriters.
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Pacific Northwest Ballet
The ballet is the foremost dance company in the Northwest and does more than a hundred performances a season from September through June at McCaw Hall.
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Panama Hotel Tea & Coffee House
The Panama, a historic 1910 building that contains the only remaining Japanese bathhouse in the US, doubles as a memorial to the neighborhood's Japanese residents forced into internment camps during WWII.
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Paragon Bar & Grill
When it's not an upscale restaurant and chic martini lounge, this flashy Queen Anne standby hosts live bands and DJs playing everything from indie rock to hip-hop, funk and soul.
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Pike Pub & Brewery
The hilarious '80s-industrial decor and abundance of nooks and crannies make this market-side brewpub feel like a Chuck E Cheese for grownups. Mammoth burgers, inventive vegetarian specials and Pike's signature beers (try the Kilt Lifter) add function to the fun.
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Prost!
You can order German beer in liters at this tavern, whose name means 'Cheers!' There are free pretzels on the bar and bratwurst on the menu ( US$3 to US$6 ). It's a small, usually crowded place with black-and-white photos, deep red walls, darts in the back, and a sticker behind the bar that says 'My bartender can kick your psychiatrist's ass.'
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Pyramid Ale House
South of Pioneer Square by Safeco Field, this brewpub has the cleaned-up-industrial feel - all bricks and brass and designer lighting - that defines the typical Pacific Northwest brewpub. It's a nice, mainstream, but still appreciably Seattle-ish place to take your parents or tenderfoot visitors. But don't even try on a game day, unless you want to squeeze into the standing-room-only beer tent outdoors.
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R Place
Three floors of frenetic dancing to hip-hop/R&B DJs and plenty of sweaty body contact make this club a guaranteed blast for pretty much everyone who isn't terribly uptight.
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Rendezvous
This classy place has a curved bar up front and a small theater in the back room. Emblematic of the chic makeover of Belltown, the Jewel Box Theater was once a slightly grubby venue for punk bands but now sparkles enough to live up to its name. It hosts a variety of music, film and performances.
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Revolution Bar & Grill
The renamed and redesigned 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 ( to daily), and fifty beers on tap!
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Sapphire Kitchen & Bar
A groovy spot for nightlife in Upper Queen Anne, the Sapphire has a well-stocked bar and serves Spanish-influenced Mediterranean fare in a chic dining room with sapphire, red and purple walls. The black-painted facade and the neon sign outside might not fit with Queen Anne's style, but don't let it turn you off.
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Seattle Opera
The Seattle Opera, also at McCaw Hall, features a program of four or five full-scale operas every season, including a summer Wagner's Ring cycle that draws sellout crowds.
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Seattle Repertory Theater
The Seattle Repertory Theater (the Rep) won a Tony Award in 1990 for Outstanding Regional Theater. The largest nonprofit resident theater outfit in the Pacific Northwest, it's known for elaborate productions of big-name dramas and second-run Broadway hits.
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Seattle Symphony
Under maestro Gerard Schwartz, the symphony has earned its reputation as the heart of the Seattle classical music scene. Since Schwartz came aboard in 1984 it has presented several successful series and released a number of recordings to critical acclaim. Worth noting is the symphony's Discover Music! series - concerts designed to introduce children to various aspects of classical music.
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Shea's Lounge
Good for a romantic drink, this intimate lounge beside Chez Shea restaurant has views over Pike Place Market and Puget Sound; there are only a few tables, so you'll want to arrive early.
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Shorty's
An unpretentious oasis in a block of très-chic lounges, Shorty's has cheap beer and hot dogs, alcohol slushies and a back room that's pure pinball heaven.
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Showbox
This cavernous showroom, hosting everything from indie rock to hip-hop, but mostly national touring acts, reincarnates itself every few years. Between sets, hop over to the attached Green Room, the venue's smaller bar and restaurant.
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Six Arms Pub & Brewery
Part of the Portland-based McMenamins chain, this charming old tavern is resplendent with high ceilings, cool antique lighting fixtures, friendly staff and funky art, like the crazy twisted-pipe sculpture over the bar. There's a good selection of sandwiches and burgers and a few specials, such as pasta or halibut-and-chips. And, of course, there's a selection of the McMenamins' microbrewed beer.
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Smartypants
This giant industrial hangout for scooterists and sportbike riders has vintage motorcycles propped up in the windows, a hearty sandwich menu and an obvious fondness for two-wheeled mischief of all types. Ask owner Tim Ptak about ice racing! Wednesdays are Bike Nights, when fans watch the week's recorded MotoGP, SuperMoto and superbike races. The kitchen is open until midnight Monday to Saturday. There's a covered patio outdoors for smokers.
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Solstice
This coffee shop has a nice wooden outdoor patio on the Ave and a comfy organic vibe - lots of vegan and bran-heavy snacks, and so laid-back you have to wonder if anyone here is actually drinking the coffee. The interior is well-worn dark wood and much bigger than it looks from outside. There's also panini, salads, beer and wine.
