Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
Seattle's amazing musical legacy is well-known, but there's more to the arts and nightlife scenes than live music. In fact, these days, there are far more swanky bars and inventive pubs than music venues in the city.
To put it bluntly, Seattle's a dynamite place to drink. You can sip overly ambitious and ridiculously named specialty cocktails in trendy lounges, get a lesson from an enthusiastic sommelier in a wine bar or restaurant, or swill cheap beer on the patio of a dive bar. Though some places have very specific demographics, most Seattle bars are egalitarian, drawing loyal regulars of all ages.
The music scene is still kicking—there's something going on every night of the week in nearly every genre of music. The city's dynamic theater scene is a highly regarded proving ground for Broadway, and the Seattle International Film Festival draws the finest in world cinema. The ethereal Marion Oliver McCaw Hall is a first-class venue for opera and ballet, and Benaroya Hall, with its outstanding acoustics, is an elegant premier symphony hall. Families enjoy the Children's Theatre, the Northwest Puppet Center, and the many summertime folk art and music festivals.
In addition to its bars, Downtown and Belltown in particular have notable restaurants with separate bar areas. Most restaurants have impressive bar menus, and food is often served until 11 pm, midnight, or even 1 am in some spots.
This multi-roomed barcade is just like the kind of old-school arcade you grew up going to, minus the kids, and plus a few local craft beers on tap. The city's largest collection of vintage arcade games is set in a space that gives chaotic 1980s vibes, and has all the games from the era (and many others, too). But, in case you were curious, the cigarette machine doesn't actually work.
Locals head to this hard-to-find wood-paneled bar tucked into Pike Place to sip double martinis while taking in peekaboo views of Elliott Bay or studying the scripts, handbills, and movie posters that line the walls. Alibi has long served as a space for writers and other Seattle-area creatives—and is rumored to have a lingering ghost or two. The lower level is more crowded and casual. Stop by for a drink, a small snack, or a meal (the pizza is great), and stay to listen and dance to live music.
One of the last of the classic Ballard dives still standing: it used to be that fishermen started drinking here before the day dawned, though now it's just as likely to be hipsters drinking cold cans of Rainier beer and asking for pull tabs. While one side has kept the same servers with studied nonchalance bringing the drinks, a snazzy arcade now fills the other room.
Part of the Sea Creatures mini-empire led by chef Renee Erickson, Barnacle is a narrow bar adjacent to the popular restaurant The Walrus and the Carpenter. It invariably collects people waiting for tables there, but with a beautiful copper-topped bar, tiled walls, and plates of oysters, cured meats, and fish to go with the aperitivos, it’s a great place to drink and snack even if you aren’t planning to dine next door.
The speakeasy trend has produced its share of imitators, but this one stands out for its intimacy. Tucked behind a wooden door in an alley next to the Humphrey Apartments, the shabby-chic hideaway occupies the basement of the building. The space is tiny, a bit more like a secret clubhouse than a bar, and couches invite you to sink in and stay awhile. True to its name, the bar specializes in gin, offering an impressive international selection that rewards exploration.
Were it not for the awning, picnic tables, and rotating food trucks routinely parked outside, this place might look like just another corner convenience store—which it used to be before owner Chuck transformed it into one of North Seattle’s favorite spots for sampling craft beer. With 50 taps, Chuck’s features an especially good selection of IPAs and ciders on draft, many of local origin. Families love this extremely kid-friendly spot—there’s an ice-cream counter, ample seating inside and out, and stacks of board games. Chuck’s also offers a huge selection of bottled beers from all over the world, including gluten- and alcohol-free options.
The best beer bar in Pioneer Square features 22 rotating taps of Northwest (including Boundary Bay, Chuckanut, and Anacortes) and California beers and a long list of bottles from the region. Its upscale pub menu features local and seasonal ingredients, including a delectable Dungeness crab cake BLT and Alaskan cod fish and chips. Collins is a perfect pre- or post-game spot, or simply for an evening of microbrews and seafood-centric pub fare.
The original idea was a clever one for a perennially drizzly city: indoor mini golf for grownups and a great local draft beer list. Flatstick Pub's fun-focused concept was such a hole-in-one that it's since expanded to six locations total around the region, including this underground Pioneer Square spot. Set in an industrial-cool space with brick walls, exposed ducts, and colorful artwork, Flatstick features a mini golf course that spells out "Seattle" and a 12-foot-tall Space Needle that lights up if you sink it on your first try. You can also try your hand at Stick Putt (think skee-ball meets putting) and Duffleboard, a Flatstick-invented tabletop golf game. If you work up an appetite while playing games, curb your hunger with snacks, salads, and brick oven pizzas.
The quirky murals at all Flatstick locations were painted by local artist Ryan Henry Ward. If you spend any time driving around Seattle, you're sure to see his art and prominent simple signature on a building or wall; he's the city's most prolific muralist, with works sometimes featuring Pacific Northwest subjects, including Sasquatch. Not everyone appreciates his widespread whimsy, but nobody can deny his art is a memorable part of the cityscape.
Perched on the 16th floor of The Charter Hotel, Fog Room is a newer addition to Seattle's small rooftop bar scene, and it's a classy modern one, from the decor to the cocktails to its small bites, featuring elevated bar snacks like Lion's Mane carpaccio and Dungeness crab rolls. A chic indoor lounge with expansive windows opens to an outdoor terrace with seating and a fire pit; the city and water views aren't the best of the bunch, but you don't need to reserve outdoor seating.
From the owner of Linda's Tavern in Capitol Hill, King's Hardware has the same ironic rustic decor, great patio space, and cachet with hipsters. It also has great burgers. It gets packed on weekends—if you want the same scene with fewer crowds, go two doors down to Hattie's Hat, which was the reigning spot until King's showed up.
This small, sweet bar gives grandpa's basement vibes, if grandpa came from Eastern Europe and alternated his glass of house-infused vodka with the occasional craft cocktail. A few booths surround the live-edge, U-shaped bar, and floral wallpaper completes the feel. The small food menu features Slavic classics, including a variety of dumplings, pickles, and borscht.
A soothing blond-wood interior, squeezed-to-order mixers, and friendly, fastidious bartenders combine to give Liberty its unique aura: it’s a cocktail lounge with the wholesome vibe of a juice bar. It serves sushi—which proves to be exceptionally good (cocktail) bar food—and coffee drinks, it's dog-friendly, and it opens most days at noon.
Visiting this calm, comfortable bar is like sitting in the living room of a great DJ, browsing his record collection. That's almost what you're doing: Life on Mars was opened by John Richards, host of The Morning Show on KEXP, Seattle's revered indie rock radio station. It has cushy blue barstools, comfortable booths, couches, and walls covered in shelves of vinyl. The drinks include both alcoholic and non, and all of the food (typical bar apps, burgers, and sandwiches) is vegan. They serve brunch on weekends.
Welcome to one of the Hill's iconic dives—and not just because it was allegedly the last place Kurt Cobain was seen alive. The interior has a vaguely Western theme, but the patrons are Capitol Hill indie-rockers and hipsters. The bartenders are friendly, the burgers are good (brunch is even better), and the always-packed patio is one of the liveliest places to grab a happy-hour drink.
Lived-in booths and a welcoming atmosphere keep this place packed with everyone from couples on a first date to groups of old friends. As an anchor to the East Olive bar strip, it makes for excellent people-watching, either from the inside looking out or from the co-opted piece of sidewalk called a "parklet" that serves as the patio. The specialty is the cocktails on tap, particularly the Moscow Mule.
It's all about the view at this rooftop bar of the Graduate Hotel: in a neighborhood with few tall buildings, it feels on top of the world. Inside, windows that stretch to the ceiling surround the exploration-themed decor, while the patio space extends the view to the sky. Most of the craft cocktails have clever local themes, but the bartenders are happy to mix conventional classics as well.
In the skeleton of a classic Chinese-American dive bar, chef Mark Fuller created his own spin on the genre. Under the low lights and a ceiling of red lanterns, bartenders serve tropical and frozen cocktails like pink guava palomas and passion fruit caipirinhas. There's Skee-ball, karaoke, and pinball, and a menu with twists on General Tso's chicken and honey pecan prawns.
Blink and you'll miss it, and that would be a shame, because this tiny corner spot crafts fine cocktails to go with their top-notch Spanish tapas. Dimly lit and loud, Ocho can can be a scene in the evening. In summer, the sidewalk patio is an ideal spot for soaking up the sun and people-watching.
Though it moved from a tiny hallway of a space to a sprawling building in 2021, this fun and funky bar keeps its small-fish spirit. Quirky art and nautically themed curiosities hang from the ceilings and wall, like a chandelier made from crab traps. House cocktails tend toward the basic side, but that keeps them affordable, and a seasonal slushie rounds out the options. The kitchen serves a selection of nice and creatively named sandwiches and hot dogs.
Down the street from the Woodland Park Zoo, Oliver's Twist is a welcoming spot with cozy leather booths and tons of local art on the walls. Drinks are expertly poured with house-made shrubs and syrups, and the food is a mix of bar snacks and Cambodian food (it shares ownership with Cambodian restaurant Sophon, a few blocks north). It makes for a fun evening slightly off the beaten path.
This multi-level indoor/outdoor bar perched atop Phinney Ridge gives the people what they want, which is, apparently, a place to day-drink in the sunshine. The sprawling heated roof and patio serves up boozy slushies, cold beer, and a chill all-day party atmosphere. Everybody is welcome here, and their dogs and kids, too. You could find better drinks and better food elsewhere, but you'd be hard-up to find better vibes. For a similar set-up in a more casual atmosphere, head down the street to sibling bar Ridgewood Bottle & Tap.
This stately building, once a mortuary, has been transformed into an atmospheric bar. It retains the soaring ceiling and dark woodwork, and booths are made from huge Douglas fir timbers found in the basement, but the overall vibe is more beer hall than haunted house. There are 30 craft beers on tap, and a wood-fired oven produces solid pizza.
The revolver here isn't a gun, it's a turntable—there's always an LP spinning from the bar's 2,500+ vintage vinyl collection. Wood beams, pendant lamps, and psychedelic art give the small place a chill '60s vibe, but the craft cocktails are more of-the-moment. For an experience you're guaranteed never to forget, come here on a tattoo night.
A short ride from the heart of Ballard's nightlife, Rupee offers an elegant, upscale experience. Inspired by the owners' travels in Sri Lanka and India, the drinks are spice heavy and employ tropical fruit without cloying sweetness. The food has the same roots and is also excellent. Rich colors and dark wood give the narrow space a transportive feel, but don't take too many people on the journey with you: there's no room for large groups, and waits can get long.
It may be one of the diviest bars in Belltown, but Shorty's is a bright spot in a neighborhood where most bars serve $15 cocktails; the bathrooms also happen to be spotless. Along with a come-as-you-are atmosphere and an eclectic collection of clown artwork on the walls, the grown-up arcade features pinball machines and video games, cheap beer, gourmet hot dogs, and lots of no-frills fun.
The Streamline is everything you want in a neighborhood dive: a big oval bar, cozy booths, classic pub fare, and pinball, pool, and darts under a tangle of year-round Christmas lights. Graffiti covers the ceiling, the regulars give the place its heartbeat, and the vibe is pure community—this is a bar that hosts a Thanksgiving potluck and puts out a Dogs of the Streamline calendar.
This dimly lit place, with classic eon signage out front, serves tasty frozen cocktails, pizza by the slice, and some more elaborate full pies dreamed up by the founder, a former fine-dining chef. The atmosphere feels like an ironic take on the classic New York pizza joint, with better cocktails and a cleaner setting than the classic college pub.
This cozy, dimly lit spot feels like a true izakaya squeezed into a Belltown storefront. The sake list is extensive, and the bar mixes creative sake-based cocktails alongside traditional pours. Sushi and small plates are fresh and flavorful, with a twice-daily happy hour (4–6 pm and 10 pm–close) that’s a local favorite.
At Vermillion, every night feels like an art opening. The front room is a gallery space displaying works by local artists—pieces that are invariably dynamic and thought-provoking, ideal for contemplation with a glass of wine in hand. There's seating in the back barroom, which frequently hosts live music, comedy, and DJ nights.
One of Belltown's reigning watering holes, this aptly named spot has a jaw-dropping selection of whisky, bourbon, and rye. They also have 24 beers on tap, mostly from West Coast brewers, and a bottle list with beers from around the world.
