Best Seattle Bars To Impress Out of Towners

Best Seattle Bars To Impress Out of Towners:  

Of course when we have visitors to Seattle, we invariably end up at Pike Place Market at some point. Here are our suggestions for bars in the Market. One thing they all have in common is that they are off the beaten path from the crowded areas. Another thing they all have in common is that in a day and age when bars don’t have a long shelf life in Seattle, these 4 have been in existence since I moved to Seattle in the mid-90’s.

• Alibi Room-Hidden near the gum wall, this bar is an old standby for us. They have great pizzas that are a bargain during happy hour-one of the best kept secrets in Seattle in my opinion. Their bar is relatively small, but there is plenty of tables. I remember back in the day they had a DJ down stairs. If you look along the walls when you enter, they have a bunch of movie scripts if you are interested in reading while drinking. My understanding is that they used to have live performances using the scripts.

• White Horse Trading-It’s hidden in post alley. When you walk in, it’s as if you been transported to another time and place.  They only serve beer and wine, but they have two signature drinks. At least these are the two drinks I recommend to visitors-Pimm’s Cup which is a concoction of wines, bitters and a lemon. The other is their own honey mead. One other unique feature is their restroom. There’s a swinging door that latches, but you’re pretty much out in the open. Make sure you latch it!  The other strange thing, is that whenever I pay with catch they always give me change in 2 dollar bills. Not sure if this is just a coincidence or if this is a regular practice.

• Maximilien-This one is a bit of a cheat since it’s actually a restaurant, but if you’re craving a drink around happy hour time, this is your spot.  They have a patio that has gorgeous views of Puget Sound and a relatively cheap happy hour considering it’s in the Market and the views.  One of their happy hour specials is a six pack of Kronenbourg in a bucket for $20. For those of you who don’t know Kronenbourg is one of the few French breweries and was founded in 1664.

• Zig Zag Café-Is actually right outside the market. Back in 2010 it was named thee #1 Cocktail Bar in the US by GQ Magazine.  The bartender at the time, Murray Stenson, has since moved on, so this title has lost a bit of its luster,   but for awhile after 2010 visitors were impressed they could get a drink at the #1 Cocktail Bar.

Speakeasies-All visitors like to think they’ve been to a secret place that only locals know about. Both Knee High Stocking Club and Bathtub Gin & Co fit the bill. These two places are difficult to find if you’ve not been there before and if you’re not looking for it would just walk by and never notice they existed.

The Lookout-Located in Capitol Hill, but off the main drag of Broadway Ave or the Pike/Pine corridor.  It’s located on a residential street and I don’t think too many locals even know about it unless you live in Capitol Hill. It’s a nice cozy neighborhood bar with patio views of South Lake Union and the Space Needle.

All guidebooks mention Salty’s, Palisade, and Ray’s Boathouse for seafood and views. I think a really underrated place to take visitors for drinks is Chinook’s At Salmon Bay. Located in Seattle’s Fisherman’s Terminal, it has a huge bar and big patio area and the restaurant itself is huge. They also have great seafood which is what the NW is known for. It overlooks the fishing boats, some of which were featured in The Deadliest Catch.

Next: Seattle Bars For Each Stage of Dating

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• Our Seattle Bar Thoughts
• Our Seattle Bartender Thoughts 
• How We Treat Bartenders 
• Seattle Bars For All Occasions