#2580 #S1269 - Cyclops, Seattle - OOO

Cyclops, Seattle, WA

This entry is posted out of order, as somehow my initial list omitted Cyclops, despite my going there any number of times and it being the inspiration for my own basement bar. It was in admiring the lava lamps on the booths at Cyclops that it occurred to me that I could convert the unfinished full basement of my Seattle bungalow to a lounge, which in turn eventually led to my interest in tiki -- and interest that at first I didn't think anyone else in the world shared in the early 21st century -- and eventually to what I call the Monkey Skull Voodoo Lounge.

These were the days of Wilum Hopfrog Pugmire working in his Boy George get-up and Kurt Geissel's mini-television eyeballs slowly tilting back and forth within a metal pyramid frame. Years ago the business was established as Free Mars Cafe, notable for the jello mold covered exterior, before moving from Western Avenue in the late 90s and adding a bar. The new home on 1st Avenue is in the 1909 Glaser Building, orginally home to the Latona Hotel and used as a homeless shelter until the Ace Hotel folks remolded it into a boutique, 28-room hotel. (The Ace Hotel folks subsequently expanded to Portland, Palm Springs and Manhattan.)

But this location hosted bars well before the current building -- The Latona Beer Hall was here by 1890, continuing into the new building until prohibition. Shortly after prohibition the Sunset Tavern opened and remained here into the early 60s. It was briefly the Shaffer Beer Hall (a tribute to pre-prohibition owner H.L. Shaeffer one guesses) around 1983 before Cyclops and its Panther Room opened in 1999.

 The food is solid, the drinks are standard, the vibe is friendly and chill, and the decor is artsy, mid-century pop.

2421 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 441-1677                   
Est. Aug 1999 - Building constructed: 1909
Previous bars in this location:
Web site: cyclopsseattle.com - facebook
Articles ranked: seattletimes - seattleweekly - seattleweekly - tripadvisor - yelp - thestranger