#833 - Taberna del Alabadero, Seattle (Belltown) - 6/12/2009

Taberna del Alabadero closed 5/31/2011

#832 - Txori, Seattle (Belltown) - 6/11/2009

If this list were about food, I would give this my highest rating. As a bar it's still a fine stop, especially if you can get a seat on the hidden patio on a warm summer evening.

2207 2nd Ave (between Bell and Blanchard)
txoribar.com - the stranger - seattle pi - seattle times - seattle met - yelp

#831 - Barolo Ristorante, Seattle (Downtown) - 6/10/2009

While most downtown fine dining establishments have a standard sort of bar that serves only the basics and a specialty or two, Barolo actually manages to have a range of interesting drinks that is enough to make the bar a destination in itself.

Try the: South Beach Mojito

1940 Westlake Ave
baroloseattle.com - seattle times - vezeo - yelp - the stranger - zagat

#830 - Smith, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 6/9/2009

It's getting close to feeling to formulaic, but this is another fine Linda Derschang joint, and any place with reasonably good drinks, high ceilings, and animals on the walls is a fine place to have.

332 15th Ave E (between Harrison St & Thomas St)
smithseattle.com - seattle times - yelp - the stranger

#829 - Knee High, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 6/9/2009

I'm not saying I can prove I personally caused this, but the start of Project K-Bar neatly coincided with an explosion in quality, craft cocktails and bars with personality, to the great benefit of the project and commensurate damage to my budget and liver. And now comes the speakeasy trend, and I must say it is pretty dang swell.

So on this night I went to Knee High, where you are greeted by only an unmarked door and a man standing outside to usher you in if you aknow where you're going. Genuine prohibition-era drink recipes are de rigueur for the speakeasy set, and apparently someone passed a regulation requiring all new bars to have fancy, art deco absinthe servers. (Like most people, I like virtually everything about absinthe -- the preparation rituals, the accoutrements, the mystery, the old ads -- pretty much everything except the actual absinthe.) Knee high is small and dark and filled with good drinks and pretty women, and I find that I can live with that sort of thing.

Try the: Hemingway

1356 Olive Way
seattle weekly - metblogs
New York Times on the speakeasy trend

#828 - The Tiger Lounge, Seattle - 6/6/2009

Update: The Tiger Lounge closed in September 2011


This is now probably my favorite bar in the Seattle area. Hip yet welcoming, it has more of a feel of going to the coolest house on a home bar tour than of a business, keeping you wondering what is around the next corner.

After a brief life as invitation-only after-hours destination, this now is a full bar, with bands, go-go dancers and other events on various nights. They don't feature the classic tiki drinks, but the tiki crowd will enjoy its retro decor. (more pics)

412 Orcas Street (between S 4th Ave & S 5th Ave, around the corner from Marco Polo)
myspace - culturemob - yelp

#827 - Loretta's Northwesterner, Seattle - 6/6/2009

Saturday night's exploring found two excellent bars to add to the riches of south Seattle. Neither had extraordinary drinks, but their decor and their vibe put them on my highly recommended list.

Remodeled about a year and half ago by the owners of 9 Lb Hammer, Loretta's Northwesterner has the feeling it's been around for a hundred years. It has three distinct ambiances: The main bar is lovely dark wood and glowing, vintage beers signs, and a very classic tavern feel; out back there is a summery, open patio area, with another bar; and the final touch is parked in this patio area -- an Airstream decked out in a swanky, vintage 60s/70s look, with enough vinyl and turntables to have your own party. The patrons are a nice mix of grizzled, old veterans and a younger crowd.

Historical Notes:  Loretta's opened in May 2008, but the structure was built in 1918 and there's been a bar there at least as early as 1939 (the city guide lists a beer parlor owned by Mrs. Lou Mansfield).  The location hosted Kelly's Tavern for many years -- by 1948 and into the 1970s, though it moved across the street by the 1980s.

8617 14th Ave S (between Cloverdale St & Donovan St)
lorettasnorthwesterner.com - yelp - seattle weekly - mid beacon hill blog

#826 - North Shore Pub, Kenmore, WA - 5/30/2009

This is a great discovery for a dive bar fan like me and by the time I arrived late Saturday night (i.e. early Sunday morning), most the patrons were utterly decks awash.

Sample conversation:

Hooched-up patron: Is there a restaurant attached to this place?
Female bartender: Does this look like the kind of place that would have a restaurant attached?

18017 68th Ave Ne, Kenmore, WA
yelp - citysearch

#825 - Thrashers Corner Pub, Bothell, WA - 5/30/2009

As a pub this has all the unique charm of an Applebees. But I did find one interesting sign.

20805 Bothell Everett Hwy, Bothell, WA 98021
thrasherscorner.com/pub.htm - yelp - urbanspoon

#824 - Bert's Tavern, Bothell, WA - 5/30/2009

I heard Bert's described as a dive bar, but it's not really. It's very much a high-fiving white guy bar, and its decor is primarily the typical Coors and Bud promotional crap. But the idiosyncratic building, the hand-made signs, the porch, and the nice big horseshoes area out back all give it a nice feel of some mountain resort town tavern.

Bert's is also the oldest running business on the Bothell Everett Highway, moving to its current location in 1954, when it had a hitching post for the customers who would arrive on horseback.

17902 Bothell Everett Hwy, Bothell, WA 98012
Est. 1954
yelp - citysearch

#823 - Die BierStube, Seattle - 5/27/2009

This is a very attractive stop if you love authentic German beers. I do not, and I'm old enough that half the women there looked 12 years-old to me. But it's a pleasant neighborhood place nonetheless.

6106 Roosevelt Way NE
diebierstube.com (At the time of this writing, this site had content only for the owner's other German-based bar, Prost, in Greenwood)
the daily - yelp - ratebeer.com - citysearch

#822 - Lottie's Lounge, Seattle - 5/21/2009

A fine neighborhood joint, recently acquired by Bo, who worked for years in the 74th St. Alehouse family of pubs.

Historical notes:  This is in a building constructed in 1892.  In 1903 it became the Hotel Dakota, and then the Columbia Hotel from 1904-1920, hosting the likes of Bullalo Bill Cody.  It was the "Bright Spot Tavern" from at least 1946 into the 1970s, and was Slim's Tavern in 1980.


4900 Rainier Ave S. (map)
lottieslounge.com - myspace - seattle weekly - the stranger - yelp - seattle.gov

#821 - Club Motor, Seattle (SoDo) - 5/21/2009

Update: Club Motor closed March 7, 2012

Club Motor can be a lot of fun, but if you're going there, you're going for the events; you're not going for the place itself and you certainly are not going for the drinks or food.

1950 First Ave. S.
clubmotorseattle.com - westseattleherald (closure) - eventful - the stranger

#820 - The Tin Table, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 5/21/2009

Try the: Amendment 21

Very good cocktails, very good food, good prices, romantic atmosphere, and sexy salsa dancers dropping in from the Century Ballroom dance floor next door -- what's not to like? Yet another fine new choice on Capitol Hill.

915 E Pine St. (above Odd Fellows and across from Century Ballroom)
Est. Feb 28, 2009 - Building constructed 1908
thetintable.com - yelp - seattle metropolitan - capitol hill blog - the stranger

#819 - Boom Noodle, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 5/21/2009

Update: Boom Noodle on Pike closed Aug 21, 2016

Try the: Cucumber Mint Fizz 

Est. 2007 - Closed Aug 21 2016

 1121 E. Pike St. boomnoodle.com - yelp - the stranger

#818 - Crocodile Cafe (new), Seattle - 5/13/2009

Of course I would have preferred that the old Belltown institution stayed around forever, along with its smoke-stained neon sheep, but the the new owners just did a crackerjack job in remodeling the place. The Croc itself now makes much more sense as a space for music; no more spilling out into the rather pointless cafe area or peeking around the beams in front of the stage. The walls are lined by large photos of various Seattle area rockers (The Sonics, et. al.), which would be cheesy if the photos weren't so dang cool.

The old back bar portion is now a sexy Via Tribunali, which feels like a bar with good food, rather than a restaurant that serves drinks. The booths have great, high backs and the entire interior is circled by dramatic black and gold paintings of erupting volcanoes, with each lit by a single lamp that accentuates the Rembrandt lighting. They're even booking interesting bands again. The Croc is definitely back.

2200 2nd Ave Seattle, WA 98121
thecrocodile.com - yelp

#817 - Umi Sake House, Seattle (Belltown) - 5/13/2009

Try the: St. Valentines

2230 1st Ave Seattle, WA 98121
umisakehouse - seattle weekly - yelp - seattledining

#816 - Buckleys, Seattle (Belltown) - 5/13/2009

This feels like a bit more welcoming place to watch sports than the other large options downtown, though I've yet to go there when it's full of people.

2331 2nd Ave, Seattle WA 98121
web site - yelp - citysearch

#815 - List, Seattle (Belltown) - 5/13/2009

I wasn't very excited about another Belltown wine bar, but this is a nifty little place from the owners of Barolo, with a pleasant crowd, excellent food that they serve until midnight, friendly bartenders, and fine wine.

2226 1st Avenue Seattle, WA 98121 (map)
seattle times - the stranger - yelp - urban spoon

#814 - Dinette, Seattle - 5/8/2009

Dinette closed on Dec 23, 2013 and the owner is said to be looking for a larger location.

1514 E. Olive Way
Est. 2005 - Closed 2013
Previous bars in this location: None known
dinetteseattle.com - bostonglobe - yelp - zagat - the stranger - seattle weekly - seattle times -