Travelogue: Seattle Bars & Restaurants
Cocktail Week was a total failure
I was in Seattle over a long weekend at the beginning of March. It’s kind of a long story about why we were there—it has to do with an expiring Southwest Companion Pass and trying to fit in one more trip, and Seattle is close to Sacramento, more or less.
We didn’t go because Seattle Cocktail Week started (supposedly) the Sunday we were there, but once I posted our arrival to my Instagram Stories, several friends asked if that’s why we were there. So I figured we might as well try to hit up a few places doing Cocktail Week specials. FAIL.
We used the official Seattle Cocktail Week website to see who was participating and choose places near where we were staying (Downtown at Pike Place Market).
The first place we tried was Penny Royal, which is the hotel bar at the Kimpton in Belltown. It had just opened for the day, so we were the only ones in there. Our waiter/bartender brought us the drink menu and the happy hour menu, but made no mention of Cocktail Week. So I asked if they had any Cocktail Week specials, and he said they did, but they weren’t releasing them until the evening.
I’m sorry. WHAT?
You’re a bar. Your job is to serve people drinks. If you’re participating in an event, and that event starts on a certain day, you can’t just randomly decide that your participation only starts once the sun goes down on that day. That’s not how hospitality works.
So we ordered happy hour Negronis and a cheese plate and that was all. The Negronis were fine, but they were served up, which is not how you serve a Negroni. Everyone knows that.
So yeah, can’t really recommend Penny Royal. Cool vibe. Terrible hospitality.
Later that night we went to Bathtub Gin Co., which is speakeasy-esque and has a downstairs and an upstairs. The upstairs is tiny and quaint, and that’s where we sat. Again, we were given menus but the bartender didn’t make any mention of Cocktail Week specials, so I asked.
His response, “When did that start?” 🤦🏻♀️
I told him it had started that day, and then he said he didn’t think they were participating. To which I replied, “Well, you’re on the website as participating.”
So apparently everyone involved in Seattle Cocktail Week is a complete moron.
We ordered some drinks off the regular menu and enjoyed them, but overall it wasn’t the greatest experience.
But Seattle wasn’t a complete disappointment in the food & beverage department. We did have some truly excellent meals while we were there.
We went to Matt’s in the Market for dinner our first night. Had some tasty cocktails at the bar (because we were a little too early for our reservation) and then some excellent food and wine for dinner. It was pricey, so it’s definitely a special occasion place, but top quality everything, including the service.
We also had a spectacular meal at the Pink Door, which is bigger on the inside than it looks from its unassuming pink door down an alley. It’s a Seattle landmark serving classic Italian cuisine. We had a somewhat comical experience.
I ordered the arancini appetizer and rabbit pasta, while my husband ordered the oysters as an appetizer and linguine with clams for his main course. Before we had even gotten our appetizers, someone tried to give us lasagna and the rabbit pasta. We pointed out that this was the wrong order, and that we were still waiting for our appetizers.
So then the appetizers came right out, and our waiter came over to apologize. He attempted to re-confirm our orders, but somehow ended up saying “lasagna” again. We set him straight, and he went about his business.
After enjoying our appetizers, someone tried to bring us lasagna AGAIN! At this point it was becoming ridiculous. The manager actually came over to apologize and said they would take care of our lunch. We did finally get what we ordered, and it was delicious.
And when the manager said they would take care of our lunch, he meant they would waive the entire bill. Wine, appetizers, entrees (even dessert, had we not been too full to order it). It was next-level hospitality. We were not expecting that at all. We weren’t expecting anything, really. It was pretty funny that they kept trying to bring us lasagna that we didn’t order.
So we ended up having an epically good meal, totally free.
Other great meals included The Dressing Room at Can-Can, which is in Pike Place Market and is a burlesque club at night. They serve a delicious brunch, which I highly recommend.
A friend from Instagram joined us, which is why there are three entrees in the photos below, lol. Their beignets are yummy, but not as good as what you get in New Orleans. And that pink latte was incredibly good.
We ate ramen one night at a place called Wann Japanese Izakaya. They have a full Japanese menu, including sushi. But it was cold and rainy, so ramen really hit the spot. The next night we did sushi at Umi Sake House. We were just in time for happy hour, which probably saved us $50. Seriously, their happy hour sushi specials are insane. Definitely go during happy hour.
Our last dinner in Seattle was at the Alibi Room, which is also in Pike Place Market. It’s a pizza place/cocktail bar. (They weren’t participating in Cocktail Week, so I didn’t bother asking about specials.) We met up with friends, and I didn’t take a single photo of the food or drinks. Sometimes I just enjoy the moment!
Honestly, their pizza is wonderful, but their drinks leave a lot to be desired. Mine was much sweeter than it should have been, and they don’t use proper ice. Yes, I’m a cocktail snob. But if you want to be known as a cocktail bar, you gotta level up your game.
And a quick round-up of breakfast joints: Biscuit Bitch is a definite yes, but it’s just a pick-up spot, so don’t go there planning to sit down and eat. Honest Biscuit is a hard no. They claim to be “in” Pike Place. They’re not. They’re also super hard to find. Skip it.
Aditi Chai (which actually is in the market) has some of the best chai I’ve ever had. They blend it themselves. Must go. Daily Dozen Doughnut Co. is also in the market and has a wide variety of doughnuts. They’re quite small, so we got half a dozen. Only some of them are freshly made. The rest are made much earlier in the day (even though it was like 8:30 am) and are cold by the time you order them. Something to keep in mind.
Oh, and last but not least, the Bar (yes, it’s capitalized because that’s its official name) at the Chihuly Garden & Glass is surprisingly good. You get a coupon when you purchase admission to the museum for “buy one, get one free” drinks. Don’t skip that if you go!
So that’s the Seattle round-up. Also, just a note: all of these photos were taken on my iPhone and are unedited. Yes, I’m a photographer, but sometimes I just like to keep it real and show things just as they are, without any touch-ups.