Best Bars in Seattle (2025)

Jamie Boudreau’s intimate spirits library is synonymous with Seattle cocktail culture: encyclopedic pours, precision technique, and a reverent yet playful menu. Frequently praised by national and local critics, it remains a rite of passage for serious drinkers.

Tucked below Pike Place Market, Zig Zag helped define the modern cocktail bar here and re-popularized the Last Word. Still a benchmark for hospitality and classics, it’s routinely cited by seasoned cocktail writers and local publications for enduring excellence.

Renee Erickson’s Sea Creatures group created a moody, curated lounge beneath the Amazon Spheres, marrying theatrical design with polished cocktails and refined snacks. Covered by Eater Seattle and fashion titles, it’s a downtown stunner that stays personal, not corporate.

Anu Apte and Chris Elford’s Belltown charmer keeps modern tiki vibrant with rotating travel-inspired menus, real-deal technique, and a lively crowd. Regularly recommended by Seattle Met and Eater, it’s where bright flavors and neighborhood energy mingle late.

A transportive, PNW-undersea spin on escapist cocktails hidden just beyond Rumba. Dramatic glassware, rare rums, and showpiece pours make it a beloved special-occasion stop that still feels local. Frequently highlighted by OpenTable diners and Seattle press.

Erik Hakkinen, a Zig Zag alum, channels Parisian elegance and island influences into quietly dazzling cocktails and salty bar snacks. Featured by industry publications this year, it’s a refined Belltown room where technique and taste lead.

Vietnamese Cocktail Bar Phocific Standard Time Opens in Downtown Seattle | Eater Seattle

Tucked upstairs above a bright pho restaurant at 1923 7th Avenue, I discovered a cozy, dimly lit speakeasy-style bar opened by sisters Yenvy and Quynh Pham on October 1. The intimate space—with bar seating, a few small tables, and plans to add jasmine plants to feel like a “Viet style tree house”—serves about eight cocktails that highlight Vietnamese ingredients and flavors, including pandan leaf, Chartreuse egg yolk custard, and pho broth. Standouts on the menu include Nuoc Mat (jasmine, Fever Tree Mediterranean tonic, Cocchi Americano, soju, and longan), Dua Dua (Batavia arrack, Chareau Aloe, soju, absinthe, coconut milk, lime, and basil seeds), and Trung Muoi (pho fat–washed Iwai Japanese whisky, cream sherry, nocino, carcavelos, and salted egg yolk). Katharine Frazier, the bar director, helped translate those flavors into sophisticated drinks while Quynh curated a small natural-wine-and-beer selection and Yenvy created a playful snack menu—pastry pockets filled with pate, potato, and mushroom; a pate trio featuring pho fat, mushroom tofu, and canned fish tomato pates with sesame crackers and picklings; Cua Dip with crab, prawns, Vietnamese mayonnaise, melted cheese, and basil; plus Pho Bac’s pandemic-born pho cups. The concept was largely inspired by the Pham family’s late brother Khoa, honored with a Khoa Was Here shot of pho-fat–washed Jameson with pho broth. PST is on the second floor at 1923 7th Avenue in Seattle and is open 5 p.m.–11 p.m. Monday–Thursday and 5 p.m.–12 a.m. Friday–Saturday. - Eater

A 12-seat Capitol Hill den where personalized service and a deep spirits list define the experience. Lauded by The Infatuation and local reporters for intimacy and precision, it’s the rare spot where the bartender truly reads the room.

A vinyl-walled, plant-based Capitol Hill hangout blending music culture with inclusive drinking—smart cocktails, robust nonalcoholic options, and a vegan menu. Praised by Seattle magazines, it’s a neighborhood bar that feels like a community record collection.

First Hill’s art-forward bar doubles as a rotating gallery curated by local artists, with classic-leaning cocktails and a playful spirit. Seattle Met has chronicled its creative program, making it a singular stop for drinks among paintings.

A Pioneer Square bar with real neighborhood DNA: smart cocktails, a sleeper burger, and frequent pop-up collabs. Included on Eater Seattle’s best bars list this year, it’s a welcoming anchor for pre- or post-art walk nights.

Wallingford’s maritime fantasia—part neighborhood party, part nautical museum—pairs approachable cocktails with a big-hearted staff and patios. Covered by local guides and beloved by residents, it’s an upbeat, proudly independent hang that feels quintessentially Seattle.