Deep Dive

"No, your eyes don’t deceive you in the dim light of this fancy cocktail bar. The price is $25 for a hot dog. And it’s good…just not $25 good. Yes, there’s salmon roe dolloped generously on top and the quality of the well-toasted, everything-seasoned bun is high. But with pickled red onions crowding the toppings, you’re getting salt on salt on salt. it’s also a mess to eat, unless you tackle it with a knife and fork like Frasier Crane. A better way to spend the money is to buy double the dogs (and a bag of chips) from street vendors just blocks away." - gabe guarente, aimee rizzo

"If you’re going to wait more than an hour for a table at an underwater-themed cocktail bar, you deserve to dress like you have your own styling team. Deep Dive is a dark speakeasy in South Lake Union that’s full of date night potential and maritime props. It’s an ideal setting for drinking truly outstanding cocktails and eating things that they call snacks but are really full meals - like gnocchi, salmon rillettes, and an $18 homemade hot dog topped with caviar. It’s worth it, we promise." - aimee rizzo

"Deep Dive is a fantastic bar that looks like The Little Mermaid’s underwater grotto and serves sophisticated cocktails with ingredients like beets and aquavit—as well as an entire section of the menu devoted to intricate non-alcoholic drinks involving zero-proof spirits like Seedlip, Pathfinder, and Wilderton. There are no windows, a bunch of old books, expensive-looking glass trinkets, and ship replicas on the shelves which makes drinking here feel like you’re on a voyage on some millionaire’s submarine. Deep Dive is perfect for any special occasion, as long as you order the $20 homemade grass-fed hot dog topped with salmon caviar—which is what any millionaire would eat as a snack in their submarine." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley

"We’re all for grabbing a drink to celebrate a special occasion, and sometimes realizing it’ll actually take 14 (not 19) years to pay off your student loans calls for something more exciting than a pint at your local pub. Both situations call for Deep Dive, an ocean-themed bar from the same people behind Walrus & The Carpenter, which feels a like a classed-up, underwater Disney World. It isn’t the happiest place on earth, but it just might be the happiest place in Seattle. Like Disney World, Deep Dive is kind of a logistical hot mess. It’s located in a hard-to-find entrance inside the Amazon Spheres, they don’t take reservations, and you’ll have to wait at least an hour to get in. But you’ll be rewarded with an underwater grotto scene that makes Ariel’s treasure trove in The Little Mermaid look like amateur hour. Antique maritime oddities, taxidermied creatures, decaying books, and glowing orbs fill every nook surrounding the bar and tables. It’s highly-produced, but the suspension of disbelief is so strong that you’re happy to go along with it, kind of like how you never get pissed off that the animatronic robot jerking its arm around on the Pirates Of The Caribbean ride isn’t actually Johnny Depp. photo credit: Nate Watters The food and drinks here match the interior: showy but not tacky, special, and under-the-sea-themed. The small food menu of mostly-French, fancy bar bites is nice for any slightly celebratory occasion, or if you realized that nearly every plotline in Friends is sexist, and you need a little pick-me-up. One of our favorite snacks is the salmon rillettes that come with seeded crackers we wish grew on trees, and if you skip the caviar-topped hot dog, you’ve done this place wrong. For a main, get the black cod or the gnocchi with pesto and pecorino. The table next to us ordered a second plate of the latter after swallowing the first one whole. Even if you aren’t hungry, you should make it a point to come by for a few over-the-top drinks. Where else will the servers use tweezers to replace the lemon garnish on your aquavit cocktail if they decide the first one was too small? Probably not at the food court next to Splash Mountain. We do, however, really recommend trying a few of the food items. Because, just like at Disney World, you could grumble over a $5 water bottle, or you could slap on a Mickey Mouse hat and eat your weight in Dole Whip while spinning around in oversized teacups. We vote for the Dole Whip. Food Rundown Chips & Dip These are paper-thin potato chips that come with a creamy fennel-dill dip. It’s a subtle and delicious bite to snack on with a drink if you’re not super hungry. Salmon Rilettes The salmon is served with cucumbers, dill oil, and seeded crackers for dipping. The fish is fatty and fresh, and goes really well with the cocktails. Order it. Beef Carpaccio There’s a lot to love about thinly-sliced beef covered in olive oil, anchovy aioli, and pickled celery. Think of it as the best antipasto platter you’ll ever eat, because it is. Parisian Gnocchi The only downside to this plate of pesto-covered pasta dumplings is that you could literally eat the entire thing in three bites - or two if you have a really big mouth. But as long as you’re cool with paying $10 for a mere fleeting moment of beauty, we say go for it. Hot Dog When this hit the table, our server said, “I am just so excited for you. Are you not so excited to eat that? This is a special day.” Here’s the thing: $18 for a hot dog is and always will be outrageous in our book. But if you came here to cut back on your spending, you did something wrong. You’re here to eat the hazelnut-smoked, grass-fed, county ranch beef hot dog with whipped cream cheese, pickled red onion, jalapeño slices, and salmon caviar (yes, caviar) on a seeded bun. Generally-speaking, it’s just as good as the one you can get on a street corner for a third of the price, but not eating this thing whenever you’re at Deep Dive is a disservice to yourself. Black Cod If you’re trying to eat a full dinner here, this incredibly buttery piece of fish with creamy corn puree and tart pickled chanterelle mushrooms is your order." - Aimee Rizzo

"This underwater-themed cocktail bar from the same folks behind Walrus & The Carpenter is located underneath the multimillion-dollar rainforest attraction otherwise known as the Amazon Spheres. This tourist trap is worth it if only to experience the small menu of bar snacks, like the $25 hot dog topped with salmon caviar. But you should drink here, too—Deep Dive has a serious cocktail menu that’s longer than an emotional bridesmaid's wedding speech. Want an Oaxacan Old Fashioned with green pepper tequila and chocolate-orange bitters? They’ve got it. Fernet with a cola-cinnamon reduction and balsamic vinegar? You’ve come to the right glass ball. The only catch is that walk-in wait times can last multiple hours, so make a reservation in advance. " - kayla sager riley, aimee rizzo