This was a very cool bar with an old-timey feel and great cocktails! The seating was comfortable…read moreand cute, and the pricing of the cocktails was just right. Our bartender, Marquetta, was lovely and was happy to explain the flavors of the cocktails before we made our decisions. The drink I ended up with (Saint Alice) was delicious!

The vibes here are the best between any bar in Ballard (unless you're looking at dives, but that's…read morea totally different category.) Drinks are thoughtfully made, unique, and bursting with flavor every time. One of the few places in Seattle where a 15 dollar drink actually feels worth it. Gorgeous ambience, and they host some really cool events. Bring a friend/date here you won't regret.

We went on a Sunday evening for Steakeasy's pop up steak frites and didn't have to wait very long…read moreto order or get our food. I got the chimichurri sauce with the 4oz steak ($15), although you could also get the 8oz version for $25. Pro tip: ask them to cut the slices a bit thinner! It's a pretty open, natural lighting, and spacious. Great place to have a casual, but feels a bit more formal(?) dinner

Definitely enjoyed my $15 steak & frites! The price is of course the best part about this. The meat…read moreis good and tasty. It's not the best quality but for this price it makes sense. I really liked having it pair with the chimmichurri sauce, and I liked it mixed with the fries too! I enjoyed how they prepared the fries. It could've been crispier, but it was still good. The service was good. Our order was taken pretty quickly and the food was served fast as well. The ambiance is good. There's a decent amount of seating, and it's first come first serve. There's a bar inside as well which is cool. I like how they decorated the place too.

I had been wanting to check out Chez Phinney for awhile. Was planning a trip to Willamette Valley…read morewith friends and one of my friends suggested we meet up there after work to finalize some plans. Was the perfect spot I got there a little ahead of the rest of the gang so I enjoyed a hop water while waiting for them was greeted by friendly staff. Told them there was going to be four of us so they pushed a couple tables together for me. You give them a debit/credit card and they give you a card to use with the wine dispenser. Each wine has a nice write up so you know the religion and notes they have but the staff is more than happy to assist you and point you in the right direction if you tell them what you prefer. My friends arrived two of them already knew the owners so they caught with them a bit and I got to meet them wonderful people. We all decided to start with a Willamette Pinot since that was where we're planning for. I love the option of trying a taste before committing to a larger pour. You options are 1, 3 and 5 ounces. We ordered a bunch of appetizers since it was Happy Hour some were at a HH price which was nice. We enjoyed the cheese plate, onion dip and a tin of Calamari I believe had a photo but accidentally deleted. Was a wonderful light dinner for us all. Cute space warm ambiance, lots of tables and upper and a smaller lower area. Definitely would return wonderful selection of wines something for everyone

Disclaimer I came here for a fundraiser, however I would definitely come back…read more A little different experience than going to a winery only tasting that wineries. This is more like a bar in the sunset that you have amazing variety of wines. Not feeling like a domestic taste the international. The directions are very simple and clear You grab a wine card, grab a glass, wine, pick a wine and decide the pour size. You know I didn't count, but there were easily a dozen wines to select from. The people who are working at the wine bar were absolutely. Truly service with a smile. The interior is really pretty cool lots of things to look at and is also very comfortable I would definitely come here again

i know most people come here just waiting for delancey but i might argue this is the better…read moreexperience. beautifully decorated, amazing service. and you can get delancey meatballs here which is the best thing in the menu. cocktails are a touch pricey even for seattle but i'd go back.

A nice little bar (Essex), associated with Delancey. It's clear that the wait for a table at…read moreDelancey is frequently long, and they have wisely separated the bar area, and made it independent, so that waiting at the bar (Essex) wouldn't clog the front entrance of Delancey. We ordered munchies and drinks while we waited for our table at Delancey. The bartender / server knew we would be headed to Delancey in 40 minutes or so, and handled things well accordingly. We got a plate of olives (tasty, great finger food) and drinks. The Yonder cider was good, not too sweet. The Martini was tasty. I had two quibbles: The first was with the pricing: the martini was charged as two separate items: 1) gin (I suppose the charge varies by the kind of gin or vodka in your martini) 2) martini (which is apparently the non-vodka or or non-gin part of your drink) While I'm sure this makes it easier to track for the bartender and inventory, as well as for charging, as a customer, it's a little odd to have a mixed drink be a two-part charge. The second was the included 20% automatic gratuity. I don't object to the concept of a standard service charge, I just wish it had been more prominently displayed so that I wouldn't have added a 20% tip on top of that (and my tip was on the amount that included tax, service charge and drinks / food). So, buyer beware ... the service is good, the ambiance is nice, the food and drinks are good -- but the payment / billing is non-standard, and can cause unexpected surprises.

Amazing!!! We got the drink that came with a Polaroid, and they really did come take a picture and…read moregive us the Polaroid. So cute! Very cool vibes inside, super unique with excellent drinks. Wanted to go again, but it was closed :(.

I've been behind a bar for more than 30 years…read more Long enough to know the difference between service and hospitality. Service is getting the drink right. Hospitality is making somebody feel seen. Dark Room made me feel seen. There was something about this place that hit me almost immediately. Maybe it was the room. Maybe it was the weirdness. Maybe it was the absolute lack of anything cookie-cutter. Maybe it was the way the staff cared without performing the fact that they cared. If you've spent any real time in Seattle bars, you know being the first-timer can sometimes feel a little rough. You walk in and have to earn your way into the rhythm of the place. Not here. Dark Room had that old-school hospitality I built a career around. The kind where somebody notices you. Reads the room. Knows when to talk, when to leave you alone, when to make a recommendation, when to surprise you. The drinks were strange and thoughtful and beautifully made. The food had personality. The room had soul. And then Ewan put a $12.87 "industry credit" on our bill. Twelve dollars and eighty-seven cents. It wasn't the amount. It was the gesture. A little nod across the bar world. A tiny act of recognition from one hospitality person to another. After 30 years in this business, I can tell you that those things matter. A lot. Because the best bars don't just serve drinks. They create a temporary world -- one with its own language, rituals, surprises, and small acts of grace. They remind you that hospitality is not about being impressed. It is about being welcomed. It is about leaving a place feeling a little more connected than when you walked in. That is what Dark Room gave me. It reminded me why I stayed in this business for so long: for the ritual, the intimacy, the creativity, the care, and the beautiful weirdness of making strangers feel at home for a few hours. The ultimate. The unique. The weird. That's the stuff. And Dark Room absolutely gets it.i

Perfect date night spot. This half bar half restaurant has a nice and mellow ambience with a great…read moreR&B playlist to set the mood. Drinks are delicious and food is comparable to some of the traditional Cambodian dishes I grew up with. Get the Beef Loc Lac - a delicious and savory dish that will fill you up even without the sauce! The staff serving was so friendly and attentive, and I really appreciated their relaxed nature. Thanks so much to Oliver's Twist for the enjoyable dining experience. Cheers

So cute inside! The bartender was so sweet and made delicious drinks. I've been wanting to come…read morehere to try their Cambodian-inspired menu, but their kitchen is closed! Hopefully they can get it back up and running. Then, I will definitely be back!

Stampede has one of the most creative cocktail menus in Seattle, and the legacy menu is stacked…read moretoo. Best cocktails in Fremont, and honestly it's not even close. I got the Puma St. Puma, which was basically a spiced pineapple margarita--fruity, savory, a little smoky, and really well balanced. My date got the Bermuda Love Triangle, and hers was incredible. Creamy, tropical, and somehow tasted like the milk left at the bottom of a bowl of Fruity Pebbles, in the best possible way. It can take a little while to get a drink, especially when they're busy, but these aren't basic cocktails being thrown together in 30 seconds. You can't rush perfection. Stampede continues to be one of the best cocktail bars around.

The cocktails here are quite good, though some have maybe more ice than feels reasonable. The…read moreservice was excellent and the vibes were great! They are currently doing a murder mystery themed menu (there's no actual right answer to the murder mystery - it's just vibes) but still have their regular menu too. Highly recommend the patio for peak vibes - it's covered and quite warm even in the evenings in September. Will definitely be back!

Inviting, creative atmosphere and delicious dishes. Our family looks forward to making Fu Kun Wu a…read morefrequent destination for dining out.

I was extremely excited to learn this place was reopening. I loved the old Fu Kun Wu. From the…read morepictures I knew the new place was going to be different but had no idea how very different it was going to be. We sat at the bar and recognized a few pieces from the old space. The staff was extremely friendly, handed us menus right away. At first peak at the menu I thought there was nothing I would eat. There was only two or three items from the old menu. We ordered familiar drinks, the Black Tea Martini is as good as I remember. We decided to be adventurous and ordered a few appetizers. The food was excellent and we ended up ordering more... and more... Then I saw the best thing at the bottom of the menu. Order off the menu, we'll try and accommodate your needs. So, I asked our server if they could make my favorite dish from the old menu. It was simple, just Gai Lan and broccoli. They happily obliged. It came out as good as I remember and ended up ordering another. The food, our server explained, is authentic Thai from a specific region. It really was a great experience. Though it's not the old Fu Kun Wu, it will certainly be a staple for me.

We've been to several events here as it's walking distance from friend's house; otherwise it's…read morestreet parking. Cozy venue; music a bit loud so we bring ear buds or sit/stand as far away from the stage. Staff are cool and friendly.

This is one of the most intimate spots in all of metro Seattle. Very dark, relaxed and informal…read more We enjoyed the musical stylings of the Ron Weinstein Trio. Jazz with a twist. Mellow and moody, it went a little deeper than I'm used to, in a good way. I don't really do infused liquors that often. My friends that do, tell me there are wonderful cocktails amongst the Seamonsters. The ladies we were sitting with all had a glass of Chardonnay (but I'm thinking they meant to say Cabernet Sauvignon). Then the weirdest convo ever; my buddy Cliff, asked them where they got the wine(?) Their reply? "NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS" and with that they all left. Even Mrs. E. couldn't explain it. 07/25

I came here for dinner after a walk in the neighborhood with my dog--perfect place!…read more They have outdoor dining along the edge of the building and under an awning on the street. Both are dog friendly and our waiter even brought my dog a water bowl! Our servers were attentive and friendly. Food and drink were prepared and served quickly. Thank you Luke and Jeff for the wonderful service! I would recommend the brisket sandwich with a fries upgrade. The brisket is tender and juicy and pairs well with the slaw. The ciabatta bun is the best vehicle for all the deliciousness of the sandwich. But the stand out for me was the fries! Perfectly seasoned and fried to perfection, dipped in the aioli...YUM! To drink, I had the non-alcoholic spicy blueberry mocktail. It's spicy from the Fevertree ginger beer and slightly sweet from the blueberry. The fresh mint was a fragrant and delightful garnish. It comes in the coolest copper mug! If you're in the Ballard/Fremont area looking for outside seating, cocktails/mocktails, and tasty food, make sure to check out The Barrel Thief!

Everything was great and the owner Jeff was there tending bar when my friend and I went in for…read morehappy hour. We were the only ones in there for a while and so had a chance to talk with Geoff, who made great recommendations for food and was very pleasant and friendly. Everything we tried was delicious. My friend initially ordered a drink that wasn't on happy hour as she had forgotten to ask about it, and at the end, Jeff had changed the price to a happy hour price since he didn't let her know about that in advance. Very class move and going the extra mile in a way that makes a huge difference and leaves along lasting impression on the customer! Happy hour food menu is small, but that seems to be for a reason, because what they do they do well!