Beautiful bar. Dim. Noisy patrons, loud bartender, not the place for a romantic drink. The bartender seemed to really connect with a few guys at the bar. Local office folks pile into happy hour and take over. Chose the hotel for the bar expecting knowledgeable staff about local liquors & a romantic spot for after dinner. Neither. He tried to help, but just didn't have the knowledge. No idea if he can mix a cocktail. The Seattle Hilton bar staff knew EVERYTHING about every liquor, wine, & beer in the bar and took care of us during an earlier stay. If you like loud, if you like chatty staff, if you like getting hit for $5 for a tonic water- not a gin and tonic, the Polar Bar has you covered. read more

We went in to see if they were kid friendly (kids were well mannered with iPads in hand) and they first told us the kids were only allowed in the back which we quickly complied with but then they never came back to wait on us. Making it seem like our business was not wanted. We went downstairs to the Juno where they were very nice. read more

Great drinks, great service, great atmosphere. Billiards table and large fireplace add to the ambiance. Lots of comfortable seating besides at the bar and food is available. read more

Polar Bar - Lounges Near Me - Seattle, Washington

They racial profiled my group tonight. Yes, we were loud and we were having a good time. The Bartender told us we were "too loud". It's a bar, and it's kinda loud. My girlfriends were there a couple a weeks ago and the same thing happened. A group of multi-ethnic people out for "happy hour" and we were treated awfully, this is the 2nd time at this establishment. The bad thing about this...I've been here with my appropriate color friends and they were louder and drunker and they were never told to be quiet. read more

This is a fantastic bar. Whether you're an Absinthe drinker, a bourbon person, or you just want something simple like a gin & tonic - Polar Bar has got you covered. With plenty of room for groups you and your friends can cozy up to the bar, to a group of sofas and chairs, or just stand around and people watch. Even though this bar is on the first floor of a hotel I think a lot more Seattle residents ought to frequent it. Recently I was stuck doing jury duty and thought about jetting across the street to relax here for a bit. But then again... drinking on the jury job? Maybe not so smart! ;) read more

Beautiful bar, consistently bitchy service. Looking at the reviews and the reports of racial profiling and general disinterested staff, I'm not surprised. Still a cool landmark location and a beautiful exterior. The bear in the corner is interesting. Interesting cocktails, but nothing amazing. read more

Fantastic! Great drinks; wonderful appetizers. Friendly bar staff. Ordered an old fashioned and it was perfectly stirred. Had the sliders and calamari appetizers which were fantastic! read more

The Polar Bar is one of the classier, upscale downtown bars youll find. Both times that Ive been there Ive ordered the Czech style absynthe. Its strong, smooth, and delicious. The hotel has an elegant, historical feel with great candles and furniture. The Dome Room upstairs is a nice place, and my employer had an all staff meeting there a few months ago. Just a classy place and a favorite. Take someone here to impress them, but, be prepared to shell out a little bit of dough. This place is just for once every six months or twice a year for me. :) Great for special occassions. read more

Walking into the Polar Bar is like stepping into a Clark Gable film! 5 stars! Viktor is also a great bartender.

ok yelp...ya'll should know me!! i can adapt to any environment...but if i have a choice....i'll always choose a laid back, friendly staff, just chill spot!! even though there was no dress code here....i got the vibe it's really for those "suit & tie" ceo & vp kind of workers!! the service here was nice...prices were reasonable during happy hour & their texas tea was better than the texas tea in texas lol what made this place the best....was the company we came with!!! thanks to our new seattle friends for the love & support they showed us while there!! read more

Terrible service. The bartender seemed to take every order as some kind of personal insult. Maybe he was late for an important appointment. A group of us were celebrating a friend's retirement. No server stopped by the table; we all gave up and ordered from Mr. Congeniality at the bar. As a local, I shudder to think of the tourists this bar (in a hotel!) has alienated. Chairs were super-comfy, drinks were fine, the bear remains awesome. Just don't go there if you're thirsty. read more

Awful service. Went there right after I got married at the courthouse, and when we told the bartender we'd just gotten married, he said "okay". Not one of the staff members said congratulations to us. I understand that they see a lot of weddings but they were just rude. Would not go back. read more

I heard the head Bartender Viktor is gone. Does anyone know where he is working?!? He was the best!

Ridiculous policy that you can't buy a drink or food by yourself if with a group. Even if you go to the bar. Won't take your money. Can only pay one check as a group. Very rude about it and enforce even if the bar is empty. read more

The arctic club old fashioned was really tasty and it comes with a huge ice sphere, the 'gonzo' tastes like sweet melted sorbet and all of the scotch bottles all have top hats on them, so cool....The pool table is free and most of the bar seating is comprised of very comfortable chairs and couches. The beer selection could use some work however and for that reason I'm docking a star. On a final note, the bartender Viktor was humorous, knowledgable and generally awesome. read more

I love this bar! I was staying at the hotel and wanted to have a pre-dinner drink. The decor is amazing and the bartender is awesome. If I lived in the area, I'd regular this bar. read more

I could hang out here all night long. Relaxing atmosphere and great service. When it's not crazy busy, the wait staff is happy to spend time with you telling you about the history of the hotel and offering recommendations for places to visit. The drinks are great. Get the Blood Orange Sidecar-you won't be sorry! read more

Not the place if you are a true whiskey lover but great atmosphere. If they just knew their liquor and drinks. I overheard the bartender tell a customer, "well, I can't really tell the difference between rye and bourbon." The drink tasted fine (as in adequate) for about 3 mins then watered down. read more

The Polar Bar is classy and casual. The look and ambience reminded me of The Gold Room bar from the movie The Shining. Their Old Fashioned is dangerously good, so be careful. Pool table inside and plenty of comfortable seating. read more

The drinks were absolutely amazing and Mike is the best bartender in town. Great conversation great drinks!

Most excellent! Viktor is one of the best bartenders ever. Friendly, knowledgeable and courteous. Relax and observe the absinthe ritual.

Wasn't a huge fan of this place. The one major area where they lost me was the fact that the bartenders were really not super interested in helping us out. One guy was so absent minded that he let our absinthe run over with water and it became super dilute and undrinkable. Unfortunately next time I'm looking for a place to drink in Pioneer square, I'll be skipping this one. read more

Old school, classy hotel bar. Felt like I was in an old Gable-era movie with the leather couches and walk-in fireplace and the tuxedo-clad bartender. Don't know if the infamous Viktor was on-duty, but the old guy bartender tried some fancy "Cocktail" theatrics and failed miserably, dropping it all. A few minutes later, he broke a few glasses bussing a table. Nonetheless, drinks were SUPER strong and Happy Hour bites were delish. I'll definitely be back next time I'm in town. read more

this is a lounge inside a best western hotel, but it does a very convincing job of pretending to be classier than its pedigree. it married up. it's still a theme bar, though, and its roots do show in the maps plastered all over everything and airplane-shaped lamps, and the fact that its name is a pun. the aforementioned theme is "the 1930s"--it's done in a calm, matter-of-fact way, and not in an offensive, epcot-center way. so you can forgive. the jazz soundtrack isn't too loud or horn-sectioney, which is what usually happens in situations like these. the bartender is immaculate, as are the drinks. the happy hour is a sceeeereaming deal, food and drinks both, and makes you feel richer and smarter than you really are. even though it's always completely abandoned, you go here to sit in a leather armchair and talk in hushed, surreptitious tones. ladies, wear a skirt, or slacks with a good crease. men, wear socks that didn't come in a 3-pack. order a pimm's cup. read more

What a joke of a bar! I made reservations for a group and confirmed with the manager, then was told I did not have reservations and we could not split checks because they were too busy. There were literally 2 people in the bar. Drinks were over priced and very weak. It's a very outdated and dirty establishment. Will not be back. read more

Nice atmosphere. Had a wonderful blonde female bartender one night. She was very friendly and chatty. The next night we had Mr. Grumpy-pants Viktor. Ick. He was horrible. Nobody that sour needs to be bartending! We quickly moved to the pool table so we could get the blonde lady who was now cocktailing to wait on us. The lemon drop was awesome! My husband had the 007 and loved it. read more

I was really excited to check out Polar Bar and brought about 10 folks with me after a work event. It was a real bummer to find out that it was closed on a Friday night for an event. Wah wah. We headed downstairs, where they were completely unprepared for the extra traffic. We waited for almost 20 minutes for someone to take a drink order before chasing down a server. Then they forget to bring a food order out. Never came back for a second round of orders. Just not a good experience all around. I'd like to say I will try it again, but it was just such a bummer - the closure, the lack of planning to have extra staff downstairs, the slow service, the lack of concern over the slow service, etc. read more

Fancy Schmancy! This totally reminded me of a James Bond movie--all that was missing was Sean Connery asking for a Martini Shaken, not Stirred and a game of baccarat. Ha! Anywho, this was a legit place. Be prepared, it's fancy which also means spendy drinks. Totally worth it though. It was a great way to start our night on the town. read more

Nice elegant bar in a nice hotel. Pricey, yes, but not for Seattle prices. Great ambience and low lights, old fashioned feeling.

Cocktails were great, but food NOT SO MUCH! Worst ever red pepper hummus tasted extremely smoky and burnt, fries we had to send back for not being done and cold. BUT the Chocolate I definitely go back for the cake, even with price of $10 ! read more

A class act. Unlike most hotel bars, this one is unique and low key. The drinks aren't terribly overpriced either. If you want good drinks, a classy ambiance and a warm fireplace during the cold months of Seattle (all 9 of them) this would be the place to go. read more

We were staying at the Arctic Club and grabbed drinks at he bar. For a hotel bar it was fairly good. The bartender had several good recommendations including The Last Word which I learned was a drink created in Seattle. It was a quiet spot, surprisingly not a lot of action and we were there on thur/fri nights. Nice that kids aren't allowed in the lounge area. The decor is fantastic. Worth checking out for a drink especially if staying at the hotel. read more

Great decor of an old club and beautiful bar. Beer was super cold and service was great.

The sole thing that makes Polar Bar four stars instead of five is the utter absence of company. Normally a person who prefers plenty of space, I found myself all but alone with my perfectly crafted, delicious cocktail. Not the ideal place to socialize, but very much the ideal place for a quiet, pricey drink. read more

This place is fantastic. Warm, and quiet. It felt like I stepped into the Great Gatsby! Great Happy Hour and drink specials. The bartender was very attentive. I will be back soon. read more

I am a regular at this bar located in the historic Arctic Club. I love the old world ambiance. The drinks are amazing! The bartenders are friendly an attentive. The only downside: The food is good, but not up to their drink standard. read more

went there for absinthe, def go for pernod bec not all absinthe are created equal. Lanie the bartender, she is a sweetheart then ofcourse the absinthe maestro "Viktor" what a nice guy. The place is elegant, quiet and perfect for happy hour people on the go ;) Have fun enjoy with a great company! read more

Came here for a post work happy hour, great spot for a couple cocktails and some appetizers, with a good selection that are half off during happy hour. The bar has great atmosphere, in that it is a grand old hotel bar with inviting seats, and is great place to converse with people. Had the NW 75, like a French 75 but with a PNW twist with Douglas fir liquor in it. Corpse Reviver #2 was solid and boozy. Only gets 4 stars due to service was lacking at times, draft selection is just 2 beers. Look forward to coming back again and again! read more

I was very excited to check out Polar Bar. I've heard so many wonderful things about the place, but I felt like I was let down. The bartender was cold and had his back to the line while he was sorting money in the cash register for a few minutes before taking our order. When he took our order he acted like he could care less and all he wanted to do was get through the line. I was really looking forward to a good experience and I was disappointed. read more

I can't say enough good things about this place. The staff is great and the food is top notch.