Seattle city guide
Drinks & Late Night Revelries
Pike & Western Wine Shop
Drinks & Late Night
In the middle of the heavily-touristed Pike Place Market, Pike and Western seems like it should be a lot more expensive. But it's one of the best values in town. Great selection of both old world and local wines. Tastings Friday afternoons.
Location: 1934 Pike Pl, Seattle, WA 98101
IxD19 Team Favorite
Holy Mountain Brewing Company
Drinks & Late Night Interbay
Tucked away in an industrial park on the far side of Queen Anne Hill, some uber beer geeks we know consider this the best brewery in America. Well worth the trip. Colin Lefensty and his crew make consistently interesting stylistic choices, specializing in saisons and sours. If you see their taps in other establishments, order them.
Location: 1421 Elliott Ave W, Seattle, WA 98119
Fremont Brewing
Drinks & Late Night Fremont
Family-owned, beloved brewery that consistently produces some of the best-loved seasonal ales in Seattle. One of the giants in the Seattle craft beer scene. And free pretzels!
Location: 1050 N 34th St, Seattle, WA 98103
Optimism Brewing
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
Industrial-chic, dog friendly brewery serving unique beers, featuring rotating eats from local food trucks.
Location: 1158 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122
Capitol Cider
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
Bi-level tavern with a vintage vibe, numerous hard ciders on tap, a gluten-free menu & games.
Location: 818 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122
Unicorn
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
Corn dogs meet cocktails at this carnival-themed bar with arcades & a stage downstairs.
Location: 1118 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122
Madison Pub
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
Relaxed, gay sports bar offering beer & cocktails, plus TV sports, pool, darts & a jukebox.
Location: 1315 E Madison St, Seattle, WA 98122
Jupiter Bar
Drinks & Late Night Belltown
Hangout with local art, cocktails & light fare, plus an arcade with pinball machines & a pool table.
Location: 2126 2nd Ave A, Seattle, WA 98121
IxD19 Team Favorite
Montana
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
Western-themed, gay-friendly dive bar with cocktails on tap & craft beers served in log-lined environs.
Location: 1506 E Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98122
Revolver
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
Friendly neighborhood beer bar that serves up vinyl platters and pub grub with it's small but well-curated selection of ciders and ales.
The Backdoor
Drinks & Late Night Fremont
Speakeasy-style lounge behind Roxy's Diner, for cocktails, small plates & occasional live music.
Location: 462 N 36th St, Seattle, WA 98103
IxD19 Team Favorite
Damn The Weather
Drinks & Late Night Pioneer Square
Upscale gastropub with craft cocktails & a changing menu of American fare in wood-&-brick digs.
Location: 116 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
Navy Strength
Drinks & Late Night Belltown
Classic & novel tiki drinks meet an eclectic bar menu in a sunny locale with globe-trotting decor.
Location: 2505 2nd Ave #102, Seattle, WA 98121
No Anchor
Drinks & Late Night Belltown
Cozy taproom with a creatively organized beer list, wine, upscale bites & beer-focused cocktails.
Location: 2505 2nd Ave #105, Seattle, WA 98121
The Nest
Drinks & Late Night Belltown
Top-shelf hotel bar with expansive Puget Sound views, large-format cocktails & gourmet nibbles. Watch out for their hidden "reservation fees" if you reserve an outdoor table via their Web service. Outdoor heating makes it tolerable in the cold, but you're pretty much hosed if it's raining.
Location: 110 Stewart Street, Seattle, WA 98101
Art Marble 21
Drinks & Late Night South Lake Union
Contemporary destination offering New American plates, cocktails & brews, plus a game room.
Location: 731 Westlake Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
Radiator Whiskey
Drinks & Late Night
Rustic-chic spot with open kitchen for creative terrines & other meat creations & huge whiskey list. Hard to find in it's labyrinthine Market building, but worth the hunt.
Location: 94 Pike St #30, Seattle, WA 98101
IxD19 Team Favorite
Rachel’s Ginger Beer
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
Handcrafted ginger beer in a range of flavors is on tap at this buzzy soda/cocktail spot.
Location: 1610 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
Canon
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
Snug bar serving aged spirits, bespoke drinks, global bites & more in a retro, bottle-adorned space.
Location: 928 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
Knee High Stocking Co.
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
Speakeasy-themed bar in an unmarked space offering small plates & a lengthy cocktail lineup.
Location: 1356 E Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98122
Tavern Law
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
High-end vintage cocktails & American fare in a dark, sophisticated space. (Shhh, rumor has it there's a Speakeasy somewhere on the premises.)
Location: 1406 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
Zig Zag Cafe
Drinks & Late Night Downtown
Pioneering craft cocktail space, one of the ones that started the craze back in the 90's. Also features gourmet snacks in a hip space tucked away in the Pike Street Hillclimb near Post Alley. Don't tell anyone.
Location: 1501 Western Ave Ste 202, Seattle, WA 98101
Shorty’s
Drinks & Late Night Belltown
Coney Island-themed bar is a favorite hangout, offering hot dogs, nachos, pinball & arcade games.
Location: 2222 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
Good Bar
Drinks & Late Night Pioneer Square
Modern decor & a historic space set the stage for artisanal cocktails & high-end bar bites.
Location: 240 2nd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
IxD19 Team Favorite
Cloudburst Brewing
Drinks & Late Night Downtown
A pint-size taproom in a high-concept brewery dispensing craft suds to beer connoisseurs.
Location: 2116 Western Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
IxD19 Team Favorite
Linda’s Tavern
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
When OG Seattle scenester Linda Derschang decided in the early '90's to expand beyond her Basic clothing line, she decided to call her first eating and drinking establishment, well, "Linda's." Featuring local craft brews, comfort food, and backwoods vintage northwest kitschy decor, Linda's quickly became THE preferred habitat for the grungerati. She added a cool enclosed and partially covered patio, and it's become a Seattle intitutionj, serving both late night drinks & hangover-curing brunch.
Location: 707 E Pine St, Seattle, WA 98122
Garage Billiards
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
20 bowling lanes, 25 pool tables, 6 bars & a pub grub menu in a retro-themed, circa-1928 building.
Location: 1130 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122
Reuben’s Brews
Drinks & Late Night Ballard
Intimate taproom in an award-winning craft brewery showcasing a rotating selection of draft beers.
Location: 5010 14th Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107
The Raygun Lounge
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
This lively hangout with beer & bar eats features tables for board, role-playing & card games.
Location: 501 E Pine St, Seattle, WA 98122
Mox
Drinks & Late Night Ballard
Games store with a bar-cafe offering classic & new board & card products, plus rentals.
Location: 5105 Leary Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107
The Stepping Stone
Drinks & Late Night Ballard
Cozy and intimate, this dive bar is a neighborhood favorite serving up sandwiches and a full bar menu.
Location: 5903 24th Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98117
Cha Cha Lounge
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
A divey oasis-cum-basement cantina bathed in red light. It's a great place to lose yourself in conversation, or in the gaze of someone nice.
Location: 1013 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122
The Pine Box
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
Outstanding selection of craft beers on tap & New American comfort fare housed in a former mortuary with cathedral ceilings. Totally not creepy!
Location: 1600 Melrose Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
The Runaway
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
Divey, chill, brick-clad spot with colorful orb lighting serves tap beer & cocktails attached to Neumos.
Location: 1425 10th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
Flatstick Pub SLU
Drinks & Late Night South Lake Union
Games bar with mini golf and duffleboard (no, that's not a typo) serving up dozens of local beers on tap.
Near IxD19
Location: 609 Westlake Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
Monster Dogs
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
An iconic, cream cheese-smothered late night staple, these delicious dogs are unique to Seattle.
Location: E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122
IxD19 Team Favorite
Dicks Drive-In
Drinks & Late Night Restaurants Capitol Hill
Emmet Watson, when asked how to make Seattle better, used to say "put it back!" Dicks is a slice of old Seattle that never left. Going strong since the 1950's, your parents used to call it "Ricardo's Club 19" after the 19 cent Dick's Deluxe. You can still get a Deluxe and fries, for cheap, and it makes a delightful fourthmeal after you've been out... carousing and carrying on. The closest one to the Conference Center is in Capitol Hill and was immortalized in Sir Mix-a-lot's hip hop classic "Posse's on Broadway." Others are in Wallingford, lower Queen Anne, and Lake City.
Location: 115 Broadway E, Seattle, WA 98102
Lost Lake Cafe
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
24-hour spot draws a hip crowd with its American diner fare, happy hour & mid-century modern decor.
Location: 1505 10th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
Mecca Cafe
Drinks & Late Night
Long-running diner dishing up American comfort food & all-day breakfasts, open daily til 3:00 AM.
Location: 526 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
The 5 Point Cafe
Drinks & Late Night Belltown
Circa-1929 American diner open 24/7 serving hearty all-day breakfasts, burgers & hot sandwiches.
Location: 415 Cedar St, Seattle, WA 98119
IxD19 Team Favorite
Re-Bar
Drinks & Late Night Denny Regrade
Perhaps the living definition of a "mixed" bar, this legendary club features different nightly themes, with DJs spinning everything from funk to punk. Welcoming to all gender identities and sexual orientations. Some of Seattle's most unique queer community theater and bulesque grew up here.
Near IxD19
Location: 1114 Howell St, Seattle, WA 98101
Showbox
Drinks & Late Night Downtown
Opened in 1939, this iconic music venue has hosted legends ranging from Duke Ellington to Pearl Jam. Recently, a developer purchased the building and attempted to close the Showbox, but the music community rallied and forestalled it's demise for the moment. So you might want to take in a show there before it's gone
Location: 1426 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
Chop Suey
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
Not content with ruling the comfort bar scene, Linda Derschang brought her flawless theme-driven aesthetic, this time bedecked in tawdry-chic red retro Asian accents to Seattle's already saturated club scene. Linda has since sold her interest in Chop Suey, but it's still going strong, featuring nightly features a diverse lineup of anything from hip-hop to alt-rock and legendary DH sets.
Location: 1325 E Madison St, Seattle, WA 98122
IxD19 Team Favorite
The Crocodile
Drinks & Late Night Belltown
The legendary Crocodile Cafe got remodeled, but it's still the same basic layout where all those shows you've heard or read about happened. Everyone from the 1990's Seattle music scene graced the Croc's stage, from Alice In Chains to Mudhoney to Sleater-Kinney and everything in between. Nirvana would play secret shows here, and it was at the Sub Pop 5th Anniversay Party in April 1994, here at ethe Croc, where Kurt Cobain's bandmates, closest friends, and label mates came to mourn after learning of his death the day before.
Near IxD19
Location: 2200 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
Neumos
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
Formerly the legendary 90's rock club Moe, Neumos is the most prolific venue for new and independent music in Seattle. It's right in the epicenter of the Pike/Pine subsection of Capitol Hill, a major Seattle nightlife hub.
Location: 925 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122
Tractor Tavern
Drinks & Late Night Ballard
From rock to reggae, folk to country: performances vary at this down-home music club & bar.
Location: 5213 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107
R Place
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
Multilevel gay entertainment center with dancing, bars & pool plus events such as cabaret & karaoke.
Location: 619 E Pine St, Seattle, WA 98122
The Pony
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
Off the chain gay bar where the drinks are strong and mischief is guaranteed.
IxD19 Team Favorite
RockBox
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
Seattle's premiere Karaoke spot. Almost guaranteed there will be some kind of IxDA Karaoke event here. Check Slack for details.
El Corazon
Drinks & Late Night Denny Regrade
If Metal is your thing, this is your place! If not, well, this is the site of the Off Ramp, one of the epicenters of the Grunge scene, so at least it's got some historical cachet. A band called Mookie Blaylock played one gig here before they added a lead singer from San Diego and changed their name to Pearl Jam.
IxD19 Team Favorite
Le Caviste
Drinks & Late Night Denny Regrade South Lake Union
Just steps away from the Conference Center you'll find Le Caviste, one of Seattle's most distinctive wine bars. Sommelier David Butler's masterful palate is the star of the show here. His selection of natural wines mostly from France guarantee you an interesting and delicious quaff. The small plate food pairings and candlelit bistrot seating make this a welcome respite from conference hurly-burly.
Near IxD19
IxD19 Team Favorite
Vif Wine and Coffee
Coffee Shops & Cafes Drinks & Late Night Restaurants Fremont
Shawn Mead and Lauren Feldman's Vif is one of Seattle's truly wonderful places. Excellent coffee, Lauren's lovingly crafted breakfast and lunch dishes, and Seattle's best portfolio of natural wines make this wine bar/cafe/wine shop well worth the short trip to upper Fremont. This is where the IxDA Board met for pre-func before it's August retreat dinner at nearby seafood superstar Rock Creek. It's near impossible to buy a bottle of wine from Shawn without getting the story of the site, the winemaking techniques, and the winemakers, who she probably knows personally from her extensive travels working for importer Louis/Dressner. Tell her Bram sent you.
Location: 4401 Fremont Ave North, Seattle, WA 98103
Bar Ferdinand
Coffee Shops & Cafes Drinks & Late Night Restaurants Capitol Hill
Another natural wine bar, this one owned by Matt Dillon with wine curated by sometime sommelier Marc Papineau. Located in one of Seattle's most well-curated food & drink complexes, Capitol Hill's Chophouse Row.
Footprint Wine Tap
Drinks & Late Night Capitol Hill
Brand new, sustainably-focused keg wine tap, featuring flights of local wines and small bites.
Location: 1222 E Madison St suite c, Seattle, WA 98122
Lady Yum
Coffee Shops & Cafes Drinks & Late Night Restaurants Amazon Campus Denny Regrade
A cheerful, charming Amazon Campus spot for fanciful macarons, champagne & wine with minimal seating.
Near IxD19
Urbane
Drinks & Late Night Restaurants Denny Regrade Downtown
Urban in the Olive 8 hotel complex is yet another local/seasonal culinary wonderland and exemplar of the Farm to Table movement. It also features a sophistocate bar with sleek modern design and great cocktails. They might even tell you the name of your chicken. (You know, like in that Portlandia episode?)
