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Seattle's amazing musical legacy is well-known, but there's more to the arts and nightlife scenes than live music. In fact, these days, there are far more swanky bars and inventive pubs than music venues in the city.
To put it bluntly, Seattle's a dynamite place to drink. You can sip overly ambitious and ridiculously named specialty cocktails in trendy lounges, get a lesson from an enthusiastic sommelier in a wine bar or restaurant, or swill cheap beer on the patio of a dive bar. Though some places have very specific demographics, most Seattle bars are egalitarian, drawing loyal regulars of all ages.
The music scene is still kicking—there's something going on every night of the week in nearly every genre of music. The city's dynamic theater scene is a highly regarded proving ground for Broadway, and the Seattle International Film Festival draws the finest in world cinema. The ethereal Marion Oliver McCaw Hall is a first-class venue for opera and ballet, and Benaroya Hall, with its outstanding acoustics, is an elegant premier symphony hall. Families enjoy the Children's Theatre, the Northwest Puppet Center, and the many summertime folk art and music festivals.
In addition to its bars, Downtown and Belltown in particular have notable restaurants with separate bar areas. Most restaurants have impressive bar menus, and food is often served until 11 pm, midnight, or even 1 am in some spots.
Stoup is a great starting point for exploring Ballard's excellent craft-beer scene. A good-size tap room and patio area are family-friendly, and a rotating roster of food trucks feeds beer enthusiasts as they sip staples like the Citra IPA and Mosaic Pale Ale, as well as new and experimental brews.
The fruits of Yakima's hops and apple crops come to the westside at this sprawling joint facility. One of the state's best breweries brings its vertically integrated beers to the space shared with a creative-minded cidery. Together, they offer 32 drinks on tap, a rotating selection of food trucks, and plenty of seating of various sorts at the kid- and dog-friendly, indoor and gravel-lined outdoor space.
In the land of IPA enthusiasts, Fair Isle bravely brews an assortment of innovative saisons and farmhouse ales, often incorporating local ingredients such as rhubarb and elderberry. Fair Isle lends its kitchen to a wide variety of pop-ups serving everything from Turkish lamb roasts to Taiwanese soups. While the taproom is adults-only, the food is sold from a tent in front, allowing all-ages access (and plenty of nearby breweries will let you bring in food). On Fridays at 5 pm, one of the co-owners guides tours through the brewery that include a tasting of young ales.
Optimism, like so many of the city's breweries, acts as a multifunctional third place for locals. What sets it apart is how deftly it serves as beer-nerd haven, gathering space for parties and events, bar, and even indoor playspace for kids and dogs. There are 16 beers on tap in a variety of styles (plus sparkling water) to keep drinkers happy, while food trucks keep them fed. Optimism is a cash-free establishment.
Though it offers all the trappings of a typical Seattle brewery, in that it's dog-friendly, all ages, and has a rotating selection of food trucks parked in front, this partially covered outdoor beer garden doesn't make its own brews. Instead, the 30 taps at Ounces offer a variety of beers and ciders made by folks all over Washington State, making it an awesome opportunity to try drinks from different regional breweries.
In a city known for icing out strangers, this classic European beer hall tries to get them to cozy back up with its communal tables, frosty mugs of beer from 30 taps, and a menu of hearty drinking foods, like pretzels, poutine, and burgers. Everybody's invited to the party here, including kids up until 10 pm.
One of the pioneers of the current generation of Ballard breweries, Reuben's Brews' warehouse-like taproom and outdoor patios often burst at the seams with excited IPA drinkers. The barebones space offers 24 taps serving the brewery's offerings. Close to half the offerings are usually IPAs, like the World Beer Cup Gold Medal-winning Hazelicious IPA and the popular Crikey, but the rest run the gamut from wild farmhouse pale to the aptly named Robust Porter.
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