Seattle
Seattle's most photographed drinks aren't on any menu — they're in the rooms with the right windows. The bars with a view on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — the central districts all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.
BELLTOWN · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS
Frolik Kitchen + Cocktails draws a steady local crowd in Belltown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
BELLTOWN · $$$$ · ROOFTOP BARS
Mbar at Hyatt Regency draws a steady local crowd in Belltown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
BELLTOWN · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS
Suite 410 Rooftop at Thompson Seattle draws a steady local crowd in Belltown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the eve. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
BELLTOWN · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS
The Nest Rooftop at Thompson draws a steady local crowd in Belltown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
THE CENTRE · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Artusi is the Capitol Hill Italian wine-and-aperitivo bar from the Spinasse team — a 200-bottle Italian list and a serious vermouth programme that's one of the . Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
CAPITOL HILL · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Bar Melusine draws a steady local crowd in Capitol Hill. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
THE CENTRE · $ · COCKTAIL BARS
Get featured across our city and category guides. Reach serious drinkers. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
BELLTOWN · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Bathtub Gin & Co. draws a steady local crowd in Belltown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
THE CENTRE · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Bathtub Gin & Co is the Belltown Prohibition-era speakeasy hidden behind an unmarked door in an alleyway — push the door, descend into a candle-lit basement roo. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
FREMONT · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Brouwer's Cafe draws a steady local crowd in Fremont. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Seattle or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten bars with a view that any serious drinker in Seattle would tell you to put on the list.
Frolik Kitchen + Cocktails draws a steady local crowd in Belltown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
Mbar at Hyatt Regency draws a steady local crowd in Belltown. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Looking beyond Seattle? See our guide to the best bars with a view worldwide, or compare bars with a view city by city.