4 Swell Seattle Hotel Bars

We’re still well within the summer visitor season, and if you have relatives or friends coming in to town, there’s one thing you’ll want to be sure of – that the hotel they pick has a good bar. Here, we’ve rounded up four swell ones. Oh, these also might help you pick out a nice spot for a stay-cation.

Oliver’s, The Mayflower Park Hotel
Oliver’s is a great place to have a drink and snack with any type of visitors. It’s a classic downtown stop that’s been serving drinks to guests and locals alike since 1976, and along the way, has been winning awards for its delicious Classic Martinis (and other drinks). It’s casual, but with a nice touch of refined elegance. (Interestingly, it was a circus-themed bar in the middle part of last century – that’s a little fact you can trot out to those visiting.) It also provides nice downtown people watching, and has a solid menu of snacks and lunch and dinner options.

PennyRoyal, The Palladian Hotel
Fairly new, along with the hotel it sits within, Pennyroyal  has a smooth lounge vibe, with black booths, lots of low-lit spots, some cool art highlighting the space, and a swell bar. The cocktails aren’t as lounge-y though, as they boast some modern mixology twists. Take the Last Known Surroundings, which has rhubarb-infused Botanist gin, Italian aperitif Aperol, lemon, ginger, rhubarb bitters and dehydrated rhubarb. They also have Tiki Sundays, if you and your visitors want to get a little island style on at the end of a weekend, and yummy snacks such as their fried chickpeas.

Goldfinch Tavern, The Four Seasons
This Ethan Stowell restaurant in the fancy First Avenue hotel has an echo of the logging nature of the Northwest while never losing the level of sophistication you’d expect, with lots of various woods standing out in the décor, as well as a low fire, room for bigger parties, and windows looking over the water (just past a little downtown industry). The drinks are solid, with numbers like the Citizen Graham (Citizen gin, Campari, Punt ‘e Mes vermouth and sparkling wine). It’s a nicely balanced sipper that goes well with brunch, and also before dinner.

The Dunbar Room, The Sorrento
Recently remodeled, the Dunbar Room has a lovely dining area with a marble floor and tables with cane chairs, as well as an outdoor eating area. But skip them and head to the dark-wood bar area, which has a snug 1930s flair – and a heavy wooden door, with bronze lion knocker, that separates bar from lobby. The drinks are good, with the top hit being the Fireside containing Chartreuse and an orange peel lit on fire, which are then topped with the house amaro and Peychaud’s bitters. Drinks on fire are fun for anyone visiting, naturally.