Different neighborhoods are good for different types of nightlife. Note that nightlife starts to heat up after 11pm and ends at 2am (bars/clubs/lounges). Pictured above is The Pink Door in downtown that offers burlesque shows.

Will it be a laid-back beer-belly/pub night?
- Try McMenamins or The Masonry (pizza and beer on tap) in Lower Queen Anne.
A classy craft cocktail night?
- Try Canon or Witness in Capitol Hill or Rob Roy in Belltown.
A delicious gastropub night?
- Try Quinn’s Pub or Tavern Law in Capitol Hill or Black Bottle or List in Belltown.
A classy, fancy lounge night?
- Try Frolik Kitchen + Cocktails in the Motif Hotel Downtown for a rooftop fireplace/bar views.
A low key, very calm drinking night?
- Try The Upstairs in Belltown or Solo Bar or The Sitting Room in Lower Queen Anne.
A fun and chill night with friends?
- Try Garage (bowling and billards), Rhein Haus (bocce ball), or Capitol Cider (shuffleboard and board games downstairs) in Capitol Hill. Or go to Kangaroo & Kiwi Pub (billiards) in Ballard or The Ballroom (billiards and dancing) in Fremont.
Or a full-on total dance party night?
- Try Grim’s (Butterfly Lounge & The Woods) ($5 cover) or Q Nightclub ($10+ cover) or Neighbours Nightclub (gay club) in Capitol Hill.
Want a burlesque show?
- Try The Pink Door in downtown (pictured above).

My first recommendation for the true Seattle grunge nightlife for those in their 20’s is in Capitol Hill. Ballard and Fremont have amazing chill and beautiful bars as well. If you’re feeling dancy, there is The Woods at Grim’s (my favorite), Q Nightclub and Havana Social Club in Capitol Hill, Trinity Nightclub in Pioneer Square, and Aston Manor (EDM) in the Industrial District (SODO/South of Downtown). If you like EDM, then you can also try Foundation Nightclub as well. When I moved here, I couldn’t believe the number of pubs per square mile – Seattle brews a lot of beer.

BALLARD

Bastille Cafe & Bar: Beautiful french cafe with huge outdoor patio.
Kangaroo & Kiwi Pub: Beer and billiards!
Brimmer & Heeltap: Gastropub
Matador Restaurant & Tequila Bar: $5 unlimited nachos
The Gerald: Stylish bar
King’s Hardware: Full straight-on pub with beer and burgers
Hazlewood: Lounge/cocktail bar
The Noble Fir: Beer, pub, ciders, late 20s to 30+ year olds

BELLTOWN

Black Bottle: Delicious small plates
List: Cute small venue with delicious small plates – get the truffle gnocchi!
Amber: Small, weird dance floor, good for chilling out with friends
Some Random Bar: Cool name – gastropub, craft cocktails, and beer
Rob Roy: Craft and classic cocktails, small, intimate venue
Umi Sake House: Classy sushi joint – my friend took a picture with Jessica Alba here once. She wasn’t happy.
Bathtub Gin & Co: A speak-easy with prohibition-era cocktails downstairs
The Upstairs: A homey bar upstairs with craft cocktails and comfy couches
Foundation Nightclub: Seattle’s #1 EDM club
Bell+Whete: European kitchen + lounge with an extensive bar and big beer selection
Rocco’s: Beer and pizza and extensive bar – delicious fancy pizza

q nightclub — Q Nightclub on a typical night. Large dance floor and large bar area.

CAPITOL HILL

Unicorn: Very cool bar with upstairs and downstairs – where Macklemore filmed his music video
Pie Bar: Delicious pie and pie-inspired drinks – very small venue but my friends and I love it. JoYo favorite!*
Capitol Cider: Amazing and huge selection of ciders with shuffleboard and games downstairs. JoYo favorite!*
Grim’s (Butterfly Lounge & The Woods): Grim’s is the first level with a bar and chill area, next level is the Butterfly Lounge with another bar, and then at the top is the fun stuff – crazy crazy dancing in The Woods (my favorite for $5 cover). Super casual – put on a nice blouse and jeans and go dancing. JoYo favorite!*
Barca: Chill bar
Garage: Bowling and billiards
Q Nightclub: Dancing! Hit-or-miss on the music
Havana Social Club: Crazy crowded dancing
Knee High Stocking Company: Speakeasy cocktail bar with neo-classic and modern cocktails in an unmarked corner building
Cha Cha Lounge: Mexican-inspired venue that is crowded! I love the decorations. JoYo favorite!*
Sun Liquor: Bar and distillery. Very nice venue with huge liquor selection on display
Quinn’s Pub: Gastropub – people like the bone marrow
Rhein Haus: Bocce ball and brats, I feel really short and sometimes out of place here
Liberty Bar: Craft cocktails and drinks – nice bartenders
Smith: Craft cocktails and pub fare, huge venue, restaurant and bar
The Saint: Mexican bar and restaurant – associated with Havana Social Club
The Baltic Room: Good dance floor with great hip hop music but for some reason, this place is always empty – a let-down
The Pine Box: Used to be where they kept dead people – renovated into a bar
Witness: Southern classic cocktails
Canon: Whiskey and bitters emporium
Tavern Law: Gastropub – craft cocktail and comfort food

DOWNTOWN

Frolik Kitchen + Cocktails: Pretty rooftop bar with fireplace, nice dance music (no dance floor) and a bunch of older, swanky hotel guests
Hard Rock Cafe: Just a nice rooftop bar. Chain restaurant.
Radiator Whiskey: Whiskey bar that serves a full pig if you order in advance
Von’s 1000 Spirits: Beautiful gastropub and bar with huge seating in the back and tasty good food

FREMONT

The Ballroom: Billiards and a dance floor with a cage. Haha, cage dancing. Why not.

INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT

Aston Manor: The most upscale club in Seattle (still nothing compared to Las Vegas/SF/NYC) but EDM and streamers blown at you. Girls are super dressed up. Lots of Asians.

LOWER QUEEN ANNE

Peso’s Kitchen & Lounge: Pretty waitresses and good, but not great, Mexican food
Keys on Main: Dueling piano bar – interesting. For the older 30-40+ year old crowd.
Ten Mercer: Expensive fine dining with drinks, for the older crowd who came from a ballet or theatre show
McMenamins: pub with lots of beer and expensive but good food
The Sitting Room: homey, quaint sitting bar and bistro with small plates
Solo Bar: quiet bar that serves food and drinks
Triumph Bar: more modern bar with oysters and drinks
Tini Bigs Lounge: Jazzy-feeling bar
The Masonry: Huge beer and craft beer selection and wood-fired pizza

PIONEER SQUARE

Trinity Nightclub: Nightclub with three rooms (hip hop, EDM, bar room) – it’s a bit grungy but some people (girls) get pretty dressed up – you don’t have to get dressed up
Damn the Weather: Drinks and food in a pretty, hipster surrounding
E Smith. Mercentile: Food and drinks, hipster, pretty industrial decor and expensive drinks.
Bar Sajor: Drinks and food

What to Eat Late Nite

Night out on the town? Get a Seattle dog from any of the late night street vendors hanging out in Capitol Hill or Belltown! It’s a hot dog with cream cheese on a pretzel bun and it is mighty delicious whether you’re drunk or sober. You HAVE to try it, at least. Please!

Capitol Hill has a lot of late night options. I recommend Kedai Makan, but my friends like to get your greasy Hot Mama’s Pizza and Big Mario’s New York Style Pizza.