143 Best Bars in Washington, USA

One of the last of the classic Ballard dives still standing: it used to be that fishermen started drinking here before the day dawned, though now it's just as likely to be hipsters drinking cold cans of Rainier beer and asking for pull tabs. While one side has kept the same servers with studied nonchalance bringing the drinks, a snazzy arcade now fills the other room.

For a break from the tourist trail, this charming European-style café-bar on a quiet Upper Queen Anne block is hard to beat. The marble bar and green-upholstered banquette strike a balance of casual and classy, mirrored by the creative-yet-timeless cocktail list. There’s also a thoughtful wine selection and a food menu robust enough for a full dinner (or just dessert—how many cocktail bars can boast a pastry chef?).

Part of the Sea Creatures mini-empire led by chef Renee Erickson, Barnacle is a narrow bar adjacent to the popular restaurant The Walrus and the Carpenter. It invariably collects people waiting for tables there, but with a beautiful copper-topped bar, tiled walls, and plates of oysters, cured meats, and fish to go with the aperitivos, it’s a great place to drink and snack even if you aren’t planning to dine next door.

The speakeasy trend has produced its share of imitators, but this one stands out for its intimacy. Tucked behind a wooden door in an alley next to the Humphrey Apartments, the shabby-chic hideaway occupies the basement of the building. The space is tiny, a bit more like a secret clubhouse than a bar, and couches invite you to sink in and stay awhile. True to its name, the bar specializes in gin, offering an impressive international selection that rewards exploration.

With its neat brick walls, polished wood floors, and vintage memorabilia, Big Time Brewery is one of the best places in the U-District for a quiet beer away from the frenetic college scene. Opened in 1988, it was one of the first local brewpubs of the craft beer movement. There are more than a dozen beers on tap, including cask ales; come here for that, not the mediocre pub grub.

This sleek, sexy gastrotavern makes the north end of Belltown look good. The minimalist interior if filled with black tables, warm wood floors, and subtle lighting that sets the tone for a menu that balances refinement with comfort. It draws a laid-back but stylish crowd, especially on weekends. Expect regional wines and local craft beers alongside creative small plates and shareables like moules frites, pork belly, and seasonal flatbreads. Vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly options abound, making it an easy choice for mixed groups.

A popular stop after skiing or hiking in the mountains to the west, this convivial brewpub in rural Naches is named for a classic Led Zeppelin song that in Welsh means "hill of gold." This is an apt description of the surrounding semi-arid bluffs and also a nod to the mostly British-style sips, including a refreshing blonde ale with heady floral notes. Cheddar tots, pizzas, and beer-infused brownies are among the food offerings. 

Within a short drive of some of the world's most prolific apple orchards, this downtown taphouse and gathering place specializes in local artisan ciders, with about 12 on tap, but you'll also find a great selection of beer as well as mead. The taproom is dog-friendly, and there's often live music.

This is an elegant place for dinner and dancing, with a polished, 2,000-square-foot dance floor. Salsa and swing events often include lessons in the cover charge. There's swing dancing on Tuesday and Wednesday, a bachata social on Thursday, and salsa on Monday and Saturday.

One of the city's defining music venues of the early 21st century continues to put on terrific shows, booking up-and-coming acts and a good representation of locals. The eclectic mix of performers defies categorization, and nights without shows are often filled with dance parties and DJs.

Were it not for the awning, picnic tables, and rotating food trucks routinely parked outside, this place might look like just another corner convenience store—which it used to be before owner Chuck transformed it into one of North Seattle’s favorite spots for sampling craft beer. With 50 taps, Chuck’s features an especially good selection of IPAs and ciders on draft, many of local origin. Families love this extremely kid-friendly spot—there’s an ice-cream counter, ample seating inside and out, and stacks of board games. Chuck’s also offers a huge selection of bottled beers from all over the world, including gluten- and alcohol-free options.

A pint-size brewery a few blocks from Pike Place, Cloudburst gives you a taste of Seattle’s grungy microbrewery scene, in the best way possible. Housed in an old brick building with stickered walls, it offers an impressive selection of IPAs on tap, and a few other beers for those less hop-inclined. A Seattle staple, the brewery attracts beer and hops nerds alike to geek out over some seriously good ales. Cloudburst has a second and (slightly) bigger location in Ballard.

The best beer bar in Pioneer Square features 22 rotating taps of Northwest (including Boundary Bay, Chuckanut, and Anacortes) and California beers and a long list of bottles from the region. Its upscale pub menu features local and seasonal ingredients, including a delectable Dungeness crab cake BLT and Alaskan cod fish and chips. Collins is a perfect pre- or post-game spot, or simply for an evening of microbrews and seafood-centric pub fare.

You might actually hear an Irish accent or two at this laid-back pub, along with live folk, roots, alt-country, bluegrass, and traditional Irish music. There's live music almost every night and great beer (including the obligatory Guinness on tap).

Amid Winthrop's old-fashioned Wild West storefronts, this swanky little cocktail bar with an ornate chandelier feels decidedly modern and urbane. It has creative bar nibbles and a standout selection of craft cocktails, many of them prepared with artisanal spirits. There's also an extensive list of single-malt whiskeys.

The Cuff Complex is one of the city's oldest LGTBQ+ clubs and also one of the biggest, with four bars, a patio, billiards, darts, and a loud, crowded dance floor tucked away downstairs. It fashions itself as a manly leather bar but attracts all shapes, sizes, and styles.

This spacious wine bar's big, cushioned window seats open up to the historic streets of Pioneer Square, and will draw you right in to the elegant space. Specializing in sparkling wines from Champagne to Pet Nat, the Dandy of King Street Crossing has brought an air of Europe to the neighborhood since its opening in the spring of 2025. Pair your sparkling flights or glasses of bubbles with inventive small plates, including an indulgent cheese board and Pão de queijo, a light and fluffy Brazilian bread filled with cheese.

An inconspicuous front door sets the speakeasy vibe at this swanky, darkly lit bar beneath the Amazon spheres. It's run by local restaurateur Renee Erickson, and the book-sized cocktail menu shows a creative chef's touch, as does the bar food selection, which ranges from caviar to hot dogs. It's a small, intimate space, so reservations are a good idea, though they set aside seats for walk-ins.

Occupying the former lobby of the historic Diller Hotel, which was built in 1890, the Diller Room is a charming, worn-around-the-edges spot for cocktails in downtown, across the street from the Seattle Art Museum. Exposed brick, mismatched crystal chandeliers, a beat-up white tile floor, and a vintage neon Diller Hotel sign above the wood bar provide the atmosphere. The drink menu includes cocktails with a nod to Seattle's colorful history, and the food menu offers pizzas and charcuterie boards.

Seattleites dress up to see nationally known jazz artists at Dimitriou's, where intimate tables for two surround the stage. Those with reservations for cocktails or dinner (served during the first set) receive priority seating.

A true neighborhood spot, this small jazz club and restaurant is devoted to music education during the day and performances from local and touring acts in the evenings. Performances are usually on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.

Polished logs serve as bar stools in this tiny and rustic taproom, located in the back corner of a small, nondescript business plaza, its sign promising "cold beer and warm nuts to go." Elk Head produces a good range of flavorful beers, including hoppy West Coast–style IPAs.

On a quiet street removed from bustling Ballard, Essex boasts craft cocktails, a handful of which are served on tap. The rotating cocktails often include house-made ingredients or are barrel aged, and all have something of a cocktail-nerd bent. A solid wine list and local beer selections are also available, as is a selection of wood-fired dishes that come out of the pizza oven at next-door sibling shop Delancey.

Head to this stylish downtown brewpub with a back patio overlooking Mt. Hood for seriously impressive beers, with the potent Cryo IPA and roasty and rich Cash Oatmeal Stout leading the way. There's live music many evenings, and tasty pub fare, too.

Seattle brims with breweries, but few are as welcoming a place to while away a few hours as this Fremont space. The wonderfully drinkable beers range from a rice lager to a porter, and the non-beer drinks cover an even wider swath, with sake, cider, a selection of teas, and kombuchas. A pair of ramen restaurants serve food from the back, near the back patio, and a bucket near the register has free toys for kids.

The original idea was a clever one for a perennially drizzly city: indoor mini golf for grownups and a great local draft beer list. Flatstick Pub's fun-focused concept was such a hole-in-one that it's since expanded to six locations total around the region, including this underground Pioneer Square spot. Set in an industrial-cool space with brick walls, exposed ducts, and colorful artwork, Flatstick features a mini golf course that spells out "Seattle" and a 12-foot-tall Space Needle that lights up if you sink it on your first try. You can also try your hand at Stick Putt (think skee-ball meets putting) and Duffleboard, a Flatstick-invented tabletop golf game. If you work up an appetite while playing games, curb your hunger with snacks, salads, and brick oven pizzas.

The quirky murals at all Flatstick locations were painted by local artist Ryan Henry Ward. If you spend any time driving around Seattle, you're sure to see his art and prominent simple signature on a building or wall; he's the city's most prolific muralist, with works sometimes featuring Pacific Northwest subjects, including Sasquatch. Not everyone appreciates his widespread whimsy, but nobody can deny his art is a memorable part of the cityscape.

Perched on the 16th floor of The Charter Hotel, Fog Room is a newer addition to Seattle's small rooftop bar scene, and it's a classy modern one, from the decor to the cocktails to its small bites, featuring elevated bar snacks like Lion's Mane carpaccio and Dungeness crab rolls. A chic indoor lounge with expansive windows opens to an outdoor terrace with seating and a fire pit; the city and water views aren't the best of the bunch, but you don't need to reserve outdoor seating.

Beloved by locals, this divey English pub attracts grizzled old Brits watching soccer, hipsters looking for cheap beer and whiskey, a frat crowd that clogs up the front patio area on weekends, and know-it-alls hoping to crush the competition at the popular Thursday trivia night. Major soccer events like the World Cup bring in huge crowds.

One of the foremost craft brewers in the state boasts a large and cheery outdoor terrace and an attractive indoor taproom where you can view the company's massive brewing vats. Order a flight for a chance to sample the eclectic offerings, and be sure to include the signature Bootjack IPA in the mix. Warm pretzels and bowls of chili are great food choices.

Set in an otherwise inauspicious industrial area near the airport, this craft brewery and taproom has earned a reputation throughout the archipelago—and even on the mainland in Seattle—for well-made beers, including the faintly citrusy Elwha Rock IPA and the silky Oatmeal Stout. Smoked salmon, cheese and crackers, and a few other snacks are sold in the homey taproom. With a usual closing time of 7 pm it's definitely not a late-night haunt, though it sometimes stays open later for live music.