Seattle Nightlife

As you might expect from a city that was recently crowned the USA’s hippest metropolis, Seattle knows how to show visitors a good time. Capitol Hill is a maze of microbreweries, late night coffee shops and speakeasy-style bars. Throw some stellar live music venues, plenty of funky clubs and dozens of achingly cool wine bars into the mix, and you have the recipe for the perfect night on the tiles.

Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com) sells tickets to all cultural events in Seattle. You can also buy tickets from Seattletickets.com (tel: +1 425 450 5522, www.seattletickets.com).

Check entertainment and cultural listings in the Seattle Weekly (www.seattleweekly.com) and The Stranger (www.thestranger.com/seattle/home).

Bars in Seattle

Elysian Capitol Hill

With room for over 200 beer fans, this brewpub is one of four bars owned by Elysian Brewing Company. Visit during the Great Pumpkin Beer Festival in October, when you can choose from as many as 30 house and guest pumpkin brews and watch the tapping of the beer-filled Great Pumpkin.

Telephone: +1 206 860 1920
Some Random Bar

This classy Belltown bar is all exposed bricks, wooden floors and stylish pendant lighting. The experience is as much about the food as the drinks here, with menu items seemingly as random as the bar’s name. Carefully thought-out cocktails, a rotating selection of local ales and attentive service make this one a winner.

Telephone: +1 206 745 2185
Tavern Law

Harking back to the speakeasies of the Prohibition era, Tavern Law serves up beautifully crafted cocktails amid leather banquettes and bookshelves laden with dusty tomes. Pick up the wall-mounted telephone and, if you play your cards right, you might gain access through the vault door to the hidden bar within a bar upstairs.

Telephone: +1 206 322 9734

Clubs in Seattle

Baltic Room

Leading international and local DJs spin dance tunes six nights a week at this stylish spot at the edge of Capitol Hill. You can expect a different genre each night, from reggae to hip hop to top 40 hits. There are three bars, booth seating and a VIP area. It’s very much a place to see and be seen.

Telephone: +1 206 625 4444
Foundation

With dozens of awards under its belt and a glitzy celebrity clientele, this luxurious club is one of Seattle’s classiest after-hours venues. Three bars, two VIP areas and six talented resident DJs put Foundation a cut above the average nightclub. Just remember to dress the part – the door staff are famously discriminating.

Telephone: +1 206 535 7285

Live Music in Seattle

Dimitriou's Jazz Alley

This is a sophisticated jazz club that often hosts well-known players. Open since 1979, the club’s past performers have included the likes of Eartha Kitt, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson and Dr John. The intimate venue means you’ll have a great view, wherever you’re sitting.

Telephone: +1 206 441 9729
Showbox at the Market

A Seattle institution, this great venue has showcased an incredible range of musical acts since opening in 1939, from Duke Ellington to Muddy Waters to Pearl Jam. Over 200 concerts take place here annually, with more recent performers including Kanye West, Death Cab for Cutie and PJ Harvey.

Telephone: +1 888 929 7849.
The Crocodile

The Crocodile was the original home of Seattle's grunge music scene (think Nirvana, Mudhoney and the Posies) and is still a cutting-edge live music venue. You can expect to hear both established and up-and-coming bands encompassing a wide variety of musical genres, including electronic, rock, folk, metal, punk and hip hop.

Telephone: +1 206 441 4618
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