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Seattle Nightlife and Entertainment

Seattle’s nightlife doesn’t quite live up to the expectations aroused by the city’s musical notoriety, but it’s still compelling and not bad for a beer or two, either - like other West Coast cities, Seattle boasts an excellent selection of microbrewed beers. The Pike Pub & Brewery , 1415 First Ave, and Pyramid Brewery & Ale House , 1201 First Ave S, both make unique hand-crafted brews, and the Irish pubs Kells , 1916 Post Alley, and Tir na nog , 801 First Ave, serve fine pints of Guinness plus the usual selection of European ales. Note, though, that in the state of Washington taverns sell beer and wine but not spirits, while bars sell everything but must be attached to a restaurant. The tavern scene is most accessible, and touristy, in Pioneer Square , where lively establishments like Doc Maynard’s, Old Timer’s Café and the Central Saloon host jazz, reggae and blues bands. Look out for “joint cover nights” ($10 weekends/$5 weeknights), when you can get into about ten different live music venues. Although Seattle’s grunge heyday is long gone, there’s still a thriving music scene. The better-known bands play at the old, atmospheric Moore Theater downtown, 1932 Second Ave ( ), or the Seattle Center Arena .

As far as more refined entertainment goes, the Seattle Center ( ) is the base for most of the city’s cultural institutions: the Pacific Northwest Ballet (tel 206/441-2424, ) and the Seattle Opera (tel 206/389-7699, ) performed in the Opera House, which is closed for renovation until 2003 (re-opening as Marion Oliver McCall Hall). Until then, you can catch performances for both groups at the adjacent Mercer Arts Arena. The Seattle Symphony Orchestra has a new stylish home in the glass-walled Benaroya Concert Hall , 3rd and Union streets (tel 206/215-4747, ). Tickets tend to sell out in advance, but there are sometimes half-price tickets on the day of the performance for students and seniors.

Seattle has numerous theaters ; the longest-established small company is the Seattle Repertory Company (tel 206/443-2222, ) at the Seattle Center. Next door, the Intiman Theater (tel 404/815-1888 or 206/269-1900, ) performs classics and premieres of innovative new works; On the Boards presents contemporary performances (tel 206/217-9888, ); and big-name musicals open at the Fifth Avenue Theatre (tel 206/625-1418, ) or the restored Paramount (tel 206/682-1414, ).

For a much larger-scaled event, Bumbershoot , the Seattle Arts Festival, hosts more than 2000 artists from around the world at 25 stages, exhibit halls and performance venues on Labor Day weekend ($40 four-day pass; ). In May, the Seattle International Film Festival ( ) centers on independent venues such as the Art Deco Egyptian , in the masonic temple at 801 E Pine St (tel 206/323-4978), and the Harvard Exit on 807 E Roy near Broadway in Capitol Hill (tel 206/323-8986). Seafair , held from late July to early August ( ), is Seattle’s answer to Mardi Gras, complete with pirates, parades and the gay-inspired “Unofficial Seafair Tacky Tourist Queen City Cruise” through the Ship Canal.

For what’s on listings throughout the year, Seattle Weekly , free from boxes on the streets and many cafes and stores, is good for reviews and theater, cinema and arts listings, as is the Friday edition of the Seattle Post Intelligencer . Free papers The Stranger and The Rocket provide excellent coverage of the regional music scene.

Bars and clubs

Alibi Room 85 Pike St tel 206/623-3180. Swank martini bar tucked in a dramatic alley behind the Pike Street Market. Excellent food in cafe-type rooms upstairs, DJs spinning tunes on the dance floor downstairs, and a good selection of film scripts in the library.

Comet Tavern 922 E Pike St, Capitol Hill tel 206/323-9853. The oldest bar on Capitol Hill, and a grunge institution, is not surprisingly a smoky dive and a bit of a rocker’s hangout with pool tables.

Doc Maynard’s Public House 610 1st Ave S tel 206/682-4649. Fun, restored 1890s Pioneer Square saloon popular with tourists and featuring live reggae, classic and alternative rock music.

Dutch Ned’s Saloon 201 1st Ave S tel 206/340-8859. The main draw of this friendly Pioneer Square bar is the Seattle Slam poetry night on Wednesdays ($3), when raucous locals come to cheer their favorite frantic wordsmiths.

Linda’s Tavern 707 E Pine St, Capitol Hill tel 206/325-1220. Immensely popular with musicians mainly for its jukebox stocked with classics and current indie rock acts. DJs also pop up several times a week.

Old Timer’s Tavern 620 1st Ave S tel 206/623-9800. Narrow and crowded tavern with nightly blues and jazz acts.

Tractor Tavern 5213 Ballard Ave NW tel 206/789-3599. A popular music joint in Ballard with great character and especially good microbrewed beers.

Music venues

Baltic Room 1207 Pine St E, Capitol Hill tel 206/625-4444. Stylish alternative music venue and jazz club, comprising three different sections, and selling beer, wine and cigars.

Breakroom 1325 E Madison St, Capitol Hill tel 206/860-5155. Regional alternative acts mixed with a few big names make this a solid offering on the local music scene.

Crocodile Cafe 2200 2nd Ave tel 206/441-5611. A hip alternative joint in Belltown promoting everything from rock to avant-garde jazz and spoken word. Also a good diner.

Jazz Alley 2033 6th Ave tel 206/441-9729. Best jazz spot in town, showcasing international jazz acts, as well as up-and-coming brilliants. Tickets start around $20.

OK Hotel Cafe 212 Alaskan Way S tel 206/621-7903. Once the mosher’s favorite, this lively venue near Pioneer Square mixes grunge with avant-garde and poetry. Good for local bands and new jazz.

Showbox 1426 1st Ave tel 206/628-3151. A good alternative choice for regional rock acts, and quite affordable compared to the bigger-name venues. Near the Pike Place Market.