Let’s not flip the calendar to fall just yet. You can soak in the few remaining eye-wincing sunny afternoons atop a new rooftop bar by the Amazon campus. That’s our headline opening this month to go with the usual cocktail and wine spots popping up on Capitol Hill and Ballard. Our roll call of new bars below.
Altitude Sky Lounge atop of Astra Hotel
300 Terry Ave. N. (South Lake Union), Seattle; 206-693-6000, altitudeskylounge.com/seattle/Seattle
After the Amazon happy-hour scene dies down, South Lake Union often looks like a ghost town. This tech hub hasn’t become the vibrant nightlife scene many developers had envisioned, but this certainly helps: a sleek, new 16-story rooftop bar with views of the Space Needle, the Olympic mountain range and Lake Union. You can sip a mezcal or a barrel-aged negroni around the outdoor gas firepit tables or hover around the 75-seat indoor bar area when it’s sweater weather. Bar bites include smoked salmon, duck liver mousse and cheese plates. For something more substantial, you have to leave en plein air to dine at the hotel’s new lobby restaurant Otium Grill & Greens. Note, you can also make reservations for the rooftop bar on Tock.
Gold Bar
1416 E. Olive Way (Capitol Hill), Seattle; 206-402-3473, goldbarseattle.com
Gold Bar is one of the more ambitious Capitol Hill projects, aiming to keep its doors open seven days a week until 2 a.m. at a time when crowds are sporadic on weekdays and the labor shortage remains a problem. The Caribbean-themed drinking den has a walk-up service window to sell bottled cocktails to-go along with smash burgers and other sandwiches. The late-night drinking bar also boasts a 35-seat patio, with plans to double the outdoor seating capacity soon. Meanwhile, the original Gold Bar in South Lake Union will close in mid-October as the property will be redeveloped into an office building.
Tio Baby’s
3801 Stone Way N., Suite D (Wallingford area), Seattle; tiobabys.com
Chef Will Gordon, who had been doing pop-ups, lands a brick and mortar along Stone Way North. The former cook at Westward and How to Cook a Wolf does some cheffy takes on bar noshes, including a fast food-inspired spare rib sandwich, along with confit wings and some queso nachos. The 45-seat bar also has an outdoor firepit with eight seats.
Eaglemount Wine and Cider
1656 E. Olive Way (Capitol Hill) Seattle; eaglemountwinery.com
The popular Port Townsend cider house expands to Capitol Hill with a 20-seat tasting room to showcase the two dozen hard ciders, meads and red wines, including its signature rhubarb cider, cherry mead and its award-winning Bordeaux blend, the 2019 Raven.
Aluel Cellars
1528 N.W. Market St. (Ballard), Seattle; 206-485-7141, aluelcellars.com
This Capitol Hill tasting room expands to Ballard with a 20-seat wine bar, and soon an outdoor patio. Aluel does Old World-style wines made with grapes from Rattlesnake Hill and Walla Walla. Currently open Thursday through Sunday, Aluel will expand to six days a week by the end of September.
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