Seattle Unique Bar Crawl
Capitol Hill only edition
In my pursuit of finding the best bars in Seattle, I always take into account one question; If I had visitors from a different country, where would I take them for a Friday or Saturday night bar crawl?
While there are many options, the following are three options that have a bit more character than your average bar and are up there as a few of my favorite lesser-known bars in Seattle.
Get the night started off at Captain Blacks, on Belmont in Cap hill. It’s a pirate themed bar with a fun interior that leaves you nothing short of things to look at, all things nautical. But the best part of this space is the outdoor elevated patio out back facing the city. Perfect to be there in the late evening to get the ball rolling and watch the sunset behind the view of downtown Seattle. I’d recommend grabbing a pitcher and commandeering one of the long tables on the patio and make your least favorite friends sit on the side of the table that faces back towards the bar while you admire the skyline. The bar also has a cool figurine of a sailor that’s holding up a bottle of malort, so you can stand there and contemplate buying a shot. For $9 it’s a no from me though for something that tastes like bitter gasoline.
While writing this I went to their website and it, and their Instagram are both quite well done.
You don’t have to go far for the next stop, and what was originally the sole subject of this piece. Immediately next door, on the corner in strip of connected buildings, as they slant downhill is The Stumbling Monk. Hell of a name for a bar, which is a big reason I’ve been dying to go here. Recommendations also claimed cool vibe and unique Belgian beers. I was not disappointed in any way. The furniture inside is almost exclusively old wooden chairs or booths that perfectly match the quiet, dark aesthetic of the place. I was not disappointed by the beer list either. While I admittedly don’t know much about what makes a good beer, the uniqueness of all of these is what really pops out. In the different flavors, wide range of abv %, and most notably, the cool labels. Often times of mythical cartoon guys. No music on either, very much has a feel of an ‘old man pub’ in the best way possible. Perfect for coming with a small group of a few friends to talk, laugh, and drink beers that you can’t pronounce.
Next up and last on this list is Montana. Down the hill from the previous two is a classic dive bar with graffiti literally covering the entire space. It’s of course got the dark, dirty vibe with string lights hanging everywhere. Bonus points for Big Buck Hunter as well. This place is often pretty packed and loud so hard to get a table or hear your friends, so come here after Stumbling Monk when you’re sick of hearing their voice and want Fernet on tap and a couple of cheaper options. I’d go with a Montucky (the bar is called Montana after all) and a shot of fernet. Side note, I am almost positive the new dive bar in Queene Anne called Montana Badlands is the same owners, also a cool spot.
I understand that only three bars is a pretty pathetic all night ‘bar crawl’ but trust me, there is more to come.