Rooftop bars Seattle date
Search results for rooftop bars in Seattle are often out of date. Rooms close; hotel bars change their names; a “rooftop” is sometimes just a window. We only call a place a rooftop bar when its official site does. The rest of this list is what the city actually offers: a few dining rooms with a view, and a couple of public parks that still do the old work of showing you the water and the skyline.
That can be a better date than a crowded roof. A viewpoint at dusk costs nothing and is easy to leave. A reserved table with a window is warmer when it rains, which it will. Check the official links for hours. Women who would rather be introduced than hunt for a reservation can apply to Sterling Introductions, free.
Places we can verify
The Nest
A rooftop bar and lounge downtown, and the one venue on this page whose official site describes it as a rooftop. Reservations and hours are on the restaurant’s own page.
Goldfinch Tavern
Not a rooftop, and we will not call it one. It is a waterfront dining room with a view of Elliott Bay — a quieter alternative when you want to sit down.
Salty’s on Alki Beach
A waterfront restaurant looking back at the skyline from the other side of the bay. The view is the point; the official site has hours and reservations.
Canlis
A fine dining room with a long view of the water and the city. Formal, reserved through the restaurant’s own site, and not a bar.
Kerry Park
A public viewpoint on Queen Anne Hill. There is no cocktail list, which is part of the appeal. Go at a time you can actually see the city.
Olympic Sculpture Park
A waterfront park and sculpture ground, with room to walk toward the water after a drink elsewhere.
Places we like for a date; Sterling has no commercial relationship with them. Hours change — check the official link before you go. We list only venues we could verify as currently open on an official site or an official parks page.
If you are crossing the lake, Bellevue also has a high dining room at Lincoln Square, which we list in our Bellevue guides — it is not a Seattle rooftop, and we do not pretend otherwise. A view is a kindness only if you can actually enjoy it. In midwinter, a reserved indoor table will almost always be better than a roof that looks impressive in a photograph. In high summer, a public viewpoint at dusk can be more memorable than a cocktail you have to shout over. We would rather you check the weather, pick one of these places, and give the evening a little air, than chase every ‘rooftop’ that still appears in an old list.
Questions
How many rooftop bars are there in Seattle?
Fewer than the lists online suggest. On this page, only The Nest is officially a rooftop bar. The others are rooms or parks with a view.
Is a rooftop a good first date?
Only if the weather holds and the room is not too loud. A park viewpoint or a quiet table is often kinder.
Do you arrange introductions in Seattle?
Yes. Women apply free. Executive men begin with a complimentary consultation.