Zig Zag Cafe
Downtown
Everyone from off-duty firefighters to architects loves Zig Zag, the closest thing Seattle has to a speakeasy. It’s hard to find (across the street from Pike Place Market’s backside and down a flight of stairs); and the large circular booths and rosy-colored lights give it a retro-supper-club feel. The bar's real claim to fame is Murray Stenson, who along with his colleagues makes the best martinis in the city (even the sturdy martini glasses suggest that this place takes the classic drink seriously). The house cocktails are equally noteworthy; the best ones are bourbon-based (try the Satan’s Soulpatch, made with vermouth, Grand Marnier, and orange bitters)—but the list covers the bases from tequila to aquavit.
Tip: If nothing on the specialty drink list catches your eye, ask the bartenders to improvise. The obscure liqueurs lining the bar aren’t just for display—ask to have one incorporated into your cocktail.
As Featured In...
From Food & Wine, Jan 2006
“Ben Dougherty and partner Kacy Fitch pore over old cocktail guides in search of quirky forgotten recipes to serve at Zig Zag Cafe in Seattle—like this pleasantly bitter gin drink that calls for the unlikely pairing of Dubonnet, a sweet French aperitif, and Fernet Branca, a bitter Italian digestif....” MORE>>
lastArticle = 1/2006 and lastAward =
