Best & Cool Bars in Kirkland

"One of Seattle’s enduring Italian restaurants, located at Post Alley, recently reopened for indoor dining, with plenty of well-crafted pasta selections, including squid ink spaghetti with grilled prawns, cauliflower, and anchovy, and its popular spinach lasagna. Diners who plan ahead should try to score a spot on the outdoor deck, although summer bookings are filling up fast. View this post on Instagram"

"You know you’ve found the restaurant when you see the metal pink door in the Post Alley of Pike Place Market. Call ahead for reservations as this place gets booked, but it’s worth it. Enjoy a martini on the rooftop overlooking Elliott Bay, or have a cozy dinner indoors in an Italian atmosphere."

"If you really want to go all out on your date night, The Pink Door is perhaps the most magnificent dinner date experience in Seattle. The restaurant has a secret entrance, incredib..."

"This small and intimate space is definitely one of the best romantic restaurants in the city. Chef Jason Stratton preps a truly impressive menu of authentic Italian dishes like rab..."

"Spinasse, located in Capitol Hill, serves up Italian cuisine specific to the Piedmont Region. They have a stellar all-Piedmont wine list, fresh handmade pasta, and locally sourced ..."

"Our number one restaurant choice is Seattle’s ‘The Walrus and the Carpenter’, an eatery that was developed by a trio of friends, Chad Dale, Renee Erickson, and Jeremy Price. The doors opened in 2010, which means that its awesome success has happened in a very short period of time, and amongst old timers that are located all around. Menu offerings include eight types of oysters, six types of vegetables in a variety of forms, prawns, mussels, clams, scallops, and sardines, as well as steak, sausage, cheeses, and incredible sweet dishes that are enough to make your mouth water."

"Award-winning Chef Renee Erickson (The Whale Wins, Bateau, Barnacle, Bar Melusine) partnered with Business Manager Jeremy Price and Developer Chad Dale to realize her long-time vision for an oyster bar. It makes perfect sense then, that she would do it in her own neighborhood. The Walrus and the Carpenter blends the elegance of France with the casual comfort of a local fishing pub."

"Sometimes you just need a really REALLY fun oyster bar to hang out in on the weekend. The Walrus and the Carpenter is here to save the day!. They've been around for a few years but ..."

"Westward & Little Gull on North Lake Union serves a Mediterranean menu for brunch and dinner in a stunning location with a lakeside view. Executive Chef Zoi Antonitsas balances Mediterranean and Northwest flavors, and many of his dishes are prepared in a wood-burning oven. The approach of those who run this water-inspired restaurant is natural and casual, with a focus on fresh ingredients and high-quality produce."

"Restaurants North Broadway. Overlooking Seattle’s Lake Union, Westward shows off all the goodies that the Pacific Northwest has to offer in every single dish. The venue also happens to be a fantastic destination for a romantic evening, during which lovers can gaze at the sunset from one of the adirondack chairs overlooking the lake."

", Westward has been making waves in the restaurant scene both locally and across the country. The spawn of The Skillet Group’s Josh Henderson, this restaurant combines a trendy-meets-classic nautical aesthetic with Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Best of all, it sits right at the edge of scenic north Lake Union."

"Opening a tiny cocktail den months before a pandemic: Not great, Bob. But the takeout menu is great, and the work of Blind Pig Bistro alum Rene Gutierrez. It ranges from "Spanish lunchables" to posole to a gochujang glazed pork collar—and it's woefully incomplete without one of Keith Waldbauer's cocktails."

"Hilliard's opened its doors in October of 2011 with a focus on beer in cans and an industrial-chic ambience that draws beer drinkers from near and far. Thanks to its location in the Ballard beer bubble, visitors can stop in here before or after checking out other neighborhood drinking holes. Founded by Ryan Hilliard and Adam Merkl, the staff has gradually expanded, as has the beer list."

"Tucked away in Ballard this location is a great space for groups of all sizes, taking advantage of this taproom being converted from an old car service garage. They have various beers on tap along with their canned beer selection available for tasting. I enjoyed their Boombox IPA in their glasses that look like a beer can without the top."

"Co-managed by the University of Washington, the Seattle Parks and Recreation, and the Arboretum Foundation, this public park is quiet and scenic, perfect for couples who want to spend some time bonding somewhere away from the usual hustle and bustle of the city. Among its features are a nature trail, a playground, and an authentic Japanese garden. The park truly comes alive in the summer, when its azaleas are in full bloom."

"Open every day from dawn until dusk, the Washington Park Arboretum is one of the best places to travel in Seattle when you’re on a budget. It’s completely free, and you can enter and exit whenever you want without worrying about ticket stubs. It’s always available, and it’s always gorgeous."

"As far as Seattle's green spaces go, this 230-acre arboretum is arguably the most beautiful. On calm weekdays, the place feels really…"

"The Seattle Chinese Garden is a Seattle Parks and Recreation partner that offers free public access to a lush, beautiful garden within West Seattle. The garden is a traditional Sichuan-style Chinese garden, the only one of its kind outside China, that celebrates Seattle's rich Chinese heritage."

"The Volunteer Park Conservatory is a botanical garden with a multi-room display of cacti, tropical plants, orchids, and other species. Its mission is to advocate and encourage preservation, public participation, and education with respect to the Volunteer Park Conservatory and its plant collection. Friends of the Conservatory (FOC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, plays an integral part in stewarding visitors, providing outreach and education though docent-led tours, plant sales, special events, and interpretative classes for adults and school children, as well as an "Urban Safari" summer camp for grade school youth."

"Modeled after the “Crystal Palace” of London, the Volunteer Park Conservatory is a stunning example of man-made architecture. Glass walls are fitted into steel and iron frames. Victorian-style decorations give an ornate flair to everything from the windows and trellises to the doorknobs and flowerpots."

"Thierry Rautureau’s bistro serves up French classics—velvet chicken liver mousse, a stunning boeuf bourguignon—served with more savoir-faire than their prices would suggest. (The souffle potato crisps, a labor-intensive appetizer yielding a crop of puffy fries with almost creamy interiors and impossibly crispy crusts, may be the best appetizer in the city.) Thus the two-room place, low-lit with Moroccan lamps, is perpetually packed and fizzy as a sexy cocktail party in full roar; the unofficial Third Place for the well-heeled neighborhoods surrounding the Madison Valley."

"This charming spot on South Capitol Hill near Seattle University (open since 2007) offers full coffee service featuring Caffe Vita coffee, house-made pastries, affordable French wines, a full bar open daily until 2 a.m., a newsstand of various magazines and newspapers and a menu of "casual Parisian café classics." Patrons feast on delectable options from baguette sandwiches and French onion soup to cod filet, crispy duck leg and vegetarian Raclette. (Be sure to save room for decadent desserts, too!) Weekends at Café Presse mean soccer matches featuring teams from America, Europe and around the globe in the bar up front. Recommended for French because: Cafe Presse is a happening spot in South Capitol Hill for delicious brunch and a stocked newsstand."

"It’s the most come-as-you-are French cafe in town, suffused with a casual dailiness that makes it dangerously easy to become a regular. And by the looks of it, half the students at the neighboring Seattle U are—popping in to the front room for a quick croque monsieur and some televised European football, a linger in the hidden back room over dazzling roast chicken, or a glass of Ricard at the busy bar, perhaps with a little something off the charcuterie list. That deja vu you’re having right now is courtesy Le Pichet, Presse’s downtown cousin, which has been stylishly mining similar territoirefor years."

"A dark, moody gastropub nestled in Greenwood’s liveliest section, Gainsbourg is a refreshing entry to the French food scene, with a long bar, a small, open cooking area, solid cocktails, and an exceptional cheesecake. Particularly appetizing on the savory side are the French dip with a silky au jus sauce and the classic Gainsbourger, featuring a massive beef patty blended with a taste of lamb."

"Gainsbourg is inspired by ribald French pop provocateur Serge Gainsbourg. Their dishes include everything from roasted beet salad to Fromage a Trois, steak frites, duck confit, and, of course, French onion soup. Location: 8550 Greenwood Avenue North, SeattlePhone: 206-783-4004Instagram"

"A post shared by Stanwood Dolph (@stanieldaylewis) on Sep 3, 2018 at 5:06pm PDT. French-inspired cuisine and hand-crafted cocktails at Gainsbourg will charm you. They have happy hours where you get to pay only a dollar for all beer, wine and cocktails."