Best Classic Cocktail List - Good Food, Good Drink & Good Company

(206) 625-1146

1501 Western Ave
Seattle, WA 98101 47.608301 -122.341112

Get Map & Directions »

Neighborhoods: Pike Place Market, Downtown

zigzagseattle.com/

Hours:

Daily 5pm-2am

Last updated 10.20.11

Category:

Restaurants, Bars & Clubs

Payment Methods:

Visa, MasterCard

Bar & Pub Special Features:

Bar Menu

Restaurant Special Features:

Happy Hour

Cuisine:

Traditional American

Bar & Club Special Features:

Specialty Cocktails, After Work, Outdoor Seating, 21 & Over

What People Are Saying About Zig Zag Cafe

The Owner

Zig Zag Cafe

Owner

The Zig Zag Cafe is a classic cocktail bar & restaurant located on the Pike Street Hill Climb behind Seattle's Pike Place Market & on the way to the Seattle Aquarium. We're open daily from 5pm-2am. Happy Hour is 5-7pm on weekdays. Our selection of spirits is unrivaled on the west coast. Our cocktail list won Best Classic Cocktail List at 2007's Tales of the Cocktail.We offer 3 rotating taps of Maritime lagers & ales and an interesting wine list featuring some excellent champagne. Behind the bar, bartenders Murray Stenson & Erik Hakkinen serve up a wide variety of cocktails, from timeless…

Provided by CityGrid

Read more from the owner

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – The atmosphere is upscale stylish without losing its welcoming air; fresh flowers decorate the bar, and candles provide much of the light. Famed drinks from this established watering hole are made with exotic liqueurs and fresh-squeezed juices. Bartenders chat easily with the crowd--mostly regulars, spiked with an occasional well-dressed couple. Share the sauteed calamari with a friend, or try the alligator gumbo for a hearty meal.

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:
Try the fiery El Diablo, made with tequila, cassis, lime and ginger ale.
Where to Sit:
Not eating? Get a spot at the bar--the bartenders put on a great show, and will describe the drinks they're mixing.
Save Money:
Happy hour, from 5pm to 7pm daily, offers deals on specialty cocktails and appetizers.
Know Before You Go:
This is a tiny place that can get awful busy on weekends. If you've got a large party (i.e. more than 4 or 5) please call ahead.
4 Star Rating: Recommended

03/27/11

good coffee

by rentonlockss at Citysearch

Good coffee and nice atmosphere and good service

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/07/11

Great cocktails, fun spot

by Beebeecity at Citysearch

This is a great spot for having after work cocktails and trying out new drinks. Service is usually great, I'm not sure I get these reviewers who try to crucify a place for one incident.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

07/14/10

Great cocktails & atmosphere

by jas19 at Citysearch

Zig Zag is the place to go to find expertly crafted cocktails without the super steep prices of places like Vessel or Tini Bigs. The Master and the Hound cocktail was great. Went on a recent Saturday night with a group of about 5 and we had a great time. The waitresses were super nice and helpful to recommend drinks and the place was busy but not too packed. Great place to take someone who loves classic old fashioned cocktails in a hip setting.

  • Pros: Drinks, prices, atmosphere
  • Cons: parking
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

05/22/10

Best drinks in Seattle

by fletch at Citysearch

When I first went to Zig Zag a year ago, I’d never had a real cocktail before, and didn’t know half of the products listed in the drinks menu. Murray was incredibly sweet and made the whole experience unintimidating, pouring many samples for my friend and me and answering my numerous questions. As I continued to go there, I came to realize that their level of service isn’t just reserved for newbies; they have consistently been attentive and helpful. It’s low key and provides quality without pretensions, and it’s easy to sit there longer than you expected. I’ve had many a night where “just one drink” ended with me closing the bar and stumbling to a cab.

The cocktails are obviously the major draw, and I love having any of the fellas make me a whiskey-based concoction of their choosing. But the food is pretty good as well, and I inevitably end up ordering the alligator gumbo, calamari, or phyllo tart.

It’s kind of my favorite bar, and the only thing that makes me cranky is how busy it gets on Fridays and Saturdays, but I suppose I can’t change the fact that all of Seattle recognizes its awesomeness.

  • Pros: Patio in the summer, cocktails
1 Star Rating: Poor

04/15/10

Very Poor Customer Service Seconded

by RainyLainie at Citysearch

Everywhere we ask in Seattle we are always told by industry "in the knows" that Zig Zag is the place to go to get a classic hand crafted cocktail. My husband and I went a few months ago and had an ok time. We were able to get a seat at the bar and Murray was working that night. It is a sight tosee to watch him work.

I recently returned with a group of friends with the promise they'd see Murray at work. Well, we got up to the door and even though the appearance inside the room looked sporadically populated we were told there was a 20-30 minute wait. That did not sit well with a couple males in our group. Knowing they were upset the guy at the door was able to get us in. We were docked up to one of the very slight fence style drink rest tops right next to the door. About 15 minutes later the couple at the bar next to us got up to leave. As in most bars, we thought since the seats were open we would be free to take them over. But, oh no apparently a couple that was sitting at a table in another location of the room was waiting for these spots. We were rudely told to get out of the seats by a gentleman with greasy slicked back hair. Upset with this whole incident once again we voiced our dissatifaction with how the whole thing was being handled. To be right to the point, the greasy slicked back employee told us that "if we didn't like it we could get the f**k out". With that said we left and will NEVER go back. Too bad the staff at Zig Zag think that their establishment is "all that" and feel it is ok to talk to patrons that way. You won't win many friends or patrons with that attitude.

  • Pros: Mur the Blur
  • Cons: The greasy slicked back haired employee

Message from Zig Zag Cafe

  • Award-Winning Cocktail List
  • Whiskey, Brandy, Tequila, Rum
  • Best for Small Groups

The Zig Zag Cafe is a classic cocktail bar & restaurant located on the Pike Street Hill Climb behind Seattle's Pike Place Market & on the way to the Seattle Aquarium.

We're open daily from 5pm-2am. Happy Hour is 5-7pm on weekdays. Our selection of spirits is unrivaled on the west coast. Our cocktail list won Best Classic Cocktail List at 2007's Tales of the Cocktail.

We offer 3 rotating taps of Maritime lagers & ales and an interesting wine list featuring some excellent champagne.

Behind the bar, bartenders Murray Stenson & Erik Hakkinen serve up a wide variety of cocktails, from timeless classics to innovative newcomers.

The Zig Zag Cafe is an unpretentious place with an eclectic crowd whose common desire is good food, good drink & good company. Please note, we have limited space so please call ahead if your party is more than 5 people.

Zig Zag Cafe