Hazlewood

best bet for cocktails in ballard. Dbags not welcome

by flickrpostings at Citysearch

creative, romantic and discrete.

super rad place with staff that actually know what real cocktails are :)

go early or very late. it's small and can fill up. this is a great place to hit up as you bar hop and it's next to stellar pizza at snooze junction.

WTF

by DIRK at Citysearch

I've talked to a few other people about this and they agreed. If you don't know anyone there, and if you are dressed down, forget it. People seem cold and removed in a nouveau hipster rich sort of way. I've said "hey" "hi" or "what's up" to some people there and got no response. Of course the bartenders are generally nice and friendly to talk to, but it helps if there is no one else in the bar.

When you walk into the place and it's not over packed or empty, it feels like the needle skids off the record. People stop and stare with blank expressions and no smiles. A creepy atmosphere; when people stare at you in a group without saying anything. Maybe it's because the door is right behind everyone who sits at the bar. I've walked into that place even when I've known people and not gotten a smile or hello. Like a scene form Easyrider.

"We don't take kindly to foreigners in these parts."

Not very welcoming. I've gone to this bar consistently since it opened, and it's only gotten worse; now I only go there if I already know a group of friends there.

I've talked to other people that said Ballard is a shitty

place to talk or meet people. Like the "Seattle freeze" phenomenon. Maybe that has something to do with it, but I can think of other bars in Ballard that don't have the same f___ed off dynamic.

• Pros: nice looking place, great drinks
• Cons: seattle freeze.

Amazing Cocktails

by jtripper22 at Citysearch

You know, sometimes you are willing to skip the "happy hour" pricing of certain places to enjoy a really great cocktail. Those times call for a trip over to the greatest part of the city, Ballard, and a drop-in to the Hazelwood. What a fun menu to read - every drink just sounds so delicious, if not so interesting, that you feel you must try them all. I love an Old Fashioned or even a simple Maker's and Gingerale, but their Bourbon and Ginger is made with muddled ginger root and bourbon and I believe a splash of soda...I'm surprised I'm not driving there right now. I had to have a couple before the early part of the evening was over. The bartender was very personable (even when a buddy ordered a drink that he had invented, involving 1 oz. this 1 oz. that and zest of orange). I love the place even if it is very very small - more of a positive than a negative, really. Good beer selection as well. The seating on the upper level is mostly couches with small cocktail tables at knee-height. Very intimate, but if you're lucky enough to squeeze a few friends in, you almost feel like it's your own little bar. I feel like I'm giving up my seat by writing this, but anything to keep these guys around. That's the length I'll go to for a good cocktail.

• Pros: Fun list of classic and signature drinks

best cocktails in ballard

by dinner_and_drinks at Citysearch

this small bar is off the party circuit in ballard, and yet within walking distance of everything there. the cocktails are of the highest quality, and the bartenders are top-notch. the bar is very low key, and home to most of the bar goers that actually live in ballard, rare to find the college kids or capitol hill hipsters there. the drawback is you may feel out of place when you walk in for the first time unless you know the regulars. the bar menu and selection are outstanding, the seating can be tough at ten o'clock on a weekday though. go for happy hour, and if you're lucky, keith (owner/bartender) will bless you with a brilliant beverage.

• Pros: best drinks in ballard, easy scene, great music
• Cons: few seats when it gets busy (it's small)

Pretty place!

by dirtymaritini at Citysearch

I visited the Hazelwood one afternoon by myself. I just felt like a drink, and it looked quaint. My bartender (a very chatty guy from New York or Jersey, I can't remember) was great! I was the only woman in the place, with two men also sitting at the bar. We all just chatted and had a very nice time. I was told there was an upstairs, that I never ended up seeing, but will definitely return to check out. I liked the atmosphere, and would recommend it to all I know!