Vessel

05/15/2008 Posted by kimfrancisco

I have been to Vessel before and have enjoyed the ambiance and quality of food and drink. I booked a party there last March and rented the Red Room. I had spoken to the owner and we organized the party, and I felt comfortable that myself and my 20 friends would be well taken care of. We arrived the night of the party to find that the kitchen staff was not prepared for us ordering food - and even the drinks were slow to arrive seeing as how there were so many of us upstairs. They ran out of food before everyone had even ordered, and I was also surprised to see a much pared down menu than that of what was listed on the website. Having "beef bites" listed and then featuring potato chips and soups are 2 very different things. The chef and waitress were apologetic, and said that they had not been prepared for the food portion of the party. I told them I wasn't sure HOW this misunderstanding happened, due to us coming at 7pm (not a early or late happy hour/cocktail only time), and that the owner was clear that us meeting the room rental minimum could be achieved through both food and drink. I had over 20 hungry people on my hands, and the chef ended up running over to Purple Cafe and bringing over menus that we could order off of. This caused hassle with having 2 bills, and as the party organizer, it made it very difficult for me to enjoy myself because of all of the logistics involved. In short, I will never plan a party there again, and now know it's a much better venue for a quick cocktail. I would strongly encourage the owners however to not advertise hosting parties there if they cannot supply the obvious food and drink required. And while the wait staff was kind, courteous, and apologetic, I was baffled to find that the owner I had been speaking to did not return my emails or calls afterwards, when I voiced my dissatisfaction. To me that's unprofessional and just plain rude.

Pros: Ambiance

Cons: Parking, Can't handle large parties well, Not consistent with what is on their website, miscommunications internally

09/22/2007 Posted by seattlefoodie

I'd heard a lot about this place and so was looking forward to trying it. I won't be going back. I had one drink, which cost me as much as two in most other popular spots. The decor is lacking - somehow the colors, while vibrant choices, do nothing to spice or warm up the space. Don't bother trying this place - too many other great places!

08/27/2007 Posted by mgmwaliw

After seeing a show at the Paramount, a group of four of us decided to stop by Vessel for a drink. Non of us had been there previously. We walked in the door and nealy all of the patrons turned around to look at us. It was like walking into the middle of a funeral. Were we interupting something? Are we on Candid Camera? I don't recal if there was music was playing but the place felt cold, quiet and unwelcoming. The downstairs bar is very small and we saw that there were stairs going up to another section of the bar. We thought there must be something better going on up there. We headed up, only to be greated by more blank stares of the strangely, zombie-esque patrons. We found this all to be very bizarre and left without ordering. To be fair, I can't comment on the the drinks or service, it was just too creepy to stick around to find out.

Pros: location

Cons: patrons

08/21/2007 Posted by lisa_james

The concept of "pure" cocktails where rare and interesting ingredients are combined and the interior is artsy and sparse is hard to find in Seattle. That is why last night, I took my husband and another couple to experience Vessel, the modern eclectic bar off 5th Avenue, even though parking is less than convenient. There is passion behind the menu of unique cocktails and old standbys. I also enjoyed the glossary of terms and ancecdotes that accompanied each drink description. The menu makes each drink sound like a work of art and paves the way for the extravagant prices attached to each. I was looking forward to enjoying something new and relaxing with friends. However, questions about the menu and requests for suggestions were met with such condescension, impatience and snobbiness that I was embarrassed to have brought my husband and friends. It is hard for me to believe the bartender/owner could treat patrons this way. Conversely, I would expect him to be excited to share his uncommon concept with patrons and enthusiastically ask the questions necessary to make thoughtful recommendations to his guests. I wish I had followed through with my gut reaction which was to leave and take my business to another establishment, where my friends and I would feel welcome and relaxed. Instead, I felt disgusted and ripped-off.

06/16/2007 Posted by saltycristal

a completely sterile and fake interior. but the drinks are amazing! food portions are small, but the lamb chops and prawns rock. i don't know that anything makes up for the terrible service, creepy hovering host (that does nothing but leer) and the amateurish design of the place. try the vessel 75, it's got maple and orange.

Pros: drinks, food, great bartenders

Cons: service, parking, uncomfortable seating, EMPTY!

06/08/2007 Posted by choirboy_lap

I had drinks here for the first time last week, and really enjoyed the atmosphere. Eventhough it was crowded my group and I didn't have trouble getting service which was nice. I can imagine it get pack when the 5th Avenue has a show, so next time I will have to test it out when a show is going. I will definitely try happy hour next time I am downtown.

06/06/2007 Posted by gohuskies

We stopped by for a drink before dinner on a Friday night. The decor is really fun and if you are into that futuristic style you will recognize the chairs and coffee tables. When we came in we were greeted by a man, who turned out to be the owner, hovering at the bottom of the stair case. He was nice, but then continued to hover and nervously greet everyone that came in and out... if he wants people to feel at ease he should probably take a cue from the chill decor and mellow out. The waitress attentiveness was spotty - checking on us 30 seconds after we got our drinks but not again even though she saw our empty glasses. My real issue with the waitress was that she was acting like a weirdo. Everytime she went to the bar to pick up her order for a table, she would lean waaaaay over the bar in her tiny itty bitty mini skirt, and then turn around to see if anyone was watching. It was really tacky and so obviously ridiculous I almost laughed out loud. It's too bad because I was hoping for just a little more class and sophistaction given the atmosphere and price. Long story short, this place's vibe is swanky - something they are clearly going for - but they need to make it cozy swanky, not cold swanky (how about some candle light??) The owner needs to chill out and stop hovering around the patrons, and they need to get some servers that are more sophisticated and competent. Then I will be back, because I do like what they are going for.

Pros: Swankiness, Not Packed

Cons: Service

05/11/2007 Posted by nwstack

It all started out just dandy. Our group came in during a busy happy hour and, initially, received attentive service and good drinks. There was a private party in the upstairs room and, as the night went on, the other patrons downstairs were ignored to the extent that two tables bailed on their bills - not out of malice, but because they simply couldn't flag down someone to deliver it. One woman stood behind the bar and her only mission seemed to be to ignore people trying to pay. Meanwhile, the handsome servers in black turtlenecks hustled between the bar and upstairs party. We literally went an hour without someone checking us despite our attempts to pay and go somewhere where we might actually get a drink and something to eat. Judging from the other comments I suspect our experience was an anomaly and I'd be willing to give it another try. It does have a cool atmosphere and our initial server was fantastic. They just seemed woefully understaffed and the people left to tend the downstairs were ill-equipped to handle the task. On the plus side, we did get to see two over-served women take a header off the step just after the bar (they were uninjured).

Pros: Cool atmosphere

Cons: Nonexistent service

03/29/2007 Posted by sfever

all of the bartenders rock! ask them for something not on the menu, and they'll blowyour mind. even their interpretations of old standbys are great. wish the rest of the place stood up to the drinks.

Pros: happy hour, awesome liquor selection

Cons: parking

03/26/2007 Posted by shacha

I love Seattle and love great bars and that area desperately needed another bar to complement W Hotel, Purple, and Triple Door. Vessel is a very nice addition. As you walk in you definitely notice how small the bar is and how bright and white it is. However, the bartenders and drinks were excellent. The apple martini was amazing…very complex. You can see how serious the bartenders take in creating the drinks. The only other bartenders I see do this are the guys at Tini Bigs. We were there when it was kind of empty but as the bar filled up I was surprised to how people found spaces to stand and yet the place still was comfortable.

Pros: Great drinks

Cons: Little too bright, no Hangar One mandarin vodka