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What an intriguing place! We went here Saturday night after doing the Bodies Exhibit. It was more stark and minimalist than I expected. Which is just fine with me. There was 6 of us and we had a nice area right next to the windows. I really liked the nooky barstool areas on the far ends of the lower level too. Kinda a voyeuristic feel to it.
Now, the drinks. Oh my. So incredible. Half the table stuck to beer in a bottle. But the rest of us ventured into the drink list. I had a Captain Handsome and another something that I can't remember the name of, but it had Violette liqueur. SOOO good. Both of them! The violet one had the much-mentioned carbonation process involved. Truly not your typical corner bar.
Definitely plan to spend more than normal when venturing into the special cocktail selection. I was prepared for it, but the rest of the table wasn't :) Oh well! It was money well spent.
A very spendy and trendy bar. They have all sorts of interesting concoctions that the skilled bartender can whip up. I really liked the fact that you could make just about any drink they had carbonated.
I am not one for fancy drinks, I prefer whiskey on the rocks. They offer that as well, and they add a little vessel flair to even that drink; they serve it in a short glass with a giant ball of ice instead of the normal cubes. I thought that I would end up with whiskey all down my shirt when I started to drink it, but it worked out quite well.
The reason for the 3 stars is the fact that with 2 of us we had a $40 tab with just 2 rounds... and these were not even close to doubles. Maybe even a bit on the small side of singles perhaps.
Vessel is definitely a cool place if you are in the mood for a super fancy cocktail. But expect to pay for for fancyness.
Vessel gets 4 stars because of the wonderful bartenders, the clever/unique/well crafted cocktail selection, and the cool, modern space. I went with a group of 6 and we each tried 2 drinks and shared with everyone. Right before we left, the bartender offered to make us the Vessel 75, their signature drink, for free. How nice!
Fairly expensive so I wouldn't make visit Vessel on a regular basis, but fun for an adventurous night.
Top notch drinks. I had a whiskey sour from a recipe concocted in 1862. Sure some drinks haven't changed much over time, but the attention to the small details is why this place is a niche for great cocktails, despite the price of them.
It's a bit too intimate down near the bar as far as seating goes, but maybe that makes for interesting conversation happenings on a busy night. I went on a Wed and it wasn't busy at all and cleared out by the time my friend and I were done.
My cocktail radar is not very powerful, but Vessel may have spoiled it forever.
This place is one-of-a-kind amazing. They make a wide variety of rarely found traditional and modern cocktails, borrowed and invented, with an ever-rotating list of special cocktails. You'll often find Vessel's own cocktail recipes in books and magazines, including both the 2008 and 2009 Food and Wine Cocktail guide. The brilliance behind Vessel is in every little detail: They have 4 different kinds of ice, for example, and wonderful glassware. The staff is immaculately dressed in 1920s style upscale bartender suits. And the furniture and lighting have not been overlooked.
The only sad part about Vessel is that most cocktails are $13 -- which matches their competition in New York (e.g. Death and Company), but it does make this place more of a "special occasion" place. But if you can overlook that for just one night, this place is a must try.
A relaxed place to have somewhat expensive drinks that are tasty. I was in town for the evening and hung out with a friend, we went here after dinner for several drinks. Their Manhattan was excellent and had the hallmark of good Manhattans: a dark, weird looking cherry.
The bartenders at Vessel don't *practice* molecular mixology, they simply do it, and amazingly well at that.
Vessel is a fairly chic, modern, yet minimal spot right in downtown Seattle specializing in incredibly detail oriented craft cocktail mixology and some pretty decent food. The liquor selection is as complete and eclectic as the drink list, and constitutes one of the most complete collections I've seen in quite some time.
The bartenders do maintain a certain level of pretension but this is one of those rare occasions where that pretension is completely backed up.
Let me share some knowledge with you about Vessel:
if you're in it for atmosphere, or just somewhere classy to get drunk, don't bother. While yes, the atmosphere here is classy and you can get very drunk here, it's not designed to please people looking for amateur style drinks. This is a place for the mixology-inclined and for people who really appreciate craftsmanship. The drinks are made very carefully and exactingly, one at a time. True art takes time, and always carries with it a little attitude. So in essence, you wouldn't go to the Metropolitan to get a chicken fried steak, don't go to Vessel for a Long Island or gin and tonic.
That warning aside, anyone who craves a crafty cocktail or a straight pour of a very niche alcohol should flock here. Sit at the bar, introduce yourself to the tenders, and revel in the experience as you watch masters at work. Double-boiled ice cubes, a rare perlini carbonation system with shakers, round globe ice balls (2" in diameter!) for aged rocks liquor, shaved ice, crushed, whipped, foamed, mixed, and all-sorts of other carefully-processed ingredients dominate. Watch as a 'tender squeezes an orange peel through a lighter so that the citric acid in the peel flames across the glass, leaving a slight essence of burnt orange across the nose. Enjoy as they whip up a saffron sour with a special electric mixer. Or simply sit in awe as they use a perlini shaker to make you a sparkling corpse reviver (possibly one of the most dangerously easy-to-drink cocktails in the world).
I understand that this style of bar is not for everyone. If getting tanked on the cheap via whatever is on the HH menu is your forté, you won't find that style here. If Applebee's style "whatever you want sir" fake-smile service is what you're looking for, this probably doesn't fit the bill. If drinks and dinner are your quick stop before a show, well, you may not find this to be a value establishment.
But if you you want your goddamn mind blown by amazing cocktails made for people who appreciate amazing cocktails, then by all means, get thee to Vessel.
Best drink of the night (and I had many, many drinks): sparkling Sazerac made with the perlini. The peppered rhubarb smash came in a close second, as well as a bartender's choice with bourbon and cinnamon syrup. Oh, and possibly the sparkling corpse reviver.
I also tried some of the food and it was good but not mind-blowing. The house-made jerkey was very tasty, and the sliders (happy hour) were good and messy. Overall, I'd give the food 4 stars, but averaging against the 6-star drinks I had, well, it comes out to a solid 5.
I LOVE this bar. It's all too often that you can step foot in a bar and have a bartender that knows barely anything to serve you a proper cocktail. Anyone can make a rum and coke, vodka cranberry, or seven and seven. This place, however, should be defined as what a bar should be. The mixologists are simply astounding.
Go up to the bar, tell them which type of liquor you absolutely hate, and I swear, they will convert you. I told them I hated gin, and now, I have a favorite drink with gin! They called it a Variation of No.2. I called it Gin Champagne with Brandy Soaked Cherries for garnish. Needles to say, I downed two within 10 minutes. Yes folks, it was that good.
They have a carbonation machine which is fabulous because they serve carbonated grapes. Bite into one of these, and you'll feel like you're eating a champagne grape. They also use this machine to make drinks.
They are known for their intricate cocktails and swanky interior, but what really impresses me is that they are the most knowledgeable bartenders I have met. If you just give them a notion of what you might like to drink, they will whip up a concoction in less than 5 minutes without having to really think about it. Michael, the mixologist, is extraordinary.
I've read the reviews on here so far, and most people are complaining about the prices. It is pricey for a cocktail, but you are getting what you pay for. It's entertaining to sit at the bar because it is where all the good action is at. The staff was friendly and the clientele was a little on the older side, but it's probably because of the price of their drinks.
Another thing I really enjoyed about this bar was their stemware. The presentation of their drinks was beautiful. The glasses were so different than what you would find at other regular bars. There was texture on the stem. It was a small detail that I really appreciated.
There is also food that is served there... mostly small bar food. I ordered the Truffle Potato Chips, and they did taste of truffle! It was served on a plate with sliced scallions. It was a little salty, but I do love salt.
I would highly recommend this bar to a friend. I would come here for any type of cocktail!
A friend and I decided to check this place out and were lucky enough to sit at the bar and watch the bartender work his craft. Explaining each and every drink that he was making, the parade of amazing cocktails solidified my second visit.
We also grabbed the lamb burger and truffle mac and cheese which was delicious!
Great experience- creating true cocktails with high end ingredients- not just slopping together some vodka and fruit juice. Friendly and knowledgeable- the bartender was very informative. If I lived in Seattle, this would most certainly be a regular haunt.
I was here for a late night cocktail hour celebrating a birthday.
Vessel isn't exactly hidden, but it doesn't pop out at you either- I walked past it trying to find this place.
I was immediately greeted by a smiling waitress who directed us to the party which was being held in the red room upstairs. It's basically a small room with red walls with small chairs and tables, which for this occasion were pushed back to the sides.
This place is a very minimalistic lounge with very simple decor and nice staff. The bar is on the main floor so you have to either go down the glass/plastic stairs to order drinks, or one of the friendly waitresses will take care of you.
Vessel specializes in the art of a making a cocktail. A friend suggested I check out Vessel on my recent trip to Seattle. It was great. The cocktails were amazing and different. The drink menu had lots of options with gin, which is my favorite. I also enjoyed the atmosphere - it was chic and minimalist. The people watching was fantastic. Next time I am in Seattle, I will visit Vessel again.
I was going to say, "the best drinks I've had in Seattle," but that would be a lie. Vessel is my favorite bar in the world.
In fact, I'm glad that I live in San Francisco, because this place would turn me into a raging alcoholic. It's not that I go there to get drunk, it's just that I want to taste the incredible flavors of their original drinks and the perfect execution of classic cocktails. Each drink is made meticulously and to order. They have lots of fun tools, like a device to add carbonation to any drink. Even ice cubes are hand cut. Watching the bartenders practice their trade is part of the fun of coming here. These guys are world-class mixologists.
Highly recommended: a Ramos gin fizz (the best I've experienced), the Vessel 75 (maple syrup foam on top, yum!), and a classic Sazerac (you may never have had one well-made!)
11p.m. When you get there you probably say "What a small place!" I think the bar only has about 8 stools and a couple of tables. It was quite empty for a friday night. I asked the bartender where's everybody? It's mostly an after work place. As I looked around I notice small private areas by the windows. I really wanted to know what makes this place. I went upstairs and there were more places to lounge. I went to the rest room and they had Molten Brown for hand soap and lotion. Pretty chic! Okay, I went back down sat at the bar and ordered a scotch "neat" with a couple of drops of water. To open it up! You know what I mean? I took at the menu and there it was! This place has really cool drink concoctions Vessel 75 & Pegu Club to name a few. The vibe was mellow but this is a great place to take a date or a group of people just to talk without over powering music. I would give this a go again.
If you were leaving the Grease show on Saturday night and happen to pass a silly woman doing the robot....it was me....in my Marilyn Monroe dress...on display at Vessel.
No I did not have too much to drink, but occasionally I like to 'Mr. Roboto' or flex my guns for poor, unsuspecting musical lovers.
My crew and I had just got done giving away/raising some serious moolah for Chaya at the Grand Hyatt and we thought Vessel would be the perfect spot to drink Mojitos and Absinthe...and oh was it a good place to try not-so-easy-to-find mixologies.
But really, I don't drink so I wasn't ACTUALLY there. *Shhhh*
Dear Vessel -
YOU. SUCK. ASS.
Your pretentious clientele & the fact that your wait staff are amongst the rudest of rude pretty much gives you a half star if it were possible.
I thought that maybe, just maybe you would be a half decent joint as you're attached to the theatre, but I have to say that the 16 yr olds working the concession stands there are much nicer than the staff you have working @ your bar.
First, our waitress doesn't understand what "we're looking at the drink menu" means. Then, she adds 18% gratuity WITHOUT TELLING US, even though there were only 2 of us that were sitting there...ordering. When our martinis actually arrive, they're in what look like PUDDING CUPS ...for $14 EACH. WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE CHARGING THAT MUCH FOR A SIMPLE VODKA MARTINI?
On top of that, she was obviously not happy to be serving us, let alone working there.
How you got a guest bartender from PDX to come up and work there for the nite is simply beyond me.
If you want people to flock to your bar, I suggest you sack up and hire happy people. Also, maybe lowering your drink prices a bit b/c in case you've been living under a fucking rock, we're in a recession.
PROS:
The cocktails are great. There are other bartenders in Seattle capable of drinks of this caliber, but not many. Great selection of classic cocktails on the menu as well as house concoctions. I had a Sazerac, a good one of which is hard to find, and this one was great. Also tried the Peppered Rhubarb Smash. (tequila, green chartreuse, lemon, rhubarb, black pepper syrup) Loved it.
Kinda neat little nooks and crannies to sit in downstairs, looking out on the street. But if you're wearing a skirt, remember to cross your legs unless you want to flash the evening pedestrians of 5th avenue.
Nice glassware.
Cucumber water was a nice touch. Served cold, no ice.
Excellent selection of spirits.
CONS:
The cocktails are really the only noteworthy part of the place.
The decor attempts to be contemporary eclectic and minimalist but is really just mismatched.
The upstairs looked like it was a total afterthought. There was one couch upstairs that was the exact opposite of comfortable. The other "red room" looked more like a Boeing conference room than the sublime hangout it tried to be. Here's a tip. Put some art on the walls. Something. Anything. Even bad art would be better than blank walls with poor lighting.
The upstairs was also clearly neglected. There was sticky spilled something, mostly dried, on the glass stairs, and some clearly aging dirty glassware belonging to previous patrons on the table at the top of the stairs.
The bathroom. Oh the bathroom. Really cool glass door with horrors behind. it's one thing to have some discarded paper towels on the floor and some water on the basin. it's quite another to have dried spots on the mirror, dirty soap foam in the drain, and a sink that had not seen any Comet in a fortnight. I'm not talking dull porcelain. I mean rivulets of black gunk streaming from the empty soap dish. Thankful that I can pee standing up, I was not required to have any sort of intimate association with the toilet.
The bar seating is FAR too crowded. The waitress and several other patrons kept kicking my chair just trying to get around to other seating.
They seem to want to appeal to the trendy-hip crowd, but at least when we were there it was all t-shirts, jeans and shorts. More like a sports bar crowd of moderately overweight white men. At least I wore a nice suit.
Service was slow and unattentive, despite the fact that there were only about 10 people there when we arrived. Drinks, although lovely, arrived several minutes apart; long enough that my date started on hers before mine arrived because it was getting warm.
The bartender, despite his skill, seemed genuinely annoyed when we walked in. No smile, no welcome, just some stinkeye and back to the shaker.
The tile floor is kinda neat. Though it feels more like an accent for a fancy men's room than a bar. And it causes the sound in there to bounce around making intimate conversation nearly impossible, especially with the sports bar crowd getting lively at the bar.
No real signage or lighting to indicate a bar or even that they were open. Granted, this may be partly due to restrictions imposed by a historic building, but we still drove by twice before finding the place.
The food: We ordered some light snacks. Candied almonds, olives, caprese and truffled potato chips. The almonds and olives, while ok, were spendy and came in a container the size of a shot glass. The caprese was decent, but not noteworthy. The potato chips, I'm certain, were Tim's out of the bag with an obscene amount of truffle oil poured unceremoniously on top. I love truffle oil but this was just plain gross. Very few options for those who do not eat red meat. Eat before you go.
Remember window shopping at Jay Jacobs and being surprised by their live window mannequins? I do. Remember being in love with the 80's movie starring Andrew McCarthy, Kim Cattrall, and Estelle Getty? I do.
What you too have a strange desire to get in the window and let strangers look you up and down? You can, but for a price. Enjoy your $6-15 beer or cocktail in the windows of Vessel.
Oh and ladies....just a tip, keep your legs crossed if you wear a skirt.
I am proud to say that Vessel is still one my favorite bars in Seattle even after all this time. Come on how can you wrong with this place. From their swanky interior to delicious cocktails its a win win in any situation.
Plus if take a month of from drinking like some folks I know. You would be happy to know they have non-alcoholic options as well. I highly recommend their LLB cocktail(Lime, Lemon soda and bitters) because its A) non-alcoholic B) damn tasty C) only cost$5.
Again this is one Vessel I know that will never sink!! Cheers
Vessel is located on 5th ave in between Union and University. When I first saw them building this… Read more »
Not impressed at all. I generally don't review bars because the criteria of what makes a good one is so subjective depending on the individual. I feel comfortable talking about this one though.
The interior is nice, minimal but sort of seems to be trying too hard and it just kills the vibe. The staircase is really cool conceptually but nothing about this space flows and the last thing you want to do while you are boozing is be in a claustrophobic, awkward space. My point being the upstairs area is o.k., however, it is totally disconnected from the bar or even the street outside. The downstairs area is so tight that it makes it difficult to sit back and enjoy their drinks. The six stools at the bar seemed to be the spot if you do end up here. Not sure what is up with the "coat closet" that is a third little area because the crappy metal Ikea tables and chairs that make up all of the seating downstairs made that area totally inaccessible.
So, sadly it has taken me three paragraphs to even begin to discuss the drinks at a place where that should be the only thing to talk about. The menu is unique and I really like the concept but the delivery really falls sort. They do have some great scotch choices, however, my standbys were all significantly more expensive then they usually are. They priced out the 18 yr i normally drink at the 30 yr price I only drink on special occasions. That just doesn't make $ense.
We both got the same "speciality" drink and as you can see by my star rating it was underwhelming and at $12+ each sort of a ripoff. I forget exactly which one it was but it shouldn't matter, they should all be excellent. The juice/bitter that was in mine wasn't even properly mixed and had separated toward the bottom of the glass. We just got off a 4 hour flight after working all day Friday and were ready to drink, I struggled to finish 3/4th of mine, the lady got down about a 1/3.
The staff was friendly and if the drinks were tasty all the other issues would be irrelevant but that just isn't the case.
Vessel, Not worth the Hassle.
RrL
Vessel completes the hat trick of best cocktail bars in Seattle in my book (the others being Zig Zag and Sun Liquor).
I've tried too many of their cocktails to list them all out here, but some that I really enjoy are the Martinez, Negroni, and Sazerac. Their Manhattan was almost perfect, but as my friend said, it needs to have an identity, not be perfect.
The prices are a little on the pricey side even for happy hour, but don't come here to just drink gin and tonics all night, try their signature drinks!
Another fun thing to do is to come here before a show at the 5th Ave. Theater and sit in the window seats and watch everyone outside waiting in line.
I will always come back to Vessel when I want to drink some fine, well crafted cocktails.
AMAZING cocktails. We were there for our anniversary and we stumbled upon this place. ORder the Ramos rum fizz amazing. It reminds me of The Varnish in LA. A great place to sit back with a good cocktail. Amazing service as well.
Went here for a weekday happy hour and was happier than I thought I'd be at the end. What a great space! What excellent drinks! What good service! Seriously, Vessel is one-of-a-kind in downtown Seattle, especially as far as decor/design is concerned.
It's a really modern space with soaring ceilings, a variety of separate seating areas, including one where you're basically a window mannequin on display for passerbys. The yellow glass stair case that floats off the wall and brings you to the upstairs couch/lounge seating areas is seriously cool.
I had these pulled pork sliders that were actually appropriate sized (i.e. small enough to be an appetizer) and a couple of Tanquery Ten and tonics (because I'm a bourgeois tool). The drinks were stiff, but not overwhelmingly so. If I was more adventurous I would have allowed one of the bartenders (excuse me, mixologists) whip me up something according to the mood or general flavors I like.
I can't judge what this place is like when it's packed (which I hear it can be) because it was nearly empty when we were there (4-6 pm). Definitely a place I'll go back to if that's the norm, because I like to be able to sit down and hear myself talk.
I only give it 4 stars because I thought there should be more lower-priced happy hour drink specials (i.e. haven't you heard there's a recession going on?).
I just spent the weekend in Seattle and was taken on a mini-tour of Seattle night life by my gracious Seattle Yelp hosts. Our first stop was a place called Vessel which makes fancy cocktails and charges way too much for crappy pours of liquor and the bartenders are short and wear trendy beards. At one point the head bartender told me I couldn't have my glass of 23 year Black Maple Hill rye on the rocks the way I like it. He told me it would ruin the whiskey.
The Black Maple Hill label is owned by CVI brands, a small California company that sources out ryes and bourbons for bottling under the Black Maple Hill Label. They pride themselves on selling high quality rye and bourbon with the focus on the product not the profit. When the companies supply of their standard 11 year bourbon supplies were depleted they could not find a suitable replacement and so they discontinued the product rather than bottle an inferior spirit. The 23 year old rye is their newest offering and is so smooth it makes you wanna slap your grandmama. It has notes of pear, apple, sourdough, and brown sugar. It has a touch of heat and clocks in at 95 proof.
Now douchey McBartender please tell me more about the rye you won't serve me on the rocks because I like my rye to start off intense and then open up a bit as the ice slowly melts. If I'm paying 29 dollars a glass and I tell you I want to take my cocktail to the bathroom and soak my balls in it you should be there to hold the glass between my legs.
My hosts were fabulous though and I'm sure had I asked them to help me soak my genitals in whiskey we would have all made a field trip to the bathroom.
Walked in here on a Saturday night after getting some drinks t the W.
I thought they were closed because the sign was off, and it was dark from the outside. Apparently not!
They're open, although there were not that many people sitting there. I was very surprised.
I was not a fan of their decoration, plus it was probably the crowd. it was like there was nobody in there and that totally ruined our mood.
However, the drinks were AWESOME. They came up with creative strong cocktails and I like them all. Pricing was kind of similar to the W even though they're smaller. Oh well.
Oh, Vessel. Undoubtedly a professional, clean, modern bar. A friend and i made a pilgrimage last night, and were quite pleased.
Albeit the small downstairs floor space, high ceilings gave it that open, airy feeling. We sat at a table large enough for a kitten to curl up on, next to a sloppy British couple and a table of grown-up frat boy pseudo intellectual types. The Brits were friendly in that fellow bar patron way.
Our waitress Catherine was very helpful and sweet, and answered our question about creme de violette. I started with an Aviation and my friend had the Arsenic and Old Lace. Moving on, I asked for a Pisco Sour-- brulee. Now, this is not on the menu, and typically not bruleed, but I had complete tust in the bartender to prepare me something involving 1) raw egg white and 2) a butane torch. The lady friend had a whiskey sour, then one of what I had. Nothing like south american brandy to get the night going.
Oh, and another fun thing: I judge establishments partially by their restrooms, and Vessel's was top notch. Squeaky clean, stocked, nice decor, AND Molton Brown soap and matching hand lotion in White Mulberry. I can't tell you how rare it is to find fine English toiletries in a public restroom these days. I could bathe in the stuff.
CONS: Drink prices were up there ($12 apiece adds up-- thank god I'm a lightweight), and it was a little noisy. When we stepped out for a quick smoke, not one, not two, but three separate homeless folk panhandled or screamed obscenities at us. Location, not the coziest.
Overall a very acceptable bar. Perhaps a little hyped for my taste, but the drinks were exquisitely prepared and the atmosphere quite happening. A good place to go if you're between the ages of 21 and 35.
I was entirely worried when i first walked in, being it was so LOUD and not a waitress in sight. I used the restroom first which is super modern only to find that there was a private party going on upstairs which i thnk had absconded with all the wait staff.
Having just gotten off work i was hoping for something a bit more down tempo but my bf (thankfully) convinced me to stay and have a drink.
We picked a seat in the front which allowed me an ample view of the bartenders who were accurately carbonating, pouring, measuring and flaming random drinks. The bar itself looked more like a chemistry lab then an actual bar with numerous machines and devices i had never seen before. The back shelving was dimly lit but i recognized some top shelf liquor up there that i knew was worth the $12 drink it was going into.
My bf ordered a hemingway something or other that had aquavit and numerous other tasty liquors. I had the Ti'pn PUnch (unsure on spelling) which was a do it yourself type drink consisting of demera sugar syrup, (luscious) dark rum and fresh lime wedges. My only complaint about that drink was that teh limes should have been in juice form not 1/4ed form cause i had nothing to wipe my limey hands on afterwards. However both our drinks were simply perfect! I will definitely go back and considering how big there menu is (complete with glossary) not have two drinks twice if i don't want to.
Inventive, creative and very very hip!
This place is a little self-conscious with the hyper-modernity and ultra-austere chic things going on. You can almost hear the designers walking around before they opened, saying "No! No art, no color, no furniture near this wall, nothing. Just a flower pot. It'll be very zen." More power to them; fewer things to trip over in such a tiny space.
I might actually not be the target demographic for Vessel, for more reasons than just the way I roll my eyes at ultra-contemporary design. I honestly can't remember the last time I had a mixed drink. College, maybe. And obviously cocktail service is at a premium here, and they should get full credit for the amount of knowledge they ensure their staff possesses. I'll go out on a limb and say I think other reviewers have made that point rather well, and base my review on my little corner of what they do well.
They choose their liquors very knowledgably. They have limited space to cover many different drinking traditions and still maintain a good list of bar basics for cocktails, and they still manage to do a decent tour of Scotland's distilleries with their single malts. I didn't look too closely at their tequila list, but got the same general sense of thoughtful selection maximizing limited real estate.
And, despite the somewhat silly severity of the modern interior, there's nothing at all off-putting about it. There are plenty of fairly comfortable places to sit, and my septuagenarian dad and I had a great time. We tried it on the recommendation of friends, and I saw friends while I was there--evidently, I'm not as far outside their target demographic as I might like to think. lol
I get why other Seattlite Yelpers love this place. It's got a swank NYCish atmosphere. The decor is simple, yet, sophisticated and the drink list is designed for those seeking a high end "mixology" type experience. This place quickly loses stars because the service is crap.
Nice bar should not equal snotty attitude. No matter how horrendous other customers' requests may be, I don't want to overhear your whining while I'm trying to enjoy my drink. I also don't want to hear your supervisor chide you loudly because he didn't train you well enough to know that you don't remove the wire from a champagne/sparkler before service. If you're going to go so far as be pretentious about how you don't serve 23 year old whiskey with ice (sorry Peter M.), then I need all staff to know that four star service means--cliche as it may be--the customer is always right. Even if the customer is wrong, only the staff should know that. Two stars for ambiance and quality drinks. Minus 3 stars for curt unprofessionalism.
Terrible service. Pretentious staff who have never heard the phrase "the customer is always right". Refused to give us ice with one drink, and scoffed at another one of us for ordering a vodka soda. I would never go back or recommend this to anyone I like. They need to take their pompous attitudes elsewhere!
Came here on a recent Friday evening for HH due to the insanity of Sazerac. I was pleasantly surprised by the caliber of the cocktail menu -- truly, works of art! If I had money to burn on drinks, I'd come here every Friday just to try a new one. :)
Decor: uber-modern, very clean and minimalist, yet comfortable. Service: good -- we were upstairs and the server was attentive yet left us alone when we were talking. Ambience: a little too upper-crust for me. A friend dressed in his "work clothes" (he's a geologist) said he felt out of place.
Sum-up: a tad expensive for happy hour ($8 cocktails), but for the fancy drinks, I'll be back to sample every few months.
I feel very cool coming here!
I've been wanting to come here so I dragged one of my non foodie friends, and made her come with me. She wasn't very excited for the non claim jumpers portions, but tried to think foodie, and ate foodie hahaha. how can you really go wrong with fritters and gnocchi? well you can, but they didn't. The service was a little rushed and pretentious, but the ambiance was very hip. too hip to be fit. that has no correlation to the review but I really wanted to say it.
Anyhow, do go for a swanky night before the symphony, art showing, or just for a fun night :) Totally cool
Rather than Yelp about all of the wonderful Seattle establishments I've visited since my move from L.A., let me regale you with an account of the most atrocious bar service I've ever encountered...
As I do with most bars and restaurants I've never visited, I took a gander at the reviews for Vessel prior to my friend's birthday party and grew excited about the "delicious cocktails" and "sophisticated interior" that awaited me. Indeed, the attractive decor and NY/San Fran ambiance were a nice change from my usual bar scene, but the accolades stop there. The cocktail waitress serving our party could not be bothered to take orders, and at one point came over to clear a table and literally turned and walked away as I was asking-slash-begging for a second glass of wine.
And, for the piece-de-resistence, as I go to close out my bar tab, the same snooty server shows me my bill and has me review it for accuracy, to make sure no one else's drink orders had made their way to my credit card. Nice, I thought, until I see that she had charged me for 2 - $22 glasses of wine, when I'd been ordering the thrifty $9 glasses--as, who the F%@* would pay $22 for a glass of wine. So I point it out to her, and she hands me what I assumed would be a corrected bill. Nope, the bill still reads $44 for two glasses of wine, so I again tell her that I had been ordering the nine-dollar stuff. Her response? "Well, that's what I've been serving you." Um, what? Well, guess what, sister, that ain't what I've been ordering. So she makes a big stink and has her manager fix the bill. I sign the receipt (yes, I left a tip--although against my better judgement), and leave the bar in total disbelief of my experience.
The moral of the story? Umm...well, how about "if you're going to charge $22 for a glass of wine in your bar, perhaps your cocktail servers should be good at their jobs...and maybe be somewhat pleasant to your customers." How's that?
Yet another lovely establishment that restores my faith in sophisticated Seattle nightlife.
Thank you from the bottom of my Tanqueray Lovin' heart, Vessel. Your Gin Grapefruit Rickey was exceptional. The only thing missing on the menu is a larger portion of those potato chips drizzled in truffle oil.
Hey, Vessel- Two sizes please..
'Regular'
and
'FRACK! Was that party was CAAAH-RAAAZZY or what!?!? YEAH.. totally.. WHOA! These chips.. friggin' BOMB!?? Seriously.. seriously- BEST THING EVERRRRR..' size.
The drinks here are incredible. With that said, they are made with such care that they do take a while to make their way to the table. Keep this in mind, and order in advance. The food fell short of my expectations. Perhaps it was because there was so much build up (the menu sites all the magazines each dish was featured in). I love the decor and the layout! The interior and the drinks scream 5 stars, but the food (and drink time) need improvement.
Big fan of Vessel.
I've been there a half-dozen times, and I believe I've only ordered something off the menu once: the Vessel 75, a bourbon drink with a maple syrup foam on top. It could only be improved by bacon.
Anyhow, why have I only ordered off the menu once? Well, I usually sit at the bar, and the bartending staff (Zane, Andrew, Michael) are all fantastic. I usually tell them what kind of mood I'm in, what alcohols I do/don't like, and they go to work. I've never been disappointed by a drink at Vessel.
The atmosphere is great - clean, modern lines, great relaxing music, and staff in organized outfits.
The house cocktail, the "Vessel xx" (where xx is a two digit number I can't remember, thanks to drinking a few of them), is great, and topped with a thick, maple "foam". An antipasti platter had some really, REALLY great salami, ham, and caper berries. Only criticism -- the upstairs area is a little clinical-feeling.
It's adorable. I thought the design of the place was impeccable, from the vessel labeled cocktail swords right down to the glassware (only the greatest ebay find EVER).
You can sit directly in the window for some privacy (very cute for people watching YOU, by the way), or right up front where you can quiz the staff, who is more than likely ready to tell you that No, You May Not Have A Vodka Tonic (but believe them when they tell you afterward that it's in your best interest). Yes, the cocktails ARE $11, but so is a jagerbomb at a place with pulltabs. Although the cocktails are delicious, what you're paying for is the experience.
Vessel isn't for every weekend, but it is for THE weekend. It's a must try at least once.
Vessel would call me a fraud because I don't drink "real" alcohol. However, its one drink that it put on the menu (I'm sure, begrudgingly) containing vodka is divine.
Vessel is small and I've never been there when it's been super crowded. They have a great upstairs, but I've only been there once when it's actually been open. When it does get a bit crowded the seating is awkward -- the downstairs is not super conducive to a group of more than four without part of the group standing or sitting in a different area.
Although superlicious, it is also expensive. Two rounds of drinks (for three people) ran just shy of a Benjamin. I would recommend it for a swanky night out with the ladies.
Real talk. This is a great place if you're celebrating receiving your first Medicare card! I heard the place served up great drinks so I'm like ok cool...then I saw a bunch of senior citizens and instantly felt like I was crashing someone's retirement party. On a more a serious note, the vibe was super pretentious + our group being ignored = quick getaway. I'm giving it an extra star because the ambience itself was cool & sophisticated. Hey, at least you know where to take your grandma and grandpa now.
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