6 new Seattle-area bars to try

Our latest roll call of Seattle-area bar openings features several tasting rooms, including a Korean rice wine spot in Woodinville. A handful of new bars are open now in Pioneer Square, too (and this year’s big debut is still to come: Death & Co., opening in the neighborhood this fall). But our headliner is a big beer project in Bothell from one of the investors behind Bellevue Brewing Co. More details below.

Side Hustle

18117 Bothell Way N.E., Bothell; 425-286-6912, sidehustletaps.com/bothell

A big addition for downtown Bothell, this 200-seat beer hall includes a speakeasy-inspired cocktail den. The project comes from James Whittaker, owner of the Side Hustle taproom in Kirkland and one of the investors in Bellevue Brewing Co. The main dining room features 24 craft beers on tap and five televisions to catch March Madness basketball and other big games. The Euro-inspired pub grub includes shepherd’s pie, paella and coq au vin. But the big neighborhood hit has been its Sunday roast special ($23 for beef or $25 for pork with Yorkshire pudding, roast potato, carrots and peas), which usually sells out by 7 p.m.

The Dandy of King Street Crossing

 411 First Ave. S., Seattle (Pioneer Square); instagram.com/the_dandy_seattle

This Champagne den in Pioneer Square comes from the same team behind The Coupe & Flute on Beacon Avenue South. With the same drink focus, The Dandy features a rotating lineup of at least nine sparkling wines by the glass. Many cocktail specials at the bar also include sparklings, from the French 75 to Death in the Afternoon. But the best tipple at The Dandy might be its Armagnac play on the hipster favorite, the Boulevardier. There’s also a modest small plates lineup, from meatballs vindaloo to ricotta gnudi in masala cream, but the menu will expand once lunch, brunch and weekend hours are added. The Dandy is currently open only on weekdays from 3 to 8 p.m.

Parlour  

119 Yesler Way, Seattle (Pioneer Square); parlourpioneersquare.com

Four blocks from The Dandy, this 40-seat bar boasts a well-curated lineup of Old World vinos, including 10 options for wine by the glass. The wine bar is an offshoot of Parlour Wines shop in Madison Park. And for those who recall the stellar Caesar salad sandwich around the corner at Damn the Weather, this wine bar serves its own version on focaccia. Parlour doubles as an espresso bar for morning commuters, with pastries from the new Pufftown Bakehouse at Pike Place Market.

Laurel

1500 E. Olive Way, Seattle (Capitol Hill); laurelseattle.com

For those who bemoan the loss of the Capitol Hill of yesteryear, when bars stayed open past midnight every night, Laurel has you covered. This corner nook at the elbow of East Olive Way and East Howell Street keeps its doors open until 2 a.m. daily. From the owner behind Montana and La Dive, Laurel opens at 8 a.m. with espressos and by afternoon transitions to espresso martinis and riffs on classics such as a mescal negroni. For a bar snack, there are potato chips topped with caviar.

U Wine Bar

4455 Stone Way N., Seattle (Wallingford); 206-972-0805, uwinebar.com

This restaurant row straddling the Wallingford-Fremont line gets a third wine bar, following the recent debuts of RESPITE Wine Bar + Bottle Shop and Purple Café and Wine Bar down the street. U Wine focuses on the board-gaming community, where like-minded fans can clink glasses of nebbiolo while playing Commander. The 80-seat bar offers 19 wines by the glass along with craft beer and mead. Note that this is a 21-and-older gaming room.

Rainbrew

12826 N.E. 178th St., Suite C, Woodinville; 206-569-4456, rainbrew.com

For something different in Woodinville Wine Country, check out this Korean rice wine tasting room in the old Crucible Brewing space. The 25-seat Rainbrew offers six rice wines brewed in-house, including its makgeolli sparkling wine. You can also try its rice wines mixed in cocktails. Unlike most Woodinville tasting rooms, Rainbrew has its own food menu, including Korean seafood pancakes, kimchi Spam musubi and other Asian bites. The family-owned business will soon offer tours of its facility in the back of the tasting room.