The city's oldest neighbourhood, redbrick and pergola. Taylor Shellfish, Salumi, Damn the Weather, Tat's Deli all within five blocks of Occidental Avenue.
Damn the Weather in Seattle's Pioneer Square is the cocktail-driven gastropub since 2013: a brick-walled room, a 24-seat bar, kitchen open until midnight.
Signature: Burger and bourbon, Wood-grilled fish, Cocktails
Order: The cheeseburger and a Sazerac, in that order; the kitchen runs late on a Sunday.
Tip: Mondays the cocktail list goes half price after 21:00; Sundays the kitchen takes the day off.
Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar in Seattle's Pioneer Square is the on-counter outpost of the 135-year Samish Bay farm: half-shells, geoduck crudo, manila clams.
Signature: Half-shell oysters, Geoduck crudo, Manila clams
Order: A dozen Olympias and Kumamotos from the farm, with a glass of grower's Champagne.
Tip: Happy hour 16:00-17:00 drops the oysters to $1.75 each; the Occidental location is the largest and quietest of the three.
Damn the Weather in Seattle's Pioneer Square is the cocktail-driven gastropub since 2013: brick walls, 24-seat bar, kitchen open until midnight Friday.
Signature: Cheeseburger, Wood-grilled fish, Cocktails
Order: The cheeseburger and a Sazerac, in that order; kitchen runs late on weekends.
Tip: Mondays the cocktail list goes half price after 21:00; Sundays the kitchen takes the day off.
Salumi in Seattle's Pioneer Square is the Armandino Batali institution: house-cured charcuterie, porchetta sandwiches and the rotating seasonal menu.
Signature: Porchetta sandwich, Mole salami, Hot pepper sub
Order: The braised porchetta sandwich with Calabrian chimichurri and pickled peppers.
Tip: Open Monday to Friday 10:00-18:00; weekends 10:00-15:00, and the porchetta sells out by 14:00 Saturday.
Tat's Delicatessen in Seattle's Pioneer Square is the East Coast deli proxy: cheesesteaks, pastrami subs and in-house brining since 2004, run by Brian Tatman.
Signature: Cheesesteak, Pastrami sub, Tat's bomb
Order: The Philly cheesesteak with house-brined pastrami on the side; bring cash for the bomb.
Tip: Closed Sundays; the Tat's Bomb is a sandwich with everything plus a fried egg, on a custom roll.
Trinity Nightclub on Occidental fills a Pioneer Square corner with three rooms, two dance floors and a 360 degree LED wall, the only 18 plus dance club running every weekend in the state.
Tip: Doors Friday at 22:00, Saturday at 22:00. 18 plus to enter, 21 plus to drink. Massive Fridays and Reload Saturdays anchor the calendar.
Monkey Loft is the SoDo warehouse dance bar inside a 1929 brick building, with an upstairs Deck patio over the skyline that becomes the after hours techno spot south of the stadium.
Tip: Programming clusters Friday and Saturday after 22:00, often through dawn. The Deck opens in warm months for outdoor sets.
Showbox SoDo on 1st Avenue South is the 1,800 capacity sister room AEG opened mid 2007 in a converted Fenix warehouse, with exposed brick and heavy timber for larger touring acts.
Tip: Doors typically 19:00, show at 20:00. The 300 capacity SoDo Lounge opens for smaller bookings; tickets via AXS.
Smith Tower Observatory Bar sits 35 floors above Pioneer Square inside the 1914 Smith Tower, with a speakeasy era cocktail program on the wraparound observation deck.
Tip: Admission ticket includes entry to the observation deck plus the bar. Reserve via the Smith Tower site; the deck is open 360 degrees in good weather.