LOVE. THIS. PLACE. The drink list was extensive and creative and the presentation was awesome. I had the fighattan and an aging vermouth drink. They were both delicious. If you like quirky, get the cookies and cream! The presentation is fun. The wait staff were very kind, helpful, and patient.
The ambience is cool with some quirk (see the bathrooms). The saturday evening was busy but not uncomfortably crowded. The cook staff recommended coming during the week for a more mellow experience.
I will definitely be returning.
Message to Canon: please bring back the manhattan flight!
Go. Just go. Don't bother reading my review below because in the end there's nothing that I'm going to say that will do justice to how great this place is. This is probably the best cocktail bar in the US (yes, better than Zig Zag, and I do love me some Zig Zag). And even if it's not the best, it's in the top 5 and a must visit for everyone that loves cocktails. So again, go.
But... If you would like to read my review.
I've been here a couple of times in the past, but I'm going to focus on my most recent visit.
I went with a friend on a Friday night. We expected the place to be busy. What we didn't expect was them controlling the number of people allowed in the place.
Allow me to pause for just a second here. The older I get the more I find myself wanting a nice, relatively quiet location to relax and enjoy good drinks, food and friends. I don't mind background noise, nor music. But I don't want to have to shout and strain to hear the person who I'm sitting right next to. In addition, I don't want to have to fight my way through a bar that's three people deep just to get a hastily poured drink. Not to say there isn't a time for that, but frankly I left my 20s a long, long time ago. So to have a bar that says, nope - we have limited seating and rail space, and that's it, was wonderful. That right there, in case I wasn't already a fan, solidified my love for Canon.
Now, back to the main attraction - the cocktails.
Whenever you visit a great cocktail bar the real place to be is at the bar. You want to have a conversation with a bartender. You want to be able to play, experiment, describe what your flavor profile is and allow the bartender to show off his skills and craft you a drink specifically made for you. This place is no exception, and the bartenders are amazingly gifted. Between the two of us that night we had 6 cocktails. We explored a wide variety of styles, from smoky to citrusy to boozy to bitter. And every cocktail was an absolute treat and was exactly what we were looking for.
Regardless of the night you visit you're going to find an amazing bartender - they hire very well here. You'll also find an amazing atmosphere and a great place unwind with some great company.
In short, you're going to find the perfect cocktail bar.
Cheers!
My husband and I visited Canon a couple of weeks ago. It was our first night out since the baby came, and we were doing a progressive dinner around Seattle. Our first stop was here.
It was amazing. We ordered the cheese plate, and the Pork Belly Sliders. We were trying pork belly for the first time ever (I know, GASP!) and I couldn't really handle the fatty texture... but the ambiance and cheese plate made up for it.
We will definitely be back.
Great whiskey selection, but not worth the hassle of dealing with an extremely rude bartender. Â I was not the only one in the evening dealing with unwarranted arrogance from a bartender who clearly hates his job. Â To the bartender...if you hate your job that much, quit. Â To the owner...if you have a bartender this rude, fire him. Â You are going to lose customers, starting with me.
I will not be returning to Canon.
This Place is Amazing!
The atmosphere is comfortably elegant, the food is very good and the bartenders know their stuff. I came here with my boyfriend for Datenite and we weren't disappointed.
I had a couple Campfires in Georgia (love the smokey flavor and the presentation!) and my guy had a Hooker, a Manhattan (fancied), and a very nice scotch from their ridiculously extensive Captain's Menu.
I was surprised with the food too, as this place is so known mostly for their drinks. We had the Pork belly buns and the Beef bone marrow - when we were done with the marrow our bartender Sean introduced us to the Bone Marrow Luge, a combination of whiskey, liquors and bitters poured down the bone and mixing with the beef, So good! Definitely something everyone should try.
Potentially my favorite bar in Seattle - I'm still amazed at the selection Canon offers for spirits. Â One day when I hit the Powerball, I aim to try some of their spirits that are around the $1100 mark, but in the meantime, even the spirits at my price range more than suffice ;-)
One look at their captain's list and you'll know how serious Canon is to keeping a wide and deep selection of alcohol. Â What I enjoy most about Canon (and other creative places like Knee High and Needle & Thread) is to let the bartender whip up something not on the menu. Â In Canon's case - the Shrouded Roulette. Â You can rest assured knowing the bartenders here won't screw you over with some Sex on the Beach variant; rather, you're gonna get ingenuity at its peak.
Take what I had one time, for instance. Â Although I didn't specifically order the Shrouded Roulette, I asked for something with mezcal. Â About 15 mins later, the waitress showed up with a tray and a bowl over it - and inside was one of the freakiest (in a good way) things I've seen in any fine drinking establishment. Â She lifted the bowl, and out came this large pillow of smoke that emanated from a burning fern of some sort that sat on the tray. Â In the middle was a glass that had a translucent, orange substance, and after tasting it, I felt like Zeus himself had poured this for me.
Ladies and gentlemen - I introduce the Campfire in Georgia.
All cheesy descriptions aside, if you come to Canon, you can expect a decent wait (and because Canon is a smaller establishment, you'll be waiting outside) but this wait is worth it. Â Enjoy, enjoy, and enjoy, unless you're waiting for a B52 and Keystone Light, then leave, leave, leave.
To be honest, I have no basis on which to rate it above one star, since we were not allowed to pass the pretentious chain across the door to visit our friends from out of town who were on the other side. Â The Yelp summary page says it's not good for groups and they don't take reservations. Â Too bad nobody told this to the management, who apparently allowed a large group to "reserve" the bar area. Either our friends had to give up their spot at the bar or we had to wait for an indefinite period outside like losers at some LA nightclub for the doorman to decide we were worthy to enter. Â So we just waved and then left. Â This is on a week night. Â They have a sign at the door saying "Please wait to be seated", but apparently their patrons can't be trusted to read like at every other establishment and the chain is necessary. Â Anyone who enjoys this sort of snobbish atmosphere should definitely go to Canon, so they will take up less space at the many nearby hotspots on Cap Hill that don't treat people like cattle.
Oh, in fairness, it was pretty to look at from outside. Â If you enjoy looking at bars from the outside, I would also recommend.
I brought some out of town guests here for after dinner drinks and really enoyed our night here. Â The place is cozy and comfortable. Â The decor is really ritzy but not stuffy. Â The drink menu is extensive and pretty awesome. Â Their food even sounds good and I would like to come back to try it. Â
The drinks we had were all really tasty. Â The best was the Campfire in Georgia that came out smoking from a jar of smoked wood that you could definitely taste in the drink. Â Not one drink was bad and all had their own twist to it. Â My only complaint was having to wait to get in but at least they make sure you have a place to sit and it was a nice night out so that wasn't a big deal.
My friends rave about this place so we tried to go with a few friends after work, a few snowballed in to 8. Â We had called ahead but were told to wait for a table. Â We let them know that we would be more than happy to split up in to separate available tables. Â The informed us that they cant do that, no reason as to why. Â When spaces at the bar opened we were asked to not sit there. Â We were left standing in the way of the kitchen for 45 minutes before we left after receiving many dirty looks from the staff.
Reviews of this place are great and they are suppose to have one of the best bartenders so with only one girlfriend we tried it again. Â We were seated immediately given a menu and water, and that's where anything good ends. Â We both ordered the Swagger for $10 one of the cheapest drinks on the menu, but hey its a Seattle cocktail lounge we expected high prices. Â It took probably 15-20 minutes for our drinks to arrive. Â Sipping them it was horrible. Â Ordering Gin, a wine like liquor, grapefruit and lime are all things I love however we both agreed it tasted similar to cheap gold tequila. Â I will not be returning again.
Again my friends still love it and it is being highly rated by well everything.
TLDR: Slow service, Â bad for more than 2, and my gin drink tasted like cheap gold tequila.
I am basing this review on my overall experience which is to say that is was very poor. The pretentiousness of the wait staff (bartenders excluded) was at a comical level. My group of 4 arrived on a Monday night at 11pm and were greeted with a cattle chain across the threshold while there was ample room within. Seriously, it was a Monday and there was an open table. The waitress told us they had 'standing room' they would let us stand at. Really?  You'll let us stand in the corner  and subsidize your life. Thanks, appreciate it.  At this point, I will admit I should have left as this place is clearly not for me. I was trying to find somewhere they would serve us drinks sans attitude. My fault, so the rest is on me.
After a few minutes they 'let us' order drinks. When I asked about the open table as a seating option she said "I have a lot going on" and walked away. My fault for asking you to do your job. As people kept leaving (because it was Monday night) we stood as we were told in the corner. Â After about 20 minutes the table in front of us asked if we wanted to sit there because they were getting up. The waitress said "they can wait" as she took their credit card and walked away. Yes, that actually happened.
When our drinks arrived, they were very good. Â Kudos to the bartenders who could take time away from open mocking of patrons sitting at the bar to mix me a beverage. They charged us $12 for the advertised $11 drinks. I haven't seen a case of fraud this blatant since the never end story premiered. Â Either update your menu or just put a sign on the door that says we are scamming you. Either way, I'll know what I am getting myself into.
Bottom line, unless you are Scott William Winters plagiarizing Vicker's "Work in Essex County" and you contention is that prior to the Revolutionary War the economic modalities, especially of the southern colonies could most aptly be characterized as agrarian pre-capitalist... Â How bout them apples.
Drinks were advertised as 11 on menu... Yet we got charged as 12 for each (only one of the three should have been charged as 12). Employee scoffed at us privately (he thought we didnt see him) for using three separate payment cards for 3 separate drinks.... Great bar based on quality of drinks.... Shi%&y service and entitled employees... I'd say take a pass.....we waited 20 minutes so he could clean every glass off the bar before he actually gave us our tab and closed out our tab...I'm not used to bar staff that makes patrons feel not welcome!!!
Review Source:If you can get over the pretentiousness of this place, it's pretty darn good. There was a line to get in the first time I went there, and they don't allow standing at the bar. I went back on a Monday and had a very nice meal of bone marrow and some other goodies as well as a few cocktails, and was genuinely impressed.
It's places like this that make Seattle great, it's the attitude that doesn't. Go on a quiet night and enjoy it and you'll be fine. Fridays and Saturdays? Unless you want to wait in line for the privilege of a seat, save your time and go somewhere else.
This place rules. It's not cheap, but it's not an every night kind of place, either, so go nuts. I love that there's no standing room - I am an old woman and want to be seated in a reasonably lit area where I can hear some music but it's not blasting so loud that I can't talk to my friends. Canon has a great atmosphere, cool old time-y prohibition-era knick-knacks all over the place, excellent service and incredible drinks. We even went ahead and ordered pork buns (eh - skip 'em) because we were so enamored with the place. The drinks are really interesting and I was surprised to be so intrigued. I wish I could go check it out again soon, but I'm across the country - I'll just keep recommending it to friends and family who take a trip to Seattle.
Review Source:I finally got to try out Canon last night for my birthday treat from my family. I think its safe to say that we'll liked it! From the drinks to the food, server, bartender, everything at this place was top notch.
I had a campfire in Georgia, wow this drink is diffidently something different and unique! I tried the Hooker as well (Brother let me have a taste of his drink) and it was good.
Canon is a very cool place from the time you walk in the door. You see the huge back bar with all the spirits they have on display. I know they have more since its suppose to the the biggest in the western hemisphere's of spirit collections. You can't go wrong if you're looking for a damn good drink here!
A friend had heard some really good things about this place, so we stopped in here during a happy hour run last week. We really enjoyed ourselves and the drinks. The entire place is a little small, but we came around 6:30 on a Wednesday and only had to wait a few minutes at the bar before we were seated. Â Didn't order any food since we had just eaten at the place before. As for drinks, they have some very interesting ones on the menu. The ones we tried were the Hooker, Three Skylarks, Liberal Cocktail, and the Corpse Reviver. All were good and interesting in their own way, but my favorite of the night was the Corpse Reviver. It comes in a really cool looking glass bottle that you can pay an extra $4 for if you wanted to take it home. P.S. Their bathroom is really cool and unique..there's even an old fashion radio playing while you're doing your business!
Review Source:Came here on a Thursday night with a buddy around 9/930.  It wasn't too crowded so we got a seat at the bar.  This is one of those old skool cocktail bars and the decor reflects it.  We were looking forward to trying something outside of our typical ketel sodas.  We got something that had two prices $11/$15 and when we inquired about the difference we were told the latter came with a flask you could take home.  We were immediately upsold.  Note, the drink comes in a pre-made glass flask, so you miss the whole element of the bartender making you drink with all the bells and whistles.  A good thing about the flask though is they give you a cork and sticker to close it if you want as  you leave. Â
Decor/Vibe - old skool drinking establishment vibe with ornate decorations, seating, lighting, the whole nine. Â If I recall correctly they even have a gramophone. Â
Service - friendly - what you'd expect from a old skool cocktail bar like this. Â
I want to go back and try the other drinks. Â Also curious how it is on the weekends. Â I imagine it gets more crowded.
This is one of the greatest cocktail bars in the country, hands down.
Bartenders are sharp, the drinks are superb, and the company is unparalleled. (Bring a date) Â One of my favorite drinking establishments of all time. Â I will be sure to return next time I have business in Seattle.
I visited Canon in December 2011 and I have been dreaming about it ever since.
All dressed up for a night on the town in Seattle, I stopped in to this unassuming storefront to find a beautiful bar and an exciting cocktail and small plates selection. It was around ten in the evening but I did not have any trouble finding a seat at the bar (or a table, if I needed one).
I enjoyed an Aviation and also tried the Aged La Bicyclette, which was poured from a tiny glass bottle with Canon labeling. The pork steam buns and selection on the cheese plate were also a delight.
The staff was very helpful and attentive. I also enjoyed some great conversation with the folks on either side of me at the bar. All stigma of a craft cocktail hipster bar aside, everyone was very nice and the food and drinks were a step above the rest.
I will certainly return any time I find myself in the Seattle area. Thank you for a memorable evening and destination on my vacation!
Other fun facts: Take a moment to look up - there is a beautiful metal ceiling in the space.
The appeal of this place is the wall behind the bar. Â They have the most expansive collection of whiskeys I've seen in the city. Â That said, their whole menu is comically over priced. Â Drinking on company dime? Â Then by all means, shots for everyone. Â Prefer to make your next mortgage payment on time? Â Then avoid Canon for the time being.
Review Source:Tucked in here at twenty to two last night, so only got a taste of the magics - a quick Old Fashioned with a splash of sherry that had me glowingly happy alongside my charming companions laughing and lining the bar - before the witching hour struck all too soon (ahem.. 2am? really Seattle?) and we all turned back into pumpkins and headed off into the crazed Capitol Hill night.
This is my impression based on that fleeting introduction: this is the perfect bar. I want to be a regular here and work my way through the gorgeous secrets floor to ceiling, three bottles deep in the dim golden light while the kind and quick and exceptionally skilled bartenders help me make important life choices and everybody knows my name. Also, Jody's review makes me drooly, I need to come back for the eats!
I want to like Canon, I really, really do. I have been going there since it opened a couple of years ago. I respect the hell out of Jamie Boudreau's mission to collect vintage spirits and make great drinks. Hiring Murray Stenson was a boon to his business. But I have to say, the staff makes the enterprise fall short.
From the moment you deal with the door guy and eventually saddle up front and center to the bartender, you're treated like an imposter in the sacred space of the Canon shrine. Damn straight they make fine cocktails, have rare spirits, and hire knowledgeable staff - but lose the freakin' attitude, people!
I went in on Saturday night during Pride and the place was not that packed, but it was loud. My companion and I couldn't hear each other talk and our bartender just kind of nodded his head at us, read our lips, and pretended to listen. When the waitress attempted to deliver our snack to the patrons on our right (one of whom was a bartender from another bar she was apparently quite familiar with) they looked at the offering like it was a gratis entitlement, despite our hand-waving and protests to try to get her (and the bartender's) attention to claim our food.
I know cocktails. I read books about them. I write about them. But when I visit Canon - because I don't look like a hipster or work "in the industry" (anymore) - I am treated like an Issaquah soccer mom who should go back to my side of the lake. I have seen bartenders treat tourists that come in, anxiously looking for Murray Stenson, with the same derision. Again, I really respect Jamie and what he's doing; formerly working in the industry, I am loath to write a crappy review - but something keeps falling off the mark with this place.
If you go - and you should, even if it's just once - put on your best attitude face and outfit, be prepared to yell loudly ... and probably wait to get in.
Before last Thursday, I would have given a 5 star review easily, but one server changed that for me. Â My friend was in there - to celebrate her birthday with some pork belly sandwiches (that weren't nearly as good as I've had them in the past) and a couple cocktails. Â The woman that was serving her was inexplicably rude the entire time and we also overheard her complain to a co-worker that two of our friends (who just showed up and were briefly meeting us before moving on) ordered a cocktail to share. Â Apparently the server didn't like the fact that they didn't each order one. Â It ended up being one thing after another with how unprofessional and rude she was.
For the first time in our lives, we only left $1 on the table as tip for her (though we did give a nice tip to the bartenders so we didn't feel like they got cheated).
I've loved going to Canon over the past couple years, but I don't know that I would go back now.
If you want a "mixologist" portlandia type experience with over priced drinks and a bartender who insults you then this is your place.
Service is half the reason why I go out for a nice drink or good food. But when you have a server who so adamantly insults your integrity it is the only thing that matters. Don't order a roulette and ask bartender Brian to pick your whiskey because apparently if you order a mystery drink and ask them to choose it for you it's an insult to the bartender and you'll get a fifteen minute lecture about the complexities of your drink.
Worst service I've ever experienced in my life.
REALLY surprised by how good it is!
Had the petit tenders, the pork confit, ginger cake, and grilled salmon. Everything was delicious. The main part of each dish was good, but the best part was really the garnish and sauces that was on everything. The succatash on the salmon, the chutney on the pork, the pea sauce on the salmon, and the candied cilantro and mangos on the cake were stellar.
The drinks were amazing too. Especially the one with the chartreuse ice cream and "The hooker".
The only downside are all the douchy people that come over from von trappe's ;P
My cousin (from out of town) and I went here right when they opened at 5pm. Â I wanted to come here because I had been to Zig Zag a couple time and wanted to try out the new place where Murry set up.
We each ordered a drink and shared a cheese plate. Â I had the Bork Bork Bork, and my cousin got the Swagger. Â We were both very please with our drinks and the atmosphere. Â My cousin said it would be a great place to take a date. Â The amount of spirits they have are incredible. Â I believe they have the largest selection in the western hemisphere.
The young bartender that served us was awesome. Â He obviously knew his stuff and what he was doing. Â Sitting at the bar was entertaining to just watch what he was doing and we would ask what he was making. Â Very friendly guy. Â He didn't talk down to us even though we obviously didn't know much (although we tried to play that down). Â We told him what we liked and what we were interested in and he gave us great recommendations. Â He also let us taste one of the bitters / flavors that they have on the bar and it was made from Theos Chocolates.
The cheese plate was beautifully presented and was just enough for us to have something in our bellies besides the fine drinks we were consuming.
Because we were there when it wasn't busy. I think we may have been treated better than if it were full. Â It is a small and exclusive place.
I wish I had to money to come here more often and expand my knowledge on liquors and mixed drinks because it truly is an art.
So classy and charming! No hipsters, no dive scene here. Preppy crowd.
Very different from Von Trapps next door which caters to the German beer house theme, this place is more about the liquor than beer. The walls are covered with antique pieced like lamps, cash registers, windows, books, paperweights, and some rustic charm like old crates, reclaimed wood, etc.
The food's quality is well above your local dive bar, and so good! The selection of liquor is beyond count, it covers the wall. The beer selection is small but unique as well. I fell in love with Russian Rivers: Damnation Beer... soooo good it is bottled with a cork = FANCY!
Basically, whenever a friend is going here, I join them. Its a great place to hang out.
The only problem is that there is limited seating.
I have been to Canon before and really enjoyed myself, but Saturday night I received the worst service I have ever had at any bar in Seattle.
We were seated at a table across from the bar. It took awhile for our server to take our drink orders, but we spent a lot of time looking at the menu anyway. Once our orders were in we sat there for about 30 minutes before she came by and asked 'if we needed anything else,' to which I responded that we hadn't received our drinks. She went back to the bar and our drinks had just been sitting there waiting for her to bring them to us. She said the bartenders were supposed to let her know when the drinks were made but apparently they had not.
After getting halfway through our starter drinks, we were ready to order some more expensive whisky. Our waitress walked past us at least 5 times, every time I would actually raise or wave my hand to get her attention and she blatantly looked the other way as she walked past us. After about 30 minutes of being ignored I finally went up and ordered our drinks directly from the bartender. He was super nice and accommodating, and we received our under 5 minutes, which he walked over to our table himself.
About 10 minutes later the waitress finally came back and asked if we needed anything and I told her that we ordered our drinks at the bar, which did not seem to make her happy.
Waiting for our check we were again ignored despite gesturing to get her attention. Finally she stopped by once it was last call.
The drinks are always amazing here, but I don't understand why this waitress decided to completely brush us off. It wasn't particularly busy while we were there since we stayed until closing. Maybe we didn't fit into what she thinks good-paying customers look like, but if I'm going to spend almost $50 just for the 2 whiskeys I expect a little more customer service. I'll be taking my business elsewhere next time.
A whiskey and bitter emporium! That is a strong and bold statement and Canon did not let me down. A co-worker and myself went pretty early during the week and they were already getting pretty busy. While the noise level was a bit loud I had no issues hearing what my co-worked was saying which was good.
Now for the good stuff because all of it was good.
1.) Amazing atmosphere. Really cool inside with great decor
2.) Angostura-Bourbon Nuts == TO DIE FOR (get this! we got it as desert actually)
3.) Drink selection and taste is unparalleled.
I started with the classic Canon Cocktail. A mix of rye, ramazottie and cointreau foam and I was already blown away. I am a huge manhattan fan and under the "elevated classic" it was the first selection and I knew I had to get it. I will say that it was elevated and might have been the best manhattan I have ever had. Really blown away by how great everything tasted.
My co-worker got the Aged La Bicyclette. Which has st-germain aged four month in french oak and comes in a crazy awesome glass bottle/flask. I mean the presentation was amazing and it tasted fantastic as well.
Hands down Canon is amazing and you can not go wrong with anything.
Love this place. Ambience and mixes are stellar!
The first time I went it was standing room only... looks like perhaps they've changed this to standing outside rather than letting people stand inside. Good or bad? I don't know, it doesn't bother me too much. We stood at the end of the place while waiting for seats at the bar to free up. When we got there, I said to the bartender that I liked sweet, light whiskey. He whipped something up and it was PERFECT. I wish I'd thought to ask what it was, but it was so good that I had another and wasn't doing much thinking at all. Also, let me say, FINALLY a bar in Seattle that knows what a '75 is and makes them to perfection. Whiskey is the game at this bar, but their gin drinks surely ain't no joke. I love a place that knows how to make my two loves sing.
Last time I went was on our anniversary, they were full, so we stood outside for a couple of minutes before being let inside. Staff were incredibly nice the whole time. They checked in on us frequently without interrupting. I mention this because I'm pretty sure we were clearly on some kind of special date, but I don't remember the staff interrupting at all, even though they must've done cos our drinks were refilled. Y'all are pretty good! I got the Sazerac, which is a heavy syrupy, boozy cocktail, perfect for nursing the entire night. My partner got the Sidecar, which was so yummy and refreshing. I strongly recommend trying the elevated classics. Their twists are perfect. The bartenders really know their stuff. We also got the steamed mussels and they were excellent.
I really have to talk about the decor for a moment. It's seriously cool. The vibe in here is pretty rich without being over the top and kitsch. I love the mirrored ceiling and the low lighting. The patrons who frequent this place always seem to be really chill; no rowdy college kids despite being next to what seems a rowdy bar. Perfect. They also play an excellent selection of diverse music. From rock, to folk, to soul, it's always really good and low key.
I'm sure this is going to be my new weekend spot for a drink. It's probably the most expensive watering hole I frequent but... I'll have one more, please! A+
Highlights:
- I honestly did not know what to expect prior to coming. Walking in brought me to a whole new atmosphere. Old school library and lounge vibe. Unexpected find and I am so glad that my friend told me to check this place out.
- Pork Belly Buns: Sweet and spicy sauce and apple slaw. It even came with a cannon figurine. The perfect snack with a mix of savory and sweet.
- Tables were free when we came, so there was no wait at all.
- Beuregarde's Breakfast: Bourbon, montenegro, lemon, blueberry preserves, and bitters. Strong and tart is probably the best way to put it. I'm a wuss when it comes to strong drinks. I like my drinks light, and sweet. Girly?! You know it!
- Even while away from home, it gave me that homey feel like I was sitting at a bar back in San Francisco, Definitely Rick House and other craft cocktail like vibe.
Improvements
- Service was really good when the bar wasn't full, but dwindled as the night went on.
Tip: Come early to grab a seat.
I know that the word on the street among my comrades, the hipster foodies, is that this place is awesome. Well, I hate to be a naysayer, but my experience here sucked, especially compared to the hype.
Ambiance: I've been to lots of bars where part of the shtick is that you have to wait for a while to get inside, and I'm fine with that, it can sort of heighten the mystique, get you pumped up for the experience, whatever. However, I've never waited anywhere with a 3-part queue -- outside in the cold, inside in the tiny entryway, and then at a standing room only area... And I've *never* waited so long for such small payoff. Lame.
Drinks: yuck. First of all, the bartender was busy chatting some people up, and moving around with great bravado, so it took forever to get served. Then he gave my boyfriend the wrong drink. Then he mangled his actual order, their signature drink - the foam on top was all weirdly deflated and the cannon image, which I've heard can turn out quite cool looking, was just an ugly red smear.
Nothing on their (one-note) menu sounded good to me, so I ended up with the Shrouded Roulette ("tell us your base spirit and we'll create the mystery - every recipe secret and unique!"). I asked the bartender to make me something spicy with tequila, which turned out to be something bland and unidentifiable as tequila-based. Certainly not worth $10.
All in all, I feel like this place had a poor design, an unapologetically poor bartender (maybe their others are better), and an overpriced selection of unappetizing food and bevs. Everything was, in a word, pretentious. Nothing looked unhygienic and no one was outright rude, so 2 stars it is.
If you want a bar that feels hip and exclusive, you'll get a better bang for your buck at Tavern Law or Knee High Stocking Co.
If I am giving a 2 star is because the drinks were very good but the service by the pretentious waitresses were terrible.
I entered the place with my husband waiting for our friend who was celebrating his birthday.
The waitress said she would get a table for us while we waited yet she never did. When our friend arrived, we had to stand and wait with our coats and drinks. Then she brings all our food and demands we eat it standing up. I asked her we would like a table before we start eating standing up holding my coat and purse.
Finally a nice lady decided to leave and give us her bar seat so we could seat. After settling down my group wanted to order food. The waitress rudely said she cannot serve me cuz she needs to take care of the new customers. She never came back to take my order.
The bartender had to step in and cover for her. Apologizing and saying she just could not help us anymore cuz we were at the bar? When was I given this update?
Overall if you want service you will not get any. Save yourself the pain of dealing with these passive aggressive waitresses and just sit in the bar. Nathan, the bartender, tried to be nice and provided us with what we needed.
The food was ok the service horrible but at least the drinks were delicious to survive my stay.
I think you can do better than this place. Go to vessel or needle and thread but not this place.
Came here with my pregnant wife for a night out with some friends for the holidays. A table wasn't ready for us so I asked if she could sit on chair at the bar while we wait. Â At the time there were 3 open chairs at the bar. The host said no cause we had to wait for our own table. I thought this was completely insensitive. I just wanted a place for her to sit considering she was 7 months pregnant. Instead, we were forced to stand and wait RIGHT IN FRONT of the 3 open chairs. Â I told my wife to go ahead and sit on the chair anyway and the host kept giving us mean looks.
Once we got our table the service was very bad. I felt like we were unwelcome. Â We asked for recommendations on food and the server responded with "I'm not going to order for you." Â
We stayed, ate, drank, cause it would be too hard to go anywhere else. Â But WOW NEVER AGAIN!
You know you're in good company when a dry sherry luge off a marrow bone is a regular part of dinner service...
- Flatbread a la Greco with braised lamb, nicoise olives, feta & arugula
- Hunter's Pie with venison, carrot, pomme duchesse & red wine
- Foie Gras Terrine with cranberry-hazelnut granola, maple & brandy
- Marrow with smoked garlic gremolata
- Cheese plate with humboldt fog, chevre, fennel, dill, fig/wine gastrique & rosemary crostini
Yup... that happened.
If you're not throughly turned on by the aforementioned, then we might have a difficult time getting along. Hands down, the BEST meal I had in my short three day Seattle stint. Well cooked, well sized, beautifully presented.
Slight preference hiccup with the Fois Gras Terrine as it was much sweeter then I had anticipated. I can't exactly call it a negative, because it was still incredibly tasty but it was almost reminiscent of a honey based custard and when you put that description together with the main ingredient being meat.... it gives you a head ache.
The stand out of the meal was most definitely the marrow. We plowed through two portions in no time flat and unfortunately, luck of the draw, got two very shallow marrow bones. But size aside, when you're literally fighting your dinner mates over who gets to lick the plate - you've got a winner. Garlicky goodness all around.
When we finally came up for air after quietly devouring our share plates, I sunk into an after dinner cocktail in the form of the chamomile sour - with chamomile infused scotch, lemon and egg white. The scotch had a hint of peat to it (believe it or not, I didn't ask what kind) and the combination with the citrus & chamomile was interesting without being over the top. Well made, well balanced, great glassware, happy girl.
And the liquor list! A BINDER sized Captain's list of the rarest tinctures & treasures that will promise endless hours of scotch snobbery upon my return.
All in all - my double terrine day in Seattle made for one blissfully happy post dinner hotel faceplant and Canon has made it onto my go-to list for my future trysts down south.
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