If I had to write a love letter to a restaurant Essex would get the vote. We just returned from vacation in Seattle and Essex was on the list of "places to try". We fell in love from the minute we saw its location. It is almost hidden and has that tucked away feeling (which we love) not to mention the cozy and local atmosphere that almost begs you to stay awhile and enjoy yourself.
Food and drink: both excellent. Well crafted cocktails, sodas (if you don't drink don't despair, the non-alcoholic offerings are brilliant), and the food is quite good. My favorite by far was the cauliflower toasts with harissa and pinenuts. I can't wait to attempt to recreate this at home but it won't be the same. C'est la vie.
By far, one of the best restaurants in Seattle and lord, there are too many to choose from but this is definitely a favorite.
I knew a place like this existed in Seattle. Â I just knew it.
Essex is a small super-club feeling bar that mixes fantastic cocktails and sports a somehow low-key, locals, yet pretty darned sophisticated Seattle crowd. Â Its a well-lit space, long and lean and with the feel of a skinny Victorian railroad flat, with a slim, narrow bar on the right-side of the long space, and small tables for couples and larger (six people probably max.) groups to the left. Â
Its a tight, cozy fit once inside, but after you find your seat, it feels spacious, congenial, and just delightful. Â Perfect, perfect spot for a real conversation, cocktails, nibbles, ambiance and romance. Â Well-lit enough that it feels conversational and buoyant, not moody or overly mysterious. Â Food highlights include buttery, meaty Castelvetrano olives, cauliflower toasts, cheese and cured meats. Â Prices are towards the spendy side.
A fantastic spot for the craft cocktail set to kick off a great date.
What a wonderful little place. The atmosphere is relaxed chic. It reminds you a bit of a 70's lounge, with wooden tables. The drinks are pricey, and are more complex and intricate in ingredients than they need to be. I would recommend just getting your favorite mixed drink and beer. But what I would recommend are the small plates. The prosciutto is amazing, the cheese is amazing and the pickled plate is wonderful as well. Maximize your $ by getting a beer and maxing out on the plates. Definitely worth a visit. Enjoy.
Review Source:I've been twice; once with my fiance, once alone.
I'll put it succinctly: They need to match the menu and prices to the product.
On my second trip I read the menu, and I noted that some beers were pints, others were tulips. Â I ordered a pint, got a tulip, but was charged for a pint. Â
A week ago, when I dined there with my fiance, that beer was served in a pint.
I asked the bartender, he told me all the errors on the menu, identifying all beers that were served in tulips, but the menu said were pints, and the price was for pints.
This is a bar. Â I know you serve food, and the food I've had was excellent, but when I go into a bar, I want to know what I'm ordering and I want to know how much it will cost. Â This must be fixed.
I second the statement of  Jonathan S: bring your wallet.  Oh, and I'm fine paying whatever the price is, but you had better tell me ahead of time.
After reading the reviews, we expected great food, service and cocktails but what we got was just ok. We ordered two if different cocktails, both almost two strong to swallow. I heard the tables around me make similar comments. That said, if a strong drink is what you like, then you'll like the drinks.
Food is my profession. The food was ok. It just missed the mark, and for the price snd portion sizes, I'd like to see more in the way of flavored and execution.
What really bothered us was the service. They were super friendly, courteous and professional, but one person could not keep up- and we, and your business suffered. We had to wait a few times, then we ordered dessert, while our dirty plates were left in front of us, and sat there got 30 minutes as people buzzed around us getting served and seated. Then all of a sudden our bill was plonked in front of us. Thankfully we the dessert was not on the bill, and after waiting 30 minutes and being unable to get anyone's attention, we were done. I doubt we will return for a second try.
Long anticipating the opening, I was delightfully happy to see my expectations met when popping in for a nightcap with friends on my birthday. We snagged a table next to the front window - how cozy with it pouring rain outside as the candles flickered onto the shiny street outside. An intimate bar, we had a lovely waitress who was attentive and super helpful in deciding on cocktails and small plates.
What fortune to be in our neighborhood - a new favorite!
Very good cocktails and small plates. Â Somewhat expensive and crowded, but still a great experience. Â We were at the bar and being helped by both the bartenders and a waitress - bartenders seemed annoyed with any orders that didn't include a fancy cocktail (food), but the friendly and helpful waitress made up for it.
Review Source:Upside:
Great cocktails! Â Very inventive stuff and they are really starting to incorporate a lot of their own digestives and liqueurs into them. Â Cocktails on tap, yes on tap, too. Â Well chosen beer selections and wines by the glass. But expect to pay top dollar (see downside below).
Helpful, knowledgeable and invested staff. Â You can tell that the bar keeps like their job. Â I think we'll see many more killer cocktails coming out of these folks.
Downside:
Pricey. Â Cocktails are top dollar and your bill escalates quickly, especially if you order anything off the food menu. Â 4 cocktails and five taste selections and its $80-$90 out the door with tip. Â If you snack here with cocktails before you eat next door, expect to boost your payout appropriately.
Small. Â Don't come with a large party. Â Gets crowded when the wait next door at Delancey spikes.
I'll most likely not be eating much here unless they up portion size on the tastes or modify the menu to include some more stomach filling options. Â I realize that they rely on Delancey's kitchen which is maxed out during dinner so most of the food is cheese, salumi, pickled veg etc. Â But the pricing per 1 oz size feels (and really is) excessive for the cheeses and salumi. Â Overhead aside, that's $64/lb for $18/lb cheeses. Â No crackers/toast included.
One exception - Â Catstelvetrano Olives - very nice portion. Â But man (at least this one) cannot live on olives and cocktails alone.
I'm a Delancey fan and a neighbor to boot so I'll be back time and again because its walkable for a great cocktail. Â However, I think I'd prefer to hit the likes of The Gerald if I want good eats with my drink but that involves a lot more walking. ;-)
I've only had the pleasure of visiting Essex twice, but was happy with both experiences. Â I've tried three cocktails, all of which were creative and delicious...the bartenders there know what they are doing! Â I'm especially fond of cocktails with whipped egg whites, and the T-Dock and Private Eyes exceeded my expectations (not to mention, I was pleased during my last visit that they were mixed and delivered in three minutes flat in spite of a full-house of patrons). Â The Peter Falk, not an egg white drink, was also incredible...flavorful and smooth.
Food delights included Saucisson sec cured meat, Mt. Tam cheese, Â bread and red onion-currant chutney, and marinated fennel with Burcheron cheese. Â I'd like to see some additional "plates" on the menu, especially some in the $10-$14 range, and perhaps a couple salads, but I certainly didn't suffer with my "multiple snacks for dinner" spread. Â An employee walked by with a plate of pork shoulder and a side of grilled spicy peppers (I can't remember the specific name of those little guys) that he's had prepared for his own dinner during a break. Â He saw us drooling as he walked by and let us each steel a pepper off of his plate. Â They were divine and I wish those were regularly on the menu as a side. Â The pork looked amazing too--juicy and flavorful--but there just wasn't enough room in our bellies to justify an order.
Our server was the sweetest thing around; she was approachable in spite of clearly being busy and seemed eager to offer suggestions.
Seating is definitely a pain, especially when it's crowded, as there is hardly any room between tables to squeeze onto the main bench that runs along the wall (much less space on the bench to set down a purse or coat). Â Props to the server though who recognized the issue and said it is just fine to scoot tables as needed to comfortably get in/out. :)
The space itself is intimate and charming. Â I mean, really, I was sold upon seeing that whale wallpaper, marble bar, and rows of masking tape labeled mason jar containing boozy brilliance.
Things do tend to get pricey pretty quickly--our small plates and three cocktails came to a bit over $70--but the ambience, service, cocktails and food are just so good...
We went to neighboring Delancey last weekend expecting that we'd be killing some time over at the local dive, Tarascos, while we waited for our table. We were very excited when we heard that we had an alternative, Essex!
The atmosphere is very cool and clean. It almost feels like an old industrial pharmacy with hand labeled mystery jars filled with interesting delights. The taps, tile, tables, shelving, glassware, lighting all carry a similar vibe. There are plenty of small tables and seats at the bar.
They have a unique cocktail menu. We only tried a couple but both were really tasty and different from anything we've tried before.
We didn't think we'd eat since we were saving room for pizza but when we saw the menu, we couldn't resist trying some nibbles. The pretzel was delicious and the cheese options and accompanying compotes were yummy and came in generous portions. We really want to go back to try some of the larger plates because they looked delightful!
The service is spectacular and familiar from Delancey; friendly, knowledgeable and attentive without being annoying.
I only have a couple of minor complaints that keep me from a 5 star rating. The tables are very close together. Community drinking/dining doesn't bother me but they are so tightly packed that it's really hard to get to the bench that runs behind them... particularly if you have a decent sized booty :). Also, while we really enjoyed the drink menu and cocktails we tried, I do wish that they offered more varieties of liquor - maybe something with vodka?
Overall, Essex is SO much more than a place to wait for your table at Delancey. It can definitely stand on it's own and I'm very happy that there is another great drinking and dining option in the neighborhood. We'll be back soon.
I only had one night to go out while home in Seattle this August, and I chose to spend it at Essex....BEST DECISION EVER!
Full disclosure: I am a huge fan of Molly, Brandon, Delancey, and of course: Orangette. I cook from the blog, & A Homemade Life, on a fairly regular basis. I'm a little biased when it comes to these folks. That said: I am a foodie and a cocktail lover, and I live in NYC, where fancy cocktail bars are a dime a dozen. I really do appreciate the ambiance that comes with elegant cocktails, and Essex lives up to my standards, even surpassing them in some regards.
My best friend and I came in and took a seat at the gorgeous bar on Saturday evening at around 8:30 p.m. From the moment we sat down, Niah, the bartender, was friendly and attentive. We asked him about the cocktails and he made some recommendations. I ended up with the T-Dock (tequila, watermelon, pixie tangerine liqueur, lemon, egg white, and salt) and my friend had Red Medicine (Rye, Delancey fernet, Rachel's ginger beer, rhurbarb). Both the cocktails were fantastic. I loved the combinations of sweet and savory. Niah also gave us a couple samples of house rye and house fennel liqueur, which were fantastic. I love that Essex makes its own bitters!
I had to try one of the pickles, so I went with pickled fennel. UNBELIEVABLE. It was aromatic and tangy, the perfect balance of pickled & sweet. I would order the pickled blueberries next time, too - I'm intrigued!
Essex, I may live in NYC, but next time I come home to Seattle, I'll stop by for an evening.
Great place for a classy cocktail outside of the main drag of Ballard. Cute neighborhood with a cute bar. They homebrew their own fernet and bitters! Cocktails were good, beautiful presentation and very creative flavors but also very boozy. Definitely worth a visit if you are looking to explore Ballard beyond NW Market St.
Review Source:Tasty, inventive cocktails, wine, and beer with good bar food: homemade pretzels with homemade mustard, a selection of cheeses and salumi by the ounce, lots of pickled things, and a couple big plates. Â Over two days (the soft opening and opening night) I have had three of the cocktails: Red Medicine (rye-based), 70th St. Sour (rye again), and Private Eyes (tequila). Â All were excellent, with good-quality liquor and most often homemade bitters. Â Everything in the drinks is freshly made: no margarita mix here. Â Pretzels are the chewy / salty kind rather than the sweeter / fluffier kind, started in a convection oven and finished in the pizza oven, per a server. Â Pretty good service, especially for a crowded, lively opening night. Â Nice ambiance, with marble mar tops and table tops, subway tile back wall, and walnut bar shelves and banquette. Two caveats: first, excellent quality and homemade products come at a price, and it isn't cheap, with cocktails around $10-11: two cocktails and pretzels came to $27 before tax and tip. Â Second, with Delancey next door and popular, parking is now very tight in the neighborhood -- if you also like the nearby Barking Dog, you will know what I mean.
Review Source:
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