Hello,
Staying at the Westin. Are there good beer or wine bars close by?
My wife is vegetarian and I am looking for a really good place(including ambience) to take her as part of our anniversary.
Thank you.
Close to each other, and not far down the street from the Westin, are Wild Ginger and the Purple Cafe.
http://www.wildginger.net/our-food/Menus.aspx
http://www.thepurplecafe.com/menus.html
P Hickner
Has Wild Ginger improved recently? I stopped going 5 years ago (or more), because the food was competent but not anything more than that.
Purple is definitely better, but quite loud.
My rec would be Matt’s in the Market. Took them some time to recover from the ownership change, but my last visit was very good.
Another good choice would be Spur Gastropub. The name is poorly chosen; this place is anything but pub-like.
If she is vegetarian go to Shanik or Ginger (unreal wine list).
To go grab some wine, go to Purple, Ginger or RN74.
Shanik has a surprisingly well thought out wine list. For ambiance, about the opposite of Purple.
P Hickner
For beer bars in that area, your only half decent options are Tap House or Yard House. You can usually find a few decent craft brews there, but you’ll pay the price. If you don’t mind a bit of a walk, head down to Pioneer Square for Collin’s Pub at 2nd & James (or hop in the bus tunnel at Westlake and get off at the Pioneer Square stop and it’s right around the corner).
Wild Ginger has a great wine list, hit and miss on the food, but is perfect for vegetarians (my wife is vegetarian).
Icon Grill, right around the corner from your hotel usually has a couple veggie options, decent beer list, so-so wine and stiff drinks.
If you don’t mind eating vegetarian yourself, an option is Plum Bistro on Capitol Hill. It’ll make your wife ecstatic with the food, but you’ll probably fell a bit blah by the drinks. Further up the hill (will require a cab) is Cafe Flora. Food is slightly lesser than Plum, but the drink options are significantly better.
Shanik
If you are in the area Sat or Sun between noon and 6PM and going to Shanik, come by my work and I’ll open something before you go to dinner. I’m like 3 blocks N. of Shanik, same street.
I haven’t been to this place but it’s new and sounds very cool. Downtown. http://lecavisteseattle.com/