Kurrent Restaurant & Ice Bar

We went to Kurrent as more of a pre-​funk, and also because we’d never been before. We got there pretty early, about 9:30 or so, and obviously there was seating to spare. We grabbed a high table with a couple bar stools to the right of the door, which turned out to be the perfect location. One thing I’ll say though, is that I wish the stool-​chairs had at least some sort of back to them; I get pretty animated, and nearly went over backwards once or twice.
The interior is a dark modern one, slightly showing it’s age and use, but nonetheless a good setting. There’s a good spread of couches to lounge, or high tables to talk at, and we liked both sections. The service was definitely an A+, as (I forgot his name) the host was very friendly but not overbearingly so. He gave us some good recommendations on drinks, which my friend took (I think she got some sort of lemon drink), as well as food. We definitely had far more drinks than food, of which the calamari was pretty good, but the menu looked like it did offer a variety of above average bar food.
To come back to my statement about our seating location, sitting by the windows across from the bar gave us a modicum of privacy to talk to each other, yet we were within a quick look’s distance of the bar, and the drink refills were definitely right on cue. I suppose I can see why some people see this as a D-​Bag kind of place, but most of the people the night we went were cool (it was a charity jello shot night) and plus, if you’re there with great company, who cares who else is there?
While Kurrent does bill itself as something a little above what is there (like perhaps as a full ice bar), it’s still a great place to relax and hit first, before going out later. Our experience here was great also because of the awesome service we got, and it made for a good start to the night.

I’ve been to Kurrent a few times, and recently, my awesome husband threw a surprise party for me in the bar’s back room. There’s a reason why when you check into this place on Foursquare, you get a «Douchebag» badge. It’s kinda douchey. The atmosphere is as if they took the most annoying parts of Belltown and transplanted them in Capitol Hill. Bleh.
First, the fact that they call it an Ice Bar is a bit of misnomer. There’s really just a strip of ice embedded in part of the bar. That’s it. Lame. The house cocktails aren’t very inventive, and furthermore, they aren’t very good. The pours were super weak and the juices tasted old.
Next, the food is not very good. The menu consists of poorly executed Asian-​fusion dishes. We ordered a bunch of appetizers to feed my party guests, and I noticed most of them went untouched. In fact, my guests and I ended up eating elsewhere as a group because we weren’t into the food.
As much as I had a great time with my little party, the venue chosen left much to be desired.

I had been stalling for a long time on whether to finally belly up and write an review of this place.
Truth is I rationalized if it was even worth my time. Well it is because its for other Unilocaler’s time.
I came here for a friends birthday party on a late weekend night. The place was packed but we had the rented out the side lounge. It was so damn crowed in there I had to snake through alot of greasy people just make it across the place. In my attempts just to cross the room I had to make sure that I wasn’t going to get grabbed by some gross idiot.
The place just doesn’t bring in a good crowd, nor do I think the venue is even worth checking out.
If your looking for a place with gross guys, hobo’s staring at you through windows, small space, bad music then this would be your watering hole.

I don’t know why but this place reminds me of a glow in the dark condom. Seems like fun but ultimately a sad let down.
When I heard about Kurrent first coming to the hill with an ice bar I remember getting pumped. Oooooooo fancy. Then I went and sat in these rickety ikea type chairs and had an over priced drink that sat on a slab of ice built into the bar. Its like I wanted a Nintendo for Christmas and my dad bought me an intella-​vision all over again. Cool but only because I was trying to make it cool.
The servers are super nice by the way it’s the Dj’s and the atmosphere that is horrible.
You have a lounge with DJ’s playing music louder then the dance clubs on the block. Most people are yelling or going outside to talk and nobody really dances. Actually to be honest I might be more likely to check Kurrent out again if when the DJ’s came in I didn’t feel like I had just sought asylum in the land of Kurrent and the government was trying to drive me out using unbearable loud music.
In all my explorations on capitol hill of trashy to fancy bars this one I walk by without even noticing it. Sorry Kurrent. You seem nice but I just cant get into you.

All i had was a Hef draft. no complaints at all. I think the bartender was the same guy who came around to our table and asked us if we needed anything. he was friendly, so it was nice. my first time there…
the wife got a Diet Coke w/​some olives on the side — she was just in the mood for some olives. no cover. the weird shape of the place doesn’t detract at all like i thought it might. you can be at the bar, in the main thick of it all, or you can hide away on the couches in the back, or dance away in the near dark behind the DJ. and finally, the men’s room was NOT a cesspool as i expected. It actually had some of the nicest fixtures i have ever seen in a bar! I would definitely go back. the menu looked good, so my rating may change once i try some food.

This place is pretty great on a Saturday night when you want a change from the places on the hill. It’s fun but the atmosphere is decidedly less «come as you are» than every place else around.
There’s no cover ever!
The bartenders are nice.
Drinks are OK.
The music is awful on Fridays. But ok on Saturdays. The DJ takes requests. The crowd varies from week-​to-​week but if you’re just going to blow off some steam you’ll have a good time. Mostly, the patrons are cool, fun (ny) and easy going despite what has been dubbed a Belltown vibe. I’ve been to Belltown and this place is nothing like that.

This review is long overdue.
I don’t know if it would have occurred to me to try Kurrent, as it is a tad Belltownish. But Don L’s event beckoned, so I gave it a try.
– Ice bar: nowhere in sight. In fact a fellow Unilocaler said she’s been here twice before and it never made an appearance. What gives?
– Acoustics: dear god. Get some curtains or a rug. The echo was insane.
– Service: fab!!! But we Unilocalers pretty much had the place to ourselves (on a Thurs night) so not much competition. The servers were really nice, and even came into the back room shortly before HH was up so we could order drinks.
– Food: I think there was tofu, and maybe potstickers and wings. Everyone seemed content with the offerings.
– Wii: a nice option, but I suggest you don’t try this when it’s crowded.
– Bathrooms: I didn’t think they smelled *that* bad, but a couple Unilocalers commented that it smelled like a Porta Potty.
There’s my review, adieu!

Happy Spring 2009! You know the weather’s fine when Kurrent’s dj wakes you up at 1am on a weeknight – those damn garage doors are thrown WIDE open, the shitty house is blasting, and the dj is calling out «all the ladies». Yeah, I can hear every word.
Friendly neighborhood bar this isn’t. Have fun!

I’ve been here a few times now and I love the place, though I’m disappointed in the fact that I’ve never actually seen the ice bar in action. I’ve been here with two big groups and never had any issue getting service and the bartenders have always been nothing but attentive. A friend wanted to try a flavor of vodka and wasn’t sure what to mix it with. So we asked the bartenders. She got a fabulously delicious drink that I don’t think either of us would have ever thought of!
The space is pretty cool though it can get pretty loud at times. It’s definitely one of those places where you have to shout a bit. In the room to the right there is a TV where you can play Wii and have some fun. If you choose to indulge in the Wii bowling, please check around you though because you don’t want to start a bar fight with a Wiimote!
The fried tofu appetizer I tried was great. The tofu was a bit softer than I’m used to having — nearly oozing — but still quite yummy. The gyoza were pretty standard. However, I tried a nibble of a friend’s beef dish (butter beef or something maybe??) and it was amazing. For being 9 PM on a Thursday night and seeing somebody with food at a bar, I expected something mediocre when I saw the cubes of meat. Then I tried one. I’m nearly tempted to go back middle of the week, just for that dish, not even for a drink.
My only real issue with this bar (along with the majority of capitol hill bars) is that the bathroom stinks. Every single time I’ve been here, the bathroom has smelled gross. I’ll forgive the potty stench though for the positive experiences I’ve had here!

Knowing this event was taking place:
I wanted to to soak in Kurrent without the pleasant rowdiness of my Unilocaler folks. My sister and I met up to experience their happy hour before the action began.
Upon walking in Kurrent looks like your typical minimalist Belltown lounge. There was a fireplace next to a couch which looked appealing on a cold night. Other than that I felt a bit odd being in Euro Trash lounge in the middle of Capitol Hill.
The waiter greated me promptly and asked me if I wanted to see a menu. Sure. I asked about the happy hour specials and on food only the appetizers are half off. I sat down and continued to look over the menu as I waited for my sister. She arrived and we ordered drinks and food. I went with the tofu satay and mi hermana ordered the chicken udon.
The food arrived and my sister’s looked delicious. It was a smorgesboard of plump noodles, chicken, and veggies. My plate consisted of tofu, rice, and a salad. Unfortunately my food tasted the way it looked: the tofu was dry, the rice was hard, and the salad was past its prime. I finished my plate due to the fact I was hungry and wished I followed my sister’s lead and ordered the udon which she said was tasty.
After our plates were cleared we asked our waiter if they had a dessert menu. No dice. My sister and I gasped collectively. No dessert! Is this a practical joke?! Okay, we said, heads lowered in utter defeat.
I started to see Unilocalers trickle in and we made our way to the semi-​private room. There is WII in there which is the only positive aside from the black and white forest wallpaper. The acoustics in the room are terrible. Good and terrible. My ears are still trying to recover.
My sister went up to the bar to get a drink and when she got back she told me our waiter who turned bartender told her he would have been nicer to us had he known we were Unilocalers. What the shit is that?
Good chance I won’t be back at Kurrent unless I come decked out head to toe in Unilocal attire. Obnoxiously announcing I’m a Unilocaler will get me better service, and hopefully better food, allegedly.

So, the first time I went to Kurrent, it was their happy hour. They had GREAT drinks and yummy appetizers, which were a great deal. We were so jazzed we brought our neighbors. This time, however, they changed the menu (which was louzy) and the staff was horrible. Very sad…
I want to give it another chance, but am hesitant. Sigh.

I would like to ask you what is wrong with this mathematical equation:
Small, cool ultra-​lounge style bar + dressy patrons + nice fixtures and places to chill out + really loud tinny bangin’ super-​club traxx blasted with nob turned to 11 at 9:30 p.m. = Good.
If you can figure out what went wrong in that equation, you win some free advice about this establishment.
If you see nothing wrong with the above equation, you’ll love kurrent.
5 stars for the awesome bartenders, but when offset by the vibe put forth by the rest of the club, 2-​stars.
The crowd I was with definitely made up for the space and is the reason I stuck around for a while.

This place is so current they spell it with a «K»!
Maybe I am falling behind on what’s hip but I just couldn’t get myself to dig this place. Music was LOUD! And people were… interesting. This place is a lounge and they were bumping big club music. Banging with small club speakers. Loud highs and no bass. Speakers overloading.
Bartender was cool though. Very nice guy. Working hard. He was serving us some stiff ass drinks. Him and people I was partying with saved me. Thank you.

Kurrent,… Thanks for getting me wasted! I mean seriously wasted!
I had a blast here, the bartender was awesome and I was surrounded by great people! Of course It was Adam C’s birthday and that was likely the main reason for all the lovely people but this is a nice little spot that deserves checkin out at least once.
So go, enjoy!

It’s almost a year later, and on the eve of returning to re-​visit the April Fool’s prank HH next month, I am so glad Adam was able to have his birthday at kurrent.
Now under new ownership, undergoing some remodeling and change ups (and a new menu debuting in time for next month’s HH) the owner was on site, hands on, working his bar and our crowd to make sure all went well and we had a great time. I had a good time chatting with him about how he came to own it, and the things he’d like to see happen at kurrent. That he is ALL about loving the Unilocal crowd is just icing on the cake.
Our dedicated bartender, Patrick, was awesome! How he remembered so many people’s names as they returned for orders in that large crowd, I have no idea! Boys got skills!
Great time, Adam. Thanks for including us in the celebration of your life, it was a blast!

I can’t help but hum «ice ice baby» when I come into this place. The ice bar still makes this place one of my favorites in Seattle.
New ownership means a slight shift in the style of this place; it’s still got a funky fun classy feel, but there is a slight shift away from the gourmet dining that the previous owners highlight in places like the website. The dining area on the left as you enter is now a larger area where you can hold parties and such, with an updated menu to come for dining.
The rest of the bar is still the same, fun place, with the long ice bar stretching to the right, the DJ tower pumping out fun beats for dancing and partying, and the back room with the Wii where smaller parties can celebrate.
The bartenders are still awesome, and you can find the new owner, Will, greeting patrons and making sure everyone is having a fine time just inside the front door.
I’m looking forward to trying the food from the new menu, and will update with that fifth star (I’m sure) when I do!

Great atmosphere and considering it is on Capitol Hill, it is a great place! Drinks are poured stiff and they have a great vibe there. Great appetizers and the service is usually really good. The staff are always on it even on busy nights!
A definite crowd favorite when you have the straights and the gays co-​mingling before the straights go to their bars and the gays hit their clubs.
Prices can be steep when you compare to other Capitol Hill establishments, but you definitely get your money’s worth there!

I love living in Capitol Hill and people complain that this bar doesn’t quite fit in because it’s got a Belltown vibe. GROSS! I disagree. Even though it’s not a stereotypical Capitol Hill joint, it fits in just fine.
In fact — I’ve been here on a few occasions and although it has more of a club vibe — if you come slightly earlier for food, you’d be pleasantly surprised. I really, REALLY liked the food and cocktails during happy hour. I’ve been dying to go back ever since.
I’ve also been later when there is a DJ playing and it’s a little louder. The cocktails (again) were really good as was the service.
There’s no reason to dislike this place and the décor is fun, clean and a little different from places like the Cha Cha and Linda’s that we’re all used to.

So this is quite a bias review, our friend owns this restaurant, and so we always get great service, and food when we are here… But that doesn’t mean that I don’t see how other people around me are getting treated, and I tell them that I am Unilocaler, and how they should always be up on their game!!!
They have a live d. j, on the weekends, and serve private parties in their vip room that has it’s own fire place and buffet area for your array of different vietnamese foods.
You probably saw that I hate asian fusion, but this place has asian fusion with asian foods. so it’s not the americanized bullshit, and their food is pretty darn close to an upscale restaurant in vietnam with a twist of street food. and yes it is pricey, but it’s their location and quality of food. The owners go back to refresh their menu, and educate their staff :)

My friend and I have made this our usual eat and drink spot after our boxing lessons.
We love this place!
This is ironic considering we are likely the only two straight guys in the entire place.
Ambience: 4
Food: 5
Value: 5
Great big windows (that open in the summer time) looks out to the streets and a trendy lounge. They’ve even let us watch sports on the big LCD TV a couple of times. (Foreshadow: these people are very cool)
The food is excellent. Everything on the happy hour is fresh and tasty. We like spicy food, and the food here strikes the right balance between hot and flavor. We loved the calamari salad (March’s special) and the tilapia wraps are great (April’s special). The sushi is excellent and unique as well (Peking duck rolls?!). They have a very good selection of beers on tap: something for everyone from an IPA to a Belgium White.
The value cannot be beat! The portions are great, happy hour prices are awesome, and with beers and drinks on special, this place is perfect.
The owner, Vin, is a cool guy. He does mixed martial arts (mainly kick boxing) and fought in a couple of fights. We chatted him up: he helped us pick Judo as the next skill to learn and gave us the names of a couple of places to train. Then he bought us a round! How cool is that!