The Living Room

So sad to see this place has closed. I loved that this place was classy and intimate, yet casual. Went here a couple times; once on a date, and once with a girlfriend.
Both of my guests loved the place as well. The bartenders were polite, sophisticated, and creative with their drinks; but not at all pretentious. They knew how to make you something special (different from the list of standard cocktails). Too bad it had to close! What a shame.

I live only couple blocks away from the living room and I have walked past it all the time, so this has been on my list of places to go to for a long time. I heard several nice things about the living room from a friend, and also from the outside, the place looks so cute and cozy. I was excited to go, really hoping to find a hidden gem.
Unfortunately, the experience was a bit of a mixed bag.
Overall, I liked the atmosphere, and also liked that it was surprisingly not too loud even when there were a lot of people inside. I am so sick of Capitol hill bars that turn loud music all the way on. Especially after a stressful day of work, that just gives me headaches rather than relaxes me. I found the lights to be a bit too dark, but then it’s a bar so who cares.
For drinks, I ordered a glass of Caucasion ($ 5) under their cocktail specials (despite the ridiculous name of the cocktail). Vodka, Coffee Liquor, and cream– basically it was like a kahlua and cream or a white russian. It definitely packed a punch there, very strong, delicious, and cheap!
So far so good.
Where the living room really disappointed was the food.
I ordered a bunch off the menu, patatas bravas ($ 4), spicy chicken skewers ($ 6), and shredded pork bocadillo ($ 9). Overall, the food wasn’t horrible tasting, but just really really mediocre and unimpressive. Initially upon looking at the menu, I thought everything was so reasonably priced, but after seeing the food come out, I started feeling everything was very overpriced. The most ridiculous out of the bunch was the $ 6 chicken skewer. You pretty much get two couple ity-​bitty bite-​sized pieces of chicken on each of skewer. It almost felt like a joke.
So concluding, I would probably return to this place, but not on those days I feel like having a nicely cooked proper meal. I’d probably go to their happy hour before dinner somewhere else, or on a full stomach.
Bottom line, skip the food, just go for the drinks.

Unfortunately there really isn’t much to say about The Living Room because, well, there really isn’t much to the place to speak of. It’s most certainly one of the smallest bars I’ve ever been to, although I’m sure the nicer way to word that would be «intimate» or «quaint». For me it was just more like crowded, but maybe that’s because there were about 15 – 20 Unilocalers there for a UYE gathering. It was certainly nice to meet some of the friendly faces of Seattle during my stay, I just wish we had been somewhere a bit more accommodating.
Picture one high top table, a sofa, and a smaller table, and that’s essentially what you’re working with at The Living Room, aside from the bar itself. There is an upstairs, with maybe room for 4 more people, and apparently this can be «reserved», although I’m not sure why you would bother throwing such a small party. The decorations are virtually nonexistent, except for a few random animals on a shelf on one wall. It seems like someone just found an empty space and decided to put a bar in it, come Hell or high water.
Matching the sparse interior is a pretty small drink selection as well, with only a few tap handles, a couple wines and a couple bottles of liquor. This also seems true to the actual living room theme, mimicking the mediocre selection your dad probably had when you were growing up, looking for your first sip to steal. Luckily the staff here is pretty efficient and almost all the drink pours required very little wait, a surprising fact considering this was likely the biggest crowd they had seen in a while.
I can’t really knock The Living Room too many points for how small it is, as you kind of know that coming in. I am however disappointed in the options here, as finding something appealing proved more challenging than I would have liked. It’s a bare bones bar that does offer a very relaxed atmosphere, probably a good place to hang out just after work while you wind down, but not one I would want to spend a significant amount of time in.

Our group was trying to coordinate a meetup on a weekend for about 30 people. Our requirements were this: a place near downtown or Capitol Hill that was welcoming, had a private space for us to mingle, and had great food, drinks, and service. It sounds simple, but we found that a lot of places weren’t willing to accommodate us.
The Living Room Bar went above and beyond what we asked for. We had the whole place to ourselves and were able to pre-​order food so there was no hassle or confusion about who was paying for what. It was so easy to coordinate all the details, and all of our guests had a fantastic time. The vibe was fantastic, and the food and drinks were delicious. We’ll definitely host an event here again!

Pretty decent spot for a cocktail right at the bottom of the Hill, just after you cross over I-​5 coming from downtown. This should be your first stop on the Hill for your drinking excursion.
The cocktails are «crafted» and delicious. Lots of love goes into these top shelf concoctions. My friend and I perched at the window on a couple of bar stools and watched the passersby on the sidewalk. Great for people watching.
Not really a terribly cheap bar, but that’s not why you go here either. Go for the high quality booze and a great, chillaxing atmosphere.

Of all the misnamed bars, this one tops my list.
With low/​bad lighting, too dark walls, awkward space and more basic seating than comfy seating coupled with the awkward layout of that seating. nothing about this place evokes the feel of a living room, or even living.
The few times i’ve been here at the suggestion of others, nothing stood out, at all. The service was spotty, the drinks were relatively mediocre to weak, and that awkward layout creates too much potential awkwardness, discomfort and mood-​killing vibes.
If I lived within a block and drank enough to become a «crusty regular» maybe, but not worth it as a destination spot.

I went to the Living Room last summer, and flat out disliked it. Drinks took forever to get and once received, they had maybe two drops of alcohol at most.
I vowed to never return, but I ended up there again last weekend for a birthday party and I feel much better about it.
The place was completely packed, yet the bartender was still personable and quick plus drinks actually had booze in them! I drank the Lolita cocktail all night (cranberry + st. germaine + champagne + something else that I’m forgetting) and everything was wonderful. As packed as it was, it wasn’t too hard to make my way through the bar, and there were always seats available.
I probably wouldn’t make it a point to return, but it’s no longer on my MUST AVOID AT ALL COSTS list.

The owners won’t look at you weird if you stroll in at 5:00pm on a Monday afternoon to drink alone! The place was deserted (I’m guessing most people don’t drink until the evening/​night time)…but I had a valid excuse. Traffic was awful and well. I found great parking.
It was well worth the celebratory sangria.
Which by the way, they had in both the red and white variety. And to make it more awesome — it was happy hour and the drink was only $ 3.
Free wi-​fi. Great drinks. Decent prices.

If you are looking for a small chill place to go with some friends, this is a good spot. This isn’t a big, loud bar for meeting your next one-​night stand, but it’s great for a drink and conversation.
My friends came first and got the upstairs section. If you can get the whole upstairs section, you’re in luck. They have nice couches and coffee tables up there and you’ll get some good privacy. There’s a downstairs section too, but overall, the place is small. It’s nice, but then the main con is that it’s an issue of whether or not there’s room in this bar!

What a great little bar! I came here with my date to escape the evening chill and relax with a couple beers. We started with a pint each of the Crooked Belgian Wit from Two Beers Brewing Co., and later we returned to the bar for a couple pints of the red (I can’t remember exactly what it was). The Belgian was crisp and refreshing; the red was a bit bolder, a bit smoother… I recommend them both.
The bar felt a bit slow for a Saturday night, though I suppose people were probably out doing other things for the 4^th of July weekend. We had the entire upstairs area to ourselves. The music wasn’t too loud. The fans kept us reasonably cool. The lighting was moody and subdued. This place oozes an intimate, laid-​back ambiance. I’ll have to come back and check out their happy hour — who doesn’t love $ 3 wells and draughts?

On a first visit to Seattle from San Francisco I was looking for a chill bar where I could drink the afternoon away. I’m a teacher, it’s summer… you do the math.
We happened upon The Living Room right when it opened (I think it was 4pm). We walked in and I was immediately reminded of my house in college — couches everywhere, random art work, strings of novelty lights hanging, and a very plentiful bar with an assortment of alcohols you don’t tend to see everywhere.
What I most enjoyed about The Living Room was that all of the drinks on the menu aren’t your standard bar fare thrown together haphazardly and flung toward you. The bartender was very enthusiastic about the quality of his drinks and when he saw that we would be staying awhile encouraged us to try all sorts of fun concoctions he was working on for their new summer menu. My favorite drinks were the Chocolate Cake (vodka, frangelico and muddled lemons that somehow REALLY do taste like a straight out of the oven chocolate cake) and a new summer concoction whose name unfortunately escapes me but absinthe was the main ingredient and it had a refreshing iced tea quality to it. Their drink special that day was also amazing. It had brandy and a raw egg mixed in. On their own, neither ingredient sounds appetizing to me, but together, that drink was magic.
At one point one of the owners sat down next to us and was extremely friendly. Some friends were encouraging me to take a shot and since I can’t say no to peer pressure I agreed but no one was willing to take one with me… except the owner. He even let me choose the shot. Badass. He also is way more knowledgeable about SF than I am because he gave me a list of a bunch of places I hadn’t even heard of to try when I went back home. That’s service.
We were there a good five hours and got loaded. The total came out to $ 43. In SF or LA the bill would have probably been closer to $ 200 with the amount we drank. If you want a chill atmosphere where people are friendly and the drinks are not only cheap but made with care, The Living Room is for you.

You know the bar you can walk in and you just know you are home. This is not one of them. I never once felt comfortable in this place and this is an important feeling to have when you want to sit around and have a few.
My wife told me what she wanted and went to grab a seat upstairs. I approached the bar and waited and waited. No the bartender was not busy, just three people at the bar, and he was not making a drink. He just was talking with what I gathered were friends. I am not asking for people to drop what they are doing for me, but an acknowledgement, be with you in a sec, a head nod, anything would have been nice.
I was able to get a couple of drinks. I was not very pleased with the drinks. I got some kind of Rye drink. I was watery and bland. I remember trying whatever my wife had. It was better than mine, but still forgettable.
The place was scorching hot. The music was way too loud and a poor mix (I am getting tired of bad music being cool because it’s bad). No I am not too old… we were there in the early evening, 7ish. This is the prime time to socialize, not rock out and this is not the rocking out kinda place. The name Living Room makes me think of a place to sit and talk. I don’t what to scream «WHAT DID YOU SAY?» while talking to my wife a foot from me. That volume is reserved for later when the alcohol has deadened some nerves.

What chill, small, and quaint little spot! Just stopped in here with my husband a few evenings ago for a drink and ended up staying for some appetizers as well. The bartender is super nice, great to chat with, and can pour good drinks.
They have a good appetizer menu, decent prices as well! We got the cheese plate (which was really good)…Mmmm. so many tasty cheeses on one plate. We also tried the sliders, they were just OK, really dry though. Could use some sauce or more juice in the patties. We wanted to try the skewers but sadly they were out, hence we got the sad sauce-​less sliders instead, lol.
This place is good if you are looking for a chill, not overly loud spot to grab a drink with a friend. I really liked the décor and would definitely come back some time if I want a chill spot for a drink.

The first time I ever came in here there was a dude with a bottle of Cynar just giving out shots. I had a double. That night was sloppy.
I always forget about this place because of the location, but it’s one of my top fav spots on the hill. Love the atmosphere — not raucous, just a cool lounging spot. Reminds me of Hazelwood in Ballard.
I met the owner on Saturday and her handsome man (read: dog) somewhere in-​between redwood, having the cops called on us, and getting thrown out of the crescent. Incredibly nice, fun chick. I wasn’t drunk [yet], relax.
From now on I’m going to use this place to regain my sanity and self-​respect whenever I’m wrangled into visiting my own personal hell — Cha Cha.

Borderline «meh» to «a-​ok». It’s a little bit of a hole-​in-​the wall, which I usually do like… and it’s very «capital hill», which I also usually like — but it was a little bit smelly in there, and I am very sensitive to offensive odors.
They didn’t really have a happy hour menu — and the guy made it up on the spot so it was $ 3 for beers and $ 4 for a white russian. The white russian brought back happy-​go-​lucky memories for me of my days in college.
Very friendly staff.

There are good bartenders, and there are GOOD bartenders. Liberty is one of the GOOD ones. She’s attentive, prompt, and pours a damn good cocktail! Prolly one of the best key lime pies I’ve ever had — BRAVO Liberty, you’re awesome!
The Living Room itself is a cozy little nook of a bar on the hill. Cute, well laid out space for how small it is — w/​a room upstairs you can reserve for «larger» parties.
Snacks good, drinks good, space good.
The only sucky thing is parking — but isn’t parking on the hill always sucky?

Taking over The Living Room is fun!!! Or, well, I’m sure it’s also fun to show up with just a few friends or a date. ;)
I very much enjoyed the space when the Unilocalers took over this bar for happy hour one evening. The downstairs had some nice seating and nooks to hang out in while the upstairs had some pretty cozy seats and a DJ. There’s only one bathroom and that can be a bit frustrating, but at least it’s a bathroom with red lighting and expressed brick? I love bathrooms with some character…
The staff members were nice and the one who was I think experiencing their first day on the job was super enthusiastic. I love it!!!
I was in a one-​beer mood so I only had one Peroni. I heard their cocktails are on the expensive side, but… when it comes to specialty cocktails… isn’t that USUALLY the case?
I enjoyed the vibe and would definitely be down to enjoy more happy hour wine or beer here.

Another reason why I heart Capitol Hill so much!
Not only is it run by the most generous local management but the wait staff is AWESOME!
Had the UYE: Unilocal Invades The Living Room event here and were treated very well! $ 3.00 for wells/​wine and they even brought out nice plates of small bites just for us!
Wait staff was always great and friendly!
This place has become my spot to relax, have a drink, and kick back on the giant couch upstairs.

The Living Room is a great addition to the Hill. I was skeptical how they could transform the old Anne Bonny into a bar but they did a great job.
I went with a rather large group of friends which I normally wouldn’t suggest. However, it was about 12:45AM so there was enough space for about 10 of us to squeeze in and mingle with the other patrons there. Having more than 3 or 4 to your group certainly would make it hard for everyone to sit together because there are separated seating areas and chairs and stools of differentiating heights. We made it work though!
The bartenders were kind and mixed up some great drinks. Up on the second level there was a DJ playing some music and it appeared that everyone was having a great time. I really loved the décor of the place. A lot of it was vintage but it was very simple and clean-​lined at the same time. No clutter, nothing to trip on or step over. I also really admired all of the different colored glass lamps hanging around the bar. Green, yellow, red, clear — they were all so unique and let off some great mood lighting.
If I was to go on a date somewhere or meet up with a few friends for a drink, this would be the perfect spot.

Ok, so I went, and it was really unique, relaxing and wonderful. The seating is comfortable — a good place to really relax and unwind. You can even put your feet up, just like @ your home.
I went last week — specifically to see if the art and the cocktail list really lived up to my expectations for the place (see my original review). And they do! Finally, a cocktail bar that not only has good wines, they have excellent wines and unique fabulous cocktails. Also, the ambiance really does foster conversation. Next time, I am bringing my sister here to see how she’d feel about having one of her wedding related parties here. It is very low key and laid back.