Vermillion

If u wanna dance with live rap music you can but you can also be in a quieter room with seating & still hear the music & have a conversation! There’s a small patio out front for some fresh air & the drinks are strong :). The bartenders are friendly & helpful & the door guy is a delight! There are arcade games in the front for some entertainment! The vibe is so chill & comfortable, no judgements. It’s so much more spacious than the entrance makes it seem and there’s never a line for the bathroom!

I came here after I had dinner for a friend’s birthday, only cause I saw the Unilocal $ 10 for $ 20 deal. I was able to get a midori sour and long island iced tea for $ 10. I’m not sure if it was because I got the deal or not, but the drinks didn’t taste like they had much alcohol.
The ambiance is very dreary. You walk in this dark corridor, with creepy artwork on the walls. There isn’t really much of an area to socialize. Not the best place to hangout with friends.

I was kind of uncomfortable at first because I’d always noticed people going in, checking out the front and leaving quickly. The entrance is this long hallway of uncertainty but I decided to finally venture through, and at the end I was met with the friendliest bartender named Don. I think he was what made this place cool for me and I decided to come back and found that awesome French movie nights and small concerts happen here as well. Would recommend!

One of the underrated bars on Capitol Hill. They’ve recently added some arcade games in the front where the art gallery is. Been here several times and the crowd has never been too crazy. There’s room to dance, but it’s just a nice change of pace compared to a lot of the other busier bars.

Cool space with rotating art done by local artists. It’s always interesting to see what’s showcased next in this space.
Pinball machines are fun but you’ll usually be waiting to play, especially if you come when this place is poppin’.
Seating is a bit sparse but it’s #nbd if you’re in and out to the next bar.

The bartender was AWESOME! Very stiff cheap drinks and he was quick with the size of our group (about 40!) and stayed on top of it all night long. The back lounge area is a hip little social area and the video games are heaps of fun.
The food though.. . Not so great. But hey, it’s a bar not a restaurant.

A few friends and I came out here for a Structure event and it was rapturous! Such a unique space and in a busy spot of town.
The music, bar, dancing are separated by a hall making it pretty easy to enjoy both without being distracted by the other. Like others have noted they curate great art. Staffing was friendly and fast but it wasn’t overly crowded either. Definitely will make my way back again!

Chameleon — Vermillion
Ambience: 4
Food: —
Drinks: 4
Value: 3
An art gallery, a bar, a DJ music venue… Vermillion is a place with many faces.
It is a gallery in the front, and if you walk to the back there is a bar and an open space. On this weekend, the first weekend of the moth, it was Steady Groove Saturday, a local DJ event, hosted by one of our friends.
When you mix good drinks (go for the Boy George: gin, st. Germain, grapefruit, bitters), with good friends, with good music: goodness ensues. A fitting choice for many occasions.

Art

I’ve been to Vermillion on several occasions now and tend to enjoy the art that is exhibited here. I don’t necessarily understand it all or even agree with the point of the view of the artists, but Vermillion exhibits art that provokes, and I really appreciate that.
The bar area is a bit dark but it’s comfortable. Their cocktails are delicious, and I love that they offer an interesting, seasonal menu. The last time I visited Vermillion, a friend and I attended a free wine tasting event. Keep an eye on their calendar as they often have interesting things going on — music events, classes, book/​poetry readings, wine/​food tasting.
It’s a small to medium sized space that feels down to earth, welcoming, and comfortable. I’ve had very positive experiences here and plan to continue attending events here.

Vermillion is a unique, hipster, hole in the wall bar that epitomizes Capitol Hill’s culture and energy.
When you enter, you’ll see a long hallway with artwork on the walls. At the end is a larger area with music, drinks, and seating area. This bar doesn’t get crazy and rowdy as some of the other places on Pike do, and is an awesome spot to take friends on a Saturday night and enjoy a few drinks.

This place is amazing. This is a sustainable restaurant using only local ingredients that are as fresh as possible. The wine list is very good. I had fresh salmonthat was cooked perfectly, just rare in the middle. My husband’s steak was perfectly cooked as well. It was my birthday so they brought me a chocolate cupcake with a candle.
We went back the next night just for drinks at the bar. The staff works hard to see that you are well taken care of. Can’t wait to go back next time I am in the area.

Vermillion is very much a Capitol Hill kinda place, if I know Capitol Hill, and let’s face it, I really don’t, not at all. It actually reminds me a lot of some of my favorite performance spaces back in Chicago, though, and that’s a compliment. I first went there to attend a spelling bee put on by the good folks at Quiet, and I had a blast there; it’s a small but serviceable art space, clean, easy to navigate, and interestingly laid out. The drinks are cheap as hell and the bartenders are good people, and there’s usually something interesting happening, making it a solid place to stop in and see what’s happening after dinner, before a show, or whenever you’re strolling around the neighborhood with some time on your hands. It’s unspectacular but very homey and comfortable for an art gallery; you probably won’t ever become a regular, but you’ll feel like one after only a few visits.

Vermillion redefines the standard of a «hole in the wall» bar.
My last visit here was purely by mistake. We saw an art gallery open at 11:30pm — we thought, this must be cool to be open this late. so upon walking in we were takin back by the strangely beautiful artistry in a small concrete floor room. towards the back we saw a crowd of people, as we approached we heard the cool cuts of old school hip hop spinning on vinyls.
with limited seating a lot of people stand around making it a little crowded when it comes to ordering drinks but between the good company, heavy drinks and great music i could have cared less :)

Art + Music + Alcohol.
After waiting over half an hour to get into another bar (just to find out that one of our friends couldn’t get in) we headed for Vermillion and got right in. It had a fun and easy atmosphere, they had a DJ that played some good music, and we were served some pretty stiff drinks by really friendly bartenders.
I love that the place wasn’t overly crowded on a Saturday night; it made for a good night with plenty of drinking and dancing. And though we didn’t stay for very long, this is definitely a good option the next time I’m in the area.

Vermillion is one of just a handful of spots that define Capitol Hill for me. Culture, creativity, and alcohol. Yes, Capitol Hill and drinking seem to go hand-​in-​hand these days.
The bar/​art gallery combo rocks, and they do an amazing job of curating on a very regular basis.
Sometimes you walk in to a band or a DJ, other times an art opening. Sometimes it’s just a mellow spot to grab drinks from the bartender. Vermillion is always a great option to dip away from the chaos of the other Pike St. bars on a Fri or Sat night.
So if you haven’t checked this place out, do it.
Bonus: Find Brian, he makes awesome drinks if you ask nice

I love the idea of this place. Art and alcohol! They cater to local artists, which is lovely. They also have quite eclectic offerings, both in the visual and audio areas. I’ve seen a huge stuffed bear with crêpe paper blood, light installations, things that move, things that make noise…
That being said, alcohol and art can also offer a new set of challenges. I’ve been in groups that were sternly reprimanded for «getting too close» to displays. Without barriers and when the displays are right in the middle of the room, I think this widely varies from person to person. Yelling at patrons isn’t ever a good idea. I hustled out of there pretty fast after that experience.

God I love Vermillion. It really makes the bar/​art gallery thing work where so many other places have failed. To wit, I have experienced the falling at this amazing place:
1. An actual, no joke, GREAT poetry reading. A recitation of Jackson MacLow’s «Is that wool hat my hat?» brought the house down.
2. Francis Farmer Organ Karaōke. I have never seen anything like it. Everyone was singing «La Marseillaise» as if we’d been transported to Casablanca.
3. A quilting show that was actually interesting.
4. Oh and your mom was there. Remember that? She certainly does.
Basically, if you’re tired of waiting for a while at all the bars in the vicinity then you should hit this place up. Because it’s better than your first time. No foolin’

Quelle petite phrase bouleversante au coeur d’un être?

I like good olé Vermillion. You walk past it and you’d just assume it was a little room for your typical Capitol Hill-​ites to display their misunderstood art work. BUT GUESS WHAT, there’s a cute little bar in the back and the art work is actually pretty nice to look at [especially after a few glasses of their happy hour boxed wine].
I’ve been here a handful of times but only remember a few.
One of the first times, I was way too intoxicated and asked a complete stranger who was walking past our table, «Do you get naked?» and apparently he just kept walking.
Another time we went and there was a group of people sitting in a circle and playing various musical instruments and it WAS AWESOME. It totally didn’t feel like we were on ‘the hill’.
They have food too, but I haven’t tried it. But I think it’s actual food instead of just nuts and a Doritos chip (!).
Yes, sometimes it has a weird smell that I think resembles damp hay, but after a few drinks you have more important things to think about, like if that person over there gets naked.
I should apologize in advance, Vermillion. I will be returning again and again.

I’m torn here, three or four? It feels mean to give three stars for a small business who I want to support and I am a fan, so I went with 4.
Art gallery is cool, space overall is fun and I get the general idea. The downside is there is more than a little confusion on how/​when you’ll get food/​drinks and they’re reasonably priced but by no means ‘cheap’
However, the quality is definitely there for the food at the least. I opted for the meat and cheese plate — chef’s choice– which took about 20 minutes to come out (que? there were no other customers) but the selection was divine. The quality of each ingredient was really top notch. I’d have that again in a heartbeat.
We followed with the Mac and Cheese (sound familiar? Yes, I was there with the stunning Vanessa H) which I thought was quite good. Being a mac and cheese expert– I’m actually writing a book «From Kraft to Beechers: Seattle’s Mac and Cheese Experience” — I would say this is definitely a ‘must try’ on the list.
My drinks — again same as lovely VH– were good but not write home about it good, but not for lack of trying. The service was well intentioned, the quality of food was there for sure and of course the company couldn’t be beat.