The bartender not only knew about the different cocktails but knew about the history behind the cocktails and their ingredients. Pros: best cocktails in town. hands down.

The bartender not only knew about the different cocktails but knew about the history behind the cocktails and their ingredients. Pros: best cocktails in town. hands down.
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I have been in to vessel several times. I have always been pleased with their knowledge of classic cocktails and talent of creating new ones. For a bar their food selection is pretty damn tasty as... More

I have been in to vessel several times. I have always been pleased with their knowledge of classic cocktails and talent of creating new ones. For a bar their food selection is pretty damn tasty as well. Recently I came in after a few month hiatus to be pleasantly surprised.New wait staff seems to be more knowledgeable about drinks with a bit more class and kindness. A couple new faces behind the bar proved to fit the standard or excellence. While I do hear they can be snobby I have only noticed staff wanting to serve cocktails the way they are intended. Surly a bar for people who understand a great cocktail and not for those who want quick drinks to get drunk. Pros: alongside zig zag best cocktails Cons: if only more than two drinks didnt send me out sideways
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I have been to Vessel numerous times as well as many of the finest bars around the world including NYC...Europe, Asia etc. I seek out the great bars in my travels and I am here to tell you that... More

I have been to Vessel numerous times as well as many of the finest bars around the world including NYC...Europe, Asia etc. I seek out the great bars in my travels and I am here to tell you that VESSEL is the real thing and a GREAT BAR! (Sambar in Seatlte is another great bar.) The menu stays unique and evolving with the seasons. The bar tenders arer STELLAR and the drinks superb. It is a must try.They do not use any cheap ingredients soyou get what you pay for : Quality and unique drinks. A wonderful happy hour! As for food it is good but not as remarkable as the drinks.....but stil the food is better than most bars. the best bar food is at Quinns...but then Quinn's is really a restaurant and Vessel 's drinks are way better. If you want The BEST drinks in Seattle with good food this is the place. Save yourself an airfare and go to Vessel for some of the most innovative drinks anywhere.
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Wow... I am completely appalled at the horrendous service we received at the highly touted Vessel last night. Long story short- the drinks took over 15 minutes to come, the service was slow and... More

Wow... I am completely appalled at the horrendous service we received at the highly touted Vessel last night. Long story short- the drinks took over 15 minutes to come, the service was slow and unprofessional, the food is limited and mediocre. The bartender, however, took the cake. His nasty, demeaning behavior when we asked how long it might be to receive 1/2 of our dinner was completely unacceptable in any establishment, let alone a pricey downtown bar. He verbally abused my friend and then proceeded to yell and scream as other patrons looked on- clearly embarrassed for him. So unprofessional and pathetic. I have been to Vessel at least a dozen times and generally have a great experience, but never again. Never. Again. Pros: great drinks Cons: terrible staff
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I have been going to Vessel off and on since it opened. Always had a good time, though left with an empty wallet. Can be kinda snobby but it's the type of bar that it is. Things got really spotty... More

I have been going to Vessel off and on since it opened. Always had a good time, though left with an empty wallet. Can be kinda snobby but it's the type of bar that it is. Things got really spotty for awhile with drinks and food. Menu cutback was crazy and I would just eat at a nearby place before I stopped by, I heard the Chef upset once with the younger owner and overheard them talking about paying off vendors. LOL

by cocktailcrazy 1 year ago

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I have been to Vessel before and have enjoyed the ambiance and quality of food and drink. I booked a party there last March and rented the Red Room. I had spoken to the owner and we organized the... More

I have been to Vessel before and have enjoyed the ambiance and quality of food and drink. I booked a party there last March and rented the Red Room. I had spoken to the owner and we organized the party, and I felt comfortable that myself and my 20 friends would be well taken care of. We arrived the night of the party to find that the kitchen staff was not prepared for us ordering food - and even the drinks were slow to arrive seeing as how there were so many of us upstairs. They ran out of food before everyone had even ordered, and I was also surprised to see a much pared down menu than that of what was listed on the website. Having "beef bites" listed and then featuring potato chips and soups are 2 very different things. The chef and waitress were apologetic, and said that they had not been prepared for the food portion of the party. I told them I wasn't sure HOW this misunderstanding happened, due to us coming at 7pm (not a early or late happy hour/cocktail only time), and that the owner was clear that us meeting the room rental minimum could be achieved through both food and drink. I had over 20 hungry people on my hands, and the chef ended up running over to Purple Cafe and bringing over menus that we could order off of. This caused hassle with having 2 bills, and as the party organizer, it made it very difficult for me to enjoy myself because of all of the logistics involved. In short, I will never plan a party there again, and now know it's a much better venue for a quick cocktail. I would strongly encourage the owners however to not advertise hosting parties there if they cannot supply the obvious food and drink required. And while the wait staff was kind, courteous, and apologetic, I was baffled to find that the owner I had been speaking to did not return my emails or calls afterwards, when I voiced my dissatisfaction. To me that's unprofessional and just plain rude. Pros: Ambiance Cons: Parking, Can't handle large parties well, Not consistent with what is on their website, miscommunications internally
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I'd heard a lot about this place and so was looking forward to trying it. I won't be going back. I had one drink, which cost me as much as two in most other popular spots. The decor is lacking -... More

I'd heard a lot about this place and so was looking forward to trying it. I won't be going back. I had one drink, which cost me as much as two in most other popular spots. The decor is lacking - somehow the colors, while vibrant choices, do nothing to spice or warm up the space. Don't bother trying this place - too many other great places!
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After seeing a show at the Paramount, a group of four of us decided to stop by Vessel for a drink. Non of us had been there previously. We walked in the door and nealy all of the patrons turned... More

After seeing a show at the Paramount, a group of four of us decided to stop by Vessel for a drink. Non of us had been there previously. We walked in the door and nealy all of the patrons turned around to look at us. It was like walking into the middle of a funeral. Were we interupting something? Are we on Candid Camera? I don't recal if there was music was playing but the place felt cold, quiet and unwelcoming. The downstairs bar is very small and we saw that there were stairs going up to another section of the bar. We thought there must be something better going on up there. We headed up, only to be greated by more blank stares of the strangely, zombie-esque patrons. We found this all to be very bizarre and left without ordering. To be fair, I can't comment on the the drinks or service, it was just too creepy to stick around to find out. Pros: location Cons: patrons
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The concept of "pure" cocktails where rare and interesting ingredients are combined and the interior is artsy and sparse is hard to find in Seattle. That is why last night, I took my husband and... More

The concept of "pure" cocktails where rare and interesting ingredients are combined and the interior is artsy and sparse is hard to find in Seattle. That is why last night, I took my husband and another couple to experience Vessel, the modern eclectic bar off 5th Avenue, even though parking is less than convenient. There is passion behind the menu of unique cocktails and old standbys. I also enjoyed the glossary of terms and ancecdotes that accompanied each drink description. The menu makes each drink sound like a work of art and paves the way for the extravagant prices attached to each. I was looking forward to enjoying something new and relaxing with friends. However, questions about the menu and requests for suggestions were met with such condescension, impatience and snobbiness that I was embarrassed to have brought my husband and friends. It is hard for me to believe the bartender/owner could treat patrons this way. Conversely, I would expect him to be excited to share his uncommon concept with patrons and enthusiastically ask the questions necessary to make thoughtful recommendations to his guests. I wish I had followed through with my gut reaction which was to leave and take my business to another establishment, where my friends and I would feel welcome and relaxed. Instead, I felt disgusted and ripped-off.
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a completely sterile and fake interior. but the drinks are amazing! food portions are small, but the lamb chops and prawns rock. i don't know that anything makes up for the terrible service,... More

a completely sterile and fake interior. but the drinks are amazing! food portions are small, but the lamb chops and prawns rock. i don't know that anything makes up for the terrible service, creepy hovering host (that does nothing but leer) and the amateurish design of the place. try the vessel 75, it's got maple and orange. Pros: drinks, food, great bartenders Cons: service, parking, uncomfortable seating, EMPTY!
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