10 places to hold your team (or client) holiday party in Seattle
'Tis the season to be jolly, but finding the right place to add the falalalala's can sometimes leave the holiday spirit in short supply. If you haven't already found a venue for your team or client party this year, don't worry...
In no particular order, here are our 10 suggestions where you can deck the halls in style in Seattle.
1. Rock Box
Everyone loves a singalong... there's always that dark horse who leaves you wondering why they do their admin job instead of lighting up the stage. Rock Box is a Japanese-style karaoke club with full bar and 'yummy snacks' available daily. Perfect for the small business, their private booths can accommodate from 1 to 15 people. They also have a larger party room for 35 and a catering menu for groups of 20 or more. Your client's rendition of 'I Will Survive' is optional.
Price: $
Getting to be Seattle's top restaurant out of more than 3,000 on TripAdvisor is no easy feat. The Pink Door has achieved it through a combination of Italian cuisine and quirkiness. Not ones to advertise their presence with something as mundane as a sign, they can be found by looking for the pink door and window frames.
Eat and drink while a trapeze artist lazily swings overhead, or be entertained by the cabaret show. Levity, whimsy, eccentricity and a little decadence are The Pink Door's watchwords, so be prepared for the unusual.
Price: $$
3. MV Skansonia
There aren't too many party venues that were once a car ferry, but for almost 40 years the Skansonia ran between Point Defiance and Gig Harbour. Now sitting on the north shore of Lake Union, the unique venue offers views of Seattle's skyline and the Space Needle.
Well-known as a wedding venue, the Skanosina is happy to cater for office parties. The main floor features a dance floor, dining area, historic bar, and garage doors that open onto the bow, while their upper deck includes two sitting rooms and a covered promenade, overlooking Lake Union.
Price: $$
Two for the price of one! Unicorn and Narwhal are two edgy, carnival-themed bars in one location on Capitol Hill. Cheap carney-style food includes corn dogs, burgers, chicken and mac & cheese, (plus their own unicorn and narwhal balls), while you can also release your inner child at the arcade, claw machine and photo booth.
Time your visit right and stay for the events and live shows which could include trivia, Mimosas Cabaret or karaoke.
Price: $
No matter what size your work crew, 'crew' is the operative word. With one of you signed up as Captain (including hat), take your co-workers or clients out for a cruise on Lake Union. Seating 10 to a boat, you can bring your own food and drink, or opt for EBC's own catering service.
Or, if you're after a more competitive event, the 'Clueless in Seattle' scavenger hunt, sees you and your colleagues/clients search for various locations and points of interest on the lake - cameras, disguises and prizes all provided.
On colder days, the boats can be enclosed and heaters provided, but if you're a company of landlubbers, the yacht club also offers a catered lunch or dinner, while you watch the lake traffic drift by.
Price: $$
6. Tavern Law - Needle & Thread
Keeping the venerable tradition of the American speakeasy alive is Tavern Law's Needle & Thread. True to its rich, dive bar history, Tavern Law is decked out with Seattle memorabilia and the look of a bygone library.
Food is available from a wide range of sharing plates and desserts, but for that genuine prohibition vibe, parties of up to 40 people can reserve the upstairs Needle & Thread - accessible via the old-school telephone and 'secret' bank vault door. There's no drinks menu upstairs, so make sure you know what you want to drink and watch the bar staff create your tipple to match.
Price: $
Bring a bit of Bruges to your holiday get together with this Belgian-themed café and bar. It offers cuisine that includes pommes frites, stoofvlees and moules-frites (fried potatoes, stew, and mussels and potatoes respectively), as well as sandwiches, desserts and specials.
With a vast choice of 64 craft beers on draft and 400 bottles from the US and abroad, there's bound to be something for everyone. But just in case hops aren't your thing, there's also a classy range of whisky and cocktails.
Price: $$
This one's a little out there, but if you're a small, arty business or have an appreciation for craftspeople, take in Dinner + Art at Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibition at Seattle Center.
The glasshouse closes early afternoon, so Dale Chihuly's stunning glasswork provides the ideal lunchtime appetizer before the evening's main event. A combined ticket gives you a walk through the galleries, the garden and into the glasshouse for an immersive experience, plus a credit for the Collections Café and a seasonal keepsake.
Price: $-$$
The Space Needle can become 'part of the furniture' for Seattleites. But even if you've visited before, reacquainting yourself with Mount Rainier, Elliot Bay and the city lights from the observation deck is breathtaking while reaffirming as part of the living, breathing city.
Eat and drink at the famous SkyCity rotating restaurant (trips to the observation desk are free for Sky City visitors) and watch the Seattle panorama gently unfold. And for those who fancy the Space Needle to themselves, there are two private rooms to hire.
Price: $$$
10. Percy's & Co.
Percy's has had its roots firmly planted in Ballard for more than a century. Opened in 1898 by Percy Sankey, the then-named Ballard Bar stayed open for business during prohibition by fronting up as Percy's Men's Furnishings, and opening the door at the back.
Today, Percy's serves a southern and Creole-inspired menu, plus 'apothecary-inspired cocktails', both containing herbs and produce from their rooftop garden and very own farm. And if you really want to spice up your cocktail, add an intriguing tincture such as Female Balance, Energy & Immunity or Brain Power.
Price: $
The companies I mention or link to in this post are just examples that I thought you'd find useful - I don't endorse them or their services. I have no affiliation with them and make no representation about their services.