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Seattle Gay Bars
The home of all things gay in Seattle is the Capitol Hill neighbourhood, where you can find photogenic rainbow crosswalks plus all the gay clubs, pubs, and coffee shops. Here you can explore beautiful parks, enjoy a meal, and take advantage of the vibrant nightlife. Thanks to its large student population, the neighbourhood has a pretty artsy and hipster vibe, but it hasn’t forgotten its roots as a historic queer meeting place. Seattle and Capitol Hill have been serving the LGBTQ+ folk since as early as the 1920s, and a strong community has flourished.
C C Attle's
Cocktails, Outdoor Seating
CC's is known for its strong drinks and good food, and it's long been a safe place in the already super queer Capitol Hill neighbourhood. Seattle's gay community has been coming here to party for years, taking advantage of classic pub food and quality cocktails. You can enjoy your food and drinks in a laid back atmosphere that hosts regular entertainment such as open mic nights, or just chill outside on the patio.
Changes Bar & Grill
Cocktails, Sports, Food
This slightly more classic pub has a modern attitude and welcomes queer people of all identities. It's a place to relax and unwind, where you're sure to make new friends over a game of pool or darts. Catch up with a welcoming crowd at the bar and sample the range of beers on tap served with a smile. This is also THE bar to go to during Seahawks season, as everyone meets here to enjoy the game.
Crescent Lounge
Cocktails, Karaoke
This favourite Capitol Hill dive bar is relatively small but full of personality. For decades it has stuck with classic decor, traditional drinks, and a no-nonsense vibe. This is a bar that's become a local institution by hosting many a tipsy karaoke night over the years, and it remains as popular today as it was back then. You know you'll always be welcomed in and there will always be new friends to meet at the bar with strong cocktails.
Diesel
Bear
Diesel is Seattle's premier bar for bears and their admirers, and it's completely gay owned and operated so the friendly staff know how to make your night enjoyable. The bar is proud to be "by bears, for bears", conveniently located in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood where you can find your crowd. It has a heavy masculine influence but a laidback vibe that makes everyone feel at home, from stereotypical bears and bikers to those who just want to meet them.
Madison Pub
Sports, Cocktails
Madison is one of the most popular gay bars in the city, with perfectly camp and welcoming barenders. This is the perfect place for friends to gather and enjoy a casual game of pool, darts, pinball. There are daily specials on drinks, including delicious cocktails, pitchers, and beers on tap. or to grab a cocktails and beers on tap. Madison hosts regular trivia games and awards weekly cash prizes, so drop by here to de-stress and play.
Neighbours
Young Crowd, Dancing, Dancers, Outdoor Seating
This Capitol Hill favourite has been hosting a party for the queer community since 1983. It's one of the longest standing and largest mixed LGBTQ+ nightclub in the city, a multi-level complex full of dancing and a great energy. A total of 4 bars are spaced throughout the venue serving delicious drinks and great food, plus newly renovated patio and lounge areas and a basement dance floor. Neighbours attracts a younger crowd.
Pony
Dancing, Outdoor Seating
Pony has a slightly vintage dive bar feel as the club is housed in a 1930s gas station, but the space has been transformed to suit the modern LGBTQ+ community in all its glory. Whoever chooses the music has a perfectly diverse taste, from hip hop to pop, that keeps the dance floor going into the early hours. Unique features such as a retractable roof and a fire pit put Pony firmly on the map all year round.
Q Nightclub
Cocktails, Dancing
Q is a state-of-the-art multilevel venue located in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood. Innovative interior design coupled with ground-breaking sound and lighting and exceptional service make for a truly unique experience. Bartenders put their own twist on your favourite drinks and create speciality cocktails, and the club even has its own club's own line of infused and flavoured vodkas. Q is a lounge space on weekdays and transforms into a nightclub at the weekend.
Queer/Bar
Drag, Dancing
A camp and queer crew keep this bar at the top of everyone's lists, providing a safe space that promotes inclusivity, always. A diverse range of DJs provide music every day of the week, while on Friday and Saturday nights you can catch some local drag legends taking the stage. A delicious menu of food, including wings and sandwiches, is provided by Sunset Fried Chicken. Come support your favourite queens and stay for the food!
Re-bar
Drag, Dancing, Cocktails
Opened in 1990, this dual theatre and nightclub has a focus on the LGBTQ+ and QPOC communities. Re-bar offers an iconic Seattle experience as one of the last original downtown venues, hosting everything from underground electronic music to burlesque shows, from fringe theatre to slam poetry. The venue is best known as the home of Flammable, the longest running house music weekly in the country, as well as many other regular events.
Seattle Eagle
Older Crowd, Fetish, Cruising, Dancers
The Eagle is definitely a destination for the butch gays of the city. It's been serving a friendly community of leather guys for almost 40 years, providing a dark and sexy space in the heart of the Capitol Hill neighbourhood. It's a classic bar space with pool tables and an outdoor patio, while a dark chain-link decor and cruisy themed nights make it a little different from the other bars in the neighbourhood...
The Cherry Spot
Cosy, Dancing
Unusually located in a private home on a residential street, The Cherry Spot is not actually a business. It's a nightclub space run by friends who welcome in their community with open arms. A multitude of pride flags indicate a safe space, while inside the house-turned-club is the perfect space to relax, meet new friends, and host a house party. Game nights are also a regular occurrence. ***Opening times vary - please check their website for details***
The Cuff Complex
Bear, Fetish, Outdoor Seating, Cruising
This multiplex complex serves as a "community living room", dedicated to a diverse but masculine crowd. There's something for everyone to enjoy, from billiards and darts on the main floor, an outdoor patio space, and "the dog run" where people just gather for a chat. The Cuff is the home of many of Seattle's fetish groups as well as the bear and biker community, but everyone is welcome and accepted.
The Lumber Yard Bar
Cocktails, Outdoor Seating
Head south from Seattle to find White Center's first LGBTQ+ bar, The Lumber Yard, which serves a growing community of diverse queer folk. Visitors usually head straight for the main floor bar, where craft cocktails, draft beers, and premium wines are served throughout the day by friendly bartenders. When you've enjoyed your favourite drinks, be sure to head downstairs for good food and a quieter atmosphere that lends itself to conversation. There's even an outdoor patio if you prefer some fresh air.
Unicorn & Narwahl
Cocktails, Food
Unicorn and its sibling bar Narwhal stand loud and proud in the heart of Capitol Hill. Each bar is extravagantly carnival themed, with quirky and colourful decor, pinball arcade, photo booth, and even carnival themed food. All this food and drink, including magical themed cocktails, is created and served with a bit of humour to match the truly unique space. Events are hosted here regularly, serving as an escape from life's stresses.
Union Seattle
Cosy, Cocktails, Outdoor Seating, Food
Union is a popular neighbourhood bar in the heart of Capitol Hill. The interior is light and airy, with the fireplace lit on cold days, the perfect place to relax and forget the stresses of the city. Enjoy your favourite cocktails out on the patio and meet new friends and take advantage of the fire pit out here too for colder nights. The bar even serves up your favourite pub foods.
WILDROSE
Lesbian, Dancing, Outdoor Seating
Wildrose is one of the oldest lesbian bars on the West Coast and has been serving the queer women of Capitol Hill since 1984. This is a bar run by women, for women, but allies are welcome too. The focus of Wildrose is truly on community, serving a safe space for its patrons and keeping them entertained with DJs and karaoke. You can enjoy a casual meal or join a lively crowd on the dance floor.
Recommended gay friendly hotels in Seattle
There are so many places to stay in Seattle, Washington, and at GayMapper, we want to make sure you get great value and a good experience, so check our recommendations below for Gay Friendly hotels. As an LGBTQ+ traveller, it's important to stay somewhere welcoming, with great value and maybe near to gay venues. Treat yourself to a luxury hotel or stay budget and spend what you save on partying! Please support GayMapper by checking out our hotel deals in Seattle as this helps us to keep the site updated with all this useful information!
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