Bathtub Gin & Co. — Restaurant in Seattle

Absolutely beautiful place with unmatched ambiance. My partner and I stumbled across it during the day and peeked our heads in but decided to come back later with a friend. The staff was super friendly that time. We really wanted to love this place and show our friend from out of town a great time at a Seattle speakeasy bar, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. Our friend likes the taste of spirits quite a lot, so maybe we are just picky, but my partner and I thought the cocktails were on the unbalanced side. Additionally, our wait staff member was very passive aggressive with us and made us really eager to move on after just one drink each. We weren't taken to our table like other guests, and when we didn't notice the table tucked away that we had been told to seat at and weren't sure if we were cutting into a private group of patrons in the area, we were cut off about that being the only table (totally fine!) before we could finish making sure we were heading to the right spot. They were particularly impolite to our friend who is a very laid back and easygoing person when the tap pay didn't work first try, cut them off to say they were doing it wrong when they apologized and asked if they could use the chip reader, pulled the card out of their hand without asking, and then proceeded to not be able to use the tap mode either and not apologize for being harsh about it or handling payment/property without consent. The whole interaction was really off-putting and there wasn't really any undertone of levity or apologeticness about the behaviour. The treatment and table banter was also starkly different from how other patrons were being conversed with, so it's not like it was just an off night and not directed at us in particular. I understand that service industry can be very taxing and sometimes things come out wrong or there's unintended hostility, but this was uncomfortable and put a sour spin on our friend's last night here. We were a quiet, small party who came in enamored with the venue for a couple cozy drinks and we left in a hurry not wanting to come back. I thought this would be a lovely special date spot in the future and a great place to take friends and family, but I don't think I want to use this spot as an example of Seattle dining excellence...

The only reason I'm not giving one star is because I didn't stay long enough to order a drink.

I'm used to the whole "speakeasy" vibe thing. I frequently go to Canon, Tavern Law, Needle and Thread, etc. and have had AWESOME experiences at those places; good drinks, cool atmosphere, pleasant people.

A friend mentioned Bathtub the other day, and how it was a MUST go-to for Seattle, so last night my bf and I decided to try it.

The horrible experience started before we even walked in. Normally a door guy greets you, asks for ID's, and tries to get you a table. This dude literally said NOTHING, just stood there, to the point where we asked if there was some password we needed to know to get in (we'd heard there is something like that in Seattle). After we asked that he basically laughed at us, and told us there was NOTHING like that in this city, and still STOOD THERE, without asking for an ID, without letting us in. Finally we had to ask if he needed to see our ID's (it was raining and we were sick of standing outside). After checking them he opens the door, and that's it. There is no one there to greet you, or tell you ANYTHING about the process for sitting down, getting a drink, etc. The place is super small with a few tables downstairs and a bar to sit at upstairs and it was pretty crowded. We stood at the door for a few minutes, waiting, and when no one came we decided to just walk upstairs. We stood behind the bar for another couple minutes, not greeted by anyone or given a menu or ANYTHING. Bf decided to walk downstairs to see if he could find anything out, and again NOTHING. We waited another few minutes, more people walked in, and none of us were told anything, so bf and I decided to bail and find another bar. Like I said before, I get the speakeasy vibe, but this was WAY too pretentious for me.

Do yourself a favor and head over to Cap Hill - Tavern Law door guy and bartenders are super friendly, and their...

Bathtub Gin is a great speakeasy in the heart of Seattle. It's intimate, warm, and fantastically appointed. The drinks are no joke and the bartender isn't afraid to take his time to make you a truly craft cocktail. The doorman is well-dressed, extremely respectful, and drops the hammer when people try to cram their way into the tiny space. There's just something great about a guy in matching bow tie and pocket square escorting people back outside because they're "at capacity." I loved seeing brahs in shorts and flip flops storm off indignant because they felt entitled to be there.

I docked a star because it was approximately 10,000° degrees in there and some of the patrons appeared to have been over-served. I actually have no clue if they were, but there was a woman who loudly and repeatedly interrupted our conversation with f-bombs. I'm probably in the 99th percentile for f-bomb usage and even I know there's a time/place. I don't blame Bathtub for her (and several other loud patrons) indiscretion, however it does ruin the intimate setting.

Formal apologies to any servers that overheard me make a smart ass comment about waiting for service. Ending up here after the assault on the senses that 2nd Ave is, I needed to take a deep breath and just freaking relax. In hindsight, I was probably a lot like one of the jerks I made fun of earlier in the review. Once I decided chill the hell out, I felt guilty about judging the staff so quickly and settled into a pleasant experience. I really can't imagine waiting to get into a bar. If I ever was, this is on the shortlist.

Pro Tip: Show up with three attractive women and you'll get in right quick... even if you are an average looking,...