520 Bar and Grill
Voted 425 Magazine’s Best Bar, 520 Bar and Grill is a popular local place with a laid back, friendly vibe where specialty cocktails, West Coast wines and Northwest-brewed beers are combined with upscale American fare. Pair a Moscow mule or a crisp California chardonnay with tempting sharing platters of pan-seared cod tacos or Dungeness crab cakes, or go for brunch and mix breakfast burritos or French toast with classic bloody Marys and mimosas. When the weather is good, head outside to 520 Bar and Grill’s lovely patio and enjoy the hustle and bustle of downtown Bellevue with a drink or two.
520 Bar and Grill, 10146 Main Street, Bellevue, WA, USA, +1 425 450 0520
Geaux Brewing
Geaux Brewing started out as a hobby for owner-brewer and New Orleans transplant Jeremy Hubbell and in two short years has became one of Bellevue’s most raved about craft breweries. Harking back to Jeremy’s hometown, Geaux Brewing’s taproom features a French Quarter theme where beers with Big Easy-inspired names — like the Ragin Cajun Imperial IPA and Pirates Alley pale ale — are served up alongside light bar snacks. Guests can also order in more filling food from surrounding restaurants or Geaux Brewing’s visiting food truck, and for the serious craft beer fan, there are home-brewing classes.
Geaux Brewing, 12031 Northup Way, Suite 203, Bellevue, WA, USA, +1 425 505 8765
Bis on Main
A fine dining restaurant serving a unique mix of American, Italian and French cuisine, Bis on Main has been wowing local diners since owners Joe Vilardi and Michel Fredj first opened its doors in 1998. Bis on Main’s cozy bar and lounge hosts late night happy hours daily and sets the perfect scene for a slightly more casual evening with upscale bar eats that include Kobe beef sliders with blue cheese aioli, truffled pomme frites and fresh fish tacos. An award-winning wine list featuring over 300 selections from vineyards in California, the Northwest, South America, Italy and France is offered alongside specialty cocktails, beer and spirits.
Bis on Main, 10213 Main Street, Bellevue, WA, USA, +1 425 455 2033
Tavern Hall
Tavern Hall is an airy restaurant and bar bringing the traditional tavern into the contemporary era. Unique design details like reclaimed church windows and coin-topped bars make for a stylish space in which to enjoy Tavern Hall’s predominantly Northwest craft beer selection, craft cocktails or boilermakers. Four shuffleboard tables and 30 flat-screen televisions playing sports offer extra entertainment for guests while a menu of upscale American comfort food — including brick oven pizzas, burgers and sandwiches served alongside classic plates like fish and chips or fried chicken and waffles — provides nourishment.
Tavern Hall, 505 Bellevue Square, Bellevue, WA, USA, +1 425 454 7500
Lot No. 3
Named 425 Magazine’s Best Bar in the Eastside for two years, Lot No. 3 is a hip gastropub where the focus is threefold — comfort food, classic cocktails and craft brews. From its central location in a chic, vintage-industrial space a short walk from Bellevue’s Downtown Park, Lot No. 3 serves up drinks that include American and European brews and inspired cocktails like the Curried Dark and Stormy made with curry-infused rum alongside boilermakers and a concise wine list. Happy hour takes place daily, and when hunger strikes, snacks, including its much raved about candied bacon, are also available.
Lot No. 3, 460 106th Avenue Northeast, Bellevue, WA, USA, +1 425 440 0025
Pearl
Contemporary Northwest cuisine meets classy handcrafted cocktails and an award-winning wine list at Pearl — a chic, elegant bar and restaurant opened by seasoned restaurateurs Mikel Rogers and Bradley Dickinson in 2008. Pearl’s wine list showcases the very best from the Northwest region alongside plenty of selections from California and France and signature cocktail options include the Shiso Wild Drop made with Veev acai, triple sec, house made lemon sour and muddled shiso and garnished with a huckleberry tea-sugar rim. Guests on a budget needn’t worry — at Pearl, happy hour takes place twice daily, when signature cocktails are served for the princely sum of $6.
Pearl, 700 Bellevue Way Northeast, Suite 50, Bellevue, WA, USA, +1 425 455 0181
The Pumphouse Bar & Grill
A Bellevue go to for casual drinks and eats, The Pumphouse Bar & Grill is a local mainstay that first opened its doors nearly 40 years ago and remains just as popular today, winning the title of Best Hole-in-the-Wall in the Best of 425 awards. Beer is the focus at The Pumphouse and guests will find pub staples like Guinness and Blue Moon served alongside a line-up of regularly rotating craft brews from the likes of Black Raven Brewing in neighboring Redmond. If you’re feeling a bit hungry, team your beer with one of The Pumphouse’s legendary burgers, all made with locally sourced, freshly ground beef.
The Pumphouse Bar & Grill, 11802 Northeast 8th Street, Bellevue, WA, USA, +1 425 455 4110
Bake’s Place
A long running local jazz club, Bake’s Place traces its roots back to 2000 when owner Craig Barker first opened the joint as a small, private club in the basement of his home. Now doubling as a bar and bistro and occupying a prime spot in downtown Bellevue, Bake’s Place is a local go to for drinks served in a lively space with a backdrop of live jazz and blues. Beer, wine, small batch spirits and specialty cocktails are served alongside globally inspired, seasonally driven small and large plates conceived by Chef Chris Peterson. Live music takes place most evenings, featuring performers like Northwest blues legends Little Bill and The Blue Notes.
Bake’s Place, 155 108th Avenue Northeast, Bellevue, WA, USA, +1 425 454 2776
Bellevue Brewing Company
Boasting the privilege of being one of the city’s few brewpubs, Bellevue Brewing Company delights local beer fans with its award-winning brews and fresh, locally sourced New American eats. Alongside its five flagship ales, Bellevue Brewing Company also serves beers from its Brewers Series — including its Cascadian Dark Ale, winner of Sip Magazine’s Best CDA in the Northwest I 2013 — and a number of seasonal beers such as the Fresh Hop Ale flavored with hints of candied orange, mango, lilikoi and rose petals.
Bellevue Brewing Company, 1820 130th Avenue Northeast, Bellevue, WA, USA, +1 425 497 8686
Bar Code
A craft cocktail lounge that opened in late 2013, Bar Code takes its drinks seriously with a focus on locally sourced, artisanal liquors and Northwest-produced beers and wines. Current signature cocktails served up at Bar Code include the Bellevue Breeze (gin, lime, simple syrup, peach bitters, cucumber, mint and soda) and La Diabla (strawberry-infused tequila, crème de cassis, ginger, lime and rosemary served on the rocks) alongside a featured cocktail of the month. Combine cocktails with bar snacks and small plates, and visit Bar Code on Wednesday when its high-end whiskeys are available at half price.
Bar Code, 1020 108th Avenue Northeast, Bellevue, WA, USA, +1 425 455 4278