My Favorite Cocktail Bar In Seattle Serves Drinks As Pretty As Art

Seattle is very much a cocktail bar town, so it's hard to choose an all-time favorite spot. I say this as a former bartender myself, and present mixology enthusiast, who's been covering the local drinking establishment scene for the past several years. Much as I love talking about my favorite Seattle speakeasies or dives with weirdly good menus, my recommendations depend on what you're in the mood for. If you're looking for a drink to impress the palate and dazzle the eye, there is one place that consistently churns out some of the most creative and hands-down gorgeous cocktails I've ever seen: Paper Fan, a cozy cocktail lounge tucked into the upstairs loft of a noodle restaurant.

It's not quite a speakeasy, though it certainly evokes that kind of vibe. The bar is beautiful, with plush seating, gold accents, and thick, regal drapery concealing it from downstairs view. The real draw is nevertheless the cocktails themselves, which play heavily with tea infusions and visual effects. Trust me — these are the most Instagram-worthy drinks you can find in Seattle. The first time I went, I got a matcha drink with melon liqueur garnished with flowers while my partner got a Japanese whiskey-based cocktail that literally smoked. I've seen ones with real cotton candy and elaborately cut fruit twists. Even the mocktails (of which it has a few) look like works of art. Sure, the presentation's a bit gimmicky, but that's only an issue if the drinks didn't actually taste good.

Paper Fan is inside Biang Biang Noodles, a decent-sized casual restaurant in Seattle's lively Capitol Hill neighborhood. It's pretty easy to get to from downtown Seattle via walking or public transit, but the tricky part is actually getting a table. While far from the teensiest bar in town, Paper Fan is still pretty small, and it's gorgeous cocktails have made it popular among the after-dinner crowd. 

While the bar doesn't have its own website, you can get ahead by making a reservation through Biang Biang Noodles' Toast page (just be sure the reservation says it's for Paper Fan). Since seating is limited, choose who you visit with carefully. You can still order a lot of popular cocktails here, such as Manhattans and martinis, but pretty much the whole point of Paper Fan is to have an out-of-the-ordinary experience.

The only food here is likewise a few different sweet or savory snacks, which do pair nicely with the tea-based cocktails both in flavor and aesthetics. You should also prepare for the cost. Paper Fan's cocktails are individual works of art and are definitely worth their price in visuals, but you are looking at spending around $20 for each one. Still, you can always give your at-home cocktails bougie upgrades that are more affordable, but if you're in the market for some visually artistic inspiration, I stand by Paper Fan as the place to go.