Located in the heart of Downtown Seattle, Bar Solea is an Italian-inspired trattoria and pizzeria that has an excellent cocktail program and one of the best oyster happy hours you’ll find in the city. Bar Solea is a part of Hitchcock Restaurant Group and is well known for its Neapolitan-style pizzas.
Bar Solea is situated inside of a bustling building in the middle of Downtown Seattle, with high ceilings and modern industrial decor. When you step into the restaurant, there is a beautifully ornate bar to your left and lots of cozy seating to your right. The bar is long and narrow, with seating extending all the way toward the back of the restaurant.
The beverage program at Bar Solea has a strong Italian influence, with wines imported from the regions Campania and Veneto. Beverage Director Tony Lombardi also offers an excellent selection of craft cocktails, with many featuring grappa, amaro and aperitivo. One of the crowd favorites is the Nitroni, which is essentially a Negroni on tap. Other popular choices include the Mint Condition with gin, elderflower, lemon, grenadine, mint, chartreuse verte (hard to come by these days!) and grapefruit bitters; along with the Penicillin that has blended scotch, honey-and-ginger syrup, lemon and smoky single-malt whisky.
Right now, Bar Solea is offering one of the best oyster happy hours in Seattle, taking place daily from 3 to 6 p.m. During this time, oysters are $2 apiece, a price that is truly unheard of these days. The happy hour menu also features several spritzes and martinis, including Mellow Yellow with house-made limoncello, banane du bresil and prosecco, and Thalassic Park with shellfish-rested gin, cap corse blanc, liquid shio koji and olive brine, which pairs perfectly with the oysters!
Bar Solea’s food menu is truly inspired by the regions of Italy and focuses heavily on the local PNW bounty. Food offerings include crudo, antipasti, roasted fish and vegetable dishes, hearty salads, pizzas, gelato and other desserts, all made from nearby and organic sources. While you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, the albacore crudo, Roman-style focaccia, roasted Mediterranean sea bass and Lioni burrata with charred cherry tomatoes are all must-tries.
The real star of the show at Bar Solea, though, is the Neapolitan-style pizza. Using imported flour from Italy blended with Cairnspring Mills Hard Red Wheat, Bar Solea has developed the perfect recipe for its own wholesome, aromatic dough. There are so many delicious pies to choose from, but the crowd favorites are the prosciutto and arugula pizza with 18-month San Daniele prosciutto; speck and brie; and the classic margherita. Believe us when we say that this bar, along with its authentic Italian pies, is truly special.
Bar Solea is open Tuesday to Thursday, 3 to 9 p.m., and Friday to Saturday, 3 to 10 p.m. For more information or to make a reservation, visit barsolea.com.
822 1st Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104