Rob Roy
Seattle-City-Center
May 11, 2018
Seattle’s Rob Roy exudes retro-cool. Formerly known as the Viceroy, the bar is a favourite of the Belltown after-work crowd who are lured in by the classic cocktails and stylish atmosphere. The décor at Rob Roy has a suave 1960s thing going on with plenty of plush couches, leather walls, era-appropriate art and bookshelves laden with antique bar tools, cocktail books, a vintage reel-to-reel tape recorder and an excellent collection of vinyl. There’s ample space for lounging and these guys know a thing or two about drinks. The cocktail from which they take their name, a variant on the Manhattan, blends whisky, vermouth and angostura bitters: a complex, grown up tipple. They serve a spot-on Old Fashioned and their Sloe Gin Fizz is also well worth experiencing. Their attention to detail is right on the money. Mules come served in the proper copper mugs, juleps in the requisite steel cups; they do a lot of their own infusions in-house and hand-carve their ice. Complimentary bowls of goldfish crackers line the bar. This is a great neighbourhood joint, popular with good reason, and can get pretty rammed on weekends – which can have a residual impact on the service the pros far outweigh the cons, particularly when they’re doing their inspired Cocktail Advent Calendar for the Holidays.
