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Percy's (l), Dahlia Lounge (r) [Photos: S. Pratt]
While not blown away by Percy's — the new stately apothecary bar-ish concept on Ballard Avenue — The Stranger's Bethan Jean Clement is rather charmed by the pretty space that the owners don't consider a "period piece," which BJC finds "patently absurd."
Percy's is nothing but, with its marble-topped bar, glossy black paneling, exposed brick, seven semicircular booths with seven heavy wood-framed mirrors, glowing globes of light up near the high ceiling, and glass case (only one, though) of taxidermied birds.
She has lots of good things to say about both the cocktail menu (which she says "contains greatness") and the food:
Dave Lamping, who helped make Re:Public so good, is running the kitchen here, and there's a lot to love on his local/seasonal menu.
Such as the salted cod fritters ("perfect bar snacks") and sautéed gnocchi that were like "little pillows of cream cheese."
Service takes a bit of a hit, mostly because the place is usually slammed:
You might languish with an empty drink in a booth for a while, and if you order four dishes at the same time, they might all arrive within four minutes of each other.
For a completely different kind of bar, Seattle Magazine has a list of their favorite oyster and raw bar destinations in the city — conveniently catalogued by neighborhood.
Old hats like Dahlia Lounge and Shuckers mingle with newcomers Momiji and Ballard Annex Oyster House. Noticeably missing from this list, usual crowd-pleasers like Elliott's, Frank's, and Flying Fish.
· Percy's [Official Site]
· Instant Classic [The Stranger]
· The Best Oyster Palaces and Raw Bars in Seattle [Seattle Mag]