Dive Bar Pick: Bernard's Downtown

The sort of dark, basic, basement bar every thriving metropolis needs, but Seattle has too few of, Bernard's is the type of place one goes to discuss highly sensitive matters with a lawyer, or to break off an illicit affair (after one last roll in the hay in one of the supposedly haunted Hotel Seattle's rooms above). If Seattle ever gets pummeled by a tsunami, bellying up at Bernard's is seriously your best bet of surviving. And if you don't, at least you'll go down drunk. —Mike Seely

Bernard's, 315 Seneca St., 206-623-5110, bernardsonseneca.com