My friends from Cali were stopping through Seattle after an epic Alaska cruise, and they were so very sweet to add me to their itinerary before they headed home. When I offered to find a place for dinner, they asked for a place with good food and good drinks. And by good drinks, they meant beer, wine, and cocktails. For a girl that’s ridiculously allergic to alcohol, it’s one of those things I only have second-hand knowledge of. So, I found a craft cocktail bar – Herb & Bitter Public House – that serves tapas. Tapas at a craft cocktail bar? Who am I to judge whether or not craft cocktails go with tapas, when I’d have tapas any day!
kefta kabobs – lamb skewers with charmoula, carrots, fresh garbanzo beans, and currents; the currents gave it an unexpected sweetness that helped amp up the dish
buratta – with heirloom tomatoes; just lovely, a perfect way to highlight the last tomatoes of the season that were sweet and tangy on crusty bread
calamari – with green goddess sauce, calamari done right, crispy and toothful
pork shoulder – with black beans and queso fresco; more mexican than tapas, but the pork was so tender and fell apart with a fork
kalbi beef short ribs – with crispy puffed rice noodles and spicy kimchi; could have used more beef on the short ribs and been a little more tender, but I liked the fried noodles just for fun!
white sausage – with garbanzo beans and raisins; a little on the salty side and definitely needed the raisins to keep the dish balanced; please excuse the blurry picture…
We shared 6 plates between the 6 of us, they were pretty good size for sharing among a large group like ours. They had also visited a few craft breweries earlier in the day, so everyone was a little full already. I think under normal circumstances, I probably would have ordered 10 total plates for 6 people. There were two whiskey drinks ordered – I heard one was excellent and the other missed very high expectations – and another peach cocktail of some sort that was delicious but potent. My own mocktail had lime and mint in it – very fresh and bright, but not original given the reputation of the mixologist.
Our server was good-natured, friendly, and attentive. He was also helpful with the drink orders. The tufted leather booth we were seated in overlooking the dining room was perfect so the entire group could still carry on conversations across the table. The atmosphere was just lively enough without having to yell across the table, so it’s definitely a great space to hang out in.
Overall, the tapas were solid, albeit all over the place from different regions of the world. Perfect for a group with diverse taste and an eager palette to explore. I didn’t know what we were in for at Herb & Bitter, but it really was a little bit of everything – good tapas, good drinks, and good atmosphere. But my favorite part is still meeting up with such warm spirits and sharing a lovely evening of stories and new friends. Here’s to the next time we meet!
SUMMARY
Overall: happily ever after
Highlights: buratta, kefta kabobs
Footnotes: make reservations for the best seats in the house, they require a credit card for parties over 6+ and have a $75 cancellation fee for cancellations within 24 hours