Capitol Club

by Lydia P.

Ok...  well, it started out as a girl's night out... but as usual...  a Saturday night must include the boys...  at least some of them...  So four of us had dinner here, and joined the others for drinks upstairs.Here's what we had for dinner:Me:  Scallops (not overcooked...yay!) with cornmeal crust, balsamic reduction, capers and delightfully salty/crunchy pistachios...  and the Rusa salad:  potatoes, peas, and beets mixed with housemade aioli.  When I hear 'aioli', I think garlicky....  this could have had more flavor....it wasn't too exciting, but totally edible....  served on bed of arugula (I LOVE ARUGULA. yum!) plus two glasses of wine and five (ouch! but that's counting after dinner) vodka crans....  hmmm  who's a lush???Sarah:  Gnocchi in a sagey cream sauce (yummy and comforting)..  for the record:  she's a lush too! ;-)Amy:  Errrmm...  pasta, salmon, tomatoes, cream, and VODKA (how could that be bad really?)Gerry:  MMMMM NNN!!!  Chicken on some sort of risotto bed involving crimini mushrooms.....  but my favorite part:  dijon cream sauce....  DROOOOOLING.   Umm...  cream and dijon..  with a splash of wine...  that's really all you need...  aside from a crusty loaf of bread to soak it all up with. Drat...  feeling snacky again.After dinner, it was upstairs to join the friends who were only up for bevvies....  all in all, a delightful evening with dear friends...  so nothing to complain about really.  The food was good, but not OUTSTANDING (aside from dijon/cream sauce...  YUMM!).  I'm not a super trendy kind of girl (not even remotely trendy really), so not really my scene...  but the food was decent, and the drinks were nice...  and the company was great (as always).

by Beth C.

My HONEST inclination is for three stars, based on my own experience, but that was partly circumstantial and specific to the night, and partly due to my being OLD and finding the music way, way too earth-shatteringly loud for my wrinkled eardrums. So I'm giving four stars because not everybody is a fuddy-duddy who hates fun.It's spendy. But it's a nightclub on Capitol Hill, so no surprise there. My drinks (I had three) were nine bucks each. That said....-the drinks were fabulous. I had something called a Carone (or something; I forget exactly) that involved champagne and a sugar rim. They were boozy as hell and very yummy. *hiccup*-the booths (DOWNstairs, thankyouverymuch) are so comfy, with pretty ornate cushions and plenty of space for everyone, and nice lighting and nice art on the walls.-nice and clean bathrooms.-friendly staff. Our waitress was friendly and prompt despite it being a busy night, and I made friends with a door guy named Joshua who was incredibly and refreshingly friendly (I'm Canadian. I find a lot of the Capitol Hill area sort of....okay, very...trendy and snooty) and very cool.-we didn't eat, but the menu sure SOUNDED delicious.I'd go back - downstairs only, and with earplugs- just for more friendly service and yummy drinks...once I get paid.

by Joanne H.Kat F.Nick B.Hannah L.Grace M.

I'm giving the Capitol Club 5 stars for 3 reasons:1 -  Their French fries are awesome!  My friend and I went after an event and I was still hungry.  The French fries were exactly what I didn't know what I wanted at that moment.2 - I really liked the bar bar.  It was cozy and not too crowded.  I loved the banquette seating that was comfy with pillows.  There were balloons blown up (I don't know why) and we were having a good casual time batting them back with other tables. (Ok there were probably 2 couples in a corner who were not happy with all of us for this, but whatever!)3 - This is the real reason they ranked so highly with me... when my friend ordered a 2nd drink (after drinking a lot at the event) and I shook my head at the waiter, he listened and didn't bring another one.  I appreciate that the waiter listened to me even though it may have cost him in tip (I don't actually know, my friend paid the bill and quite probably forgot he had ordered a 2nd drink.).  I'm definitely going back.I arrived before my friend and sat down at a corner table on a plushy bench that was strewn with pillows.  Sat is the wrong word - I was lounging.  I should have been wearing a silk robe (or nothing at all) and there definitely should have been a hookah within reach.  We ordered the toastie, which was grilled eggplant spread and goat cheese on hunks of toasted bread.  It was delicious but a little difficult to eat - my friend tried just taking a bite out of a piece and managed to spill some of the topping on the floor.  I tried to cut my piece and part of it went flying and hit the wall.  Our napkins were a mess by the time we finished!  We also split the squash ravioli which was fantastic.  The food was very rich so the small-ish portion sizes were good.  They have a nice wine list but only a few beers on tap.  Happy hour prices for beer were good - $3 for a draft - and the price went until 8:00 so we wound up having a few rounds and just hanging out on the cushions...wishing for hookah....This place has really great food.  In particular I loved their fries (the good crispy shoe-string kind, seasoned with cayenne pepper!) and their mussels which were simmered in a really tasty tomato sauce.Our server was really friendly as well.  The only thing that keeps me from giving this place a solid five stars is that the bartender seems to be quite a surly woman.  We stoked her ire when we tried to move some tables (as we were a larger group).  For the rest of the evening she shot me dirty looks, which doesn't make for a pleasant atmosphere.Not sure what's better: the surprise of yet another copper Calphalon chef's pan, or a new Capitol Hill spot complete with an excellent happy hour (from 5-8, no less), tasty Mediterranean small plates, and sangria. And an outdoor balcony.Thank God I have these sorts of distinctions to make! Since you can't experience my Calphalon, let me sketch out what you can experience at Capitol Club. First, the outdoor balcony....Actually spacious, with plants, tiny lights, and a breeze with a view. Second, the menu....Hot and cold small plates that really aren't that small, with options like grilled eggplant, goat cheese and tomato toasties, or mushrooms sauteed in sherry, or patatas bravas with a fiercely addictive aioli. And sangria, slightly sweet yet full of fruit, brandy, and wine complexity. Third, the service....Our server was friendly, laid back, and definitely not too cool for her tables! Fourth, even the inside is sexy....Lots of benches and tables with velvety pillows scattered around in the low light, and a small but inviting curvy bar upstairs, just in from the patio.Put together the best part of the energy from Capitol Hill, and the intimate warmth and service of a member's club, and you have not only the name but this lovely spot. Pass on the surprise....Grace..what the EFF where you thinking??? This place should have been the FIRST review you EVER DID.I come here A LOT. I absolutely love the atmosphere (Plush couches w/pillows up AND downstairs) and the food is always perfect. Anytime I have friends come to seattle, or I want to impress a client, I take them here. The service is impecable and I can always count on plenty of eye candy for me to stare at and make out with in my head. Please go here, you really wont regret it.

by Alissa K.

The DJ was spinning top 40... from eight years ago.  Shaggy, seriously?  It was so loud I could barely hear myself thinking let alone hear my friend talking.The server didn't know what a Sazerac was, and, based on what I got, neither did the bartender.  It was terrible!The outdoor seating seems like it could be nice if it weren't raining.  It was (of course), so we didn't sample.Big fat meh.

by Joanne H.

I'm giving the Capitol Club 5 stars for 3 reasons:1 -  Their French fries are awesome!  My friend and I went after an event and I was still hungry.  The French fries were exactly what I didn't know what I wanted at that moment.2 - I really liked the bar bar.  It was cozy and not too crowded.  I loved the banquette seating that was comfy with pillows.  There were balloons blown up (I don't know why) and we were having a good casual time batting them back with other tables. (Ok there were probably 2 couples in a corner who were not happy with all of us for this, but whatever!)3 - This is the real reason they ranked so highly with me... when my friend ordered a 2nd drink (after drinking a lot at the event) and I shook my head at the waiter, he listened and didn't bring another one.  I appreciate that the waiter listened to me even though it may have cost him in tip (I don't actually know, my friend paid the bill and quite probably forgot he had ordered a 2nd drink.).  I'm definitely going back.

by Adrian R.

One of my favorite places in Seattle to relax at. Comfy seating. The food has always been good to me. The drinks are always stiff and there are some pretty good specials going on. The bartenders there are nice and attentive. The DJs there are some of the most interesting in the city with some cool concepts going on. Whenever I'm in town I try and stop by for a drink. Love this place.

by Anjali D.

Happy hour had some good deals for sure. Didn't eat anything but the bartender was super friendly. Good atmosphere.

by Sherwin T.

The Capitol Club is in the midst of a renaissance. Not sure how long the new ownership has been around, but they've completely revamped the menu. In place of the pseudo-Mediterranean cuisine, the brand spankin' new chef has introduced tapas - of a frias and calientes variety.Have been for happy hour (between 5-7pm, M-F) three times over the past two weeks. Well drink specials apply to liquor, wine, beer AND they even highlight a specialty cocktail off their menu for a happier price. A nice assortment of tapas are available at happier prices too. For your consideration, the sampling I've tried:MUY CALIENTES+ Pochas con chorizo - GOOD LORD this was yummy! Large white beans simmered with chorizo, doused in oils from the sausage. Order two cause you won't want to share!+ Calamares a la Romana - Another winner. Calamari bits were well-seasoned, breaded and fried. The garlic aioli was memorably good, but memorably oozing from my pores the next morning.+ Patatas Bravas - More garlic aioli temptation, but mixed with their "brava sauce". Soooo good that it might make you forget about french fries (well, downside is you have to eat this dish with utensils).ASI-ASI (OR NOT TOO CALIENTES-NOT TOO FRIAS)+ Pinchos Morunos - Speaking of french fries, the bed of 'em served with these charbroiled marinated pork skewers are, sadly, better than the pig. The porkly bits are redeemable, though, if you give 'em a good roll in the leftover brava sauce.+ Tortilla de Patata - About as flavorfully exciting as it is to explain: potato omelette. Meh! (Props to Mandy M. for sound effect.)MUY FRIAS+ Empanadillas de Pollo Asado - These came recommended by our server, but I found the crusts too crisp and the stuffing too flat. I'd give this another go though, just to see if this may have been a fluke.The shell of CC has remained in tact - same Blue Room that's reservable, same pillows lining the banquettes and same great deck (where you can smoke if no one outside is eating, but don't tell my boyfriend I know this...). They've retained one bartender from the most recent regime, but the new staff are welcoming, friendly and happy to dole out an opinion.During the sunny months, plan on being there early if you want outdoor seating, otherwise be left out in the frias sitting your ass on one of their pillows.

by Nick B.

This place has really great food.  In particular I loved their fries (the good crispy shoe-string kind, seasoned with cayenne pepper!) and their mussels which were simmered in a really tasty tomato sauce.Our server was really friendly as well.  The only thing that keeps me from giving this place a solid five stars is that the bartender seems to be quite a surly woman.  We stoked her ire when we tried to move some tables (as we were a larger group).  For the rest of the evening she shot me dirty looks, which doesn't make for a pleasant atmosphere.

by Mia C.

I've come here three times. The first time we came it was very very late, and perhaps deservingly, we received service that was so horrible. However,  we  were insulted to the point we immediately walked out.The second time, we made sure to be there quite a bit earlier, but they were closed. We went to Machiavelli instead.The third time, we had the most amazing time. The ambiance is intimate. I love the squashy couches and throw pillows and low lighting. The bottle of wine we ordered was excellent and not expensive at all. The server was attentive and very helpful. The food was amazing- the empanadillas were rich and savory, the gambas al ajillo (sauteed garlic prawns) had the most delicious sauce, and the artichoke/roasted garlic/serrano ham spread was the best thing i put in my mouth the whole night. However, the flan we had for dessert was rubbery and tasted completely burnt.I'd give it four stars if I didn't have inconsistent experiences with the place.