Entry No. 30 — the Seattle file — filed under: speakeasy-bar
Bathtub Gin & Co.
This multi-level cocktail den occupies the former boiler room of the 1920s Humphrey Building, reached only by finding an unassuming wooden door tucked down a narrow Belltown alley. Inside, a small pine bar pours from roughly 30 gins in a dark, prohibition-era space, with an upstairs bar and a low-lit library nook downstairs lined with leather couches and a fireplace. The whole place seats just 38, so it stays intimate and conspiratorial even on a busy night. Walk-in only, no reservations; the official address is 2205 2nd Ave.
The story
You don't enter from the sidewalk. To reach Bathtub Gin & Co., you walk down the narrow, damp brick alley cut between 1st and 2nd Avenues in Belltown and look for an unpretentious wooden door set into the brick. Behind it lies the former underground boiler room of The Humphrey Building, a 1920s apartment residence, transformed into a tightly packed multi-level cocktail subterranean.
Inside, the tight footprint spreads over split levels. Downstairs, a modest pine bar holds court with an inventory of roughly 30 to 40 distinct gins, flanked by a low-lit library nook equipped with leather couches and a fireplace. Climb the narrow staircase and you will hit another tiny nook of seating and a secondary bar area.
With space capping out at just 38 seats, the venue maintains an unmanufactured conspiratorial atmosphere. There are no gimmicky password prompts or velvet ropes at the alley door—just real subterranean seclusion, stiff spirits, and very little elbow room once the night gets going.
What it's like
Finding the door in the alley is half the ritual; once inside, step down into low light, dark wood, and quiet hushed conversations. Because the bar caps out at under 40 people and takes zero reservations, a queue in the alley is standard on Friday and Saturday nights. Go right at opening at 5 PM on a weekday if you want to land a leather sofa in the library nook without waiting, or stop in late for a quiet gin tasting flight upstairs.
The move: Hunt down the alley door together, then split a flight-style gin tasting in the tucked-away upstairs library nook.
📍 Before you go Open daily 5pm-2am; very small (under 40 seats), so go early or expect a wait. The entrance is down the alley between 1st and 2nd Ave.
- 📍 Belltown, Seattle
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 2205 1/2 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Seattle Glassblowing Studio — Gather molten glass in a hotshop under the Monorail before slipping into the alley down the street for a subterranean cocktail.
- Cannonball Arts (Virginia Park & Leviathan) — Explore a massive contemporary art hub inside a repurposed downtown store before retreating to this dark 1920s boiler room.
- Mayflower Park Hotel — Continue the historic 1920s Seattle arc by stepping from the old Humphrey Building boiler room into the city's oldest continuously running hotel bar nearby.
Good to know
Where is the entrance located?
The entrance is tucked down the alley between 1st and 2nd Avenue in Belltown. Look for the plain wooden door near the 2205 1/2 1st Ave marker.
Can I make a reservation?
No. The bar operates strictly on a walk-in basis.
How big is the space, and how long is the wait?
The entire venue seats just 38 people across its split levels. Peak weekend hours usually involve a wait, so arriving close to 5 PM or on weeknights is advised.
What is the drink specialty?
Gin is the cornerstone, with 30 to 40 varieties stocked alongside a full craft cocktail menu.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Yelp · Official site · theinfatuation.com · spottedbylocals.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-06-24