Smith Tower: Seattle’s Original Skyscraper

After nearly two years of renovations the newly branded Smith Tower Observatory has reopened and now the view comes with cocktails.

Then and now: Smith Tower 1929 and 2016

On August 25 a new “speak-easy” will open at the top of the Smith Tower. Formerly known as the Chinese Room, the 35th floor observation deck has been renamed “the Smith Tower Observatory,” and within it is the Smith Tower Temperance cafe and bar.

The new 35th-floor bar is inspired by the Prohibition era as a nod to the origins of the building, which opened 102 years ago in Pioneer Square as Seattle’s first skyscraper and the fourth tallest building in the world. Light bites inspired by the Roaring Twenties and the tower’s Asian influence include banh mi sandwiches, Chinese dumplings, a raw oyster bar, and craft cocktails.

To get to the observation deck and bar, you have two options: Pay for a 40-minute, self-guided “Legends of Smith Tower” tour or simply pay for a “Straight Up” ticket for an elevator ride to the 35th floor.

It’s lovely to see such a grand Seattle landmark be restored and reinvented as a fun destination stop but make sure you get there early – the observatory and bar closes each day at 6pm.