Hotel bars can be a dime a dozen, but what canteenM has going for it is its unique flavor with its hip cool interior and the fun festive cocktail program from their surprisingly affordable menu. Located on the ground floor of the CitizenM Hotel in the South Lake Union neighborhood in Seattle, CitizenM is just one of a number of trendy hotels that have opened up in the neighborhood over the past few years thanks to the many corporate headquarters that have founded locations in the area including Amazon, the Allen Institute and the University of Washington. With this newfound lease on life businesses including restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and supermarkets have all opened up thanks to the influx of residents that have moved into what was once a neighborhood filled with warehouses. CitizenM is a reflection of that change with their modern exterior highlighting the corner of Westlake Avenue North and John Street. Not only is the hotel budget priced, but it is the very definition of cool from their posh interior that welcomes hotel guests and locals alike to their quick yet self-effacing service in which you check yourself in with a key card in which you have to process yourself. Thankfully a recent stay was highlighted by myself and some work colleagues enjoying a late evening libation and a plethora of bar bites after a hard day's work.
Their bar and restaurant, otherwise known as canteenM, is located directly behind their check-in desk opposite their elevators leading to their other floors. When we arrived at nine in the evening there was hardly anyone there surrounding their bar area or sitting down. As we would eventually learn after sitting down at one of their tables, customers must approach the bar to order both food and beverages no matter if they are busy or not. The menu at canteenM is separated into categories including Bar Bites, Main Course, Beer, Cider, Bubbles, White Wine, Red Wine, Signature Cocktails, Mocktails, various types of Liqueur, Coffee, Water, Soft Drinks, and Juice. Of course we came for food and we each enjoyed a nice cocktail or glass of wine. To drink I ordered their Hemingway Daiquiri, which was made with Bacardi Superior Rum, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, grapefruit juice and lemon juice. Another person in our party ordered their Blueberry Bliss which was made with Bombay Sapphire Gin, prosecco, elderflower syrup, lemon juice and blueberries. For food, we decided to share their Margherita Pizza Renata, which was topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil; their Chicken Dumplings, which were five potstickers stuffed with mixed vegetables, served with dipping sauce, green onion and sesame seeds; their Chips & Dips, which were a bowl of corn tortilla chips served with sides of mango peach salsa and guacamole with a pinch of cilantro; and their Rosemary Fries which were served with aioli and ketchup dipping sauces.
It wouldn't take too long for our drinks to be ready, with the caveat being that we had to pick up our own drinks and take them back to our table despite it not being too busy. We just happened to recognize that our drinks were ready without being told by anyone that they were ready for pickup. My drink however was nicely crafted and took me away to the beach while sipping an exotic drink, which is not the first thing one thinks of when you enjoy a cocktail in Seattle. Our dishes would come out one by one with the highlights of our meal being their Margherita Pizza, which was nicely baked and a hearty pie, and their Chips & Dips, which thanks to the salsa and guacamole filled our appetites for the evening. With a bill being roughly ninety dollars before gratuity was added in, it was a reasonably priced meal that was enjoyed out of both convenience and available. Come for the food, but stay for the drinks as they were lively and complete. The CitizenM hotel has a lot of good things going for it, one of which is canteenM which also does brisk business in the morning with a breakfast buffet and full coffee service. Although there are many other options available in the neighborhood, the owners of CitizenM know what to do in order to make their guests feel a little more at ease. read more