White Horse Trading Company

This is one of those bar experiences that you’ll never forget. Tiny, dimly lit, cozy little pub that you wouldn’t look twice at as you walk away from bustling Pike Place. That’s a mistake. Be sure to stop in, and bring some cash.
The drink list is small — selected wine and beers with a couple special drinks like Pimm’s and vermouth. The owner is a riot with tons of stories and knowledge to share. Intimate experience and you will certainly leave tasting something you’ve never had before.

I love White Horse! I stop by every time I’m downtown, it’s a must see. :) Visit White Horse once and you feel at home, visit twice and it’s already your personal episode of Cheers. Joe the owner is so great, he’ll set you up with amazingly tasty drinks — from tempting butterscotch whiskey filled chocolates to the tastiest vermouth I’ve had since I lived in Spain. Go visit Joe at White Horse! You won’t regret it!

Definitely a place to go to if you like to find hole in the wall bars with a friendly bartender. I wasn’t able to see much of Seattle but due to my friends’ recommendation, we ended up here and definitely did not regret it. They serve up wine cocktails, wine, mead, and beer. It’s dark and divey inside but the wine cocktails and yummy. The bartender even made them a little less sweet for me. I could have easily had a few more ;)

A little pricey, cash only, wine-​based cocktails and 2 beers of the evening. So not a full bar.
But it’s a cool, cool place– hiding in plain sight, with some amazing vintage ambiance and good (limited) drink options.
If you’re in downtown and need a drink, pop in. You won’t regret it. I might though– it’s a tiny place and a well kept secret.
Owner is often serving the bar and is a really friendly guy.

you won’t find anything like it, anywhere else in Seattle. this place is a winner. if you’re in any way picky, don’t come here. if you’re in any way snotty, don’t come here. if you buy clothing or accessories that are fashionable, don’t come here.
in fact, just don’t come here. more room for the rest of us.

This place has really great décor and lovely, cozy atmosphere. We were lucky to experience some gents playing guitar and harmonica in the corner too, which was great!
Being from the UK originally, I appreciate the pub feel of this place, and it has a much more relaxed vibe than many downtown bars.
I’m only giving it 3 stars because the Pimms Cup was worlds away from what I expected. It was a syrupy, citrusy, sour mix of I don’t know what! Not the light and fruity summer drink it traditionally is back home. I’m all for experimenting, but maybe they should rename this drink so that future patrons are not as confused as I was!

We love dive bars and this place was perfect. The bartender was great and provided insightful Seattle tips. The English beer (Samuel Smiths). Was also delicious. My buddy ordered the red wine which was also smooth. If you are visiting Seattle and like dive bars this place is a must.

Favorite bar in the city. Cordovan leather chesterfield sofas and a cozy fireplace always wins in my book. Try the wine and porter. Just do it.

I hadn’t been here since probably 2009, and spontaneously came here with a buddy after a show at the Moore. The bookstore-​like atmosphere was intact, and there were a few people scattered about here and there. We took seats at the bar and were kept entertained by the kindly bartender for a little while. Eventually a younger woman came in, who had clearly built a bit of a rapport with the bartender before, and he told her to sit near us, that we would know what to do with her. Next thing I knew, the girl was doing incredibly loud impressions of her Philly-​native father, and keeping us in stitches. The Pimms cups and mead went down all to easy, and we had plenty of laughs. I need to visit this place more often!

The radio is blastin’, someone’s knockin’ at the door. I’m lookin’ at my girlfriend — she’s passed out on the floor. I seen so many things I ain’t never seen before. Don’t know what it is — I don’t wanna see no more…
So as my wife and I were looking for The Pink Door on Post Ally, I had noticed a very dark and mysterious place. A place that was only recognizable by a white horse out front. A sign not an actual horse.
So I took a peek in and noticed a small gathering of people, a bartender, and the kind of place I love. After locating said Pink Door, we rewound ourselves to the white equine in question.
The room wasn’t full at this point. We sat down at a high bar and the bartender, Joe, told us he only only served beer and wine and he only took cash. My kind of joint.
There is only one red wine available and one white wine available so if you can’t deal with that and the fact they don’t take plastic, this isn’t the place for you. Also, there is a very limited beer selection. Joe has a local brewer make a beer specifically for him. I didn’t try it, but others said it was good. There is also this thing called a Pimms Cup which a lot of people liked. A mix of sangria, brown sugar, lemon juice, and red wine. A little to sweet for my blood, but another patron let my wife have a sip and she liked it.
If you get to the point where you need to use the facilities, note the stall door in the back of the room. Open the door and take a step up, turn to your left and there you are. The added bonus is the picture of Rackell Welch above the toilet. Yes, I used the name Rackell as opposed to Raquel for obvious reasons.
As we were enjoying our wine, the place got more crowded. It seemed to be the kind of place that a lot of locals go. By the time 8p.m. rolled around you needed a lubricant to get more people in this place. Is that a bad thing? The crowd was a good mix of young and old, hipster and square. I was surprised at how local everyone was being that this place was in a major tourist area.
As I am writing this review, it is my last night in Seattle. Sadly, I was not able to make it back to this little piece of paradise. However, when I do return, I will go back to the White Horse. It is really great that this place makes things so simple. Red, white, and cash.
FYI-​This place opens at 5. NOT at 4.

mead & backgammon– this is my happy place. lots of cool stuff to look at on the walls & everything’s for sale. the bartender (owner?) was funny and seemed to perfectly match the bar. this will likely be one of the few reasons i venture into this area.

Bizarre, easy to miss hole in the wall in Post Alley. The bartender and patrons were all quite friendly and talkative. Service was incredible. Such a unique bar and worth a visit for a pint.

Only sells beer and wine, but this place is unique and totally worth the stop in. Bartender (owner?) was very nice. Very cool place, very happy I made the decision to stop in.

Stumbled across the bar while walking around with my husband and brother in law. I love the «odd» décor. There isn’t too much to select from for beverages; I tried the red wine, but it was a little too sweet for my liking (I believe it was a Zinn). This place was very relaxing. Definitely a hidden gem.

This place is truly just for people that enjoy good beer that resembles English beer. They only had 2 beer selections available on a Friday night. I got the one they served on cask because beers «on cask» are truly so much better than draft or bottled. You’ll understand this, if you’ve ever been to England. I loved the décor of this place because it looked like a true British pub. I would go here again. Only downside is that it is small and cramped inside if there are too many people.

This has been my regular bar in Seattle for many years.
The bar menu is not like other bar menus, which you will figure out pretty quickly. There are so many other good reasons to go here that I don’t really care much what they are serving– which is not to say that I haven’t enjoyed my share of champagne cocktails, port & liquor-​filled chocolates during late-​night visits.
Two tips:
Stop in just before 5 pm and enjoy a happy minute at the bar at 5:01.
Don’t walk up and try to pet the shy irish wolfhound but do bring some string cheese if you want to make him your friend– Joe usually has some behind the bar if you exhausted your string cheese supply on the way over.
I can’t tell you all of the secrets about this bar but stop in and you’ll find out pretty quickly– the majority of the crowd is regulars and Joe is behind the bar most weeknights.

This bartender has the easiest job in the world. He makes one cocktail, serves one beer, and one type of red wine. I am exaggerating, but only slightly. There really is a limited selection and while it appears, according to these reviews here, that they do a Pimm’s cup, I was at the bar for over two hours and watched the guy make only the one champagne cocktail over and over. Livin’ the dream.
The atmosphere on the weekend is awesome. Very cozy & fun. Not a toursity spot, despite its location in Post Alley. There is a massive dog that is always chillin’ there. If you are picky about what you drink, this is probably not the place for you. But if you are looking for an escape from the sometimes devastatingly loud bars in the surrounding area, this is your spot.

oh man… where to start???
this hidden gem was stop #2 on my birthday night out, and was suggested by my reliable friend that has a real knack for introducing me to my new favorite places around seattle. I was hesitant about this place because it was so hidden and dark, but once inside, and overwhelming comfortableness hit me, and I was instantly enamored by the charming yet strange interior. I felt like a young kiddo playing around grandpa’s attic or something! the décor boasts doors used as tables, strange trinkets from years gone by, comfy leather sofas, and a unique selection of house cocktails. my friend did the ordering since nobody else in the group had been there before, and a round of PIMM’s cups appeared at the table. these delicious sweet and sour drinks are reminiscent of spiked lemonade. they’re easy going down, but hit you when you least expect it… and let’s just say I wasn’t expecting anything since it tasted so tame going down! as a treat to the girls, my friend purchased a few harmless looking chocolate truffles, which unbeknownst to us, were filled with the liquid wrath of an angry dragon. WHOA!!! these suckers hit HARD! we managed to eat them in one bite while holding our throats and gasping for air… fucking incredible!!!
there is no doubt in my mind that i’ll be back here on numerous occasions, and i’ll be bringing anyone/​everyone with a sense of cocktail adventure. awesome spot for groups, couples and individuals alike!

Leather, darkness, books, and beer. It’s like drinking in your non-​existent grandfather’s den– love it!
Atmosphere and strong drinks earn this place a good rating. Which brings me to this MAJOR fact: they only serve beer and wine! They have a «pimms cup» made of 5 wines and port and bitters, which is tart and alcoholic and excellent, and not much like a pimms cup!
I didn’t see a sign on the way in, just a picture of a white horse, and it was PITCH black– but this adds to the secret feeling of the space. Service was MEH, but I’d go back for the vibe.

There seems to be a love/​hate debate between Unilocal reviewers regarding White Horse Trading Company. I think it just comes down to personal preference in selecting a bar… er, excuse me, I mean tavern. Therefore, I fall in to the former crowd.
If you’re looking for a loud bar crammed with people, overpriced cocktails and pulsating music, just keep on walking. However, if you’re looking for a quaint, dark, comfortable, chill spot to grab an English beer, relax and listen to jazz flowing from the speakers, you might want to wander down Post Alley and stop in for a bit. Just keep your eyes open because it does not stick out by any means.
«Are you interested in beer or wine,» is the first question you’ll most likely have to answer to Joe the bartender. Selections of both are limited, but my decision was a large bottle of Samuel Smith Lager, which I took over to a nearby empty couch.
After finishing my drink, I went back over to the small bar and struck up conversation with Joe, where I learned he has been in business in this location for over 20 years and typically has more local patrons rather than a revolving door of tourists, which I found surprising considering his close proximity to Pike Place Market.
Even though I was basically a tourist myself, I can’t argue with either his two decades of longevity or his ongoing success by sticking to the basics and keeping everything rather simple. Sometime less is indeed more. Cheers!

Cozy little bar next to Kell’s. Perfect for an intimate date or closing out the night in a relaxed way.
Great bartender, leather couches, big ass white dog walking around.
Only thing — there is a very strange smell on the RH side if you’re sitting on the couch by the wall. Quite sour.
I also wish they carried more beers with a lighter taste and texture. Everything is medium to dark.
BUT I’m glad this spot is downtown. It is special.