The Nest, reviewed: Elliott Bay's best sunset seat

Every friend who visits gets taken to The Nest, and the reaction is the same every time: they go quiet somewhere between the elevator and the rail. Then the questions stop, the photos start, and for a few minutes I get to feel like I built the view myself.

The view deserves the fuss. The terrace sits on top of the Thompson Hotel, looking straight down onto Pike Place Market’s rooflines and out across Elliott Bay — the Great Wheel turning in the corner, ferries crossing like they’re doing it for the aesthetic. For me this one is a drive across the bridge from Kirkland. I have never once regretted it.

What to expect

The space splits in two: an indoor lounge — green velvet, marble, very handsome — and the open-air deck where everyone actually wants to be. The rail seats are the prize, and I’ll be honest about my record: I can count my rail-seat wins on one hand, and every one of them came from showing up at opening on a weekday. Summer weekends bring DJs and a line down the stairs. Fun night. Wrong night for a quiet drink.

What to order

The cocktail list rotates with the seasons and takes itself seriously, in a good way. The prices are hotel-rooftop prices — you’re paying for the real estate, and honestly, fair. My gin and tonic was exactly what it needed to be. The skewers are better than they have any right to be; order two.

Best time to go: golden hour, about an hour before sunset. Reserve ahead, or do what I do and show up when the doors open.

Photos courtesy of The Nest, Thompson Seattle.