Barnacle

Came in while we were waiting for a table at The Walrus and Carpenter. This bar is extremely charming and the staff is as warm and welcoming as they come. As soon as you sit down you are offered a plate of Lays potato chips. The bar offers a nice selection of wines and cocktails and apertivos. The Serrano Jamon was delicious, as was the Sardines. Definitely a great spot to relax and grab some small bites.

This place is just adorable. A year later and it’s still on my dinner plans when visiting Seattle. Exact same staff as before as well. Spain will be my retirement home one day so maybe that’s why I love this spot so much. It’s a galley bar that can be found on any southern Spain street. Crack open a bottle of red and dip into one of the many delicious sardine cans. If you’re thinking of the crappy American canned sardines then you are wrong. Spanish canned sardines are a delicatessen that is so addictive. Enjoy.

Amazing use of space in this friendly place with a classy staff and tasty snacks. The atmosphere is calming, but the old school R&B gives the place a cool vibe. Dimly lit and perfect for a before or after dinner drink.

party of two, saturday night
we came here while we waited for our table at the Walrus & Carpenter. the two establishments are by the same owner, so this is a normal thing to do.
we had a some cocktails — very fancy and delicious.
great service.
half dozen oysters — very good selection.
fresh bread & olive oil
italian sardines — my first go at these and i was pleasantly surprised. served in the actual sardine can (nice touch)
limited seating b/​c it’s basically one long bar and one tiny table waaaay in the back.
overall, great quality for the very limited menu they offer. very easy and comfortable way to pass the time until your table is ready or if you just want to chill here and have some light PNW snacks.
good find!

I mean, it’s Italy by the sea, with a smile. I have never felt so welcomed in a shotgun oyster bar… These folks are fun, happy and kind. The food… Is expensive. And worth it. Very worth it. Get oysters, bread and the shaved serrano ham. On second thought, don’t come here. It’s already wall to wall.

This place is awesome!!! Great atmosphere and service. If you want to get a good low down on good cuisine and have knowledgeable staff this is the place to come! Food and multitude of outstanding drinks where off the hook! I will be back that’s for sure!

I love this place for small plates.
Anchovies & saltines, octopus terrine, serrano jamon.
Great cocktails and wines, the best aperitivo bar in Seattle!

Barnacles is right next to Walrus & Carpenter…
* PRE — Looong wait for our W&C dinner so we stopped next door into her sister bar
* CMP — They have Lay’s potato chips for each table, lol
* DRK — Gabriel = quite dry with no frills
* DRK — Fiano = dry and just what companion wanted
* DRK — Grillo = smooth and recommended by bartender, as they do not have sweet whites
* DRK — Dirty martinis & cocktails! Our new foodie companions went all-​out for her birthday…
* GET — Octopus terrine = 2 thinly sliced, beautiful presentation of octopus swimming in olive oil, quite tasty
* GET — Bread (from Sea Wolf & Columbia City Bakery) = just b/​c I was hungry and needed some carbs; plain, sliced, served with good olive oil
* HAA — Huge Serrano ham leg is sitting out at the bar for all to view
* YES — Quiet, modern-​décor bar with friendly bartenders
* YES — Fun times were definitely had with our new «drinking» buddies who had appreciation for sharing great foodie stories
* YES — Offers small bites only, no full menu. Only stocks 1 of each liquor type so do inquire.
* FYI — Only 1 large table at end, we happened to get it
* FYI — Bar seating available
* FYI — No reservations needed
* FYI — Accepts credit cards

A very, very small bar that gets very, very crowded, and winds up being very, very expensive, quickly. Despite all that, I still had a fabulous time at Barnacle, while killing time waiting for our table at the Walrus and the Carpenter.
I kind of love that you’re brought out a dish of Lays potato chips to accompany your fancy $ 12+ cocktail. I’d never pair the two together normally (beer and salt & vinegar chips are the only exception), but this was a fun snack.
They have limited small bites available too, although I’m blanking on the one we had.
It was a lovely experience (and whoever chooses their music deserves a high five), but 2 drinks and an appetizer ended up being ~$ 60 somehow, not quite loving that.

Think of Barnacle as the appetizer to your dinner at The Walrus & Carpenter since they have a very limited menu consisting of mostly drinks and because you normally have a lot of time to kill before you actually get a seat at The W&C. Even though, they provide quality service in addition to offering delicious small plates and fantastic cocktails.
Having been told it was a 90 minute wait at The W&C, it was an easy decision to park ourselves at one of the open bar seats available at the Barnacle. The décor is nicely done with a long bar and only one table at the end of the bar. This place is tiny. Our bartender/​server/​mixologist asked what we liked and she offered up recommendations based off of what we said. I told her of my love for Rye Whiskey based cocktails namely the Sazerac and she brought out their version with a twist — the twist being the addition of chartreuse. It was delicious and a great recommendation. It helped wash down the complimentary Lay’s chips we were given.
For small bites, she steered us towards the octopus terrine and the shaved serrano jamon from the huge piece of ham that was literally sitting in front of my face. It looked beautiful so we had to try it. The octopus came out first and was delicious and extremely tender. It was soaking in olive oil and lemon. We were told the jamon was actually iberico jamon and not the serrano version that was listed on the menu. Lucky us, because iberico is quite more expensive and tastier.
A quick lesson on Spanish ham, although both feed on acorns, the Iberico variety only comes from the Black Iberian pigs that are allowed to roam free in the prairies/​forests of Spain and is cured for much longer than Serrano ham. Serrano ham comes from the several different breeds of White pigs that feed and roam in the mountains of Spain and the curing time is much less than the Iberico variety. For these reasons, the Iberico ham is darker and the flavor is much more rich than the Serrano ham.
The jamon was sliced thinly and with a peach compote piled on top. The balance of salty fatty pieces of ham were cut by the sweet peach compote mixture for an extremely well-​balanced bite. Also, being able to watch them slice each jamon by order was fun.
Although not truly a full-​service restaurant with a kitchen but rather a quick cold aperitivo spot to enjoy before your meal, Barnacle was a great experience.

A rare 4.5 stars. We stopped in for a glass of wine on a Thursday about 9pm. (closed at 10pm).
It is a bit difficult to find; the building has a different establishment in front. To find Barnacle, one needs to walk down a long hallway under the small sign toward the back of the building.
Tips are automatically included in the bill, so no need to calculate.
AMBIANCE: 4.5. Very pleasant to sit at the long bar as the stools are not crowded. Great as a couple. There is a also one table at the far end. Upon entering it appeared full, but we found several open seats after walking towards the back wall. Good indie-​type music when we were there, at medium volume. Three of us were able to converse comfortably as we sat along the bar.
Small chalkboard menus with the glass wines are set on the bar, and there is a separate fuller paper menu.
SERVICE: 4.5. Excellent advice on the wines. Professional, prompt, friendly service.
DRINKS/​FOOD: 4.5. Excellent wine advice — I enjoyed my dark red (La Valentina Spelt) and my partner liked her slightly lighter red (Cabanon Augurio). The serrano jamon was very good. Next time we’ll try a few more of the tapas.

Didn’t know what to expect from this place; nice little bar with a cool atmosphere and friendly staff. Not a sardine fan and the drink/​food menu was a bit overpriced for canned fish dishes. My boyfriend ordered a drink that he liked and we snacked on the free chips and had some bread, dipping oil, and olives. I want to try out the other places in this little complex of establishments, but probably won’t return to Barnacle.

Barnacle is a great spot, not for dinner, for an intimate bite and a drink. They have a table at the back, but I didn’t see it. All I saw was the sit down bar and standing room bar. This is great for a group of two; three you may be pushing it.
They have a great selection of Amaro and vermouth. They drink selection is great. The menu is small; plates of appetizer seafood. I ordered the special for the day; pickled mussels on toast with an herb pesto sauce and aioli. It was outstanding. The flavors were fresh and briny. I wanted the Serrano that they had, it is craved off the leg to order, but I would have been the only one eating it.
The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. I really loved this place.

During my last visit to Seattle, I had been hankering for some good food, which luckily enough, is not hard to find in this wonderful city. Like everyone else in these reviews, I was actually set on one of the restaurants next door.
I met up with a friend who suggested Walrus and the Carpenter. I didn’t believe him that the wait would be long because it was a weeknight and still daylight (meaning it was super early), but he was right; we did have to wait. Regardless, this cute bar next door, Barnacle, made our wait pleasant. They had adorable storybook menus and fancy cocktails. Nautical décor and friendly bartenders contributed to the ambiance. The vibe was comfortable and mildly romantic. I would be impressed if this was part of a date night, but it is also casual enough that if a date is not your intention, it’s still acceptably friendly and not awkward.
I had a good experience and hope to have another opportunity in the future to come back.

This hidden gem was actually a better experience than the restaurant we were waiting to get seated at.
We contemplated coming back after, but as usual, we were uncomfortably filled to the gills.
Barnacle is an aperitivo bar, as in the Italian tradition, a pre-​dinner drink, like bitter cocktails made with prosecco, vermouth, Campari, or Aperol.
Our visit started standing room only crowded, but as soon as we were able to grab a seat at the bar, it got real comfortable.
First off they were playing the best music, if you grew up in the 80’s, you know what I’m talking about, every time a song started, we were like, are they playing this?! Yes!
The service was good, especially for as busy as they were. The crowd was chill, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
But then my husband saw towards the end of the bar a Jamón holder. The kind where they hand shave off thin slices for you. They serve Jamón Serrano, it may not be Jamón ibérico de bellota, but it was still exciting to see and delicious. We also ordered the Spanish Sardines, which had a nice kick to it.
I think it was one of the most enjoyable bar experiences we’ve ever had.

Really a beautiful bar, located right next to the Whale and the Carpenter. No windows, but with all of the white walls, its actually really bright and inviting. Recently went here on an early Sunday evening, because we saw on the menu outside the bar, that they had happy hour on Sundays from 4−7pm.
We sat at the bar and the bartender greeted us and handed us menus. We asked about what the happy hour was and he replied that there was no happy hour. When we inquired about the menu on the door and he just said «Yup,» and walked away. I felt that his demeanor was very curt and with myself working in the food industry, I understand that happy hours change, but a short explanation would have been suffice.
The food menu is all small plates that the bartenders prepare themselves, so don’t go in super hungry. We ordered the cured ham plate, which came with some pickled cherries. The ham was delicious!
Barnacle has an extensive cocktail menu, with most drinks being $ 10 and over. They don’t have any beers on draft, but they had three different Italian beers in the bottle.
Overall the atmosphere is really upscale, but I felt that the staff was a little rude and the food and cocktails were a little pricey.

My friend and I went on a Sunday happy hour romp through Ballard with the clear intent that dinner at Walrus and the Carpenter would be our grand finale. As soon as we put our name on the list, the hostess recommended we wait and even grab a drink at the bar next door, Barnacle. It was quite possibly the most brilliant idea ever! If only more restaurants were this hospitable, not to mention, friendly with neighboring restaurants.
So we gladly hopped on over to Barnacle and encountered a sleek bar counter top perched in front of a stunning bar wall. The whole vibe was clean, cool and intimate.
Our server behind the bar, set in front of us a small dish of Lays potato chips. At first I was perplexed by this choice of bar snack, given the obvious class of the joint. But as soon as I was poured a perfectly crisp, floral, slightly fruity yet not too sweet white wine, I understood and appreciated the simplicity of this gesture.
Overall, Barnacle was a pleasant surprise and great addition to the Ballard happy hour crawl. Will definitely stop by for another pre-​Walrus drink and nibble in the future!

My husband and I had an hour to spare before our Staple & Fancy reservation, so we decided to spend it at Barnacle. It’s a super cute space, and we were able to find spots at the bar easily. The turnover is fast at the bar, since it’s mostly people having a drink while waiting for a table at Walrus & Carpenter.
The staff was very friendly and helpful — assisting with the different cocktail options, humoring us to take a picture, serving drinks and food with a smile. Their small plates seem designed more for accompanying drinks rather than to eat a bunch as a meal. We ordered the anchovies with chili and butter served with saltines, and although my husband enjoyed it, I found the fish to be quite strong. We did order the Columbia City Bakery bread, and it tasted better with the bread than the saltines.
The drinks are very creative and bitters-​based. It was very cool to watch them make the drinks. Good wine and craft beer selection, as well. Overall, a great spot to wait for a table but not necessarily a venue for which I’d go out of my way to eat or drink.

Checked out Barnacle for drinks while waiting for a table at The Walrus and the Carpenter.
The restaurant/​bar is a cute intimate spot. It’s dimly lit, great ambiance, and friendly bartenders. Definitely a good place to come for dates.
They serve small plates/​tapas. After perusing the menu we were very tempted to order but resisted since we were saving our appetite.
The drinks were good. The bartenders definitely know their stuff here. Plenty of craft beers from around the world.
Worth checking out if you’re in Seattle.

Hidden gem, literally, tucked between Staple & Fancy and Walrus & Carpenter. A culinary aesthetic, Barnacle is proof of quality over quantity. Cozy, narrow bar with a sole back booth, now serving prix-​fixe dinners.
Friendly, witty bartenders know their aperitifs like Ballard knows plaid. Barnacle is a Negroni dream come true — an unabashed love affair with amaro.
— Mussels on toast, cilantro pistou — personal favorite. Fresh, luscious mussels. An unexpected preparation and absolutely delicious.
— Anchovy, calabrian chili butter — intensely savory, chili packs heat, butter to add balance
— Duck liver mousse — indulgence nicely done
— Octopus terrine, olive oil, lemon — stunning presentation, food as art. Incredibly thin terrine.
Will be back for 1001 Negroni nights… flights.