Alibi Loses View, Gains Pot Roast: All Good

Cozy vibe is more N.Y.C. than PNW.

The Alibi Room can no longer tout one of the best sound views in the city. Instead, the windows that break up the art-covered, exposed brick walls now reveal a bird’s-eye peek directly into an apartment building. But even though the last streaks of sunset can’t be caught while nuzzling over cocktails in the discreet Post Alley nook, the new building blockage creates a cozy feeling, more of an N.Y.C. than a PNW vibe. The menu has changed (again), adding sandwiches (pot roast! avocado!) to standards like the mac and cheese (spicy this time) and steamed mussels and clams. Not everything’s changed, though: It’s still the best spot to grab a drink before a night at the Showbox (you’re likely to catch a glimpse of that night’s performers before they hit the stage), and the bomb-shelter-style basement gets just as hot on nights when DJs turn the place into a sweaty concrete box as people get crazy on the dance floor. For some, the new construction could be for the better; before, once the sun went down, there was just a wide expanse of darkness to see. And now? Well, it’s all in how you look at it. 85 Pike St., No. 410, 623-3180, www.seattlealibi.com.