Tavern Law's library booth, with tufted leather seating beneath shelves of old law books.
Our Story · Capitol Hill, Seattle · Since 2009

About Tavern Law

A Capitol Hill cocktail bar since 2009, with a speakeasy upstairs
and a name that goes back to 1832.

Read Our Story In the Press
Opened
2009On 12th Avenue
The building
Trace Lofts, 1919Capitol Hill, Seattle
Two rooms
Tavern LawNeedle & Thread upstairs
Recognized by
GQ & The Infatuation25 Best, 2010 · #1, 2026
The name

A Capitol Hill Cocktail Bar Since 2009

Tavern Law sits in the 1919 Trace Lofts building at 1406 12th Avenue, on Seattle's Capitol Hill. We take our name from the 1832 Pioneer Inn and Tavern Law, the statute that let inns and saloons serve a drink without requiring guests to rent a room for the night.

Nearly a century later, Prohibition tried to silence the shaker. Behind unmarked doors the work went on, kept alive by bartenders, curious guests, and dog-eared bar manuals. Tavern Law and our upstairs speakeasy, Needle & Thread, are our way of keeping that story going in Seattle.

The Golden Age isn't something we dress up as for a night. It's a set of habits and standards we return to every time we reach for a mixing glass.

Shelves of old law books beside the vault door at Tavern Law, the entrance to the Needle & Thread speakeasy.
The craft

A Bar That Reads Like a Living Library

Classics arrive as their authors intended: cold, balanced, and aromatic. House signatures riff with modern tools and a little mischief. We clarify, chill, and cut ice to fit the glass, and every syrup and bitter is made in house with the care a kitchen gives its stocks.

Ask for spirit-forward, bright and citrusy, or quietly dangerous, and we'll tailor the pour. Upstairs at Needle & Thread there's no menu at all: your bartender builds each round around you.

See the Menus
A Tavern Law bartender dusting a sugar garnish over a crystal coupe at the bar.

Our History

  1. 1832

    The name

    The Pioneer Inn and Tavern Law lets inns and saloons serve drinks without an overnight stay.

  2. 2009

    Tavern Law opens

    Chef-owners Brian McCracken and Dana Tough open Tavern Law in the Trace Lofts building, with a list of more than 70 pre-Prohibition and Prohibition-era cocktails. The New York Times mentions it before the doors even open.

  3. 2010

    A national spotlight

    GQ names Needle & Thread at Tavern Law to its list of the 25 Best Cocktail Bars in America.

  4. 2016

    A second generation

    New owners take over and carry Tavern Law and Needle & Thread through their second decade.

  5. 2025

    A third generation

    Saulo Cruz and Ken Jones become Tavern Law's third generation of owners.

  6. 2026

    Seattle's #1 speakeasy

    The Infatuation ranks Needle & Thread first in its Seattle Speakeasy Power Rankings.

The People Behind the Bar

Co-owner

Saulo Cruz

A Brazilian-American restaurateur, Saulo is also an owner of La Fontana, the Italian restaurant in Belltown, and Poquitos on Capitol Hill.

Co-owner

Ken Jones

Ken brings a hospitality-first approach shaped by a career in the tech industry, and a plan to keep Tavern Law's standards exactly where they've always been.

Manager

Nathaniel Steinberg

Nathaniel runs the room, upstairs and down, and knows the ritual of the vault door better than anyone.

There is a unique entrance, which adds to the experience. — to Seattle magazine, 2024

Tavern Law was founded in 2009 by chef-owners Brian McCracken and Dana Tough. We're proud to be the third generation of owners keeping this Capitol Hill classic alive.

About Tavern Law: FAQ

Why is it called Tavern Law?
We're named for the 1832 Pioneer Inn and Tavern Law, the statute that let inns and saloons serve drinks without requiring guests to rent a room for the night.
When did Tavern Law open, and who founded it?
Tavern Law opened on Capitol Hill in 2009. It was founded by chef-owners Brian McCracken and Dana Tough.
Who owns Tavern Law today?
Saulo Cruz and Ken Jones, who took over in 2025 as the third generation of owners. Saulo is also an owner of La Fontana in Belltown and Poquitos on Capitol Hill.
Is Needle & Thread part of Tavern Law?
Yes. Needle & Thread is the speakeasy upstairs at Tavern Law, reached through the vault door in the back of the main bar. How the speakeasy works.
What has Tavern Law been recognized for?
GQ named Needle & Thread at Tavern Law one of the 25 Best Cocktail Bars in America in 2010, and The Infatuation ranked Needle & Thread #1 in its Seattle Speakeasy Power Rankings in 2026.
Where is Tavern Law?
1406 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122, in the 1919 Trace Lofts building on Capitol Hill. Open every night, 5 PM to midnight.

Pull Up a Chair

Walk in downstairs, or reserve the speakeasy upstairs. Open every night, 5 PM to midnight.

Reserve a Table Needle & Thread Private Events

1406 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 · Capitol Hill · 21+