Celebrate the holidays with some bubbly at 4 Seattle-area Champagne bars

Each December, a friend and I get together to talk about our personal and professional goals. It’s a really nice excuse to spend time with myself before our meeting, talking stock of what I’ve done over the past 12 months and where I want to go. This year, feeling extra indulgent, I took myself out for a flight of Champagne, sipping bubbly as I pored over my planner, reading the notes I’d left myself, the informal letters I’ve scribbled to my daughters in the blank pages that separate each month and reminding myself of the stories of the year (tune in next week to read about my favorite Neighborhood Eats of 2022).

When deciding on a place, I was delighted to find that the Seattle area is home to four (?!) bars dedicated to the art of bubbles, meaning capital-C “Champagne” from the Champagne region of France as well as lambrusco, prosecco, cava and all the other sparkling wine varietals from around the world. One might think that there isn’t that much ground to cover when it comes to sparkling wine, but I found each to have a distinct vibe and something for everyone interested in learning more about bubbly.

And listen — people have been drinking Champagne to celebrate since the late 1700s when it was first associated with wealth and high society — but wine with bubbles is delightful enough that it shouldn’t only be saved for celebrations. While I did find some luxe pricing (Beacon Hill’s Coupe & Flute has a bottle priced at $875) that’s worthy of a special occasion, I also found plenty of options at everyday prices. Not a fan of bubbly? Each spot I visited had non-sparkling wine or beer, one had cocktails and all had thoughtful nonalcoholic options.

So where should you go to pop a bottle? From SoDo to Woodinville, here are four festive options.

McQueen Champagne Bar

1-7 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 1-8 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, noon-7 p.m. Sunday; 17405 133rd Ave. N.E., Suite 1101, Woodinville; 707-706-0030; mcqueenchampagnebar.com

Located in the Wine Walk Row section of Woodinville’s Schoolhouse District, McQueen is a moody, industrial-chic Champagne bar where deep velvet chairs and a bold floral mural draw the eye amid concrete columns. The soundtrack ranges from Billie Eilish to Snoop Dogg, and the sparkling wines by the glass — which range from $11 to $36 — are sourced from around the globe. There’s a 100% Champagne flight called the Queen Mum ($46), a rose flight ($28) and a sparkling wine flight ($33). As with all the spots I visited, the specifics on the flights change often, but the Champagne flight is a wonderful entry to help you figure out what you might like in a Champagne. Flavors in the flight ranged from lemon curd to toasty brioche, but the one thing across the board I loved were the tiny little bubbles, sized much more like sea foam than, say, Topo Chico bubbles that feel quite assertive in comparison. There’s a small menu — cheese plates, olives, nuts — but I was here for the bubbles.

Love Beats Pagne

2-7 p.m. Thursday-Friday, noon-8 p.m. Saturday, noon-6 p.m. Sunday; 3861 First Ave. S., Seattle; 332-203-2822; lovebeatspagne.com

Yes, this cute little Champagne bar in the SoDo Wine Works building was once called House of Pagne, until Erik Schrody (aka Everlast from the ‘90s hip-hop group House of Pain) sent owner Brandee Slosar and her husband Brian a cease-and-desist order. Slosar quickly pivoted, reopening as Love Beats Pagne (the beats symbolic of the bumping music played in the space). Slosar also runs McQueen in Woodinville, but the SoDo space feels more like the Skipper to McQueen’s Career Barbie. The seating is low tables with tufted blue velvet and white leather benches. Beads are strung from chandeliers and glittery artwork adorns the walls.

The price points are also a bit lower — aimed at a slightly younger crowd perhaps? Glass pours here are $13-$15 and there are two flight options: the Sparkle Bomb ($23), consisting of three sparkling international wines, and the Insane in the Pagne flight ($35) of three Champagnes. Where McQueen feels a bit posh, Love Beats Pagne is flirty and fun-feeling, perfect for a casual night out or an afternoon with friends.

Pop Culture

2-8 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, noon-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday; 42 Lakeshore Plaza, Kirkland; 206-300-4495; sippopculture.com

This little Champagne bar is not on the main drags of Central Way or Lake Street in downtown Kirkland as your mapping software might have you believe — but it’s tucked on the backside of the row of businesses that includes Lady Yum and Flatstick Pub. However, once you find it, you’ll be greeted by a brightly lit bar that takes pop culture seriously. The walls are adorned with everything from photos of Marilyn Monroe holding a coupe glass full of bubbly to Kim Kardashian’s Paper Magazine cover (a rendition of a 1976 Jean-Paul Goude photo), a Champagne glass balanced on her backside and a cascade of bubbles arcing over her head. The menu skews toward American bubbles — you’ll find bottles from Oregon, Washington and California dotting the larger, global list that includes at least five French Champagne varietals.

Glass pours range from $9 to $40 and there’s a Big Poppas Champagne flight ($40) as well as a Local Bubs flight ($35) of West Coast sparklers.

Pop Culture is the most budget-friendly. The evening I was there, two women in festive party dresses were busy setting up for a 30th birthday party, complete with a pink cake and balloons. The birthday girl had reserved the entire space and Pop Culture, with its casual vibe and approachable wine list, seemed like the perfect place to celebrate turning 30.

The Coupe & Flute

4-11 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 4 p.m.-midnight, Friday, 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; 3015 Beacon Ave. S., Seattle; instagram.com/thecoupeandfluteseattle

The first thing co-owner Brooke St. Sauver said to me when I sat down at the bar of her incredibly cozy Beacon Hill spot was, “Welcome to our Champagne tavern.” Now, “tavern” might call to mind images of dusty, dark bars, but The Coupe & Flute is all Parisian charm, from the refurbished church pews to the marble-topped tables and bistro chairs. It also feels very festive right now with a full Christmas tree near the entrance and plenty of red ribbon-bedecked evergreen swags with St. Sauver and her partner Curt Waller spinning around the dining room in harmony.

There’s a much larger food menu here compared to other Champagne bars in the area — including a full weekend brunch menu. I ordered the roasted cauliflower frittata (16) and the bibb lettuce salad ($9) to accompany my Champagne flight ($24). By the glass pours ranged from $13 to $28.

The frittata is an homage to what St. Sauver grew up eating on Christmas morning. It was incredibly decadent and arrived almost bubbling, with melted butter in a deep dish, topped with a sprinkling of arugula and served as a wonderful foil for the bubbles, bringing forth certain flavors and downplaying others, reminding me why it can be so fun (and sometimes necessary) to pair food and wine together.

Overall, you’re going to have a lovely time at any of these area Champagne bars — and not just for a celebration.