Kristos

Basics: $4 well drinks, $3 Bud Lights, $3.75 draft beers, $5 wines, $2-7 small plates. Daily specials run 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. to close. Well vodka: McCormick’s.


Upon entering Kristos, patrons are almost asphyxiated by the color blue: the walls are painted a deep, lustrous cobalt that looms its way up to the second story loft. Teensy, delicate ultramarine-colored occasional lamps dangle in clusters over the tables. Even the booth's seat backs are upholstered in a roughly thatched fabric of steel blue.

Built in behind the bar is an irregular patchwork of darkened champagne-colored stone, like something out of The Brady Bunch den (but in a very appealing way). Lithe purple tulips swoon out of bud vases, while pristine white orchids float completely submerged in water contained in wide-mouthed hurricane vases.

It’s a nice a scene to drink in as the generous gin and gingers poured here. A downright beautiful scene, in fact, until you look out the windows, reality kicks in, and you remember you’re getting a buzz on under the freeway.

Kristos is gorgeous but would be better suited in trendier Belltown than right under Interstate 5’s Ship Canal Bridge. The sleek, glamorous bar with a soft-spoken electronica soundtrack has little in common with the overly claustrophobic Serafina or the beer-sloshed Zoo Tavern, two of Eastlake's mainstays. But it seems to be working. Eastlake has already undergone a metamorphosis in the past few years, acquiring a half-dozen or so swank and trendy condo complexes and a few specialty boutiques. Maybe Kristos is sign of things to continue to come in this neighborhood.

But none of that matters during happy hour. This Greek-inspired lounge is consistently busy as customers continually fill the blue-underlit bar. The drinks, tonight poured by Kristo himself (or Chris, as he’s better known), were heavy handed, which is exactly what a rail drink should be. The chicken Caeser ($7) was fairly unremarkable, though the Greek salad ($5) came as a hearty, heaping mound of chopped cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, Kalamata olives, red onions and feta. Not the most outstanding salad ever, but it more than did the job of filling our drunk stomachs.

Kristos. 3218 Eastlake Ave E (Eastlake and Harvard), Seattle’s Eastlake. Daily 3:00-6:30 p.m., late night 10:00 p.m. to close.