SEATTLE Aug 2, 2025 – Laurel, a European style all day café and curated cocktail bar, is now open on a busy corner of Capitol Hill. Laurel strikes a balance between highbrow (with meticulously made espresso and cocktails) and playful (coffee ice cream floats and caviar bumps that come with temporary tattoos). Its cozy footprint of 250 square feet is reminiscent of neighborhood bars in Paris and New York where guests spill out into the street when the weather allows.
“If I can’t be traveling all the time, at least I can bring the essence of other places I love to Seattle,” said Kate Opatz, owner of Laurel as well as five other bars in the city. Kate has a passion for creating spaces that are welcoming and warm, offering excellent beverages at accessible price points. While her ventures range from tequila bar to natural wine bar, their common thread is noteworthy design, unique drinks, and service that is welcoming and knowledgeable.
Laurel shares a wall with Kate’s first venture, the dive bar Montana, now 14 years old. She and her business partner, Rachel Marshall, long coveted the tiny next-door space (once a hair salon and then a bakery) and dreamed about what business they would put there. Following Rachel’s passing in 2023, the lease did become available, and Kate couldn’t say no to the opportunity, in part to honor Rachel.
Laurel offers Broadcast espresso and pastries from The French Guys by day as well as frequent pastry pop ups by Pufftown Bakehouse, Temple Pastries, and Maddy’s Bakeshop. The coffee menu changes by season and currently features summer flavors such as a peach cobbler latte and yuzu or strawberry balsamic espresso tonics. Affogatos made with Jeni’s ice cream are also a warm weather favorite and adding a shot of amaro is supported, regardless of the hour. A daytime cocktail menu includes a noteworthy espresso martini with fresh pulled espresso and a hint of hazelnut.
An excellent mid-day happy hour transitions Laurel into evening hours and it’s full cocktail menu. Drinks are designed to be both thought-provoking and delicious with unexpected flavors such as pandan, poblano and pickle. We love collaborating with fellow female business owners – the Kari Kari chili crisp infused Samba Heat cocktail is the happy result of one such partnership. Laurel believes deeply in consistency and quality when it comes to cocktail making whether it’s a house cocktail or any off-menu classic drink requested by a guest.
The design of Laurel is anchored by tile designed by the artist Alex Proba. Kate used the tile colors throughout the space, creating an airy, feminine space unlike anywhere else in Seattle – bright and pretty during the day, dark and cozy at night. A single mom of two girls, she loves having a business that is open during the day (8a-2a) where kids are welcome and Laurel, named after her own mom, is especially personal.
Follow @laurel_seattle
