Seattle is a great city for bars and lounges. In the right part of town you can find enough nice watering holes in a three-block radius to last you all year, but it's well worth it to explore different districts for the wide variety of night spots they have to offer. The following three are by no means an exhaustive list, but they're good places to start in your search for a favorite Seattle bar.

Zig Zag Cafe- 1501 Western Avenue

The Pike Place Market district of downtown Seattle seems like the kind of place that would cater almost entirely to tourists, especially considering its many souvenir shops and flashy spectacles. Thankfully for us locals, the market has a surprising amount of excellent restaurants, stores and bars that rank among some of the city's best. The Zig Zag Cafe, nestled in a tucked-away corner of the market's western edge, is the mixology geek's dream bar. Low-key and friendly, the Zig Zag is a great place to grab a specialty cocktail after work. The men and women behind the bar are some of the most knowledgeable drink artists in town. Do yourself a favor, if you visit the Zig Zag Cafe don't go in with a particular drink in mind, let the bartender surprise you. You won't be disappointed.

Rosebud Restaurant and Bar- 719 E. Pike Street

I could write a whole book on all the awesome bars, restaurants and clubs on Capitol Hill, but I have a special place in my heart for Rosebud. This restaurant has been in Seattle longer than most and it even survived a fire several years ago. The drinks at Rosebud are strong, but the real draw is its prime people-watching location. Showing up for Rosebud's happy hour and grabbing a seat by the large front windows during the warm months is a great Seattle experience.

The Rat and Raven- 5260 University Way

Admittedly, most of the bars around the University of Washington campus are typical college bars. They're loud, pricey and have an unfortunate habit of serving drinks in plastic cups. The Rat and Raven is a bit farther down the Ave, so it isn't as beholden to that dorm room aesthetic. It's a laid-back place where you can grab a beer or a glass of whiskey in peace and enjoy the feel of a rustic tavern. On nights out it may not be the place to spend the entire evening, but it's as good a place to start as it is to decompress after midnight.