I was convinced The Triple Door was simply just another music venue in Seattle, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. While The Triple Door does have an awesome 270-seat theater, there’s also the Musicquarium Lounge — a unique bar with craft cocktails, great food, and of course, fun music.

So, why is this place called the Musicquarium Lounge? First, let’s focus on the “quarium” part of the name. The Musicquarium Lounge (216 Union St.) features a 1,900 gallon freshwater fish tank. Loaded with more than 100 yellow, blue and albino African Cichlids, the aquarium is what makes the bar unique.

Musicquarium Lounge

NOTE: We got a sneak peek at the Musicquarium Lounge fish tank, but it was undergoing renovations when we were there. We’ll add a picture as soon as we go back and get one.

The other part of the Musicquarium Lounge name is clearly “music.” The Triple Door features up-and-coming national and local bands inside the bar. We were there to see Wren, The Sky Colony, and Perfect Battery perform during a singer-songwriter showcase. All three are local folk bands based out of Western Washington.

There is live music almost every night of the week at the Musicquarium Lounge. There’s jazz and acoustic sets on Mondays (only during the summer months), singer-songwriter showcase on Tuesdays, and a rotating cast of local musicians Wednesdays-Sundays. The best part is — there’s never a cover charge at the Musicquarium Lounge. The music is always FREE. Check out The Triple Door website for more detailed event listings.

On top of the music and the aquarium, the Musicquarium Lounge also boasts “Seattle’s most exciting happy hour.” The Triple Door hosted us for a night out, and it’s hard to argue that they don’t have a great happy hour (4pm-6pm Monday-Friday and 9pm-12am Sunday-Thursday). The Triple Door is owned by the same people who own Wild Ginger. That means the award-winning food you get at Wild Ginger is the exact same food you get at the Musicquarium Lounge. In fact, the restaurant and lounge share the same kitchen.

Musicquarium Lounge

We tried several different small plates while we were at the Musicquarium Lounge. We devoured the popular duck sliders and Sichuan green beans, potstickers, peasant’s chicken, Nam’s prawns, Bangkok boar, hawker beef, and Vietnamese chicken wings. It sounds like a lot of food, but the orders only have 1-3 pieces per plate. It was all tasty food, but the duck sliders, Sichuan green beans and peasant’s chicken were the best.

Happy hour at the Musicquarium Lounge doesn’t end there. The bar also serves craft cocktails, wine (from the same wine list as the Wild Ginger), and beer. Elysian Brewing actually makes an exclusive beer called Backstage Ale that you can only find at The Triple Door. It’s a pale ale that is a “perfect pairing with [their] Southeast Asian cuisine.” There are other beers on tap, and a full bar with all your favorite booze.

Musicquarium Lounge

Tove and I were both pleasantly surprised by the Musicquarium Lounge. We honestly had no idea it even existed until we were invited out there. Judging by the solid crowd we saw when we were there, we might be the only ones who were blind to the Musicquarium Lounge. The place had an active crowd and a fun atmosphere. There’s no doubt we’ll be back there again, and again, and again.

Have you ever been the Musicquarium Lounge at The Triple Door? What do you like to order when you’re there? We’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below, or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Don’t forget to also check out Seattle Bloggers for more fun places to hang out in the Emerald City!

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