Life On Mars is a plant-based cocktail bar on Capitol Hill in Seattle that rents its space for parties and private events of 8 to 100 guests. Groups of up to 50 use the Vinyl Lounge, and a full venue rental covers 50 to 100 guests. The bar is at 722 E Pike Street, at the corner of Pike and Harvard, and every event is 21 and over.
Seminars and company events
The official site does not mention corporate meetings, so this is a place for company gatherings of the social kind: a team celebration, an after-work drinks event, a launch party or a small client evening. The room is a bar with a music focus, not a meeting room, and it has no stated presentation equipment. Organizers who need screens or a program should ask before booking.
What the bar does offer is a strong music identity. Its wall of vinyl records, roughly 5,800 according to the event page, and a record shop make the room easy to build an evening around. Guests or hosts can choose records that are played during the evening, and the bar can arrange custom playlists curated by John Richards of KEXP and Steven Severin of Neumos. It can also help book DJs or acoustic performers.
Weddings and receptions
The official site does not describe weddings. It does describe parties, listening parties and release parties, so a rehearsal dinner, an engagement party or an after-party is the realistic use. The bar serves a plant-based menu, which suits mixed groups, and the cocktail list includes non-alcoholic options.
Rooms and capacities
The Vinyl Lounge accommodates 50 guests standing or 25 seated. It has couches and cocktail tables. A full venue rental accommodates 50 to 100 guests, with dedicated servers for the cocktail and non-alcoholic cocktail menus.
Events of 8 to 50 people are handled as advance reservations with a credit card hold, for seating in the bar or in the Vinyl Lounge. The venue says that booking this kind of event directly carries no cost and no minimum, as long as the group shows up, while a third-party booking site may add a fee. For 50 to 100 guests, bar minimums apply, and the bar asks organizers to contact it for the terms.
Catering
Food and drink are in-house. The bar serves craft cocktails, non-alcoholic cocktails and beer, together with a vegan menu that includes burgers and cauliflower wings. Late-night dining is available, and brunch runs on weekends. For larger rentals, a plant-based catering menu is offered, with table service, bar service and cocktail staff.
History and setting
Life On Mars sits in the center of Capitol Hill at Pike and Harvard. It describes itself as a bar built around music, with a covered patio and a vinyl wall inside. Seattle Metropolitan Magazine voted it among the top 25 bars in Seattle, according to the bar's own site. The bar is open Tuesday to Sunday, and it holds regular nights such as a phone-free Wednesday and a Taco Tuesday.
Getting there
Pay parking is available one block away. The bar is on E Pike Street in Capitol Hill, a dense neighborhood with bus service and many restaurants and venues within walking distance. A requirement for every guest: the bar is 21 and over inside and on the patio, and ID is checked at the door. Reservations for groups of 8 or more need at least 48 hours of notice.
