13 Coins, Seattle
By Dan Larsen, for SeattleInsider.com
Originally published by Cox Interactive Media

In a city that seems to routinely shut up shop and go home as soon as the clock strikes ten o'clock, 13 Coins is a food oasis for the late night diner who wants something a little more elegant than a meal with the words "grand slam" in it.

Open all night, every night, 13 Coins has captured itself a fine niche, and a fond spot among the hearts of many Seattleites.

The atmosphere
An unspoiled 60's supper club decor remains surprisingly modern, while maintaining its original cosiness. Intimate, padded booths that reach from floor to high ceiling make for appreciated, conversation-friendly seclusion in an otherwise hopping atmosphere. Waiters busy back and forth, cooks and servers dance around each other in the bustling open kitchen, providing visual entertainment for counter-seated business types and those too impatient to wait for a booth. But seated in those booths, you wouldn't know it if you didn't want to.

The food
A nicely varied menu includes Northwest specialties and fine international fare. Their plethora of steaks are so good you almost feel guilty for being a carnivore, their pastas so rich you'll usually need / demand a doggy bag/box.

Prices
A meal for two will set you back a little without feeling like daylight (or 3 a.m.) robbery. You can find anything from a hearty $10 pasta dish to a $25 New York steak.

Expect to spend at least $50 for two if you're both having a starter, entree and drinks.

Hours / Reservations
24 x 7. All night, every night. Their no-reservation policy can be a double-edged sword. Going at peak times can result in a long wait, unless you don't mind eating in the bar, or at the kitchen-facing counter (worth doing at least once to watch the cooks go to work before you). It seems that 13 Coins is busy pretty much all the time, as the only 24 hour restaurant in town, but going at non-peak times will usually result in speedy seating in a booth.

Parking
A sizeable parking lot is available right across the street and almost always has spaces available.

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