The Temple Bar

We stopped in The Temple Bar for drinks and dinner prior to seeing a show. The server was quick to seat us and she remained attentive. We ordered a special cocktail "the persuasion," with earl grey vodka, calamansi,honey, and lemonade. It was good but a bit unbalanced. Too medicinal. Perhaps too much calamansi. My husband later ordered an old fashioned cocktail. It was good. For food we ordered the blue cheese dip, the pork chili verde & polenta, and a reuben sandwich. The food took a while to arrive. The server might have noted our anxiety because she asked if we had a show, noting the dip in particular might take a while. She was accommodating, bringing items out as they were prepared and supplying us with to-go boxes in case. The blue cheese dip came first. It came with potato chips and bread. It was tasty but a bit too salty. It was better with bread--the chips were a nice idea but it pushed the sodium level too high. Both entrees were delicious. We ate them in a rush (not everything got photographed). The atmosphere is nice. Perhaps a bit dated (i.e.,1990s), but nice. I think it would be a perfect date spot when you have the time to leisurely enjoy bites and drinks.

One of our favorite places in downtown Bellingham. Perfect for a date night... They're happy hour is incredible. And all of their food has that farm to table flare to it.Their handmade cocktails are ridiculous...And we always have super kind servers... I can't think of one time that I've been there where the service wasn't great. Super kind and caring people.

I was so excited to finally try this place! It had been on my list for a while. The space is ok; a DIY repurposed store with artsy paint, velvet curtains, exposed plumbing and random tables and chairs.Charming and fun, yes. But the staff is roaringly loud, banging (like literally hammering) on the counters, the coffee grinder I think, maybe a dishwasher..?..., breaking glasses and yelling and laughing with each other over the already loud music. Very odd. It's like they want to draw attention to the fact that there's some big inside joke you're not privy to, or they're trying to drive the customers out so they can go home early and bang things and cackle there instead. I dunno.Aside from this somewhat alarming display, the table service was pleasant but ill- informed. The waitress did not know the specifics of the menu, the specials, the basic liquors used. There was a lot of unnecessary back-and-forth to ask questions of the loud cackles and bangers at the bar.Drinks were excellent, well-balanced and yummy. Food...not so much. The menu contains an apology for their small kitchen; take it to heart and just get small food. The apps and salad were tasty enough, but the mains were just bits of things on mounds of polenta-esque corn grits - which can be fabulous, done right, but these lacked in flavor, generosity and appearance. The "mama li'l's slaw" was just cabbage, will little if any tang or spice.I might slip in for a drink on a pub crawl (great neighborhood for such activities), and maybe order those prosciutto wrapped dates with goat cheese or the warm pistachios... but that's about it. The crazy noise and sketch service will keep me away.

Fun and comfortable lounge! My sister and I stopped in for a pre dinner beverage, it's centrally located so quick and easy walk to many places. We had beauty school dropout cocktails, delicious and refreshing. Very pleased to see mocktail/NA offerings too! Friendly service and very cool vibe,

I had a very disappointing experience this weekend. I visited The Temple Bar with a group of 8 other women. We ordered one drink each and were enjoying ourselves. Everyone was having a great time. I asked to order another drink and was told our party was cut off because we had been overserved. We each had one drink and most hadn't even finished that one. One of the women tried to explain that loud women are not necessarily drunk women. They didn't ask us to quiet down or anything, they asked to leave and gave us our bill. We were a group of women in our 40's and 50's, mature and educated and having a great time. We were all shocked at the service we received. We will not be back.

Temple Bar for the win. A craft bar with fantastic nibbles. Wine and cheese of course. Sit down and dine. Your bartender or server will lead you to where you need to go. Have fun at this Bellingham gem.

Each time I visit my sister in Bellingham, we go to Temple Bar for tasty cocktails and some happy hour snacks. I most heartily recommend Burn After Reading ( my sister's fave) and the Thai Basil Coconut Daquiri. For a kick, try the Brazilian Coast card and then get a ride home. Haha!The olives are great as is the roasted cauliflower. Keep your fingers crossed for the eventual return of Poet's Daughter In any case, say hi to Riley, the genius behind it all.

I am not much of a drinker, but this is definitely my favorite bar in town. The ambience is great, relaxing and unassuming. There are parties of 2 or larger, but there are also people enjoying their drinks alone, reading books, etc. The staff are all excellent, too. My favorite food item here is the everything plate (see photo). As long as I can have the everything plate and a glass of wine, I am all set.I highly recommend this place to relax and enjoy great drinks and food in a mellow atmosphere.******************************If you found something useful in my review, please hit "useful." Your feedback helps me improve my future reviews. If you love food or traveling, don't forget to follow me! Thank you and happy Yelping!

Went up to Bellingham to get out of the City and have a nice little road trip. The wife wanted to try this place and unfortunately, we were a little disappointed. The ambiance was nice and welcoming, the drinks and service were good, but we were a little disappointed in the cheese plate. It was an "artisan" selection of cheese that featured mostly goat cheese that we were not made aware of until after we got it. We should have asked to be sure, and we would have thought that they would have put a wedge of Brie on there for $14. (Considering that they offer a Brie Grilled Cheese during their Happy Hour.) We were going to eat dinner also, but their late-night fare did not offer much except for small plates.FYI:The kitchen is very small and is not stated on their website, but is mentioned on their physical menu, so expect a little bit of a wait if they are busy.

I love Bellingham, so perhaps everything I write about Bellingham glows. Yet, after avoiding Seattle bars because of the closeness of the outdoor seating, we found an oasis at the Temple Bar in Bellingham. Sidewalk seating was constructed with tables separated be plywood walls with individual heaters, but safely open on the sides. A canopy overhead protects patrons from the rain. It was as Covid safe as possible. My martini couldn't arrive soon enough, and it was delicious. After not having anything to drink for weeks, by my third martini I loved everybody and everything, including Bellingham.Becka was our fun and engaging server, and she only enhanced our experience. Becka served us a warm blue cheese dip with some great chips. Monday, restaurants and bars in Washington can allow 25% capacity inside their establishments. The Temple Bar will be even more fun and more comfortable. I can't wait for my next visit to Bellingham.