Good Karma: Belltown bar's cocktails are a cut above

While you and I sit here, contemplating the vagaries of fate, another upscale bar has opened in Belltown. This is not unusual: Such bars appear in Belltown at the rate of one every six seconds. By the time you've finished reading this piece, every last scrap of real estate in Belltown will have converted itself to an upscale bar. The fish-throwers will toss their wares into martini glasses and douse them with gin; the upscale boutiques will ask you if you'd like to accessorize that new gown with a necklace of olives, on the house.

Seriously, though – with so many fancy lounges booming in Belltown, it was perhaps fated that one of them should turn out to be pretty decent. Karma is that bar, and you should check it out despite the fact that it looks like The Apartment, has a drink menu similar to Twist and a clientele similar to that of every other Belltown joint (save the Whiskey Bar, God bless it).

Karma is spacious and airy, despite having the same claustrophobia-inducing dimensions as many other Belltown bars. It feels like a bar, not a furniture store converted to leisure use. A ceiling-to-floor curtain bisects the space, ostensibly to close off a small private area; I have yet to see that curtain closed. And Karma's fair-sized patio should see plenty of action in summertime.

Its cocktails are a cut above what I've gotten at neighboring establishments. The "Lavender Aviator" – a mix of Absolut Citron, lemon juice and Stirrings Lavender martini essence – is as kind to the senses as a spring day and as potent as a kick to the head. The "No-Pucker Washington Apple" is the first apple-based beverage I've ever enjoyed, and little wonder: It's basically muddled apples and whiskey, with lemon juice added for tang, cranberry juice for color and a trio of apple wedges floated on top. It's all business, this one – and business is good.

Other pleasures include the "Burgundy Mojito," which gives the perennial muddled-mint favorite an upgrade that includes San Pelegrino and Crème de Cassis, and the "Belltown Fifty-Two," which takes your basic "Mudslide" and soups it up with Patron XO Café, Gran Marnier and a sprinkling of espresso beans. Noshes are mostly Asian and mostly meat, including such mainstays as garlic chicken wings, wok-tossed green beans, honey walnut prawns and short ribs.

The vibe at Karma is urban, and so is the crowd. If you can't stand listening to young couples talking about waterfront revitalization and hybrid cars, there are other places to go. But if you're looking for that Belltown chic experience, Karma offers it in its more pure state.

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