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Hi Spot Café
The cinnamon rolls here are bigger than your head, and that's no exaggeration. It's a comfy little space on multiple levels, where you can either get a sit-down meal or a quick espresso and pastry on the go.
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Hillside Quickie Vegan Sandwich Shop
This organic vegan Jamaican sandwich shop has annoyingly erratic hours (it's supposed to be open until but seems to close early a lot) but also has indisputably delicious vegan sandwiches and wraps. The Hillside Quickie educates U-Dub students about the glories of tofu, tempeh and seitan. There's usually only one person working, but guilt-free indulgences like the fake steak or the spicy tofu wrap are worth the wait.
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Honeyhole
Cozy by day, irresistible at night, the Honeyhole has a lot to recommend it: big stuffed sandwiches with cute names (Luke Duke, the Texas Tease), greasy fries, a full bar, DJs and a cool cubbyhole atmosphere at night.
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House Of Hong
This giant yellow mainstay of the neighborhood now serves dim sum from until every day - handy if your craving hits in the middle of the day.
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Hunt Club
The Hunt Club ought to be on the shortlist if you're looking for a special-occasion, top-end restaurant. The setting is ultra posh and absolutely beautiful: an intimate mahogany-paneled dining room shimmering with candles and decked with flowers. The food is equally stellar, featuring local lamb, fish and steaks from sustainable farms, accentuated with inventive sauces and regional produce. Reservations are recommended.
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Il Bistro
At this atmospheric Italian café, the best and freshest of the market is incorporated into daily specials. Il Bistro's red lighting gives it a gangster-movie feel; the Godfather would no doubt kill for the roasted chicken or the saltimbocca alla romana (veal cutlets with prosciutto and sage).
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Ivar's Acres Of Clams
Ivar Haglund was a beloved local character famous for silly promotional slogans ('Keep clam!'), but he sure knew how to fry up fish-and-chips. Ivar's is a Seattle institution that started in 1938. Forgo the dining room for the outdoor lunch counter; the chaotic ordering system involves a lot of yelling, but it seems to work, and then you can enjoy your clam strips and chips outdoors on the pier.
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Jade Garden
Dumplings to die for and a vast array of interesting dim sum make this a good choice for a brunch in the ID. You can nibble on a chicken foot or play it safe with familiar-looking noodle and rice concoctions, but the more things you try, the more fun you'll have. The Jade Garden's hot pots have also been recommended.
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Kabul
You don't find the cuisine of Afghanistan on every street corner - if you'd like to give it a try (it's like a blend of Pakistani and Middle Eastern cooking, with lots of yogurt and stewed eggplant, grilled lamb kebabs, and korma, a mild and creamy curry), head to Kabul. Vegetarians have plenty of great options here.
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Kingfish Café
The Coaston sisters' café, opened in 1997, turns out fried chicken that has locals lined up for miles, every night. Don't forget to save room for the sweet-potato pie and Red Velvet Cake.
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La Carta De Oaxaca
This lively place near the Ballard Locks serves the cuisine of Oaxaca, particularly black mole sauce - try the mole negro Oaxaqueno , the house specialty. You can sample the same stuff on tamales, or go for a combination of various small plates. Seating is mostly picnic-style, and there's a full bar - handy considering there's usually a wait for a table.
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Le Panier
A great place to grab a coffee and croissant and watch the market action, Le Panier calls itself a 'very French bakery' and tends to live up to the name.
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Le Pichet
This tiny French café, bistro and wine bar is elegant and tasteful, yet casual enough to quickly become a favorite haunt. The menu features traditional French cuisine without the aorta-clogging heaviness this often implies. Breakfast is simple and delicious, and small snack plates of olives, almonds or various rillettes (potted meats) are available all day.
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Lowell's Restaurant
If you want a sit-down meal but nothing fancy, head to Lowell's, well-loved by shoppers, businesspeople and fellow market operators for its classic, eye-opening breakfasts and cheap-and-cheerful lunches. Order up eggs Benedict, salmon omelets or fish-and-chips from the chalkboard menu, lunch cafeteria style, then take it over to a window seat and enjoy the view.
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Macrina
You might have to wait in line, especially if you want to sit at a table, but as soon as you bite into your breakfast roll or panini sandwich, you won't care. Macrina makes some of the city's best artisan bread and decadent snacks.
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Madame K's
An elegant red-and-black pizza parlor with an old bordello feel (the building was once a brothel), this small, chic place is packed for dinner. It's also popular for drinks and desserts. There's a nice patio out back, or you can let history repeat itself in the upstairs dessert room with a decadent 'Chocolate Chip Orgasm.'
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Madison Park Café
Down in Madison Park, in a converted house at the end of Madison St just before you hit Lake Washington, the Madison Park Café is a favorite breakfast and lunch spot. It's a cute little space with blue-and-white checked tablecloths, an extremely cheery feel and welcoming owners. The menu is half old-school (filet mignon, duck confit) and half new-school (foie gras, baby octopus confit) - no need to decide, really, just try some of each.
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Mae's Phinney Ridge Café
Breakfast is heavenly, and the tasty milkshakes make it a worthwhile trip any time. Not that there's anything wrong with having a milkshake for breakfast, mind you. Mae's famous cinnamon rolls are now available in stores, but they're inevitably best here in the homey little café.
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Mama's Mexican Kitchen
Wildly popular, California-style Mama's Mexican Kitchen is always packed. But that's no surprise for a place that serves scrumptious burritos, huge combination plates and killer margaritas (cheapest during happy hour from to Monday to Saturday). It's in a great location for people-watching, but the kitsch Mexican artifacts plastering the walls are equally absorbing. Velvet Elvises!
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Marco's Supperclub
Marco's travels the globe with its ever-shifting multi-ethnic menu, including such items as Jamaican jerk chicken and eggplant masala; the deep-fried sage leaves are mandatory.
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Matt's In The Market
A beloved spot that's been closed for renovations, the expanded Matt's was due to reopen as this guide was being researched; check the website for updates.
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Mccormick's Fish House & Bar
A mainstay of traditional Seattle dining and the flagship of a small chain, this classy, wood-lined, brass-detailed place is a network of cubbyholes that looks like an old-boys club (it was built as a hotel in 1827). The food is consistently good, with daily fresh fish specials, mostly grilled with zesty sauces, and a fine selection of local oysters, chops and steak. The bar menu is awesome, with a number of substantial snacks under around US$2 .
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Mee Sum Pastries
This little storefront window is famed for its giant hum bao - eminently portable meat- or vegetable-filled steamed buns that make a great snack or small meal.
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Metropolitan Grill
This handsome and atmospheric business favorite fills up with stock analysts and bankers who pour out of nearby office towers. Though you can get fish, 'portabella mushroom mignon' or even Beluga caviar, beef's the big thing here; steaks are custom-aged and grilled over mesquite charcoal. Locals usually name the Met as the top chophouse in the city.
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Nell's
For fine dining near Green Lake, Nell's serves up classic European dishes with Northwestern flair. It inhabits the space formerly occupied by Saleh al Lago, and it actually maintains one of that beloved eatery's dishes - the calamari with aioli - to widespread critical acclaim. Opt for seafood dishes, and don't skip dessert.
