Must-see restaurants in Seattle

  • Black Bottle

    Belltown & Seattle Center

    This trendy minimalist bar-restaurant specializes in wonderfully shareable small plates, with menu items such as lamb meatballs and sumac hummus, and…

  • TNT Taqueria

    Seattle

    People stream in from all over the area to get giant burritos and juicy tacos at this tiny taqueria on Wallingford's main drag. The extensive selection of…

  • Cookie Counter

    Seattle

    Everything at this well-loved bakery and ice-cream shop is totally vegan and incredibly delicious. It does a number of fun pastries, but even the basic…

  • Kabul

    Seattle

    Fine-tune your international tasting palate in Wallingford with Afghan food, including stewed eggplant, lamb kebabs, yogurt, and mild, creamy curry.

  • Peso's Kitchen & Lounge

    Queen Anne & Lake Union

    Peso's is a trendy Americanized Mexican restaurant and casual hangout that is popular for its lively weekend brunch.

  • Pie

    Seattle

    Locals and visitors alike rave about the sweet and savory pies on offer at this single-minded bake shop in Fremont.

  • Ivar's Salmon House

    Seattle

    Perfecting a Pacific Northwest–cabin vibe, Ivar’s Salmon House features various alderwood-smoked salmon dishes and a bevy of seafood-focused starters, but…

  • Eve Fremont

    Seattle

    For healthy yet hearty food, head to Eve Fremont where the menu is laden with robust dishes like the Eve Hot Bowl, a mix of ancient grains, legumes, nuts,…

  • Ivar’s Acres of Clams

    Downtown, Pike Place & Waterfront

    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…

  • Von's 1000 Spirits

    Downtown, Pike Place & Waterfront

    It’s almost worth coming to this place opposite Seattle Art Museum to read the footnotes on the menu; invaluable nuggets that tell you who made the…

  • Agua Verde Café

    Seattle

    On the shores of Portage Bay at the southern base of University Ave, Agua Verde Café is a solid restaurant with incredible bay views and a menu full of…

  • Cedars Restaurant

    Seattle

    Seattle isn't exactly London or Mumbai when it comes to Indian restaurants, but there's some relief for curry-lovers at Cedars, a family-run Indian spot…

  • Lockspot Cafe

    Ballard & Discovery Park

    The Lockspot is a throwback to old Ballard, before the attempted gentrification and you're likely to see some actual boat-faring folks grumbling over…

  • Belltown Pizza

    Belltown & Seattle Center

    This place has been around quite a while in Belltown years (since 1998) and has established a good reputation for its NYC-style pizzas washed down with a…

  • Assembly Hall

    Belltown & Seattle Center

    Top Seattle chef Tom Douglas owns half a dozen eating places in Belltown these days. His secret: they’re all excellent, but none of them are remotely…

  • Jack's BBQ

    Seattle

    This family-friendly joint, located in the ultra-industrial warehouse district where SoDo melds into Georgetown, serves some of the best BBQ you'll find…

  • Purple Dot Café

    Pioneer Square, International District & SoDo

    The Purple Dot looks like the inside of an ‘80s video game (yes, it's actually purple) and draws a late-night, drunken disco crowd on weekends, but most…

  • Pete’s Egg Nest

    Seattle

    This beloved Greek diner changed ownership in 2017, but all of the things that have made it beloved among Phinney Ridge residents remain. There is still a…

  • New Luck Toy

    Seattle

    New Luck Toy serves up Chinese food with cocktails like boozy slushies and activities such as Skee-Ball and karaoke in a bar fully decked out in…

  • Easy Street Cafe

    Seattle

    Attached to Easy Street Records, this friendly cafe is the best place in the area for a cheap, hearty breakfast. It has tons of specials under $10 that…

  • Harvest Vine

    The CD, Madrona & Madison Park

    Themed on what many consider to be the world capital of food – the Basque region – the Harvest Vine mixes Spanish roots with a French overlay. Jumping out…

  • Nell’s

    Seattle

    For fine dining opposite Green Lake, Nell’s serves up classic European items with Northwestern flair. Beloved dishes include the sweet onion tart and the…

  • Christo's On Alki

    Seattle

    This family-run Mediterranean restaurant that specializes in pizzas and calzones with thick, garlicky crusts is the definition of a neighborhood…

  • El Grito

    Queen Anne & Lake Union

    El Grito loses a point for its not-entirely authentic taqueria vibe that caters to the lunch appetites of the employees of nearby tech companies, but it's…

  • Cafe Paloma

    Pioneer Square, International District & SoDo

    Various words spring to mind when thinking of Cafe Paloma: Bistro. Eggplant. Casual. Friendly. Turkish. Meze. Music. Lemonade. Falafel. If any of this…

  • Lowells

    Downtown, Pike Place & Waterfront

    Fish-and-chips is a simple meal often done badly – but not here. Slam down your order for Alaskan cod at the front entry and take your food up to the top…

  • Chaco Canyon

    Queen Anne & Lake Union

    Hearty and flavorful vegan fare is served up at this location of the popular local chain, perched on the main drag of Queen Anne proper. The menu is big…

  • Fresh Flours

    Seattle

    With Stumptown Coffee (imported from Portland, OR) and almond croissants so flaky they can seriously damage your laptop, Fresh Flours is a leading player…

  • Honeyhole

    Seattle

    Cozy by day, irresistible at night, the Honeyhole has a lot to recommend it: big, stuffed sandwiches with funny names (Emilio Pestovez, the Texas Tease),…

  • Seattle Center Armory

    Belltown & Seattle Center

    Inside the Seattle Center Armory you'll find a bountiful food court with options ranging from Subway to local treats like the Cool Guys Fry Bar. Each…

  • Villa Escondida

    Belltown & Seattle Center

    Mexican favorites and strong drinks are on offer at this casual cantina in the midst of Belltown's restaurant melee. The weekday lunch specials are…

  • Queen Anne Café

    Queen Anne & Lake Union

    Locals flock to this light-filled neighborhood spot for traditional comfort food, including broiled pork chops and various sandwiches, but the place…

  • Cyclops

    Belltown & Seattle Center

    This off-beat cafe is a neighborhood favorite and does brunchy items (burgers, breakfast burritos and big salads) throughout the day. It makes for a…

  • Take 5 Urban Market

    Ballard & Discovery Park

    This is one of those places you might walk past without giving it a second look, but if you're in Ballard's suburban stretches and looking for a superb…

  • Cantina Leña

    Belltown & Seattle Center

    Small-town Mexican soul food it isn’t, but if you fancy hot, smoky chicken tacos and a cooling guacamole dip before a movie at the adjacent Cinerama, this…

  • Aladdin Gyro-cery

    Seattle

    Handy late-night beer soaker-upper or emergency day-after hangover ‘cure’ on ‘the Ave’ that is legendary with UDub students. There are plenty of…

  • Larsen's Danish Bakery

    Ballard & Discovery Park

    Keeping Nordic culture alive in Ballard is Larsen’s Bakery, known for its Danish pastries, especially its kringles (pretzel-shaped sweet puff-pastry…

  • Taste Restaurant

    Downtown, Pike Place & Waterfront

    Inside the Seattle Art Museum, Taste has been known to change its menu to honor the gallery's various temporary exhibitions.

  • Orange King

    Seattle

    None of the burgers, fries and chicken teriyaki here are gourmet, but its cheap and boy does it hit the spot after a few beers.

  • House of Hong

    Pioneer Square, International District & SoDo

    This huge mainstay of the neighborhood is one of the more popular dim sum places in town.

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