Caviar dreams come to life at Capitol Hill’s Altura.
The Best Restaurants In The City are the cool spots you take out-of-town visitors to show off Seattle. They’re the classics that feel like home after a long week. They make magic from flour and water, do sorcery with spices, and open our eyes to new flavors. The best restaurant can be the closest slice to you or the special occasion destination worth braving rush hour traffic.
We’re as guilty of recency bias as anyone, especially since we spend a lot of time highlighting newcomers (see our Best New Restaurants), but this list is about the places that remain masters of what they do—all are at least a year old. It focuses on the stalwarts, the consistently ideal and dependably excellent.
This town has easily another hundred or so wonderful spots that deserve your time and attention, but, for now, these are Seattle’s 50 most indispensable restaurants.
Ahadu’s welcoming chef and owner Menbere Medhane, with son Raeye.
Technically, this storefront in a row of Ethiopian restaurants is a butcher, though your only clue might be the long line of customers who arrive twice weekly to pick up parcels of fresh meat. Ironically, you’ll not find a better veggie combo than chef Menbere Medhane’s composition of shiro, beets, lentils, cabbage, and fossolia, a flavorful blend of green beans and carrots. Portions prioritize quality over way-too-much quantity. And, to nobody’s surprise, meat dishes like key wat are also superb.
Technically, this storefront in a row of Ethiopian restaurants is a butcher, though your only clue might be the long line of customers who arrive twice weekly to pick up parcels of fresh meat. Ironically, you’ll not find a better veggie combo than chef Menbere Medhane’s composition of shiro, beets, lentils, cabbage, and fossolia, a flavorful blend of green beans and carrots. Portions prioritize quality over way-too-much quantity. And, to nobody’s surprise, meat dishes like key wat are also superb.
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Technically, this storefront in a row of Ethiopian restaurants is a butcher, though your only clue might be the long line of customers who arrive twice weekly to pick up parcels of fresh meat. Ironically, you’ll not find a better veggie combo than chef Menbere Medhane’s composition of shiro, beets, lentils, cabbage, and fossolia, a flavorful blend of green beans and carrots. Portions prioritize quality over way-too-much quantity. And, to nobody’s surprise, meat dishes like key wat are also superb.
Chef Nathan Lockwood takes inspiration from Italy and ingredients from the PNW and spins them into art at Altura.
These days, Seattle Met’s first-ever Restaurant of the Year serves a fixed tasting menu that begins with a flurry of stuzzichini, or single-bite snacks. Chef Nathan Lockwood takes Northwest ingredients in unexpected and elegant directions. Beautiful dishes plated with moss, rocks, or leaves deliver a sense of the rustic, despite consistently deep finesse. Much has changed at Altura over the years, but the hand-carved wooden angel still looks down from an overhead alcove; the service is down-to-earth, the wine list smart. A great bet for a special occasion.
These days, Seattle Met’s first-ever Restaurant of the Year serves a fixed tasting menu that begins with a flurry of stuzzichini, or single-bite snacks. Chef Nathan Lockwood takes Northwest ingredients in unexpected and elegant directions. Beautiful dishes plated with moss, rocks, or leaves deliver a sense of the rustic, despite consistently deep finesse. Much has changed at Altura over the years, but the hand-carved wooden angel still looks down from an overhead alcove; the service is down-to-earth, the wine list smart. A great bet for a special occasion.
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These days, Seattle Met’s first-ever Restaurant of the Year serves a fixed tasting menu that begins with a flurry of stuzzichini, or single-bite snacks. Chef Nathan Lockwood takes Northwest ingredients in unexpected and elegant directions. Beautiful dishes plated with moss, rocks, or leaves deliver a sense of the rustic, despite consistently deep finesse. Much has changed at Altura over the years, but the hand-carved wooden angel still looks down from an overhead alcove; the service is down-to-earth, the wine list smart. A great bet for a special occasion.
Housemade miki noodles are a consistent dinner highlight at chef Aaron Verzosa’s Archipelago.
A dozen people per seating form a rapt audience as Aaron Verzosa and Amber Manuguid present roughly 10 courses that explore the Philippines’ multifaceted relationship with the Pacific Northwest. Historical lessons, cultural context, and childhood memories get wrapped around a menu of heirloom grain pandesal, miki noodles, and myriad other smart seasonal creations. You could certainly appreciate these flavors even without the backstory, but in Verzosa’s hands, the combination is a rare sort of magic.
Maybe eight people per seating form a rapt audience as Aaron Verzosa and Amber Manuguid present roughly 10 courses that explore the Philippines’ many-faceted relationship with the Pacific Northwest. Historical lessons, cultural context, and childhood memories get wrapped around a menu of heirloom grain pandesal, miki noodles, and myriad other smart seasonal creations. You could certainly appreciate these flavors even without the backstory, but in Verzosa’s hands, the combination is a rare sort of magic.
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A dozen people per seating form a rapt audience as Aaron Verzosa and Amber Manuguid present roughly 10 courses that explore the Philippines’ multifaceted relationship with the Pacific Northwest. Historical lessons, cultural context, and childhood memories get wrapped around a menu of heirloom grain pandesal, miki noodles, and myriad other smart seasonal creations. You could certainly appreciate these flavors even without the backstory, but in Verzosa’s hands, the combination is a rare sort of magic.
Asadero means “grill,” or in this case, a beloved Kent restaurant that expanded into Ballard with northern Mexico’s traditions of mesquite-grilled meats and tacos thereof. Seemingly every table has a 16-ounce carne asada draped on top of it, and the flawless prep and simple seasoning (just salt, pepper, and the savory smoke of mesquite charcoal) give you an almost bionic ability to register every vivid detail of the meat, which is mostly American wagyu.
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Asadero means “grill,” or in this case, a beloved Kent restaurant that expanded into Ballard with northern Mexico’s traditions of mesquite-grilled meats and tacos thereof. Seemingly every table has a 16-ounce carne asada draped on top of it, and the flawless prep and simple seasoning (just salt, pepper, and the savory smoke of mesquite charcoal) give you an almost bionic ability to register every vivid detail of the meat, which is mostly American wagyu.
Bar Del Corso, Jerry Corso’s Italian restaurant, adds up to way more than the sum of its parts.
It’s one of the city’s most indispensable Italian restaurants thanks to Jerry Corso’s pizza—crusts blistered from the wood-fire oven, toppings simple and seasonal. But after pizza comes a mosaic of Roman street food like fried risotto balls, grilled octopus, Italian regional antipasti, and luminous seasonal salads. Because this understated dining room on Beacon Avenue (with a hidden-away back patio) is far more than a pizza joint: The menu is short, the waits can be long, and the aperitivi-based cocktails feel imperative.
Here the great potable export of Italy—gin, vermouth rosso, Campari—reigns as the presumptive dinner cocktail: “Negronis for the whole table?” the servers are known to ask, unbidden. That’s one reason crowds arrive well before opening for seats at Jerry Corso’s no-reservation dining room on Beacon Hill. Another is that after those negronis there comes a mosaic of wood-fired pizzas, Roman street food like fried risotto balls, grilled octopus, Italian regional antipasti, and luminous seasonal salads. The menu is short, the dining room and back patio packed, but Bar del Corso remains one of our city’s most indispensable Italian restaurants because everything is done with such precision, such warmth, the answer to every question is inevitably yes.
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It’s one of the city’s most indispensable Italian restaurants thanks to Jerry Corso’s pizza—crusts blistered from the wood-fire oven, toppings simple and seasonal. But after pizza comes a mosaic of Roman street food like fried risotto balls, grilled octopus, Italian regional antipasti, and luminous seasonal salads. Because this understated dining room on Beacon Avenue (with a hidden-away back patio) is far more than a pizza joint: The menu is short, the waits can be long, and the aperitivi-based cocktails feel imperative.
The “London royal,” the Rodney Dangerfield of beef cuts, gets redeemed with careful prep and lots of butter.
Technically, this is a butcher shop. But once the case is tucked in for the night, owner Kevin Smith and his staff transform this busy meat counter into a tiny, full-service restaurant. Thursday through Saturday, the kitchen spins an elegant tasting menu out of humbler animal bits. On Sundays, it’s a steak bistro, where underestimated cuts of beef become tender showpieces. Plus those lines out the door on weekday mornings are for their storied sandwich specials. Smith’s philosophy that all cooks should be butchers takes the whole-animal ethos to enthralling new places. It’s an intensely fun dining experience for meat devotees.
Technically, this is a butcher shop. But once the case is tucked in for the night, owner Kevin Smith and his staff transform this busy meat counter into a tiny, full-service restaurant. On Thursdays and Fridays, the kitchen spins an elegant tasting menu out of humbler animal bits. On Saturdays and Sundays, it’s a steak bistro, where underestimated cuts of beef become tender showpieces. Smith’s philosophy that all cooks should be butchers takes the whole-animal ethos to enthralling new places. It’s an intensely fun dining experience for meat devotees.
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Technically, this is a butcher shop. But once the case is tucked in for the night, owner Kevin Smith and his staff transform this busy meat counter into a tiny, full-service restaurant. Thursday through Saturday, the kitchen spins an elegant tasting menu out of humbler animal bits. On Sundays, it’s a steak bistro, where underestimated cuts of beef become tender showpieces. Plus those lines out the door on weekday mornings are for their storied sandwich specials. Smith’s philosophy that all cooks should be butchers takes the whole-animal ethos to enthralling new places. It’s an intensely fun dining experience for meat devotees.
A Caribbean beach party hides inside the perimeter wall of a former gas station with terrific po’boys, bowls, and citrus-braised pork. The covered and heated outdoor areas, one section still carpeted in sand, make it easier to accept the innate and absurd messiness of most of the substantial sandwiches. The sprawling seating area and easy-to-love sides like sweet maduros and yucca fries make it a natural choice for a hearty post-lake loop meal, quick dinner for a family, or group gathering.
A Caribbean beach party hides inside the perimeter wall of a former gas station with terrific po’boys, bowls, and citrus-braised pork. The covered and heated outdoor areas, one section still carpeted in sand, make it easier to accept the innate and absurd messiness of most of the substantial sandwiches. The sprawling seating area and easy-to-love sides like sweet maduros, and yucca fries make it an easy choice for a hearty post-lake loop meal, quick dinner for a family, or group gathering.
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A Caribbean beach party hides inside the perimeter wall of a former gas station with terrific po’boys, bowls, and citrus-braised pork. The covered and heated outdoor areas, one section still carpeted in sand, make it easier to accept the innate and absurd messiness of most of the substantial sandwiches. The sprawling seating area and easy-to-love sides like sweet maduros and yucca fries make it a natural choice for a hearty post-lake loop meal, quick dinner for a family, or group gathering.
More of everything—except meat—is better at Cafe Flora.
The city’s vegetarian standard-bearer since 1991, Cafe Flora has also mastered the art of vegan and gluten-free indulgence. Brunchers linger over veg scrambles, rosemary biscuits obscured by savory vegan gravy and the famed cinnamon rolls (also vegan). Even devout carnivores appreciate the artful ingredient interplay in hearty lunch and dinner plates, not to mention the plant-filled atrium and a handsome year-round patio. Flora’s impressive pastry program is also on display at Flora Bakehouse on Beacon Hill and the Floret spinoff at Sea-Tac, an essential pre-flight destination.
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The city’s vegetarian standard-bearer since 1991, Cafe Flora has also mastered the art of vegan and gluten-free indulgence. Brunchers linger over veg scrambles, rosemary biscuits obscured by savory vegan gravy and the famed cinnamon rolls (also vegan). Even devout carnivores appreciate the artful ingredient interplay in hearty lunch and dinner plates, not to mention the plant-filled atrium and a handsome year-round patio. Flora’s impressive pastry program is also on display at Flora Bakehouse on Beacon Hill and the Floret spinoff at Sea-Tac, an essential pre-flight destination.
Seattle used to be full of neighborly restaurants that were by no means fancy, but delivered vivid, personal fare worth a drive across town. Rajah Gargour’s lively Middle Eastern spot in Loyal Heights opened in 2012 and feels like a souvenir from that glorious era. Striking hummus plates (try the one topped with lamb and pine nuts) share tabletops with mezze dips and spreads, meat and vegetable kebabs, and family-style platters, all served in an intimate room with arched doorways, white tablecloths, and pretty filigree light pendants.
Seattle used to be full of neighborly restaurants that were by no means fancy, but delivered vivid, personal fare worth a drive across town. Rajah Gargour’s lively Middle Eastern spot in Loyal Heights opened in 2012 and feels like a souvenir from that glorious era. Striking hummus plates (try the one topped with lamb and pine nuts) share tabletops with mezze dips and spreads, meat and vegetable kebabs, and family style platters, all served in an intimate room with arched doorways, white tablecloths, and pretty filigree light pendants.
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Seattle used to be full of neighborly restaurants that were by no means fancy, but delivered vivid, personal fare worth a drive across town. Rajah Gargour’s lively Middle Eastern spot in Loyal Heights opened in 2012 and feels like a souvenir from that glorious era. Striking hummus plates (try the one topped with lamb and pine nuts) share tabletops with mezze dips and spreads, meat and vegetable kebabs, and family-style platters, all served in an intimate room with arched doorways, white tablecloths, and pretty filigree light pendants.
Canlis bar manager José Castillo works with the restaurant’s kitchen to develop its nonalcoholic cocktails.
More than seven decades of history, hospitality, and cliff-hanging views from atop Queen Anne Hill cemented Canlis’s icon status long ago. But 2025 was a year of turnover: Chef James Huffman took over the kitchen and Alexandra Lanoue as wine director—both internal hires. Third-generation owner Mark Canlis stayed in place, while co-ownership swapped from his brother, Brian, to his wife, Anne Marie. The food and presentation on the five-course prix fixe menu skew more classic than under the previous two chefs, keeping Northwest ingredients in the spotlight with the occasional nod to the restaurant’s Hawaiian roots. As Canlis settles into its new groove, the kitchen struggles with consistent execution, though the view, wine, and ambience remain as impressive as ever.
Nearly seven decades of history, hospitality, and unstoppable views from atop Queen Anne Hill cemented Canlis’s icon status long ago. But third-generation owners Mark and Brian keep Canlis in league with the country’s fine dining vanguard. That’s thanks in no small part to chef Brady Williams, who incorporates more spare, Japanese influence into the menu (currently your choice of four courses, plus a round of fancy snacks). The wine program is best in class, with the James Beard medal to prove it.
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The tableside set-up for the classic Canlis salad.
More than seven decades of history, hospitality, and cliff-hanging views from atop Queen Anne Hill cemented Canlis’s icon status long ago. But 2025 was a year of turnover: Chef James Huffman took over the kitchen and Alexandra Lanoue as wine director—both internal hires. Third-generation owner Mark Canlis stayed in place, while co-ownership swapped from his brother, Brian, to his wife, Anne Marie. The food and presentation on the five-course prix fixe menu skew more classic than under the previous two chefs, keeping Northwest ingredients in the spotlight with the occasional nod to the restaurant’s Hawaiian roots. As Canlis settles into its new groove, the kitchen struggles with consistent execution, though the view, wine, and ambience remain as impressive as ever.
<figure class="c-media c-media–image c-align–center" data-entity-class="image" data-entity-id="134063" data-entity-method="embed" data-image-caption="Unparalleled tortillas at Carnitas Michoacán (okay, the filling is pretty great, too).” data-image-selection=”{“x1″:0,”y1″:0,”x2″:3333,”y2″:5000,”width”:3333,”height”:5000}” readability=”-20.61320754717″>
Unparalleled tortillas at Carnitas Michoacán (okay, the filling is pretty great, too).
It’s the tortillas that make this family-run restaurant on Beacon Avenue so marvelous—springy masa pressed into delicate rounds. No, actually…it’s the meat: charred carne asada, or an al pastor that melds pork, spices, and pineapple sweetness on an almost molecular level. Carnitas are traditional to Michoacán; the version here delivers on rich flavor and just enough crispy bits. This busy kitchen puts out food that surpasses the stuff at way fancier (and more expensive) places.
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It’s the tortillas that make this family-run restaurant on Beacon Avenue so marvelous—springy masa pressed into delicate rounds. No, actually…it’s the meat: charred carne asada, or an al pastor that melds pork, spices, and pineapple sweetness on an almost molecular level. Carnitas are traditional to Michoacán; the version here delivers on rich flavor and just enough crispy bits. This busy kitchen puts out food that surpasses the stuff at way fancier (and more expensive) places.
The rustic Italian farmstead with the trestle tables and wrought-iron chandeliers serves the best pasta in Pike/Pine, maybe even Seattle: rich hand-cut Piedmontese egg-yolk noodles, buttery delicate strands of tajarin. Smaller dishes pulled from the seasons and hearty meat dishes, from rabbit to roast trout, can also be extraordinary. Chef Stuart Lane carries on the legacy and the quality of one of the city’s most impressive Italian restaurants.
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The rustic Italian farmstead with the trestle tables and wrought-iron chandeliers serves the best pasta in Pike/Pine, maybe even Seattle: rich hand-cut Piedmontese egg-yolk noodles, buttery delicate strands of tajarin. Smaller dishes pulled from the seasons and hearty meat dishes, from rabbit to roast trout, can also be extraordinary. Chef Stuart Lane carries on the legacy and the quality of one of the city’s most impressive Italian restaurants.
Chicken Supply founders Paolo Campbell and Donnie Adams sell their wares by the individual piece.
Filipino fried chicken restaurants like Jollibee inspired Paolo Campbell and Donnie Adams, but the counter service spot they created is very much their own: Chicken crackles—literally via its gluten-free crust, but also with marinated flavors of tamari, ginger, and lemon. Sides veer away from American South staples to embrace Philippine flavors, and the butter mochi inspires as much bare-knuckled desire as the chicken. Preorder online, before the day’s cache is gone.
Filipino fried chicken restaurants like Jollibee inspired Paolo Campbell and Donnie Adams, but the counter service spot they created is very much their own: chicken crackles—literally via its gluten-free crust, but also with marinated flavors of tamari, ginger, and lemon. Sides veer away from American South staples to embrace Philippine flavors, and the butter mochi inspires as much bare-knuckled desire as the chicken. Preorder online, before the day’s cache is gone.
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Filipino fried chicken restaurants like Jollibee inspired Paolo Campbell and Donnie Adams, but the counter service spot they created is very much their own: Chicken crackles—literally via its gluten-free crust, but also with marinated flavors of tamari, ginger, and lemon. Sides veer away from American South staples to embrace Philippine flavors, and the butter mochi inspires as much bare-knuckled desire as the chicken. Preorder online, before the day’s cache is gone.
Damon Bomar runs the bar program and front of house at Communion. His mom, Kristi Brown, supplies the memorable food.
Kristi Brown practices her own brand of Soul food, tethering a menu of grilled pork chops and fried catfish to Seattle and its crossroads of Asian flavors. Chinatown–International District influence delivers dishes like a po’boy–banh mi hybrid, pho-inspired gumbo, even maki rolls with cornmeal-crusted catfish. After years of catering, Brown created a neighborhood beacon in the Liberty Bank Building, the dining room’s modern edges softened with tufted booths, coppery ceiling panels, uproarious conversation, and a vintage back bar where Damon Bomar presides over drinks. Seattle Met’s 2021 Restaurant of the Year.
Kristi Brown practices her own brand of Soul food, tethering a menu of grilled pork chops and fried catfish to Seattle and its crossroads of Asian flavors. Chinatown–International District influence delivers dishes like a po’ boy–banh mi hybrid, pho-inspired gumbo, even maki rolls with cornmeal-crusted catfish. After years of catering, Brown created a neighborhood beacon in the Liberty Bank Building, the dining room’s modern edges softened with tufted booths, coppery ceiling panels, uproarious conversation, and a vintage back bar where Damon Bomar presides over drinks. Seattle Met’s 2021 Restaurant of the Year.
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Kristi Brown practices her own brand of Soul food, tethering a menu of grilled pork chops and fried catfish to Seattle and its crossroads of Asian flavors. Chinatown–International District influence delivers dishes like a po’boy–banh mi hybrid, pho-inspired gumbo, even maki rolls with cornmeal-crusted catfish. After years of catering, Brown created a neighborhood beacon in the Liberty Bank Building, the dining room’s modern edges softened with tufted booths, coppery ceiling panels, uproarious conversation, and a vintage back bar where Damon Bomar presides over drinks. Seattle Met’s 2021 Restaurant of the Year.
It’s hard to make food as decadent as Drae’s taste this good.
This unassuming spot keeps limited hours and eschews delivery apps or even a website. Word of mouth is what propels Andrae Israel and Sharron Anderson’s unrivaled retro comfort food, from fried pork chop sandwiches to the Montana potatoes, an egg-topped skillet of cheese, peppers, and breakfast meat. It’s not hard to make food this decadent taste good; it takes real attention to make it this great. Anderson’s family once ran a chicken and waffle restaurant up on MLK, so any order that involves fried bird feels like a sure bet.
This unassuming spot keeps limited hours and eschews delivery apps or even a website. Word of mouth is what propels Andrae Israel and Sharron Anderson’s unrivaled retro comfort food, from fried pork chop sandwiches to the montana potatoes, an egg-topped skillet of cheese, peppers, and breakfast meat. It’s not hard to make food this decadent taste good; it takes real attention to make it this great. Anderson’s family once ran a chicken and waffle restaurant up on MLK, so any order that involves fried bird feels like a sure bet.
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This unassuming spot keeps limited hours and eschews delivery apps or even a website. Word of mouth is what propels Andrae Israel and Sharron Anderson’s unrivaled retro comfort food, from fried pork chop sandwiches to the Montana potatoes, an egg-topped skillet of cheese, peppers, and breakfast meat. It’s not hard to make food this decadent taste good; it takes real attention to make it this great. Anderson’s family once ran a chicken and waffle restaurant up on MLK, so any order that involves fried bird feels like a sure bet.
Dishes at Driftwood could pass for artistic renderings of nature.
A near-religious commitment to Washington ingredients means no citrus at the bar, but it also yields dishes that look like maximalist art and almost never taste like overkill. Chef Dan Mallahan’s creations—a lavish pork chop, complex beef tartare, countless vegetable dishes—stand out in the crowded field of seasonal Northwest restaurants in Seattle. Throw in the memorable bar program, the subtle views of Alki Beach across the street, and some of the best restaurant desserts in town: Few places are this well-rounded, and less inclined to brag about it.
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A near-religious commitment to Washington ingredients means no citrus at the bar, but it also yields dishes that look like maximalist art and almost never taste like overkill. Chef Dan Mallahan’s creations—a lavish pork chop, complex beef tartare, countless vegetable dishes—stand out in the crowded field of seasonal Northwest restaurants in Seattle. Throw in the memorable bar program, the subtle views of Alki Beach across the street, and some of the best restaurant desserts in town: Few places are this well-rounded, and less inclined to brag about it.
With the food at Familyfriend, Elmer Dulla both winks and nods to his Filipino heritage and childhood on Guam.
There’s only a single, barely visible sign marking this Beacon Hill restaurant and bar specializing in Guamanian food, part of owner Elmer Dulla’s effort to build a low-key neighborhood spot. When the pickle-packed smashburger and crisp, thin french fries went viral shortly after it opened, visiting tourists and camera-toting TikTokkers trampled all over that idea. But things have calmed down, making room on the shady back patio and in the pale pistachio booths of the small dining room, and giving regulars space to branch out to the foods that track Dulla’s personal history. The menu nods to his Filipino heritage with chicken adobo tacos, his childhood on Guam with the thick, silky corn soup, and his life as a Seattle service industry stalwart at places such as Bar Sajor and Musang. Which is great, because the flaky empanadas stuffed with beef deserve a viral moment at least as big as the burger.
There’s only a single, barely visible sign marking this Beacon Hill restaurant and bar specializing in Guamanian food, part of owner Elmer Dulla’s effort to build a low-key neighborhood spot. When the pickle-packed smashburger and crisp, thin french fries went viral shortly after it opened, visiting tourists and camera-toting TikTokkers trampled all over that idea. But things have calmed down, making room on the shady back patio and in the pale pistachio booths of the small dining room, and giving regulars space to branch out to the foods that track Dulla’s personal history. The menu nods to his Filipino heritage with chicken adobo tacos, his childhood on Guam with the thick, silky corn soup, and into life as a Seattle service industry stalwart at places such as Bar Sajor and Musang. Which is great, because the flaky empanadas stuffed with beef deserve a viral moment at least as big as the burger.
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There’s only a single, barely visible sign marking this Beacon Hill restaurant and bar specializing in Guamanian food, part of owner Elmer Dulla’s effort to build a low-key neighborhood spot. When the pickle-packed smashburger and crisp, thin french fries went viral shortly after it opened, visiting tourists and camera-toting TikTokkers trampled all over that idea. But things have calmed down, making room on the shady back patio and in the pale pistachio booths of the small dining room, and giving regulars space to branch out to the foods that track Dulla’s personal history. The menu nods to his Filipino heritage with chicken adobo tacos, his childhood on Guam with the thick, silky corn soup, and his life as a Seattle service industry stalwart at places such as Bar Sajor and Musang. Which is great, because the flaky empanadas stuffed with beef deserve a viral moment at least as big as the burger.
After a fire in the summer of 2025, Homer retained its staff and reopened with renewed polish.
Logan Cox is the sort of chef who can make lamb ribs craveable, redefine roast chicken as something new and exciting, and recognize most of the neighborhood dogs (and their owners) by name. His original restaurant puts big, broadly Mediterranean flavors in crunchy context but also runs a soft-serve window, just because. It’s hard to narrow down your options here, but the meatballs and lamb ribs remain perennial standouts, along with just about anything from the section of the menu dedicated to things one might spread on saucer-size pitas. These arrive at the table almost too hot to touch, soft interior still puffed up from the wood oven. Seattle Met’s 2019 Restaurant of the Year.
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Logan Cox is the sort of chef who can make lamb ribs craveable, redefine roast chicken as something new and exciting, and recognize most of the neighborhood dogs (and their owners) by name. His original restaurant puts big, broadly Mediterranean flavors in crunchy context but also runs a soft-serve window, just because. It’s hard to narrow down your options here, but the meatballs and lamb ribs remain perennial standouts, along with just about anything from the section of the menu dedicated to things one might spread on saucer-size pitas. These arrive at the table almost too hot to touch, soft interior still puffed up from the wood oven. Seattle Met’s 2019 Restaurant of the Year.
Toshiyuki Kawai grew up in Osaka, then cooked in some of Seattle’s most impressive European-leaning kitchens: Luc, RN74, Book Bindery, the Harvest Vine. He threads those experiences together with the sort of self-assured elegance you don’t expect to find in an understated Mt. Baker dining room: Iberico shabu shabu. Neah Bay sole meuniere with escargot. A glorious peach melba dessert. If you see anything that involves risotto, order it.
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Toshiyuki Kawai grew up in Osaka, then cooked in some of Seattle’s most impressive European-leaning kitchens: Luc, RN74, Book Bindery, the Harvest Vine. He threads those experiences together with the sort of self-assured elegance you don’t expect to find in an understated Mt. Baker dining room: Iberico shabu shabu. Neah Bay sole meuniere with escargot. A glorious peach melba dessert. If you see anything that involves risotto, order it.
The Alki Homestead, a landmark century-old log cabin, is a special sort of restaurant space. Just as special: the labor-intensive pasta and double-cut rib eyes served inside. In 2022, Mike Easton left his restaurant in the capable hands of manager Cameron Williams and executive chef Katie Gallego. As owners, they’ve piloted a smooth transition for both the Tuscan-inspired menu and the warm service. Getting a reservation can be certifiably bananas, but the bar and rear patio take walk-ins.
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The Alki Homestead, a landmark century-old log cabin, is a special sort of restaurant space. Just as special: the labor-intensive pasta and double-cut rib eyes served inside. In 2022, Mike Easton left his restaurant in the capable hands of manager Cameron Williams and executive chef Katie Gallego. As owners, they’ve piloted a smooth transition for both the Tuscan-inspired menu and the warm service. Getting a reservation can be certifiably bananas, but the bar and rear patio take walk-ins.
With the subcontinent-size menu of bread options and a rainbow of dumplings at Indian-Nepali Kitchen, bring a group so you can sample everything.
This Aurora charmer (now farther north, after a 2025 relocation) fills up quickly, especially on weekends, when co-owner Baburam Panday estimates the kitchen makes and serves somewhere between 700 and 800 momos. The six-page menu lists vegetarian and chicken versions of the dumplings in 10 different styles (order the combo plate to try a few), plus a full slate of vegetarian options, and a subcontinent’s worth of bread. The Nepali Dal Bhat makes a good starting place: The thali serves as a sampler plate of traditional foods, and Panday says it is the closest thing to what you would get for dinner at someone’s home in Nepal.
This Aurora charmer (now farther north, after a 2025 relocation) fills up quickly, especially on weekends, when co-owner Baburam Panday estimates the kitchen makes and serves somewhere between seven and eight hundred momos. The six-page menu lists vegetarian and chicken versions of the dumplings in 10 different styles (order the combo plate to try a few), plus a full slate of vegetarian options, and a subcontinent’s worth of bread. The Nepali Dal Bhat makes a good starting place: The thali serves as a sampler plate of traditional foods, and Panday says it is the closest thing to what you would get for dinner at someone’s home in Nepal.
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This Aurora charmer (now farther north, after a 2025 relocation) fills up quickly, especially on weekends, when co-owner Baburam Panday estimates the kitchen makes and serves somewhere between 700 and 800 momos. The six-page menu lists vegetarian and chicken versions of the dumplings in 10 different styles (order the combo plate to try a few), plus a full slate of vegetarian options, and a subcontinent’s worth of bread. The Nepali Dal Bhat makes a good starting place: The thali serves as a sampler plate of traditional foods, and Panday says it is the closest thing to what you would get for dinner at someone’s home in Nepal.
Committed artisan. Classically trained chef. Practitioner of madcap drinking snacks. Pick your preferred description for Mutsuko Soma, a woman who can cut her own soba noodles by hand, but also make a mean TikTok video starring a maple bar, hot dog, and panini press. Both sides of her brain come together on Kamonegi’s menu of stunning soba bowls, seasonal tempura, and Japanese-centered snacks (looking, longingly, at you foie gras tofu). Seattle Met’s 2018 Restaurant of the Year.
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Committed artisan. Classically trained chef. Practitioner of madcap drinking snacks. Pick your preferred description for Mutsuko Soma, a woman who can cut her own soba noodles by hand, but also make a mean TikTok video starring a maple bar, hot dog, and panini press. Both sides of her brain come together on Kamonegi’s menu of stunning soba bowls, seasonal tempura, and Japanese-centered snacks (looking, longingly, at you foie gras tofu). Seattle Met’s 2018 Restaurant of the Year.
Both the food and the vibes at Kin Len are energetic and colorful.
In a city with endless options for above-average pad Thai, Kin Len demonstrates how much higher we should set our expectations for Thai food. The meandering series of elegantly dim spaces sets the expectation of chic neighborhood bar, while the creative and precise dishes insinuate that neighborhood could as easily be Song Wat as Fremont. The wide-ranging menu shows off the full extent of Thai cuisine with dishes like spicy octopus carpaccio, banana blossom fries, and durian tiramisu. The drinks follow suit, as in the Ying Yang Jar, with mezcal-infused coffee, Bailey’s, and sesame oil. (They do still have pad Thai, but it comes draped in oversize river prawns.)
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In a city with endless options for above-average pad Thai, Kin Len demonstrates how much higher we should set our expectations for Thai food. The meandering series of elegantly dim spaces sets the expectation of chic neighborhood bar, while the creative and precise dishes insinuate that neighborhood could as easily be Song Wat as Fremont. The wide-ranging menu shows off the full extent of Thai cuisine with dishes like spicy octopus carpaccio, banana blossom fries, and durian tiramisu. The drinks follow suit, as in the Ying Yang Jar, with mezcal-infused coffee, Bailey’s, and sesame oil. (They do still have pad Thai, but it comes draped in oversize river prawns.)
It’s a Parisian bistro by way of Northwest ingredients—reason enough to love Zac Overman and JJ Proville’s wainscoted hangout. Proville recasts classic French dishes with spot prawns, dungeness crab, and arctic char, while Overman runs the marquee-lit bar filled with surprising cocktails. But wry wit bubbles behind all that formidable talent—this is a place unafraid to describe a wine as “the purple nurple of pet-nat.” (Oh yeah, the wine program is largely natural, mostly French, and wholly great.)
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It’s a Parisian bistro by way of Northwest ingredients—reason enough to love Zac Overman and JJ Proville’s wainscoted hangout. Proville recasts classic French dishes with spot prawns, dungeness crab, and arctic char, while Overman runs the marquee-lit bar filled with surprising cocktails. But wry wit bubbles behind all that formidable talent—this is a place unafraid to describe a wine as “the purple nurple of pet-nat.” (Oh yeah, the wine program is largely natural, mostly French, and wholly great.)
We won’t call him “elder” just yet, but John Sundstrom is absolutely a culinary statesman in Seattle. The proof lies in his stunning restaurant, where starry lights twinkle above soft banquettes and the kitchen does elegant things with very local ingredients. Business partner Kelly Ronan carries those same high expectations to Lark’s hospitality. The current four-course tasting menu format gives diners multiple options for each round, a setup flexible enough to suit people who don’t usually love tasting menus.
When Seattle culinary statesman John Sundstrom relocated his restaurant from smaller quarters to this sophisticated, starlit space, Lark leveled up. The long menu remains studded with old faves (eel with saba, farro-mascarpone skillet), and everything from service to wine to kitchen execution exudes the confidence of place that’s been at this for a while. Even better than the plush blue banquettes and dedicated cocktail bar, the new Lark also encloses a full-on stunning sandwich takeout, Slab.
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We won’t call him “elder” just yet, but John Sundstrom is absolutely a culinary statesman in Seattle. The proof lies in his stunning restaurant, where starry lights twinkle above soft banquettes and the kitchen does elegant things with very local ingredients. Business partner Kelly Ronan carries those same high expectations to Lark’s hospitality. The current four-course tasting menu format gives diners multiple options for each round, a setup flexible enough to suit people who don’t usually love tasting menus.
Erasto Jackson combines exacting barbecue with soul food staples and Jamaica’s tradition of seafood and jerked meats. (The latter honors his wife, Lilieth, and her heritage.) It’s nigh impossible to choose when a single menu might offer jerk spareribs, curry goat, smothered pork chops, plantains, spot-on brisket, a whole snapper, and seriously piquant mac and cheese. Jackson puts in long hours smoking meat, cooking, and mixing his own rubs—and it shows.
Northwest staples like chowder and teriyaki look a bit different at Local Tide.
Seattle has startlingly few restaurants centered on Northwest seafood. This counter-service spot sources from a network of local fisheries, a labor-intensive process often reserved for higher-end spots. But owner Victor Steinbrueck turns the results into the best takeout lunch ever: rockfish banh mi, upgraded salmon teriyaki, home fries tossed with bacon bits and chunks of smoked cod. Then, of course, there’s the weekend-only crab roll, on a buttery split-top bun. Steinbrueck shares a name with his famous grandfather, but this place is indisputably his own.
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Seattle has startlingly few restaurants centered on Northwest seafood. This counter-service spot sources from a network of local fisheries, a labor-intensive process often reserved for higher-end spots. But owner Victor Steinbrueck turns the results into the best takeout lunch ever: rockfish banh mi, upgraded salmon teriyaki, home fries tossed with bacon bits and chunks of smoked cod. Then, of course, there’s the weekend-only crab roll, on a buttery split-top bun. Steinbrueck shares a name with his famous grandfather, but this place is indisputably his own.
The tavern burger, like Loretta’s itself, never changes—and never should.
The burger at South Park’s stalwart watering hole has been a legend for years, and rightfully so. It tastes like fond memories from a midcentury, small-town drive-in—fat slice of cheese melted over a slender chargrilled patty, squishy bun, sprinkle of onion, and coins of dill pickle. The tavern’s been-here-forever vibe is just a bonus.
The burger at South Park’s stalwart watering hole has been a legend for years, and rightfully so. It tastes like fond memories from a midcentury, small-town drive-in—fat slice of cheese melted over a slender chargrilled patty, squishy bun, sprinkle of onion, and coins of dill pickle. The tavern’s been-here-forever ambience is just a bonus.
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The burger at South Park’s stalwart watering hole has been a legend for years, and rightfully so. It tastes like fond memories from a midcentury, small-town drive-in—fat slice of cheese melted over a slender chargrilled patty, squishy bun, sprinkle of onion, and coins of dill pickle. The tavern’s been-here-forever vibe is just a bonus.
Ltd. Edition Sushi shows that omakase doesn’t need to be anything serious.
What makes an omakase stand out so much that diners emerge in a jubilant daze, perhaps muttering admiring curse words under their breath? Start with chef Keiji Tsukasaki, a Sushi Kashiba alum with both joyful magnetism and surgeon-level fish skills. He also brings a sense of fun you don’t always find with skill levels this serious (and ingredients this expensive). Dinner at the eight-seat chef’s counter might include sea bass aged like beef, or side-by-side tastes of uni from Hokkaido and Santa Barbara.
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What makes an omakase stand out so much that diners emerge in a jubilant daze, perhaps muttering admiring curse words under their breath? Start with chef Keiji Tsukasaki, a Sushi Kashiba alum with both joyful magnetism and surgeon-level fish skills. He also brings a sense of fun you don’t always find with skill levels this serious (and ingredients this expensive). Dinner at the eight-seat chef’s counter might include sea bass aged like beef, or side-by-side tastes of uni from Hokkaido and Santa Barbara.
The crowd at this International District restaurant and bar often skews young, but in fact, it does not get more old-school in Seattle than the century-old Maneki, a homey haunt of homely delights kept in line by a couple of no-nonsense aunties and traditional Japanese cooks. This legend could easily coast on lore alone, from surviving war and internment to the motherly order imposed by longtime stewards Jean Nakayama and Fusae “Mom” Yokoyama. It’s the food, however, driving the inevitable wait for a table. Regulars know to look to the whiteboard for exceptional daily specials, but then there are much-adored mainstays, like monkfish liver, sliced sashimi-style over shredded daikon with ponzu sauce.
The crowd at this International District restaurant and bar often skews young, but in fact, it does not get more old-school in Seattle than the century-old Maneki, a homey haunt of homely delights kept in line by a couple of no-nonsense aunties and traditional Japanese cooks. This legend could easily coast on lore alone, from surviving war and internment to the motherly order imposed by longtime stewards Jean Nakayama and Fusae “Mom” Yokoyama. It’s the food, however, driving the inevitable wait for a table. Regulars know to look to the whiteboard for exceptional daily specials, but then there are much-adored mainstays, like monkfish liver, sliced sashimi-style over shredded daikon with ponzu sauce. Yep, there’s a bar. But Maneki shines brighter for its comforting bar snacks and homestyle entree combinations.
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The crowd at this International District restaurant and bar often skews young, but in fact, it does not get more old-school in Seattle than the century-old Maneki, a homey haunt of homely delights kept in line by a couple of no-nonsense aunties and traditional Japanese cooks. This legend could easily coast on lore alone, from surviving war and internment to the motherly order imposed by longtime stewards Jean Nakayama and Fusae “Mom” Yokoyama. It’s the food, however, driving the inevitable wait for a table. Regulars know to look to the whiteboard for exceptional daily specials, but then there are much-adored mainstays, like monkfish liver, sliced sashimi-style over shredded daikon with ponzu sauce.
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If you’re coming from downtown, there’s no better capsule of Seattle than a trip on the West Seattle water taxi for kalbi beef tacos or kalua pork sliders. The cheerful Korean-Hawaiian flavors that defined Seattle’s earliest food truck scene now hold down Marination’s most memorable brick-and-mortar, a former fish and chips shack by the water taxi station. The waterside location inspires an extra dash of Hawaii on the menu, like plate lunches and shave ice. The expansive beer garden patio offers umbrellas, striking views, and a host of summery drinks.
If you’re coming from downtown, there’s no better capsule of Seattle than a trip on the West Seattle water taxi for kalbi beef tacos or kalua pork sliders. The cheerful Korean-Hawaiian flavors that defined Seattle’s earliest food truck scene now hold down Marination’s most memorable brick-and-mortar, a former fish and chips shack by the water taxi station. The waterside location inspires an extra dash of Hawaii on the menu, like plate lunches and shave ice. The expansive beer garden patio offers umbrellas, striking views, and a host of summery drinks. If you can’t steal away, a counter at Sixth and Virginia is an office lunch game changer.
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If you’re coming from downtown, there’s no better capsule of Seattle than a trip on the West Seattle water taxi for kalbi beef tacos or kalua pork sliders. The cheerful Korean-Hawaiian flavors that defined Seattle’s earliest food truck scene now hold down Marination’s most memorable brick-and-mortar, a former fish and chips shack by the water taxi station. The waterside location inspires an extra dash of Hawaii on the menu, like plate lunches and shave ice. The expansive beer garden patio offers umbrellas, striking views, and a host of summery drinks.
MariPili Tapas Bar plays with the seafood-focused cuisine of Spain’s northwest as it translates to the Pacific Northwest.
In the space that once held the beloved Cafe Presse, Grayson Pilar presents an equally understated and excellent ode to Galicia. MariPili plays with the seafood-focused cuisine of Spain’s northwest as it translates to the Pacific Northwest, taking careful but fun steps away from traditional tapas, paella-ish rices, and gin cocktails with dishes like octopus folded into a brioche crust and eggplant-stuffed canelones with oat milk bechamel. Pilar’s pastry background means saving room for sweets is a requirement, and tarta de Santiago (Galician almond cake) goes nicely with MariPili’s many sherry choices. Seattle Met’s 2022 Restaurant of the Year.
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In the space that once held the beloved Cafe Presse, Grayson Pilar presents an equally understated and excellent ode to Galicia. MariPili plays with the seafood-focused cuisine of Spain’s northwest as it translates to the Pacific Northwest, taking careful but fun steps away from traditional tapas, paella-ish rices, and gin cocktails with dishes like octopus folded into a brioche crust and eggplant-stuffed canelones with oat milk bechamel. Pilar’s pastry background means saving room for sweets is a requirement, and tarta de Santiago (Galician almond cake) goes nicely with MariPili’s many sherry choices. Seattle Met’s 2022 Restaurant of the Year.
Don’t let Mezzanotte’s rustic-elegant dining room fool you, the bathroom’s all about the disco ball.
Restaurateur Marcus Lalario has a knack for finding talent, and that shows in the kitchen at this Georgetown restaurant, where planes descend overhead toward Boeing Field and the buttery tajarin pasta still blows your mind. The menu reflects Lalario’s northern Italian heritage, but huckleberries lurk under the burrata and local mushrooms serenade the risotto. If you want to go big (and can book well in advance) Mezzanotte does its own version of an omakase at the chef’s counter.
Chef Johnny Sullivan had big shoes to fill taking over for chef Jason Stratton as nonna-in-chief. But restaurateur Marcus Lalario has a knack for finding talent, and does it again at this Georgetown restaurant, where planes descend overhead toward Boeing Field and tajarin pasta still blows your mind. The menu reflects Lalario’s northern Italian heritage, but ginger lurks in an endive salad and lime leaf helps spark a bowl of beef sugo and gigli pasta. If you want to go big (and can book well in advance) Mezzanotte does its own version of an omakase at the chef’s counter.
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Restaurateur Marcus Lalario has a knack for finding talent, and that shows in the kitchen at this Georgetown restaurant, where planes descend overhead toward Boeing Field and the buttery tajarin pasta still blows your mind. The menu reflects Lalario’s northern Italian heritage, but huckleberries lurk under the burrata and local mushrooms serenade the risotto. If you want to go big (and can book well in advance) Mezzanotte does its own version of an omakase at the chef’s counter.
The story of Luam Wersom working his way up from dishwasher to owner at this long-standing Latin American and Cuban restaurant is a great one. The food is just as remarkable. Dishes like vaca frita, tostones, and pescado en guiso—even the accompanying rice—bear the finesse of more than 20 years of experience. A 2025 move to a larger location has opened even more room for Wersom and his team’s impressive hospitality, as warm as titular mojitos are cool.
The story of Luam Wersom working his way up from dishwasher to owner at this long-standing Latin American and Cuban restaurant is a great one. The food is just as remarkable. Dishes like vaca frita, tostones, and pescado en guiso—even the accompanying rice—bear the finesse of more than 20 years of experience. A 2025 move to a larger location has opened even more room for Wersom and his team’s remarkable hospitality, as warm as titular mojitos are cool.
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The story of Luam Wersom working his way up from dishwasher to owner at this long-standing Latin American and Cuban restaurant is a great one. The food is just as remarkable. Dishes like vaca frita, tostones, and pescado en guiso—even the accompanying rice—bear the finesse of more than 20 years of experience. A 2025 move to a larger location has opened even more room for Wersom and his team’s impressive hospitality, as warm as titular mojitos are cool.
Chef Melissa Miranda is a force on so many levels—an advocate within her culinary, cultural, and geographic communities. But it’s all built on some serious cooking talent. Musang is an ode to the Filipino food of Miranda’s Northwest youth, from kare kare to seasonal pancits, her grandmother’s delicate lumpia recipe to squid adobo. It’s food with soul, with seasons, and with lovely cocktails to go with it, all in a converted lavender Craftsman. Seattle Met’s 2020 Restaurant of the Year.
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Chef Melissa Miranda is a force on so many levels—an advocate within her culinary, cultural, and geographic communities. But it’s all built on some serious cooking talent. Musang is an ode to the Filipino food of Miranda’s Northwest youth, from kare kare to seasonal pancits, her grandmother’s delicate lumpia recipe to squid adobo. It’s food with soul, with seasons, and with lovely cocktails to go with it, all in a converted lavender Craftsman. Seattle Met’s 2020 Restaurant of the Year.
Eating Evan Leichtling’s food at Off Alley feels like getting told exciting secrets—mostly about how good rabbit kidneys or foie gras ice cream could taste.
Running a tiny 12-seat restaurant in a glorified brick corridor means chef Evan Leichtling has a lot of freedom: to source nearly unsourceable treats like gooseneck barnacles. To serve snails on sourdough toast with bone marrow butter. Maybe churn foie gras into ice cream. Off Alley’s daily chalkboard menu celebrates underappreciated organs and oft-overlooked tiny fish. But rather than headline, these often serve as punctuation on elegant plates of seasonal produce, usually described with breathless excitement by the staff.
Running a tiny 12-seat restaurant in a glorified brick corridor means chef Evan Leichtling has a lot of freedom: to source nearly unsourceable treats like gooseneck barnacles. To serve snails on sourdough toast with bone marrow butter. Maybe churn foie gras into ice cream. Off Alley’s daily chalkboard menu celebrates underappreciated organs and oft-overlooked tiny fish. But rather than headline, these often serve as punctuation on elegant plates of seasonal produce. If it’s too hard to pick a few dishes, go for the tasting menu and let Leichtling’s team choose for you. Whatever you order, Meghna Prakash’s wine and service seals a very fun deal.
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Running a tiny 12-seat restaurant in a glorified brick corridor means chef Evan Leichtling has a lot of freedom: to source nearly unsourceable treats like gooseneck barnacles. To serve snails on sourdough toast with bone marrow butter. Maybe churn foie gras into ice cream. Off Alley’s daily chalkboard menu celebrates underappreciated organs and oft-overlooked tiny fish. But rather than headline, these often serve as punctuation on elegant plates of seasonal produce, usually described with breathless excitement by the staff.
A fine dining expat by way of New York and San Francisco composes jewel box tributes to Korean flavors: fried rice, black with squid ink, punchy with bacon and kimchi, topped with a confit quail egg yolk, or hand-rolled ricotta dumplings layered in pyogo beoseot, also known as shiitake mushrooms. Bulgogi is gussied with truffles. Prices remain surprisingly casual given the special occasion caliber of these plates.
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A fine dining expat by way of New York and San Francisco composes jewel box tributes to Korean flavors: fried rice, black with squid ink, punchy with bacon and kimchi, topped with a confit quail egg yolk, or hand-rolled ricotta dumplings layered in pyogo beoseot, also known as shiitake mushrooms. Bulgogi is gussied with truffles. Prices remain surprisingly casual given the special occasion caliber of these plates.
Most entrées at Pancita come with a basket of Janet Becerra’s impressive tortillas.
While the rest of Seattle just hoped for a slightly better taco, chef Janet Becerra skipped waiting for someone to make a decent tortilla in town and learned to grind and nixtamalize heirloom corn herself—which she and her team do daily at Pancita. They press that masa into each tortilla they serve, along with various other antojitos, including the memelas that go with housemade hoja santa-wrapped queso fresco on the cheese plate. Using traditional Mexican techniques and her European fine-dining training, Becerra tops albacore tuna tostadas with morita Kewpie mayonnaise and burnt habanero oil, stuffs tacos with cauliflower prepared as al pastor, and blankets chicken with mission fig and stone fruit mole.
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While the rest of Seattle just hoped for a slightly better taco, chef Janet Becerra skipped waiting for someone to make a decent tortilla in town and learned to grind and nixtamalize heirloom corn herself—which she and her team do daily at Pancita. They press that masa into each tortilla they serve, along with various other antojitos, including the memelas that go with housemade hoja santa-wrapped queso fresco on the cheese plate. Using traditional Mexican techniques and her European fine-dining training, Becerra tops albacore tuna tostadas with morita Kewpie mayonnaise and burnt habanero oil, stuffs tacos with cauliflower prepared as al pastor, and blankets chicken with mission fig and stone fruit mole.
Turin, Italy-born Michela Tartaglia first taught pasta-making classes in the Pike Place Market Atrium’s test kitchen. Now she runs a hidden-away pasta counter directly above; it serves four daily bowls that always include meat, seafood, and “from the garden” renditions. What this means: a different menu each time you visit, and memorable partnerships between seasonal ingredients and pasta shapes, like tortiglioni with speck and ricotta, or gemelli with caramelized pears, gorgonzola, and walnuts.
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Turin, Italy-born Michela Tartaglia first taught pasta-making classes in the Pike Place Market Atrium’s test kitchen. Now she runs a hidden-away pasta counter directly above; it serves four daily bowls that always include meat, seafood, and “from the garden” renditions. What this means: a different menu each time you visit, and memorable partnerships between seasonal ingredients and pasta shapes, like tortiglioni with speck and ricotta, or gemelli with caramelized pears, gorgonzola, and walnuts.
The Pham sisters make magic from Vietnamese noodle soup and a commitment to community.
To be Seattle’s first pho shop is notable enough, especially given our town’s subsequent obsession with Vietnam’s robust noodle soup. But second-generation owners Yenvy and Quynh Pham have a talent for finding new, impressively on-trend ways to reinforce these traditions. Case in point: This tropically hip dining room where bowls of that same beautiful pho come with bar snacks and cocktails. The original shop, a boat-shaped structure across the parking lot, now serves garlic chicken and rice and was Seattle Met’s 2023 Restaurant of the Year.
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To be Seattle’s first pho shop is notable enough, especially given our town’s subsequent obsession with Vietnam’s robust noodle soup. But second-generation owners Yenvy and Quynh Pham have a talent for finding new, impressively on-trend ways to reinforce these traditions. Case in point: This tropically hip dining room where bowls of that same beautiful pho come with bar snacks and cocktails. The original shop, a boat-shaped structure across the parking lot, now serves garlic chicken and rice and was Seattle Met’s 2023 Restaurant of the Year.
The Nguyen siblings bring smart sophistication and thoughtful creativity to Vietnamese cuisine at Ramie.
At Ba Sa on Bainbridge Island, siblings Trinh and Thai Nguyen make upscale renditions of Vietnamese favorites. Their spot on Capitol Hill takes an inverse approach: Ramie channels familiar Viet flavors into contemporary dishes that take notes from around the globe. Wagyu carpaccio and hamachi crudo burst with herbs and nuoc cham; risotto is dressed in a pesto that summons Southeast Asia rather than Italy, and trotters arrive with a ssam-like bevy of herbs and greens for wrapping. The cocktails alone are worth a trip, as is the bánh tiêu, or hollow bread with honey butter.
At Ba Sa on Bainbridge Island, siblings Trinh and Thai Nguyen make upscale renditions of Vietnamese favorites. Their new spot on Capitol Hill takes an inverse approach: Ramie channels familiar Viet flavors into contemporary dishes that take notes from around the globe. Wagyu carpaccio and hamachi crudo burst with herbs and nuoc cham; risotto is dressed in a pesto that summons Southeast Asia rather than Italy, and trotters arrive with a ssam-like bevy of herbs and greens for wrapping. The cocktails alone are worth a trip, as is the banh tieu, or hollow bread with honey butter.
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At Ba Sa on Bainbridge Island, siblings Trinh and Thai Nguyen make upscale renditions of Vietnamese favorites. Their spot on Capitol Hill takes an inverse approach: Ramie channels familiar Viet flavors into contemporary dishes that take notes from around the globe. Wagyu carpaccio and hamachi crudo burst with herbs and nuoc cham; risotto is dressed in a pesto that summons Southeast Asia rather than Italy, and trotters arrive with a ssam-like bevy of herbs and greens for wrapping. The cocktails alone are worth a trip, as is the bánh tiêu, or hollow bread with honey butter.
Welcome to the church of flour, where the fishes are broiled salmon on rice bowls, the loaves could be Japanese melonpan, yuzu polenta cake, or cardamom croissants, and nothing is sacred. With a blessed canal-side location in a former boat repair shop, this bakery-plus from restaurateur Yasuaki Saito (Tivoli, Post Alley Pizza, and, previously, London Plane) starts with breakfast pastries that take inspiration from France, Scandinavia, and Japan. The rest of the menu is categorized by quantity of sliced bread: look under one for cinnamon-Okinawan sugar toast, two slices includes egg sandwiches and the impressive cheeseburger, and the “No Bread” section includes salads, fries, and okonomiyaki.
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Welcome to the church of flour, where the fishes are broiled salmon on rice bowls, the loaves could be Japanese melonpan, yuzu polenta cake, or cardamom croissants, and nothing is sacred. With a blessed canal-side location in a former boat repair shop, this bakery-plus from restaurateur Yasuaki Saito (Tivoli, Post Alley Pizza, and, previously, London Plane) starts with breakfast pastries that take inspiration from France, Scandinavia, and Japan. The rest of the menu is categorized by quantity of sliced bread: look under one for cinnamon-Okinawan sugar toast, two slices includes egg sandwiches and the impressive cheeseburger, and the “No Bread” section includes salads, fries, and okonomiyaki.
Only in damp Seattle does a beach cafe serving only steaming hot, soul-comforting rice porridge make perfect sense. Secret Congee’s version of the staple shines with the power of all the sunlight we rarely see, using the subtle, creamy base as a canvas for powerful flavors from around East and Southeast Asia: plump shrimp with a spicy sauce inspired by Thai tom yum soup, slow-cooked beef brisket with kimchi, and black cod paired with ginger, garlic, and goji berries.
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Only in damp Seattle does a beach cafe serving only steaming hot, soul-comforting rice porridge make perfect sense. Secret Congee’s version of the staple shines with the power of all the sunlight we rarely see, using the subtle, creamy base as a canvas for powerful flavors from around East and Southeast Asia: plump shrimp with a spicy sauce inspired by Thai tom yum soup, slow-cooked beef brisket with kimchi, and black cod paired with ginger, garlic, and goji berries.
Khmer pride and fish paste perfume many of the dishes at Sophon.
Through woven kantael mats on the wall and plenty of the fermented fish paste called prahok, Sophon explodes with pride in founder Karuna Long’s heritage and the flavors of Cambodia. Lemongrassy kroeung spice paste marinates fried oyster mushrooms and fragrant tuk trey dresses crunchy, punchy shredded salads as the food incorporates the flavors and techniques of traditional Khmer cuisine without getting bogged down in arguments over authenticity. The result is playful, intriguing, and unique, and sets the table for a better understanding of Khmer food and culture. The cocktails, impressively, follow suit with plenty of coconut and creativity, and just a little less fish sauce.
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Through woven kantael mats on the wall and plenty of the fermented fish paste called prahok, Sophon explodes with pride in founder Karuna Long’s heritage and the flavors of Cambodia. Lemongrassy kroeung spice paste marinates fried oyster mushrooms and fragrant tuk trey dresses crunchy, punchy shredded salads as the food incorporates the flavors and techniques of traditional Khmer cuisine without getting bogged down in arguments over authenticity. The result is playful, intriguing, and unique, and sets the table for a better understanding of Khmer food and culture. The cocktails, impressively, follow suit with plenty of coconut and creativity, and just a little less fish sauce.
Head down the beat-up passage of Broadway Alley to find a nine-seat sushi restaurant hidden behind a barber and a tobacco shop. Here, chef Hideaki Taneda inlays some ornate seasonal traditions of kaiseki within a high-end sushi omakase. Nigiri, naked save a light sear and a swipe of the condensed soy sauce known as nikiri, bookend ritual-thick kaiseki courses like the hassun: assorted bites—from a morsel of rich wagyu to broiled eel wrapped in a tamago ribbon—on a single, eight-sided plate. This unusual alliance of two Japanese culinary traditions works, thanks to the meal’s measured tempo—and some excellent sake pours.
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Head down the beat-up passage of Broadway Alley to find a nine-seat sushi restaurant hidden behind a barber and a tobacco shop. Here, chef Hideaki Taneda inlays some ornate seasonal traditions of kaiseki within a high-end sushi omakase. Nigiri, naked save a light sear and a swipe of the condensed soy sauce known as nikiri, bookend ritual-thick kaiseki courses like the hassun: assorted bites—from a morsel of rich wagyu to broiled eel wrapped in a tamago ribbon—on a single, eight-sided plate. This unusual alliance of two Japanese culinary traditions works, thanks to the meal’s measured tempo—and some excellent sake pours.
The casual feel of Taurus Ox belies its seriousness about the flavors of Laos.
Demand for its striking Laotian food propelled this casual spot out of its tiny counter quarters on Madison and into a real dining room, complete with atmosphere and way more seating. Dishes, mercifully, remain the same, like the khao poon noodle soup and co-owner Khampaeng Panyathong’s mom’s sausage recipe, all texture and lemongrass. None of which prepares you for this: Taurus Ox makes, indisputably, one of the best burgers in town, with a pair of proper smash patties, two versions of the condiment jeaw, and house-cured pork jowl in place of bacon. It’s cross-culturally clever and drive-across-town good.
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Demand for its striking Laotian food propelled this casual spot out of its tiny counter quarters on Madison and into a real dining room, complete with atmosphere and way more seating. Dishes, mercifully, remain the same, like the khao poon noodle soup and co-owner Khampaeng Panyathong’s mom’s sausage recipe, all texture and lemongrass. None of which prepares you for this: Taurus Ox makes, indisputably, one of the best burgers in town, with a pair of proper smash patties, two versions of the condiment jeaw, and house-cured pork jowl in place of bacon. It’s cross-culturally clever and drive-across-town good.
In 2025, former Canlis chef Brady Ishiwata Williams saw the writing on the wall and switched from fine dining–caliber tasting menus to a more accessible à la carte format (with a family-style option for those who really hate choices). The vibe shift suited the food, which the staff shirts describe as “Japanese-ish.” The plank of sweet potato caramelized with buckwheat honey and slowly soaked-up seaweed butter and the chawanmushi, whose savory custard comes crowned with brown rice vinegar are, fundamentally, comfort food—at least as much as the cacio e pepe rice cakes, dry-aged steam burgers, and fried chicken. The setting remains modern and elegant, with a stylish darkness, and the wine list as adventurous and exciting as ever—the four-glass, $40 diner-paced flight is a departure from traditional pairings, but a terrific deal and easy way into a complex list. Tomo’s culinary edginess and mixing of fine-dining and casual elements mean it’s never been a restaurant everyone falls in love with, but its latest evolutions make it much easier to do so.
At Canlis, Brady Ishiwata Williams famously balanced a menu pitched toward both legacy diners and newcomers. His own restaurant is more declarative. Tomo presents fine dining–caliber tasting menus that distill each season’s progression of flavors into delicate, often sweet-savory experimentations, served sans tablecloths, at a very reasonable price point. The wine list is long and adventurous, reservations notoriously tough to come by. This place isn’t for everybody; the buzz sometimes distorts people’s expectations. But if dynamic creativity from a talent-packed kitchen sounds like your jam, watch the calendar to score a reservation.
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In 2025, former Canlis chef Brady Ishiwata Williams saw the writing on the wall and switched from fine dining–caliber tasting menus to a more accessible à la carte format (with a family-style option for those who really hate choices). The vibe shift suited the food, which the staff shirts describe as “Japanese-ish.” The plank of sweet potato caramelized with buckwheat honey and slowly soaked-up seaweed butter and the chawanmushi, whose savory custard comes crowned with brown rice vinegar are, fundamentally, comfort food—at least as much as the cacio e pepe rice cakes, dry-aged steam burgers, and fried chicken. The setting remains modern and elegant, with a stylish darkness, and the wine list as adventurous and exciting as ever—the four-glass, $40 diner-paced flight is a departure from traditional pairings, but a terrific deal and easy way into a complex list. Tomo’s culinary edginess and mixing of fine-dining and casual elements mean it’s never been a restaurant everyone falls in love with, but its latest evolutions make it much easier to do so.
Oysters, at their most essential, headline the Walrus and the Carpenter.
No mortal restaurant can really live up to that national hype…right? Well, Renee Erickson’s merrily jostling oyster bar on Ballard Ave remains the gold standard for showing visitors (the kind who don’t mind a line) what Seattle is capable of. Not that you need a houseguest to justify a night of meticulously sourced oysters, octopus carpaccio, and food-simpatico cocktails beneath the glow of an enormous coral reef of a chandelier. The tile-clad watering hole Barnacle next door makes the best waiting room in town.
No mortal restaurant can really live up to that national hype…right? Well, Renee Erickson’s merrily jostling oyster bar on Ballard Ave remains the gold standard for showing visitors (the kind who don’t mind a two-hour wait) what Seattle is capable of. Not that you need a houseguest to justify a night of meticulously sourced oysters, octopus carpaccio, and food-simpatico cocktails beneath the glow of an enormous coral reef of a chandelier. The tile-clad watering hole Barnacle next door makes the best waiting room in town.
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No mortal restaurant can really live up to that national hype…right? Well, Renee Erickson’s merrily jostling oyster bar on Ballard Ave remains the gold standard for showing visitors (the kind who don’t mind a line) what Seattle is capable of. Not that you need a houseguest to justify a night of meticulously sourced oysters, octopus carpaccio, and food-simpatico cocktails beneath the glow of an enormous coral reef of a chandelier. The tile-clad watering hole Barnacle next door makes the best waiting room in town.
In an upscale dining room marked by wooden lanterns and a preponderance of colorful cocktails, chef Danna Hwang’s menu starts with Cantonese flavors, then moves in unexpected directions, like a surf-and-turf kung pao and lobster rangoon. The menu and ambience at the Seattle location, within the Sheraton, are a little more conservative than at the original Mercer Island spot, but the showstopper remains the Forbidden Roast Duck platter, a five-spiced bird with crackling skin that arrives with monogrammed bao buns.
In an upscale dining room marked by wooden lanterns and a preponderance of colorful cocktails, chef Danna Hwang’s menu starts with Cantonese flavors, then moves in unexpected directions, like a surf-and-turf kung pao and lobster rangoon. The showstopper is the Forbidden Roast Duck platter, a five-spiced bird with crackling skin that arrives with monogrammed bao buns.
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In an upscale dining room marked by wooden lanterns and a preponderance of colorful cocktails, chef Danna Hwang’s menu starts with Cantonese flavors, then moves in unexpected directions, like a surf-and-turf kung pao and lobster rangoon. The menu and ambience at the Seattle location, within the Sheraton, are a little more conservative than at the original Mercer Island spot, but the showstopper remains the Forbidden Roast Duck platter, a five-spiced bird with crackling skin that arrives with monogrammed bao buns.
Seattle has a few more destinations than it used to for biang biang noodles, named for the sound that happens when chefs slap long strands of dough against a counter, creating the fissures that lead to those wide, perfectly chewy ribbons. But Lily Wu’s remain the standard-bearer, whether they’re dressed in cumin lamb or tingly beef, or just some chile-infused oil. Her upgraded dining room on the Ave now has sibling spots: a second restaurant in Bellevue and a counter hidden in Westlake Center, plus two locations of seafood-centric Happy Crab.
Seattle has a few more destinations than it used to for biang biang noodles, named for the sound that happens when chefs slap long strands of dough against a counter, creating the fissures that lead to those wide, perfectly chewy ribbons. But Lily Wu’s remain the standard-bearer, whether they’re dressed in cumin lamb or tingly beef, or just some chile-infused oil. Her upgraded dining room on the Ave now has sibling spots: a second restaurant in Bellevue and a counter hidden in Westlake Center.
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Seattle has a few more destinations than it used to for biang biang noodles, named for the sound that happens when chefs slap long strands of dough against a counter, creating the fissures that lead to those wide, perfectly chewy ribbons. But Lily Wu’s remain the standard-bearer, whether they’re dressed in cumin lamb or tingly beef, or just some chile-infused oil. Her upgraded dining room on the Ave now has sibling spots: a second restaurant in Bellevue and a counter hidden in Westlake Center, plus two locations of seafood-centric Happy Crab.
