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Thanks to inventive chefs, first-rate local produce, adventurous diners, and a bold entrepreneurial spirit, Seattle has become one of the culinary capitals of the nation. Fearless young chefs have stepped in and raised the bar. Fresh and often foraged produce, local seafood, and imaginative techniques make the quality of local cuisine even higher.
Seattle's dining scene has been stoked like a wildfire by culinary rock stars who compete on shows like Iron Chef, Top Chef, and regularly dominate "best of" lists. Seattle chefs have won big in the prestigious James Beard competition, with Renee Erickson of Bateau, Walrus and the Carpenter, and the Whale Wins taking the "Best Chef Northwest" title in 2016 and creative genius Edouardo Jordan named one of Food and Wine Magazine's "Best New Chefs." The city is particularly strong on new American, Japanese, and Vietnamese cuisines. Chefs continuously fine-tune what can best be called Pacific Northwest cuisine, which features fresh, local ingredients, including anything from nettles and mushrooms foraged in nearby forests; colorful berries, apples, and cherries grown by Washington State farmers; and outstanding seafood from the cold northern waters of the Pacific Ocean, like wild salmon, halibut, oysters, Dungeness crab, and geoduck. Seattle boasts quite a few outstanding bakeries, too, whose breads and desserts you'll see touted on many menus.
Seattle is also seeing a resurgence in American comfort food, often with a gourmet twist, as well as gastropub fare, which can mean anything from divine burgers on locally baked ciabatta rolls to grilled foie gras with brioche toast. But innovation still reigns supreme: local salmon cooked sous vide and accompanied with pickled kimchi or fresh-picked peas can be just as common as aspic spiked with sake and reindeer meat. Many menus feature fusion cuisine or pages of small-plate offerings, and even high-end chefs are dabbling in casual ventures like pop-up eateries or gourmet food trucks. Many, if not most, of the top chefs own their businesses as well, and in recent years they’ve spread their talents around, operating two or three complementary ventures (or, in Ethan Stowell’s case, more than a dozen and counting, while Tom Douglas has nearly 20, plus a cooking school and farm). The trend toward informality and simplicity particularly plays out when it comes to dessert; most neighborhoods boast branches of at least one of the city’s popular, independently owned cupcake, doughnut, or ice-cream shops. Regardless of the format or focus, one thing's for sure: chefs are highlighting their inventions with the top-notch ingredients that make Pacific Northwest cooking famous.
Straddling an indoor space and outdoor patio of the large 400 Fairview building, this lobster specialist channels a Maine shoreline shack into an urban west coast landscape. Seafood is the star here, particularly in the lobster roll, but also in other sandwiches, a range of salads, and the clam dip. They serve craft beer on tap, a few wines, and slushy cocktails in the summer.
This stunning gastropub is the quintessential neighborhood restaurant, built on warm service and great food. Seated in the white wooden chairs or on the bold turquoise benches, to eat here is to be welcomed into the dining room of a long-lost friend. The signature dish is their bread—thick cut and buttered, served as if it were a steak—which sets the tone for the simple-sounding, but impressively prepared menu items. The menu leans heavily on fresh seasonal vegetables and local seafood. When the weather is nice, the garden patio behind the dining room is one of the most coveted cocktail seats in town.
This tiny, 24-seat restaurant quietly turns out exciting and innovative food in the form of visually stunning small plates. Tables are seated beside wide windows overlooking the serene side of Queen Anne. Along with the a la carte menu, a five-course chef's tasting menu is always available and includes special local ingredients like geoduck (giant clam). The beautiful dishes always feature intriguing local ingredients and products such as licorice mint and black garlic maple butter. The chef’s signature dessert, “lick the bowl,” is an unmissable riff on cake batter made with foie gras.
If you're looking for something more casual, head to the kid-friendly sister restaurant, Big Max Burger Co., a block away.
Large windows look out on Elliott Bay in this cozy spot tucked behind a meat vendor in Pike Place Market's main arcade. In nice weather, open windows let in the fresh salt breeze. Flowers brighten each table, and the staff is warm and welcoming. Despite its name, this restaurant has only a few French flourishes on an otherwise American/Pacific Northwest menu. Go for the rich oyster stew, the sea scallops with rosé hampagne beurre blanc, Dungeness crab (in season), poussin with barley risotto, or the fish of the day. Local microbrews are on tap, and the wine list is thoughtfully compact, but if you want to feel more like you're in France, sip a pastis as you gaze out the window.
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