Any recommendations on where the best seafood place is in Seattle? I am looking to take my boyfriend out for a nice dinner when we visit in June.

Opinions vary.

I would opt for Ray's Boathouse at Shilshole Bay (10 min. from downtown) or Elliott's Oyster House on the central waterfront. There are numerous other places, and, quite honestly, in a seafood-crazy town nobody does a terrible job with fish or shellfish, or else they are ex-restaurants quickly.

Prices run from reasonable to extravagant, views or no views, cloth napkins to paper bibs, fusion to fish 'n chips. Consult the Pacific NW board at chowhound.com for many, many opinions.

My own feeling is that some of the best fish in town can be found at the many Asian restaurants in the International District. Most interesting preparations too.

2nd to Ray's Boathouse! It's a Seattle classic with a great water view and good dining room (thankfully not trendy).

I also like Etta's Seafood near Pike Place Market (yet another Tom Douglas place).

Flying Fish is popular on 2nd Avenue in Belltown.

McCormick's or Ivar's various locations are other old school Seattle standards.

Agree with Gardyloo about fish in this town. Pretty much every body will offer a decent hunk of broiled salmon or halibut.

Dont think you can go wrong with Elliotts- and its easy to walk to from downtown area - nice views too

We had a very enjoyable meal at the Flying Fish our last visit to Seattle! Definitely worth checking out.

We also enjoyed Salty's on Alki Beach for the views and the coconut prawns. Have a great time! ***kim***

I really liked Etta's but have only been there once.

If you want a cheap seafood lunch, Jack's Fish Spot in the Market is very good. There's a counter to sit at or you can take the food with you. Jack's has incredible cioppino and fish and chips and chowder.

When we lived in Seattle we ate lunch at Jack's whenever we went downtown.

Our favorite is the Waterfront for upscale dining and Anthony's Bell Street Diner or Chinook's for more casual meals.

Salty's, in West Seattle, does a good job and has great views of downtown Seattle.

Elliot's menu is quite reasonably priced at lunch.

Most all of the best restaurants in Seattle do a good job with fish.

On recent visits we have been disappointed by two places we previously liked: Ray's Boathouse and Oceanaire.

I also love Waterfront and Flying Fish. Rays is ok downstairs but the cafe has really gone downhill lately.

Fish will be on any menu so don't feel that you have to look just for a 'seafood' restaurant. Gardyloo is right on per usual!

Matt's in the Market. Small menu, small space, delicious everything. I'd recommend Etta's and Flying Fish also. Salty's and Anthony's are pretty average, and Elliot's can be inconsistant in everything but oysters.

As someone previously mentioned, the seafood in ID restaurants (particularly Seven Stars Pepper, a Szechuan place with amazing crab) is terrific, but the atmosphere isn't "nice," if that is a deciding factor.

Along the inexpensive & at The Market line... Emmett Watson's is an old-time local lunch place for fresh fish & chip, oysters, and good soups and stews.

Etta's is wonderful and very dependable quality. I eat lunch there once or twice a month when I need a treat and to get away from my office!

So this may be OT but what the hey...

Last week we attended a charity event in Seattle in which a number of well-known head chefs provide 5-course meals (six if you count the strolling hors d'oeuvres beforehand) to the guests, one chef per table of 12 diners, chef and table matched up in a draw from a hat. We got Jeremy Anderson from Elliott's.

The courses and meal were up to (and way, way beyond) Elliott's normal high standard, but I just have to mention the dessert course, for any Seattleites or Seattle-bound foodies who might have the opportunity to lobby the restaurant on making them part of the everyday menu. I asked Chef Anderson if they were going to be on the menu and he said they're strongly considering it, so I say, vote yes!

Ever had French Fries (okay, Pommes Frites) in Belgium? Know how they come in a white paper cone, ready for mayonnaise? Okay, forget the spuds, and in their place imagine about 10 golfball-sized apple fritters, dusted with confectioner's sugar. Then imagine three little ramekins served with the hot fritters. One has a raspberry reduction, one a caramel sauce, the third something between a creme anglaise and old-fashioned "hard sauce" that you'd get with Christmas Pudding. Dip fritter into sauce. Eat.

Oh-my-Gawd.

Now this was after a dungeness crab broth with crab-stuffed squash flowers, pancetta-wrapped scallop with heirloom tomatoes, filet of baracuda over veal sweetbreads, and king salmon served with a mushroom risotto, each course with appropriate wines.

People were seriously threatening to do themselves an injury with this dessert. I mean, the table went from PG-rated to NC-17 in a flippin' heartbeat, if you get my meaning, a When Harry Met Sally moment. People from other tables kept coming over to find out what all the ruckus was about. Then they'd be given one and...

Anyway, just another plug for a great restaurant and one of those foodie moments in time.

Like another (sadly departed) Seattle institution (Pacific Dessert Company) had as its slogan - "The future is uncertain - eat dessert first."

Gardyloo, I'm really not much of a dessert eater, and since I'm diabetic that's a good thing. But I think I just had my own When Harry Met Sally moment just reading about THAT dessert. I'm ready for it.

My favorites would be Ray's and Flying Fish. I agree with Gordyloo in that most restaurants do fish very well, though I just had dinner at Campagne (an otherwise superior restaurant) which had only one fish entry. Go figure! Have had excellent seafood at Canlis, too, and it's a special occasion restaurant with reservations an absolute must!

you just killed me gardyloo. man, that sounds good.

I think I've been to nearly all those mentioned. I'd recommend Oceannaire - it's expensive, but if you're looking for a special place, beautiful atmosphere and really excellent and creative seafood, I think it's the best.

I was thinking of this thread as I had a glass of wine at the bar at Etta's yesterday afternoon...

Most all the places mentioned are great in their own way, depending on if the food is most important, or the overall atmosphere, or the view, formal or casual, etc. etc.

Although not chic or fine dining IMO, I even like Daniels Broiler down on Lake Washington or Lake Union. I always feel so old-school "Seattle" there. Same with Ivars restaurants.

Totally agree, Suze, and Daniel's steaks are serious food.

The only local fish icon place I can't handle is Totem Fish 'n Chips out by the locks. Generations of kids eating cremated fish IMO.

If someone is looking for a good steak in Seattle, the Metropolitan Grill and El Gaucho beat Daniel's by a mile. Both places do have some impressive seafood options as well, if the original poster is open to a place that specializes in steak but does a few seafood dishes well.

Regarding steak--Ruth's Chris, now in the downdown Hyatt Hotel, at lunch serves a delicious salad topped with 5 oz. of tenderloin for under $10 and 8 oz. for under $15.