2 Best Restaurants in North Central Washington, Washington

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This region has a good range of dining options, from American pub fare to fine dining, and many incorporate locally grown and produced ingredients, including organic produce, beef, chicken, eggs, and artisanal breads and cheeses. Around the region, there are low-key, affordable, and unpretentious eateries—coffee shops, bakeries, brewpubs, diners, and restaurants.

Wenatchee is the largest city in the North Cascades and features the most variety when it comes to dining. It’s home to the most ethnically diverse cuisine in the region, including several Mexican restaurants as well as Italian, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, and others. The self-proclaimed "Apple Capital of Washington," this is the place to try to the fruit in a variety of forms, sweet and savory.

Bavarian-themed Leavenworth offers a number of restaurants specializing in traditional German fare as well as Southern barbecue and American pub fare. Wine enthusiasts might want to make a stop in the Lake Chelan region, home to some two-dozen wineries. Craft-beer lovers won’t want to miss the riverfront breweries in both Winthrop and Twisp.

Dining Room at Sun Mountain Lodge

$$$$ Fodor's choice

A sylvan hilltop overlooking the Methow Valley sets the scene for an extraordinary dining experience featuring upscale Pacific Northwest cuisine with local and often organic ingredients, artfully presented and served in an elegant yet unpretentious, wood-filled setting. Highlights include chicken curry soup, mushroom strudel, prime beef tenderloin, and Columbia River steelhead. Desserts vary by the season: apple pie with house-made ice cream is a fall favorite, while pavlova with sugared cranberries is refreshing in winter. Beignets make an appearance on the breakfast menu, along with a tasty BLTA croissant. The 3,500-bottle wine cellar is one of the best and most extensive in the region.

Arrowleaf Bistro

$$$$

Locally sourced farm-to-table meals are the draw in this airy, casually elegant restaurant on the edge of downtown Winthrop. Notable examples of the deftly plated, sophisticated fare you might find here include braised lamb shank with lemon farro, grilled pork chop with savory pear sauce, lemon and feta risotto, and mushroom cassoulet. The starters and mains on the shorter bar menu are equally ambitious 

207 White Ave., Winthrop, 98862, USA
509-996–3919
Known For
  • Dozens of Washington and Oregon wines
  • Nightly catch of the day
  • Seasonal sodas made with shrubs handcrafted from local fruit
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon.–Wed. No lunch Sun.

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