417 Best Restaurants in Washington, USA

Victrola is one of the most loved of Capitol Hill's many coffeehouses, and it's easy to see why: the sizable space is pleasant and the walls are hung with artwork by local painters and photographers. The coffee is fantastic, the baristas are skillful, and everyone, from soccer moms to indie rockers, is made to feel like this neighborhood spot exists just for them. If 15th Avenue East is too far off the beaten path for you, there are also branches at 310 East Pike Street, between Melrose and Bellevue, as well as in Beacon Hill and Downtown.

Head to this North Shore winery and bistro for wine tasting and dining on the terrace overlooking the Spaders Bay section of Lake Chelan. The lunch and dinner menus feature herbs and produce grown in Vin du Lac's own gardens, as well as meats, cheeses, and seafood sourced regionally as much as possible. Southern French and Northern Italian fare stars at this romantic, wine-focused restaurant where the menu changes quarterly to feature what's in season. Families are welcome, and you can even bring your pooch while you dine on the terrace.

At this gourmet market and wine shop (open primarily during the daytime but until 8 pm on Friday), the proprietors create a daily-changing assortment of prepared foods and some made-to-order items, such as Reuben panini sandwiches. Other favorites include Dungeness crab cakes, hearty meat loaf, lobster mac-and-cheese, and an assortment of tempting desserts. You order at the counter and can then enjoy your meal either to go or on the colorful garden patio.

The wood-fired pizzas with thin, blistered crusts and gourmet toppings are just one draw of this cheerful neighborhood restaurant within steps of the many wineries of Woodinville's Hollywood District. Vivi also serves first-rate arugula-pear salads, spaghetti carbonara, and prawn- and clam-studded cioppino.

Finding a modern, city-style coffee shop in a tiny town like Grand Coulee (population less than 1,000) is quite a treat, so hopefully the locals and tourists who come to see the dam and laser show in summer will keep this place in business. An ever-changing menu of lunch specials, from soups to salads to the weekly Wednesday panini, complements standbys like cinnamon rolls, breakfast sandwiches, scones, and other pastries. And of course there is coffee—from drip to espresso drinks, all made with coffee beans from Twisp-based Blue Star Coffee Roasters.

Cute as a button, and beloved by the locals who flock here, VPC gives off a general store/farmhouse feeling. Wholesome, decadent pastries, cookies, and breads are piled high at the counter, and the breakfast sandwiches are legendary. The simple lunch menu includes a few types of toast, salads, and soups, perfect for a light meal after wandering the park or a snack before starting out.

Renee Erickson was inspired by the casual oyster bars of Paris to open this bustling shoebox of a restaurant. Seats fill fast at the zinc bar and the scattered tall tables where seafood fans slurp on fresh-shucked Olympias, Blue Pools, and other local oysters. The menu also offers refined small plates like grilled sardines with shallots and walnuts or roasted greengage plums in cream. In true Parisian style, the service can be disappointing, but for those in search of stellar seafood, it's still worth the slog. Arrive soon after the 4 pm opening or you may be in for a long wait, though you can get on the waitlist via their website before you head over. If you do have a long wait, kill time at Erickson's tiny Barnacle bar next door.

If you're adventurous, the chef will create your meal based on what is in season, and is likely to include some of the house standards, such as deviled eggs with maple-bacon filling, fried brussels sprouts, and albacore tuna ceviche. The many small plates make this a popular spot for both a light lunch and tapas-style dinner. There are also a few full-plate options like smoked chicken wings, spaghetti stuffed meatballs, and burgers made of brisket and topped with bacon jam. Save room for the unique desserts, including banana bread pudding and olive oil–dark chocolate gelato.

The past seems to echo through this restaurant, which is across the street from the Weinhard Hotel in what was once the town's pharmacy. The menu changes frequently to highlight seasonal specialties and local purveyors; some signature items include the chef's salad, rib-eye steak, and dark chocolate cake. Try a panini sandwich or grilled cheese for lunch; for dinner, the seafood curry or salmon scampi are good bets. Raspberry-rhubarb pie and coconut-lemon pie are dessert favorites.

This cavernous downtown brewhouse has a soaring, barrel-vaulted ceiling, monitors airing regional sports, and plenty of bar and booth seating, but it's known first and foremost for turning out some of the area's best ales—strong, barrel-aged Belgian-style beers are a specialty. There are tasty, filling pizzas and pub fare, too, including a notably good bacon burger with mustard, grilled onions, and a tangy house sauce.

In a modern, stylish building on the north edge of downtown, close to Prosser's two main winery districts, this unpretentious steak and seafood restaurant with black-leather booths and banquette seating offers plenty of great dishes to pair with Yakima Valley wines (of which it stocks a considerable selection). Filet mignon, steak frites, and classic Caesar salads star on a menu that also includes a variety of sandwiches, burgers, and taco plates.

From its cozy setting inside a 1917 home, this restaurant has been serving up tasty breakfasts and lunches since 2000. It's not far from the Pybus Public Market, where its new rendition called "The Huck" is open late into the evening. But the charm of the original has an appeal that keeps at least the early bird diners coming back in time to get a hearty meal before the restaurant closes at 2 pm.

If you're looking to fuel up before a big hike in the park, this festive restaurant with plenty of outdoor seating is a good bet. It's run by record-shattering Mt. Everest climber Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa and his wife, Fulamu, who helms the kitchen, serving up a mix of Nepalese and classic American dishes, including traditional pork momo dumplings and thali chicken, mushroom, and garbanzo bean platters. On the American side of the menu are hefty burgers, sandwiches, and fish-and-chips.

This old-school roadhouse on the north side of downtown Wenatchee, topped by a windmill and built in 1931, is all about home-style food, particularly steaks, which include 18-ounce rib eyes and slow-roasted prime rib: lobster tail and jumbo prawns are available as add-ons. Other mainstays include wild-caught salmon with compound lobster butter and Alaskan Amber beer–battered cod fish and chips. The look is rustic, but prices reflect today's times. Splurge on a slice of fresh-baked pie or cheesecake to end your feast.

Diners here sometimes find their meal interrupted by the soft thumping noise for which the chewy, ropy noodles the restaurant specializes in are named. Biang biang noodles are made by slapping strands of dough against the hard counter, which elongates them without toughening the dough. The wide strands come in a number of dishes, along with other preparations from the eponymous city. Like most restaurants serving the food of China’s Shaanxi province, Xi’an uses a heavy hand with spices such as cumin, Sichuan peppercorn, and, in some dishes, hot peppers. But the flatbreads, salads, and soups at this sparsely decorated, casual spot all come in a variety of flavors, many mild.

Conveniently located in the heart of the Olive Way bar scene, this walk-up window caters to the drinking crowd with its late-night hours but serves its Middle Eastern sandwiches all day. The menu centers on saj, a thin bread that wraps around eggplant, meat, cheese, or falafel like a burrito, or comes with dips like muhummara, baba ghanouj, or hummus. There's no seating in the restaurant, so many customers bring their food next door to Montana Bar or to one of the parklets lining the street.

In winter, this eatery's stone walls and varnished-wood tables impart a warm vibe, and in summer the sprawling beer garden with grand river and mountain views puts everyone in a happy mood. This hipster-approved, counter-service purveyor of fragrant, flavorful Asian-style bone broths and creative pub fare seems always to draw a big, chatty crowd.

A colorful local favorite among coffee shops: even Seattleites who don't haunt Pioneer Square will happily hunt for parking to spend a few hours here. In one of Pioneer Square's great brick buildings, with high ceilings and a few artfully exposed ducts and pipes, Zeitgeist has a simple, classy look that's the perfect backdrop for the frequent art shows held in this space.

Sidle up to the antique bar at this hot spot for students and faculty from nearby UW, for a good selection of suds and pizza.

The entrance to this subterranean space can be difficult to spot—at the bottom of a Tyler Street staircase. There you'll find a sophisticated yet casual wine and cocktail bar that melds vintage Victorian with a rustic-industrial feel and sense of whimsy (concrete floors, reclaimed wood, antiques). Catering to the after-hours crew, it offers contemporary bites, handcrafted cocktails, and a distinctly steampunk vibe. Most of the sodas, syrups, bitters, and infusions are made in-house.

Although new owners took over and renamed the restaurant in 2015, this reliable fueling stop on the way to Snoqualmie Pass remains a trusted community favorite for fresh-made doughnuts, pastries, and breads. Good coffee and a full deli menu of sandwiches, soups, quiches, and calzones are also available.