417 Best Restaurants in Washington, USA

A local favorite, this storefront bakery, with branches nearby in Anacortes and Mount Vernon, turns out heavenly pastries, plus big portions of breakfast and lunch fare. Lunches focus on fresh and creative salads, soups, and burgers; huge and hearty breakfasts may leave you with little need for lunch—the roasted-butternut-squash hash and migas are a couple of favorites. Buy goodies at the take-out counter for a picnic adventure.

This friendly, no-frills seafood spot has a simply furnished dining room as well as picnic tables and Adirondack chairs on the beach overlooking the Strait of San Juan de Fuca. On warm days it's an idyllic spot to enjoy fresh fish-and-chips (your choice of salmon, halibut, prawns, or oysters), plus hearty seafood chowder and Dungeness crab when it's in season. It closes at 7 pm, so plan accordingly.

Canlis has been setting the standard for opulent dining in Seattle since the 1950s, and the food, wine, practically clairvoyant service, and views overlooking Lake Union are still remarkable. Executive chef Aisha Ibrahim draws on local flavors and her own experience at Asia's top restaurants to flavor the finest meat and freshest produce. The prix fixe menu offers a choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert, but includes many more courses and plenty of surprises. Men are requested to wear a suit or sport coat and casual or athletic attire is not permitted.  If the dining room seems too formal, the bar menu is more wallet-friendly and you don't need a reservation.

With cream-colored lace curtains and Italian soul, Spinasse brings the cuisine of Piedmont to Seattle. Chef Stuart Lane makes pasta fresh daily with fillings such as short rib ragu, eggplant, and anchovies, or simply dressed in butter and sage. Secondi options can range from braised pork belly with cabbage to stewed venison over polenta. The dessert selections are lovely; a favorite is panna cotta with cardoon flower honey. With the friendly service and dynamite grappa, amaro, and an Italian-focused wine selection, you likely won't mind paying the price, even if the restaurant is loud and small. Reservations are recommended.  For a well-crafted aperitif, start out next door at companion bar-eatery, Artusi (1535 14th Avenue).

This cute Latina- and LGBTQ-owned café in downtown Sunnyside has an inviting, hip vibe with artfully arranged plants and a beautiful floral mural. Stop in for an espresso pick-me-up between wineries or a craft cocktail. 

The 16th-story, panoramic views of Downtown, Elliott Bay, and Smith Tower make Charlotte one of Seattle's newest special-occasion destinations. On the top floor of the luxury hotel Lotte (Charlotte is pronounced "Char-lot-tay"), the blonde-wood-heavy, mid-century-inspired dining room has a handful of spaced-out tables right by the floor-to-ceiling windows, making for a spectacular perch at sunset if you're lucky. While dinner service is definitely a splurge—Charlotte offers a la carte options but the four-course prix fixe menu of creative Pacific Northwest fare is their calling card—the restaurant also serves a lovely breakfast.

With a handful of locations throughout Seattle, this local roaster gets coffee just right: smooth, bold, and full of flavor. Breakfast items at the laid-back café include same-day-fresh Seattle Bagels with schmear and bagel (or pita) egg sandwiches, while the lunch menu features gyro and falafel sandwiches as well as a signature Persian rice bowl with house-made yogurt, pickled vegetables, and a choice of beef or eggplant.

There can be a wait for a table at this homey country cottage–inspired restaurant, especially on weekend mornings when hikers and families pile in for sustenance before visiting Olympic National Park. Favorites include bacon-and-Brie egg scrambles, crème brûlée French toast, and—for lunch—barbecue chicken pizzas. 

This venerable, glassed-in dining room and bar overlook the mouth of the Samish River, Samish Bay, and the mudflats, where great blue herons hang out, bald eagles occasionally glide by, and finches and red-winged blackbirds dine in the feeders outside the picture windows. Besides the view, folks come here for inventive American fare with an emphasis on steak and fresh seafood, from miso-glazed black cod to coffee-crusted filet mignon.

You'll find some of northern Washington's tastiest Mexican food, from wild-cod ceviche to chicken in a 30-ingredient mole sauce, at this cheerful and unpretentious eatery that also specializes in made-to-order premium margaritas (try the smooth "top shelf" with Jimador Blanco tequila, lime juice, and agave nectar). There's another location in Mount Vernon.

This delicious little café has a modern, sleek vibe, and welcoming staff who will be happy to give details about the delightful French treats, including kouign amann, four kinds of croissants, canelé, eclairs, brioche, palmiers, and an ever-changing selection of macarons. Espresso drinks feature local Walla Walla Roastery coffee; there's a house-made chai and some looseleaf teas too. Decadent tarts and cakes also beckon from the pastry cake, and if you didn't save room for gelato or sorbet, be sure and get a pint to take home.

This warmly lighted tavern in the historic North End operates under a clever and ambitious premise: every four months the kitchen unveils a new menu dedicated to the cuisine of a different region of the Americas or Europe, from Barcelona to Montreal to Argentina. To keep fans with less adventurous tastes happy, the restaurant maintains a number of noteworthy dishes on every menu.

Nestled beneath towering trees, this old-fashioned roadhouse with rough-hewn fir floors and knotty-pine walls is along the main road to Mt. Rainier. It's been a favorite lunch and dinner stop since it opened in the 1940s, and these days parkgoers still come by in droves to fill up on hearty, straightforward comfort fare, such as biscuits and gravy and chicken-fried steak and eggs in the morning, bacon-and-blue-cheese burgers at lunch, and wild Alaskan salmon with blackberry vinaigrette in the evening. The restaurant is part of a rustic inn with conventional rooms and cabins.

Set near the CWU campus and decorated with repurposed, reclaimed, and historical artifacts, this casual hangout with a great porch revolves around one central fixture, a wood-fire pizza oven. Out of that oven come pies and grinders with a focus on regional and seasonal ingredients—the salmon-caper and Thai chicken pizzas are among the favorites.

A tranquil country setting and ocean views at Kalaloch Lodge's restaurant create the perfect backdrop for savoring Pacific Northwest dinner specialties like grilled salmon, fresh shellfish, and elk burgers. Tempting desserts include local fruit tarts and cobblers, flourless chocolate torte, and mocha mud pie. Hearty breakfasts feature sourdough pancakes and make-your-own omelets with cage-free eggs. Lunch favorites are a salmon BLT, fish-and-chips, and clam chowder, as well as burgers, soups, and salads.

Cheerful two-tone drawings on the walls and blue tile on the counter both evoke the nearby waves that lap at Alki Beach in this multi-roaster cafe, demonstrating its effort to embody the spirit of the neighborhood. Between brewing coffee from local favorites Boon Boona, Dorothea, and Olympia, and serving pastries from Seawolf Bread, this spot brings together some of the city's best, while the view from the dark wood tables in the loft make it a great place to watch the rhythm of life in North Admiral.

Attached to Serious Pie, this fragrant bakery will make you reconsider cookies as a valid breakfast choice. The coffee, fresh pastries, and breakfast sandwiches here are delicious, but Dahlia is particularly famous for its peanut butter sandwich cookies. The decadent coconut cream pie is also a local favorite. Lunch items including sandwiches, soups, and salads are served until 3 pm.

According to lore, the late director Nora Ephron was such a fan of the peanut butter cookies while filming the iconic rom-com "Sleepless in Seattle" that she requested the recipe and briefly even had the sweet treat named for her.

In addition to its navy-blue exterior and cheeky name, this small, upscale gastropub is known for simple craft cocktails made by devoted mixologists and a small but spot-on menu of comfort foods. The bar offers several snacks (olives, nuts, fries) and small plates ideal for sharing as well as heartier options including a shrimp po'boy and classic burger with fries at lunch. Damn the Weather's supper menu features specials such as mushroom gumbo and guanciale stew alongside lighter small plates like a green salad, and beets and burrata on farro. Tucked into a historic Pioneer Square building, it's the perfect cozy spot to pop in during a Seattle downpour.

Set inside a whimsically decorated 1905 railroad station with plenty of vintage train memorabilia and historic photos, this romantic yet unpretentious bistro serves up sophisticated Northwestern fare with international influences. Sustainably sourced seafood figures in a number of dishes, from wild-caught calamari tossed with a Thai-style cilantro peanut sauce to razor clams sautéed in garlic and white wine and served with bucatini pasta. You'll also find some hearty grills on the "land food" section of the menu.

You won't find a quicker or more affordable snack than a few burgers and a milkshake at this Seattle classic. The only location of the local chain (dating back to 1954) that offers indoor dining, its bargain-basement prices and late-night hours make it an enduring favorite. 

This local chain of hamburger drive-ins with iconic orange signage has changed little since the 1950s. The fries are hand-cut, the shakes are hand-dipped (made with hard ice cream), and the burgers hit the spot. The most popular burger, the Dick's Deluxe, has two beef patties, American cheese, lettuce, and onions, and is slathered in Dick's special sauce, but many folks swear by the frill-free plain cheeseburger. Open until 2 am daily, these drive-ins are particularly popular among students and late-night bar-hoppers.

Watch dumplings being pleated by hand through the large glass windows in the waiting area for this restaurant on the second floor of Lincoln Square mall—it's a good thing the sight is so entertaining, because there's often a long wait. The xiao long bao, or soup dumplings, are the famous attraction at Din Tai Fung, a U.S. branch of the famed Taipei-based chain. The rest of the lengthy menu is nearly as enticing, from shrimp-stuffed wontons to fried rice. The large restaurant is busy and brisk, but a fun experience and worth the wait. There are additional locations in University Village, Pacific Place Mall in Downtown Seattle, and Southcenter Mall in Tukwila.

With memorable views of John Wayne Marina and Sequim Bay, this is a fun place to watch boats placidly sail by while diners nibble on Dungeness crab fritters, steamed clams, bouillabaisse, cioppino, and seafood pastas. The kitchen also serves an excellent cedar-plank rib-eye steak, coffee-rubbed and served with jalapeño-garlic butter.

Luxury touches take the hot pot experience upscale with personal broth bowls, an extensive sauce buffet, and high-end ingredients like A5 Miyazaki beef, live prawns, and house-made noodles. This local outlet of a chain that began in Macau knows that you eat with your eyes first, and everything here comes out looking straight out of a glossy magazine photoshoot. The fancy ingredients can make the a la carte orders add up fast, but customers can either order judiciously and save room for the free ice cream at the end, or go all-in on a splurgy feast.

This home-grown chain that started in Bellevue lives up to its name, serving freshly made carb-filled delights of many types: noodles, flatbreads, crepes, and dumplings. The signature steamed juicy pork dumplings and fried jian buns, both filled with a meat and soup filling, have earned it a reputation and helped it expand to locations around the city and along the entire West Coast. This flagship location opened in 2021, not far from the original, and is the only one with a bar (plus accompanying happy hour) and expanded options.

What started as a small dumpling restaurant has grown into a juggernaut local chain, with this location as its flagship. Crowds pack in for juicy pork dumplings, crisp-bottomed q-bao, and artfully arranged noodles and vegetables. With a large, modern space, affordable prices, and the kinds of foods locals once drove to Canada or flew to China for, this spot packs in the crowds during weekday lunches. Service is friendly and efficient, though, making sure everyone gets their meaty soup dumplings in time to get back to the office. For visitors, arriving at an off-hour is recommended; you can also join the waitlist via Yelp.

This snazzy, contemporary, seafood-driven restaurant overlooking the harbor has a light-filled dining room that makes a terrific spot to watch boats and ferries come and go while sampling such tempting fare as Penn Cove mussels, pan-seared sockeye salmon with seasonal veggies, and a seafood Cobb salad piled high with Dungeness crab and whole shrimp.

This hypebeast destination calls itself a concept store and sells sneakers and streetwear, but the lines stretching out the door are for its popular bubble tea and soft-serve stand. Eye-catching three-color beverages, bear-shaped takeout bottles, and "designer blend" smoothies show off creative combinations of fruit, boba, syrup, and ice cream. For the full experience, order the soft-serve in the bear-shaped waffle pastry, called "bearyaki," too.