5 Best Restaurants in Ballard, Seattle

This steak house incorporates high-quality beef into the culinary traditions of northern Mexico. Barley-fed Australian Angus and American, Japanese, and Australian Wagyu hit the grill, while USDA Prime meat goes into tacos and tortas. The salsa bar and appetizers show the finest ingredients and flavors, along with a touch of tradition in the handmade guacamole. Along with a strong wine list, the bar stocks a superb selection of mezcals that includes niche and rare bottles.

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.

The charming old house smack in the middle of Ballard's main drag stands out among the shops in much the same way that San Fermo's menu of classic Italian dishes made with seasonal ingredients stands out with its simple, elegant excellence. Appetizers of grilled vegetables and snacky starters pair perfectly with glasses of Prosecco on the porch that wraps the side of the restaurant, while rustic house-made pastas and hearty meat dishes match the Italian red wines and low light of a late dinner in the dining room.

Stylish and swimming in light, the oak paneling, dark accents, and wide windows onto bustling Ballard Avenue give this quasi-Italian joint an exciting vibe. The menu keeps one foot firmly rooted in Italy, with sections for pizza and pasta on the menu full of Mediterranean sensibilities. But it also pays heed to Northwest ingredients like Hama Hama clams in the soup and local mushrooms on pizza. Astute eaters will also find hints of global influence: gojuchang, poblano peppers, and fish sauce. The excellent bar boasts, in addition to traditional drinks, a wide variety of nonalcoholic cocktails.

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.