189 Best Restaurants in Seattle, Washington

A hand-carved cedar angel statue watches over diners at this lively spot, where chef-owner Nathan Lockwood lends a Northwest focus to seasonal Italian cuisine. The set tasting menu weaves rare, intriguing, and fascinating local and global ingredients into classic Italian techniques. Finger limes dot starters, Hokkaido scallops come lightly seared, and huckleberries pop up in pappardelle. The five to seven courses come interspersed with little bites and extra treats. Those wishing for a beverage pairing can choose between the classic wine pairing and a mixed option of cocktails, beers, and juices. Service is hyper-solicitous but the atmosphere is louder and more lively than you might expect given the price tag. For a more casual meal, head across the street to Lockwood's sibling spot Carrello.

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.

Enormous bowls filled with light, complex broths and the star of the show—handmade udon noodles—grace the tables at this tiny Madison Valley shop. Along with the various noodle dishes, the surprisingly large menu includes Japanese specialties including sushi, salads, tofu, and rice bowls. The lunch specials and combination meals allow diners to taste more than just a single dish, but if you only try one thing, make it the signature beef made with bonito flake broth and soy sauce.

Renee Erickson made her name serving Seattle's seafood, and takes a new spin on the same at this cool, marble-topped ode to Parisian fish and shellfish bistros. The menu offers seafood both raw and cooked, as well as meaty continental classics like steak tartare and a burger (and steaks borrowed from Bateau next door). Seafoam-green seats pop with color from the white walls in front of the long L-shape bar and tables that surround it. Baskets of fresh oysters await shucking from beds of ice, while nautically named cocktails are shaken nearby. Boat Bar is part of Erickson’s trio of restaurants on this corner: General Porpoise Coffee and Doughnuts serves oversized filled doughnuts until the afternoon, and diners looking for a more substantial meal can head to the steakhouse sibling, Bateau.

There are many ways for a pricey "destination restaurant" to go overboard, making itself nothing more than a special-occasion spectacle, but Café Juanita gets everything just right. This Kirkland space is refined without being overly posh, and the food—much of which has a northern Italian influence—is perfectly balanced. One bite of lauded chef Holly Smith's tender saddle of Oregon lamb with baby artichokes, fava beans, and lemon emulsion and you'll be sold. The seven-course tasting menu comes in omnivore, pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan versions. The restaurant is extremely accommodating for gluten-free guests and other special requests. To top it all off, the restaurant has an excellent wine list.

Perhaps the best-kept secret in the city, this neighborhood Lebanese joint is adorable and affordable. Whitewashed walls sparsely populated by old-world art match the white tablecloths, which are topped with intricate metal candleholders. The menu offers Middle Eastern classics, such as the sizzling lamb-topped hummus, a few pastries, and some kebab options, but its true expertise lies in the vegetable mezze. Seasonal ingredients weave into Lebanese flavors, creating a cross-cultural feast: pears with tahini and pomegranate, eggplant with fresh cheese and honey, tabbouleh with cauliflower instead of bulgur. As an extra treat, the chef keeps a fascinating collection of whiskey and offers one on special each week. On Sunday, the menu is prix-fixe, chef’s choice.

An instant Central District classic upon opening in late 2020, this acclaimed Black-owned restaurant dishes up “Seattle soul" in a vibrant setting. Think exquisitely prepared soul food that pays homage to family traditions—fried chicken, mac ‘n’ cheese, greens, and cornbread—alongside creative fare honoring Seattle's multicultural intersections, like the Fried Catfish Po’mi, a mashup of po’boy and bánh mi sandwiches. Don’t miss COMMUNION's overnight-simmered neck-bone stew, thick with lima beans and pork bones meant to be sucked clean of their smoky meat bits; it’s the chef’s mother’s time-perfected recipe. 

One of the city’s neighborhood charmers, this beloved bakery churns out the best of French, British, and American pastry traditions, as well as their own unique treats. Mornings mean the espresso bar is busy and the croissants are flying off the shelves, while midday offers light salads, quiches, and their savory signature, the cretzel—a buttery, crisp, pretzel-knotted treat. Loose-leaf tea in the afternoon goes perfectly with their beautiful cakes, such as the stunning Victoria sponge, as well as on Friday when they offer a full tea service. 

Brandon Pettit spent years developing his thin-but-chewy pizza crust, and the final product has made him a contender for the city's best pies. Neighborhood families and far-flung travelers alike line up before opening time for seasonal pizzas topped with anything from fresh sausage and local clams to blistered padrón peppers and cremini mushrooms. The small wine list is well edited and elegant; desserts are simple but inspired—the homemade chocolate chip cookie with sea salt is delicious. Long wait? Pop next door to charming Essex, the couple's artisanal cocktail bar.  A coveted few reservations are permitted via Tock.com.

An organic café with everything you need for a picnic to-go or a leisurely lunch, Deru Market has something for everything. The bright, modern space starts the day with excellent coffee and pastries, with filling brunches on weekends. Lunch brings pizza, sandwiches, and salads, plus a few larger plates, while dinner brings a few extra main dishes. Vegetable side dishes compete with excellent French fries for table space, and most diners save room for a slice of the layer cakes that sit temptingly on the counter.

When people walk by the Pike Place Market booth, they might think they’re passing a gelato stand from the artful display, but in fact Ellenos is serving up the best (and best-looking) yogurt in the city—and possibly the country. Thicker and smoother than most commercial Greek yogurts, the Australian-Greek family behind the brand uses local milk and a slow culturing process to create their nearly ice cream-like treat. They make their own fruit toppings, which are mixed in as the yogurt is scooped. The “walkaround” size is perfect for snacking while touring the market, but for those who fall in love and need to bring some home, many local grocery stores carry the brand.

Ethically sourced meats, from steak cuts to gamier dishes such as bison, wild boar, and duck, headline the menu at FlintCreek, where floor-to-ceiling windows overlook a busy corner of Greenwood. A small-plates section features a cumin-dusted lamb tartare as well as mussels bathed in charred jalapeño-lime butter, while main-dish standouts include a brined pork chop on grits and a hanger steak topped with onion marmalade. The industrial-chic two-story lofted space, which has double-high ceilings and a lovely bar backed with modern yellow tile, is usually lively but not too loud, and the service is reliably solid.

Starting out small and growing on word of mouth, Chera Amlag's bakery and bar sprouted from the desserts she made for her husband's Filipino pop-up dinners. A 2022 expansion grew this elegant I.D. space where she serves her dazzling purple ube cheesecake, alongside cafe foods with Filipino touches, like hot dog ensaymadas and pan de sal sandwiches. Their coffee program can compete with some of Seattle's best, using beans from the Philippines and around Southeast Asia to make pour-over, espresso, and specialty drinks. In the evening, the menu changes to more dinner-style dishes along with drinks, still focused on Filipino flavors.

Walking into the light-filled dining room of Manolin, with its horseshoe-shape bar framing the open kitchen, transports you straight to the sea. Blue tiles, the wood-fired oven in the center, the cool marble bar, and the seafood-laden menu all bring diners to an ambiguous maritime destination where ceviches are inspired by coastal Mexico, plantain chips come from the Caribbean, smoked salmon has vaguely Scandinavian flavors, and the squid with black rice and ginger is as if from Asia, all mingling on one menu. Opened by disciples of Seattle’s seafood queen, Renee Erickson, it pays homage to the ocean. Plates are on the small side, so prepare to order more than you normally would.

The best view of Downtown comes at an affordable price: the brightly colored Adirondack chairs outside this Korean-Hawaiian fish shack offer a panoramic view of the entire Downtown area. Inside, you’ll find tacos filled with Korean beef or “sexy tofu,” Spam slider sandwiches, and a classic fish-and-chips—served with kimchi tartar sauce. For dessert, the Hawaiian shaved ice makes it the perfect place to begin or end a beach walk on Alki—and to order more drinks through the sliding cocktail window on the side of the patio.

Though it opened in 1994 as a typical neighborhood sushi joint, Mashiko quickly gained a reputation as one of the top spots in town for fresh fish, even before the then-owner turned it into the first sushi restaurant to commit to solely sustainable fish. Now owned by his employees and mentees, it continues to uphold its reputation for both quality and a forward-thinking approach to the cuisine. As a product of both, the sushi here skips many classics that don't meet its standards and instead finds sustainable substitutes. But the resulting creativity makes for a unique, environmentally friendly meal, best eaten omakase-style: letting the chef choose the menu.

One of the most beloved of Pike Place Market's restaurants, Matt's is all about intimate dining, fresh ingredients, and superb service. You can perch at the bar for pints and the signature deviled eggs or be seated at a table—complete with vases filled with flowers from the market—for a seasonal menu that synthesizes the best picks from the restaurant's produce vendors and an excellent wine list. Dinner entrées always include at least one catch of the day—perhaps a whole fish in saffron broth or Alaskan halibut with pea vines. Your first dinner at Matt's is like a first date you hope will never end. It is owned by Dan Bugge, a bit of a celebrity himself, having appeared on TV shows with Martha Stewart, Anthony Bourdain, and Bobby Flay.

Phở Bắc first brought its eponymous noodle soup to Seattle in the early 1980s; now, the children of the original owners proffer an equally pioneering Vietnamese restaurant. The recipes and flavors hew tightly to tradition, but the space and style come wholly from a young, modern perspective. The photogenic oversized beef ribs sticking out from an enormous bowl of noodles and broth have become iconic, as have the shots of whiskey served with hot pho broth. Multiple locations around town vary in menu; the benefit of this one is its prime location in Little Saigon, just across the parking lot from the boat-shaped original location.

Adventurous enough for the most committed gourmands but accessible enough to be a neighborhood favorite, Revel starts with Korean street food and shakes it up with a variety of influences, from French to Americana. Noodle dishes at this sleek industrial-chic spot with ample outdoor seating might feature smoked tea noodles with roast duck or seaweed noodles with Dungeness crab, while irresistibly spicy dumplings might be stuffed with bites of short ribs, shallots, and scallions, or perhaps chickpeas, roasted cauliflower, and mustard yogurt. Plates are small enough so that you can save room for one of the playful desserts riffing off Junior Mints or butterscotch pudding.

The stained glass saint, holding wheat in one hand and a Japanese melonpan (bun) in the other, summarizes this eccentric but excellent bakery perched on the shore of the Ship Canal. Scandanavian-style cardamom knots, classic French croissants, and fried egg sandwiches with Thai-style turkey sausage exemplify the breakfast selection here. The grab-and-go counter displays pre-made salads and sandwiches, an equally intriguing array. While the counter and kitchen take up the entire indoor space, a covered patio on the side keeps diners warm and dry.

The lines are long for hearty, unforgettable sandwiches filled with superior house-cured meats and more at this shop, originally founded by famed New York chef Mario Batali's father Armandino. The oxtail sandwich special is unbeatable, but if it's unavailable or sold out (as specials often are by the lunchtime peak) order a salami, bresaola, porchetta, meatball, sausage, or lamb prosciutto sandwich with onions, peppers, cheese, and olive oil. You can order whole or half sandwiches. Most people opt for takeout, or grab one of the tables in the packed dining room.

Only in Seattle would rice porridge qualify as a beach eat, but like Sam I Am, you should eat this anywhere. In 2022, this congee-only shop moved from a shared space into its own location on Golden Gardens, where it continues to use its single dish as a canvas on which it paints museum-worthy flavors. Each bowl comes stuffed full of plump shrimp, tender fish, or spicy beef, and the only side is fried dough for dipping: nothing more is needed, as these are meals unto themselves.

Founder Shiro Kashiba is no longer here (he's now at Downtown's Sushi Kashiba), but this sushi spot is still the best in Belltown, with simple decor, ultra-fresh fish, and an omakase service that's a bit more affordable than at other spots.

The first oyster bar from a fifth-generation family-owned aquaculture farm, it's designed to give the diner the ultimate experience of eating a raw oyster. The elegant but casual wood bar and subway-tiled walls frame big tubs of bubbling water keeping the shellfish alive. The menu stays simple, with a focus on the half-dozen varieties of oyster usually on offer and helpful staff that explain each one and shuck them to order. They also sell geoduck (the local giant clam) sashimi, cracked Dungeness crab, shellfish chowder, and a few other dishes for those who want a more complete meal. The wine list is specially curated with glasses that pair well with raw oysters. You can also purchase raw and live shellfish here, to shuck or cook yourself. The Queen Anne and Pioneer Square locations serve more complete meals, while the Samish Bay location makes a great day trip stop.

An Instagram-perfect brunch spot, this Ballard charmer deals in trends like thick ricotta toast, and classic comforts like Benedicts and cheesy egg bakes. The light-filled café offers house-made baked goods and coffee from the marble countertop. Once seated, brunchers dig into house-made yogurt, granola, and the legendary crispy potatoes, and, later in the day, heartier savory lunches. As befits such a great morning spot, fresh-squeezed juices and a well-curated wine list make for excellent day drinking of all types.

Across the street from the popular Madison Park Beach, this worker-owned shop quietly and consistently turns out some of the city's best pies. Chewy, thin, crispy, and full of flavor, the crusts defy a specific style, beyond "a New Yorker would approve." Toppings include classics as well as creative combinations like the No Brainer, with morel mushrooms and house-made cultured cream. A smattering of first-come, first-serve bistro tables on the patio clue diners into the mostly takeout nature of the business, but with the grassy shore just a few steps away, it works out well.