Archipelago
Settle in for the tasting menu at Archipelago in Hillman City, which tells the story of the Pacific Northwest through progressive Filipino American flavors. Chef Aaron Verzosa was a James Beard nominee for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific, and the restaurant asks guests to share dietary notes through its dining survey at least four days before a reservation, with wine and juice pairings offered at booking.
Altura
Head up Broadway East on Capitol Hill for Altura, where Italian cooking principles meet the Pacific Northwest's bounty. Menus follow what farmers, foragers, the restaurant's own garden and the sea bring in each season, which makes it a fine pick for a long, celebratory dinner.
Surrell and Atoma
For modern Northwest cooking with a strong sense of place, book Surrell on East Madison Street, a tasting-menu restaurant built around Pacific Northwest ingredients and Washington wine. Across town in Wallingford, Atoma on North 45th Street is a newer New American restaurant from chef Johnny Courtney and Sarah Courtney that opened in late 2023.
Seafood and sushi
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Pull up a stool at The Walrus and the Carpenter in Old Ballard, Renee Erickson's oyster bar that has paired piles of local oysters with small plates since 2010. It was a James Beard Outstanding Restaurant nominee in 2022, and seating is first come, first served, so arrive early or plan for a wait.
Sushi Kashiba
Reserve a counter seat at Sushi Kashiba next to Pike Place Market, where Shiro Kashiba, a three-time James Beard nominee for Outstanding Chef, has been making sushi in Seattle for more than 50 years. Only a few counter seats can be booked online for each seating, and the rest are first come, first served, with same-day counter sign-ups taken in person. Pair it with our guide to eating at Pike Place Market.
Maneki
Step into Maneki in the Japantown corner of the Chinatown-International District, which opened in 1904 as the city's first sushi bar and is often called Seattle's oldest Japanese restaurant. It is a living piece of Japantown history, so pair dinner with a stroll through the neighborhood.
The Athenian
Grab a table at The Athenian inside Pike Place Market, opened by three Greek brothers in 1909 as a bakery and luncheonette. Today it is a seafood restaurant and bar with views over Puget Sound to the Olympic Mountains, an easy fit for a market morning.
Local Tide
Order a rockfish banh mi or a salmon sandwich at Local Tide in Fremont, a casual seafood counter on North 36th Street that began as a pop-up before opening in 2020. Look for the crab roll on weekends.
For more ideas, see our guides to Seattle seafood and the city's best sushi.
Neighborhood favorites
Spinasse
Twirl your way through northern Italy at Spinasse on Capitol Hill, open since 2008 with a menu focused on the cooking of Piedmont. Local food writers regularly list it among the city's best Italian restaurants and most romantic dinners, and its sibling bar Artusi sits next door for an aperitivo before or after.
Musang
Gather friends at Musang on Beacon Hill, chef and owner Melissa Miranda's community-driven Filipino restaurant. The seasonal menu draws on childhood memories, and the restaurant grew from a pop-up into a brick-and-mortar space in 2020.
Joule
Share plates at Joule, the James Beard-nominated restaurant of chefs Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi. It opened in Wallingford in 2007 and moved to its current home on Stone Way in 2012, where it serves a modern take on a Korean steakhouse with an open kitchen.
Communion
Head to the Central District for Communion, chef Kristi Brown's Black-owned restaurant and bar, where Southern-rooted, Pacific Northwest-inspired cooking comes together as what she calls Seattle Soul. Brown is a James Beard nominee, and Sunday brunch is back on the menu.
Kamonegi
Slurp handmade soba at Kamonegi, a tiny Fremont restaurant that makes ni-hachi noodles with 80 percent buckwheat and serves them with seasonal tempura. A few counter and bar seats are held for walk-ins, but note that the kitchen cannot accommodate gluten-free diets.
Hamdi
Book a dinner at Hamdi, a Turkish restaurant on Leary Way NW in Ballard named for the owner's grandfather, who inspired his cooking. It began as a pop-up in 2021 and opened its own space in 2022, and it serves dinner only a few nights a week, so plan ahead.
Il Nido
Drive out to Alki in West Seattle for Il Nido, an Italian restaurant in the historic Fir Lodge near Alki Beach. Dining room reservations open on a 30-day window, while the bar is kept for walk-ins with the full dinner menu.
Off Alley, Cafe Suliman and The Wayland Mill
- Off Alley: A small Columbia City bistro and wine bar on Rainier Avenue South with a menu that changes often; The New York Times included it in its 2022 list of the country's best restaurants.
- Cafe Suliman: A casual cafe inside Melrose Market on Capitol Hill serving the home-cooked flavors of the Arabian pantry, with Arabic coffee, natural wine and cocktails.
- The Wayland Mill: An all-day cafe and restaurant on North Lake Union that serves yoshoku, Western dishes interpreted through a Japanese lens, from breakfast through dinner.
