The 25 Best Restaurants in Seattle Right Now

You’re dreaming of the Emerald City. Perhaps it’s the result of your gazillionth cup of subpar coffee. Maybe you recently obtained your degree in computer science and have found that local IT firms throw out employment offers like confetti on New Year’s Eve. Or maybe you want to spend a weekend in a big city but also see a whale.

Seattle will always have a special place in our hearts, not just because of the music, which introduced us to legends like Pearl Jam and Nirvana, but also because of the food. Of course, when people think of this jaw-dropping city, they often picture the Mariners, the Seahawks, Starbucks, or Nordstrom.

But, if you’re planning a trip to Seattle, you should also know that it has a thriving gourmet scene that you simply must try. This unique metropolis has one of the most innovative and exciting restaurants in the country thanks to its commitment to using only locally sourced ingredients.

And while the city has evolved over the past decade due to the tremendous tech boom, its spirit is just as lively and bold as ever. Therefore, Seattle’s top dining establishments have maintained a sophisticated touch and an inviting warmth.

The best food and drinks in the city reflect the laid-back Pacific Northwest ethos, with considerable influence from a range of Asian cuisines and a dynamic group of chefs ministering to an open-minded public.

When we close our eyes at night, these are the meals we imagine eating. These are the spots where we imagine ourselves surrounded by our closest friends, sitting around a massive table, laughing and chowing down. In our opinion, these are the greatest and most Seattle-y establishments.

Our criteria for choosing the 25 best restaurants in Seattle were based on ease of finding, reliability, hip owners and employees, and overall high quality of service. Many of them are hidden gems that visitors to the city would never think to try. The good news is that you can find these treasures by consulting this list. Ready?

25. Le Pichet

Address: 1933 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

Established just next to Pike Place Market, this Parisian bistro is so delicious it borders on crazy. Some of the city’s best charcuterie boards and other classics, like the salad made with bibb lettuce and hazelnuts, are served with an air of casual elegance at Le Pichet.

The grilled rabe and gremolata are a nice complement to the steak and fries. A pork roulade stuffed with olives is offered with a turnip puree and a little army of radishes grilled stem-on until their leaves are golden and crunchy. No cliches, just a study in French refinement.

24. Un Bien

Address: 7302.5 15th Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98117

Imagine this: you’re behind the wheel of your Mustang convertible on a windy Seattle street, munching on a Un Bien sandwich as you cruise out into the twilight. A pair of rose-colored glasses is lying forgotten somewhere.

Biting into marinated pork shoulder on a baguette from Macrina Bakery is a messy but delightful experience. Because we are sure you ordered the Caribbean Roast sandwich, which features pork that has been slow-roasted until it collapses into luscious bits. Lucky you!

23. Taurus OX

Address: 903 19th Ave E, Seattle, WA 98122

In the event that you find yourself torn between khao soi and a cheeseburger, we present to you the Taurus Ox. Delicious Laotian dishes, such as pig belly stir-fries and rice noodles with peanuts and eggs, are available at this cozy restaurant.

Nevertheless, when it comes to burgers, Taurus Ox catches the eye. Their burger is a drippy, sour masterpiece with cured pig jowl, coriander, and pickled onion, and the inclusion of sharp provolone is absolutely brilliant, cutting through the herbs and rendered fat like butter. It is hard to match that, believe us!

22. The Pink Door

Address: 1919 Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101

Since 1981, The Pink Door has discreetly devoted itself to serving only the freshest and most locally sourced Italian cuisine.

The Crudo and prosciutto/mozzarella, the pasta we could eat all day, the amazing Caesar salad, and the fettunta, which is some kind of grilled garlic bread, tasting like char marks, and top-tier olive oil, are all great options for sharing.

Oh, and there is the lasagna, in all its layered, bechamel splendor, which will make you want to grasp your waiter’s collar, draw it uncomfortably close, and exclaim: “What spell is this?”

21. Copine

Address: 6460 24th Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107

Since day one, Shaun McCain has maintained his own rigorous cadence at Copine. From the iconic amuse-bouche—cured salmon wrapped in tempura and topped with roe—to the cordial welcome from Jill Kinney, his wife, and partner, who oversees the front of the business with serene polish, he makes dinner feel unapologetically exceptional.

The three-course tasting menu has a lot of French touches, but the ingredients can come from all over, from Italy to Japan via the Pacific Northwest.

20. Sushi Kappo Tamura

Address: 2968 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102

Whether you want to celebrate the fact that you did the laundry this week or that you’re about to get engaged, Sushi Kappo Tamura is the best sushi restaurant in Eastlake for both. Still, because raw fish is awesome, it is a perfectly acceptable reason to visit this establishment as well.

It may seem appealing to order the chef’s omakase for dinner, and if that’s your vibe, it’s an alternative you’ll enjoy. However, the a la carte menu here is also highly successful. The locally grown vegetables are amazing, especially when fried in tempura, and the fish pops with a few different accents, such as grill lines on a black cod nigiri.

19. Sisters & Brothers

Address: 544 Elliott Ave W #3910, Seattle, WA 98119

When it comes to Nashville-style hot chicken, Sisters and Brothers knows a thing or two. The new Interbay location of what used to be a pub in Georgetown serves the same deliciously crispy chicken tenders, thighs, and sandwiches.

The cuisine here is a mashup of authentic southern cooking with Mexican street food. Pair your meal with some off-the-wall sides, like the smoked gouda mac & cheese with bacon, and remember that the spice levels here are probably biased. You can count on even the “mild” to flush your palate.

The pimento cheese that comes with the fried green tomatoes has a subtle kick to it. Therefore, you should do yourself a favor and get two of these since you will definitely want more.

18. Matt’s in the Market

Address: 94 Pike St #32, Seattle, WA 98101

Set in the heart of Pike Place, this seafood epitome has been serving Seattle diners since 1996, an eternity in the city’s culinary past. Nonetheless, Matt’s is blatant tourist bait, and we’ll be the first to tell you that. After all, “in the market” is part of the moniker, and every hotel’s concierge in town recommends it to its customers.

Be that as it may, once you enter the venue with its checkerboard-tiled floors and large half-moon windows framing the Public Market Center sign outside, you will sense the charm of Seattle, and “The Frasier” theme music will soon begin to play in your thoughts.

17. Monsoon

Address: 615 19th Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112

The twin fine-dining Vietnamese establishments owned by Eric and Sophie Banh continue to shine as brightly as they did when the first Monsoon opened in 1999 and dazzled the city.

Both the original and its Bellevue offshoot have their own particular vibes, but they also handle a couple of things perfectly, like the friendly service, the grilled beef la lot, the drunken chicken, the clay pot catfish, and the appeal of the weekend dim sum brunch. Don’t miss the shrimp chips and the sausage sliders with hoisin aioli.

16. Off Alley

Address: 1/2, 4903, Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118

In a time when many restaurants are owned by investment groups and depend on opportunistic delivery apps, this cozy spot feels almost quaintly out of date with its ever-changing seasonal menu and dedicated staff that focuses on personal and idiosyncratic meals.

We could use every adjective in the dictionary to describe how vastly distinctive this place is from any other restaurant in Seattle, but it wouldn’t do it justice. To sum it up, Off Alley is a place with one large counter where people can drink low-intervention wine and nibble on artfully presented small plates while mingling.

All of this is an effort to make fine dining more accessible by eliminating any air of elitism associated with it and creating an upbeat atmosphere.

15. Cafe Campagne

Address: 1600 Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101

You should cross the threshold at Cafe Campagne for one reason and one reason only: quiche. Dungeness crab, caramelized onion, some cheese, and more can be found inside the quiches served here. The salad on the side may not be necessary, but fries are.

Since 1994, this establishment has earned worldwide recognition as Seattle’s preeminent classic French restaurant. Tucked away in Pike Place Market’s historic Post Alley, Cafe Campagne is excellent in traditional cuisine and in a class by itself in décor and service.

14. Lupo

Address: 4303 Fremont Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103

Since the inception of Chuck E. Cheese, pizza, followed by ice cream, has been regarded as the holy grail. Lupo keeps the tradition alive, albeit in a moodier setting with a more adult-friendly fare.

Set the tone with scrumptious white bean toasts topped with crisped pancetta and olives, aligned with wood-roasted veggies, zesty flatbread pizzas, and garlicky cavatelli dressed in chili oil. Well, even if your only contribution is making sure the cacio e pepe and burrata soppressata pies make it to the table, you’ve done a good job.

For a sweet finish, we recommend, you’ve guessed it, homemade ice cream in a variety of flavors, from brown sugar pine to rump-spiked carrot cake. Yummy!

13. Flint Creek Cattle Co.

Address: 8421 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103

Flint Creek Cattle Co. is a bona fide restaurant specializing in exotic meats from a chef who is also a fish master. In this 1926 brick structure with the kind of bilevel grandeur that begs out for midcentury chandeliers and a flashy main bar, chef Eric Donnelly serves unusual delicacies like bison, hog, and duck.

Here, game meat is prepared in a more traditional manner—venison in a creamy pate, delicate wild boar sugo over gnocchi—each serving as an enticing introduction to these unfamiliar dishes. Plus a few exquisite steaks for kicks and giggles.

You should also try the lamb sausage sandwich with raclette cheese and truffled slaw or the amazing butcher’s blue cheese burger with caramelized onion jam, arugula, and aioli. Either way, you will not fail!

12. Meesha

Address: 127 N 36th St, Seattle, WA 98103

In a district that combines the openness of an art area with the youthful energy of a tech hub, Meesha seems undeniably sophisticated. Here we have an unapologetically charming, dimly lit restaurant where simple touches, such as pillows on the bench seats, make all the difference.

Although the clientele at this fine-dining establishment, where inventive cooking takes center stage, could stand to be a little more dressed up, it’s Seattle, so a pair of jeans and a T-shirt will do just fine.

Preeti Agarwal’s menu deftly eschews several foods often encountered in American Indian restaurants in favor of subcontinental tastes, and even basic foods like Bukhara

dal are exquisite. We suggest you try the one-of-a-kind paneer served with asparagus and pickled onions in a smoked tomato sauce.

11. Pho Bac Sup Shop

Address: 1240 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98144

Being the first pho restaurant in Seattle is remarkable, especially considering the city’s subsequent fascination with Vietnam’s savory noodle soup. However, Pho Bac’s true genius is in discovering fresh, amazingly trendy ways to uphold these traditions. Thus, in this exotic venue, bowls of delicious pho are served with bar snacks and drinks.

In a city teeming with excellent pho, these bowls are among the most famous and undoubtedly the best, artfully stacked and boldly seasoned. The pho suon b, with its protruding beef rib bones, is the most appealing of them.

Nevertheless, the tendon, meatball, and brisket bowls, as well as the tamarind-sauce double-fried chicken wings, are also not to be missed.

10. Communion R&B

Address: 2350 E Union St, Seattle, WA 98122

Communion R&B is an eclectic blend of drinks, cuisine, and culture. Therefore, although the current political and economic climate is turbulent, this restaurant on 24th and Union is a metropolitan and gastronomic silver lining.

For the vital part it played in preserving Central District black culture. For the nonstop boom of laughter coming from the restaurant’s kitchen. For bringing the Chinatown-International District into a debate about soul food while simultaneously attuning a bowl of neck bone stew with charm and deeper meaning.

Communion seems like a front-runner because of all the heritage, present effort, and plans that have gone into it. The music, such as that of A Tribe Called Quest, modern hip hop, or vintage jazz, plays nicely and loudly, whereas Sunday brunch may feature gospel at a volume that assures everyone is awake.

9. The Walrus & Carpenter

Address: 4743 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107

When it comes to showing people (the kind who couldn’t care less about a two-hour wait) what Seattle has to offer, nothing beats Renee Erickson’s bustling oyster bar on Ballard Avenue. Nonetheless, even if you’re alone, you can enjoy a night in with oysters and octopus carpaccio under a massive chandelier that looks like a coral reef.

The Walrus & Carpenter is a walk-in-only, minimalist restaurant in a converted natural hardware store; it serves oysters named after the local bay from which they were taken, along with other seafood and wine. Prepare to flood your Instagram page with photos of beautiful bivalves set against a zinc bar and a wall of shiny subway tiles.

8. Tomo

Address: 9811 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106

Rarely do we encounter anything genuinely outstanding for the first time and then understand that it would be difficult to imagine living without it. We’ve felt this way about many things. Just think about the iPhone, Nutella, or Coca-Cola. Tomo restaurant should be in this group as well.

In fact, when it opened, it had a waitlist of 15,000 people before it even had its first set of tables and chairs manufactured. Brady Ishiwata Williams, the handsome chef who has been working at Seattle’s Canlis restaurant, finally made his debut as a solo act, and the city went wild.

His cuisine jumps over the globe, from Latin America to Europe, but is obviously tied to Japan, the country of his grandmother’s birth. Therefore, he clearly has an obsessive focus on Japanese umami, with dashi, koji, or miso used in almost every recipe to add flavor.

7. Beast & Cleaver

Address: 2362 NW 80th St, Seattle, WA 98117

Since Beast & Cleaver‘s humble beginnings in 2020, Kevin Smith has wanted to turn the shop into a restaurant, which explains the stove behind the counters.

However, the two owners’ goal has always been to establish a social hub where people of all ages can come together to not only purchase high-quality meats for home cooking but also socialize, dine, and gain insight into the local food movement.

Expert butchers like Smith and the local farms that he promotes provide a glimpse into an innovative way of looking at meat. Although it sounds delightful, not everyone can pay for Wagyu beef and, even those who can, may not afford it every day. But we need cuisine like this for Americans, so this is where Beast & Cleaver comes in.

6. Musang

Address: 2524 Beacon Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144

Musang has the feel of a home away from home, and not just because it is placed in a mansion complete with hardwood flooring and a tiled bar, but also because Melissa Miranda, a local who spent years honing her Italian cooking skills, recently moved back to the area to reconnect with her Filipino roots.

In some places, one dish stands out as the star of the show. Here, that meal is the short rib Kare Kare, which is refined enough to signal that you’re in a gourmet venue yet

hearty enough to provide satisfaction. Slow-cooked beef, okra, and green beans float in peanut butter and bagoong sauce. Oh, my god!

Since it opened two years ago, the restaurant has grown and changed, but it has never lost sight of its commitment to the local community, whether it’s through free meal programs or teaching kids how to cook Filipino food.

5. Kamonegi

Address: 1054 N 39th St, Seattle, WA 98103

Passionate artist. A chef with classical training. You can call Mutsuko Soma a soba noodle expert, a TikTok star, a food stylist, or a panini press expert; the choice is yours.

The outstanding soba bowls, seasonal tempura, and Japanese snacks at Kamonegi come from its chef’s left and right brains working together to make something out-of-the-ordinary.

Along with her conventional noodles and their typical menu companion, tempura, Soma’s cast of side dishes and appetizers make the restaurant even more alluring; anything with seafood is a solid bet.

4. Canlis

Address: 2576 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109

Canlis has been a Seattle landmark for seven decades thanks to its rich history, welcoming atmosphere, and breathtaking vistas from the summit of Queen Anne Hill. Mark and Brian, the third-generation owners of Canlis, make sure that the restaurant stays at the top of the national dining scene.

Although it is still a stunning example of mid-century design with stylish furnishings, well-dressed patrons, and a palpable buzz, your interaction with the staff will leave you feeling decidedly more grounded.

These days, your hazy sparkling wine will have the cork popped by a sommelier who has been paving his way across Manhattan while telling you jokes about how much money he wasted on wine.

3. Bar del Corso

Address: 3057 Beacon Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144

The pizza made by Jerry Corso, with crusts blistered in a wood-fired oven and toppings that are both simple and seasonal, has made this restaurant one of the city’s most renowned Italian establishments.

It’s tough to pick a favorite among the scorching, bubble-topped pies, but the Margherita with buffalo mozzarella and the Corno di Capra with handmade sausage and pickled goat horn peppers are two of the best.

Still, the pizza isn’t the only reason this restaurant is a success; the room-spanning bar, where old-timers pop in for pizza and a beer, the vaulted ceilings, the wood-framed picture windows, and the delectable aroma of togetherness that takes place when a great restaurant opens in an underprivileged neighborhood are all major factors.

2. Sushi Kashiba

Address: 86 Pine St Suite #1, Seattle, WA 98101

Shiro Kashiba, the visionary who brought Seattle his first sushi counter, and Pike Place Market, his other distinctive tribute to locally sourced ingredients, seem to belong together, united as one in a beautiful setting with neutral hues.

The world-famous sushi restaurant takes reservations, but guests often fight for first-come, first-served seating at the large sushi bar, which is highly regarded for its unbeatable omakase and where Shiro is still known to serve diners.

The man referred to as the “Sushi Sensei” of the city by the Seattle Times is in charge of providing Japanese cuisine of the highest caliber, which sushi aficionados have grown to anticipate and appreciate. Arigato, Mr. Shiro!

1. Archipelago

Address: 5607 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118

A ten-meal course looking into the Philippines’ multifaceted relationship with the Pacific Northwest is presented by Aaron Verzosa and Amber Manuguid at Archipelago to an attentive audience of perhaps eight individuals at every seating.

Indulging in a feast of heritage, grain pandesal, Miki noodles, and various other brilliant seasonal delicacies, you can encounter lessons in history, cultural context, and childhood recollections. Even if you didn’t know the background, you’d still enjoy these flavors; yet, when brought together by Verzosa, they become something exceptional.

The two chefs have thought of everything, down to the little shelf under the table for your phone and the interesting narrative offered for each dish ( from which island, prepared by whose ancestor, with fruit from whose farm). Definitely a must!

Conclusion

While salmon may be the first thing that springs to mind when you think about Seattle’s gourmet scene, there are plenty of other options that might just blow your mind.

That’s because individuals from all over the world have moved here for the pleasant weather, picturesque landscape, and high-tech employment. Therefore, since the city’s population is so eclectic, we can enjoy a broad range of cuisines. Fried chicken? Teriyaki? Noodles? Steaks? Burgers? You name it, and Seattle provides it.