Seattle Food Guide

Seattle's flagship restaurant since 1950 — perched mid-century-modern on a hill above Lake Union with floor-to-ceiling windows looking at the lake and Cascades. Run by the Canlis family for three generations. The Pacific Northwest tasting menu changes seasonally; the Canlis salad is the only dish that hasn't changed in 75 years. Smart casual minimum; jacket recommended.

Modern Pacific Northwest cooking in a corner Belltown café. Chef Ba Culbert's seasonal menu changes weekly with what's at Pike Place that morning. The Dutch baby pancake at brunch is the signature — a puffed German-style oven pancake with bourbon-soaked apples. Intimate room, 40 seats.

Chef Edouardo Jordan's Southern-food restaurant — James Beard 'Best New Restaurant' (2017) + 'Best Chef Northwest' (2018). Authentic Southern cooking (hush puppies, oxtails, country ham, collard greens) at a level of seriousness usually reserved for tasting menus. Adjacent to his fine-dining counter Salare.

Founded 1938 by Ivar Haglund — Seattle's oldest seafood institution. On Pier 54 with views across Elliott Bay. Three formats on the pier: the formal Acres of Clams dining room, the walk-up Fish Bar (cheaper), and a takeout window. The clam chowder is the historical claim to Seattle's chowder identity.

Founded 1999 by Armandino Batali (chef Mario Batali's father). Tiny Pioneer Square deli + cured meats counter. The hot porchetta sandwich — slow-roasted pork shoulder on Macrina bread — is the queue-out-the-door order. Lunch only, weekdays only.

Hidden inside Pike Place Market since 1981 — tucked into a market corridor most tourists never find. French-influenced Pacific Northwest menu with direct Elliott Bay views (back windows look at the water). The sunset table is the goal.

Tucked in Post Alley behind Pike Place Market. Won the Great Chowder Cook-Off in Newport, Rhode Island multiple years running — the national title for clam chowder. Eight chowders rotating daily; the New England is the iconic order. Sourdough bread bowl available.

Working cheese factory + counter on Pike Place Market's main floor. Watch cheese being made through the front window. The Mac & Cheese (Oprah called it 'World's Best') is the most-ordered item — flagship cheese, butter, milk, salt, pepper. Cheese curds + grilled cheese sandwiches also.

Chef Tom Douglas's seafood restaurant at the north end of Pike Place. Pacific Northwest seafood from boats that dock 200m away. The wild king salmon (in season May-Sep) is the signature. Brunch lemon-ricotta pancakes have a cult following.

Italian-American with nightly cabaret + trapeze performances dangling above the dining room. Since 1981 in a Post Alley basement marked only by a pink door (no sign). The trapeze artist swings overhead during dinner. Surprisingly serious food despite the spectacle.

Master Shiro Kashiba opened this counter-only sushi-ya in 2015 after decades at Shiro's nearby. The chef trained in Tokyo with Jiro Ono (Jiro Dreams of Sushi). Counter omakase is the experience — 14-18 nigiri pieces over 2 hours. The Pacific Northwest's premier sushi destination.

Pacific Northwest's most-loved oyster bar — Ballard since 2010, James Beard 'Best New Restaurant' (2011). 8-12 oyster varieties from Washington + Oregon farms, hand-shucked. Small plates beyond the oysters are equally serious. Tiny — 38 seats. No reservations.

Top-floor restaurant in Pier 70's renovated warehouse complex with full Elliott Bay + Olympic Mountains view. Pacific Northwest seafood + steaks; bar program is one of Seattle's better cocktail lists. The sunset window seat is the destination.

Chef Matt Dillon (James Beard 'Best Chef Northwest' 2012) — Pacific Northwest cooking with seasonal + foraged ingredients. Inside Melrose Market food hall; communal long tables; open kitchen. Changes weekly with what's available from PNW farms + foragers.

Piedmont-Italian — Seattle's most-respected pasta. Each tajarin noodle is hand-cut; agnolotti pinched one-by-one. Chef Stuart Lane trained in northern Italy. Adjacent bar 'Artusi' is the walk-in alternative for similar quality at lower price.

The first Starbucks store, opened 1971. Coffee is identical to any other Starbucks (the secret) — the photo + merch are the point. The brown original-logo siren marks the storefront. Limited-edition city mugs + 'Pike Place 1971' tumblers sold only here.

Starbucks's flagship 'theater' — bean roasting on-premise, Princi Italian bakery alongside, espresso martini bar. The actual premium Starbucks experience that the 1971 Original Store can't deliver. Capitol Hill since 2014; the prototype for the global Reserve concept.

Seattle's most-respected indie roaster + café. The signature 'deconstructed latte' — espresso + steamed milk + sparkling water served in three glasses on a wooden tray — became a national specialty-coffee trend. Minimalist Scandinavian café aesthetic.

Downtown's serious-coffee anchor. Espresso program among Seattle's best — the baristas are competition-level. The Snowcap mocha (white chocolate latte with cold-foam crown) has become an Instagram order. Cleaner alternative to the Starbucks Original queue.

Indie Seattle roaster since 1995 — one of the original specialty-coffee movement shops. Roasts its own beans on-site at Capitol Hill flagship. Four locations across Seattle; Capitol Hill is the original. Loyal local following decades before specialty coffee was a trend.

Seattle's flagship artisan bakery since 1993. Pacific Northwest's answer to Tartine. The Olivetta sourdough loaf supplies many of Seattle's restaurants. Belltown flagship has a sit-down café for breakfast + lunch. The morning pastry case sells out by 11am.

Seattle's signature handmade doughnut chain since 2002. Vintage-themed café aesthetic + hand-cut doughnuts (not extruded). Old-fashioned glaze is the iconic order; the Apple Fritter is enormous. Featured in 'Mad Men' (Don Draper ate them on screen).