Where Pike Place fishmongers, Hood Canal oysters and third-wave coffee share a city.
Free cancellation on most tours, with live prices on the partner's site.
Seattle eats at the seam between the Pacific Northwest's rain-fed farms and a working harbour. Pike Place Market has been the city's pantry since 1907, with fishmongers tossing salmon and stalls running from Beecher's mac and cheese to Piroshky Piroshky cabbage rolls. The International District holds the longest-running Cantonese, Vietnamese and Cambodian kitchens north of San Francisco, and the Central District has reasserted itself as the home of Seattle Soul at Communion. Dungeness crab arrives in winter, spot prawns in spring, copper river salmon in May, and oysters from Hood Canal year round. Third-wave coffee was effectively reinvented here at Vivace and Victrola in the late 1990s. Today the city eats Renee Erickson's oysters in Ballard, Aisha Ibrahim's Filipino-tinged tasting menus at Canlis, and Shiro Kashiba's nigiri a block from where he first opened a sushi counter in 1970.
Guided tour · 2 hours
This tour is Pike Place Market 101! Explore with a professional storyteller and discover food, facts and fun at small-batch food and craft producers!
Guided tour · 2 hours
Embark on a culinary tasting tour of Pike Place Market with a local chef. Stop at 9 artisanal vendors and learn about local food producers as you taste your way throug...
Guided tour · 2 hours
Beat the crowds with an early bird-tasting tour of Seattle’s famous Pike Place Market. Savor delicious treats curated from the best vendors available and get 1-on-1 ti...
The plates that define eating in Seattle.
Seattle's defining shellfish: sweet, dense, snow-white meat from the cold Pacific. Eaten cracked at the table with drawn butter, or chilled in a cocktail at Pike Place.
Where Pike Place Chowder, Westward, Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar Pioneer Square, Shaker + Spear, The Walrus and the Carpenter
Where to eat Dungeness crab in Seattle →The American version of grilled-then-glazed chicken on rice that Toshi Kasahara invented at his Lower Queen Anne counter in 1976. Sugar, soy, char and shredded cabbage.
Where Maneki, Ba Bar Capitol Hill
Where to eat Seattle teriyaki in Seattle →The fish that defines Seattle's table from May through September: copper river king, sockeye from Bristol Bay, and the silver coho that close the season in October.
Where Canlis, Westward, Matt's in the Market, Shaker + Spear
Where to eat Pacific salmon in Seattle →The Puget Sound clam with a foot-long siphon that locals pronounce gooey-duck. Sliced sashimi-thin at Maneki and Sushi Kashiba; cracked into chowder at Pike Place.
Where Sushi Kashiba, Maneki, Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar Pioneer Square
Where to eat Geoduck in Seattle →The single-pan oven pancake that Manca's Cafe popularised in Seattle in the 1900s and Tilikum Place Cafe carries today. Eggs, flour, butter, oven, lemon and sugar.
Where Tilikum Place Cafe, Cafe Campagne
Where to eat Dutch baby pancake in Seattle →The Vietnamese beef noodle soup that the Pham family brought to Seattle in 1982. The Boat on South Jackson serves the city's defining bowl, with brisket, flank and tendon.
Where The Boat, Ba Bar Capitol Hill, Ramie
Where to eat Pho in Seattle →A grilled hot dog or Polish sausage in a toasted bun, smeared with cream cheese before the dog goes in and topped with grilled sweet onions, jalapeños and sriracha. The post-bar dog of Pike Place and Capitol Hill.
Where Dick's Drive-In Broadway
Where to eat Seattle-Style Hot Dog in Seattle →Chicken thighs (or pork shoulder) braised in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay and black peppercorns, then crisped under high heat until the sauce reduces to a glossy lacquer. The Seattle Filipino diaspora plate.
Where Ba Bar Capitol Hill
Where to eat Filipino Adobo in Seattle →Seattle's sushi counters plate Pacific Northwest seafood in the Edomae idiom: omakase nigiri with local king salmon, spot prawn and geoduck served paddle-to-counter, the rice still body-temperature.
Where Sushi Kashiba, Wataru, Maneki, Rondo Japanese Kitchen
Where to eat Edomae sushi in Seattle →The Seattle latte is the third-wave espresso-and-milk drink the city perfected: a triple-shot espresso pulled at 9 bars, steamed whole milk poured to a glossy microfoam with a tulip or rosetta on top.
Where Espresso Vivace, Victrola Coffee Roasters, Caffe Vita Capitol Hill, Anchorhead Coffee Downtown
Where to eat Seattle latte in Seattle →A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Seattle.
Canlis in Seattle is the city's enduring fine-dining room: Aisha Ibrahim's five-course menu, a 1950 cedar lodge above Lake Union, and Food and Wine's number.
OrderThe five-course chef's menu with Aisha Ibrahim's Filipino-tinged Walla Walla onion course.
The Walrus and the Carpenter in Seattle's Ballard is Renee Erickson's 2010 oyster room, a wood and marble bar, a chalkboard of 14 oysters. Priced at $$$.
OrderA flight of Hood Canal and Samish Bay oysters with the steak tartare and rye toast.
Spinasse in Seattle's Capitol Hill cuts its tajarin a millimetre wide at the marble counter every morning, a Piedmontese pasta room 17 years old and still.
OrderTajarin alla salvia, the 40-egg-yolk pasta cut a millimetre wide with brown butter and sage.
Lark in Seattle's Capitol Hill is John Sundstrom's 20-year Pacific Northwest dining room: a James Beard winning kitchen plating local ingredients.
OrderJohn Sundstrom's foie gras terrine, the only dish that has not left the menu in 20 years.
Communion in Seattle's Central District is Kristi Brown's Seattle Soul kitchen: catfish, hood sushi, berbere chicken, served from the Liberty Bank Building.
OrderThe smoky berbere chicken, half-portioned over jollof rice with a side of greens.
Sushi Kashiba in Seattle's Pike Place Market is Shiro Kashiba's bar: the chef who opened Seattle's first sushi counter in 1970, now back behind glass at 86.
OrderThe 14-piece omakase at the bar with Shiro Kashiba himself if you can get the seat.
The 1907 public market that anchors the city's food story. Fishmongers, piroshky stalls, oyster bars, French bistros and a chowder counter, all on cobblestone.
Best for: Pike Place chowder, Oysters, French bistro, Piroshky, Mini doughnuts
Also: downtown
Seattle's late-night neighbourhood and a wine bar capital. Pike Pine corridor for cocktails and Vietnamese, 12th Ave for Italian and Bengali, 15th for cafes.
Best for: Italian, Vietnamese, Wine bars, Cocktails, Brunch
The old Scandinavian fishing district turned brewery and oyster-bar belt. Sunday farmers market, Old Ballard Ave restaurants, Reuben's and Stoup taprooms.
Best for: Oysters, Breweries, Scandinavian, Brunch, Cocktails
Self-styled centre of the universe with a brewery anchor and a tight strip of restaurants. Paseo Cuban sandwiches, Sea Wolf bread, Fremont Brewing's beer garden.
Best for: Beer gardens, Cuban sandwiches, Sourdough, Coffee
Quiet residential strip on 45th with disproportionate eating. Atoma at the old Tilth address, Pasta Casalinga, sushi counters and Sunday-only bakeries.
Best for: Pasta, Bakery, New American, Sushi
Hilltop neighbourhood with views and a Cajun anchor. Canlis sits at the foot of the hill on Aurora; Toulouse Petit and How to Cook a Wolf run Lower Queen Anne.
Best for: Cajun, Fine dining, Italian, Cocktails
Dungeness crab
Seattle's defining shellfish: sweet, dense, snow-white meat from the cold Pacific
Seattle teriyaki
The American version of grilled-then-glazed chicken on rice that Toshi Kasahara invented at his Lower Queen Anne counter in 1976
Pacific salmon
The fish that defines Seattle's table from May through September: copper river king, sockeye from Bristol Bay, and the silver coho that close the season in October
Geoduck
The Puget Sound clam with a foot-long siphon that locals pronounce gooey-duck
Dutch baby pancake
The single-pan oven pancake that Manca's Cafe popularised in Seattle in the 1900s and Tilikum Place Cafe carries today
Capitol Hill
Seattle's late-night neighbourhood and a wine bar capital
Ballard
The old Scandinavian fishing district turned brewery and oyster-bar belt
Fremont
Self-styled centre of the universe with a brewery anchor and a tight strip of restaurants
Queen Anne
Hilltop neighbourhood with views and a Cajun anchor
A sample of Seattle hotels from our booking partner, who list 470 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
Seattle Inn Northgate
Located in Seattle (Bitter Lake), Seattle Inn Northgate is within a 5-minute drive of Northwest Hospital an...
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Warwick Seattle
A stay at Warwick Seattle places you in the heart of Seattle, within a 5-minute walk of Moore Theater and S...
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Staypineapple, The Maxwell Hotel, Seattle Center Seattle
Staypineapple, The Maxwell Hotel, Seattle Center Seattle is centrally located in Seattle, a 2-minute walk f...
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Staypineapple, Hotel FIVE, Downtown Seattle
With a stay at Staypineapple, Hotel FIVE, Downtown Seattle, you'll be centrally located in Seattle, within ...
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The Grove West Seattle Inn
With a stay at The Grove West Seattle Inn in Seattle (West Seattle), you'll be within a 5-minute drive of A...
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Holiday Inn Seattle Downtown, an IHG Hotel
With a stay at Holiday Inn Seattle Downtown, an IHG Hotel, you'll be centrally located in Seattle, within a...
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Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Seattle Center
With a stay at Four Points by Sheraton Downtown Seattle Center, you'll be centrally located in Seattle, jus...
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Ace Hotel Seattle
A stay at Ace Hotel Seattle places you in the heart of Seattle, steps from Seattle Waterfront and 5 minutes...
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Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Seattle Downtown/Seattle Center
A stay at Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Seattle Downtown/Seattle Center places you in the heart of Sea...
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Sheraton Grand Seattle
A stay at Sheraton Grand Seattle places you in the heart of Seattle, steps from Seattle Central Business Di...
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Seattle Vacation Home: The Chalet
Located in Seattle (Central District), this vacation home is within a 5-minute drive of Seattle Japanese Ga...
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W Seattle
A stay at W Seattle places you in the heart of Seattle, steps from Seattle Central Business District and Se...
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Also compare: Holidu in Seattle from USD 70/night · LateRooms in Seattle · Expedia in Seattle
Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Seattle, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Peak food season: November through February for Dungeness crab and spot prawns. May for copper river salmon. July through October for Washington stone fruit, tomatoes and the Ballard farmers market at full tilt.
Local dining hours: Lunch 11:30-14:30. Dinner 17:00-22:00, with last seatings creeping early on weeknights. Many kitchens close Sunday or Monday; Pike Place Market opens at 09:00 daily, most stalls wind down by 17:00.
Tipping: Tipping is expected at full-service rooms: 18 to 22 percent on the pre-tax total. Counter spots and seafood bars now add a 20 percent service charge or an iPad prompt; check the receipt before adding more.
Seattle's signature dishes include Dungeness crab, Seattle teriyaki, Pike Place clam chowder, Pacific salmon, Geoduck. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
TableJourney editors map Seattle by district. Pike Place Market, Capitol Hill, Ballard, Fremont are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Editor picks in Seattle include Canlis, Altura, Lark, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
TableJourney covers 5 editor-picked food tours in Seattle, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
TableJourney's Seattle dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.
