Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
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.
Dungeness crab takes its name from the spit of land north of Sequim where Native peoples and later white settlers harvested it from the 1840s on. The Washington commercial fishery formalised in the 1890s and supplied Seattle's restaurants from the rebuilt Pike Place Market after the 1907 fire. Crab season runs winter through summer in the open ocean and December through March in Puget Sound, sex-restricted to males above a 6 1/4 inch carapace. The dish is canonical at Pike Place Chowder and at Westward, where it arrives cracked over crushed ice.
5 editor picks for Dungeness crab in Seattle, ranked by editorial score. All Seattle signature dishes · Dungeness crab across every city.
Also in: Vancouver, San Francisco.
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.
TipWalk-ins from 17:00 on Tuesday to Thursday; Friday and Saturday line up by 16:45 or take Resy at 16:30.
Pike Place Chowder in Seattle is Larry Mellum's 2003 Post Alley counter: eight national chowder cook-off wins, the New England with manila clams.
OrderAward-winning clam chowder
Westward in Seattle on Lake Union's north shore is the Renee Erickson seafood room with a fire pit, deck chairs and a kitchen that serves the city's best.
OrderThe Dungeness crab in season, cracked over crushed ice, with a glass of Chablis.
TipArrive by water on a Boatel from the Center for Wooden Boats for the most Seattle of dinners; book the deck in summer.
Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar in Seattle's Pioneer Square is the on-counter outpost of the 135-year Samish Bay farm: half-shells, geoduck crudo, manila clams.
OrderA dozen Olympias and Kumamotos from the farm, with a glass of grower's Champagne.
TipHappy hour 16:00-17:00 drops the oysters to $1.75 each; the Occidental location is the largest and quietest of the three.
Shaker + Spear in Seattle's Belltown is the Kimpton Palladian seafood room: a kitchen working off the Pike Place fishmongers and Hood Canal shellfish growers.
OrderThe whole roasted rockfish with brown butter and capers, deboned tableside.
TipThe two top by the kitchen pass is the best seat for solos; happy hour runs 16:00-18:00 with $2 oysters.
Dungeness crab makes more sense with someone from Seattle explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
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...
