Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
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.
Salmon was the staple food of the Coast Salish for thousands of years before Seattle existed. The Duwamish, Suquamish and Muckleshoot ran weirs and traps on the rivers that drain into Puget Sound. The first cannery on the Columbia opened in 1866; by 1900 Washington was canning more salmon than any other state. The 1974 Boldt decision restored treaty fishing rights to 20 Washington tribes. The most prized run today is the copper river king, which arrives at Sea-Tac in mid May to a press cycle that has run uninterrupted since 1983.
4 editor picks for Pacific salmon in Seattle, ranked by editorial score. All Seattle signature dishes · Pacific salmon across every city.
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.
TipTuesday and Wednesday open with quieter dining rooms and the same kitchen; the bar pours the same wine list at half the formality.
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.
Matt's in the Market in Seattle is the Pike Place Corner Market room with windows over the clock: a Pacific Northwest kitchen sourcing five floors down.
OrderThe catfish sandwich at lunch, on Macrina sourdough with house remoulade.
TipLunch counter seats walk in at 11:30 and turn quickly; dinner needs a reservation, especially for window tables.
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.
Pacific salmon 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...
.jpg){kind=link}