Seattle is known for its coffee, software, and spectacular scenery. But it is also a great city for food. Pacific Northwest cuisine is all grown up now and its commitment to the freshest local ingredients, seafood, produce, regional wines and brews - permeates many of the city’s best restaurants.
WILD GINGER 1401 Third Ave., (206) 623-4450 Hours: Mon-Thurs, 11:30 am-11 pm, Sat, 11 am – 12 am, Sun, 4 pm – 11 pm. The Wild Ginger draws its influence and recipes from countries all over the South-East Asia. Here, you can find Indian kebabs, Vietnamese noodles, Burmese curries, and dishes from the south of China. And it all works. The restaurant garnered national attention in the late nineties and its long standing hits such as fragrant duck, red curry squid, and Dungeness crab five ways are all knockouts. The satay bar is still a huge draw, with no less than seven choices. The Bangkok boar is our favorite. The restaurant’s huge space reflects its popularity, and while it can seem cavernous, the finishes are elegant. The Wild Ginger offers a taste of the exotic, for a reasonable price. The estimated cost per diner, for dinner is $30-$45.
EARTH & OCEAN 1112 Forth Ave., (206) 264-6060 Hours: Mon –Fri, 6:30am -10pm, Sat- Sun, 7:30-10pm Earth and Ocean has been a hot spot almost since it opened in 1999. Located in the hip W Hotel, the restaurant calls its menu new American - entrées range from seared ahi tuna to roasted quail and Washington state-grown beef. A special Washington-grown prix fixé menu gives vegetarians an elegant option. Don’t miss the www.chocolate.com – a warm chocolate cake for dessert. Chef Adam Stevenson took over the kitchen in 2006, and seamlessly integrated his own passions, like charcuterie, with the restaurant’s overall philosophy. The weekend brunch is very good, featuring sweet selections like grand marnier brioche French toast and more substantial savory entrees like a cold smoked salmon omelet. The estimated cost per diner, for dinner is $60-$100.
CANLIS 2576 Aurora Ave. N., (206) 283-3313 Hours: Mon-Sat, 5:30pm –close. Closed on Sundays. Canlis has been Seattle’s destination special occasion restaurant since it opened in 1950. Now run by the third generation of the Canlis family, the restaurant experienced a revival during the last decade that vaulted it back to the top of the city’s culinary scene. The menu balances the classics the restaurant is famous for, like the Peter Canlis Prawns - prawns with lime, vermouth, and shrimp butter, with innovations. It was one of the first restaurants in Seattle to offer the delicate Hawaiian farmed Kona Kampachi, and the wine list here is one of the best in town. The service is warm and friendly, from the sommelier, and your waiter, to the parking valets, but just formal enough to maintain that sense of occasion. The estimated cost per diner, for dinner is $60-$100.
LOLA 2000 Forth Ave., (206) 441-1430 Hours: Mon – Fri, 6 am – 12 pm, Sat – Sun 7 am – 12 pm. Lola is one of six establishment owned by famed Seattle chef Tom Douglas. Others include Etta’s, The Palace Kitchen, Dahlia Lounge, Dahlia Bakery, and Serious Pie – a pizzeria, and they are all great. But Lola stands out even among these gems. The only fine dining Greek restaurant in the city, its small plate menu of meze (spreads served with pita) and kabobs will keep you coming back for repeat visits till you’ve tried them all. The lunch menu provides a great way to do this at a bargain price. Entrées also don’t disappoint from the whole seafood to the tagines and roasted meats. The estimated cost per diner, for dinner is $50-$80.
RAY’S BOATHOUSE 6049 Seaview Ave. N.W., (206) 789-6309 Hours: Boathouse, Sun – Thurs 5 pm – 9pm. Fri – Sat 5 pm – 9:30 pm. Café, Sun – Sat 11:30 am – 10 pm. Ray’s Boathouse sits just north of the Ballard locks and commands a view of the sound and the Olympic Mountains that is unequaled by any restaurant in town. It is often overlooked by visitors, as it is a trek to get here from downtown. Both the food and the setting make it worthwhile. Ray’s specializes in seafood, both in the formal dinning room downstairs, and in the upstairs café. Upstairs, the space is warm and casual, a great place for drinks, and downstairs the dining room has a menu that changes weekly based on the freshest ingredients available, but almost always features Alaskan king salmon. The estimated cost per diner, for dinner is $60-$100, in the café, $30-$45.
PLACE PIGALLE 81 Pike St., (206) 624-1756 Hours: Mon – Thurs, 11:30 am-3 pm, 5:30 pm -10 pm, Fri - Sat 11:30 am – 3 pm, 6 pm -10:30 pm. Located in the Pike Place Market, Place Pigalle is one of the best date-restaurants in town. The dark wood fixtures, confident service and outstanding view of Elliot Bay make it worth the effort to find this tiny spot, tucked behind a butcher shop and down a narrow hallway. The name is drawn from Paris’s legendary red light district, and the place has French overtones, but the menu, featuring daily seafood specials, draws from all over the world. The French onion soup, rabbit manchego, and prawns with taro chips are all standouts. Be sure to ask for directions when you call to make a reservation. The estimated cost per diner, for dinner is $60-$100.
CASCADIA 2328 First Ave., (206) 448 8884 Hours: Mon – Thurs, 5 pm – 10 pm. Fri – Sat, 5 pm – 10:30 pm. Closed Sun. Cascadia is known for its elegant décor, five-course tasting menus, and outstanding happy hour menu, which has Seattle hooked on three dollar mini-burgers. Chef Kerry Sears brings his passion and sense of wonder to everything on the menu, from the kumquat soda cured duck to the seasonally available roast elk. Cascadia is one of the few fine restaurants in Seattle that actively welcomes children, offering a special menu for them, approved by the chef’s son. There is a cotton candy machine in the pastry kitchen, (check out the kid’s dessert menu), but our favorite dessert is the caramel apple spring rolls. The estimated cost per diner, for dinner is $60-$100.
ROVER’S 2808 E Madison St., (206) 325-7442 Hours: Fri, 12 pm – 1:30 pm, Tues – Thurs, 6pm –close, Fri – Sat, 5:30 pm – close. Closed Sun – Mon. Rovers is the famed home of Seattle’s chef in the hat, specifically the chef in a fedora. Thierry Rautureau’s restaurant isn’t classically French, but the chef’s French background and training flavor everything on the menu. Three different tasting menus are offered nightly, one of which is always vegetarian, in addition to the a la carté selections. Friday lunch offers a special three-course tasting menu and is a great deal for $35. Rover’s is committed to using local organic ingredients, whenever possible Rover’s is in a converted house, and Rautureau says his goal is for his patrons to feel like they are dinning at a friend’s house. The estimated cost per diner, for dinner is $60-$100.
FLYING FISH 2234 First Ave., (206) 728-8595 Hours: Mon – Fri, 11 am – 2pm, Mon – Sun, 5 pm – 1 am. Chef Christine Keff’s menu changes daily, but one thing you can always rely on – it will feature the freshest fish and produce in town. For the past couple of years the Flying Fish has relied on a local farm, Whistling Train, to grow produce just for the restaurant, and the partnership has been a huge success. The shared platters are fun way to dine family style, if your party can agree on what to eat. During the annual oyster fest, you can’t miss the huge pile of shells outside the restaurant’s front door. The interior is warm, and busy, but the upstairs deck provides a little more privacy and great people watching. The estimated cost per diner, for dinner is $60-$100.
NELL’S 6804 E. Green Lake Way N., (206) 524 4044 Hours: Mon – Sun, 5 pm – 10 pm. Closed major holidays. Nell’s is North of downtown, across from Green Lake. The atmosphere and the service are European – reminiscent of a neighborhood bistro – but the food it a notch above bistro-fare. The menu changes seasonally. When Chef Philip Mihalski opened in 1999, he faced an uphill battle, his new restaurant replacing the much beloved Saleh al Lago. These days though, Nell’s is a destination for Seattle dinners on it’s own merit – but, the Salah’s Calamari with parsley salad is still a mainstay on the menu, and well worth trying. That said, try not to miss the onion tart with artichoke chips and the duck with fava beans and rhubarb sauce, if they are offered during your visit.
The estimated cost per diner, for dinner is $60-$100.
The Top List of Great Restaurants - Seattle, WA