What and where to eat in Seattle

A prime location on the shore of Lake Union gives this seafood specialist clear views toward downtown and the Space Needle. And even those can’t steal the show from the shimmeringly fresh towers showcasing chilled oysters, giant geoduck clams, local fish ceviche, and cracked crab.

Address: 501 N Northlake Way

This temple to local cuisine prioritizes simplicity in its seasonally rotating four-course tasting menus, supplemented by outstanding service. The new American cuisine comes inflected with Italian touches, such as sweet potato gnocchi, mushroom brodo, and chicory salads.

Address: 952 E Seneca St

Chef Kristi Brown brings the soul food spirit to this spot, as much a low-key party as a restaurant. The Southern-inspired cuisine gets witty Seattle touches, such as a gumbo z’herbes made with Dungeness crab, local hot links, and a Chinese doughnut.

Address: 2350 E Union St

Helmed by former Top Chef contestant Jason Stratton, this small, sweet hideaway in Georgetown with a lively patio brings together Italian traditions (and Stratton’s top-notch pasta-making) with Seattle’s seasonal veggies and pristine seafood.

Address: 1210 S Bailey St

This tiny and precise dining room serves as an ode to the flavors of the Philippines, in fine-dining form. But each dish uses only ingredients found in the Pacific Northwest, telling a story about the immigrant culinary experience through a uniquely immersive meal with history lessons dressed up as dish descriptions.

Address: 5607 Rainier Ave S

In a casual city, Altura makes a case for getting dressed up with its formal tasting menu of Italian dishes sprinkled with locally foraged and farmed ingredients, as well as luxuries, including truffles, Baker River sockeye salmon, and Wagyu beef.

Address: 617 Broadway E

Buzzing with energy and brimming with full tables and clinking glasses, Maripili captures the flavors of a Spanish tapas bar – and the vibes, too. Order small plates or charcuterie for a snack or feast on enticing larger entrées, like rice with crab and cuttlefish.

Address: 1117 12th Ave

Shiro Kashiba trained under the famous Jiro before opening his pioneering sushi restaurant in Seattle. He prepares the best local fish alongside hand-selected specimens, flown directly from Tokyo’s fish market, in a sleek space overlooking the Pike Place Market.

Address: 86 Pine St Suite #1

As the fifth generation of Taylors joined the family shellfish farm, they brought seafood to the people by designing entire restaurants to showcase their pristine aquaculture. Taste the full range of Northwest seafood on the Salish Sampler: fresh oysters, plump spot prawns, and more.

Address: 124 Republican St

In the shadow of the Space Needle, this dockside restaurant features upscale and modern versions of seafood shack cuisine. Warm up with seafood chowder (over French fries, if you wish) in winter, or take to the deck with Champagne and shells in summer.

Address: 1001 Fairview Ave N

Since 2009, chef Makini Howell bucked every trend in vegan restaurants to show how the big, bold flavors of soul food and deep, hearty traditions of comfort food work without animal products from this trendy space in a mixed-use building.

Address: 1429 12th Ave

A beautiful garden courtyard and Instagrammable interior add tons of style to the all-vegetarian, mostly vegan menu of brunch classics and eclectically New American dinners. Queues can get long, but the house cinnamon rolls and strong cocktail menu keep them pleasant.

Address: 2901 E Madison St

Colorful platters of various lentil stews dot the injera that serves as plate, utensil, and starch at Seattle’s many excellent Ethiopian restaurants, but the kind, warm service and elegant décor at this South End spot set it apart.

Address: 5701 Rainier Ave S

Chef Mutsuko Soma makes her soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles) by hand daily, combining them with traditional broths, tempura, and fun modern updates, such as rabbit chashu or firefly squid with seaweed butter. An extensive sake collection rounds out meals at Kamonegi.

Address: 1054 N 39th St

Filipino flavors from acclaimed chef Melissa Miranda’s childhood meet her extensive culinary training in this Beacon Hill house, where she reimagines classic homestyle dishes like kare kare into elegant presentations of short ribs with fried garlic and haricots vert.

Address: 2524 Beacon Ave S

Big windows invite enticing light into this charming neighborhood Lebanese restaurant, tucked away in a corner of Ballard. Seasonal, local ingredients shine on a menu of small mezze plates, but the hummus with sizzling lamb poured over it always deserves the spotlight.

Address: 2408 NW 80th St

Quick, fiery, and delightfully chewy, the biang biang noodles at this Pine Street shop, just over the freeway from downtown, make an ideal lunch. Named for the sound of preparation, which includes slapping the dough, the wide noodles come bathed in spicy oil.

Address: 1203 Pine St

The newest location of a second-generation, family-owned mini-chain offers both the eponymous staple Vietnamese noodle soup Seattle loves so much and some fun twists, like pho-fat infused, banana-leaf-roasted chicken sandwiches. More pho-fat-infused treats feature at the speakeasy upstairs.

Address: 1923 7th Ave

The water never warms up in Puget Sound, so it makes sense to perch a congee shop on the shore. Big bowls of traditional rice porridge come with high-quality and innovative toppings like ling cod with Chinese herbs or Hokkaido scallops.

Address: 6301 Seaview Ave NW

The most affordable eatery in Seattle, with its old-school burgers, fries, and shakes, stays open late and comes with a free show, courtesy of the always amazing people-watching at the only location of the beloved homegrown burger chain that offers indoor seating.

Address: 500 Queen Anne Ave N

Suspend your disbelief while watching a late-night hot dog vendor apply a squiggle of cream cheese to your hot dog. It works, somehow, and gets even better with hot sauce and onions.

Quick, affordable, and available every few blocks, these Vietnamese sandwiches – filled with lemongrass tofu, cured pork, or grilled beef – earned themselves a role as the city’s unofficial signature sandwich.

The chilly waters of Puget Sound mean crisp, briny oysters all year round, but the smooth, deep-cup shells and meaty boldness of tumbled oysters particularly show off the region’s merroir.