Explore Seattle

Dining

• Atoma

  Wallingford

  Contemporary Pacific Northwest

  Small, precise N 45th Street dining room and the most nationally visible kitchen in the city right now.

  2026 James Beard nominee · Johnny Courtney, Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific · 2025 Best New Restaurant finalist

• Surrell

  Madison Valley

  Tasting menu · Counter seating

  Tightly focused counter on East Madison built around a single seasonal tasting menu.

  2026 James Beard nominee · Aaron Tekulve, Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific

• Canlis

  Queen Anne

  Fine dining · Since 1950

  The city's defining special-occasion restaurant, still family-run above Lake Union.

  One of the most decorated restaurants in the Northwest

• Sushi Kashiba

  Pike Place

  Omakase · Japanese

  Chef Shiro Kashiba's counter above the market and the reference point for sushi in Seattle.

  Shiro Kashiba · Three-time James Beard nominee, Outstanding Chef

• Spinasse

  Capitol Hill

  Piedmontese Italian

  Hand-cut tajarin and Piedmontese cooking on 14th Avenue, unchanged in ambition for years.

• Musang

  Beacon Hill

  Filipino · Chef-driven

  Beacon Avenue restaurant with as much civic weight in the neighborhood as culinary reputation.

  Melissa Miranda · 2026 James Beard semifinalist, Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific

• The Walrus and the Carpenter

  Ballard

  Oysters · Seafood

  The oyster bar that reset expectations for the Northwest neighborhood restaurant.

• The Corson Building

  Georgetown

  Prix fixe · Sunday supper

  Courtyard and farmhouse rooms serving prix fixe dinners on a quiet Georgetown street.

Coffee

• Espresso Vivace

  Capitol Hill

  Espresso institution

  The Broadway bar that shaped how Seattle pulls and pours espresso.

• Monorail Espresso

  Downtown

  Walk-up espresso window

  Long-running Downtown walk-up counter and one of the city's original espresso carts.

• Milstead & Co.

  Fremont

  Multi-roaster bar

  Exacting multi-roaster program on N 34th Street, still a benchmark for the city.

• Cafe Allegro

  University District

  Historic espresso bar

  Alley café off the Ave, widely regarded as Seattle's first espresso bar.

• Hello Em Việt Coffee & Roastery

  Chinatown-International District

  Vietnamese coffee · Roastery

  Little Saigon roastery pairing Vietnamese coffee traditions with a serious sourcing program.

• The Station

  Beacon Hill

  Community café

  Community-rooted café beside Beacon Hill Station and a South Seattle institution.

Cocktails & Bars

• Rob Roy

  Belltown

  Cocktails · Belltown

  The bar most Seattle bartenders name first, and a training ground for much of the city's talent.

  Anu Apte · 2026 James Beard semifinalist, Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service

• Roquette

  Belltown

  Cocktails · First Avenue

  Small First Avenue room with one of the most disciplined drink programs in the country.

  2026 James Beard semifinalist · Outstanding Bar

• Canon

  Capitol Hill

  Whiskey · Spirits library

  Encyclopedic spirits collection and one of the most ambitious bar menus in the United States.

• Zig Zag Café

  Pike Place

  Cocktails · Hillclimb

  Cocktail institution on the Pike Street Hillclimb with deep roots in the modern craft revival.

• The Doctor's Office

  Capitol Hill

  Reservation-only · Twelve seats

  Twelve-seat reservation-only bar where each round is built to order for the room.

• Barnacle

  Ballard

  Aperitivo · Wine

  Jewel-box aperitivo bar on Ballard Avenue with a tightly edited list.