22 Best Restaurants in Seattle, Washington

An instant Central District classic upon opening in late 2020, this acclaimed Black-owned restaurant dishes up “Seattle soul" in a vibrant setting. Think exquisitely prepared soul food that pays homage to family traditions—fried chicken, mac ‘n’ cheese, greens, and cornbread—alongside creative fare honoring Seattle's multicultural intersections, like the Fried Catfish Po’mi, a mashup of po’boy and bánh mi sandwiches. Don’t miss COMMUNION's overnight-simmered neck-bone stew, thick with lima beans and pork bones meant to be sucked clean of their smoky meat bits; it’s the chef’s mother’s time-perfected recipe. 

An organic café with everything you need for a picnic to-go or a leisurely lunch, Deru Market has something for everything. The bright, modern space starts the day with excellent coffee and pastries, with filling brunches on weekends. Lunch brings pizza, sandwiches, and salads, plus a few larger plates, while dinner brings a few extra main dishes. Vegetable side dishes compete with excellent French fries for table space, and most diners save room for a slice of the layer cakes that sit temptingly on the counter.

An Instagram-perfect brunch spot, this Ballard charmer deals in trends like thick ricotta toast, and classic comforts like Benedicts and cheesy egg bakes. The light-filled café offers house-made baked goods and coffee from the marble countertop. Once seated, brunchers dig into house-made yogurt, granola, and the legendary crispy potatoes, and, later in the day, heartier savory lunches. As befits such a great morning spot, fresh-squeezed juices and a well-curated wine list make for excellent day drinking of all types.

Westward singularly nails the dream of Seattle visitors and locals alike: serving high-quality, fresh local seafood from a waterfront location with a view. Lake Union laps at the rocky shore just feet from where diners look out toward Downtown as just-shucked oysters gleam from seafood towers. Owned by Seattle's seafood queen, Renee Erickson, Westward takes its mission to present pristine seafood in a simple fashion very seriously, starting with the splurge-worthy shellfish tower. The short menu focuses on chilled and raw seafood, but also includes a few small salads and larger dishes that come from the wood-fired oven. The wine list is excellent, but the full bar also offers a flight of mezcal to pair with the oysters.

Weaving local seafood into gastropub-style favorites, this waterfront restaurant makes food as good as the view, which stretches up to the Space Needle to the west and over to Lake Union to the north. Seafood chowder, both on its own and over fries as "Poutine o' the Sea," Dungeness Crab Louie salad, and amazing oysters show off the kitchen's skill with the local treasures. The menu offers plenty of options from snacks to seafood platters, plus some meat and vegetable dishes for any landlubbers. In the summer, grab a quick chowder at the 100-Pound Clam, the restaurant's sister shack on the patio, or stop by on weekday afternoons for "Shells and Champagne" happy hour specials.

The vegetarian and vegan menu changes frequently at Café Flora, but the chefs tend to keep things simple, with dishes like black-bean burgers topped with spicy aioli, polenta with leeks and spinach, and the popular tacos dorados (corn tortillas filled with potatoes and four types of cheese). You can eat in the Atrium, which has a stone fountain, skylight, and garden-style café tables and chairs. Brunch is a big draw, too—try the fantastic waffles served with fresh seasonal fruits. The scene can get a bit hectic with the mass of families. 

Looking like a cross between a truck-stop diner and a Tex-Mex restaurant, this tiny café has outstanding breakfast options—including traditional favorites from every region of Mexico. Wait for a space in the tiny dining room, belly up to the counter, or just watch the frenetic activity as everything from soup to salsa is made from scratch. Lunch and dinner are just as good as breakfast (served daily from 9 to 3). Try delectable pork carnitas; chorizo from the state of Michoacán; mole negro over pork or chicken; rockfish with cinnamon and guajillo chiles; and mouthwatering chilaquiles—tortilla chips cooked in green or red salsa and topped with cream.

Offering a taste of New Orleans in the Central District, Fat's Chicken & Waffles serves authentic Southern cuisine in a hip spot filled with furniture and murals made by local artists. Helmed by a chef with deep Louisiana roots, Fat's serves shrimp and grits, fried okra, red beans and rice, and other soul food classics in addition to the namesake chicken and waffles.

Harry's Beach House, where the breeze is always scented with saltwater, is a casual yet exciting restaurant that opened in an old coffee shop in 2019. Spacious, warmly lit, and friendly, it's the perfect place to enjoy a long brunch or a drink and a snack after a day on the beach. The food is elegant but homey, with biscuits and a beloved burger plus seafood. Service can be slow, but that just gives you more time to enjoy the view.

Married chef-owners Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi have wowed Seattle diners with their French-fusion spins on Asian cuisine. Joule's nouvelle take on a Korean steak house serves meat options like Wagyu bavette steak with truffled pine nuts and short rib with Kalbi and grilled kimchi. Nonmeat menu items include Chinese broccoli with walnut pesto and mackerel with green curry cilantro crust and black currant. The weekend brunch buffet goes slightly more mainstream with a fruit and pastry buffet, as well as entrées like oatmeal-stuffed porchetta.

Tom Douglas dishes out his signature Northwest style, spiked with Greek and Mediterranean touches—another huge success for the local celebrity chef. Try a spice-rubbed lamb chop or the eggplant shakshuka, which elevates the humble eggplant to new heights. Also on the menu: a variety of kebabs (including a halloumi cheese-and-fig version for vegetarians) and scrumptious spreads including hummus, tzatziki, and harissa (a red-pepper concoction). Booths are usually full at this bustling, dimly lit restaurant, which anchors the Hotel Ändra. The weekend brunch is also fabulous; save room for the doughnuts.

One of Seattle's favorite bakeries is also popular for breakfast and brunch and an excellent place to take a delicious break on your way to or from the Olympic Sculpture Park. With its perfectly executed breads and pastries—from Nutella brioche and ginger cookies to almond croissants and dark chocolate, sugar-dusted brownies—it's become a true Belltown institution. You can also wait for a table and have a larger breakfast or lunch—sandwiches, quiches, and salads are all fresh and expertly made.

The Eastside sibling of Capitol Hill's darling Vietnamese eatery is utterly polished and sleek— much fancier than the original restaurant. But the favorites remain the same: diners love the bo la lot beef, crispy drunken chicken, catfish clay pot, and barbecued hoisin pork ribs, and all go impressively well with the specialty cocktails. In signature Bellevue style, diners dress up a bit more than in, say, Capitol Hill or Ballard, though the weekend dim sum brunches draw more casual diners. The free parking in the garage behind the restaurant is a boon on busy Main Street.

With an elegant bar and laid-back roof deck, this serene Vietnamese restaurant on a tree-lined residential stretch of Capitol Hill is a better bet than ever. Upscale fare blends Vietnamese and Pacific Northwest elements, including wild prawns with lemongrass, catfish clay pot with fresh coconut juice and green onion, and lamb with fermented soybeans and sweet onions. Homemade ice creams include lychee and mango, but the restaurant's most famous dessert is the coconut crème caramel. The wine cellar has nearly 250 varieties, including many French selections. The weekend brunch—which serves traditional Vietnamese offerings, dim sum, and favorites like French toast and eggs en cocotte—is divine.

This elegant but ultimately casual all-day café suits the needs of upscale U-Village perfectly. Whether you're looking to recharge with a fancy coffee drink, bubbles, or a cocktail, this spot has just the thing. The menu ranges from little nibbles to full-fledged meals, but everything from the maple pecan granola to the pesto and pickle grilled cheese is many cuts above the standard coffee shop fare. Look for intriguing ingredients, Instagrammable plates, and plenty of options to keep you moving as you shop and explore.

Right in the center of the Pike–Pine universe, this huge, ultrahip space anchoring the Oddfellows Building, across from Cal Anderson Park, serves inspired American food from morning coffee to evening drinks. The day might start with breakfast biscuits and thick brioche French toast; later on you can order the "Oddball" sandwich of meatballs in marinara sauce with provolone and Parmesan and roasted free-range chicken. Service is sometimes a bit lacking, but the communal-style seating, Capitol Hill hipster-chic vibe, cold brews, and festive music make this a fun place to watch the day go by or spend an evening out.

A temple to uniquely prepared seafood, this is the restaurant that locals want to bring visitors to: an example of the casual way seafood weaves into all sorts of dishes when you live so close to such bounty. The mix of appetizers, oyster shooters, small plates, and full entrées makes the long menu an epic adventure filled with fresh local, domestic, and global fish—from local oysters to Hawaiian tuna, and back to black cod from Washington’s own Neah Bay. The dining room, built with ample wood and wall-sized murals of waterscapes, invokes the idea of a modern fishing lodge, but the high ceilings and sharp metals keep it more lively than cozy.

It's undeniably touristy, but the views simply can't be beat on a summer afternoon. Famed for its Sunday and holiday brunches and view of Seattle's skyline across the harbor, Salty's offers more in the way of quantity than quality—and sometimes a bit too much of its namesake ingredient—but it's a couple of steps up from the mainstream seafood chains. If you can get a table with a view, order a wine by the glass and a cup of chowder or some crab legs, and enjoy.

Like the Edgewater Hotel that houses it, Six Seven would be noteworthy for its views of Elliott Bay and the Puget Sound alone, especially if you opt to dine at the café tables lining the deck at sunset. Regionally sourced seafood such as planked salmon, miso-glazed black cod, and a flavorful bouillabaisse take top billing on the menu, which also features dishes like lamb ragout pasta and Roquefort-crusted filet mignon alongside an award-winning wine list.

Stylish and swimming in light, the oak paneling, dark accents, and wide windows onto bustling Ballard Avenue give this quasi-Italian joint an exciting vibe. The menu keeps one foot firmly rooted in Italy, with sections for pizza and pasta on the menu full of Mediterranean sensibilities. But it also pays heed to Northwest ingredients like Hama Hama clams in the soup and local mushrooms on pizza. Astute eaters will also find hints of global influence: gojuchang, poblano peppers, and fish sauce. The excellent bar boasts, in addition to traditional drinks, a wide variety of nonalcoholic cocktails.

Watson's Counter keeps things quirky: the Fruity Pebs French Toast tends to go viral on Instagram, but the Korean-style fried chicken (alone, on waffles, or in a sandwich) and assorted eclectic breakfast foods keep this spot from one-hit-wonder status. Friendly service, excellent coffee, and a spare, modern look make it an easy place to love. Just don't fall too hard: the crowds mean they sometimes enforce time limits on tables that linger too long.