Spice levels are already locked in, with a DIY chili caddy ready to make you cry. Lunch prioritizing succulent grilled khao man gai yang will be as soul-fulfilling as dinner involving a sticky pile of the pad thai special. Yeah, it’s ambitious to operate a restaurant whose name translates to “Very Delicious.” But Aroy Mak is not just a name—it’s a prophecy.

Shomon Kappo Sushi

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• And if something from the sea isn’t your thing, the smashburger (with a tasty mess of beef drippings and caramelized onions) is just as incredible as the pescatarian stuff.
• You could be in New Orleans, you could be on a past-its-prime Italian estate; you’re definitely not in Seattle.
• Set in the heart of Lincoln Center, the Afro-Caribbean restaurant has reshaped New York City’s dining scene since opening in late 2022.
• Yeah, it’s ambitious to operate a restaurant whose name translates to “Very Delicious.” But Aroy Mak is not just a name—it’s a prophecy.
• And unlike similar spots that are lonely and stuffy, the spacious 14-seat counter has the same chat-a-lot energy as a neighborhood diner.

Chef’s Counter Omakase Experience

A cozy spot in Capitol Hill that serves some of the best pasta in Seattle. It’s perfect for a romantic dinner or an intimate meal with friends. While the rest of Seattle just hoped for a slightly better taco, chef Janet Becerra skipped waiting for someone to make a decent tortilla in town and learned to grind and nixtamalize heirloom corn herself—which she and her team do daily at Pancita. They press that masa into each tortilla they serve, along with various other antojitos, including the memelas that go with housemade hoja santa-wrapped queso fresco on the cheese plate. Seattle’s oldest Japanese restaurant has stories aplenty in its 120-year history, from rebuilding after incarceration to Seattle’s first-ever sushi bar—to legendary operators Jean Nakayama and nonagenarian bartender Fusae “Mom” Yokoyama. But this nihonmachi jewel still delivers remarkable comfort food, like the miso-marinated black cod collar.

Westward Whiskey- A Taste of the Pacific Northwest

Ahadu’s welcoming chef and owner Menbere Medhane, with son Raeye. Spinasse on Capitol Hill is the best fork-up-your-money Italian restaurant in Seattle. Seattleites love the vegetarian fare and charming interior of Cafe Flora in Madison Valley. Head to Tat’s Deli in Pioneer Square to see what all the hype is about. You’ll find this popular Taiwanese hot pot restaurant at 610 5th Ave.

Sushi Kashiba

The best restaurants play with form, as in a taco shop inside a mini-mart making its own masa, a dockside, multi-cultural bakery with a stained-glass ode to bread, or a tiny hallway serving foie gras doughnuts and escargot popovers. Find the ideal cult-favorite noodles, freshly caught wild salmon, or multi-course feast on our list of the best places to eat in Seattle. We won’t call him “elder” just yet, but John Sundstrom is absolutely a culinary statesman in Seattle.

If you need an Alternative Restaurant Menu with prices, you can follow the Ice Cream Truck Menu . Every restaurant on this list has been selected independently by Condé Nast Traveler editors and reviewed by a local contributor who has visited that restaurant. Our editors consider both high-end and affordable eateries, and weigh stand-out dishes, location, and tatiana coin service—as well as inclusivity and sustainability credentials.

Inspector Favorite Spots for First Timers

The “London royal,” the Rodney Dangerfield of beef cuts, gets redeemed with careful prep and lots of butter. Sometimes the best place to eat is the closest slice to you, other times it’s the place that knows your order. Diners’ Choice Awards are based on where your fellow diners book, dine, and review.

• However, if you can’t bear to only eat with one other person, there is some wisdom to the idea that looking for larger tables (5-6 people) can be a winning strategy because people are less likely to book them when available.
• The food is still show-off-y though, incorporating the sea into everything from the seaweed focaccia with a briny algae butter (an acquired taste) to the Caesar salad with a creamy kelp dressing.
• La Cabaña in Greenwood is Seattle’s undisputed champion of Central American food.
• That was the question we posed to our Instagram and Facebook followers.

Local Tide

Cultural influences play a big part in the food scene in Seattle, and you can find some of the best Asian food in the United States here. From top-rated establishments near Pike Place Market to favorite neighborhood gems, nothing is off-limits. I’m a Seattle transplant who has traveled the world for over a decade and lives for tasting authentic flavors and mouthwatering cuisines. I’m constantly trying new restaurants in Seattle, looking for amazing dining experiences for all budgets, and revisiting favorites. This unassuming spot keeps limited hours and eschews delivery apps or even a website.

Dishes like vaca frita, tostones, and pescado en guiso—even the accompanying rice—bear the finesse of 20 years of experience. Tropically hued walls backdrop a patio that looks balmy no matter the weather. Shaun McCrain has always operated on his own exacting frequency. Three-course tasting menus are rife with classic French elements, but actual ingredients can globe-trot from Italy to Japan with plenty of Northwest stops. Nearly seven decades of history, hospitality, and cliffhanging views from atop Queen Anne Hill cemented Canlis’s icon status long ago.

In 2024, the burgers at this newly opened Beacon Hill Guamanian restaurant went viral, and for good reason. With miso providing a hint of umami and onions lending a sharpness to the bite, these are smashburgers assembled with care. But that same care infuses the rest of the menu overseen by industry vet Elmer Dulla.

Your chances improve significantly on quieter nights like Mondays or Tuesdays, when there are no shows or events at Lincoln Center, or during slower periods of the year. A small French bistro loved by locals for years that will make you feel as if you’ve traveled from current day Seattle to bygone Paris. It’s a Pike Place Market neighborhood treasure you don’t want to miss. Chef Melissa Miranda is a force on so many levels—an advocate within her culinary, cultural, and geographic communities.

You’ll probably come to Tivoli for the pizzas — New York–style dough, foldable with a moreish tang, the crust is the star whether you get plain cheese or one of the rotating seasonal specials. But Tivoli has a secret second life as a small plates restaurant, with dishes like wood-fired rainbow carrots, sweet and charred, with a zingy horseradish cream. You can also stop in for lunch; get the mortadella sandwich, served with fluffy ricotta on fresh focaccia. (It’s the Saint Bread crew, led by Yasuaki Saito, running things, so you know everything bread-related is on point.) There’s even a happy hour on weekdays from 3 to 5 p.m. Whether redefining the cuisines their parents brought across oceans or bringing wry humor to the staid traditions of fine-dining, Seattle chefs combine creativity with the impressive bounty of local seafood, produce, and craft beverages.