Wine & Dine at these Top Downtown Seattle Restaurants
Imagine: You are downtown, enjoying the sights and sounds of the busy city life. But you are hungry. Where do you go? With so many restaurants in downtown Seattle, it can be hard to pick the best place to go first. Don’t worry- let us make it easy for you. We put together this list of some of the top Seattle Restaurants.
1. Blueacre Seafood
Kevin & Teresa Davis, Chef & Owner of Blueacre Seafood.
Part of the Kevin Davis Family Restaurant group and located in the middle of Downtown Seattle on 7th Ave., this is a top seafood restaurant and a perfect place to visit for those staying in Downtown Seattle hotels. The reason: Great food and excellent service. If you decide to dine at Blueacre, try the King Salmon, with pan fried-potatoes and port-soaked cherries.
2. Heartwood Provisions
Go to Heartwood Provisions for excellent food and beautifully paired cocktails.
Just a five-minute walk from the Pike Place Market, Heartwood Provisions provides the perfect atmosphere to kick back and enjoy good food & drink. The large half-circle bar is beautiful, with a full view of their diverse collection of spirits. What really makes this restaurant stand out from the rest is how their menu is designed to pair with cocktails. Beverage Director Amanda Reed created beautiful cocktails to pair with each menu item. Virtually, anything and everything you order will be part of a tasting menu. The happy hour here is killer as well, we recommend the Poutine and their O.G. Old Fashioned.
3. Von’s 1000 Spirits
Sourdough pasta is very uncommon in Seattle.
This 100+ year old bar, is known for its unique cocktails and scratch approach to food and drink. On the spirits side, one can look through their very own Bar Bible, which lists all 1300+ spirits available behind the bar. They also barrel-age their own whiskey, Tequila, and sanctify their own Vodka. On the food side, Chef Jason Amador uses his 54-year-old sourdough starter, passed on to him by his family, to make sourdough bread, pizza and pasta. We love the Smoked Salmon Alfredo, made with sourdough pasta, creamy alfredo sauce and succulent smoked salmon.
4. Lecosho
Find Lecosho in the center of the Harbor Steps in Downtown Seattle.
Lecosho, just 2 blocks away from the Pike Place Market along the Harbor Steps, was voted as one of the top ten best new restaurants in 2010. A small, cozy candle-lit space makes for a very intimate meal, complete with an outside patio for warm Summer evenings as well. The owners Jill and Matt (of Matt’s in the Market fame) describe their food as “food we like”. Pasta is made in-house, as well as their sausage and charcuterie. Impress your crush here on date night.
5. Gourmet Seattle Food Tour
Follow the Pink Umbrella!
Want to explore and indulge at 7 different restaurants in two and a half hours? Then do we have an experience for you! The Gourmet Seattle Food Tour takes you on a culinary adventure, as you learn about the fine dining history of Seattle, all while eating and drinking delicious food and great wine.
Why wait, book now!
6. Noi
Noi offers some of the best Thai food available in downtown Seattle.
Noi brings royal Thai cuisine to you and me. The atmosphere here is elegant, with gold plated silverware and black table cloths, you’ll feel as if you were eating in a palace. The food is presented incredibly, with unique plates and ways of servings, such as serving their Tom Yum Soup tableside. The crispy garlic fried chicken is a signature dish on their menu, and worthy of an order to go along with anything that your eyes (and stomachs) are drawn to.
7. Scout PNW
The food here is definitely worthy of a photo or two.
Scout PNW is part of Chef Josh Henderson’s Huxley-Wallace Collective. Located on the corner of Stewart Street and First Ave., come here for the best of the Pacific Northwest. The menu is constantly changing to the seasons, and stress on quality, being so close to the Historic Pike Place Market, give them no excuse. They also do very special dinner series, which you can learn more about Here.
8. The Carlile Room
The Hunter S. Thompson Platter is too big for any camera lens.
With all the charm of an old school diner, and plenty of space for larger groups, the Carlile Room is the perfect place to wine & dine before or after a show at the Paramount Theater. The menu is vegetable focused, highlighting its use of vegies, without banishing meat completely. If you have a big appetite, go for the Hunter S. Thompson Platter: eggs, bacon, grapefruit, french fries, a dessert, milk, coffee, and more – The platter is a tribute to the late great journalist and writer.
9. Sansei Sushi and Seafood
The Panko-crusted Fresh Tuna Roll is one of the most popular rolls at this sushi restaurant and bar.
Do you love Sushi? How about colorful, creative rolls and presentation? Then Sansei Sushi is the place for you. The restaurant has multiple locations in Hawaii and one here in Seattle, where Chef Ian Jensen creates masterful dishes and rolls, as the brand is known for in Hawaii. “Sansei” refers to “third generation” and was named so to represent Owner D.K. Kodama’s ancestry as a third Generation Japanese American. Our favorite Roll? The Panko-Crusted Fresh Tuna Sashimi Roll, shown above.
10. Rider Seattle
Rider celebrates the best of the forest & ocean.
Rider is focused on bringing the best of the forest and the ocean. Using an open woodfired grill, the seafood is sourced from sustainable local fishermen and seasonal vegetables from Pacific Northwest farmers and sustainable foragers. Drop in to take a break from shopping, it’s located just across the street from Nordstrom and Pacific Place.
11. Din Tai Fung – Pacific Place
Din Tai Fung was named one of the top 10 restaurants in the world.
World famous for its soup dumplings – The Din Tai Fung in Pacific Place is one of the newest locations to grace the Pacific Northwest. This world-renown chain has humble roots as a small storefront from Taipei, Taiwan, but has grown to have locations all over the world, with eleven in the United States. Seattle is home to four of these locations, and has embraced these dumplings with open arms. Their Xiao Long Bao is not to be missed.
12. Etta’s Seafood Restaurant
Find Etta’s just north of Pike Place Market.
Etta’s Seafood Restaurant serves some of the best seafood in the city but one thing we are a fan of: The Dungeness Crab Cakes. If you are a fan of crab cakes, then look no further. Panko-crusted, and formed with nothing but crab – no fillers – the chefs in this kitchen don’t play around! It makes sense too, as the restaurant is part of the Tom Douglas restaurant group, a name Seattleites have come to trust for high quality service, atmosphere and food.
13. TanakaSan
Don’t skip dessert at TanakaSan, this Chocolate Cake is calling…
Chef Eric Tanaka was once the sous Chef to his long-time friend Chef Tom Douglas. Tom helped his friend live his dream by helping him open this restaurant. Here you will find Asian inspired gourmet cuisine, with options perfect for lunch or dinner. TanakaSan is located in the South Lake Union neighborhood, right next to the Amazon Day 1 building. Come here after work hours for a Sake Slushy, a boozy treat you don’t want to miss.
14. Metropolitan Grill
Get classy with a Shrimp Cocktail before your main course!
A Seattle institution, The Met, as it is often referred to, is a steak lovers dream come true. The Met keeps itself as a true steakhouse and focusing on just the classics: think Filet Mignon and Martinis. The 40 foot-long long marble bar is worthy for a meetup to watch a game or to meet friends, and the tableside service, with waiters dressed in tuxedos is worthy to impress any date.
15. Purple Wine bar and Café
You never have to worry about an empty glass at Purple Cafe.
Wine lovers will love Purple for its luxurious list of fine wines from all over the world. The wine bar and restaurant shows off its collection to the city with its large window-pane walls and giant spiraling staircase that is surrounded by wine bottles. Sommeliers are on site to answer questions about new and undiscovered pours, while you wait for a delicious meal to be made from the kitchen.
16. Serious Pie
Some claim Serious Pie as the best pizza in Seattle, do you agree?
A Tom Douglas restaurant, Serious Pie has been long celebrated as one of the best pizzas in the city. Pizza lovers swear by his Fennel and Italian Sausage pizza, yet the creativity doesn’t just stop there. The dough is made in-house and done so every day, and the downtown location alone orders around $20,000 in cheese imported from Italy. A custom, fresh made pizza is only minutes away from the wood-fired oven to your plate.
17. Il Corvo Pasta
One of the three main pasta dishes available at Il Corvo.
Run by James Beard nominated Chef Mike Easton, this weekday lunch-only restaurant is a fan favorite among those visiting Seattle. A Long line flowing out the door is typical, but not a reason to be avoided. Rather, the line goes by pretty fast, and the turnover on tables are quick. The menu here is small so ordering one of each pasta (there are usually three available) is common practice. Mangia, Mangia!
18. Tankard & Tun
The oyster bar always has a great selection.
This elevated dining destination brings great beer and delicious Seafood together. Expect the same great beer that the Pike Brewing Company is known for, but now add local, fresh seafood to the mix. The raw bar typically has a variety of choices, including a selection from Taylor Shellfish farms. Did we mention how much we love the Fish & Chips here? It is some of the best in the city!
19. Hole in the Wall BBQ
Awarding Winning BBQ here in Seattle!
Directly next to Il Corvo on James Street, Hole in the Wall BBQ keeps it simple: Solid BBQ. Open only for lunch, this store front has been serving lunch plates and al-la-cart bbq since the early 90s. No frills, but you will be thrilled by their BQQ Brisket, tender and smoked to perfection. We promise: the BBQ here is finger-licking good.
20. Loulay
The Chef in the Hat always knows how to impress!
Want French? Then look no further than Lulay, run by the Chef in the Hat, Thierry Rautureau. This award wining restaurant has been around for over 5 years, and was named the 2014 Restaurant of the Year by the Seattle Met. Chef Rautureau himself been in Seatlle since the late 80’s and won the James Beard Award for Best Chef North West in 1998. The food at Loulay is described as Northwest contemporary with a French accent. Think Dungeness Crab Salad, Chanterelle Mushroom Tartine, even a good ol’ fashion Cheese Burger is on the menu, if old fashion meant Foie Gras and a duck egg on top, that is.
21. The Butcher’s Table
Steak Tartar, anyone?
Waygu-beef, anyone? This snazzy restaurant had sights to be “Seattle’s next great luxury Restaurant,” and so far has proved critics right, as they combine fine dining, a lively bar and its own butcher shop. The restaurant gets first choice on their best Waygu from Mishima Reserve Wagyu Beef, as the Owner of the Butcher’s Table – Kurt Beecher Dammeier – also owns Mishima Reserve. You might also recognize his name, made famous here in Seattle in Pike Place Market, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese. The butcher shop lets you take home some of those delicious prime cuts of American Waygu right home, continuing the high quality experience in your own kitchen.
