I get asked what my go-to restaurants in Seattle are all the time. With so much delicious food in this city, I find it hard to not break in a sweat and start asking all these clarifying questions like, “What are you looking for?! What are you craving?!”
To be better prepared, I thought I’d list out all the places that I can’t get enough of. You know what I’m talking about: the restaurants that you take all out-of-town guests, host birthday dinners, recommend non-stop, and maybe even are a regular at.
While all my go-to Seattle restaurants are good for any occasion, I listed out which each is best for and what dish I always get. This list is long, so get ready for some serious eating in your future!
Must Go-to Restaurants in Seattle
Delancey
website | 1415 NW 70t St (Ballard) | best for: dinner | go-to for: pizza and birthday dinners
It’s very east coast of me that a pizzeria owned by a guy from Jersey is my favorite restaurant in Seattle. But I can’t help myself: Delancey makes the best pizza in Seattle hands down.
They specialize in New York-style, oven-fired pizza. I actually cried the first time I had their Brooklyn pie because I was homesick and it tasted just like the pizza I grew up eating. I’ve been a regular here since I tasted that first bite at their soft opening almost a decade ago, and it’s the place I have my birthday dinner every year.
What to get: The Brooklyn pie is a must. Don’t add toppings, just embrace how perfect their pizza is without hiding behind anything. Then get the white pie. It has the most addictive flavor with a lot of extra roasted garlic and generous helpings of ricotta. I flip flop each time I go on which of these pies is my favorite, so nowadays we don’t even look at the menu and just order both.
Pagliacci
website | various locations | best for: lunch or dinner | go-to for: NY-style pizza takeout and delivery
I’m an Italian-American Jersey girl at heart so obviously there’d be two pizza spots on this list.
Some people may fight me over this, but I stand by it: Pagliacci makes the closest version of the New York-style pizza I grew up eating at every pizzeria in New Jersey. Not the type made in a fire like Delancey, but the ones made in those huge silver mechanical ovens. Nothing speaks comfort food to me like this type of pizza and this Seattle-area pizza chain has it on lock.
What to get: The plain cheese pizza. Seriously. No toppings. This lets you taste the perfect combination of cheeses and sweet tomato sauce without getting lost in other flavors. I judge all pizzas by how they can show up without any theatrics and Pagliacci passes my test with their cheese pizza.
RockCreek
website | 4300 Fremont Ave N (Fremont) | best for: dinner | go-to for: brunch, seafood, and out-of-town visitors
RockCreek is my second favorite go-to restaurant and one of the best restaurants in North Seattle. I bring literally all visitors here because it hits all the marks for earning me street cred. It’s seafood heavy so it fits the mental model of “Pacific Northwest”, yet it has enough other dishes to keep seafood haters at bay.
It also has gorgeous ambiance in their indoor dining room, plus a pretty covered patio, so it’s great for a special occasion. It’s acclaimed by local food writers, but isn’t often talked about in guide books so if feels under the radar. Plus they do brunch. Enough said.
The dinner menu comprises of small plates good for sharing. This isn’t a Seattle fine dining restaurant, but it has a fancier vibe to work for both a dinner with work colleagues and a date night. The bar program is also pretty dang good if you have cocktail lovers in your group.
What to get: Gah, so much. First, let’s talk dinner. To start, get the cauliflower salad. You’ll likely be skeptical, but it’s unreal. The flavors of sharp cheese with raw cauliflower sliced thin is a revelation.
Next, get the “Provençal” fish. It’s sometimes served with black cod, other times sea bass, but the preparation is always the same. It has a nuoc cham Vietnamese-style sauce and is piled high with fresh herbs and the most perfectly crispy fried shallots. I’ve eaten this dish 30 minutes after it arrived while taking photos and it was still moan worthy.
Finish your meal with their s’mores and key lime pie cups.
Yes, you must get both…even if you’re full. The s’more is like a pot de creme with some of the best caramel I’ve ever had, homemade graham cracker, and marshmallow meringue toasted with a torch. The key lime pie also has that graham cracker and a more curd-like key lime filling. To put it in perspective, we brought Dan’s brothers here and they requested we go back a second time during their trip just for the desserts. I love them so much, in fact, they’re on my list of the best desserts in Seattle.
For brunch, don’t miss the citrus and ricotta appetizer and the oyster ‘po boy benedict. I would have never typically ordered the citrus dish, but it’s so refreshing and surprisingly flavorful for being made with such simple ingredients.
Given how much I just gushed over RockCreek, you can see why it’s one of my go-to restaurants in Seattle!
The Walrus and the Carpenter
website | 4743 Ballard Ave NW (Ballard) | best for: dinner | go-to for: oysters
This is my third favorite of my go-to restaurants in Seattle. It’s owned by award-winning restauranteur Renee Erickson who designs some of the most beautiful dining rooms in the city. While this place isn’t fine dining, it’s definitely on the nicer side. And the bill will add up since you’ll want to order everything on the menu, so plan accordingly!
The Walrus and the Carpenter was Renee’s first restaurant in the Seattle area. They focus on seafood with a French-beach-town-meets-Pacific-Northwest vibe. You’ll find small plates and a seasonal oyster menu. This place used to be difficult to get into, but they started taking reservations during the pandemic.
What to get: Oysters are a must since this is first and foremost an oyster bar. Even if you think you don’t like them, after you try how fresh they are at Walbar, you will.
The other must-get fish dish here is the grilled sardines. It’s big hunks of fish served without bones or heads and covered in an oily gremolata of parsley and nuts. It’s super flavorful thanks to all the fat, but the gremolata makes it feel light and fresh.
Even though this is a one of the best seafood restaurant in Seattle, my absolute favorite dish here is the steak tartare. I’ve yet to find a better steak tartare in the Seattle area. It’s the perfect consistency and is served with the most flavorful, thin and crispy rye toasts. Even if you think you don’t like eating raw egg and beef, I know this dish will change your mind.
Pro tip: Go for happy hour Monday through Thursday from 4 to 5 pm to get cheaper oysters.
La Cabaña
website | 606 N 105th St (Greenwood) | best for: lunch or dinner | go-to for: takeout
When I’m craving comfort food takeout near where I live in North Seattle, La Cabaña is my go-to. This Central American restaurant is rarely talked about by local food writers but it is so, friggin’ awesome.
This spot in Greenwood is on a busy road so it’s easy to blow by. But doing so would be a mistake. It was opened in 2015 by Selvin Oseguera and his family and they make the best Latin food I’ve had in the Seattle area.
What to get: The mar y tierra molcajete, plantains, and pupusas. The pupusas are hands down the best I’ve had: really flavorful but not too greasy. My favorite is the bean and cheese.
Their plantains are also a great accompaniment to whatever you get because they’re sweet and help cool down your mouth from any of the spicy salsas you may try.
Now, the molcajete. Typically when you’re doing indoor dining this is served in a traditional molcajete stone that keeps the meats sizzling sort of like a fajita pan. But even without the theatrics if you get takeout, this is one of the most flavorful dishes I’ve had in Seattle. In it you’ll find steak, chicken, chorizo, shrimp, cactus, queso fresco, grilled scallions, avocado, and literally the most flavorful rice you’ll ever have.
Stoneburner
website | 5214 Ballard Ave NW (Ballard) | best for: brunch or dinner | go-to for: brunch and ambiance
Stoneburner is one of my go-to Seattle restaurants when I want some ambiance and consistently great food. This Italian restaurant has really inspiring vintage decor picked up from the owners travels. They have garage doors as windows, so when they’re thrown open on a warm day you have a cool indoor-outdoor al fresco dining vibe.
What to get: I love coming here for brunch for two dishes, their Caesar and bucatini carbonara. The Caesar’s main component changes depending on the season. Sometimes it’ll be asparagus, others it’ll be Brussel sprouts, but regardless of the season it’s always one of the most composed salads I’ve had in Seattle.
The carbonara is what dreams are made of. The smoked bacon adds a deep meaty flavor while the egg yolk coats your tongue. Then you’re surprised by sweet caramelized onions that give it a depth of flavor you don’t get with all carbonaras. I love it so much it’s on my list of the best pasta in Seattle.
CrackleMi
website | 5602 22nd Ave NW (Ballard) & 709 N 35th St (Fremont) | best for: lunch or dinner | go-to for: quick, healthy bowls
CrackleMi is my go-to when I don’t want to cook, but I also don’t want a gut buster. It’s a Vietnamese grill that makes excellent rice bowls heaping with meat. The combination of acidic, fatty, and salty is addictive, plus it has a lot of textures to satisfy any craving.
What to get: Don’t miss the Cookout. It has grilled marinated boneless short rib, grilled chicken, and a dark-soy hardboiled egg served with lettuce, pickled daikon carrot, satay scallions, cucumber, jalapeños, tomatoes, cilantro on hot broken rice. You should also get the side of short rib daikon soup. It’s some of the most flavorful broth I’ve ever had.
Mr. Gyros
website | 5522 20th Ave NW (Ballard) and 256 NE 65th St (Wallingford) | best for: lunch or dinner | go-to for: Mediterranean
Mr. Gyros is one of my go-to restaurants in Seattle when I want a quick takeout or delivery meal that’s cheap. They serve Mediterranean street food like gyros, falafels, and shawarma. They were voted one of the most loved restaurants on Yelp a few years back and it’s with good reason: they have hands down the most flavorful gyro meat in the Seattle area.
What to get: The gyro sandwich. The lamb/beef cooked on the spit is seriously the juiciest I’ve had and they don’t skimp. It goes beautifully on their super thick pitas with creamy and tart tzatziki. They also make a yummy chicken shawarma.
Spinasse
website | 1531 14th Ave (Capitol Hill) | best for: dinner | go-to for: fancy Italian
Spinasse has my favorite tasting menu in all of Seattle. For about $115 per person, you get literally everything on the menu except the dessert. I love how it’s not a separate menu and lets you try all the things without being plagued by FOMO.
What to get: If you don’t get the tasting menu, get the butter and sage tajarin pasta. They make their pasta in house and it’s so delicate, yet really flavorful.
Secret Savory
website | 2213 NW Market St (Ballard) | best for: lunch or dinner | go-to for: Thai food
Not nearly enough people talk about Secret Savory, but they are my go-to restaurant for Seattle’s best Thai food. You’ll find a menu with dishes you don’t often see at other Thai restaurants in Seattle, each labeled by what region of Thailand they’re from.
For example, you’ll find lychee fried rice, whole-fried blue crabs, and miang-kham, a traditional street food dish of betel leaf wrappers with fresh diced lime, ginger, red onion, roasted coconut flakes, ground peanut, fresh chili, and dry shrimp.
What to get: I may be a bit more pedestrian, but I always get their khao soi. It’s my favorite in the city because it’s the perfect level of spice, has juicy chicken, and is served with traditional pickled green mustard that absolutely makes the dish.
Harbor City
website | 707 S King St (Chinatown-International District) | best for: brunch | go-to for: dim sum
Dim sum is the OG small plates game and Harbor City serves my favorite version in the city. They have a great variety of dishes and all of them are well executed. Plus you can usually beat the crowds by calling ahead to put your name on the list.
What to get: Their pan-seared shrimp and chive dumplings. You’ll notice them on the dim sum cart by their signature sesame seed crust topping. The level of crispiness they’re able to get, followed by succulent shrimp, is so addictive. I think about this dish often, even when I go a year without eating it!
Percy & Co.
website | 5233 Ballard Ave NW (Ballard) | best for: brunch or dinner | go-to for: cocktail bar with good food
Percy & Co. is one of my favorite go-to restaurants in Seattle when I need a place for cocktails with good food. I’ve hosted my birthday party with friends here, as well as a work offsite event with colleagues. It has a cool Savannah-like vibe inside and a great back patio.
What to get: The menu here is comfort food, so the must-get is fried chicken. They serve it a few ways depending on the spice level, but I love their original because you can really taste how perfectly cooked it is without getting distracted by any mouth numbing sensation. I also love getting their mac and cheese if I’m feeling extra gluttonous.
Dahlia Bakery
website | 2001 4th Ave (Downtown) | best for: lunch or snack | go-to for: peanut butter cookie
I used to work near Dahlia Bakery and would often stop by for their turkey club and tomato soup when I needed something savory. But the real star here is their desserts.
What to get: While Dahlia is arguably best known for their coconut creme pie, the peanut butter cookie is where it’s at. It’s unlike any peanut butter cookie I’ve ever had because it’s not dry and crumbly, but rather chewy. Plus you get two in one because it’s served like a cookie sandwich with a thin layer of peanut butter between.
Pho Than Brothers
website | various locations | best for: lunch or dinner | go-to for: cheap pho
Pho is the ultimate Vietnamese comfort food and there’s a lot of options in Seattle. Yet I haven’t found a place that I love as much as Pho Than Brothers. They make excellent broth while still keeping it super cheap, plus they serve their phos with an awesome cream puff perfect for finishing out your meal. It’s one of the best soups in Seattle for sure.
What to get: I always get their pho ga. It’s the most comforting chicken noodle soup and I love doctoring it with extra spice to really help my nose run when I’m feeling a cold coming on (what, is that just me?).
Poke Square
website | 1701 NW Market St (Ballard) | best for: lunch or dinner | go-to for: poke
I did a whole post about the best poke in Seattle. There are a lot of really great ones on there, but I always come back to Poke Square. They have all the ingredients I love and I can just spit off what I want without even looking at the menu.
What to get: If you want to get the same bowl as me, here is my order. 2 salmon and one tuna bowl, light on the white rice with medium poke sauce, cucumber, salt, corn, edamame, mango if they have it, avocado, scallions, sesame seeds, and crispy garlic.
DERU Market
website | 723 9th Ave (Kirkland) | best for: dessert | go-to for: salted peanut butter chocolate cake
Yes, I know DERU isn’t in Seattle but their dessert is so friggin’ good I will drive to the Eastside for it. While I know DERU serves a popular brunch, its their cakes I can’t stop thinking about. They are HUGE at $16 a pop, but worth every single penny. Dan and I can usually never finish a slice between the two of us, if it puts in perspective how big they are.
What to get: The salted peanut butter chocolate cake, hands down. It’s so moist and fudgy, plus the buttercream frosting is SO good. It tastes like real peanut butter, but not in a stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth kind of way. More like a creamy, I-could-bathe-in-this kind of way.
Arashi Ramen
website | 5401 20th Ave NW (Ballard) 17045 Southcenter Pkwy (Tukwila) | best for: lunch or dinner | go-to for: ramen
There are a lot of great places to get comforting Japanese soups in Seattle. If I’m feeling fancy I’ll get some soba noodles from Mutsuko Soma of Kamonegi, but when I want something cheap and low-brow, I’ll steer toward ramen.
While there are a lot of great ramen spots in Seattle, Arashi is my go-to restaurants in Seattle for this hearty soup. The broths are always super flavorful and the pork belly chashu is extra tender and flavorful.
What to get: The black garlic ramen. It’s super garlicky and stands up beautifully against the pork belly. Get extra chashu and egg for the best version.
Saffron Grill
website | 2132 Northgate Way (North Gate) | best for: lunch or dinner | go-to for: Indian food
Visiting India destroyed me a bit on Indian food in America because you learn just how different it is. The menus are blander here and have way too much cream. Plus you typically find the same dishes: butter chicken, korma, etc.
While there are a few other Indian restaurant in Seattle I turn to when I want my more authentic Indian dishes like dosa or chole bhature, Saffron Grill is my go-to Indian restaurant when I want a quick takeout option that is really, really good.
What to get: Besides making some of the best naan in Seattle, I love their baigan bhartha eggplant dish and their paneer tikka masala. They serve really high quality paneer and it goes beautifully with their flavorful tamarind sauce and chutney.
Rubinstein
website | 2121 6th Ave (South Lake Union) | best for: breakfast | go-to for: bagels
When that craving for New York-style bagels hit, I turn to the best bagels in Seattle: Rubinstein. They serve the perfect balance of chewy and soft bagels with really great flavor.
What to get: I love their poppy bagel, but another secret stunner here is their duck fat matzo ball soup. It’s one of my go-to restaurants in Seattle for that soul-satisfying Jewish comfort food.
El Camion
website | various locations | best for: lunch or dinner | go-to for: street tacos
When I want some of the best street tacos in Seattle, El Camion is my go-to restaurant in Seattle. They first opened as just a food truck on 15th Ave in Ballard, but they’ve since opened a few locations around the city.
What to get: Their carnitas tacos. They’re so juicy and crispy, the key tension in a good carnitas pork. Plus, hovering under $3 each, they’re some of the best cheap eats in Seattle.
Proper Fish
website | 112 Madison Ave N (Bainbridge Island) | best for: lunch or dinner | go-to for: fish and chips
This is another of my go-to Seattle restaurants that I think is among the restaurants worth the drive from Seattle. Heck, it’s worth a ferry ride.
Proper Fish started as a food truck in Seattle called Nosh, but they moved to Bainbridge Island to open a permanent location. I’ve yet to find a fish and chips I like better in the Seattle area, which is why this place is counted on my list of the best restaurants on Bainbridge Island.
What to get: Fish and chips. They’re served with perfectly salted chips and addictive minty mushy peas. The batter is so flavorful and has that perfect middle ground of crispy and slightly soft in the best possible way like authentic fish and chips served with vinegar.
Eden Hill / Big Max Burger Co.
website | 2209 Queen Anne Ave N (Queen Anne) | best for: dinner | go-to for: fancy tasting menu and burgers
Eden Hill is one of my go-to restaurants in Seattle because it’s a bit of a twofer. The main restaurant is one of the best fine dining restaurants in Seattle. It has a perfectly-executed, seasonally changing tasting menu highlighting Pacific Northwest ingredients.
But when you want something a bit more casual, head to its sister restaurant, Big Max Burger Co. (previously known as Eden Hill Provisions). This is their more low-brow concept a few blocks away from the fine dining location. You’ll find comfort food like fried chicken, burgers, and the like.
What to get: The burger. It’s one of the best burgers in Seattle thanks to its dry-aged beef and bacon patty. Don’t miss the kettle corn Brussel sprouts either. It’s sweet and salty and basically like crack.
Sushi Kashiba
website | 86 Pine St (Downtown) | best for: dinner | go-to for: sushi omakase
If you want a fine dining spot to wow, choose Sushi Kashiba. This pricey sushi restaurant is helmed by the famous Shiro Kashiba who worked under the famous Jiro of Sushi in Japan. The fish is the highest of quality. If you love sushi, you must go here, especially if you’re visiting for the first time and doing a self-guided food tour Pike Place Market.
What to get: The omakase. This tasting menu lets the chef choose what you get and includes about 20 courses of sushi and small plates. You can also order extra a la carte afterwards if you’re still hungry.
Homer
website | 3013 Beacon Ave S (North Beacon Hill) | best for: dinner | go-to for: fancier Middle Eastern food
When I want a fancier spot for Middle Eastern Food, Homer is my go to. They make some of the best pita in the city and their dips are next level. Plus the ambiance is super inspiring, with their funky wallpaper, open kitchen, and window-lit space.
What to get: I am really picky with hummus, but love theirs. It’s super smooth and have the perfect balance of tahini. Matched with their thick, warm pitas you’ll be fighting over until the last drop.
Pro tip: If you can’t make it here for dinner, get ice cream from their to-go window after getting dinner at James Beard-nominated chef Melissa Miranda’s popular Musang down the street.
Salumi
website | 404 Occidental Ave S (Pioneer Square) | best for: lunch | go-to for: meatball sub and charcuterie
Salumi was owned by Mario Batali’s dad, so you know it has a thing for cured Italian meats. It used to be in a small hole-in-the-wall in Pioneer Square, but has since moved to a bigger location with new ownership. Either way, they’ve kept a lot of the menu the same to keep die-hard fans of their best sandwiches in Seattle happy.
What to get: Salumi has the best meatball sub I’ve ever had. I’m realllllly picky with meatballs, but it’s got this texture unlike others I’ve had. It’s almost like it has both ground and fine shredded meat.
Le Caviste
website | 1919 7th Ave (Downtown) | best for: dinner | go-to for: French food
I honestly almost don’t want to share Le Caviste because it’s super small and I don’t want it to get overrun. But in the spirit of sharing, I’ll let you in on this place.
It’s a tiny wine bar tucked in an unassuming area of downtown Seattle. It was opened by the sommelier of the late Le Gourmand, so you know you’re in good hands here. You’ll walk in and the wine menu is handwritten on the blackboard. Chances are you’ll have no idea how to navigate it, but that’s the best part. Just tell them what you like and let them lead the way.
What to get: Le Caviste low-key has some of the best food in the city, and it’s really affordable. My go-to dishes are the charcuterie plate, mostly for the butter. Like for real, I eat that butter by itself it is that good.
I also love the poisson en papillote, or fish cooked in parchment with potatoes. It’s super buttery (there’s that butter again) and tender.
Pro tip: They also have a secret menu item of steak tartare and you can order wine bottles at half price to go. That’s why I put this spot on my list of the best wine shops in Seattle, too!
Tres’ House of Cheesesteaks
website | 1447 NW 65th St (Ballard) & Inside The Lamplighter (Greenwood) | best for: lunch or dinner | go-to for: authentic cheesesteaks
I thought authentic cheesesteaks didn’t exist in Seattle until I tried Tres’ for the first time. Since it’s dangerously close to where I live, it’s become one of my favorite go-to restaurants in Seattle for lunch when we have no food in the house.
What to get: The Original Philly. It has the thinnest of rib eye steak slices and has a gooey wiz-like cheese sticking between the crevices, which makes sure you get a flavor bomb with each bite.
Cakes of Paradise Bakery
website | 6322 6th Ave S (Georgetown) | best for: dessert | go-to for: cake
A lot of people think of Marination Mai Kai or Sam Choy’s when they want the best Hawaiian food in Seattle, but my go-to is Cakes of Paradise. They make the moistest, most flavorful cakes I’ve had in Seattle proper. Plus they come in fun tropical flavors like guava, passion fruit, pineapple, lime, and coconut.
What to get: My go-to is the guava cake. It’s like a more tropical strawberry and has acidic curd nestled between layers of fluffy cake and chantilly cream.
Pro tip: If you’re craving savory Hawaiian food, visit their family restaurant next door, Kauai Family Restaurant, for awesome loco moco.
More Seattle Food to Try
Once you make your list through my all around go-to restaurants in Seattle, dive into my favorite restaurants by cuisine or neighborhood!
- Self-Guided Ballard Food Tour
- Self-Guided Fremont Food Tour
- Self-Guided Georgetown Food Tour
- Best Healthy Restaurants in Seattle
- Best Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in Seattle
- Best Restaurants in Edmonds
- Restaurants in Seattle with Stunning Views
