This article appears in print as the cover story of the September 2018 issue. Read more from the Best of the Best Restaurants feature story here. Click here to subscribe.

Best of the Best: Adana

Perhaps our most debated category, tasting menus—multiple courses doled out for a fixed price—are best known as being lengthy, lavish, expensive affairs, beloved to those who want to taste a little bit of everything, but not an everyday sort of meal for most diners.

And though there is definitely a time and place for that kind of extravagance, what we love most about this sophisticated Capitol Hill Japanese restaurant is its utilitarian tasting menu: three courses, with options to choose from, priced at just $37. (Always choose the light, crunchy tempura, chef-owner Shota Nakajima’s winning dish when he appeared on Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay.)

Nakajima’s fine dining experience and reverence of seasonal produce mean the dishes are refined and restrained, though not fussy or unapproachable. This is a meal that feels much more extravagant than it is—and we feel as though the opposite is usually true these days.

Capitol Hill, 1449 E Pine St.; 206.294.5230; adanaseattle.com

OTHER FAVORITES

Less than $100:

Opus Co.
Greenwood, 7410 Greenwood Ave. N; 206.420.8360; opuscorestaurant.com
TIP: This place is our favorite new restaurant to open in the past year, and chef Mark Schroder’s (formerly of Revel and Trove) $55 tasting feast will surely delight, from first course through dessert. Go. Now. 

Babirusa
Belltown, 2319 Second Ave.; 206.329.2744; babirusaseattle.com

Staple & Fancy
Ballard, 4739 Ballard Ave. NW; 206.789.1200; ethanstowellrestaurants.com/locations/staple-fancy

More than $100:

Art of the Table
Fremont, 3801 Stone Way N; 206.282.0942; artofthetable.net

Altura
Capitol Hill, 617 Broadway E; 206.402.6749; alturarestaurant.com

Eden Hill
Queen Anne, 2209 Queen Anne Ave. N; 206.708.6836; edenhillrestaurant.com