Food & Drink
Best Pizza: Bar Del Corso
After more than a decade of serving up Neapolitan-style pizzas in its Beacon Hill niche, Bar del Corso has become a mainstay, not just for the neighborhood, but for the city at large. (In July 2025, the New York Times named the joint one of the top 25 restaurants in Seattle.) Opened by chef Jerry…
Best Burger Joint: Red Mill Burgers
Nothing hits the spot quite like a burger and fries. Despite the dozens of places to pick up a patty around Seattle, Red Mill Burgers offers straight-up classics featuring juicy beef and melty cheese, all at an affordable price. (A deluxe cheeseburger for less than 10 bucks? Almost unheard of these days.) With roots extending…
Best Seafood: Local Tide
When lifelong seattleite Victor Steinbrueck (yes, of the Seattle Steinbrueck family) launched Local Tide in 2017, it was a pop- up at Pike Place Market. A self-taught chef who grew up spending time in his grandmother’s kitchen making memories over meals, Steinbrueck understood the ways that food can connect people. In 2020, after the success…
Best Sushi: Sushi Kashiba
Opened by the man responsible for Seattle’s very first sushi bar, Sushi Kashiba puts Edomae-style fare on full display. Tucked away in the courtyard of the Inn at the Market, this destination dining is headed up by Shiro Kashiba, who notably apprenticed under Jiro Ono (of Jiro Dreams of Sushi fame) in Japan. With a…
Best Brewery: Reuben’s Brews
During the summer, and after closing its Fremont location, Reuben’s Brews opened a shiny new downtown taproom, just steps from Pike Place Market. A family-owned and operated business, the brewery grew out of Adam Robbings’ award-winning home brewing career. In 2012, Adam and his wife, Grace, launched Reuben’s Brews, naming the brand after their son…
Best Cocktail Bar: Roquette
Behind its beautiful blue façade, Roquette finds balance as a chic must-stop lounge for special occasions and a neighborhood watering hole. Dark and moody, with green velvet banquettes and Art Deco-inspired lighting, this Belltown bar has received a number of accolades, including a nomination as a semifinalist for the 2025 James Beard Award in the…
Best Coffee Shop: Zeitgeist
It feels like every few weeks we’re hit with another list of Seattle restaurant industry closures, so it’s particularly meaningful that an old-school mainstay like Zeitgeist Coffee is still around. Opened in 1997 in Pioneer Square as a hub for conversation, creativity, and yes, coffee, the still-popular corner café serves up strong, European-style brew, pastries…
Best Special Occasion Restaurant: Canlis
Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, Canlis is a Seattle classic. From its perch above Lake Union to its unmatched service, every moment in this restaurant feels special, which is why so many people choose it to mark life’s important moments. Lately, Canlis has undergone some transitions, with one of the namesake brothers leaving for…
Best Bakery: Petit Pierre
The brainchild of award-winning chef Pierre Poulin, Petit Pierre Bakery brings elevated French pastry to a casual Seattle café (or two). With locations in Magnolia and Phinney Ridge, the bakery is small in stature, but big in flavor. Born in Paris, chef Poulin spent summers with his grandmother in Brittany, where he first learned about…
Best Happy Hour: Donna’s
We’re still not over the loss of vito’s, but Donna’s, the moody bar on the corner of Olive and Melrose on Capitol Hill, brings a similar late-night vibe. The small watering hole operates on a first-come, first-served basis, with a few tables downstairs and another batch upstairs. Nostalgic touches include gold disco balls, a good,…
The Little Whiskey Brand with Big AmbitionsÂ
Embracing experimental blending, the team behind Doc Swinson’s believes that everyone—not just aficionados—should enjoy whiskey.Â
Last week, I found myself doing something I hadn’t done in a very long time: taking a pickleback shot with a group of strangers in Ballard. For the uninitiated—or those who didn’t frequent the bars in the 2010s—a pickleback shot is pretty much what it sounds like; a shot of whiskey followed by a shot…
Restaurant Roundup: Bubbly Brunch and Unicorn Reborn
Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.
Soon, hordes of out-of-town relatives will descend on Seattle for the Thanksgiving holiday, bringing with them the usual uncomfortable questions and off-base perceptions. Maybe we’re just being cynical and they’re actually fantastic. Either way, whether you’re looking to impress them or get some fresh air when the small talk grows stale, there are plenty of…
5 Dishes to Try in November
Seattle’s halal dining scene is evolving and each plate tells part of the story.
Seattle has many foodie groups on social media, but I have a soft spot for Seattle Halal Foodies, started by Mehrab Shahriar in 2019. When Shahriar moved to Seattle nine years ago, the halal food scene was small compared to other U.S. cities. Perhaps because of its underdog nature, I found this group to be…
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