Restaurant Roundup: Mocktails, Blindfolds, and an Oyster Soiree

Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.

By Ben McBee January 9, 2026

Three people sit at a candlelit table wearing blindfolds, with empty wine glasses and water glasses in front of them, in a dimly lit restaurant setting.

Photo courtesy of Dining in the Dark

Making dinner reservations, like New Year’s resolutions, means looking ahead and committing to something without being entirely sure of the outcome. To help you know what you’re signing up for in your forays into Seattle’s dining scene, the newly minted Resy Hit List has some valuable tips on where to focus your efforts. Taking the top spot is The Corson Building, followed by Light Sleeper in Capitol Hill, Pioneer Square’s Majnoon, Pan de la Selva, and 16 other restaurants. As far as actually snagging a time slot… may the odds be ever in your favor.

Somehow, we’re still hungry even after all of the holiday eating, so we’re making room to start 2026 with some more sure bets (and bites).

All-you-can-eat oysters, outside

On Jan. 30 and Feb. 27, Taylor Shellfish will provide pickup and transportation from Northgate transit center to its Samish Bay farm for a Night Tide Oyster Soiree. There, you’ll don waders and a headlamp to harvest as many bivalves as you like; afterward, learn how to shuck like an expert, slurp the delicacy—there’s chili and garlic butter toppings—beside a bonfire with a beverage in hand, and enjoy a bouillabaisse stew and bitter green salad to finish this culinary adventure under the moon.

High spirits without the hangover

Smith Tower’s Observatory Bar is leaning into its Prohibition vibes in the new year with its Temperance Bar Mocktail Program, available throughout January. If you’re doing the month dry, the spirit-free menu is a must-try. Grab a ticket to the 35th floor (locals get a discount) and sip The Night Watch, a rich, booze-free espresso martini, the bright and citrusy Redacted, The Dockside Story made with N/A dark cane rum and lime, or The Press Run, a silky shaken drink made with N/A American malt and amaretto, lemon, simple syrup, and egg. Oh, and cheers to those incredible views.

Grub is blind

It’s winter, so you’re probably used to eating while it’s dark, but Dining in the Dark takes the experience to a whole different level. The event, hosted by The Collective Seattle on Jan. 30, will blindfold dinner guests in order to heighten the other senses of taste, smell, and touch. Although the actual menu is kept secret until day-of, there will be three different three-course menus to choose from: red for meat-based dishes, blue for seafood, and green for vegan participants.

More curry in Capitol Hill? Yes please

Capitol Hill’s Indian cuisine offerings are increasing by two with the upcoming additions of Kha-Bar and Spice Bliss Bar & Bites. The former, set to open in March, comes from first-time restaurateurs Manash and Chitralekha ‘Lekha’ Majhi, who will focus on the flavors of East India—a region not as well represented locally as other parts of the South Asian country are. Although Spice Bliss does not currently have an opening date, guests can expect similar fare as the restaurant’s two other locations, including samosas, tikka masala, and korma.

Bitter breakfast news

Blue Star Café & Pub in Wallingford is calling it quits on Feb. 1, with owner Wendy Morales citing the impact of Seattle’s minimum wage hike and dwindling monthly sales in the decision to close. Everything is made from scratch at this breakfast standby, which also serves lunch and dinner items later in the day. The diner is part of the legacy of Leon Torrey, Morales’ dad, who started Eggs Cetera in Madison Park in 1975, adding several other restaurants across the city over the years.

About Restaurant Roundup

Restaurant Roundup is Seattle magazine’s weekly look at what’s new, notable, and worth eating and drinking around the city—from restaurant openings and closings to pop-ups, events, and the occasional very good burger.