The rumors have been touted for years: Seattle may just be the next big metropolis. New York and Los Angeles have held their rightful place in the limelight for years, and cities like Chicago, Philadelphia and Atlanta are all established heavyweights in the ring of urban destinations. But looking out on the mess of cranes jutting out of the overcast skyline and the relentlessly rising housing prices, it’s no secret that Seattle is where people want to be right now.
Of course, for the uninitiated, the tech boom of the past decade wasn’t what first put Seattle on the map; rather, it was the grunge scene of the early ‘90s that still has a lingering influence despite the glut of shiny new high rises. I was glad to find a bit of that grit still intact when I first got to Seattle in 2017 (though, I was admittedly more inspired by Riot Grrrl and Bikini Kill than Nirvana).
It is still evident that even with all the city has to offer now, beyond a rich cup of coffee and unparalleled nature on all sides, Seattle is on the precipice of becoming something bigger than it has ever been before. With a robust food scene, unique bars and clubs, and a still-thriving art scene even in the face of rapid development, check out some of these recommendations to see just how much the emerald jewel of the Pacific Northwest has to offer.
What to Drink
Best Craft Brewery: Stoup Brewing Company
The one beverage Seattle consumes at the same rate as coffee is craft beer. With plenty of taprooms around the city, each with its own surplus of beer options, Stoup Brewing Company is your best bet for a pint.
Stoup has been slinging beers since 2013 when former chemist Brad Benson and his wife Lara Zahaba (who has 18 years of working with Australian and Italian wine importers under her belt) started their first brewery in the hip Ballard neighborhood. The couple branched out to two more locations, one in the suburb of Kenmore and the newest location opening in the bustling and central Capitol Hill neighborhood earlier this summer.
With no less than 21 brews on tap at any given time — and usually even more, variety is the name of the game at Stoup Brewing — you can sip on pilsners, IPAs, lagers and more while marveling at the ornate murals or their “beeriodic” table, which really leans into Benson’s science background. They also feature a rotating array of local food trucks with a different one every day of the week, so there’s just as many food options as brews.
Honorable Mention: Urban Family, Future Primitive, Georgetown Brewing
Best Cocktail Bar: Zig Zag Cafe
It takes a bit of a search to find Zig Zag Cafe, hidden on a lower deck of Pike Place Market, but the expertly crafted cocktails here are worth the extra effort. First opened in 1999, Zig Zag Cafe has been a destination bar for the better part of the last quarter century, mostly thanks to their skilled bartenders who pour freehand without a jigger in sight.
You’ll probably need a drink after dealing with the market crowds all day, but you’ll be relaxed immediately walking down into the dark, red-lit bar. It looks like the chillest jazz club possible, and wooden fixtures give patrons a true feel of the original market. The food menu is worthy of a visit in and of itself, with specialties like duck fat popcorn and Southwestern-inspired masa gnocchi with smoky red pepper sugo, fresh twists on dishes you thought you already knew. The classic cocktails are not to be missed, either — especially The Last Word, which Zig Zag Cafe is said to have re-popularized in recent years. That may be the cause of the latest Chartreuse shortage, but I can look the other way for drinks this good.
Honorable Mention: La Dive, Radiator Whiskey, Knee High Stocking Co.
Best Dive Bar: Screwdriver Bar
Rock ‘n’ roll is alive and well in Belltown’s Screwdriver Bar. Walk down the stairs to this basement-level bar and take in the rock memorabilia that covers every inch, where vinyl records are plastered all over the ceiling and old show posters basically take the place of wallpaper.
Portraits of local legends like the Wilson sisters of Heart and Kurt Cobain make for great conversation starters, and the bar serves stiff drinks and beer options as low as $3, making the spot an all-around great hangout. If you dig this vibe, Screwdriver’s sister venue, Belltown Yacht Club, often has punk and metal bands playing in the back of the bar, monthly art markets and bingo — there’s always a reason to swing by.
Honorable Mention: Pony, Shorty’s Coney Island, Montana, Linda’s Tavern
Best Hotel Bar: The Nest
So long as the weather cooperates, The Nest has one of the best views of Seattle from its perch above Elliot Bay. Though you can only see mist and fog from so high up most of the year, the rooftop bar of the Thompson Hotel is situated right across the street from Pike Place Market and offers clear views of the bustling downtown streets below and sweeping Olympic Mountains on the other side of the water — on a clear day, at least.
Even when the sun isn’t out, The Nest is still a great spot to sit and nosh from high above with an impressive array of drinks. The Spa Day is a personal favorite, made with cucumber vodka and Lillet Blanc for a refreshing and light sipper to start your night. On the more savory side, the Spaghetti Western features parmesan-washed bourbon with a tomato-basil shrub for an unexpected thirst-quencher.
Honorable Mention: The Mountaineering Club, Bar Moxy, Founders Club
You Are Here: Dallas
All the sweetest parts of Dallas, according to someone who lives thereWhere to Eat
Cheap Lunch: Teriyaki from Grillbird
Teriyaki is a cheap and filling lunch option across the country, but did you know Seattle is credited with having popularized the dish in the 1970s? A wrestler and Japanese immigrant Toshihiro Kasahara built a legacy by opening teriyaki shops selling sweet barbecue chicken with rice and salad, and would sell the shops off to newly immigrated families that would then put their own twist on the meal.
Though the pandemic has shuttered many of the old teriyaki shops, there are still plenty to choose from. Grillbird in West Seattle offers a newer take on the classic meal, with options like crispy mochiko-fried popcorn chicken in addition to the regular grilled variety, side dishes like creamy mac salad and fresh garlic-marinated cucumbers, and even panko-breaded katsu sandwiches and spring rolls. In typical teriyaki fashion, the portions are huge, so you can feasibly get two meals out of one order (though I’m never able to exercise such restraint).
Honorable Mention: Okinawa Teriyaki, Yoshino Teriyaki
Best Burger Spot: Ox Burger
You can find regular ol’ burgers in most places, but the patties at Ox Burger offer a uniquely Seattle experience. When the Laotian mainstay Taurus Ox first introduced their signature Lao Burger — a double smash burger with one pork and one beef patty, smoky provolone cheese, pickled onion, preserved pork belly, a fish-sauce laced tomato jeow chutney and chili mayo on a soft pub bun — the item became so popular that they opened up a restaurant dedicated to it.
Ox Burger also offers a classic iteration with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and burger sauce on an all-beef patty, as well as crispy fries served with housemade dipping sauces like garlic lime-leaf aioli and sambal agave mustard. But really, how many times do you come across a Laotian burger joint? I suggest you go all in.
Honorable Mention: Katsu Burger, Uneeda Burger, Lil Woody’s
Nice Dinner: Musang
Just south of the downtown corridor is the residential neighborhood of Beacon Hill, a humble home to many of the best restaurants in the city. The Filipino spot Musang looks just as modest in an old house just off of Beacon Ave, but the dining experience here is anything but.
Musang gets the designation of a “nice dinner” because the ambience lends itself to a come-as-you-are vibe with a homey quality that feels like you’re dining with family. The menu consists of comforting and refined Filipino classics that make for a one-of-a-kind dining experience, inspired by chef Melissa Miranda’s favorite childhood meals passed down by her father.
Crispy lumpia filled with juicy pork and shrimp are a familiar favorite, but the short rib kare kare is not to be missed. A massive hunk of brisket, so tender it falls apart just by looking at it, is served with seared eggplant and okra over a spiced peanut butter bagoong sauce. The fatty beef and peanut sauce doubles down on the richness, but that’s part of what makes the dinner such a treat.
Honorable Mention: Joule, San Fermo, The Walrus and the Carpenter, Communion
Nicer Dinner: Spinasse
Italian food is pretty par for the course where nice dinners are involved, but Spinasse on Capitol Hill specializes in cuisine from the country’s northern Piedmont region — located on the border of Italy and Switzerland in the Italian Alps — specifically. In other words, don’t expect to find chicken parmigiana and marinara sauce on this menu. Instead, heaps of homemade pasta and rich meat sauces are the name of the game here.
The dark ambience and wooden chairs make for a cozy setting, but don’t let the comfy aesthetic deceive you — this is some of the best pasta you can get in the country. Seemingly simple dishes like the Tarajin con burro e salvia, a dish of wire-thin, knife-cut noodles tossed in cultured butter infused with sage, pack a wallop of flavor from the hands of expert chefs (trust me, I’ve tried and failed at making this at home multiple times). Everything on the menu falls under the “sophisticated comfort food” umbrella, making it an ideal spot for date night. Plus, the chef’s tasting menu is a great deal for indecisive diners, so long as you’re really hungry. And if you’re still up for an aperitif and dessert afterwards, stop by the attached bar, Artusi, to keep the night going well past dinner.
Honorable Mention: Altura, Il Nido
Best Coffee Shop: Espresso Vivace
Deeming just one coffee shop the best in all of Seattle is an impossible task, given that each cafe has its own unique ways of brewing. I can only say for certain that you should steer clear of the “original” Starbucks that tourists flock to in Pike Market — it’s only a replica of the original location and sells the exact same drinks but at a premium price and with an even longer line than usual.
But for a local favorite, Espresso Vivace has some of the best brews in the city, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a lot of tourists here. There’s plenty of good coffee downtown, but this cafe up in Capitol Hill is the best place to watch the locals in its large sitting area, which resembles the laid-back ‘90s coffee houses of yore. It’s often bustling all through the day, so the ambient noise of ceramic cups clattering on the counter and hissing steam wands serve as a free soundtrack of sorts for people who routinely post up here with their laptops. Not to mention, the drinks are top notch. There’s not much by way of any fancy flavors outside of the typical vanilla, chocolate and caramel syrups, but the simplicity makes their coffee a sumptuous culinary experience on its own.
Honorable Mention: Fuel, Boon Boona, Caffe Ladro, Victrola
Where to Shop
Best Menswear Shop: Glasswing
If the idea of Seattle fashion conjures images of flannel shirts and REI sportswear, you’d be spot on. That said, a few boutiques in the area have succeeded in carving out their own Pacific Northwest aesthetic, thus managing to stand out in the sea of athleisure.
Glasswing, for its part, sells both women’s and menswear out of its shop right on the border of downtown and Capitol Hill, which makes it an easy detour from both of the city’s busiest neighborhoods. The shop sells high-end clothing from local designers that rotates regularly, so you can visit a few times and still find some new digs. In addition to clothing, bags and accessories, Glasswing has an extensive collection of luxury perfumes and colognes, as well as a variety of tropical plants placed out on the floor among the other merchandise, which gives the shop a soothing, verdant greenhouse feel.
Honorable Mention: Eames NW, Mystery Made Co.
Best Vintage Shop: Bon Voyage
The weather in Seattle might always have a grey hue to it, but walking into this shop is like stepping directly into the open end of a kaleidoscope. Located in the heart of the historic Pioneer Square neighborhood, one could spend hours searching through Bon Voyage’s rack of vintage clothes and locally-made art. The sellers here know their stuff, dividing up merchandise by decade so you can easily find some ‘70s bell bottoms for a disco-themed club night or a swanky ‘60s bomber jacket.
Local artists also rent stalls in the store, which gives visitors a better taste of how the local art scene lives and breathes. Adorning the top of the tall walls are hand-painted leather jackets with portraits of alt-rock legends like Siouxsie Sioux, Morrissey and PJ Harvey, all available for purchase — though the work is so precious and detailed, I prefer them better as wall decorations. There’s also plenty of jewelry, earrings, sunglasses and enamel pins for sale so you can bring some small, unique trinkets home even if your suitcase is already full.
Honorable Mention: Fremont Vintage Mall, Lucky Vintage
Best Record Store: Sonic Boom
Music is still a mainstay in Seattle 30 years after its grunge heyday — there’s even an official Sub-Pop record store in SeaTac airport for proof. The city is basically a mecca for a record collector like myself with its abundance of vinyl purveyors, and it’s a classic Seattle experience to pop into one and flip through their collection while avoiding the rain outside.
Sonic Boom in Ballard is my personal favorite for both its huge selection and how well-organized it is. Where the used section in most other stores is something of a free-for-all, the used section here is carefully organized by genre, much like the new records. This means I can pluck through the obscure ‘80s punk and alternative sections and pop over to the country section while my partner digs into the musical theater soundtracks. They also put on plenty of in-store performances worth checking out, with signed posters from the likes of Angel Olson, Death Cab for Cutie and M.I.A., serving as proof that big names come through here.
Honorable Mention: Silver Platters, Jive Time, Easy Street Records
Best Bookstore: Elliot Bay Book Company
Bookstores are also central to the cozy vibes of a grey Seattle day, and Elliot Bay Book Company is the perfect respite from all the precipitation. The Capitol Hill-based bookstore takes its name from the blue waters Seattle sits upon, and at first glance, the store looks about as big as the bay. Seriously, it’s almost a mall of books on its own, with each genre taking up its own block in the store.
I’m partial to the music section towards the front, as well as the essays and memoirs placed right in the middle of the floor, but Elliot Bay offers a huge selection to thumb through. Upstairs there’s a robust used and clearance section where you can often find new and popular titles at a discount. There’s ample seating around, so it never feels too crowded even on the busiest days, and there’s even a coffee shop, Little Oddfellows, in the back where you can get a warm coffee or tea and read whatever you picked up.
Honorable Mention: Left Bank Books, Queen Anne Book Company, Book Larder
What to Do
Best Gallery: National Nordic Museum
If you’re not from the area, you may be surprised to find out that Seattle has a large community of Scandinavian immigrants and descendants. But when you get familiar with the sweeping mountains, clean blue waters and silver-tinted clouds of the area, the connection makes sense. A stop at the National Nordic Museum in Ballard really drives the point home, as it details the history of Nordic immigrants to the Pacific Northwest and the origins and practices of Scandinavian traditions, spanning from before the Viking period to the modern day.
Each of the five galleries covers a specific country from the Nordic region, with sections about Nordic contributions to pop culture, ranging from interior design to the musical stylings of ABBA and Björk. It’s an unexpectedly interesting museum with bits of inspiration that cover the whole range of people’s interest. It also gives you an added perspective on Seattle that might change the way you see the city itself.
Honorable Mention: Frye Art Museum, Wing Luke Museum
Best Running/Hiking Trail: Mount Si
It’s no secret that the Pacific Northwest is a nature lovers’ paradise. Few metropolitan areas offer so many hiking trails within city limits as Seattle does, with the water views of Discovery Park or a stroll through the Washington Park Arboretum (designed by the same people who designed Central Park) all accessible by a short bus or car ride.
Going further out of the city lets visitors see just how grand and gorgeous nature is out west, and Mount Si is one of the most popular trails for locals and tourists alike. There are trails for all levels of experience, but true outdoors people will scale the entire eight-mile, 1,270m elevation trail for stunning views of the Cascade range.
If you plan your visit correctly, Seattle’s trailhead direct program will shuttle visitors from Capitol Hill right to the trailhead outside the town of North Bend. If you’re feeling like a nosh after the hike, you can even stop by the iconic Twede’s Cafe where Twin Peaks was filmed for some “damn fine” coffee and a slice of cherry pie.
Honorable Mention: Tiger Mountain, Washington Park Arboretum, Discovery Park
Best Place for Live Music: The Crocodile
The Crocodile stage is hallowed ground for touring bands, as its where Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney and more got their start. Granted, the original location was where the bands played before the historic venue was displaced during the pandemic, but The Crocodile name has kept its reputation as a cornerstone of Seattle music history.
A beacon of live music with a swanky new layout, The Crocodile comprises three different venues — a 700-person main showroom, a smaller 350-capacity basement stage and a 100-seat comedy club. So, in short, there’s always a show to check out every night of the week. Some of the biggest artists of today, including Lizzo and Billie Eilish, have played the venue before they were playing sold-out arenas, a testament to The Crocodile’s special kind of magic.
Honorable Mention: Showbox, Neumos, Tractor Tavern
Tourist Spot That’s Actually Worth It: Seattle Center
Though I do love Pike Place Market and always recommend visitors check it out, a few of my other suggestions already take you through it. So I’ll hold space now for another tourist trap that might be a bit of a cheat, as it’s technically three attractions in one.
You can see the Seattle Center from almost anywhere in the city — it’s where the Space Needle is, after all. In addition to the interstellar observation deck, Seattle Center is also home to the Museum of Pop Culture (or the MoPop for shorthand) with exhibits on music, film, television and video games. You can learn the stories of Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain as told through their own personal items and memorabilia, or check out their room of guitars donated by rock legends like Carrie Brownstein, Eddie Van Halen and Brandi Carlile. You will also spend hours in the Sound Lab, where you can learn how to play instruments and experiment with recording and producing your own audio tracks.
After the MoPop, the Chihuly Garden and Glass will inspire you with its ornate blown glass sculptures made by Tacoma native Dale Chihuly. If you don’t recognize the name, you will know his art when you see it, as he is the artist behind more than 400 permanent installments all over the globe. The museum lets patrons admire the fluorescent and massive sculptures in their full glory and even has daily glass-blowing demonstrations to better understand the artist’s process.
A flash pass can be purchased online or in person at Seattle Center, which lets you into all three attractions. Albeit a tourist trap, I’d consider it one of the most unique tourist traps in the country.
Honorable Mention: Pike Place Market, Ballard Locks, Kerry Park
Where to Stay
Best Luxury Hotel: Inn at the Market
You have to get up early if you really want to beat the market crowds. Why not just stay in the market to really get a leg up? (So long as you have the cash, that is.)
The Inn at the Market is the height of Northwest luxury; a quiet abode just a few stories above the busiest place in the city. Recognized by Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveller as one of the best hotels in the area, staying here means you’re just steps from some of the best shopping and dining in Seattle. Roll out of bed, get a few snacks from the market, bring them back up to the room and repeat as many times as needed.
More formal dining is offered at Cafe Campagne and Sushi Kashiba on the first floor, and a rooftop balcony with a full bar is available for all guests to take in the breathtaking views of downtown and the waterfront. In-between all that laborious shopping and eating, you can get a massage service ordered directly to your room. Let all that vacation stress melt away.
Honorable Mention: Four Seasons, Fairmont Olympic, Lotte Hotel
Best Boutique Hotel: Arctic Club Hotel
The building of the Arctic Club is a fixture in Pioneer Square, with its marble sculptures of walruses carved into the facade. It continues the traditions of the original Arctic Club, which an elite group of pioneers started during the Klondike Gold Rush. And while the hotel is highly inspired by the Gold Rush of the early 1900s in its decor, it has completely modern amenities like Smart TVs and whirlpool tubs with rainfall shower heads.
The Polar Club is the hotel’s lobby bar, where you can take in the ornate stained glass dome and old-world style fixtures with a strong Old Fashioned. While the refined finishes are awe-worthy on the first visit, the friendly service and included hot breakfast bar keep guests coming back for a taste of Old Seattle like it used to be.
Honorable Mention: Palihotel, Thompson Hotel
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