"Seattle is the Pacific Northwest at its most compelling — and the most underrated food city in America."
Seattle sits between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, with Mount Rainier visible to the south and the Olympic Mountains across the water to the west — a setting of extraordinary natural beauty. The city has built one of the finest food scenes in the country on the back of its extraordinary natural larder: Dungeness crab, Pacific oysters, Copper River salmon, and chanterelle mushrooms from the forests of the Cascades. The coffee culture is world-class, the art scene is excellent, and the outdoor access — to Mount Rainier, the Olympic Peninsula, and the San Juan Islands — is unmatched in any American city.
At a Glance
Where to Stay
The Best Hotels in Seattle
Four Seasons Seattle
The finest hotel in Seattle — on First Hill, with views of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains, a world-class spa, and ART Restaurant & Lounge, which is one of the best hotel restaurants in the city. The location, steps from the Seattle Art Museum and a short walk from Pike Place Market, is the most convenient in the city for the cultural traveller.
The Edgewater Hotel
Seattle's only over-water hotel — built on a pier over Elliott Bay, with rooms that look directly onto the water and the Olympic Mountains beyond. The Beatles stayed here in 1964 and famously fished from their window; the views are still extraordinary. The Six Seven Restaurant, with its floor-to-ceiling windows over the bay, is one of the most atmospheric dining rooms in Seattle.
Hotel Theodore
A beautifully designed boutique hotel in the heart of downtown — with a curated art collection celebrating the Pacific Northwest, excellent dining at Rider, and a location convenient to Pike Place Market, the waterfront, and the Seattle Art Museum. The most stylish mid-range option in the city.
Where to Eat & Drink
Seattle's Essential Tables
Canlis
Queen Anne · Fine DiningThe most celebrated restaurant in Seattle — a mid-century modern landmark perched above Lake Union, with views of the Cascade Mountains and a menu that has been the benchmark for Pacific Northwest fine dining since 1950. The Brady family has run Canlis for three generations; the cooking, led by chef Brady Williams, is the finest expression of the region's extraordinary larder — Dungeness crab, Pacific halibut, Wagyu beef, and the finest local produce.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Ballard · Oyster BarThe most beloved restaurant in Seattle — a small, perpetually packed oyster bar in Ballard that serves the finest selection of Pacific Northwest oysters in the city alongside exceptional small plates. Chef Renee Erickson's cooking is the most honest expression of the Pacific Northwest's extraordinary seafood: raw oysters, smoked salmon rillettes, and a rotating selection of whatever is finest that day.
Noodle Boat
Issaquah · ThaiThe finest Thai restaurant in the Pacific Northwest — a modest room in Issaquah that draws diners from across the region for its extraordinary boat noodles, its larb, and its green papaya salad. The drive is 30 minutes from downtown Seattle; it is always worth it.
Pike Place Market
Downtown · MarketOne of the oldest continuously operated public farmers markets in the United States — a labyrinthine complex of fish stalls, produce vendors, artisan food producers, and independent restaurants overlooking Elliott Bay. The Dungeness crab and Pacific oysters at the fish stalls are the finest in the city; the Pike Place Chowder is the best clam chowder in Seattle; and the original Starbucks, while perpetually crowded, is worth a visit for the history.
Altura
Capitol Hill · ItalianThe finest Italian restaurant in Seattle — a small, intimate room on Capitol Hill where chef Nathan Lockwood produces a nightly changing tasting menu rooted in the Italian tradition but drawing on the finest Pacific Northwest ingredients. The pasta is extraordinary; the wine list, focused on small Italian producers, is the most thoughtfully curated in the city.
What to Do
Essential Seattle Experiences
Mount Rainier — A Day Trip
A 14,411-foot stratovolcano visible from Seattle on clear days — and one of the most extraordinary national parks in America. Drive to the Paradise visitor centre (1.5 hours from Seattle) for the finest wildflower meadows in the country in July and August; continue to the Sunrise viewpoint for the most dramatic views of the mountain. Allow a full day; bring layers.
Bainbridge Island — A Ferry Day
The finest 35-minute ferry ride in America — from the downtown Seattle waterfront to Bainbridge Island, with views of the Olympic Mountains and the city skyline. Walk from the ferry terminal through the town of Winslow, visit the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, and have lunch at Hitchcock, the finest restaurant on the island. Return on the evening ferry for the most spectacular views of the Seattle skyline.
The Seattle Art Museum & Olympic Sculpture Park
One of the finest art museums in the Pacific Northwest — with a strong collection of Northwest Coast Native American art, a superb Asian art collection, and a contemporary programme that is among the best in the country. The Olympic Sculpture Park on the waterfront, a short walk from the main museum, is free and extraordinary — nine acres of sculpture overlooking Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains.
Chihuly Garden and Glass
Dale Chihuly's extraordinary glass sculpture garden and museum at the base of the Space Needle — with eight interior galleries and a garden of monumental glass sculptures that are among the most visually spectacular objects in any American museum. Visit in the evening when the sculptures are illuminated; the effect is extraordinary.
"Eat the crab at Pike Place, take the ferry to Bainbridge Island, and drive to Mount Rainier on a clear day. Seattle is the Pacific Northwest at its most extraordinary."
Alyssa Ross · TastesOf