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Under Gavin Stephenson’s tenure, Seattle’s Georgian restaurant has received three #1 rankings in the city’s Zagat guide (for the years 2003, 2004 and 2005). But the Cordon Bleu-trained chef’s resume was impressive even before taking the reins at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel’s principal dining room. Previous gigs included a stint at the Regent London’s restaurant where he received the Acorn Award for best British chef under the age of 30 and multiple invitations to showcase his skills at the James Beard House. Below, the talented chef shares some of his favorite Emerald City foodie spots, including markets, bakeries and (of course) coffee shops.

What not to miss on a first visit to Seattle: The obvious activity is to visit Pike Place Market. The market is home to hundreds of stalls offering fresh seafood, fruit, vegetables, local gifts and crafts. Not to mention the street vendors that call the Market home. An often overlooked museum is Experience Music Project or EMP (Seattle Center, 325 5th Ave.; 206-770-2700; http://www.empsfm.org). The interactive exhibits are great for all music genres and the memorabilia is unique as well. I like walking around downtown, then taking the Monorail right to EMP.

What, if anything, to skip: It depends on how much time you have in town. If it’s just a day, I’d recommend staying downtown, walking to neighborhoods such as Pioneer Square, Belltown, Queen Anne or Capitol Hill.

Favorite neighborhoods: Queen Anne because of its architecture and close proximity to the city. The restaurants and local boutiques are a great way to get a feel for the city. I also love Mercer Island for its Lake Washington and city views.

Favorite restaurants (other than the Georgian): Lampreia (2400 1st Ave; 206-443-3301; www.lampreiarestaurant.com) is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. An underrated restaurant is Hunt Club (Sorrento Hotel, 900 Madison St.; 206-622-6400). There has been an ongoing trend in restaurants offering local, sustainable cuisine – some of them are true to their word and with the Pacific Northwest’s offerings, visitors are in for a great meal. However, first-time guests to the city should be weary of those that are jumping on the bandwagon.

Note: Note: Scott Carsberg, a Seattle native and recipient of the James Beard’s Foundation’s 2006 Best Chef of the Northwest award, is the chef and owner of Lampreia, a North Italian restaurant that’s been dazzling diners with its seasonal, locally grown cuisine since 1992. Before the end of 2008, Lampreia is scheduled to move to Seattle’s new Gallery building at Second Avenue and Broad Street. Carlsberg, whose first restaurant was known for its stark décor, has enlisted the interior designer Kenny Wilson to give the new space a cozier, more intimate feel. Like the Sorrento Hotel in which it’s set, the Hunt Club has an Old-World, elegant vibe; the seasonal menu features Pacific/Northwest cuisine.

Favorite restaurants for a relaxed (yet still perhaps refined) experience: For a relaxed experience, I would recommend Lampreia or Crush (2319 East Madison St.; 206-302-7874; www.chefjasonwilson.com). The cuisine and ambiance are different, but what both offer are great service and cooking by local chefs.

Note: Jason Wilson, a Seattle native whose love for fine cuisine was sparked early on in life when his ad-exec father would take him out to nice restaurants, is the head chef at Crush, which specializes in Modern Northwest cuisine.

Favorite hotspot restaurants: Poppy (622 Broadway East; 206-324-1108; www.poppyseattle.com) which is Jerry Traunfeld’s new restaurant, on Capitol Hill. It’s a different concept – an Indian-inspired thali.

Favorite cafes and coffee shops: Uptown Espresso (1933 7th Ave.; 206-441-1084; www.uptownespresso.net) in Belltown. In Pioneer Square, Zeitgeist Coffee (171 S. Jackson St.; 206-583-0497; zeitgeistcoffee.com). It has a huge dictionary!

Favorite bars and lounges: Black Bottle (2600 1st Ave; 206-441-1500; www.blackbottleseattle.com) in Belltown – it has a great ambiance and is a nice place to go for late-night drinks and bites. Plus it’s in walking distance to other Belltown bars and lounges. I love Tini Bigs (100 Denny Way; 206-284-0931; www.tinibigs.com) for the best martinis in town. Also, 9lb Hammer (6009 Airport Way South; 206-762-3373; www.ninepoundhammer.com) in Georgetown, for the people watching.

Favorite bakeries: For bread, I recommend Macrina Bakery but for pastries I like Two Tartes (5629 Airport Way South; 206-767-8012; www.twotartesbakery.com), a neighborhood bakery in Georgetown.

Favorite food markets: Olympia Farmers Market (700 Capitol Way North; 360-352-9096; www.olympiafarmersmarket.com) has the best-quality local fruits, vegetables, and seafood. The variety is outstanding, the community warm and friendly. (The only downside is that it’s not pet-friendly, so I can’t take my dog with me.)

Favorite gourmet food stores: I have several. At DeLaurenti (1435 1st Ave; 206-622-0141; www.delaurenti.com) at the Pike Place Market, I can get a taste of home and buy HP Sauce and McVities Biscuits. The Cheese Cellar (Fisher Plaza Building, Suite 150, 100 4th Ave North; 206-404-2743; www.thecheesecellar.com) has the best cheese selection in the city. They have artisan cheeses from Europe and a selection of domestic small farm cheeses, which we offer on our menus. In Vancouver, Thomas Haas Chocolates (128-998 Harbourside Drive; 604-924-1847; www.thomashaas.com) for handmade, gourmet chocolates.

Restaurants (anywhere in the world) at which I’m dying to eat: El Bulli (Cala Montjoi, Roses, Girona; 97-215-04-57; www.elbulli.com) in Spain.