There are coffee shops and espresso bars on every corner in Seattle, but for a real Seattle espresso experience, stop in at Ancient Grounds not far from Pike Place Market. It’s both an intimate art gallery, loaded with intriguing treasures including Native American and Asian masks and netsuke. The espresso is strong, the ambience pure Seattle.

A longtime favorite in the industrial-cool Pearl District, Andina brought authentic Peruvian cooking to Portland when it opened in 2003, and the eatery remains a favorite for a fun night out. With live music every night, the boisterous, two-story eatery celebrates its owner’s Andean roots with elevated South American cuisine, including such traditional dishes as lomo saltado (wok-fried beef with onions, tomatoes and oyster sauce) and a variety of ceviches. Everything on the exotic menu pairs well with the restaurant’s signature cocktail, a pisco sour.

A Seattle fine-dining destination for over six decades, Canlis has kept up with the times without losing any of the ingredients that have contributed to its remarkable longevity. This culinary keepsake in the Queen Anne neighborhood was the first restaurant in Seattle to serve what is now referred to as “contemporary Northwest cuisine”. It likes to call its cooking “Comfort Geek”, meaning that it combines modern technique with a comfortable, approachable style. The quietly stylish dining room, in a two-story bluff-top building, combines contemporary décor with Asian antiques. Though you’ll find an array of fabulous menu choices, steaks from the copper grill, the Canlis salad and Peter Canlis’ prawns are perennial favorites that have been on the menu since 1950. There’s a comprehensive wine list, including delicious Northwest vintages. Reserve as far in advance as you can.

Dolly Olive employs a classically Portland take on Italian, which means vegetables are just as important as meat. The menu comprises dishes like Sicilian eggplant parmigiana, bucatini pomodoro and a grilled ribeye. Pair with a Dolly Martini or a Perfect Negroni and you’ve got date night.

Written by Jolie Goodson

G-Love is one of Portland’s best—a vegetable forward spot where fresh produce takes center stage and proteins are the side dish. The team works exclusively with a farm in Silverton, Oregon, which provides not only the produce but the edible flowers as well. The decor is a beautiful combination of lush and modern, which describes the food as well.

One of the top tables in Portland since 2017, Han Oak has claimed the attention of foodies beyond the city borders as well. It’s been featured on David Chang’s Netflix show as well as Hulu’s Eater’s Guide to the World. Owned by chef Peter Cho and Sun Young Park, this Korean favorite serves a family style fixed price menu centered around Korean gimbap traditions. Dinner here is an unforgettable experience, one that requires a reservation which opens 28 days out at 10am—so set an alarm!

This hot spot generated considerable buzz upon opening in 2022, when it was named a Best New Restaurant by The New York Times and Esquire before receiving a James Beard award in 2023. Serving Haitian cuisine crafted with seasonal, local ingredients, Kann is a notoriously challenging spot to get reservations. The restaurant releases one month of reservations on the first of the month prior at noon—but locals agree it’s worth the trouble.

Opened by James Beard Award–winner Gabriel Rucker in 2006 (when the chef was just 25), Le Pigeon has grown into one of Portland’s classic establishments. Groundbreaking when it opened, the modern French bistro revolutionized the dining scene with a daring, meat-focused menu that included such innovative dishes as beef cheek bourguignon with creamy cheddar, beef tongue spätzle and, for dessert, foie gras profiteroles (still a staple on the menu today). The snug eatery features exposed brick walls, communal seating and a copper oven vent that anchors the open kitchen, all of which combine to create a cozy ambiance, perfect for enjoying indulgent French cuisine. Le Pigeon offers set menus as well as an à la carte selection, and while the dishes appeal to the adventurous, patrons can also expect some accessible items like a burger and butternut squash agnolotti with black truffle whipped ricotta.

Inspired by Scandinavian cuisine and named after the owner’s beloved pet rabbit, Maurice is a charming café and restaurant in downtown Portland. Despite its understated, unassuming appearance—the hole-in-the-wall café is styled in all white and has just a few seats—the restaurant serves some of the freshest all-day fare in the city. Chef-owner Kristen Murray is responsible for the menu, which changes daily but might feature such light bistro dishes as quiche with simple greens, poulet au pain and lefse (Norwegian flatbread) with gravlax and tarragon. No visit to Maurice is complete without a few of the daily sweets; the black pepper cheesecake and lemon soufflé, which are served on mismatched antique plates, are favorites

In 2012, Seattle Magazine named Poppy Seattle’s best Northwest cuisine restaurant, a well-deserved accolade for this inventive dining mecca in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Created by chef Jerry Traunfeld (formerly of the equally acclaimed Herbfarm restaurant in Woodinville), Poppy presents a fresh take on the Indian thali, a compartmentalized platter holding various dishes with many different tastes. Traunfeld uses local seasonal products to create his daily thalis. You might order one that features crisp-skin king salmon with pinot noir-fennel sauce as a main dish, complemented by carrot-lemon soup with dukkah; cucumber, black lentil and sumac salad; peppermint snap peas; and fennel and shiso kimchi. The medley of textures, herbs and spices is surprising and satisfying.

Diners at Purple are somewhat dwarfed by the enormous room with its huge glass windows and floor-to-ceiling wine storage tower, but no one seems to mind. Nor should they, since the food is always good and the atmosphere is relaxed in a “smart-casual” sort of way. Wine is a big feature at Purple, and wine pairings with your various plates are surprisingly inexpensive compared to other Seattle restaurants. The menu at Purple gives a nod to international influences but makes abundant use of the bounty of the Pacific Northwest in dishes like Dungeness crab and chanterelle mushroom pasta. You can share small plates or order larger ones. You can’t be shy or retiring here; you’ll have to speak up if you want to be heard over the lively hub-bub.

Sushi lovers, whether they’re locals or businessmen from Tokyo, flock to Shiros in Belltown because, quite simply, it serves the best sushi in Seattle. Sushi master and local legend Shiro Kashiba serves only the finest, freshest fish to his customers; you will never taste anything but the best here. For a sumptuous repast, order the chef’s selection of omakase sushi or sashimi. Tempura and other traditional Japanese favorites are also available. One of Shiro’s signature dishes is broiled black cod kasuzuke.

The fine-dining restaurant at The Edgewater, on Pier 67, always had a great view, and now, under the guidance of Chef John Roberts, it has fine-dining as well. The glass-walled room opens out to a narrow patio overlooking Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains. This is definitely the place to dine in warm summer months.

The food is locally sourced and usually organic. Menus change with the seasons, but you can never go wrong with the chef’s signature crab and shrimp cake, a delicious appetizer made with an egg binder instead of breadcrumbs. Order whatever fish is fresh that day. The cedar plank salmon, plank-baked in a traditional Native American way but served with rich additions of truffle cream, blackberry honey, and bacon, is another melt-in-the-mouth specialty. All the entrees can be ordered in half-portions, or you can choose from a selection of small plates featuring unadorned fish and meat selections. Six-Seven is a destination restaurant and great for a romantic dining experience.

This Korean restaurant in downtown Portland is the more casual sister to Han Oak from James Beard nominees Peter Cho & Sun Young Park. Toki is well known for its fried chicken and dishes like kimchi carbonara, all at prices that won’t break the bank. It’s a fun and lively atmosphere ideal for dinner (or brunch) with friends or a date night.