Seattle Dining Guide
Where to find the oysters, the crab rolls, and the sustainably sourced delicacies that define our waterbound town.
ByAllecia Vermillion and Seattle Met StaffMarch 13, 2024
Magnificent seafood is as much our city's brand as innovation, public radio, and our weird pride about not using umbrellas. And yet we have surprisingly few dedicated fish restaurants, not counting oyster bars and sushi destinations.
Halibut and black cod entrees infuse menus at neighborhood bistros; we put dungeness crab into our soup, our sandwiches, even our mac and cheese. These are all good things. But here are some favorite local spots that do focus on great seafood.
Local Tide
Fremont
RockCreek
Fremont (and coming soon to kirkland)
Seabird
Bainbridge Island
Brendan McGill’s flagship restaurant pays tribute to the water however it can: seaweed focaccia, a kelp caesar, a martini with shellfish-rested gin. The rest of the menu makes use of McGill’s nearby farm and the wood-fueled oven. The execution isn’t always even, but the service and the menu's sheer brain-boggling ambition make each meal feel like a special occasion.
Westward
Wallingford
Taylor Shellfish
Capitol Hill, Pioneer Square, Queen Anne
Seattle Fish Guys
Central District
The Market
Edmonds, Downtown
Shubert Ho’s downtown Edmonds cafe is tiny—a counter and a covered, heated patio. But it puts out a massive lineup of casual fish dishes. The lobster rolls have a devout following, but the menu’s full of finds, like lobster fries, green curry shrimp and grits, or a bag full of fried soft-shell crab. The Market serves a similar menu, plus morning coffee, at its Seattle Art Museum location.
Pike Place Chowder
Downtown, Pike Place Market
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Ballard
Back in 2010, Renee Erickson thought she was opening a casual, hidden-away oyster bar. Then came the buzz—and the excitement hasn’t diminished since. Yes, it’s a great place to eat oysters, but the broader food menu (part French, wholly Northwest) is full of inspired seafood dishes, not to mention pitch-perfect vegetables and a signature steak tartare. Come early, or plan to wait in the amaro bar next door.
Ivar's Acres of Clams
Various
Ivar Haglund, Seattle’s own P.T. Barnum with a yen for pranks, started a fish and chips counter on the waterfront in 1938. Today it’s grown to include more than 20 fast-casual outposts that serve chowder and fish and chips from Tacoma to Marysville. Ivar’s also runs three full-service waterside restaurants, where the vibe is far from cool, but the quality of seafood is always on point.
The White Swan Public House
South Lake Union
Ray's Boathouse and Ray's Cafe
Ballard
Bar Harbor
South Lake Union
Duke's Seafood
Various
Aqua by El Gaucho
Belltown
Elliott's Oyster House
Waterfront
Shaker and Spear
Belltown
Filed under
Seafood, Oysters, Westward, Taylor Shellfish, Manolin, Walrus and the Carpenter, White Swan Public House, Ray's Boathouse, Elliott's Oyster House
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