• Begin — or continue — your personal java journey: With the most independent and boutique coffee houses in a single city, Seattle is a coffee lovers’ town. In fact, you’ll find java in one form or another on almost every block. Unsurprisingly, everyone has an opinion about the coffee bars you’ll love — or hate. But the real fun is sampling the coffee in as many places as you can to find your own favorites. Here are some recommendations to get you started on your own java-tasting adventure:
Food & Wine magazine recommends Zoka Coffee Roaster & Tea Company (Its staff includes a U.S. Barista champion.); Espresso Vivace Roasteria, a winner for its “gorgeous crema” and Victrola Coffee Roaster. (These names show up on many other “best” java lists as well.) …INeedCoffee.com’s suggestions include Verite Coffee. …NWSource.com’s best coffeehouses are scattered about the city and include Espresso Vivace Sidewalk Bar (Capitol Hill) and Zeitgeist Coffee & Art (its best bet in Pioneer Square). Citysearch offers up not one, but two lists of coffeehouses worth noting in Seattle’s neighborhoods.
• Celebrate Bastille Day (July 14) at a Campagne (considered Seattle’s best traditional French restaurant) and Cafe Campagne. The two restaurants, favorites of local Francophiles and foodies, have planned a full day (11am to 11pm) of activities. There’s live music, entertainment, “fun-filled debauchery” and $5 glasses of French wine and $5 French street food.
Located in the courtyard at the Inn at the Pike Place Market, both restaurants are worth a trip for the country-French fare even if you can’t make the holiday bash. Watching your budget? Check out Campagne’s prix-fixe menu and the less-expensive menu at Cafe Campagne (downstairs).
• The Chef Recommends: Daisley Gordon, chef at the top-rated Campagne, is a fan of the sushi at Saito’s Japanese Café & Bar; the well-priced Chinese food at Sea Garden in Seattle’s International District (Gordon favors the salt and pepper squid and the Alaskan spot prawns, when they’re in season.) and the Crispy Drunken Chicken Baguette at chef Eric Banh’s Baguette Box restaurant (locations in Capitol Hill and Fremont). …Tom Douglas (of Dahlia Lounge and Bakery, Etta’s Seafood, Palace Kitchen and Lola) favors Shiro’s Sushi restaurant in Belltown and the cheap, Pan-Asian/Vietnamese Pho Bac in the International District.
• Sample a rotating selection of 30 wines by the glass at the Portalis Wine Shop + Wine Bar on Ballard Avenue. There’s also a menu of “small bites” to satisfy your hunger in a venue that’s been described as “a Seattle coffee shop crossed with a European wine bar.”
• Mange on the best sandwiches in Seattle: Foodies and critics alike praise Armandino’s Salumi, run by chef Mario Batali’s father, Armandino. Visitors and locals line up for the inexpensive Italian charcuterie (and what many consider the best cured meats outside of Italy) that’s served up in a tiny (24-seat) eatery in Pioneer Square.
• Stop by raw oyster “heaven”: Elliott’s Oyster House is generally considered to have the best raw oyster bar in town. Its 21-foot-long bar offers up over two dozen varieties of bivalves (in what may be the largest selection available anywhere) to satisfy a connoisseur’s appetite. (There’s a host of other menu items for your non-oyster-loving pals.) FYI: Don’t let its status as a tourist magnet deter you from a visit.
• People watch at the Macrina Bakery & Cafe where you can eat and relax at one of the city’s most popular haunts for breakfast, lunch or bakery snacks. Owner-chef Leslie Mackie, an artisnal baker with a solid rep, has three restaurants but head for the Belltown location so you can shop nearby First Avenue’s popular boutiques and furniture stores.
• Order the “yummo” fish tacos — and get the kayaks to go! Affordable Mexican food (Don’t miss the grilled halibut and smoked salmon tacos.) stars at the brightly painted Agua Verde Cafe & Paddle Club, a popular, packed and lively eatery on Portage Bay. Known for its killer tacos and margaritas, its outside deck and canal view make it a perfect summer retreat. And if the water proves tempting, you can rent a sea kayak (by the hour) from the on-site Paddle Club and paddle away!
• Book the top tables: Can’t decide which multi-star venue to try? Check out OpenTable.com’s current list of the top-booked eateries in Seattle. Recent favorites include chef Tom Douglas’ Dahlia Lounge and the Purple Cafe and Wine Bar (both located in Downtown). You can also search for restaurants by name, cuisine, neighborhood and price.
• Dine with a view: Seattle is all about the water, so why not plan to dine out in venues that offer a view plus great food? Sample some of the best Northwestern seafood and enjoy a scenic view of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains at Ray’s Boathouse (Ballard/Fremont). In addition to its acclaimed seafood offerings, there are artisan cheeses and a Wine Spectator award-winning list of over 700 wines. …The Six Seven Restaurant & Lounge (located in Seattle’s only waterfront hotel, the Edgewater, perched over Elliott Bay) offers upscale waterfront dining and a menu that features seafood and Asian twists on standard Northwest favorites. If you want to avoid the crowds (The weekends bring flocks of tourists and locals, many of whom are lured by the Sunday brunch.), opt for a weekday visit. Enjoy the view for less during Happy Hour (Sunday to Thursday, from 3 to 6pm) when the bar menu offers $6 cocktails and $5 appetizers …Want some other outdoor dining options? The Seattle Times’ restaurant critic offers up her suggestions for al fresco dining.
© Cheapflights Ltd Marlene R. Fedin
