Seattle Restaurant Tips by davequ Top 5 Page for this destination

5-Point Cafe: On the other hand...

Speaking of the 5-point, if Minnies isn't your style you can try this 24/7 place.

If Minnies is slightly street / bohemian, 5-Point to me is more "Belltown alcoholic."

I had a good breakfast here also, just eggs & hashbrowns, but very tasty in a diner sort of way.

This place has tons of personality, but all the signs outside (see pic) warn you ahead of time, and actually I thought it was mellow and not really all that strange, but here's a review or two below just so you know what you're possibly in for:

5-Point per the Seattle Times

Address: 415 Cedar Street

Comparison: about average

Directions: Just to the right (sw) of the 5th & Denny monorail on Cedar.
It on a cool little square they call "Tilikum Place"

Phone: 206-448-9993

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 3

Theme: Diner

Duke's Chowder House: Good tasting Chowder by South Lake Union

Have stopped for chowder here a bunch of times and never remember to tip it.
South Lake Union is a cool neighborhood. Chandler's Crabhouse and Daniel's Broiler
(two other really good places to eat in South Lake Union area)
are just a about 100 yards away.

Favorite Dish: The chowder is actually good here. Really hits the spot on one of those cool drizzly days down by the lake.

Have one of their Bloody Marys and a bowl of chowder to recover from a late night out in Belltown.

Address: 901 Fairview Ave N

Comparison: about average

Directions: Right next to the marina at the southern tip of Lake Union. MAP

Phone: 206 302-9963

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Seafood

Website: http://www.dukeschowderhouse.com

Shanghai Gardens: Good Chinese in International District

No frills, just decent food in lower, south of downtown Seattle's small Chinatown / International District.

Good cheap, affordable Chinese, then you can take a walk through lower downtown Intl. District for fun.

Finding parking is tough, you might just want to park in a downtown lot and make an afternoon of it in lower south downtown Seattle.

Favorite Dish: Szechuan pork in hot garlic sauce or General Tso's chicken washed down with a Tsingtao.

Address: 524 6th Ave S

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: International district / Chinatown at intersection of 6th & King, lower south downtown Seattle

Phone: (206) 625-1689

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 3

Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum

Website: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=13870

Elliotts Oyster House: Oysters outside on the Pier

Elliotts on Pier 56 is always a decent choice for oysters, seafood, etc. especially if weather is good and you can sit outside on the pier.

The staff there has always been very helpful & friendly to me in the past, bringing food & wine samples as free appetizers to try before you make a choice for dinner. Some excellent Pacific Northwest raw oysters were great starters for all the good seafood entrees.

Just a little touristy - but good quality and worth it.

If you get weather like in my pic, try to eat outside. - Don't get me wrong: the food is not "tourist trap," it's very good. But on a sunny day or pleasant evening, it's about the view when you sit outside.

Favorite Dish: Oysters, cioppino, seafood is their specialty (with approx. 8million different preparations of salmon),
& it's right on the water.

Address: 1201 Alaskan Way, Seattle, 98101

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: on Pier 56 almost right next to the ferry terminal.

Phone: (206) 623-0211

Price: US$31-40

Rating: 4

Theme: Seafood

Website: http://www.elliottsoysterhouse.com/

Dahlia Lounge: Highly recommended downtown / Belltown

Everyone (hotel concierges, magazines, Seattle papers) recommends this place in their premier list, & since it was only a couple blocks from the Westin I walked over & checked it out.

I really liked the way it looked inside (old, red, dark retro), the staff was really nice and helpful, and the food was delicious.

Not cheap, but neither is the food and service. Real "pro" bartenders also.

Every city has its "oldschool" classy-yet-nonpretentious quality restaurants and I think Dahlia Lounge is one of the better ones in Seattle.

The guy who owns it (see website) also has a good seafood place called Etta's down by Pike Place.

Favorite Dish: I had a delicious roast lamb dish that was really good. Portions are just right (not large but not too small) & the food is rich and well presented.

The seafood at other tables looked great and everyone was raving about the crabcakes.

They even have their own bakery right next door so the bread and desserts were really good also.

It was easily worth the bucks, and honestly I didn't think it was all that expensive for fine dining. 2 drinks, appetizer, meal and coffee was $54. You can pay nearly $80 for what I had at places like the Metropolitan Grill.

Summary: Great food; good atmosphere & staff, and for a fair price. I recommend it and will go back.

Address: 2001 Fourth Ave

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Downtown Belltown corner of 4th and Virginia

Phone: 206 682 4142

Price: US$31-40

Rating: 4

Theme: American

Website: http://www.tomdouglas.com/restaurants/dahlia-lounge

Metropolitan Grill: Meat with Meat Sauce: a great steakhouse

Probably my favorite high-end downtown steakhouse in Seattle.
Without wanting to offend anyone, I think of the Metropolitan Grill as yuppie decadence taken to its extreme.

Instead of the upscale dining room, I prefer to eat in the big bar on the north side of the building in one of the booths next to the windows on Marion St.

The bar has the dark heavy wood ambience of a great steakhouse.

Very popular (translated busy/crowded) and it is a little expensive, but I think it is one of the best if not the best place to eat red meat, drink cocktails & wine, and maybe even do a cognac & cigar for dessert.

Smoke alert: they allow smoking in parts of the bar. I rarely, almost never smoke, it doesn't bother me, but secondhand smoke-haters will hate it.
If you hate smoke, eat in the dining room.

Valet the car or take a cab, there's very little parking available.

Favorite Dish: A dry martini, an iceberg lettuce salad, the prime rib with garlic mashed washed down with a big fat glass of red Stags Leap Petite Syrah.

If I really want to shoot the moon, I finish with a snifter of Kelt Tour du Monde XO cognac and a Montecristo #2 Torpedo. (like I said... "yuppie decadence")

Address: 820 2nd Ave

Comparison: most expensive

Directions: Downtown @ Marion & 2nd Ave

Phone: (206) 624-3287

Price: US$41 and up

Rating: 5

Theme: Steakhouse

Website: http://www.themetropolitangrill.com/

Pink Door: Unique Seattle Gem

The Pink Door has good food and personality PLUS. Every city should have a place like this.

Hidden, eccentric, unique ambience, yet with a solid following of local regulars.

Almost invisible on Post Alley, just a small pink innocuous door on the alley opens up to a long narrow flight of stairs down into a speakeasy-like room (see my pic) with eccentric furnishings, swings and trapezes hanging from the ceiling...

Yet due to lower Seattles steep incline toward the water, what was a small door in an alley opens up in back of the restaurant to a large open deck with a beautiful view of Elliott Bay & Puget Sound. Happy hour here (with security provided by the mannequins on the overlooking terrace) on a warm sunny day must be a madhouse.

They sometimes have bizarre, eclectic entertainment at night, from jazz to fortune tellers and tarot readers.
The band that was playing this night Casey Macgill and the Spirits of Rhythm / now the Blue4 Trio were extremely talented, very original, and after a few gin martinis felt like I was listening to the ghosts of an allstar, pre-war jump/swing band on mescalin.

Staff is very helpful and entertaining, food rocks, drinks are class and well done, don't even think about missing this place (if you can find it). I'll always go back if I can find the time.

Favorite Dish: Meatball sandwiches (either HUGE focaccia meatball sandwiches or with pasta) or their excellent lasagna.

Good house wines, and the deck out back has an amazing view of Elliott Bay and during good weather is fantastic for happy hour drinks or laid back al fresco.

Address: 1919 Post Alley

Comparison: about average

Directions: Behind / below and north of Pike Place Market in Post Alley, there is no sign, just look (walking north) on your left for the small pink door in the alley.

Phone: 206 443 3241

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 5

Theme: Italian

Website: http://www.thepinkdoor.net/

Salumi Sandwiches & Italian-style Cured Meats: Hands Down, the Best Sandwich in Seattle

If there is a better place in Seattle or almost anywhere to have a killer sandwich of cured meats in the classic Italian style, let me know. High quality affordable eats!

Salumi is sometimes described incorrectly as a little "hole in the wall" (actually very clean & organized, but really easy to miss) in downtown Seattle Pioneer Sq. area, a couple blocks from Seahawk Stadium. Here's a map you can click down into and "street walk" -
Salumi map

To learn all about the famous Batali family that runs Salumi (and some of NYCs best restaurants) & to read an excellent review, click here: .... Salumi in Seattle

Favorite Dish: I had the best porchetta (roast pork) sandwich with green peppers (see photo) washed down with a surprisingly tasty Italian beer (Birra Moretti ).

They are wonderful people in the shop and they also gave me a delicious little italian salami tasting plate with all different meats to try. They're very proud of their product (they SHOULD be) and at under $10 may be one of the best lunch deals I've ever had.

This place is not easy to find but it is definitely imho a Seattle "top-ten" and worth looking up. Lunch can be really crowded, the place is very small & informal with sometimes a very long line. I recommend you go either early or late lunch around 1:30pm or so.

Address: 309 Third Ave South

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Easy to miss-downtown Pioneer Square @ triangular confluence of 3rd ave, 2nd ave & Main. A couple of blocks NE of Seahawk stadium.
You'll miss it the first time, everybody does, just ask someone on the street for directions.

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 5

Theme: Italian

Website: http://www.salumicuredmeats.com/

Salty's: For the view Salty's Review

And the food's good too,
but for me it is the fabulous view from West Seattle / Alki Point of the beautiful night Seattle skyline of Seattle Elliott bay that makes Salty's so special.

Pic I took from the park next door to the N. of Salty's.

Salty's has a complimentary "limo" shuttle that will give you a ride from a downtown hotel, and during good seasonal weather you can take Elliott Bay Water Taxi from Pier 55

Bring your camera and a couple wide and or telefoto lenses, even a tripod. It's a view you won't forget, accompanied by good dinner & drinks.

Wow! - Check out Salty's awesome view from the new
Live Elliott Bay Webcam!

Favorite Dish: Seafood specials. All good quality. I like grilled prawns, cioppino, seared scallops, and of course, as always in Seattle, the king salmon. If it swims, Salty's does it pretty well.
Here are some menus to peruse
And the view is a knockout.

Here are some Salty-pix and virtual tours.

Address: 1936 Harbor Avenue SW - TEL: (206) 937-1600

Comparison: about average

Directions: Driving: From downtown get on the waterfront elevated 99 south, exit right (west) on the West Seattle freeway (S. Spokane St) then at bottom exit right (N) on Harbor ave sw and follow it to Alki point.

Phone: (206) 937-1600

Price: US$31-40

Rating: 3

Theme: Seafood

Website: http://www.saltys.com/

Harvest Vine: Incredible Tapas

Probably the best Tapas in Seattle. Small place, great food.

Favorite Dish: All the hot tapas dishes, probably the galician octopus. Steamed octopus and potatoes with Spanish paprika and olive oil.

Address: 2701 East Madison Seattle, WA 98122

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: East side of Seattle, East of Capitol Hill, below Washington Park. Map at website

Phone: (206) 320-9771

Price: US$31-40

Rating: 4

Theme: Other

Website: http://www.harvestvine.com/