Welcome to Seattle
Blink and its changed: Seattle can be that ephemeral. Welcome to a place of wildly experimental chefs, coffee roasters and microbreweries, a diverse patchwork of neighborhoods, thriving bookstores and heart-stopping views around every corner. Youve arrived in a city that heralds innovation and a deep connection to nature; a city always marching toward the future.
Seattle waterfront with the in the background | TRONG NGUYEN / SHUTTERSTOCK
Seattle Top Sights
Seattles beating commercial heart.
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Seattle Top Sights
Seattles most iconic sight.
MATTEO COLOMBO / GETTY IMAGES ARCHITECT: JOHN GRAHAM & COMPANY
Seattle Top Sights
Tactile exhibits explore pop history.
LEMBI / SHUTTERSTOCK ARCHITECT: FRANK GEHRY
Seattle Top Sights
Celebrate Seattles eccentric art scene. (Fremont Troll)
SPOONPHOL / SHUTTERSTOCK SCULPTORS: STEVE BADANES, WILL MARTIN, DONNA WALTER & ROSS WHITEHEAD
Seattle Top Sights
Extensive collection of Seattle ephemera.
TRISH JOSE / SHUTTERSTOCK
Seattle Top Sights
Natural wonders in city limits.
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Seattle Top Sights
Shrine to Seattle art royalty.
CHRISTIAN HEINZ / SHUTTERSTOCK
Seattle Top Sights
Interactive museum of aerial innovation.
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Seattle Top Sights
A glimpse of Seattles past.
STEFANO POLITI MARKOVINA / GETTY IMAGES
Seattle Top Sights
Small but mighty art temple.
DAVID TONELSON / SHUTTERSTOCK ARCHITECT: ROBERT VENTURI
Eating
Seattles food scene was always noteworthy, but in recent years it has exploded thanks to the popularity of farm-to-table practices and new American cuisine. As with other major cities youll also find that immigrant communities have made their mark, as have flighty contemporary dining trends.
DAVID TONELSON / SHUTTERSTOCK
Northwest and Pacific Rim Cuisine
A lot of Seattles gourmet restaurants describe their food as Northwest cuisine. Its cornerstone is high-quality regional ingredients that grow abundantly in Washington State: seafood so fresh it squirms, fat berries freshly plucked, mushrooms dug out of the rich soil and a cornucopia of fruit and vegetables.
Another distinguishing feature is pan-Asian cooking, often referred to as Pacific Rim cuisine or fusion food.
What Seattle Does Well
Surrounded by water, Seattle is an obvious powerhouse of fresh seafood. Local favorites include Dungeness crab, salmon, halibut, oysters, spot prawns and clams.
Other genres in which Seattle excels are bakeries (a by-product of its cafe culture), Japanese food (the sushi is unwaveringly good) and perhaps surprisingly spicy Ethiopian food; the bulk of the East African restaurants are in the Central District (CD). The city used to be noted for its dearth of Mexican restaurants, but in the past decade or so many shockingly good ones have opened.
Best Restaurants In Seattle
If you had to sum up Seattle cuisine in three words, this is it.
Unmissable regional Mexican cuisine and the best brunch in town.
Its worth blowing your budget on the tasting menu at this rustic Italian spot.
This traditional Japanese restaurant is a unique dining opportunity in town.
Best Seafood
Ballard oyster bar where they serve em raw with white wine.
Located in Pike Place Market, with fresh fish bought yards from your plate.
Head to Alki Beach for some of the best fish-and-chips in the city.