city guide: seattle
everything you need to eat, drink and explore your way through my favorite city.
It’s a longstanding joke, when people ask where I moved to Seattle from - that I tried out all the coasts before landing on the best one.
My path here was not a direct one: raised in Atlanta, family roots in the midwest, college in Boston, four years in LA. We visited Seattle for the first time on a whim in 2017, one of the only “just for fun” domestic trips we have ever taken. We scored one of those perfect July weeks that tricks people into moving to the PNW: glorious bluesky, the water, the mountains, the thrill of turning a corner and being met with the majesty of Mount Rainer. We repeatedly turned to each other in awe: “this is amazing. isn’t this amazing?!”
Even the way we eventually ended up here was not a direct one: The move was a life move, made possible by work moves.
Less than a year after our original visit, and the aches and pains of living in LA were starting to chafe just around the time that I lost my job. The day after, reeling and puffy eyed, I looked up from a frantic revision of my resume, struck with inspiration.
“what if we just moved to Seattle?”
A vague, quarterlife crisis took shape, turned solid, tangible, and suddenly, into a very very real plan: less than 4 months after I initially brought it up, we were one a one-way roadtrip to our new home.
may it never be said that we are not people who *commit to the bit*.
There are many things I miss about the other places we have lived: It feels weird to consider Boston and LA and Atlanta as places I used to live, and now revisit like an old boyfriend you catch up with every so often — with great affection, a little bit of nostalgia, and sometimes a stark realization of how much you both have changed in the time you’ve been apart.
But we have now lived in Seattle for five (almost six??!!!!) years, a duration of time that feels like forever and only a matter of moments. This guide a collection of the places and things that make Seattle feel like home to us: the things that Mark and I bring our friends and family to when they visit, and the first places we recommend to people.
There are some admitted gaps in this guide, due in part to the arrested development in our exploration caused by the pandemic, and in part to the fact that we currently have a 15 month old and don’t really get out as much as we used to 🙄 - but I promise it’s absolutely packed to the brim with something for everyone.
Seattle is such a special place, and I have so much love for the nature, local businesses, restaurants and community that I recommend here. Whether you are a PNW local looking to explore, or planning a visit to Seattle, You truly cannot go wrong — we can’t wait to have you visit!
okay that’s it - love you!
without further ado: thrilled to share my literal, actual pride and joy, a guide developed through my own explorations through my home. this is a long one, so I’ve divided her up into the following sections:
Neighborhoods to know (preview)
Food & Drink (preview)
Sections include: top favorites, other go-tos, plant-based, drinks, breakfast/brunch, & ice cream
Fitness
Shopping, etc
Outdoors, etc.
Arts, Culture & Activities
As with all my travel guides, you can find the full guide saved into a google map I’m always updating for easy planning and references. This guide focuses primarily on Seattle proper, but let me know if you want recommendations for the greater Puget Sound / San Juan Islands area!
neighborhoods to know
Something that can be challenging when visiting / thinking about moving to or visiting any city is trying to figure out where anything is and where you want to be in relation to all those things. I’m sharing a generalized neighborhood guide and my recommendations as they relate to living / visiting there. These are by no means the end all be all - more my general reflection based on my experience here.
BALLARD / FREMONT / WALLINGFORD
I live in this area, and I love it!
Ballard has a good mix of young people and families, and a great selection of bars / restaurants (as well as my favorite farmer’s market on Sunday). The growing brewery district is also a ton of fun and always worth a visit. Fremont is like Ballard’s artsy sibling — similar, but with decidedly funkier vibes (#fremontcenteroftheuniverse) while Wallingford is the more mature older sibling. It’s quite easy to commute downtown from here.
CAPITOL HILL / CENTRAL DISTRICT
Cap Hill is a lot of fun - I liken it to West Hollywood in LA, with a lot of bars, restaurants, nightclubs, cafes, etc. I would say it’s a fun place to stay on a visit, and while I personally wouldn’t want to live there (it can be a bit busy, and crowded) I know lots of friends who have lived there and love it. It has a good proximity to downtown and the east side (Bellvue, Kirkland, Redmond) if you need to consider a commute.
SOUTH LAKE UNION
SLU is very centrally located (see: convenient) with some growing food and drink options. Although it is largely office buildings (hello @ amazon and google) , a bunch of apartments have been built up in the last year or so. I stayed in SLU the first time I visited and I would definitely recommend it just for ease of access — if you’re looking for a special occasion, highly recommend the Pan Pacific.
QUEEN ANNE / MAGNOLIA
Queen Anne and Magnolia are lovely - lots of families and great views. Both neighborhoods are a little sleepier (and if i’m honest, pricer) than Ballard or Cap Hill. QA has good proximity to Seattle Center (the Space Needle, etc) and downtown but staying in SLU is more central.
DOWNTOWN / PIONEER SQUARE
Downtown and Pioneer Square are a little complicated - there are some truly incredible spots, but not many people live there. I worked downtown everyday for almost 2 years before COVID (and have recently started heading back into our offices a few times a week. Outside of work though I rarely head downtown except on limited occasions. These neighborhoods do have some excellent resturants, and the big tourist attractions: Pike Place Market, Seattle Art Museum, Nordstrom Flagship, etc.
If you’re visiting (and looking for something fancy) I highly recommend the Lotte hotel (to stay or for dinner at their gorgeous top floor bar and restaurant). Otherwise, you can reach all the quintessential tourist destinations from SLU, QA or Cap Hill just as easily, and I’d encourage you do that.
WEST SEATTLE
What can I say about West Seattle except that people who live in West Seattle LOVE living in West Seattle, and people who don’t live in West Seattle don’t go there as often as we should . The few times I’ve made it over it’s been absolutely lovely, with good food and great views.
INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT
One thing I know about this guide is that it doesn’t include nearly enough information about things to do, see and eat in the International District. A lot of the places on this list are from neighborhoods we explored pre-covid, and i’m generally bummed with how little with have gotten down into the ID to really explore.
SOUTH SEATTLE (GEORGETOWN/MT. BAKER / HILLMAN CITY / COLUMBIA CITY / BEACON HILL)
Another of my lesser explored neighborhoods, but whenever I make it down I inevitably add a new favorite to my top all time list. Friends who live there love the community.
EASTSIDE (BELLVUE, KIRKLAND, REDMOND)
AKA Microsoft land. It’s on the other side of Lake Washington from Seattle proper, which can mean more space and different commutes. Similar to West Seattle, we don’t see the friends who live here as often as we should just due to distance and logistics (but it is home to our all time fave off leash dog park!)
food & drink
disclaimer: this guide is *extremely long*, and doesn’t even include coffee. the official coffee with maggie seattle guide will be available to paid subscribers later this week.
MY FAVORITE MEALS IN SEATTLE:
MAMNOON:
Mamnoon is my favorite restaurant in Seattle — middle eastern food that is consistently excellent and wows everyone we bring there. We always start with the moushakal mezze platter with all the dips (and extra pitas), get the cauliflower, and then order as many things on the menu as you can before the staff tells you it might be too much — and that’s exactly as much as you want. Finish with a Turkish coffee and the baklawa. other excellent spots in the same family: mbar (rooftop perfect for celebrations), manna (to-go lunch and coffee with an excellent market), and mamnoon street (fast casual middle eastern street food).
SAINT BREAD:
Saint Bread quickly became our go-to for easy weekend breakfasts or lunch - an excellent cafe with one of my favorite breakfast sandwiches *and* one of Mark’s favorite burgers, a consistently excellent coffee program, and some extremely fun pastries. There is a lovely outdoor patio, and the group recently expanded to have a food truck and small bar headed by alums of Seattle great London Plane. Lines get long on weekends, and the pastry case clears out quick! if the cardamom sticky bun and miso caramel capp have no fans, I am dead.
CIUDAD:
A Mediterranean - style restaurant focused on meat & veggies cooked over a charcoal grill, Ciudad is probably tied with Mamnoon for our all time favorite. Everything is shared plates style with absolutely incredible flavor - both meat and plant based options are phenomenal. I can’t recommend the falafel and the pita and dips enough.
HOMER:
With Mediterranean and Middle Eastern inspired food (are you sensing a trend yet?) Homer has more PNW influences than the other similar restaurants on this list. Everything is wood-fired and served to share. Don’t sleep on the house-made soft serve — it’s always great. looking for something more casual? Don’t sleep on sister restaurant MilkDrunk: the absolutely iconic combination of fried chicken and perfect soft serve.
DELANCEY
My favorite pizza in Seattle - Delancey is unreal in an extremely simple but sophisticated way. The cheese pizza is a perfect, oven blistered thin crust complimented with a salty and melty cheese combo. Salads are great, and so is the wine list.
FRELARD PIZZA / BALLARD PIZZA:
I am a little biased here because we live within walking distance, but Ballard Pizza is probably our most frequented restaurant, and it’s always delicious. Pro-tip: Our order: Half Ballard Bridge (Mark), half Veggie Bomb with no tomatoes (Me).
BANGRAK MARKET:
I love Thai food, and Bangrak Market is always good. I always order the mango and sticky rice, the curries are excellent, and you can never go wrong with tofu spring rolls and spicy tom yum soup (Mark also has had a bunch more of the full entrees and raves about them all). Highly recommend the passionfruit margarita.
RACHEL’S BAGELS & BURRITOS:
One of my favorite Seattle food stories: a meat-based dinner spot in Ballard pivoted to exclusively make bagels and burritos to keep the lights on during COVID (talk about crushing a sourdough hobby). They were so successful that it stuck, and they have expanded into the space next door. I *love* the Nick & Nora, an everything bagel with cream cheese, smashed avocado and a perfect house made chili crisp. if you arrive after 11 am on a weekend be prepared to order ahead or wait!
OTHER TOP RECS:
Y’all we love food. I’ll spare you my novel-style recommendations for the rest of these, and will just give the TLDR below!
M-bar: Mamnoon’s sister restaurant with a rooftop. Great drinks, great view. Make reservations, or be prepared to wait.
Oxbow Bakery: Seawolf bakery’s sister restaurant serving up some of the best sourdough bagels out there. I love the coffee counter, and almost always stop in after a walk around the arboretum.
Sushi Suzuki: Run, don’t walk.
Mainstay Provisions: breakfast, sandwiches, coffee, pizza, market, baked goods, soft serve. They do everything, and they do it well.
Westward: Oysters, skyline views, and some great happy hours.
The Whale Wins : a veggie focused cafe with a delightful little larder shop inside it. whatever you do, don’t forget to order a chocolate chip tahini cookie.
Lupo:(pizza) - Lupo’s Neapolitan pizza is really exceptional for a lighter option. (and don’t sleep on the wine list).
Terra Plata: shared plates on a cute lil rooftop. service is slow but food is great.
Un Bien; Caribbean food — consistently delicious
Red Star Taco Bar: burritos bigger than your head. get the spicy mezcal margarita.
Sabine : great brunch and happy hour, although the line is always long. pro-tip: on a busy weekend, just get coffee from the to-go window and skip the wait.
Cafe Turko : Family style Turkish food. I love the Aegean Musakka (a smoky roasted eggplant dish), and always get the mint lemonade.
Spinasse : Some of the best Italian in Seattle.
Fiasco : pizza, pasta and some great drinks. My go-to takeout order for when I’m home alone: impossible burger + fries with the crispy avocado salad.
Big Max Burger Co: great burgers, great fries, consistently excellent veggie burgers.
Pho Bac Súp Shop: also recently longlisted for a James Beard Award! Soup, noodles, and tasty bites.
Great Notion: technically a taproom - great burgers, great fries, kid + dog friendly.
Mercado Luna: Rooftop patio with excellent tacos and a killer mezcal list.
Layers: Never enough sandwiches, and these are goooood.
PLANT BASED FAVORITES:
Cafe Flora: the OG. Brunch is great, and so are the cocktails.
Bounty Kitchen: I don’t know how else to describe it but BK reminds me of LA. Great options for a number of dietary restrictions and fresh, delicious food.
Plum Bistro: really fantastic vegan food. The mac and cheese is a showstopper.
Kati Vegan Thai: No notes, just delicious.
Eve Fremont : one of the more chef-y spots on this list, serves meat but the veggie selections are always on point.
DRINKS:
Bale Breaker / Yonder Cider: our fave brewery. kid friendly + great food trucks and pop-ups.
Bottle House : A really wonderful wine bar with an impressive selection, and very good snacks. Great for a date or with girlfriends.
Shibuya Hi-Fi Vinyl Bar: Good drinks, good music, feels like something you would find in LA.
Damn the Weather: my favorite little cocktail bar in Seattle. Great work week happy hour /charcuterie, and the dinner menu is actually pretty great as well.
Rough & Tumble: a sports bar that exclusively shows women’s sports. I’m obsessed.
Bathtub Gin: A speakeasy, and some of the best cocktails I’ve ever had. Recommend going on an off night to increase the chances of getting in.
Knee High Stocking Co: honestly the one and only time I went here we had * many * drinks and from what i remember they were all very good and very strong.
Fair Isle Brewing : one of the less bro-y breweries in the Ballard Brewery neighborhood. I love the Gemma (a saison with rose hip) and they they recently brought a great burger situation in-house. (21+)
BREAKFAST/BRUNCH:
Sea Wolf : The quintissential Seattle bakery. Perfect sourdough. I always get the chocolate croissant, but truly everything is great.
Ben’s Bread: Recently nominated for a James Beard Award, this little neighborhood spot is excellent. the english muffins make a *perfect* at-home breakfast sandwich.
Bakeshop: An all-day cafe that has afterwork drinks? count me in. Bread, baked goods and coffee are all great, sandwiches and salads shine. Pro-tip: grab a bag of their frozen salted espresso chip cookie dough for at-home perfection.
Oddfellows : Can get super crowded on weekends , but a one of my favorites. Something for everyone, coffee is great. definitely get a biscuit. Explore Elliot Bay Book Company & grab a coffee at Little Oddfellows next door when if there’s a wait.
Stone Way Cafe: our “bigger than your face” breakfast burrito spot of choice - they have been closed for almost 2 years while relocating to a new space and I will simply pass away when they reopen.
ICE CREAM:
Frankie and Joe's: Vegan and our most favorite - the Ballard shop has soft serve now! (as seen above).
Indigo Cow: Stunnnnnnnning Hokkaido style soft serve
Mainstay Provisions: So good I listed it twice. Their twist soft serve was my frequent pregnancy craving.
fitness
I love the Seattle Fitness community, and have so much respect for them. However you want to move, there are some amazing options:
YOGA STUDIOS
Commune Yoga : my favorite yoga studio. incredible in-person classes and a great online selection as well.
Take Care Yoga : A lot of the teachers I love from Commune teach here as well. They have some outdoor / rooftop classes i’ve really enjoyed.
Mind Body Hum: Offers some really incredible asana yoga classes as well as pranayama (mindfulness / meditation style) classes. I wish I could go more often.
FITNESS STUDIOS, GYMS & OTHER:
Barry’s Bootcamp : Hard to believe it but I like Barry’s in Seattle far more than I ever did in LA. The instructor team is incredible, and the overall vibe feels more encouraging than my experiences at the LA studios. Ives and Even are my go-tos!
MOOV Seattle: my go to megaformer pilates studio. Gorgeous space and excellent instructors!
[solidcore]: megaformer pilates again — a little more intense then MOOV but always a good time.
Olympic Athletic Club: The first gym I have joined in Seattle and I *love it*. Great space, great classes, a child care option, and parking. It’s not Equinox, but it might be heaven.
shopping, etc.
FARMER’S MARKETS
Ballard Farmer’s Market (Sunday Mornings)
Queen Anne Farmer’s Market (Thursday Evenings)
University District Farmer’s Market (Saturday Afternoons)
BOUTIQUES, ETC.
most of these spots have online shops: I can’t recommend them highly enough.
September the Shop - extremely cute selection of clothes and small gifts
Woodland Mod - a gorgeous minimalist, Scandenavian and Japanese inspired homegoods.
Flora & Henri - my first stop when I want to get someone something special, including kids and adults.
Glasswing Shop - I want to simultaneously live in and wear everything in this shop. Someday.
Pipe & Row - my neighborhood favorite boutique!
Station 7 - owned by a family friend, I can’t say enough good things about S7. Such a cute spot, and such a great selection of gifts and home goods.
PLANTS
Root Plants - both my favorite coffee shop and an incredible plant store.
Indoor Sun Shoppe - a Fremont fave. primarily indoor plants with a stunning selection of plants, pots and other gear.
Urban Earth Nursery - primarily outdoor plants (flowers, shrubs, trees etc). UEN is are single handedly responsible for my attempts at gardening this year.
outdoors & scenery
Green Lake - my favorite walk in Seattle, a paved 3 mile loop that’s also home to some great playgrounds, a splash pad, and a community theatre.
Discovery Park - classic Seattle. plenty of running / walking trails, access to the water and scenic views from the bluffs.
Volunteer Park Conservatory - possibly my favorite place on this list. Worth the price of admission, especially in February.
Lake Union + Lake Washington + Puget Sound - I will never get over the nature in and around Seattle but the WATER holds an extra special place in my heart. You can fairly easily rent boats on Lake Union through the Center For Wooden Boats, and it’s a great way to get out on the water. If you’re looking for some more hands on learning, I did my ASA 101 certification via Seattle Sailing Club, and would like to do 103 soon!
Washington Park Arboretum - I walked around WPA once a week for almost two years with a friend and I will fully credit it with not losing my mind while WFH during covid. it’s a wonderful park, and the different sections are really beautiful.
Golden Gardens - A Seattle classic. pro-tip: go in the morning to avoid the big crowds on the beach.
Carkeek Park - think Discovery but quieter.
Olympic Sculpture Park - stunning views of the sound and the Olympics when it’s clear!
please note: this section does not include general recommendations for hikes, largely because I think those kinds of recommendations need more detail and context. If you’re looking for a hike in the Seattle area I recommend checking out Washington Trails Association. I’ve got a longform guide for Hiking the Enchantments (with aaaaaaaalll the detail and context) or I’m also happy to help you find a hike that works for you!
arts, culture & activities
MUSEUMS, ETC:
I can’t say enough good things about the arts & culture scene in Seattle. All of these are wonderful options, and you really can’t go wrong with any of them.
Seattle Art Museum & Seattle Asian Art Museum: featuring historic and contemporary art, as well as a conservation center and art library.
Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington: Emphasis on contemporary art with a permanent James Turrell Skyspace installation.
Frye Art Museum - My favorite museum, and Seattle’s only free art museum. In addition to an extensive collection of late 18th/early19th century European art, the museum features artists who explore modern issues. Can’t wait to see: Jessica Jackson Hutchins: Wrecked and Righteous.
Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, PNW Ballet
Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience - A Smithsonian Institution affiliate, and the only pan-Asian Pacific American community based museum in the US. The museum focuses on the art, culture and history of AAPI communities.
Burke Museum of Natural History at the University of Washington: focused on natural and cultural collections, including collections on dinosaurs, fossils, Northwest Native art, plant and animal collections. Cannot wait to take little bear to see the dinosaurs!
TOURISM & SPORTS:
I felt like i needed to include PPM and Seattle Center here, because they are the first things people do when they visit Seattle. They are great and wonderful, but truly such a small part of the city overall. I whole heartedly endorse visiting them, but encourage you to explore other parts of the city as well.
Pike Place Market - go early to see the fish vendors tossing their catches, and check out the market with local handmade goods. I love the flower vendors, and there are a number of great spots for food in the area.
Seattle Center (Space Needle, Chihuly Exhibit, etc) It’s worth it to go up the Space Needle at least once, and I adore the Chihuly Exhibit . There is always plenty to see around Seattle Center., including festivals, concerts and all of the arts buildings (Seattle Opera, NW Ballet, Seattle Rep, etc). Minnie loves to play in the fountains / jump on assorted benches.
Storm / Reign Games: I simply can’t say enough for our multiple national championship women’s teams.
Mariner’s Games - Okay honestly I love the Mariners games. We have gotten seasonal standing room tickets for super cheap. pro-tip: you can bring in your own food — we have brought in everything from homemade sandwiches to a full pizza, and it's honestly always a blast. Kraken / Sounders are also excellent.
Okay, I quite literally think that is absolutely everything in my head, that somehow also *barely* scratches the surface. As always, I hope this serves as a long standing resource for you if and when you ever make it to our amazing city! Give a shout if you have questions or want help to plan a visit to Seattle - I *love* making recommendations!
Also: Starting a chat for Seattle Locals - first I need to hear if there is anything I missed, and second want to understand how many of you there to potentially consider an IRL coffee with maggie situation??!
Shockingly, we have YET to make it to Seattle, but it's the top of our list. Will def use this guide when that bucket list trip finally happens!
This is so extensive & appreciated! Saving for a future trip for sure.