The Most Coveted Dining Experiences in Seattle
At any given time, there are a handful of Seattle restaurants where trying to get a table feels like chasing the end of a double rainbow. Right now, these are those restaurants. The spots on this list aren’t necessarily the best restaurants in the city, but they are the hardest ones to get into—and we want you to know if they’re actually worthwhile. We also want to help you get a reservation, so you don’t have to sit at home and write sad songs about how you’ve never been to Taneda. Below, you’ll find our verdicts on the busiest places in the city, along with some info that’ll help you get that table (or bar seat).
Don’t have the patience for all this? Check out our guide to Previously Impossible Reservations That Are Easy Now.
The Spots
8.9 – Taneda Sushi In Kaiseki
Verdict:This nine-seat counter serves an omakase that’ll undoubtedly be one of the best meals of your year if you love raw fish. You’ll get things like chopped toro handrolls, chutoro and otoro nigiri, uni wrapped in sweet shrimp, Japanese scallops, seared A5 miyazaki wagyu topped with caviar, and even a second uni course. The $255 price tag might seem like a lot to drop on a meal, but think of it like taking yourself out on a date, only one where you’ll reach out for a piece of eel instead of someone else’s hand.
8.6 – Ltd Edition Sushi
Verdict:Whatever you have to do to book a spot at Ltd Edition Sushi, just do it. (More on that below.) This omakase spot only has 16 seats, and we’re fans of every nigiri that gets tossed into the $180 mix—but the best part of the night is when the uni cart comes out and you’re served a buttery sea urchin hand roll as if it were a sidewalk snow cone. If it takes setting four alarms, buying your neighbor’s kid a drum set, and constructing a booby trap to wake you up the morning that reservations are released, so be it.
9.6 – Archipelago
Verdict:This eight-seat wood grain counter in Hillman City is more than just a multi-course dinner inspired by the owners’ Filipino heritage. It’s a billboard for the Pacific Northwest and a meal that should be required by law for every resident. Each dish represents a part of history that connects our city to Filipino culture, and Archipelago only uses ingredients exclusively sourced throughout the region. After two hours, you’ll walk away from Archipelago with a belly full of outstanding lechon (crispy skin and all) and a newfound appreciation for both Filipino food and the surrounding PNW.
9.5 – Spinasse
Verdict:If you like pasta even a little bit, you’ll love a night out at Spinasse. Their homemade tajarin and cavatelli are phenomenal, and the rustic-meets-modern dining room works well for any type of special occasion, from graduation dinners with your entire family to an important date night.
7.9 – Tendon Kohaku
Verdict:The wait was up to five hours when this popular Japanese tempura restaurant opened its first US location in Bellevue. While the dust has begun to settle, reservations are still tricky to nail down—but it’s worth it. Despite a few menu misses (skip the appetizers), the tempura is excellent. And just the thought of their other tasty dishes, like comforting udon carbonara and katsu curry, have us contemplating putting an extra long dentist appointment on our work calendar and heading east.
8.5 – The Pink Door
Verdict:The Pink Door is an iconic Italian restaurant with Elliott Bay views, aerial performances, and a standout spinach lasagna with pesto, marinara, and velvety besciamella that occupies our daily thoughts. Don’t let the tourist hellzone location that is Pike Place deter you: The Pink Door is more than worth braving the crowds, lack of parking, and raw fish smells.
8.9 – A.K. Pizza
Verdict:Yes, even a takeout spot can qualify as a tough reservation, especially when securing a pie in advance has similar difficulty levels to winning a poker championship, or enduring an episode ofThe Big Bang Theory—not impossible, just really, really hard. A.K.’s pizza is well worth the extra effort, though. The crust gives credence to their “Welcome To The Dough Show” sign above the counter with dry charred crunch, but the way it rips unearths cotton candy-like fluff with a light chew. Toppings are just as stellar, like smoky scamorza and sweet vodka sauce deepened by caramelized sofrito. And molten salted chocolate chunk cookies the size of softballs make for a pristine conclusion.
