Where to Eat around The Westin Seattle

Le Pichet (the sister to Cafe Presse in Capitol Hill) is a quaint little French bistro close to Pike Place Market. Locals rave about the quiche, which often sells out by lunchtime, but if you miss out, you can console yourself with their generously portioned five-meat charcuterie plate, pork pate, chicken liver terrine, or a simple baguette sandwich. The prices are reasonable and they’re known for high-quality meats. Just like an authentic Parisian brasserie, tables are packed close together and it can get noisy inside. Their dining room is small and fills up fast, so if you have your heart set on dinner here, reservations are recommended.

Locals may get a twinge of nostalgia remembering Lunchbox Laboratory’s original, tiny shack in Ballard, where vintage lunchboxes covered the walls, and they closed when they ran out of meat. Fortunately, their new South Lake Union location is much more spacious, if a little more slick and polished. You can still get enormous, super-customized burgers (pictured here is the Truffle Love), tater tots with a variety of seasoning blends, and amazingly delicious milkshakes. Try the “dork” (duck + pork) patty. Happy hour features discounted drinks, burgers, fries, and milkshakes. Prices are a little higher than your typical burger joint (about $10-15 per burger), but it’s an unforgettable experience—and you probably won’t want to eat again that day.

Many consider breakfast the most important meal of the day, so it has to be big, good, or both. The innovative approach Lola takes in redefining breakfast classics manages to catapult it into the later. Something as simple as a doughnut becomes novel in this environment. Hash browns are transformed into smashed, encrusted fried-potato wedges. Eggs Benedict borders on sublime. You really can’t miss on the “good.” And the “big” part of these offerings has little to do with portions; it’s flavor that commands the table. The Ginger Mint Spritzer drink inspired us to come home and create our own version. It’s that kind of place. Inspiring and accessible. The menu spans all three meals, continuing the same culinary craft long after the doughnuts are gone.

I’m hesitant to even put “food court” and “sushi” into the same sentence, because that summons up a mental picture that hardly does Sushi Kudasai justice. This friendly, unpretentious, mom-and-pop sushi shop is located in the heart of the downtown shopping district, one block down from Westlake Center (skip the sushi joint in that food court and come here). Their lunch specials start at under $10 and include miso and green tea. You’ll see them make your sushi fresh to order, dispelling any doubts about the admittedly lacking “food court” ambience, but service is fast and seating is plentiful. Kudasai has another downtown location, and also offers sushi cooking classes for those who want to get hands-on.

Unicorn is one of my favorite places to take visitors because there’s just so much to look at: the lurid circus-painted walls, the costumed and accessorized taxidermy, the lavishly painted bar that seems to have been pulled off a carousel. During happy hour, load up on discounted snacks like “narwhal balls” (deep-fried potato croquettes with dipping sauce), hand-dipped corn dogs, and bacon popcorn. They recently expanded into the basement, now known as Narwhal, which has another full bar and a selection of vintage arcade and pinball games. It gets wild on weekend nights, but you can stop in on a weekday afternoon or evening for a more sedate experience if you just want to soak up the colorful surroundings.

Have a fresh crumpet on a brisk morning—you’ll learn that their reputation as ‘dainty’ fare is completely unjustified. In Seattle, “The Crumpet Shop” has been a family-run institution in Pike Place Market for more than three decades. Get some tea (bottomless mugs!) and sit by the window for a view of the kitchen action while having breakfast or lunch.

It’s an uphill walk to get to Glo’s, and, once you get there, you’ll have to wait because it’s pocket sized. But let’s say you sit on the benches outside, watching the busy intersection under grey stormy skies (the only kind you get in Seattle) and 15 (20, 30) minutes later your table’s ready. The buttery hash brown, bacon, coffee aroma and warmth hits you as you walk in the door to a room so bright and alive with those yellow tables. Your tattooed bearded waiter asks, “Would you like a coffee?” You say, “Definitely!” And then, as you settle in with a menu and a steaming cup of local joe, you think, “I could stay here all afternoon.” And maybe you should.

Another food-truck-made-good in a permanent location, Molly Moon’s now has five locations around town, but still sends out its iconic baby-blue truck for special events — just follow your nose to the heavenly scent of their freshly made waffle cones. Flavors range from classics like vanilla bean and strawberry to local specialties like Theo Chocolate or Stumptown Coffee (pro tip: get those two swirled together), with more adventurous rotating seasonal flavors (current offerings include blackberry bergamot and watermelon mint sorbet). Locally sourced, organic ingredients are the emphasis here. They also have vegan options and pints to go, as well as plenty of merchandise featuring their goofy-cute pug mascot, Parker Posey.

Top Pot is a Seattle area must. The staff is always friendly and kind, and the donuts and coffee are to die for. I try and go at least once a week. I love the raspberry glazed (pictured) but you can’t go wrong with anything here. They have all the usual flavors, plus more. Last time I ordered a blueberry cake, and the time before I tried the Feather Boa, a coconut covered cake donut. This is a place for all, whether you are a business traveler who wants to be the most loved at the meeting, or a family looking for some sweets, Top Pot is the way to go.

On a pier that’s over a century old, Elliott’s Oyster House has been one of Seattle‘s best places for seafood for over three decades. All of the iconic tastes of the Pacific Northwest are here—Dungeness crab, wild salmon, and, of course, oysters. The varieties of the rocky bivalves are reliably fresh—all local and sustainably caught. And, if you don’t like to slurp them au naturel, try the “Oysters Rockefeller,” baked with spinach, Pernod, and bacon, and topped with hollandaise. With skyscrapers behind you, water below you, and mountains across the Sound, a meal on this pier is one of the highlights of any stay in Seattle.