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Capitol Hill has become Seattle's major culinary destination. The greatest concentration of restaurants is in and around the Pike–Pine Corridor—Pike and Pine Streets running from Melrose Avenue to 15th Avenue. Überhip gastropubs like Quinn's and all-day cafés like Oddfellows are all the rage, as are smaller, posh new American and Italian-inspired eateries like Lark, Anchovies & Olives, and Cascina Spinasse. On the northern end of Broadway, Poppy is a delicious departure from standard menus, with its Indian-inspired thali (small amounts of different dish preparations served in small compartments on a large platter), while a wide variety of coffeehouses make the Hill downright destination-worthy.
Analog is a classic, comfortable place to sip a well-made espresso drink. Inside there's something more: the kitchen of B-Side Foods, which makes simple, tasty breakfast and lunch—a rice bowl, toasts, quiche, and a first-rate egg sandwich. B-Side maintains its own identity, but you place your food order at the Analog counter and eat there (if you can nab a seat).
This upscale vegetarian diner near the Arboretum is a Seattle institution, serving satisfying classics—black-bean burgers, pizzas, salads, polenta, succotash—since the 1990s. Weekend brunch draws lots of families for the tasty pancakes, waffles, and tofu scrambles. Prime seats are in the atrium, which has a stone fountain, skylight, and garden-style café tables.
Right in the center of the Pike–Pine universe, this huge, ultrahip space anchoring the Oddfellows Building, across from Cal Anderson Park, serves inspired American food from breakfast straight through to dinner. The day might start with biscuits and eggs or thick brioche French toast; later on you could opt for salmon nicoise salad, spaghetti and meatballs, or roast chicken. Service can be hit-or-miss, but the communal-style seating, Capitol Hill hipster-chic vibe, and festive music make this a fun place, whether you're watching the day go by or spending an evening out.
Cute as a button and beloved by locals, VPC has a sort of style-conscious general-store feel: shelves are lined with a few select groceries, and inside a glass case at the counter, decadent (but nutritious) pastries are ready for their closeup. The main draw is the egg-and-cheese (bacon optional) breakfast sandwich, which has earned a reputation as the best in the city. There's also a simple lunch menu offering a few toasts (avocado, beet hummus, halloumi), a salad, and a soup. Note that the location is four blocks east of the park, not in it.
