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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.
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.
This serene Vietnamese restaurant on a tree-lined residential stretch of Capitol Hill is a long-time favorite of Seattle diners. With an elegant bar and laid-back roof deck, it has an upscale casual vibe that's a good match for the creative menu. Dishes use Vietnamese cuisine to make local and regional ingredients—particularly seafood—shine. The crab with garlic noodles is a star. Homemade mango ice cream and coconut crème caramel are treats, and the wine list is remarkably long, with an emphasis on French varietals. Weekend brunch, mixing traditional Vietnamese offerings, dim sum, and Western favorites like French toast and baked eggs, is divine.
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.
