9 Best Restaurants in Downtown, Seattle

One of the most beloved of Pike Place Market's restaurants, Matt's is all about intimate dining, fresh ingredients, and superb service. You can perch at the bar for pints and the signature deviled eggs or be seated at a table—complete with vases filled with flowers from the market—for a seasonal menu that synthesizes the best picks from the restaurant's produce vendors and an excellent wine list. Dinner entrées always include at least one catch of the day—perhaps a whole fish in saffron broth or Alaskan halibut with pea vines. Your first dinner at Matt's is like a first date you hope will never end. It is owned by Dan Bugge, a bit of a celebrity himself, having appeared on TV shows with Martha Stewart, Anthony Bourdain, and Bobby Flay.

After decades spent earning a reputation as one of Seattle’s top sushi chefs, Shiro Kashiba opened his own spot in a location as notable as his skills with seafood. Diners in the simple-but-elegant Pike Place Market space can opt for the omakase (chef’s choice) selection of the best fish from around the world and just up the street, or order from the menu of Japanese classics and sashimi. Arrive early for a coveted spot at the sushi bar or reserve ahead of time for a table.

Located in the hip State Hotel, Ben Paris has become a neighborhood favorite for elevated classic American fare for brunch and dinner. Consider a fried chicken sandwich with spicy mayo and kimchi coleslaw, breakfast hashes, or mussels in a garlic wine sauce, dished up in a stylish space with graphic wallpaper and a bustling bar. Don't miss the outstanding braised octopus or the creative cocktail list designed by Abigail Gullo, a star bartender from New Orleans. 

The 16th-story, panoramic views of Downtown, Elliott Bay, and Smith Tower make Charlotte one of Seattle's top special-occasion destinations. While dinner service is definitely a splurge—Charlotte offers a la carte options but the four-course prix fixe menu of creative Pacific Northwest fare is their calling card—the restaurant also serves a lovely breakfast with dishes including Dungeness crab toast and kimchi grilled cheese. On the top floor of the luxury hotel Lotte (Charlotte is pronounced "Char-lot-tay"), the blonde-wood-heavy, mid-century-inspired dining room has a handful of spaced-out tables right by the floor-to-ceiling windows, making for a spectacular perch at sunset if you're lucky.

Slate tabletops, a tile floor, and a rolled-zinc bar will transport you out of Downtown Seattle and into the charming 6th arrondissement. The menu is quintessentially French: at lunch, there are rustic pâtés and jambon et fromage (ham and cheese) sandwiches on crusty baguettes, while dinner sees homemade charcuterie, salads, daily fish specials, and a selection of cheese. The roast chicken (for two) takes an hour to prepare and is worth every second that you'll wait. Blackboards spell out the specials, and wines are served from the earthenware pichets that inspired the brasserie's name.

Tucked into the maze of Pike Place, if you don't know where to look, you might just miss Lonely Siren, one of Seattle’s only Portuguese eateries. Its tricky-to-find location is part of what keeps this half-bar, half-restaurant more local than other food spots around the market. A hodge-podge collection of wooden chairs and tables, plants, and art gives off eclectic grandma’s house vibes—and that's the intention. Inspired by the recipes of the chef’s grandma, who grew up in the Azores, Lonely Siren serves up snacks, mains, and cocktails inspired by the flavors of Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula. Snack on salt cod croquettes, grilled pineapple, and fried anchovies (endearingly named "fries with eyes"). Come for food, come for drinks, come for both—they don’t care as long as you make yourself at home.

This is a favorite lunch spot for the professional crowd but it's not for timid eaters: custom dry-aged mesquite-grilled steaks and chops—among the best in Seattle—are huge and come with a hearty side option. Non-steak eaters aren't excluded and can sample regional specialties such as Alaskan halibut and Dungeness crab fettuccine. The Met's take on a steak house is either classic or a caricature, depending on how you take to the cigar-and-cognac vibe: servers wear tuxes and everything is clad in fine wood, brass, and velvet.

With its Post Alley entrance and meager signage, the Pink Door's speakeasy vibe draws Pike Place Market regulars almost as much as its savory, seasonal Italian food does. The food is good, and the pappardelle al ragù Bolognese and cioppino are reliably standout entrées, but people come here mostly for the atmosphere (which includes tasteful cabaret acts) and shaded outdoor deck with views of Elliott Bay.

Large windows look out on Elliott Bay in this cozy spot tucked behind a meat vendor in Pike Place Market's main arcade. Despite its name, this restaurant has only a few French flourishes on an otherwise American/Pacific Northwest menu. Go for the steamed mussels, the Calamari Dijonnaise, Dungeness crab (in season), onion soup topped with bubbly Gruyère, or the fish of the day. Local microbrews are on tap, and the wine list is thoughtfully compact, but if you want to feel more like you're in France, sip a pastis—or an aperitif of your choosing—as you gaze out the window.  In nice weather, open windows let in the fresh salt breeze. Flowers brighten each table, and the staff is warm and welcoming.