3 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.

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.

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.