PHOTOGRAPHY: TOP PHOTO GROUP / COURTESY OF SPACE NEEDLE / GETTY IMAGES
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FINE DINING IN SEATTLE
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SkyCity at the Needle
Not every destination can offer a restaurant located within its most
iconic landmark with the best view of the city. Located at 500ft (150m)
above ground, the rotating SkyCity restaurant makes a complete
revolution every 47 minutes, ensuring stunning views of Elliott Bay, the
Olympic and Cascade mountains, and the downtown Seattle skyline.
The world’s oldest revolving restaurant offers seasonal brunch, lunch,
and dinner menus featuring local seafood, mushrooms, berries, and
nettles prepared in the Pacific Northwest style. Polish off your meal with
a stroll around the observation deck (admission is included for every
SkyCity diner) and a ride in the high-speed elevator.
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‘THE FIRST STARBUCKS’
The coffeeshop located across the street from the Pike Place
Market at 1st & Pike is one of the most popular tourist attractions
in the city. Though decorated with signs labeled “First Starbucks
Store,” the store is not actually the original (which was opened
within the market in 1971 and has since closed), but nonetheless
succeeds in evoking its spirit. With walnut tables and doors, a
leather-wrapped walnut-topped bar, and a wall tapestry made of
burlap coffee sacks from the local Starbucks roasting plant, the
store utilizes repurposed materials in recreating the distinctive
furnishing style of the original store. A popular tourist attraction
in the city, the store offers souvenir T-shirts and mugs and is a
must-visit for fans of the coffeeshop chain. Visit early in the
morning to avoid the long lines.
FRESH-SHUCKED OYSTERS ON THE HALF-SHELL
With access to a gamut of oyster farms located nearby offshore,
Seattle offers a wide range of oyster bars from quick and casual
to fine dining. If you go for an oyster bar, opt to sit at the bar so
you can watch the shuckers at work. For the true local
experience, head for an oyster happy hour where you can binge
on value-priced oyster deals from US$1 up. Elliott’s Oyster
House
serves one of the best, with
over 30 varieties of locally harvested oysters shucked to order for
the freshest possible taste. Or for a non-raw option, head to the
Walrus and the Carpenter (
) for fried
oysters served with an amazing cilantro aioli sauce.
CRAFT BEER
With the Yakima Valley region (located two hours east of Seattle)
being the source of 74 percent of the nation’s hop crop, it’s no
wonder Seattle’s craft beer is known throughout the Northwest.
Brewpubs brew their own small-batch, European-style beers on the
premises in a range of creative flavors. If you can’t decide, head to
Brouwers (
in Fremont, a taproom with
arguably one of the best beer selections in the city — an
impressive 64 beers on tap plus over 300 bottled varieties. Or join
a city brewery tour like one of those offered by Road Dogs
(
seattlebrewerytour.com
) to visit multiple breweries and learn
about the different types of beer and the beer-making process.
SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD
Keeping up with the growing demand for seafood often results in
overfishing and the depletion or destruction of marine ecosystems.
Enter sustainable seafood, which has been caught or farmed in ways
that protect the long-term wellbeing of harvested species. One place
to find it is Mashiko (
mashikorestaurant.com
), a sushi bar where all
fish used by the restaurant is traceable, caught without excessive
environmental damage, and not endangered. While the restaurant
lacks some traditional top sellers such as yellowtail, bluefin tuna, and
eel, it makes up for it with innovative and creative use of albacore,
catfish, sardines, and other plankton feeders. Travelers concerned
about sustainability can find a list of restaurants serving sustainable
seafood at Smart Catch (
smartcatch.fish
), a program that certifies
restaurants serving sustainable fish.
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