Seattle isn’t just a coffee town, it’s a wine one too. With close access to the bounty of the Pacific Ocean and the riches of Washington wine country, plus the influences of cuisines from across the Pacific Rim and the world over, Seattle has solidified itself as one of the most exciting U.S. cities for wine and dining. The city is filled with touchstones of West Coast dining, including prix fixe restaurant Canlis and the Metropolitan Grill steak house, as well as a new generation of establishments showcasing the great wines of the Pacific Northwest and farther afield. For a better sense of the landscape, Wine Spectator has highlighted 10 Restaurant Award–winning spots across Seattle, each of which are reason enough to spend some time in the Emerald City.
For more great wine-and-dining spots in the United States and around the world, explore our 1,700 Best of Award of Excellence winners as well as the 97 Grand Award recipients that hold our highest honor.
Do you have a favorite you’d like to see in one of our Restaurant Guides? Send your recommendations to restaurantawards@mshanken.com. We want to hear from you!
Canlis
2576 Aurora Ave. N.
Telephone (206) 283-3313
Website canlis.com
Grand Award
Opened in 1950 and housed in a modern, window-lined building perched above Lake Union, Grand Award winner Canlis is synonymous with Seattle fine dining. Founded by Peter Canlis, the son of Greek and Lebanese immigrants, the restaurant is now owned and operated by Peter’s grandson Mark Canlis and Mark’s wife, Anne Marie. Canlis offers a prix fixe menu ($180 per person) that’s overseen by executive chef James Huffman, who assumed the role over the summer and is the first Seattle-born chef to hold the position. (Huffman joined the restaurant nine years ago and previously served as sous chef under former executive chef Aisha Ibrahim.) The menu comprises three courses (plus surprise dishes from the kitchen) that channel Pacific Northwest and global culinary influences, with recent plates including duck with turnips and sablefish with matsutake mushrooms. The restaurant’s signature Canlis Salad, prepared tableside, is available as an add-on. Wine director Ally Lanoue oversees a 2,600-label list that champions West Coast producers and boasts deep verticals of Burgundy, in addition to representing the essential French winemaking regions of Bordeaux, Champagne and the Rhône. Notable offerings include verticals of Champagne’s Salon, the Rhône’s R. Rostaing and Cayuse from the Walla Walla region spanning Oregon and Washington, plus selections from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and each of the Bordeaux first-growths.
Metropolitan Grill
820 Second Ave.
Telephone (206) 624-3287
Website themetropolitangrill.com
Grand Award
Roughly equidistant from the Seattle Public Library and the Smith Tower, Grand Award winner Metropolitan Grill is an old-school but refined destination for decadent steaks and world-class wines. Lovingly called “the Met,” the restaurant is inside the early 20th century–era Marion Building and delights with historic details such as dark wood paneling, green velvet banquettes and brass railings. Beef is the cornerstone of chef Eric Hellner’s dinner menu, with prime cuts from Washington’s Double R Ranch and Idaho’s Snake River Farms alongside rare cuts sourced from Japan, such as snow beef and olive beef filets (the latter sourced from cattle fed with pressed olives). The restaurant also delivers elevated takes on steak house classics, such as a wedge salad with honey-cured bacon, pan-seared chicken with a wild mushroom–blue cheese bread pudding and French onion soup topped with Emmentaler cheese. Wine director Chris Lara’s list of over 2,000 selections spotlights Washington labels as well as leading names from France (primarily Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône), Italy (Piedmont and Tuscany) and California’s Napa Valley. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Giacomo Conterno are among the prestige bottlings, while the Evergreen State is well-represented through verticals from Horsepower, Leonetti and Long Shadows.
The Butcher’s Table
2121 Westlake Ave.
Telephone (206) 209-5990
Website thebutcherstable.com
Best of Award of Excellence
Near Denny Park and the botanic gardens at The Spheres, Best of Award of Excellence winner the Butcher’s Table in Denny Triangle delivers exciting twists on standard steak house fare. On chef Morgan Mueller’s dinner menu are favorites such as a sweet chicory Caesar salad with herb croutons, poached shrimp with a wasabi–green goddess dipping sauce and pan-roasted scallops with a mushroom vinaigrette, in addition to a slew of steak options. Guests can get four different cuts of steak through the “tasting flight” (starting at $168 per person) or opt for rib eye, filet mignon, Denver and other individual cuts from Washington-based supplier Mishima Reserve American Wagyu, whose herds consist of Japanese Kuroge Washu bulls crossed with American cows. Wine director Kristen Young manages the 620-selection list, which primarily focuses on bold wines from across California, France, Italy and Washington. Notable producers in the program include Château de Beaucastel from the Rhône, Horsepower from Walla Walla and Hundred Acre from Napa Valley.
Atoma
1411 N. 45th St.
Website atomaseattle.com
Award of Excellence
Inside an unassuming craftsman-style house in family-friendly Wallingford, Award of Excellence winner Atoma serves exceptional wines alongside dishes that channel the heritage of the Pacific Northwest. Chef Johnny Courtney worked as executive sous chef at Grand Award winner Canlis before opening Atoma with his wife, Sarah, in 2023. The restaurant has quickly become a Seattle hot spot and offers smaller plates, such as grilled cucumbers with a “bad boi sauce” and its signature farmer cheese–filled rosette cookies, alongside larger plates like halibut with sprouting broccoli and duck with quince sauce. Wine director Oscar Galvan prioritizes France and Italy across his 190-selection list, showcasing up-and-coming regions such as Umbria and Salento in Italy and the Jura and Loire Valley of France. The Pacific Northwest is represented through bottles from wineries such as Washington’s Andrew Januik and DeLille Cellars and Oregon’s Penner-Ash.
Assaggio Ristorante
2010 Fourth Ave.
Telephone (206) 441-1399
Website assaggioseattle.com
Award of Excellence
A few blocks from the famous Pike Place Market, Award of Excellence winner Assaggio Ristorante offers premier Italian food and wines. Owner and chef Mauro Golmarvi grew up in the seaside town of Ancona, Italy, and he channels the flavors of the Adriatic coast across Assaggio’s menu. In addition to traditional antipasti, salad and pizza options, there are approximately a dozen styles of pasta, including vincisgrassi (a variation of lasagna from the Marche region). Golmarvi is also the wine director, and his 120-selection list offers many bottles for less than $150 and is dominated by Italian reds, with sections dedicated to Barolos, super Tuscans and Brunellos. More than a dozen bottles of Tuscany’s Vallepicciola are offered, including the winery’s Chardonnay, Pinot Nero and Chianti Classico.
Charlotte Restaurant & Lounge
809 Fifth Ave.
Website charlotterestaurantseattle.com
Award of Excellence
Situated on the 16th floor of the luxurious Lotte Hotel in the Central Business District, Award of Excellence winner Charlotte Restaurant & Lounge is known for its contemporary twists on Pacific Northwest cuisine and its breathtaking views of Elliott Bay. Served in a chic, minimalist space punctuated by wood furnishings and floor-to-ceiling windows, chef Ryan Pearson’s dishes highlight regional flavors and ingredients, with recent menu items including a Romanesco-cauliflower soup incorporating cheese from Seattle-based Beecher’s, tamari-braised “dinosaur” short ribs with mushroom risotto and baked rockfish with a shaved fennel salad. Wine director Gene Dexter’s 305-label list focuses on producers from California and France, including Burgundy’s Domaine Leflaive, the Rhône’s Jean-Louis Chave and Sonoma’s Kistler. The Pacific Northwest and Italy are also well-represented across the restaurant’s still and sparkling wine offerings.
Goldfinch Tavern
99 Union St.
Telephone (206) 749-7070
Website goldfinchtavern.com
Award of Excellence
In search of live music, Washington wines and sophisticated yet approachable Pacific Northwest cuisine? Award of Excellence winner Goldfinch Tavern inside the posh Four Seasons hotel checks all those boxes. Close to Elliott Bay and popular destinations such as the Seattle Aquarium and the Great Seattle Wheel, the restaurant is owned by chef and Seattle native Ethan Stowell, whose namesake hospitality group includes more than a dozen establishments scattered across Idaho, Washington and New York. Goldfinch Tavern’s kitchen is led by chef Jeffrey Hunter, who celebrates local and seasonal ingredients across breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner menus. (An abbreviated Happy Hour Menu, with roughly 10 wines served by the glass and a smattering of small bites, is also available.) Recent dishes include Dungeness crab chowder, locally sourced clams in a Parmesan broth and a house burger (made with American Wagyu beef) topped with a smoked onion marmalade. California, Oregon and Washington are strengths of the 215-label wine list, with noteworthy selections from Columbia Valley’s Matthews, Napa Valley’s Chimney Rock and Willamette Valley’s Domaine Serene. Goldfinch Tavern offers live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights for those looking to pair good tunes with great wines.
Palisade
2601 W. Marina Place
Telephone (206) 285-1000
Website palisaderestaurant.com
Award of Excellence
On the shore of Smith Cove and at the tip of the Interbay neighborhood, Award of Excellence winner Palisade is a welcome escape for seafood lovers. Operated by Landry’s Inc., the hospitality group behind the Restaurant Award–winning Del Frisco’s Double Eagle, Mastro’s Steakhouse and Morton’s steak house chains, Palisade boasts panoramic views of the water and carries the nautical ambience further through exposed ceiling beams, rock features and wood-paneled walls. In addition to a sushi counter experience, the restaurant offers raw bar options, soups, salads and a host of seafood starters and entrées. Plates include the “Belly + the Beast” (pork belly and charred octopus with chimichurri), the torched fig salad (greens with dried cranberries, blue cheese and a vanilla-fig vinaigrette) and sake-marinated black cod with shiitakes and zucchini ribbons. Wine director Max Ennamany’s 295-selection list prioritizes seafood-friendly varieties, with robust offerings of Champagne, Oregon Pinot Noir and Washington Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Shaker and Spear
2000 Second Ave.
Telephone (206) 826-1700
Website shakerandspear.com
Award of Excellence
Across the street from the Moore, the oldest operating theater in Seattle, Award of Excellence winner Shaker and Spear in Belltown serves fresh market seafood in a sleek, inviting dining space. Situated inside the boutique Kimpton Palladian Hotel, the restaurant is helmed by chef Gabriel Quintero, whose seasonal menus show Mexican and Asian influences. Each dish is artfully plated, with attention paid both to harmonizing flavors and colors across ingredients. In addition to the catch-of-the-day fish entrée, recent menu items have included grilled tiger prawns with smoked corn and scallops sourced from Hokkaido, Japan, with kabocha squash. While seafood is the star of the menu, those desiring meat can also find duck breast (with peach salsa and shishito peppers) and steak (St. Helens Beef rib eye with a garlic chive–jicama kimchi). Overseen by wine director Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen, the 275-selection program shows strength in California, France, Italy and Washington.
Six Seven Restaurant
2411 Alaskan Way Pier 67
Telephone (206) 269-4575
Website edgewaterhotel.com/seattle-six-seven-restaurant
Award of Excellence
Jutting off Pier 67 and overlooking Elliott Bay, Award of Excellence winner Six Seven Restaurant in Belltown is known for seasonal, Pacific Northwest cuisine that champions fresh, organic ingredients. The restaurant is housed in the Edgewater, an over-water hotel famously frequented by the Beatles, Pearl Jam and other music greats, and guests can opt to eat in the rustic chic dining room (complete with columns fashioned to look like trees) or on the sprawling outdoor deck (whose perimeter is lined with glass to allow for better views of the water). In addition to locally sourced oysters, salmon crudo and other raw bar classics, chef Eden Guillermo’s menu has recently included plates such as seared diver scallops with a roasted pepper and ricotta polenta, miso black cod with seared baby bok choy and Roquefort-crusted beef with forest mushrooms. The 200-label wine list shows strength in California, Oregon and Washington, with options from Brewer-Clifton of Sta. Rita Hills, Col Solare of Columbia Valley and Leonetti of Walla Walla Valley.
Edited by Megan Tkacy
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