The Resy Guide to Date Night in Seattle

You can’t talk about Ethiopian food without injera. At Delish, the spongy, tangy bread is served with almost every meal and helps scoop and soak up all the rich flavors. Generous portions of kitfo, minced rare ground beef mixed with butter and spices, or misir wot, a vegetarian dish made with stewed red split lentils, round out a great meal to be eaten with your hands. Looking for something to share with your sweetie? Pro tip: The veggie or meat combos are excellent samplers of choose-your-own adventures.

Every seat in the house at this lovely French find tucked in Pike Place Market is a winner, with far-stretching views of Puget Sound. French is known as the language of love, and Maximilien’s lush dishes will seduce the palate. Bistro staples, like Hudson Valley foie gras and escargots à la bourguignonne, make you feel like you’re dining in Paris. On cold winter days, heartier French dishes like French onion soup and duck confit are sure to warm.

Pro Tip: For a very special experience, book a table at Le Igloo @ Maximilien for an exclusive tasting menus. The changing themes and set menus are updated on the website.

Beautiful cuts of luxe steak make for a memorable date night for meat lovers. Choose from a medley of eight-ounce cuts — everything from a marbled coulotte to a ribeye cap. Can’t decide? The move is to order a 12- or 16-ounce tasting flight. The crudo tasting elevates the usual seafood tower; it’s piled with spot prawn ceviche, yellowtail, salmon tartare, local oysters, Dungeness crab salad, and an albacore tuna tostada. Tasty sides stand up to the tender slabs of meat. Don’t miss the luscious beef fat brioche and sweet chicory Caesar salad.

Locals have been swooning since Dan and Jackie Mallahan took over the former Alki Beach Pub digs and turned it into a “regional community partnership” with farmers and fishers. The seafood-centric menu shines on shared plates and showcases ingredients from local farms. Think Quinault tribal steelhead and house-cured roe served crudo-style with ground cherries, pickled peppers, and butter crackers; Puget Sound surf smelt with Ellenos yogurt and table grape mostarda, aka “Fries with Eyes”; and Makah Nation black cod with Bluebird grains, roasted chanterelle mushrooms, and local black winter truffle relish.

When planning your romantic night with your sweetie, think of a luxurious Basque feast. From ibérico de bellota to bleu de Basque, this woman-owned Madison Valley staple has become a local go-to for a delicious taste of Spain. The 11 seats at the copper-topped bar are amongst the most coveted in Seattle (NB: first come, first served). But, your senses will be delighted no matter where you sit, especially for the five-course Valentine’s Day prix fixe menu ($125 per person). Of course, a glass of cava is always a romantic way to start any meal.

Few views in Seattle can compete with the water’s edge one at Ray’s. Start with a tangy roasted beet salad with whipped goat cheese and sherry vinaigrette. The Pacific Northwest sablefish in sake kasu always hits the spot, especially while watching the winter sun dip behind the snow-capped peaks of the Olympic Mountains. For Valentine’s Day, chef Kevin Murray has plans for a decadent three-course menu ($70 per person), featuring dishes such as citrus carpaccio with Dungeness crab and crispy skin King Salmon with melted leeks; and a Double R Ranch filet mignon with half butter poached lobster tail. A split of Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé is a beautiful way to start any meal and toast your sweetie.

Fire almost always makes food taste better, especially when it’s served from a 900-degree wood-fired brick oven. At this beloved Sunset Hill eatery, expect a rotating of dishes straight from the hearth. Order the ember-baked satina potato with triple-cream cheese, green garlic pickles, and chives for a truly luscious start. Next, move on to an applewood-roasted leg of duck with ember-baked kohlrabi, lentils, and herbs. Then, of course, you can’t go wrong with Samara’s signature dish: a seasoned rice cake charred on the grill piled with chunks of Dungeness crab warmed in a pool of butter with parsley and tarragon puree.