The Resy Hit List: Where In Seattle You’ll Want to Eat in Fall 2025

Less than a block from the Othello Light Rail, Bang Bang Kitchen brings bold New Mexican flavors to South Seattle by way of Albuquerque-born sisters Miki and Yuki Sodos. Here, hatch chiles are non-negotiable. Find them in everything from red-and-green “Xmas” bloody marys to Frito pie topped with tofu chorizo. The quesadillas come loaded with red chile brisket or green chile chicken, and brunch regulars swear by the cornbread pancakes with green chile butter. Pair it all with a green tea margarita or a mimosa flight, and soak up the sun on the patio like you’ve got nowhere to be.

Tucked inside a lovingly restored Seattle City Light pump house, Lucerna is the kind of Eastlake spot that feels like a secret — until word gets out. Right now, it’s all about weekday lunches (an Eastlake Club, a crisp Baby Gem salad with a nutty crunch, and a soulful Tuscan bean soup). Soon, happy hour and tapas roll in, with the sparkling waters of Lake Union just outside. Industrial bones, modern flavors, and, yes, parking. Consider yourself officially in the loop. 

SWeL feels like a hideaway. Warm lighting, easy music, and plates made for sharing set the tone. Start with oysters or wood-fired scallops in citrusy mornay, then split the pear-and-Gorgonzola pizza layered with dill pesto and pine nuts. If you crave something richer, the French cut pork chop with Marsala sauce and mushrooms is fall-on-a-fork comfort. The Tequila old fashioned swaps bourbon for smoky reposado, layered with orange and bitters for a slow-burn warmth.

Robin’s is a quietly ambitious addition to the Fremont neighborhood, breathing new life into the former Art of the Table space. By day, locals queue for the Brazilian BEC — crispy bacon, runny egg, melty Gouda, and avocado on a cheesy pão de queijo bun. By night, the kitchen shifts to dishes like slow-roasted salmon with cabbage escabeche or charred asparagus with duck egg. During happy hour (3-6 p.m.), order the Dockside G&T, infused with seaweed and garnished with pickled kelp.

Seattle has no shortage of noodles, but Noodle/Bar makes them personal. Chef Travis Post hand-pulls every springy strand from Washington wheat. The beef meatball noodle with wood-ear mushrooms and chile oil is rainy-day therapy. For vegetarians, the Wanza Mian or buckwheat noodle bowls bring the same slurp-worthy punch. Pair with a house cocktail or a crisp local beer.

Since 1999, Zig Zag Café has set the bar high in the craft cocktail scene with its luxe, speakeasy ambiance and retro flair. Renowned bartender Murray Stenson contributed to the menu during his stint from 2002 to 2011, popularizing the Last Word cocktail and his own Hot Charlotte (named for famed mixologist Charlotte Voisey). Though Stenson passed away in 2023, his legacy endures. Enjoy live jazz, moody oxblood-hued lighting, and a fantastic mix of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Pair your cocktail with a Zig Zag burger or duck fat popcorn, and request a spot near the windows or in the back for a true jazz club experience.

Chef Elmer Dulla’s Beacon Hill spot is the best kind of secret — one you want to keep to yourself but can’t stop raving about. This cozy, no-frills gem serves up Guamanian comfort food that just hits. Think airy, golden buñelos månglo, deeply satisfying bulgogi rice, and the Kewpie burger is an absolute must. And then there’s the corn and chicken soup — rich with coconut milk and kissed with chile oil — the kind of soul-warming dish you’ll be craving long after the last spoonful. Want to snag a seat? Weeknights are your best bet — go early and settle in.

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After 75 years, Canlis still delivers timeless Northwest fine dining with a view — and now, a local in the kitchen. New executive chef Aidan Huffman, a Seattle native who rose through the Canlis ranks, brings a fresh perspective without rocking the boat. The classics remain: the tableside Canlis salad, the polished mid-century design and piano covers that range from reimagined Daft Punk tracks to a moody take on Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise.” The $180 tasting menu (with plenty of surprises) is tailored to all diets and tastes, from king salmon to a decadent hazelnut-and-coffee Nula Pie. Dress sharp; this is still a place where big nights happen. 

Book on Tock.

Lil’ Brown Girl, the latest from James Beard-nominated chef Kristi Brown, brings bold, soul-packed bites to Métier Brewing Company’s Cherry Street taproom. The menu riffs on favorites from her other projects, Communion and That Brown Girl Cooks: Black-eyed pea hummus, smoky berbere wings with a hit of Uncle Nearest whiskey, and a blackened catfish sandwich stacked with remoulade and pickled jalapeños. Paired with Métier’s craft brews, every bite is a love letter to the Central District.

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Dinner math has never been easier: one meat + three sides = happiness. That’s the whole premise at Zax Eat ’N Three, a Green Lake counter joint rocking smoked chicken, saucy meatloaf melts, cornbread fritters, and miso-bright green beans. Bring friends, order big, and don’t skip the banana pudding cake. The retro tiles and quirky toads are just bonus points. 

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Few views in Seattle can compete with the one at the water’s edge at Ray’s. In its 50^th year, it remains an icon of the dining scene, especially for special occasions. Experienced Seattlites know the drill: Settle in with the Dungeness crab dip – decadent and sized to share, then move to the grilled Pacific Northwest sablefish in sake kasu, a signature since time immemorial (or so it feels). Linger over a bottle from the extensive wine list while watching the dusk framed by the peaks of the Olympics.

The Edgewater Hotel has not only been a fixture in Seattle for more than six decades — including, yes, when the Beatles came to town in 1964 — but also a dining destination (and the site of an occasional whale sighting) thanks to its over-water location on the Sound. Its current incarnation includes a menu that’s a delightful ode to local shellfish and sea creatures, featuring Pacific Northwest oysters, and options like seared diver scallops and cedar plank king salmon in a truffle cream and forest mushroom sauce. The extensive wine list showcases bottles from the Northwest and northern California.

You might’ve spotted Pan de La Selva at your neighborhood farmers market. Now Mayra Sibrian’s small-batch panadería has a home inside Seattle City Hall. A veteran of Sugar Rush and Big Time Bake, she’s baking pan dulce with a Pacific Northwest twist. Think passionfruit-blackberry conchas, Honduran pan de coco with caramel, or savory stunners like rajas con crema hojaldre (corn, poblano, and cashew cream) and the sándwich típico on house-baked bolillo with beans, plantains, and avocado crema. Cold brew steeped with cinnamon and panela is pretty much a cozy hug in a cup. 

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Ethiopian dining is a hands-on love affair, and Delish nails it. The star? Injera — pillowy, tangy, and perfect for scooping up everything from buttery kitfo to spicy lentil misir wot. Order a combo (veggie or meat) and prepare for a feast that doesn’t fit neatly on one plate. Bonus: tibs, sizzling beef or lamb cubes kissed with berbere, are a must for those who savor big flavors. 

Behind an unmarked door in Lower Queen Anne, (unlisted) is a speakeasy with serious flair — and one unforgettable hostess. Her name’s Ruby, a life-sized animatronic elephant imported from the 1931 Paris World’s Fair, and her presence sets the tone for this lavishly kitschy cocktail lounge tucked inside the storied Ruins building. Drinks riff on vintage classics (try the Vivarium, featuring gin, rosemary-thyme syrup, elderflower, and a hint of EVOO). The room drips eccentric, old-world decadence. Look for the red glow and follow the alley. If Ruby’s out, you’re in.

Plenty of Clouds channels the bold flavors of Sichuan and Yunnan with a menu that’s equal parts fiery, fragrant, and deeply satisfying. Start light with chrysanthemum leaves tossed in soy vinaigrette, then dive into the heat with fried chicken crackling with Sichuan peppercorns and chiles. The twice-cooked pork belly, slicked with spicy bean sauce, is an undeniably addicting dish. Pair it all with a baijiu flight or the playful If You Give a Kid a Pony cocktail — vodka, zippy ginger and turmeric syrup, a squeeze of lime, and a splash of soda.