Discover the Best New Restaurants in Seattle

In a city full of icons, Seattle houses the Space Needle, the waters of Puget Sound and the cloud-draped backdrop of Mount Rainier. Don't forget the icons of Seattle's signature cuisine. Seasonal stone fruits and berries, artisan cheeses along with salmon and shellfish are all-stars on the menus of fancy and casual restaurants, from Ballard to Belltown. The best new restaurants in Seattle stand out by embracing local ingredients along with their chefs' skill and creativity. But where do the savviest Seattle foodies go when they want to eat somewhere new? This is the Tastemaker 20. We pulled data covering thousands of restaurants to determine the top spots among OpenTable's smartest, most experienced diners. These 20 restaurants not only boast amazing cuisine, but they also offer memorable experiences ranging from fine dining on the waterfront to sharing snacks and wines in a hip downtown cafe. It won't be long before the whole city catches on to these hot spots, so we suggest booking a table at these new restaurants in Seattle ASAP.

The OpenTable Team

15 Restaurants

Updated October 23, 2019

Restaurants:	COMO, Hearth, The Guest House…
Price Range:	$$ - $$$
Cuisines:	Italian, American…
Neighborhoods:	Kirkland, Kenmore…

COMO

$$$$

Italian

Kirkland

4.6

1250 reviews

COMO takes the inspiration for its vibe and cuisine from Italy’s Lake Como, drawing on the culinary traditions of the Lombardia region and evoking the magnificent setting with a lakefront location of its own. The restaurant even runs a shuttle service across Lake Washington via vintage wooden boat, an experience guests can book in advance for a not insignificant fee. Chef Gabriel Chavez’s lunch and dinner menus focus on hand-made pastas, seafood and risotto, with a couple of pizzas as well. Consider rich fare such as sweet potato gnocchi with braised oxtail and butternut squash, and pappardelle with wild boar ragu and Calabria chili. COMO also offers a list of signature cocktails starring Italian spirits and aperitifs.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Hearth

$$$$

American

Kirkland

4.4

337 reviews

The Heathman Hotel in Kirkland is home to Hearth, one of the best new restaurants in the Seattle area. The centerpiece of the restaurant is a hearth oven (hence the name), with its warmth defining the cozy, family friendly atmosphere of the venue. Chef Adam Johnson looks to Pacific Northwest ingredients to star in hearth-fired dishes like roasted mussels with crispy red rice and chorizo, roasted king crab legs with herb butter, and a whole “caveman-style” beef short rib for two or more. Lunchtime fare includes an array of flat breads, a fried chicken sandwich and signature burger with smoked gouda, caramelized onions and black pepper aioli. Hearth is open for breakfast on weekdays and on weekends presents a popular brunch.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Experiences available

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The Guest House

$$$$

American

Kenmore

4.7

439 reviews

The Guest House is an eclectic and cozy all-day restaurant in Kenmore, not far from St. Edward State Park. Its top-notch cuisine, characterized as straightforward preparations in creative combinations, showcases seasonal produce from two local farms. Menus change with the seasons, but might include such standout dishes as a roasted beet salad with blackberries and avocado, pan-roasted marble king salmon with a soba noodle salad, and roasted cauliflower with smoked heirloom tomato sauce. Wood-fired pizzas are specialty. The Guest House presents a “linner” menu from 3.30 to 5 p.m. featuring burgers, pizzas, salads and other shareable options. On weekends it hosts brunch.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Stoup Kenmore

$$$$

Northwest

Kenmore

4.3

281 reviews

Late 2018 saw the opening of Seaplane Kitchen + Bar, an expansive fishing lodge-like gastropub in Kenmore with an aviation theme. Noted chef (and co-owner) Jason Stoneburner presents menus of shareable snacks, classic comfort-food entrees, creative salads, roasted vegetable sides and his signature hearth-fired pizzas. Several of those pizzas, including the Seaplane with double pepperoni, pickled serranoes and honey, and the Compass North with mushrooms and confit garlic, are on the happy hour menu as well. Augmenting the dining experience are a dozen beers on tap, many of them regional craft brews, plus hand-crafted cocktails and a wine list featuring Washington labels.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Takeout available

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Fuji Steak House

$$$$

Japanese

Redmond

4.2

242 reviews

Fuji Steak, on the upper level at Redmond Town Center, specializes in table-side teppanyaki, with chefs putting on a show of their knife and grilling skills while preparing custom orders. Lunch and dinner menus focus on teppanyaki combination deals, with a choice of 15 entrees at dinner and 12 at lunch. Various steak cuts, seafood, chicken and surf-and-turf options are available, all with soup, vegetables and rice included. The dinner deal includes a shrimp appetizer too. Rounding out the menu are appetizers such as tempura, gyoza and edamame, a comprehensive sushi list and an array of side dishes.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Violet

$$$$

American

Capitol Hill / First Hill

4.8

543 reviews

At Violet, an intimate, chic and airy venue in Capitol Hill, noted Seattle chef William Belickis presents a dinner menu that celebrates cooking as a creation of art. An open kitchen is within view of all 52 seats in the dining room, which charms with a calming palette of whites, blonde wood and exposed concrete. On Tuesdays through Saturdays, Violet offers a sophisticated a la carte dinner or five-course “American omakase” menu. Options might include grilled Spanish octopus with pimento, charred leek and potato, and slow roasted rack of lamb with kohlrabi puree and Violet Farm radish. A tempting array of desserts, signature cocktails and outstanding wines also ensure violet stands out as one of the best new restaurants in Seattle.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Ben Paris

$$$$

Contemporary American

Downtown

4.3

831 reviews

Ben Paris, on the ground floor of the State Hotel, is one of the best new restaurants in Seattle, yet its venue has a long and storied heritage. In the early 20th century it was home to a landmark restaurant owned by namesake Ben Paris, the noted Seattle sportsman, conservationist and entrepreneur. The spot is a stone’s throw from Pike Place Market, the source for many of the ingredients used in the kitchen. The brunch, lunch and dinner menus offer a mixture of straightforward American classics and modern versions of old favorites. Consider small plates like poutine, avocado toast, and a cauliflower and kale Caesar salad, and large plates of crab Louie, ribeye steak with Brussels sprouts and a fried egg, and pasta sheets with duck confit, radicchio and marcona almonds.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Takeout available

View Takeout Menu

Pink Salt

$$$$

Peruvian

Magnolia

4.6

396 reviews

Pink Salt stands out among the best new restaurants in Seattle by taking its major culinary inspiration from Peru. Behind the scenes are three chefs, two from Peru and one from the United States, who together present intriguing menus focusing on local seafood and charcoal-grilled meats. Ceviche made with the catch of the day and a lomo saltado with a grass-fed, pasture-raised angus beef tenderloin are among the iconic Peruvian dishes on the menu. Another is an appetizer of yuca frita with an aji carretillero dipping sauce. Note the Illuminated pink salt wall behind the bar, as well as menu items featuring the restaurant’s namesake mineral such as pink salt ice cream and pink salt margaritas.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Conversation

$$$$

American

Belltown / Pike Place Market

4.7

345 reviews

The name of Conversation, the signature restaurant of the Thompson Seattle Hotel, represents a desire for diners to engage fully in the social experience around eating. In the sleek, minimalist space steps from Pike Place Market, with refined décor around slates and grays with pops of brass, each dining table features cards printed with conversation-starter questions. Chef Derek Simcik’s menus are conversation worthy as well, inspired by his world travels, family recipes and local ingredients. Consider the signature trout over potato puree with a caramelized onion broth, smoked aioli and caper puree, or the shareable split pig’s head served on a platter with ramps, kimchi apples and cherry ketchup.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Matsu

$$$$

Sushi

Pioneer Square

4.5

313 reviews

The new Pioneer Square restaurant Matsu focuses on top-notch sushi and sashimi, but its dinner menu also offers an array of cooked dishes that might prove just as tempting. Among those are Korean fried chicken wings (a nod to Matsu’s popular Korean predecessor Girin), tempura, yakisoba and udon noodle dishes. Sushi aficionados might opt for an omakase experience or navigate the lengthy and comprehensive a la carte sushi menu. Happy hour offers great deals on a long list of sushi rolls and sashimi sets as well as cooked items like Sapporo braised baby back ribs and fried oysters with katsu sauce. Sakes, Japanese and local beers, and original cocktails feature behind the bar.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Haymaker - West Seattle

$$$$

American

West Seattle/Alki

4.3

482 reviews

Haymaker, which opened in the summer of 2019, is the sixth Seattle-area restaurant from chef Brian Clevenger. The focus of the sophisticated 50-seat restaurant is American bistro fare with a French accent. There's room on the menu for Clevenger’s signature house-made pastas plus lots of local seafood and vegetable dishes. A chef’s tasting menu is available as well as the regular dinner menu, which is split equally into “vegetables and other” and “pasta and protein” sections. Highlights include fried quail with polenta, honey and sage; agnolotti with wild mushrooms and tomatoes; and Dungeness crab with sweet pepper, apple and lemon. Visit during one of two daily happy hours for deals on oysters, ahi crudo and an excellent burger.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Daniel's Broiler - Downtown Seattle

$$$$

Steakhouse

Downtown

4.3

463 reviews

The newest of four Daniel’s Broiler restaurants in Seattle is on the second floor of the Hyatt Regency hotel. It’s open daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner and happy hour, and presents live piano music in the evenings on Tuesdays through Saturdays. The venue is also notable for hosting the Rickhouse Whiskey Bar with its collection of over 150 whiskeys and other fine spirits. An award-winning wine list is available as well. The dinner menu stars top-quality steaks, which are topped with signature steak butter and come with a side of jumbo baked potato or garlic mashed potatoes. Also consider decadent family-style sides such as creamed spinach, roasted creamed corn and lobster or crab mac and cheese.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Deep Dive

$$$$

Contemporary American

Lake Union / Eastlake

4.6

179 reviews

Deep Dive, inside the Amazon Spheres, ranks highly among the best new restaurants in Seattle in large part for the remarkable execution of its underwater theme. The atmospheric space is equal parts underwater grotto and steamship captain’s lounge, with every nook and cranny displayed an eye-catching collection of oddities. Dried sea creatures sit next to antique watches, with taxidermy beasts beside brass birdcages and sea-glass orbs. The drink menu comes as a leather-bound tome, with celebrated chef Renee Erickson’s snack-centric menu designed to complement creative cocktails. A pricey take on the Seattle dog is a real scene-stealer. It’s a grass-fed, hazelnut-smoked beef hot dog on a seeded bun dressed with whipped cream cheese, red onions, pickled jalapenos and pink salmon caviar, which arrives on a silver platter.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Willmott’s Ghost

$$$$

Italian

Lake Union / Eastlake

4.6

516 reviews

Willmott’s Ghost brings a modern, upscale-casual version of classic Italian cuisine to the Amazon Spheres. Chef Renee Erickson draws inspiration from her time in Italy, with a special focus on Roman cuisine. Her Roman-style pizzas with a thick, charred crust are a highlight at lunch and dinner alike. Options include a sausage pizza with preserved lemon, a potato pizza with fennel and green coriander, and a braised greens pizza with pickled chanterelles and pink peppercorns. Other hearty fare includes a mushroom and ricotta lasagna, and coho salmon with roasted fennel, coriander and orange. There are also lighter bites, salads and snacks such as pickles, olives and burrata drizzled with olive oil. Don’t miss the olive oil cake or tiramisu for dessert.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

BOCA Restobar & Grill

$$$$

Argentinean

Capitol Hill / First Hill

4.6

187 reviews

The new Capitol Hill restaurant Boca Restobar and Grill specializes in contemporary Argentinian cuisine. It also offers pizzas, a nod to the restaurant’s previous incarnation as a popular pizzeria. Some signatures are the house-made pork, lamb and budin noir sausages, and milanesa, a breaded beef steak available with a choice of fried eggs or tomato sauce and mozzarella, plus fries. Other South American favorites featured on the dinner menu include empenadas, ceviche and churrasco, a seared sirloin with fries and an arugula salad. Argentinian wines feature on the wine list along with international labels.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

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