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Seattle's Most Iconic Restaurants

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by The OpenTable team
Updated February 19, 2020

Seasons change, trends come and go, but these restaurants have withstood the test of time—and have become integral parts of the Seattle dining scene. Here are Seattle’s OpenTable Classics: the places that continue to excel after 10+ years. There’s a reason they’re still around: they keep giving us a reason to come back.

Purple Cafe and Wine Bar - Seattle
4.6 (5427)
$31 to $50
American
Downtown
You know the scene in Beauty and the Beast when Belle enters the beast’s soaring, book-lined library? If you’re a wine lover, you’ll feel the same way walking into Purple Cafe and Wine Bar. The walls are filled with bottles of all types and denominations, and the staff is eager to help you navigate the extensive menu. Plus, there are plenty of excellent pizzas and pastas to nourish you on your journey.
Top review
Ann
Dined 3 days ago
Purple is the perfect place for dinner prior to any event at Benaroya. The food is excellent, the service is superb----it's all around wonderful.
You know the scene in Beauty and the Beast when Belle enters the beast’s soaring, book-lined library? If you’re a wine lover, you’ll feel the same way walking into Purple Cafe and Wine Bar. The walls are filled with bottles of all types and denominations, and the staff is eager to help you navigate the extensive menu. Plus, there are plenty of excellent pizzas and pastas to nourish you on your journey.
Top review
Ann
Dined 3 days ago
Purple is the perfect place for dinner prior to any event at Benaroya. The food is excellent, the service is superb----it's all around wonderful.
Wild Ginger Downtown Seattle
4.6 (6441)
$31 to $50
Asian
Downtown
When Wild Ginger opened almost 30 years ago, the food scene in America was markedly different: there were few sushi bars, few ramen joints, few places to eat Korean barbecue. Wild Ginger, which features dishes from all over Asia, was a trailblazer then, and it’s still relevant—and delicious—today. Make sure to get a few of the offerings from the satay bar, and don’t miss their famous “fragrant duck.”
Top review
Kevin
Dined 4 days ago
The food was amazing and the service was impeccable.
When Wild Ginger opened almost 30 years ago, the food scene in America was markedly different: there were few sushi bars, few ramen joints, few places to eat Korean barbecue. Wild Ginger, which features dishes from all over Asia, was a trailblazer then, and it’s still relevant—and delicious—today. Make sure to get a few of the offerings from the satay bar, and don’t miss their famous “fragrant duck.”
Top review
Kevin
Dined 4 days ago
The food was amazing and the service was impeccable.
Lola Seattle
4.7 (4321)
$30 and under
Mediterranean
Downtown
On its surface, Lola is an excellent Greek spot—dig deeper, though, and you’ll see a Seattle institution, a restaurant with a true sense of place. Chef Tom Douglas uses the best of what’s around him—the bounty of the Pacific Northwest—and then cooks them in the Mediterranean spirit, giving us dishes like sockeye-salmon kebabs, lamb-shoulder tagine, and slow-roasted leg of lamb with oregano, rosemary, and lemon.
Top review
Simon
Dined 4 days ago
Great food, great service, very popular place - thank you.
On its surface, Lola is an excellent Greek spot—dig deeper, though, and you’ll see a Seattle institution, a restaurant with a true sense of place. Chef Tom Douglas uses the best of what’s around him—the bounty of the Pacific Northwest—and then cooks them in the Mediterranean spirit, giving us dishes like sockeye-salmon kebabs, lamb-shoulder tagine, and slow-roasted leg of lamb with oregano, rosemary, and lemon.
Top review
Simon
Dined 4 days ago
Great food, great service, very popular place - thank you.
Shuckers
4.8 (2593)
$30 and under
Seafood
Downtown
Shuckers is a Seattle classic in every sense of the word, from the oak paneling to the gleaming fixtures to the perfect platters of oysters. Come for a martini and a dozen at happy hour, or stay for dinner and dine on some of the freshest seafood the area has to offer.
Top review
Stuart
Dined 3 days ago
The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. It is a short walk from the convention center. You can eat outdoors or inside. We had a window table for 2 which was perfect. The service was quick. The fried oysters were well prepared, but the Lobster Mac and Cheese was the best dish we had.
Shuckers is a Seattle classic in every sense of the word, from the oak paneling to the gleaming fixtures to the perfect platters of oysters. Come for a martini and a dozen at happy hour, or stay for dinner and dine on some of the freshest seafood the area has to offer.
Top review
Stuart
Dined 3 days ago
The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. It is a short walk from the convention center. You can eat outdoors or inside. We had a window table for 2 which was perfect. The service was quick. The fried oysters were well prepared, but the Lobster Mac and Cheese was the best dish we had.
The Capital Grille - Seattle
4.9 (3998)
$50 and over
Steakhouse
Downtown
For a true steakhouse experience—the charred, meaty steaks, the perfectly crisp wedge salads, the rainbow of sides—it’s hard to beat The Capital Grille. The staff knows what they’re doing, and the consistency is always on point. Round out the meal with a martini or two, and you’re in for a luxurious night.
Top review
Rebecca
Dined 3 days ago
We had a lovely pretheater diner that was delicious and so enjoyable!
For a true steakhouse experience—the charred, meaty steaks, the perfectly crisp wedge salads, the rainbow of sides—it’s hard to beat The Capital Grille. The staff knows what they’re doing, and the consistency is always on point. Round out the meal with a martini or two, and you’re in for a luxurious night.
Top review
Rebecca
Dined 3 days ago
We had a lovely pretheater diner that was delicious and so enjoyable!
Tulio
4.6 (4149)
$31 to $50
Italian
Downtown
Tulio is a stately, handsome Italian restaurant in the downtown Hotel Vintage Park, where chef Walter Pisano infuses Northern Italian cuisine with the spirit of the Pacific Northwest. We’re particularly fond of the pastas, which include dishes like pappardelle with rabbit ragu, orrecchiete with spicy sausage, and linguine with local clams.
Top review
LayneVIP
Dined 3 days ago
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle. My sister and I had dinner here before we went to the theater. Service was great. We ordered the lamb shank and pork chop confit. Both were delicious. Our server was wonderful. He knew the menu and answered out questions. The restaurant has a wonderful ambience. Everything is so well done.
Tulio is a stately, handsome Italian restaurant in the downtown Hotel Vintage Park, where chef Walter Pisano infuses Northern Italian cuisine with the spirit of the Pacific Northwest. We’re particularly fond of the pastas, which include dishes like pappardelle with rabbit ragu, orrecchiete with spicy sausage, and linguine with local clams.
Top review
LayneVIP
Dined 3 days ago
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle. My sister and I had dinner here before we went to the theater. Service was great. We ordered the lamb shank and pork chop confit. Both were delicious. Our server was wonderful. He knew the menu and answered out questions. The restaurant has a wonderful ambience. Everything is so well done.
Cafe Juanita
4.9 (3439)
$50 and over
Italian
Kirkland
There are few places better than Cafe Juanita for pitch-perfect Italian food—and this Seattle institution has been going strong since 1980. And after a recent renovation, the space is as befitting a special occasion as the food itself; it’s the perfect place for a celebration.
Top review
OpenTable DinerVIP
Dined 3 days ago
One of the best dining experiences in Seattle. Food was incredible. Wine pairing is a must. The sommelier shares about each wine and it is phenomenally suited to the food. The staff was brilliant and kind and generous.
There are few places better than Cafe Juanita for pitch-perfect Italian food—and this Seattle institution has been going strong since 1980. And after a recent renovation, the space is as befitting a special occasion as the food itself; it’s the perfect place for a celebration.
Top review
OpenTable DinerVIP
Dined 3 days ago
One of the best dining experiences in Seattle. Food was incredible. Wine pairing is a must. The sommelier shares about each wine and it is phenomenally suited to the food. The staff was brilliant and kind and generous.
Umi Sake House
4.8 (2602)
$30 and under
Japanese
Downtown
Umi Sake House is one of the more fun spots to dine in Seattle, with a voluminous menu devoted to sushi and Japanese-American classics and, unsurprisingly, an extensive sake list. They do a particularly great happy hour, which is served on their back porch—lucky for you, those are the best seats in the house.
Top review
Laurel
Dined on Jun 4, 2025
Came out for a birthday celebration and had the most amazing experience! Service was natural, attentive, friendly, and fun! The food was, as usual, absolutely top notch! Highly recommend the lobster soup (and of course any and all sushi rolls).
Umi Sake House is one of the more fun spots to dine in Seattle, with a voluminous menu devoted to sushi and Japanese-American classics and, unsurprisingly, an extensive sake list. They do a particularly great happy hour, which is served on their back porch—lucky for you, those are the best seats in the house.
Top review
Laurel
Dined on Jun 4, 2025
Came out for a birthday celebration and had the most amazing experience! Service was natural, attentive, friendly, and fun! The food was, as usual, absolutely top notch! Highly recommend the lobster soup (and of course any and all sushi rolls).

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