Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in Seattle / Eastern Washington

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems in Seattle / Eastern Washington? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Italia Trattoria

5.0

5 (1848)

$31 to $50

Italian

Spokane

About the restaurant

Please see our website for our policies and for our daily menu. Italia Trattoria is a regionally inspired Italian restaurant located in historic Browne’s Addition neighborhood. Chef Anna Vogel’s European heritage and world travels have greatly influenced her menu which changes almost daily and features house made pastas, fresh seafood, and naturally raised meats. Our commitment to cooking with seasonal, local produce and top quality Italian products has differentiated Italia Trattoria from any other restaurant in the Inland Northwest. Our approach is both welcoming and knowledgeable, where guests come and go feeling well cared for and excited about their whole experience. James Beard Foundation Semi Finalist Chef Anna Vogel.

Top review

GaryVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Everything was delicious, and the staff was wonderful.

Ambrosia Bistro & Wine Bar

4.9

4.9 (333)

$30 and under

Bistro

Spokane Valley

About the restaurant

Ambrosia Bistro was conceived by Scott and Kara Cook to bring a feeling of downtown to the Spokane Valley. Located near historic Millwood, our inventive cuisine, great selection of spirits and Northwest wines, as well as our attentive staff are all designed to make your visit to Ambrosia a truly memorable one.

We have seasonal patio dining, a full bar, both booth and table seating, and we are fully handicapped accessible. Our flexible seating allows us to accommodate groups up to 45 people with advanced notice. We also offer off-site catering for groups up to 150.

Top review

Chris

Dined 1 day ago

Great food! Great server! Ambrosia salad was delicious!

Nick's on Madison

4.9

4.9 (546)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Madison Valley

About the restaurant

Located just outside of the Arboretum on Madison Street. Nick’s on Madison is your favorite neighborhood spot for casual sophistication. Seasonal dishes, draft beer, wines and craft cocktails. Follow us on Instagram @nicks_on_madison

Top review

DougVIP

Dined on Jun 1, 2025

Our favorite neighborhood place! Friendly atmosphere, wonderful staff, excellent food and drink. Great French Dip sandwich! The Caesar salad and the Burrata appetizer are also highly recommended.

Cora Pizza and Plates

4.9

4.9 (57)

$30 and under

Italian

Capitol Hill / First Hill

About the restaurant

Welcome to Cora Pizza & Plates, a neighborhood Italian restaurant in Seattle’s Capitol Hill featuring wood fired pizzas, heartening pastas, and seasonal vegetables and salads from James Beard Award-winning Chef John Sundstrom of Lark. Visit our rustic and cozy space, perfect for a date night or family dinner, and enjoy our refined but approachable plates, complemented by a curated wine list, batch cocktails and boozy slushies.

Top review

ClaudiaVIP

Dined on Jun 13, 2025

Great service and good ambiance for this local spot. We enjoyed the mushroom pizza and the rigatoni so much! Would definitely come back!

The Shambles

4.9

4.9 (143)

$31 to $50

American

Roosevelt

About the restaurant

We are a 21+ restaurant and bar. Founded in 2018 by Joel and Matthew and purchased in late 2022 by Becky and Jon, the vision remains the same: Old English pub vibes, high quality food.

We loved The Shambles from the minute we walked in and now we continue the heritage of what was created before us. On the food side: high quality steaks, cut in house. Cooks who have the freedom to create seasonal dishes ranging from foraged mushrooms to house made sausages. To go with your meal, we offer skillfully made, non-fussy cocktails, carefully selected wines, a plethora of beers, sours, and ciders on tap and a a robust non alcoholic selection. We top it all off with warm and knowledgeable service. At the Shambles, you can join us for a lovely date night, get together with friends OR choose to sit at the bar and get an ear full of cheesy jokes and unfiltered chatter We are serious about our service from top to bottom and we can’t wait to serve you!

Top review

Sara

Dined 3 days ago

Definitely earned its spot on all the lists. Steak was wonderful as well as the rockfish and cauliflower steak. We had a lovely time, and will be back.

That's Amore - Seattle

4.8

4.8 (1150)

$31 to $50

Italian

Leschi / Madrona / Madison Park

About the restaurant

An understated storefront hides a coveted skyline view—just one of the many ways you could underestimate this longtime cafe on Mount Baker’s main drag. The menu, the sign—even the name—are a bit of a throwback, but current owners Guy Devillier and David Hoefer took over in 2018 and keep things attuned to today. Carbonara packs more nuance than you might expect, the slightly crackly pizza’s better than it has to be, and the bar pours lambrusco and negroni. No wonder tables are loaded with a diversity of diners.

Top review

Francisco

Dined on Jun 24, 2025

Fantastic restaurant. The setting is in a nice quiet neighborhood which makes it feel more personal. We opted for sitting outside because the weather was fantastic. Our server was very attentive and on point with drinks, refils, taking our order, and recommendations! The food: We started off with the fresh bread and chefs choice of butter. This included 3 different butters, one was a garlic type, the 2nd was a basil type, the third plain better. We opted for the meatballs per the recommendation of the waitress and she was spot on. Not an over exaggeration to say this may be the best plate of meatballs I've ever had. We each ordered a drink (margarita and a not so old fashion) both were nice and strong. Our water never ran dry as the evening went on.... finally the main course. I ordered the Bucatini Carbanora and my date ordered the rigatoni. Both fantastic with fresh pastas. For desert we ordered the Tiramisu. Overall the place was a 10/10 and would recommend this to anyone and everyone. Especially for a date night where they will go above and beyond!

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Katana Sushi & Sake House

4.8

4.8 (106)

$30 and under

Sushi

Everett

About the restaurant

Katana Sushi & Sake House brings high quality sushi to Everett.

Top review

Amber

Dined on May 23, 2025

Our daughter's birthday celebration at Katana was lovely! We ordered a variety of appetizers, specialty rolls, entrees, cocktails (including N/A) and everything was delicious. Some of us were not experienced sushi eaters and the staff was great in educating us on what things were. They also gave a complimentary dessert to the birthday girl! A great time!

GH Pasta & Pizza

4.8

4.8 (150)

$30 and under

Italian

Delridge

About the restaurant

Local eatery highlighting house extruded pasta, pizza, and familiar starters using seasonal & local ingredients

Top review

Sean

Dined 4 days ago

Everything is fresh made, service was excellent as was the salad, pasta and pizza. Will definitely be back

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4.7

4.7 (520)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Kirkland

About the restaurant

Experience the travels of Ernest Hemingway through your palette; eating and drinking your way through the cities that Hemingway loved to frequent; Havana, Paris, Florence and Pamplona (where he discovered his love for bull fighting!) to name a few.
We focus on locally sourced, farm-to-table menus with hand crafted cocktails, as fluid as the seasons.
Like Ernest Hemingway our hunger knows no borders!
Open to those 21 and older.

Top review

AnneVIP

Dined on Jun 22, 2025

Great night out with friends. Craft cocktails and delicious food!

Radiator Whiskey (21 and over)

4.6

4.6 (488)

$30 and under

Comfort Food

Downtown

About the restaurant

(21 & over only)
In the heart of Pike Place Market, Radiator Whiskey Bar features food that brings a smile and drinks in every variety of container and iteration; straight, mixed, bottled, canned and on tap. Step inside Radiator Whiskey and be immersed in Pacific Northwest atmosphere, warm tones, industrial architecture and plenty of natural wood accents including a larger than live whiskey barrel wall.
(21 & over only)
Radiator Whiskey has daily happy hour drink specials and daily rotating meat specials on top of the regular menu. All the dishes are created fresh with options such as smoked chicken Caesar salad, smoked & fried chicken, braised beef brisket and warm cornbread.
Must be 21 and over.
Please bring valid identifications per Washington state law.

Top review

Dawn

Dined 5 days ago

Service was impeccable as were the barrel aged cocktails.

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