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Seattle Dining

You won’t have to spend a fortune in Seattle’s elegant French restaurants to eat well: among the coffee shops of Capitol Hill, ethnic restaurants of the University district and, above all, Pike Place Market, there are many excellent choices. Seafood is the specialty, ranging from salmon and crab to trout and mussels to classic clam chowder.

Much social interaction in the city is fueled by coffee , and we list some of the best places to get the buzz. Along with being good spots to sip java, Seattle’s coffee houses host much of its social scene, and are inexpensive choices for whiling away the time. Corporate giant Starbucks started here in the early 1970s (in a still-extant location in the Pike Place Market), though you’re better off sampling a local brew that you can’t find in your hometown minimall. Other big names include Seattle’s Best Coffee, Tully’s and Torrefazione Italia , but if you want a true taste of the city, check out one of the 200-plus espresso carts scattered about town, each colorfully styled and uniquely designed.

Restaurants and cafes Assaggio 2010 4th Ave, downtown tel 206/441-1399. A fine, mid-priced Italian joint, where you can consume a wide range of tasty, inventive pastas, as well as a good selection of pizzas and salads. Cafe Flora 2901 E Madison St,… Assaggio 2010 4th Ave, downtown tel 206/441-1399. A fine, mid-priced Italian joint, where you can consume a wide range of tasty, inventive pastas, as well as a good selection of pizzas and salads.

Cafe Flora 2901 E Madison St, Capitol Hill tel 206/325-9100. Tasty, filling vegetarian restaurant strong on desserts, soups, and creative entrees like mashed potato tacos and wild mushroom curry.

Cafe Septieme 214 Broadway E, Capitol Hill tel 206/860-8858. A trendy, bustling European-style bistro. Sophisticated and imaginative homemade food, at moderate prices. Great desserts.

Campagne 86 Pine St tel 206/728-2800. Superb French provincial cooking near the market, with delicious foie gras and excellent desserts. A less expensive branch, Café Campagne , can be found downstairs at 1600 Post Alley, and is often packed with gourmands.

Copacabana 1520 Pike Place tel 206/622-6359. Inside the market, the fine South American dining here is highlighted by shrimp soup and corn pie. The always-popular balcony seating offers a good view of the crowds.

Crocodile Cafe 2200 2nd Ave tel 206/441-5611. Best known as Belltown’s prime nightlife haunt for alternative music and poetry readings, it is also a diner by day, serving the biggest breakfasts in town for about $7.

Dahlia Lounge 1904 4th Ave, downtown tel 206/682-4142. Beautifully presented, Asian-influenced seafood dishes, and the prices to match - dinner will cost around $50 per person.

Gravity Bar 415 Broadway E tel 206/325-7186. Described as a “fern bar on smart drugs,” this industrial-chic eatery is the last word in postmodern vegetarian cuisine, with familiar veggie staples and a whole range of novel juice drinks - highlighted by the pepper/garlic/citrus concoction called the “Liver Flush.”

Nikko 1900 5th Ave tel 206/322-4641. Sushi and barbequed dishes are the main attractions at this downtown Japanese restaurant, where you can save a few bucks by eating from the lunch buffets.

Noodle Ranch 2228 2nd Ave, Belltown tel 206/728-0463. Affordable pan-Asian cuisine - in the $10 range - lures in hungry souls for the fine noodle dishes and scrumptious satays.

Piroshki 124 Broadway E, Capitol Hill tel 206/322-2820. Closet-sized eatery serving up some of the town’s best “piroshki”: scrumptious Russian pastries stuffed with all kinds of meat and veggies, and handmade by the owner.

Place Pigalle 81 Pike St, on the staircase behind the fish market tel 206/624-1756. Great seafood offerings - mussels, crab, sturgeon - with fine French cuisine make this small, one-time bar an excellent choice, despite the pricey fare.

Saigon Deli 4142 Brooklyn Ave NE, University District tel 206/634-2866. Tiny diner with scrumptious Vietnamese fare, most of it for under $6. A good option for take-out.

Wild Ginger 1400 Western Ave, downtown tel 206/623-4450. An extremely popular, well-designed, upscale restaurant with an extensive menu of fiery dishes from Southeast Asia, India and China.

Coffee houses

                  ** Allegro** 4214 University Way tel 206/633-3030. One of the better spots to taste local brews around the University, where the other prime draws are internet access via three computer terminals (customers only) and watching the quasi-bohemian clientele strike intellectual poses.

                

Bauhaus Books & Coffee 301 E Pine St tel 206/625-1600. A Capitol Hill hangout for the dressed-in-black crowd with large tables, an artsy used-book section - focusing on art and architecture volumes - and good coffee.

Online Coffee Company 1720 E Olive Way tel 206/328-3731. Check your email here on Capitol Hill - large black monitors and stylish wooden desks set the tone for serious surfing. First 30 minutes free with a coffee purchase - otherwise $6 per hour.

Speakeasy Cafe 2304 2nd Ave tel 206/728-9770. A favorite Belltown hangout that offers more than just coffee (or tea, beer, salads and desserts), with a wide range of poetry readings, live music and movies.

Still Life in Fremont Coffeehouse 709 N 35th tel 206/547-9850. As expected in Seattle, the coffee is excellent; plus Still Life serves up great baked goods, hearty fritatta breakfasts, and lunch specials like corn tortilla pies.

Torrefazione Italia 320 Occidental Ave tel 206/624-5847. Excellent roast coffees and outdoor seating are the main draws at this Pioneer Square java house, part of one of the better regional chains.