Food & Drink

9 Seattle-area Restaurants with Fantastic Views

Westward and Ray’s aren’t the only restaurants with killer vistas

By Chelsea Lin August 17, 2015

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This article originally appeared in the September 2015 issue of Seattle Magazine.

BELLEVUE
Daniel’s Broiler
The “patio” dining area at this classic steakhouse is essentially a glass box attached to the outer wall of the 21st floor of a Bellevue Place building, and delivers views normally reserved for the Microsoft employees who work in the office towers nearby. Look beyond the maze of silver and gray cityscape and the expanse of park-like greenery and you’ll see the teensy Seattle skyline just across the lake. All the traditional fare is here—chilled seafood, prime steaks, creamed spinach, etc.—but the thick, classic burger, available both in the bar and at lunch in the restaurant, is your best bet. 10500 NE Eighth St.; 425.462.4662; schwartzbros.com

DOWNTOWN
Sky View Cafe

This is not the place to have a romantic dinner or woo a business client. But it is, quite possibly, the most remarkable opportunity to experience the beauty of the greater Seattle area over a pretty decent lunch or happy hour (surprisingly, it’s open till 10 p.m. daily). The Sky View Cafe is a modest venture inside the Sky View Observatory on the 73rd floor of the Columbia Center. Catered by Ravishing Radish, the spot is little more than a kiosk and a dozen counter stools (though you can take everything, except wine and beer, into the larger observatory area to sit). The food on offer is mainly grab-and-go baked goods, made-to-order sandwiches (the ham-and-Swiss Harbor Steps is a classic), salads and snacks. The mezze plate (cured meats, artisan cheeses and fresh veggies) pairs well with the local beers on tap or the house red or white. But where the Space Needle’s SkyCity stuns at 500 feet, Sky View Cafe astonishes at almost twice that height, with nearly 360-degree views that have you feeling closer to the clouds than the ground below. 701 Fifth Ave.; 206.386.5564; ravishingradish.com/skyviewcafe.html

KIRKLAND
Bin on the Lake  
 
Bin on the Lake’s waterfront location on Kirkland’s Carillon Point (just north of State Route 520) impresses visitors with views of the Olympic Mountains and tree-edged Lake Washington, echoed in the shellacked tree-stump cocktail tables in the lounge. Although the neutral-toned dining room looks the part of a sleek hotel restaurant and wine bar—it’s located in the Woodmark Hotel—chef Matthew Steffen’s Northwest-with-a-twist menu (foraged-mushroom consommé, grilled wild shrimp with Ibérico ham, diver scallops prettied by candy-stripe beets) and the impressive wine list (more than 50 are available by the glass) go above and beyond. 1270 Carillon Point; 425.803.5595; thewoodmark.com/bin-on-the-lake 

MAGNOLIA
Chinook’s at Salmon Bay  
   
There are two choice options for dining at Chinook’s at Fishermen’s Terminal in Magnolia: Go slightly more upscale with a seat inside at the main curved bar facing the water, or keep it ultracasual with a takeout order from Little Chinook’s next door and a seat at a table outside. Either option will have you looking onto the fascinating life of the active North Pacific Fishing Fleet and its hundreds of commercial boats moored at the terminal. Watch the fishermen and eat the catch—spend the extra few bucks on the halibut and chips instead of the cod and we promise you won’t be sorry. 1900 W Nickerson St.; 206.283.4665; anthonys.com

MOUNT BAKER
A La Bonne Franquette   

Tucked into a lovely, low brick building in a small commercial strip known as Mount Baker Ridge, A La Bonne Franquette is a compact neighborhood bistro with a huge secret: dynamite views of Beacon Hill and south downtown (hello, Smith Tower!), as well as Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. The cozy and charming restaurant specializes in the sort of French cuisine one would expect from the name—rillettes, pork crepinettes, potato gratin—though you’ll notice an unapologetic fondness for more global spices, thanks to owner-chef Hamed Elnazir’s time spent in Africa and Europe. The best seat is at the wee bar by the window. 1421 31st Ave. S; 206.568.7715; albfseattle.com

PIKE PLACE MARKET
Matt’s in the Market    

This Pike Place Market star feels like every Seattleite’s go-to spot for impressing visitors, with its historic arched windows, and the Instagram-worthy views of the neon market sign and ferryboats on Elliott Bay. Note: The picture-perfect setting draws a crowd—just try walking in for a primetime dinner date without a reservation. And though the striking second-story perspective is a scene-stealer, executive chef Shane Ryan’s approachable and innovative menu, utilizing the best of what the Market offers, is so delightfully indicative of the Pacific Northwest that we’d eat it just about anywhere. Try the pork belly banh mi at lunch and anything involving freshly caught salmon at dinner. 94 Pike St., No. 32; 206.467.7909; mattsinthemarket.com

QUEEN ANNE  
Canlis    


Iconic views from an iconic building at Canlis on Queen Anne; courtesy of Canlis
Perhaps Seattle’s most iconic restaurant, and the only one with a dress code, Canlis needs no further accolades. But beyond the unparalleled service, expansive wine list, rich family history and classic menu—now in the hands of Brooklyn import Brady Williams—the view from one of the dining room’s white-clothed tables is reason enough to splurge on a visit. From its perch midway up Queen Anne Hill, Canlis offers postcard-worthy views of Lake Union and the surrounding ’hoods. The colors at dusk are lovely, but the twinkling house lights after dark, as seen from inside this Roland Terry–designed paragon of mid-century architecture, are just as grand. We recommend popping in for subsequent visits, without a reservation, and sitting in the lounge: same sights, excellent abbreviated menu and closer seating to the legendary live piano tunes. 2576 Aurora Ave. N; 206.283.3313; canlis.com 

UPTOWN
SkyCity   
   
What collection of the city’s best views would be complete without a mention of the Space Needle’s revolving restaurant? Five hundred feet in the air, SkyCity trumps all others for perspective alone. On a clear day, which you’ll want to wait for if you have the luxury, diners are treated to an incomparable look at jagged peaks, pools of blue water and those pockets of lush greenery amid urban gray that make Seattle sing. Sure, it’s the sort of place where a burger will run you nearly $30, but with chef Jeff Maxfield’s take on Northwest cuisine, a good selection of local beer and wine to match, 360-degree views and a free visit to the observation deck above, it’s absolutely worth it. 400 Broad St.; 206.905.2100; spaceneedle.com  

WEST SEATTLE
Salty’s on Alki Beach  

Salty’s is a gem, with or without out-of-towners in tow. While hot spot Marination Ma Kai, just up Harbor Avenue, has gained recent attention for its view of the Seattle skyline, Salty’s has been offering this same vantage point, from the deck and window-lined interior, since 1985. The menu is heavy on traditional seafood preparations—Dungeness crab cakes, fried razor clams, lobster tails with drawn butter—but the smart money is on weekend brunch, when Salty’s rolls out the most impressive (bordering on outrageous) buffet in the city: omelets made to order, Belgian waffles, an ocean’s worth of chilled seafood, eggs Benny and a chocolate fountain—and that’s only the beginning. Reservations essential. $49.50 for adults on nonholiday Sundays. 1936 Harbor Ave. SW; 206.937.1600; saltys.com/seattle

 

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