What to Do & Eat

Restaurants, Bars, & Cafes

  • Portage Bay Cafe: a great brunch spot with multiple locations around Seattle. There is often a wait but the line moves quickly. Fresh berry and whipped cream bar is a plus!

  • Bakery Nouveau: must try the almond croissant! Multiple locations.

  • The Pink Door: delicious Italian food in a quirky, scenic spot. Hidden in Post Alley next to the Pike Place Market.

  • Westward: waterfront restaurant with beach-side Adirondack chairs, giant outdoor fire pit, cheery picnic tables, and imaginative marine fare-- including a variety of fresh, local oysters.

  • Walrus & Carpenter: amazing oyster bar. Get there a few minutes before opening to avoid a big wait.

  • Paseo: delicious Caribbean sandwiches sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Get sandwiches at their Fremont location and walk down to nearby Gasworks Park for a scenic picnic.

  • Ray's Boathouse: Classic seafood establishment in Ballard overlooking the Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.

  • Marination Ma Kai: Hawaiian-Korean fusion. Located near the water taxi in West Seattle.

  • Matt’s in the Market: casual NW cuisine with views of Puget Sound. 

  • Tavolàta: excellent Italian in a cool industrial space. One of many Ethan Stowell restaurants, which are pretty much all great!

  • Radiator Whiskey: amazing cocktails and extensive whiskey selection (great food too!)

  • Rachel’s Ginger Beer: multiple locations. Fresh, seasonal ginger beer. Great for both non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks. Some locations serve fried chicken!

  • Beecher’s Handmade Cheese: the best mac and cheese, grilled cheese, cheese curds… etc. Also, fun to watch the cheese-making process!

  • Dahlia Bakery: excellent pastries, cookies, and bread… all baked fresh daily. 

  • Ellenos: the best Greek yogurt you’ll ever have. Lots of flavors!

  • Manolin: great Pacific NW cuisine.

  • Stoneburner: is known for pizza, but everything is amazing! Right below Hotel Ballard.

  • Other Coast Cafe: fast and delicious sandwiches.

Coffee & Tea

  • Anchorhead: one of Jake’s favorites. Try one of the special cold brew concoctions!

  • The First Starbucks: located at Pike Place Market – fun to see but long lines. Consider stopping by for the sight but going to one of the Starbucks Reserves in the area. The Reserve at the Starbucks HQ is open to the public and is definitely a cool one to visit.

  • Caffe Umbria: great local spot for the coffee enthusiast with several locations around the city.

  • Ballard Coffee Co: more of a drive-thru – great for quality espresso drinks on the go.

  • Storyville: cozy coffee shop with artisanal coffee in Pike Place Market.

  • Miro: teahouse in Ballard with many different tea flavors and drink-types.

  • Atulea: Rachel’s favorite boba spot!

Sweets

  • Fran’s Chocolates: a famous family-owned chocolate company best known for their salted caramel chocolates.

  • Hot Cakes: chocolate molten lava cakes.

  • Molly Moon’s: best homemade ice cream ever. There are a few locations around Seattle.

  • Hello Robin: uses Molly Moon’s ice cream to make delicious ice cream sandwiches.

Bakery Nouveau Almond Croissant - the real reason Jake moved to Seattle…

Portage Bay Cafe - a must-try spot for brunch!

Rachel’s Ginger Beer - who knew a whole store dedicated to ginger beer could be so good? We’re always stopping in to try the seasonal flavors!

The view from Ray’s Boat House. Great seafood spot!

Seattle Activities

  • Alki Beach: In West Seattle, where Rachel grew up! Bike, run, or walk along this beach with great views of the Seattle skyline. You can take the water taxi from the Seattle waterfront (about a 20-minute ride). This rental shop is located right next to the water taxi drop-off.

  • Golden Gardens: beach near Ballard, great for running, biking, and sunsets!

  • Ballard Locks: popular tourist attraction where you can watch boats and salmon pass from Puget Sound to Lake Union

  • Kayaking on Lake Union: Lake Union is located in the middle of Seattle, and on a nice day it’s fun to kayak by the little houseboats. We recommend renting kayaks at Agua Verde Paddle Club.

  • Discovery Park: Perfect for an urban hike. There's a 3-mile loop trail through the woods and a beautiful view of the water and mountains. Another trail goes down to the beach with an iconic lighthouse.

  • Kerry Park: where everyone goes to take a picture with the space needle and city skyline directly behind you. 

  • Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum: next to the Space Needle, showcasing the studio glass of Dale Chihuly.

  • Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP): great for music lovers - lots of memorabilia from iconic Seattle bands.

Beyond Seattle Activities

  • There are many great hikes within an hour or two of Seattle. A few favorites:

    • Rattlesnake Ledge: 35 min from Seattle; very popular and easier 4-mile hike.

    • Poo Poo Point: 30 min from Seattle; very popular 4 to 7 miles hike, depending on the route. 

    • Lake Serene: 1 hour 10 min from Seattle; a moderately challenging 8-mile hike that brings you to a beautiful alpine lake.

    • Mount Si: 40 min from Seattle; a strenuous 8-mile hike with amazing views from the top (Little Si is a nearby easier option).

  • Day Trips

    • Mount Rainier: About 2 hours from Seattle. Check weather forecast as Mt. Rainier can still be snow covered in May. Highly recommend the Mount Rainier Gondola (located at Crystal Mountain Ski Resort). Take the gondola up Crystal Mountain to find the best view of Mt. Rainier. You can hike at the top or grab lunch at the highest elevation restaurant in Washington.

    • Bainbridge Island: a quick ferry ride from the Seattle waterfront. You can either drive or walk onto the ferry. Bainbridge has many nice boutiques, cafes, restaurants, and wine-tasting rooms (all within walking distance of the Bainbridge ferry terminal). Surrounding areas have many beaches and parks. The Bloedel Reserve botanical gardens are particularly beautiful! You will want to bring a car on the ferry if you plan to venture outside of the downtown Bainbridge area.

  • If you have a few extra days in the PNW:

    • San Juan Islands: Lots of islands to choose from! Ferries to the San Juan Islands tend to book up further in advance so check to see if ferry reservations are available before booking lodging. Friday Harbor is the biggest and most easily accessible island. We also particularly recommend Orcas Island. It’s quiet and scenic with hiking and great restaurants!

    • Victoria, BC: the beautiful capital city of British Columbia, Canada. Take the Victoria Clipper from the Seattle Waterfront (2 hr 45 min).