Summer Series indoor room interior design Design brand conference hall classroom furniture several
Summer Series

10 Hottest Spots in Seattle Now

The sun's out in Seattle, and you know what that means! Leisurely lunches, a whole lot of artisanal coffee breaks and modern art fairs galore. Join in as JS contributor Rachel Gallaher shows us all the seaport city has to offer.

Photo by David Dosset for Bateau

See recent posts by Rachel Gallaher

Photo by Jeremy Bittermann

1

La Marzocco + KEXP Headquarters

Arguably the coffee capital of the country, Seattle is known for its array of artisan roasters, creative brewing methods, and independent cafés. It’s a tough sell to stand out among the competition, but La Marzocco hits all the right notes. Set inside the new home of KEXP, Seattle's popular independent radio station, the café features a roasters-in-residence program showcasing both locally and globally sourced coffees that change every month, as well as an Espresso Lab where coffee enthusiasts can participate in home brewing classes.

Summer Series indoor plate Music flower lighting table cymbal
2

Mr. West

Forget grab-n-go—Mr. West is all about slowing down to enjoy a long leisurely lunch On the eastern edge of downtown, the café-and-bar combo is the brainchild of the duo behind popular local wine bar Bottlehouse. Interiors have an updated midcentury vibe, crossing parquet flooring and modular lighting with Carrara marble and a market-style entryway selling magazines and other sundries. On the menu? Creative salads, sandwiches, and toasts (the avocado with curry, mustard seed, and lime is a must-try).

RELATED: The New Fast Food

Summer Series indoor floor chair Kitchen green room property window ceiling Dining estate meal restaurant interior design home real estate Design food furniture area

Photo by Aaron Leitz for Bar Melusine

4

Bateau and Bar Melusine

Chef Renee Erickson has been making her mark on the Seattle culinary scene ever since she took over the Boat Street Café in 1998. Sixteen years later she’s opened multiple restaurants around the city, published a cookbook, and in May (after two consecutive nominations) took home the 2016 James Beard Best Chef Northwest award. The latest additions to Erickson’s growing stable of restaurants are Bateau (specializing in steak and oysters) and its neighbor, Bar Melusine with its French-inspired menu and crisp green-and-white décor. If that's not enough to get you in, the Seattle Times food critic Providence Cicero gave Bateau her first-ever four-star review.

Summer Series wall indoor floor room scene gallery art gallery modern art exhibition art exhibition tourist attraction art museum interior design Design furniture
5

Seattle Art Fair and Out of Sight

Last year Seattle experienced an arts awakening with two knockout attractions set to return to the city this August. Paul Allen’s Seattle Art Fair (August 4-7) will once again take over Century Link Field with a current count of 83 galleries set to participate including New York's Pace, Japanese collective Kaikai Kiki, and a heavy selection of Northwest galleries. While the international art aficionados flood the field, local artist/curator/mover-and-shaker Greg Lundgren is once again mounting Out of Sight just blocks away on the third floor of the historic King Street Station. Last year's curatorial team brought together 100 artists working in mediums ranging from painting and sculpture to Casey Curran's sheet of shiny gold triangles and mechanical parts that slowly undulated in a constant wave. Don't miss the opening night party – it sells out quick.

Summer Series food dish pizza cuisine italian food meal produce european food different sliced eaten several toppings

Photo by Kyle Johnson

6

Ernest Loves Agnes

Not your average neighborhood pizza joint, Ernest Loves Agnes is a Capitol Hill design destination. Named after literary great Ernest Hemingway and his onetime love Agnes von Kurowsky (an American nurse he met in Milan during WWI), the space is narrow and cozy and the eating counter faced with Italian tile, while the Ernest Bar traffics in the masculine and moody with dark wood, lush green plants, and a cocktail menu serving the writer's own libation, Death in the Afternoon (Champagne and Absinth with a lemon twist). A flavorful menu with vegetable-heavy starters and crusty, chewy pizza keep locals coming back for more.

RELATED: The New York Pizza Project

Summer Series tree person outdoor crowd City public space people human settlement group fair Downtown market festival line several

Photo by Ryan Reiter

7

400 Fairview

Amid the rising towers and never-ending construction in tech-centric South Lake Union is the recently finished 400 Fairview. Although it appears like any other mixed-use development space, the street level retail complex is uniquely arranged like a mini European market hall with everything from coffee and flowers to Vancouver, B.C.-imported sandwich shop Meat & Bread. Stop in on the weekend and hit the brand new South Lake Union Saturday Market featuring dozens of local vendors and the city's largest outdoor food hall.

RELATED: JS Shopping List: 26 Style Souvenirs We Love

Summer Series plate table food dish indoor meal wooden produce cooking lunch cuisine sense breakfast baking dinner set several vegetable

Photo by Barry Penland

8

JarrBar

Tucked away on the back side of Pike Place Market, JarrBar is a study in minimalism, both in size and culinary offerings. The 470-square-foot jewel box of a space feels like a hideaway café on the shores of the Mediterranean. Simple white paint and a butcher block bar take design back to the basics, while the menu is inspired by the owners travels in Spain and Portugal. Having no kitchen is a bonus here; delicious plates of cured Spanish meats, freshly sliced Spanish cheese, and briny olives make the perfect accompaniment to wine from the Iberian Peninsula.

RELATED: Traveling Speakeasy? Yes, Please

Summer Series indoor floor house Architecture interior design wood home estate Design restaurant tourist attraction Bar step
9

Filson

Even if you’re not the outdoorsy type, a trip to Filson is an adventure in itself. Last year the 119-year-old outerwear company deepened its Seattle roots, opening a flagship store on the second floor of its headquarters-and-factory building in the city's industrial area. Housing FIlson staples (coats to keep you warm in the Alaskan wilderness, water-repellant canvas bags that will last a lifetime), the retail store is a blend of modern and rustic. High vaulted ceilings with exposed rafters play against concrete floors, while dark casework and reclaimed wood are a bold touch. Don't miss the 18.5-foot, hand-carved modern totem pole from local artist Aleph Geddis--the craftwork is a testament to the wild spirit of the Northwest.

Summer Series food plate dish indoor container produce salad vegetable tray cuisine meal plastic containing piece de resistance

Photo courtesy of Nirmal’s

10

Nirmal’s

There are hundreds of reasons to head down to the city’s historic Pioneer Square neighborhood, and most of them involve food. The must-try spot of the moment is Nirmal’s, a pan-Indian restaurant, where chef Nirmal Monteiro creates flavorful dishes, pulling culinary traditions from multiple regions of India, rotating through 10 varieties of dal, and offering creative five-dish thalis. The space may be minimal (a narrow exposed brick hall with simple lighting) but the flavors are anything but.

Comments

comments

All products are independently selected by our writers and editors. If you buy something through our links, Jetsetter may earn an affiliate commission.