Things to do in Seattle, splurging
Great coffee, serious cocktails, and the dinners worth flying in for
This is Seattle for someone who wants the real thing: roasters that locals actually use, restaurants that earn their reputation, and bars where the drinks are the point. Three days moves you from the waterfront through Capitol Hill and up into the northside neighborhoods, and the pace is relaxed enough to do each place properly.
Day 1: Pioneer Square and the waterfront
Start with Elm's clean espresso, cross to Bainbridge for the skyline views, eat well above Pike Place, and end the night with Italian food and one of the best cocktail programs in the city.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:30 AM
Ferry to Bainbridge Island
35-minute ferry crossing with killer skyline views, then a stroll up walkable Winslow Way, back well before lunch.
Map - 12:30 PM
Matt's in the Market
Third-floor Corner Market perch with a seasonal Northwest menu; get the catfish or pork belly sandwich at lunch.
Map - 2:30 PM
Museum of Pop Culture
Frank Gehry building: Seattle's music story, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Hendrix, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, hands-on sound labs.
Map - 7:30 PM
The Pink Door
Behind an unmarked pink door in Post Alley: the lasagna, a bay view and cabaret on some nights.
Map - 9:30 PM
Dead Line
Pioneer Square cocktail bar with a short, sharp menu, a few blocks back from the waterfront.
Map
Day 2: Capitol Hill via Lake Union
A morning on Lake Union's north shore and a seaplane over the city, a quiet lunch at Kappo Tamura, then Spinasse's handmade pasta and Tavern Law's drinks.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:30 AM
Gas Works Park
Old gasworks towers on a grassy hill over Lake Union; watch seaplanes land against the skyline.
Map - 12:30 PM
Sushi Kappo Tamura
Sit at the counter in Eastlake and let the chef choose the day's Northwest fish.
Map - 2:30 PM
Kenmore Air scenic seaplane flight
25-minute floatplane tour from Lake Union: downtown skyline, Space Needle and the waterfront from the air, a proper afternoon thrill.
Map - 7:30 PM
Spinasse
Spinasse's tajarin, fine egg noodles in butter and sage, is the dish; the room feels like Piedmont.
Map - 9:30 PM
Tavern Law
Tavern Law is Capitol Hill's best cocktail bar, tucked away, serious drinks, an ideal nightcap after Spinasse.
Map
Day 3: Ballard, Fremont, and Wallingford
A slower northside day: the Locks in the morning, a good Ballard lunch, then Joule for dinner and Zig Zag to finish on a classic.
Where to stay
1 Hotel Seattle
1 Hotel sits right on the waterfront, close to Day 1 and within easy reach of Capitol Hill, and the design sensibility matches the trip.
Kimpton Palladian Hotel
The Kimpton Palladian is a strong boutique option in Belltown: well-priced for what it is, walkable to Spinasse, Dead Line, and Zig Zag.
Make Seattle your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Chihuly Garden and Glass: a few days ahead
- Space Needle: a few days ahead
- Museum of Pop Culture: a few days ahead
- Kenmore Air: a few days ahead
- Mount Rainier National Park: a few days ahead
- Puget Sound Express: weeks ahead
Skip these
- The original Starbucks at 1912 Pike Place: a small busy Starbucks with a very long line for a photo. Do not queue.
- The Gum Wall in Post Alley: a 60 second photo on the way through the Market, not a stop to plan around.
- The Space Needle on a cloudy day at full price, and doing two observation decks. One deck, clear day, sunset slot, or Kerry Park free.
- The Crab Pot and waterfront seafood boils: fun theatre, mediocre value versus the Walrus, Matt's or a neighbourhood seafood room.
The full Seattle travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around