Seattle, Washington, a common embarkation point for Alaska cruises, may be best known for its numerous coffee houses, but when you’re ready to eat, you can enjoy excellent seafood, a variety of ethnic cuisines, and, in many cases, terrific views of Puget Sound or the Seattle skyline, complete with Space Needle.
Here are our top five picks for places to eat in Seattle during your Alaska cruise, chosen for food, atmosphere, and often both:
At Ivar’s Salmon House, located on the shores of Lake Union, you can take in some of those spectacular views of the Seattle skyline, while dining on wild-caught fresh salmon grilled on an open-pit alderwood barbeque, served several ways. Ivar’s is an iconic name in Seattle seafood, an empire dating from 1938 when the late Ivar Haglund began selling fish and chips to folks visiting his waterfront aquarium. (As he segued into selling fried clams as well, his motto came to be: “keep clam”.) Both lunch and dinner menus include many other items (mostly seafood) as well, and it’s open every day during Alaska cruising season. (401 NE Northlake Way).
Places to Eat in Seattle on a Cruise to Alaska
Just about all visitors to Seattle make their way to the Pike Place Market, situated on a hill between the city’s waterfront and downtown areas. Along with the colorful produce and other markets, the Pike Place complex has a number of good eateries as well.
Places to Eat in Seattle on a Cruise to Alaska. Photo Courtesy of Pike Place Market
One standout is the Athenian Seafood Restaurant and Bar, which opened in 1909 and still has an old-time feel – not to mention sweeping views of Puget Sound if you can land a table by the window. The Athenian opens at 6:30 a.m. for breakfast and remains open into the evening. An extensive all-day menu allows you to have breakfast (try the Dungeness crab and shrimp cake eggs Benedict), lunch (a variety of burgers, chowders, and sandwiches) or dinner items such as fried oysters or garlic prawns at any time (1517 Pike Place).
The Palisade Restaurant, at Elliott Bay Marina near the Smith Cove Cruise Ship Terminal, is another nicely situated spot with an eclectic menu that ranges from Mediterranean chicken salad to a burger made from Wagyu beef and seared sashimi grade ahi nicoise. Prix fixe lunches and dinners include a starter such as crab and lobster bisque or kale Caesar salad and dessert such as caramel apple bread pudding along with your entrée, or you can order a la carte. As a big bonus, the food comes with great views of Seattle and Puget Sound (2601 W Marina Place).
Places to Eat in Seattle on a Cruise to Alaska. Photo Courtesy of Paseo Carribean Restaurant
Paseo Caribbean Restaurant has what might be the best sandwiches in the Seattle area, served on toasted baguettes and dressed with aioli, cilantro, pickled jalapenos, lettuce, and caramelized onions. The Caribbean Roast sandwich – slow roasted marinated pork shoulder – draws raves, as do the grilled pork loin, sautéed prawn, and onion obsession sandwiches (vegetarian with just the caramelized onions, cilantro and jalapenos). You can also get platters of roasted pork or grilled chicken served with rice and beans. But don’t come for the atmosphere – the two locations are counter-order, cash-only, super-casual places. But their Cuban-style sandwiches have won national acclaim. They’re open for lunch every day and into early evening (6226 Seaview Avenue, NW, and 4225 Fremont Avenue N).
The Metropolitan Grill is all – well, mostly – about steak. Steaks – top sirloin, New York strip, filet mignon and more – are the house specialty; steak salad is among the entrée salads; and you can also get a New York steak sandwich. The prime beef, which comes from local sources and is grilled to order over mesquite charcoal, is considered the best in town. But the lunch and dinner menus also dip heavily into seafood and even vegetarian options (such as the lunchtime portobello and brie sandwich). The Metropolitan Grill is located downtown at 820 Second Avenue.
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