Not For Tourists Guide to Seattle (2016)

Central Seattle

Map 13

When the young urban professionals of LQA decide to marry and breed, they buy a house here. When you're deep inside this little suburban chimera, you can easily forget how close you are to the unsavory big city. There aren't many ways for kids or adults to get into trouble in these parts, unless your idea of trouble is having one-too-many mimosas with brunch. Make sure to grab a Mexican hot chocolate from the lovely ladies at El Diablo.

✵ Caffe Appassionato ✵ 1417 Queen Anne Ave N

206-270-8760

Classic Seattle coffee shop vibe at this small-ish local chain. Frasier would love it here.

✵ Caffe Ladro ✵ 2205 Queen Anne Ave N

206-282-5313

Strong coffee for the strong coffee drinker.

✵ Cederberg Tea House ✵ 1417 Queen Anne Ave N

206-285-1352

South African tea house that offers a passport to deliciousness. Get the malva pudding if it's not sold out.

✵ El Diablo Coffee Company ✵

1811 Queen Anne Ave N

206-285-0693

The devil must be in their amazing Mexican hot chocolate.

✵ Vienna Mae Coffee ✵ 318 Nickerson St

206-769-5333

Cute drive-thru that specializes in hemp milk lattes.

✵ Hilltop Ale House ✵ 2129 Queen Anne Ave N

206-285-3877

Neighborhood pub.

✵ 5 Spot ✵ 1502 Queen Anne Ave N

206-285-7768 ✵ $$

Rotating, regional experiments with spotty results, but the fans are die-hard.

✵ The Book Bindery ✵ 198 Nickerson St

206-283-2665 ✵ $$$

An instant classic.

✵ Café de Lion ✵ 1629 Queen Anne Ave N

206-913-2125 ✵ $$

French-inspired pastries which are (almost) too beautiful to eat. Rowr!

✵ Canlis ✵ 2576 Aurora Ave N

206-283-3313 ✵ $$$$

Sure, it'll cost you. But the food is as astounding as the legendary view.

✵ Cederberg Tea House ✵ 1417 Queen Anne Ave N

206-285-1352 ✵ $$

If you're not already familiar with South African baked goods and coffee, you're about to have your mind blown.

✵ China Harbor ✵ 2040 Westlake Ave N

206-286-1688 ✵ $$

Lakeside dining.

✵ Chinoise Café ✵ 12 Boston St

206-284-6671 ✵ $$

Modern sushi joint with a Pan-Asian flair and a heap of noodle dishes.

✵ Eden Hill ✵ 2209 Queen Anne Ave N

206-708-6836 ✵ $$$$

Experimental, inspired, and trustworthy.

✵ Elliott Bay Pizza Co. ✵ 2115 Queen Anne Ave N

206-285-0500 ✵ $$

Combining meat, sauce, cheese and bread in nearly endless combinations.

✵ Grub ✵ 7 Boston St

206-216-3628 ✵ $$

A fine dining diner with dishes like lamb burgers and…get ready…an eggs benedict biscuit breakfast sandwich. Whuuuut?

✵ Hilltop Ale House ✵ 2129 Queen Anne Ave N

206-285-3877 ✵ $$

Not your average pub grub. Baked goat cheese salad and curry cashews!

✵ Homegrown Sustainable Sandwich Shop ✵

2201 Queen Anne Ave N

206-217-4745 ✵ $

It is what it is.

✵ Hommage ✵ 198 Nickerson St

206-283-2665 ✵ $$$$

Solid, inventive French cuisine.

✵ How to Cook a Wolf ✵ 2208 Queen Anne Ave N

206-838-8090 ✵ $$$

Another iteration of Ethan Stowell's clean, composed dishes.

✵ Le Rêve Bakery & Cafe ✵ 1805 Queen Anne Ave N

206-623-7383 ✵ $$

Dreamy Parisian pastries and sandwiches. Feel free to pinch yourself.

✵ LloydMartin ✵ 1525 Queen Anne Ave N

206-420-7602 ✵ $$

It sounds like a bank, but it's a restaurant. A really good one, at that.

This neighborhood is designed for people who plan to be in bed by 11 and like to pay too much for groceries. The Hilltop Ale House is decent and your only real nightlife option. How to Cook a Wolf will blow you away at dinner time, and for breakfast you can't do better than the 5 Spot. If it's a special occasion, impress your date with an amazing view of Lake Union at the worth-every-penny Canlis.

✵ Mezcaleria Oaxaca ✵ 2123 Queen Anne Ave N

206-216-4446 ✵ $$

Sister to La Carta in Ballard and every bit as pretty.

✵ Orrapin Thai Cuisine ✵ 10 Boston St

206-283-7118 ✵ $

Mellow, candlelit Thai.

✵ Ponti Seafood Grill ✵ 3014 3rd Ave N

206-284-3000 ✵ $$$$

A very good seafood restaurant, and not overflowing with tourists.

✵ Portage ✵ 2209 Queen Anne Ave N

206-352-6213 ✵ $$$

Worthy of respect. Reservations recommended.

✵ Queen Anne Café ✵ 2121 Queen Anne Ave N

206-285-2060 ✵ $

Absolutely superb breakfast dishes; dinner, however, is spotty.

✵ Six Coins Japanese Food Truck ✵ 2121 8th Ave

206-395-5785 ✵ $

They serve something called a "rice box" that you definitely want to eat.

✵ Zaw ✵ 1635 Queen Anne Ave N

206-787-1198 ✵ $$

It's not delivery. It's artisan take-and-bake.

✵ Zeek’s Pizza ✵ 41 Dravus St

206-285-8646 ✵ $$

Pizzas with pizzazz, like the Thai version with peanut sauce.

✵ A & J Meats & Seafood ✵ 2401 Queen Anne Ave N

206-284-3885

Great neighborhood butcher and fish monger.

✵ Blue Highway Games ✵ 2203 Queen Anne Ave N

206-282-0540

RPGs plus beer; what could go wrong?

✵ Chocolopolis ✵ 1527 Queen Anne Ave N

206-282-0776

Over 220 bars of chocolate from 20 different countries. Yep.

✵ Eat Local ✵ 2400 Queen Anne Ave N

206-328-3663

Local, organic health market.

✵ Menchie’s ✵ 2101 Queen Anne Ave N

206-216-1650

Serving approximated candy bars & cheesecake for housewives by the pound.

✵ Queen Anne Book Company ✵

1811 Queen Anne Ave N

206-284-2427

Contemporary literature and children's books.