The Top 100 Places to Eat Near Bongos Cafe
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Rank 1. Bongos Cafe
Caribbean
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- The Infatuation 2025 · #11 · The Top-Rated New Restaurants
- Seattle Met 2025 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Seattle Right Now
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Rank 3. Atoma
Pacific Northwestern
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Best New Restaurant
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific · Johnny Courtney
- Eater Best New Restaurant
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Rank 4. Sophon
Khmer
- Bon Appétit 2024 · America's Best New Restaurants
- Eater Best New Bar
- Seattle Met 2024 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
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Rank 5. The Chicken Supply
Filipino
- Eater 2022 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Seattle Met Seattle’s 50 Best Restaurants
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in Seattle
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Rank 6. Gao Lhao
Thai Noodles
- The Infatuation The 21 Most Fun Dinner Spots In Seattle
- Seattle Met 2026 · Seattle's Best Shaved Ice and Slushies
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- Seattle Met 2023 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
- Seattle Met 2023 · Breakfast Sandwich · The Best Things I Ate This Year
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Ben Campbell
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Rank 8. Canlis
Northwest
Canlis is the kind of fine dining institution that's been around forever, perched on a cliff above Queen Anne Hill with views that make the prix fixe feel almost justified. The room fills with anniversaries, milestone birthdays, and people who clearly ironed their shirts for this. Northwest ingredients anchor the menu, the wine program has a James Beard win behind it, and the Canlis salad gets its own tableside moment.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Food & Wine 2023 · Best New Chefs · Aisha Ibrahim
- Food & Wine 2025 · The Top 15 US Restaurants
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Rank 9. Kamonegi
Japanese
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific · Mutsuko Soma
- Eater 2018 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Bon Appétit 2018 · America's Best New Restaurants
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- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurant
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurant
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Chef · Renee Erickson
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- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Seattle Right Now
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in Seattle
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Rank 12. Saint Bread
Japanese-Influenced Bakery
- The New York Times 22 of the Best Bakeries Across the U.S. Right Now
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bakery
- Seattle Met Seattle’s 50 Best Restaurants
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Rank 13. Bizzarro Italian Cafe
Italian
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Rank 14. Local Tide
Seafood
A casual counter-service spot in Fremont doing something Seattle almost never does: centering the menu entirely on local Northwest seafood without charging fine-dining prices for the privilege. The chef sources from a network of local fisheries, then turns it all into the kind of takeout lunch that makes you feel smug about your choices. Weekend crab rolls on a buttery split-top bun are the thing people talk about. Expect a crowd of neighborhood regulars who clearly know something you don't.
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Seattle Right Now
- The Infatuation #20 · The 25 Best Restaurants In Seattle
- Seattle Met Seattle’s 50 Best Restaurants
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- The New York Times 2025 · Lamb Neck Korma Pie · The Best Restaurant Dishes We Ate Across the U.S.
- Eater Best New Restaurant · The 2025 Eater Seattle Award Winners
- The Infatuation 2025 · #10 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
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Rank 16. Pancita
Mexican
Janet Becerra grinds and nixtamalizes her own heirloom corn daily, which tells you everything about how seriously she takes this place. Pancita is a lively, mid-range Mexican restaurant where European fine-dining training meets deep traditional technique, and the room fills with people who showed up on purpose. She earned a James Beard Award, and one bite of those tortillas explains why. Skip nothing on the menu.
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Emerging Chef · Janet Becerra
- Seattle Met 2023 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Seattle Right Now
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Rank 17. Joule
Korean Steakhouse
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Outstanding Chef · Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Seattle Right Now
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in Seattle
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- Seattle Met 2025 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
- Eater Best All-Day Cafe · The 2025 Eater Seattle Award Winners
- The Infatuation 2025 · #2 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
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- The Infatuation #13 · The 25 Best Restaurants In Seattle
- Seattle Met Seattle’s 50 Best Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Emerging Chef · Kevin Smith
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Rank 23. Communion Restaurant & Bar
Southern
- USA Today 2024 · Restaurants of the Year
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific · Kristi Brown
- The New York Times 2021 · The Restaurant List
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Rank 24. Alebrijes Kitchen
Mexican
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Rank 25. La Cabaña
Latin
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- Wine Enthusiast 2023 · Forward 50 Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific · Aaron Tekulve
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in Seattle
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Rank 27. Lupe’s Situ Tacos
Deep-Fried Mexican
- Esquire 2025 · The Best New Restaurants in America
- Seattle Met 2024 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
- The Infatuation #18` · The 25 Best Restaurants In Seattle
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Rank 28. Un Bien
Caribbean
- The Infatuation #5 · The 25 Best Restaurants In Seattle
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Seattle Right Now
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Rank 29. LTD Edition
Omakase Sushi
- The New York Times 2023 · The Restaurant List
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Seattle Right Now
- Seattle Met Seattle’s 50 Best Restaurants
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Rank 30. Altura
Italian
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Rank 31. Tivoli
Northwest, Italian
- 50 Top Pizza 2025 · #10 · 50 Top Pizza Slice USA
- Seattle Met 2024 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
- Seattle Met Seattle’s Best Lunch Spots
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Rank 32. Taurus Ox
Laotian
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Seattle Right Now
- Seattle Met Seattle’s 50 Best Restaurants
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in Seattle
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Rank 33. Le Coin
French Cocktail Bar
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in Seattle
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants & Bars In Fremont
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Rank 35. Paju
Korean
- The New York Times 2021 · The Restaurant List
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Seattle Right Now
- Seattle Met Seattle’s 50 Best Restaurants
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- The Infatuation #8 · The 25 Best Restaurants In Seattle
- Seattle Met 2024 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
- Seattle Met Seattle’s 50 Best Restaurants
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Rank 37. Cafe Suliman
Middle Eastern
- Eater Best Counter
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Emerging Chef · Ahmed Suliman
- Seattle Met Seattle’s Best Lunch Spots
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- James Beard Awards 2023 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Yenvy and Quynh Pham
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Quynh-Vy and Yenvy Pham
- Bon Appétit 2022 · America's Best New Restaurants
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Rank 39. Spinasse
Northern Italian
- The Infatuation #2 · The 25 Best Restaurants In Seattle
- Seattle Met Seattle’s 50 Best Restaurants
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in Seattle
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- Eater Best Focaccia Sandwich · The 2025 Eater Seattle Award Winners
- The Infatuation 2025 · #6 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
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Rank 41. Cafe Munir
Middle Eastern
- Seattle Met Seattle’s 50 Best Restaurants
- The Stranger 2024 · Hummus Bil Lahm ou Snobar · The 10 Best Things I Ate in Seattle
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- Seattle Met 2024 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
- Seattle Met Seattle’s 50 Best Restaurants
- Seattle Met 2025 · Tôm Cocktail · The Best Things I Ate This Year
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Rank 43. Lark
New American
Lark is a fine dining room in Capitol Hill that's been around long enough to feel like a fixture, and the James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality tells you the staff genuinely means it. The four-course tasting menu is unusually forgiving, with real choices at each round so it never feels like you're just eating the chef's diary. The crowd skews date-night and special-occasion, dressed like they meant it.
- Seattle Met Seattle’s 50 Best Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Hospitality
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in Seattle
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Rank 44. Xi'an Noodles
Chinese
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Rank 45. Fogón Cocina Mexicana
Mexican
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- 50 Best 2026 · #89 · North America's 50 Best Bars
- Esquire 2023 · Amis Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Cocktail Bar – U.S. West
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Rank 47. Phở Bắc
Vietnamese
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Quynh-Vy and Yenvy Pham
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Nominee · Outstanding Restaurateur · Yenvy and Quynh Pham
- Seattle Met Seattle’s 50 Best Restaurants
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Rank 48. Mojito
Latin
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Rank 49. Le Pichet
French
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Seattle Right Now
- Seattle Met Seattle’s Best Lunch Spots
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- Wine Enthusiast 2023 · Forward 50 Restaurants
- The Stranger 2024 · The Lamb Mabo Pizza · The 10 Best Things I Ate in Seattle
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Rank 52. Lenox
Caribbean
- Bon Appétit 2025 · America's Best New Restaurants
- Seattle Met 2024 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
- The Infatuation The 21 Most Fun Dinner Spots In Seattle
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Rank 53. The Boat
Vietnamese
- Seattle Met 2023 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
- The Infatuation #17 · The 25 Best Restaurants In Seattle
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Quynh-Vy and Yenvy Pham
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Rank 54. Asadero
Steak House, Mexican
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Rank 55. Oriental Mart
Filipino
- The Infatuation #19 · The 25 Best Restaurants In Seattle
- Eater The 38 Essential Restaurants in Seattle
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Rank 56. Maripili Tapas Bar
Spanish
- Seattle Met Seattle’s 50 Best Restaurants
- Seattle Met 2023 · Croissant Sobrasada Roll · The Best Things I Ate This Year
- Seattle Met 2024 · Flan de Erizo · The Best Things I Ate This Year
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Rank 57. King's Hardware
American
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Rank 58. Dreamland Bar & Diner
American Cocktail Bar
- The Infatuation The 21 Most Fun Dinner Spots In Seattle
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants & Bars In Fremont
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Rank 59. Miss Pho
Noodles
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Rank 61. Maneki
Japanese
- The Infatuation The 21 Most Fun Dinner Spots In Seattle
- Seattle Met Seattle’s 50 Best Restaurants
- Seattle Met 2026 · The Best Restaurants in the Chinatown–International District Right Now
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Rank 63. Kilig
Filipino
Kilig is a bright, fast-casual Filipino spot in the International District where the room is splashed with color and the food hits harder than the price tag suggests. Chef Melissa Miranda built her name at Musang, and this looser, bolder follow-up shows her having more fun. The bulalo, a beefy shank soup, is the anchor, but the wings, lumpia, and punchy noodles earn their keep too. The New York Times agrees it belongs on your list.
- Seattle Met 2024 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Seattle Right Now
- The Infatuation The 21 Most Fun Dinner Spots In Seattle
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Rank 66. Secret Congee
Modern American
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Rank 67. Cornelly
Italian
- The Infatuation #21 · The 25 Best Restaurants In Seattle
- The Infatuation The 21 Most Fun Dinner Spots In Seattle
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Rank 68. Pestle Rock
Thai
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Rank 70. Ahadu Ethiopian Restaurant
Ethiopian
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Rank 72. Daruma Sando
Japanese
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Rank 79. Musang
Filipino
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific · Melissa Miranda
- The Infatuation #3 · The 25 Best Restaurants In Seattle
- Seattle Met Seattle’s 50 Best Restaurants
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Rank 81. Outsider BBQ
Texas-style Barbecue Beer Bar
- Seattle Met 2025 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants & Bars In Fremont
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Rank 82. Vindicktive Bar and Wings
Bar Food
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Rank 84. Tamari Bar
Japanese Cocktail Bar
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Rank 85. Cafe Flora
Vegetarian, Vegan, American/New American
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- Seattle Met 2025 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
- The Infatuation 2025 · #3 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
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Rank 88. Pelicana Chicken
Korean
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Rank 89. Sushi Kashiba
Omakase Sushi
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Rank 90. Pasta Casalinga
Italian
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Rank 92. Jeffry's
American
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Rank 93. The Pink Door
Italian
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Rank 94. Vivienne's Bistro
Chinese
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Rank 96. Familyfriend
Guamanian
A casual Beacon Hill spot doing Guamanian food in a way Seattle hadn't really seen before, and it's a James Beard Best New Restaurant winner, so someone noticed. The smashburger went viral and briefly filled the room with TikTokers, but the regulars have reclaimed their pistachio booths and the shady back patio. The empanadas and corn soup are the real reason to linger.
- Esquire 2024 · Lola Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- The New York Times 2024 · The Restaurant List
- Seattle Met 2024 · Seattle’s Best New Restaurants
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Rank 99. Ba Bar
Vietnamese
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