Diners' Choice: Innovative restaurants in Seattle / Eastern Washington

OpenTable

Updated March 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are fit for foodies in Seattle / Eastern Washington? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

FareStart Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (1448)

$30 and under

American

Capitol Hill

About the restaurant

FareStart's James Beard award-winning model for social change is fueled by our restaurant. We’re located in the heart of Seattle for breakfast/lunch on weekdays (walk-ins only), private catered events, Guest Chef Nights and other special dining experiences.

Our beloved Guest Chef Night pairs premier local chefs with FareStart students to create a three-course meal served by volunteers. These events occur on Thursday evenings, tickets are released a month in advance and reservations are needed. These events generally sell out quickly, so we recommend booking as soon as possible.

FareStart is a social enterprise nonprofit focused on job training and employment. Our restaurant and other food-based businesses serve as classrooms for students to gain culinary skills that prepare them for careers in and beyond the food service industry. Since 1992, we’ve helped more than 15,000 adults and youth work toward stability and economic mobility.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Mar 7, 2025

Loved guest chef night with Melissa Miranda, and always enjoy my time in the FareStart restaurant! Great meals supporting a great cause.

Katana Sushi & Sake House

4.9

4.9 (103)

$30 and under

Sushi

Everett

About the restaurant

Katana Sushi & Sake House brings high quality sushi to Everett.

Top review

LisaVIP

Dined on Feb 21, 2025

Love coming here for the happy hour menu! Such a great value for the food quality you receive! All the staff I had encounters with were very nice and helpful.

wa'z

4.9

4.9 (449)

$50 and over

Japanese

Belltown / Pike Place Market

About the restaurant

wa'z is now opening for dine-in along with serving "Take out meals". For the most updated menu, please go to our online order page below and our website.
Online Order: https://wazseattle.cloudwaitress.com/

We also have Facebook, Instagram and Youtube channel! Please check them out!

https://www.facebook.com/wazseattle
https://www.instagram.com/wazseattle
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8617TtnERpw5DqVONMBDhg

wa’z is a Japanese Kaiseski restaurant that distinguishes its menu with a modern Northwest Kaiseki tasting of artful, seasonal fare.

Top review

AnneVIP

Dined on Mar 10, 2025

Such an amazing and intimate experience with master chefs! Every plate had intention and was fabulously delicious! A must-do mind blowing food experience in Seattle.

Cowiche Creek Brewing Company

4.9

4.9 (48)

$30 and under

Brewery

Cowiche

About the restaurant

Cowiche Creek Brewing is one of the most unique dining experiences in the Yakima Valley. Located on a 40 acre working farm with expansive valley views and indoor/outdoor seating, the brewery highlights crisp, hop-forward ales paired with the kitchen's rotating, seasonal menu. Their culinary creativity elevates the menu beyond traditional brewpub fare; including USDA Prime Grade burgers (ground in-house), homemade pastas, and specialty dining events featuring oysters, birria tacos, prime rib, and lobster rolls.

Top review

Marcie

Dined 2 days ago

Always a fun atmosphere with a lot of people watching great food wonderful burgers and beers thank you

Migaku

4.8

4.8 (19)

$50 and over

Kaiseki

Ballard

About the restaurant

Migaku specializes in authentic Japanese “Sushi” and “Kaiseki” cuisine, served in the traditional “Omakase” style. Grand Opening on December 23rd 2024 in Seattle, WA, by a Japanese chef, Migaku has quickly distinguished itself in the culinary world.
Chef Migaku Inaba is renowned for his profound dedication to the art of Japanese cuisine. His culinary journey began in the picturesque settings of Shizuoka, where he was deeply influenced by the rich natural resources and the culinary heritage of the region. After honing his skills at the esteemed hotel Kiyomizu, Chef Inaba received the prestigious “Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Award,” a testament to his skill and innovation in the kitchen. Please come on in and enjoy our Japanese dining journey.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined today

Lovely experience overall. Very intimate setting and very friendly staff. The chef was also a delight. The courses were all so interesting and beautifully presented. The quality of the food and ingredients were delicious and made for a great dinner experience for our special occasion. They change their menu monthly so we’re excited to come back to try it again. Would highly recommend!

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Experience

Sushi Bar: Migaku Kaiseki Course

Experience

Table: Seasonal Kaiseki Course

Experience

Sushi Bar: Chef’s Special kaiseki Course

a stir

4.7

4.7 (1006)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Capitol Hill / First Hill

About the restaurant

What's a stir, you ask? We offer gluten-free contemporary Pacific Northwest cuisine with Northern Mediterranean influences - think Spanish, French, Italian, Greek & Turkish, diverse & healthy options, courtesy of Chef Ton Yazici & Sous Chef Ben Jones. We specialize in wine, cider and spirit flights.

In addition to our 50+ ciders, beer & full bar, we serve local Washington wines as well as a selection of Mediterranean ones, curated by local winemaker Rich Burton of Locus Wines.

Main dining room is all ages with 75 seats. Downstairs bar/event space holds 150 people - 21+only for regular hours. Please note that food service stops 45 minutes prior to closing.

SPECIAL NOTE: We require a credit card hold for reservations 6 or more. If tables are available, you can make reservations up to 16 people. If you are unable, email us at info@astirseattle.com.

Top review

Christian

Dined 3 days ago

We love this place. The chef has created unique and delicious food we will be returning to enjoy again and again. Thank you for your lovely restaurant.

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Experience

Seattle Restaurant Week - $35 Tried & True Menu

Experience

Seattle Restaurant Week - $65 Adventurous Menu

Revel

4.7

4.7 (524)

$30 and under

Korean

Fremont

About the restaurant

Revel is Korean-inspired, creative comfort food served in a hip, urban atmosphere. Chef-owners Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi’s are back to their original Fremont, Seattle address as of 2020.

Top review

Julie

Dined on Mar 1, 2025

We reserved a group dinner for my closest co-workers for a Friday celebration. Revel was easy and attentive in the pre-event arrangements. The menu was varied, plentiful and delicious. Service excellent. A memorable, very enjoyable event.

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Experience

Large Party at Revel

Joule

4.6

4.6 (1426)

$31 to $50

Steakhouse

Wallingford

About the restaurant

Joule, the first restaurant from celebrated husband and wife cooking team Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, is re-located in October, 2012 to the innovative, newly developed the Fremont Collective in Seattle’s Wallingford/Fremont neighborhood. From its original opening in 2007, Joule has cultivated a loyal dining fan base and captured the attention of an admiring local and national media captivated by the couple’s unique, modern perspective on Korean cuisine. Joule, the mature sibling to Yang and Chirchi’s restaurant, Revel, highlights Korea’s love of beef featuring unconventional cuts accompanied by distinctive and shareable side dishes.

Joule takes reservations for 1.75-3 hour time slots (depending on party size). We do our best to accommodate as many guests as possible and ask that you are considerate of other diners at the end of your meal. If you feel that your party requires more time, please let us know in the notes and we will get back to you with our available accommodations.

Top review

Hunter

Dined 7 days ago

It's hard to have a bad meal at Joule, where you can safely order anything on the menu and know it will be delicious. Classics like the chorizo rice cakes paired well with new dishes like the roasted asparagus. Cocktails were very tasty as well

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4.6

4.6 (12)

$30 and under

Fusion / Eclectic

Mercer Island

About the restaurant

Modern PNW Gastropub. Korean BBQ, burgers, booze, wings, tacos, and more with heavy Korean, Hawaiian, and Mexican influences. Full service cocktail bar with an extensive liquor collection. Intentional fusion dishes like bulgogi cheeseburgers, kalua pork tacos, and our seared ahi banchan salad, pair perfectly with traditional Korean BBQ and Hawaiian dishes. Free and plentiful above ground parking and easy freeway access makes this the perfect meeting place for friends on Mercer Island, Seattle, and the Eastside.

Our Korean Fried Chicken Wings must be experienced
Happy Hour 3-6 Monday through Thursday
10:00 AM Hawaiian style brunch (including our famous loco moco) on Sundays
Great Vegetarian and Gluten Free options

Top review

NickM

Dined 2 days ago

Simply great! Been there 4 times now and love it every time. Bulgoggi Cdawlburger is awesome! So is the butter mochi!

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Experience

Burgers for the Bond

Experience

The Board Room Private Dinning

Derby - The Shop Seattle

4.5

4.5 (81)

$30 and under

American

Downtown

About the restaurant

Derby offers New American cuisine, emphasizing the use of local ingredients from Washington. Enjoy glimpses of The Shop's world-class car collection! The menu caters to a variety of tastes, offering lunch, dinner, and a weekend brunch. Don't miss the Bad-Ass Bacon!

Notably, the restaurant provides a comfortable atmosphere for casual dining experiences. Enjoy the bar, indoor dining, and outdoor patio!

For those interested in automotive culture, The Shop also offers tours of its car collection on weekends. This adds an extra layer of interest for visitors, combining a love for cars with the enjoyment of good food.

In addition to its regular dining services, Derby also hosts private events and parties, making it a versatile space for different occasions.

Derby Restaurant presents a blend of culinary delights and automotive enthusiasm, making it a distinctive spot in Seattle's dining scene.

Top review

Melissa

Dined on Feb 22, 2025

LOVED our experience!! Got the best seat in the house, my husband was so thrilled. Thank you 🙏

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