Seattle

Agua Verde Cafe

Excellent selection of fish and other tacos and other imaginative Mexican fare. If the restaurant is too crowded and the weather is good, order from the takeout window and eat in the small park to the west. Also hosts a paddling club.

11AM-3:30, 4-9PM daily, closes Sun October–March

Alki Beach Park

Alki Beach Park is one of the best and biggest sandy beaches in Seattle. There's a rollerblade/bike/walking path along it for miles and the beach itself is always busy and fun. Great views of the city, the ferries and the Olympics. There are several great cafes and coffee shops right across the street. Good place for barbeque as well as many outdoor recreations. It has one of the best night view of Downtown Seattle and the city light.

Apr 15-Oct 1: 6AM-11PM daily, Oct 2-Apr 14: 4AM-11:30PM daily·Free

All City Coffee Georgetown

Stop by every Saturday morning to hear DJ Tamlin spinning reggae. Free Wi-Fi.

Annapurna Cafe

Perhaps the crown of Seattle's Indian food scene, Annapurna also serves excellent Nepali and Tibetan food. A charming atmosphere, quality food, and a wide variety of vegetarian and vegan options make it a great location for dinner.

Tue-Sat 4-9PM

Bakery Nouveau

Everything you'd want from a French-style bakery: pastries, breads, elegant desserts, macarons, chocolate confections by the piece, sandwiches, quiches, and pizzas, plus coffee of course. Very popular; the line often stretches to the door and beyond, but it moves quickly enough. The limited seating is usually pretty full; in a pinch there's a park across the street with a bench of two.

Mon-Fri 6AM-7PM, Sat 7AM-7PM, Sun 7AM-6PM

Bauhaus Capitol Hill

Toned-down version of cafe and bookstore that it used to be in another location.

Mon-Fri 7AM-3PM; Sat-Sun 8AM-3PM

Broadcaster Coffee Roasters

A neighborhood shop across from Pratt Park, serves Stumptown coffee and pastries from Alki Bakery. Free wi-fi. Great for meetings.

Daily 7AM-4PM

C and P Coffee Company

Offers awesome coffee from Lighthouse Roasters, free wireless access and live music.

Cafe Allegro

In the 1950s, they were beatniks, in the 1970s, they were hippies, who knows what they're called today, but they still hang out here. Great for philosophical discussions, working on your Ph.D thesis, and wireless internet access.

Cafe Arta & Pub at Third Place

Vios Ravenna

Well lit bar below a coffee house and book store. The entire bar is wood paneled, with tables being cross sections of trees. All day happy hour on Sundays. On the north end of the U-dist.

Cafe Flora

Upscale, all-vegetarian cuisine in a casual atmosphere. Menus change weekly.

Mon-Fri 11AM-9PM, Sat 9AM-2PM & 5-10PM, Sun 9AM-2PM & 5-9PM

Cafe Goldinblack

A good and inexpensive Korean restaurant with good bibimbap and good lunch specials that also serves alcohol.

Mon-Thu 11:30 AM-9:30PM, Fri Sat 11:30AM-10:30PM, Sun 11:30AM-8:30PM

Cafe Lago

Established Italian restaurant popular for vegetarian lasagna, apple-wood fired pizza, and fresh hand-made pasta (they have an employee dedicated solely to making pasta). An excellent environment for families, they even have paper tablecloths for kids to draw on.

Sun Mon 5-9PM, Tue-Thu 5-9:30PM, Fri Sat 5-10PM

Cafe Soleil

A casual and laid-back Ethiopian restaurant, serving both traditional Ethiopian food and adaptations using Northwest ingredients. Housed in a beautiful building with excellent natural light, with outdoor seating as well. Well-stocked with Ethiopian beers.

Wed-Fri 5:30-9PM, Sat 8:30AM-2PM and 5:30-9PM, Sun 8:30AM-2PM·$20

Cafe Solstice

This cafe is features coffee from Lighthouse Roasters and baristas with attitude. The atmosphere is subtly hip (with music such as Aphex Twin playing in the background) and is usually packed with students from one of the neighboring universities. Also serves homemade soups, sandwiches and pastries.

Mon-Thu 6:30AM-11PM, Fri 6:30AM-9PM, Sat 7AM-9PM, Sun 7AM-11PM

Caffe Fiore

An organic coffeeshop three blocks north of Kerry Park, offering a true experience of Seattle coffee house culture: good local art on display that changes on the first day of every month, consistently excellent coffee, environmental consciousness to a fault (the straws are compostable), and neighborly vitality that's easy to witness but hard to describe. Handsome baristas remember the orders of regular patrons, and most everyone you see is a regular patron. The coffee is rich, aromatic, and consistently excellent. Outdoor seating for sunny summer days. The most common order is a short latte, and for good reason.

Daily until 7PM

Caffé Vita

Coffee roaster with a warehouse feel, where patrons can clearly see how the coffee beans are roasted.

Chelan Cafe

Famous for their rib-sticking breakfasts, the Chelan is your basic family diner with legions of fans. Their Eggs Benedict is very popular and they have great pancakes, too.

Mon-Fri 6AM-7:30PM, Sat-Sun 6AM-1PM

Columbia City Bakery

Excellent bread, pastries, cakes, and coffee. Mostly a dessert or snack place, though the ham and Gruyère croissant makes for a nice light lunch.

Mon-Fri 7AM-7PM, Sat Sun 7AM-5PM

Couth Buzzard Books

A bookstore selling both new and used books; accepts trade-ins. They also have a small cafe and feature events and concerts.

Mon Tue 10AM-6PM, Wed-Sun 10AM-9PM

Elliott Bay Book Company

In 2010, Seattle's largest independent bookstore moved up onto the Hill from its old home in Pioneer Square. The wide, wooden-shelved spaces are a pleasure to browse. There's a small cafe tucked in the back of the lower level, which is good but rather expensive.

Mon-Thu 10AM-10PM, Fri Sat 10AM-11PM, Sun 10AM-9PM

Espresso Vivace Roasteria

Founded by an engineer who's been developing progressively more sophisticated roasters for twenty years. Their beans, plus Mighty-O doughnuts, are also available at the sidewalk Vivace at 321 Broadway E, between Harrison and Thomas.

Daily 6AM-11PM

Family Donut

Very good family-run doughnut shop with excellent donuts and coffee.

Mon-Fri 5AM-7PM, Sat 6AM-5PM, Sun 6AM-2PM

Grateful Bread Bakery & Cafe

Grateful Bread is a bakery and cafe that offers handmade bread and pastries, as well as espresso and panini sandwiches. It is predominantly a family spot, especially during the period right before and after school. It is locally owned and has a very casual atmosphere.

Mon-Fri 7AM-7PM, Sat 7:30AM-6PM, Sun 8AM-6PM

Hangar Cafe

A former residence across from Boeing Field has been transformed into a tiny restaurant specializing in brunch. They are famous for their crepes and their Bloody Marys, although their small menu has a good variety of other breakfast and lunch items to choose from.

Mon-Fri 7AM-3:30PM, Sat Sun 8AM-3PM

Jewel Box Cafe

A quaint and warm cafe under an apartment complex. Bubble tea, coffee and tea with special mixes, sandwiches, breakfast and its house special: crepes.

Sun-Thu 6AM-11PM; Fri & Sat 6AM-midnight

Lockspot Cafe

This is an old breakfast and lunch (burgers, mostly) spot that's mostly patronized by local workers and very popular with them.

Mon-Fri 11AM-2PM

Macrina Bakery

McGraw Cafe

A premier local bakery whose chef was a finalist for a 2007 James Beard Award. Selection changes seasonally and daily, but there's always something delicious on offer. An excellent choice for a breakfast or light lunch; cafe-style seating encourages you to sit down and stay a while. Espresso can be inconsistent, if you're picky, grab food to go and walk elsewhere for coffee.

Macrina Cafe & Bakery

Aloha Cafe

A premier local bakery whose chef was a finalist for a 2007 James Beard Award. Selection changes seasonally and daily, but there's always something delicious on offer. An excellent choice for a breakfast or light lunch; cafe-style seating encourages you to sit down and stay a while. Espresso can be inconsistent, if you're picky, grab food to go and walk elsewhere for coffee.

Daily 7AM-6PM

Made in Washington

Sells all kinds of souvenirs exclusive to Washington state. Along with the usual coffee mugs and fridge magnets, they also sell glass sculptures you can find at the Chihuly Arts and Glass, baked salmon, artisan chocolates and the rain-globe, an equivalent to a snow globe but adapted to suit the stereotypical Seattle drizzle. They also have another shop in Westlake Center.

Daily 10AM-6PM