Waterfront dinner Seattle
Seattle’s working waterfront is not a single promenade, and the best tables are not all in a row along the same pier. Some look at Elliott Bay from downtown. Some look back at the city from Alki. Some sit above the market, with the Sound in the distance. A few are a little farther north, in Ballard, close to the water without being on it.
We have kept to restaurants whose official sites we could verify. Where a well-known waterfront name had a broken or missing location page, we left it off. Check hours and reservations on the links below, and give yourselves time to park or to walk from a bus or a streetcar. Women may apply to Sterling Introductions, free, if they would like a private introduction rather than another evening to arrange alone.
Places we can verify
Salty’s on Alki Beach
A seafood restaurant on the West Seattle waterfront, looking back at the skyline. The official Seattle page has hours and reservations.
Marination Ma Kai
Hawaiian-Korean plates and a patio on the water, more informal than Salty’s, with the water taxi dock close at hand. Locations are listed officially.
Goldfinch Tavern
An American dining room on Elliott Bay downtown, for a more formal waterfront evening without crossing the bridge.
Elliott’s Oyster House
A long-standing oyster house on the downtown piers. Use the official site for hours and reservations.
Ivar’s Acres of Clams
A Seattle waterfront restaurant whose official site still publishes current Acres of Clams menus. Confirm hours there before you go.
Matt’s in the Market
Not on a pier, but in the market above the waterfront, with a sense of the Sound close by. A good choice if you also want a walk through the stalls.
The Walrus and the Carpenter
An oyster bar on Ballard Avenue, a short walk from the water rather than on it. Informal, and easy to pair with a later walk toward the locks or Golden Gardens.
Places we like for a date; Sterling has no commercial relationship with them. Hours change — check the official link before you go. We list only venues we could verify as currently open on an official site or an official parks page.
If you would rather walk than sit, the Olympic Sculpture Park and Alki Beach are both official Seattle Parks, and we list them in the outdoor guide.
Questions
Where is the best waterfront dinner in Seattle?
It depends which water you want. Alki looks at the skyline; the downtown piers look at the bay; Ballard is closer to a working harbor. We would start with the view you want, then the official reservation page.
Is the waterfront a good first date?
A walk, yes. A long seafood dinner can be more than a first meeting needs. See our first-date guide if you have not met yet.
Do you introduce people in West Seattle as well as downtown?
Yes. Women apply free, and many introductions already cross a bridge or a body of water.