Good timing. Big windstorm coming overnight, as you probably know. Assuming your plane can get in and the power’s on, and depending on how late is late, there are some all night restaurants including Thirteen Coins (one location is right near the airport, another downtown), the 5 Point in Belltown (downtown dive), and Beth’s Cafe (N. Seattle dive, and home of the famous 12 egg omelet).
Thirteen Coins is the most upscale with a wide variety of stuff on the menu.
Cafe Presse serves at least until 2am, Ba Bar (French vietnamese, restaurant + bar) serves until 2am, Le Pichet and Rock Creek (fresh fish) serve until midnight, Mamnoon (excellent Lebanese, Magreb) until 10.
Chuck called out most of the old faithfuls. Beth’s is great, but unless you’re in a rental and want to drive on I-5, I’d pass. It’s a fun stop, though, if only to see what drunk/high people color and hang on the wall at 3 AM.
13 Coins is probably the easiest to drop in, park and get a good meal at without a lot of hassle. Will feel like a flashback to the 70s though…
Thanks guys. We are staying at the Crowne Plaza downtown without a car if that adjusts any recommendations.
If it was me, getting in after 10 pm, I’d taxi/uber to Zig Zag. I’m a big cocktail fan and it’s one of the best places in the country. They’ve got upscale bar food until 1:00 AM.
Depends how late is late. Purple Cafe and Wine Bar is open until 11:00, and only a few block walk from the Crowne Plaza.
P Hickner
Thanks for the suggestions everyone, it was a great, fast trip. Our first night we just did room service because I was pooped.
The next morning we swung by Porchlight Coffee and Records just for a cup and it was the best cappuccino I’ve ever had. Then a quick walk to Bakery Nouveau for another cup and some baked goods. We shared a croissant, chocolate croissant, smoked salmon and cream cheese croissant (it was pretty awful) and I got a piece of Chocolate Mocha Cheesecake for later.
Then we walked down to Pike Place Market to check things out, walked down to the aquarium and popped into 1000Spirits for a pre-noon beverage. We built our appetites and headed back to Capitol Hill to share a fish and chips plate at Pike St Fish Fry which was great. Not much ambience or service but the food was killer. Fries could use some work but the fish and seemingly homemade tartar sauce was really delicious.
Then we walked over to Chuck’s Hop Shop on Union and shared a bottle of beer and had an IPA flight. After that we walked to Taylor Shellfish and gorged ourselves on a prawn cocktail, a dozen oysters and an order of the geoduck. The geoduck had an interesting texture but a wonderful flavor.
My lady had an early AM flight the next day so we headed back to the hotel to decompress and ended up calling it a night. Her flight left at 7AM so I had a good bit of the day to myself. I started at Top Pot Donuts downtown with an apple fritter, chocolate donut and cappuccino and then took a quick hike to check out the Space Needle. Didn’t go up but it’s an impressive structure. Went back to the hotel to pack up and check out and ran back to Capitol Hill to spend too much money at Zion’s Gate Records. Then had a quick salad/2 pint lunch at Elysian before another stop at Bakery Nouveau.
Sitting at SeaTac now happy with how much we crammed into our short time here. If I can get another $100 flight like I did this time I’ll be back soon.
Hi,
I’m planning to go to Seattle 4/12-4/16 possibly first the 1st time.
Which area should I stay to make easier for uber/taxi for all these recommendations from you guys?
Any possible wine shops I can buy '07 Vintage btls for Aaniversary dinner?
Any recommendations for dinner?
Thanks in advance.
Hotel: Anniversary - how about Four Seasons in downtown Seattle?
close by a lot of stuff, easy to uber everywhere
Dinner: Spinasse, Canlis… both are decently good for anniversary dinner
Wine: Esquin wine (close enough to uber)
but if u’re here for 4 days, why not rent a car?
We stayed at Inn at the Market a couple of weeks ago. Right at Pike Place Market, lots of energy (which can be a good or bad thing). Great hotel, great service with lots of walkable activities.
Thanks, Mark for all your great info.
I need to research more what to do for 5 days (Possible).
I see what you meant.
I need to see what other options are available if I rent a car.
You can give me more recommendations! Lol
Thanks for your recommendations, Nolan. 
5 days in Seattle?
You can do the pike place market / space needle tourist bit in a day. I wouldn’t stay downtown for 5 days.
Food: Cafe Juanita in Kirkland maybe?
Ishoni in Bellevue has great Japanese hibachi including imported A5 Waygu
Oh and U could throw up an offline and see if locals can make it? Lots of people from WB live in Seattle.
Small correction to your otherwise awesome list of ideas, the Museum of Flight is located at Boeing Field in Tukwila. The Boeing plant in Everett, however, is the largest building in the world and is where final assembly is done on Boeing’s widebodies, including the 747, 777 and 787. The Future of Flight Tour is very much worth the drive. Oh, and Boeing HQ is in Chicago these days.
Thanks, Mark.
Get lunch at either Salumi or RainShadow Meats (pioneer square) and walk around the area. I’d eat it in the indoor water/scenery park near Salumi.
If you have a car, be sure to hit Kerry Park in Queen Ann for the Seattle skyline postcard pic. You could also spend a day eating and drink your way to/through Ballard, stopping at Gasworks Park and the Fremont Bridge troll. Lunch at Carta de Oaxaca, walk around Ballard Locks and then go nuts on everything from Bastille to Walrus/Carpenter!
Thanks Guys for all your great info.
Unfortunately, we are holding off for this time to Seattle.
I’ll write them all down for planning for Fall to go up.
Thanks.
We’re there in August for three nights and trying to decide where to stay neighborhood wise. Airbnb seems to be our friend so looking for the usual restaurants, walkable etc. Suggestions appreciated!
Ballard, Capitol Hill or Fremont