Seattle Seafood Treasures

Few cities enjoy better access to amazing seafood—both shellfish and finfish—than Seattle, with its Puget Sound setting. Indigenous Tribes have harvested oysters, clams, and crabs for centuries, and settlers joined in the tradition.

A brightly lit seafood restaurant called "Crab Pot" at "MINERS LANDING" is shown at night. Neon signs glow as people walk by, and a cyclist passes in the foreground, creating a sense of motion.

Photographer: Rachael Jones

SEAFOOD TREASURES

Local seafood is the star at many of the restaurants run by frequent James Beard Award semifinalist and cookbook author Renee Erickson, including casually chic spots like The Walrus and the Carpenter in Ballard and the Boat Bar in Capitol Hill. Overlooking a bustling marina on the Lake Washington Ship Canal, Chinook’s at Salmon Bay serves four varieties of fish and chips (the wild lingcod version is sublime), while Ray’s Boathouse is a must for dining on creative seafood grills while watching the sunset over Shilshole Bay.

Tuck into fragrant Cajun–Vietnamese seafood boils at SuperKim Crab House and Crawfish King, and rich stews and broths studded with shellfish at Pike Place Chowder and Ivar’s Acres of Clams, which offers seating on a large deck on Pier 54 overlooking Elliott Bay. Also along this scenic stretch of downtown waterfront, fan favorites include Elliott’s Oyster House and The Crab Pot. And just up the hill in Pike Place Market, restaurants like The Athenian, Emmett Watson’s Oyster Bar, and Lowell’s have been serving fresh-caught seafood for generations.

An assorted tray of sushi with rows of various nigiri, including tuna, salmon, white fish, mackerel, and scallops, each topped with a small amount of wasabi and garnished with green leaves.

courtesy Sushi Kappo Tamura

On A Roll

Since the still-popular Japantown restaurant Maneki opened in 1904, Seattleites have been wild about sushi. It’s the specialty of dozens of restaurants around the city, including casual neighborhood spots like Village Sushi in the U District and Moshi Moshi in Ballard. But others stand out for their refined omakase menus and minimalist-elegant vibes. Consider Sushi Kappo Tamura, with its focus on local sustainable fish, and Ltd Edition Sushi, an intimate 10-seat counter that earned a 2025 James Beard Award nomination for its superb sake selection. Other upscale luminaries include Shiro’s and Mashiko.

Hawaii’s ancient raw-seafood tradition, poke, is also beloved in Seattle. Order a bowl piled high with rice, ginger, edamame, seaweed salad, shoyu sauce, and typically salmon or tuna—but sometimes yellowtail, octopus, or scallops—at Wild Fish Poke, Sam Choy’s, or 45th Stop N Shop & Poke Bar.

A person with tattooed arms sits at a table, reaching for a platter of assorted seafood including oysters, crab legs, shrimp, lemon wedges, and dipping sauces, with drinks and side dishes nearby.

Taylor Shellfish photo by Feed It Creative

Ice Capades

Many Seattle restaurants serve elaborately plated shellfish samplers and seafood towers showcasing a tantalizing variety of sea creatures on ice, including poached prawns, Dungeness crabs, smoked mussels, geoduck ceviche, delicate briny oysters, and more. The legendary seafood market and restaurant minichain Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar has three stylishly decorated locations around the city. In 2024, the hallowed Tom Douglas restaurant empire opened Half Shell, featuring smoked black cod, scallop crudo, and Bering Sea snow crab in its raw bar. You can savor your feast overlooking the water at festive spots like Salty’s on Alki Beach, Cutters Crabhouse, and Palisade, home of the “fully rigged” seafood tower for six.

A person wearing a cap and checkered shirt stands at the bow of a boat, holding a fishing rod with a bent line over calm blue water on a sunny day.

courtesy Cut Plug Charter

Catch Me If You Can

For a hands-on understanding of local seafood, go fishing or foraging. It’s best to book with a guide, as they can help you get fishing licenses and gear—and they know all the best spots. All Star Fishing Charters leads Dungeness crab and halibut trips, while Cut Plug Charter and Wild Knot Salmon Guides will take you out for chinook, coho, and king salmon. About 90 minutes west of Seattle, Hood Canal is a top spot for oyster and clamming expeditions. Forage Seattle and Human Nature Hunting offer foraging tours that include a gourmet feast, and at Hama Hama Oyster Co’s scenic restaurant, you can take classes on harvesting and shucking your own bivalves.

A person wearing a blue cap and black jacket tosses a large fish in the air inside a busy indoor market with bright lighting overhead.

courtesy Rachael Jones

Flying Fish

At Pike Place Fish Market, watching fishmongers toss fish through the air has been a crowd-pleasing tradition for more than 40 years. But buying ultra-fresh, sustainably sourced fish and shellfish is the main reason ardent seafood lovers come here. In the Central District, Seattle Fish Guys is another highly respected retail market and also a source of Asian-style sauces and spice blends and flavorful poke bowls.

This article was originally written for Visit Seattle's Official Visitors' Guide

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