There are always so many fantastic Seattle restaurants to choose from, both new and old. Here are some of our favorites that you should try this spring.

SOMI

Located in the heart of Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square neighborhood, SOMI is serving up delicious upscale comfort food in a beautiful and relaxed setting. The focus here is great food without pretense, with warm and nourishing entrees, hearty sandwiches, and shareable snacks that pair perfectly with a cocktail or beer. SOMI is open for weekend brunch, daily lunch and dinner, and offers a daily pop-up smash burger menu. The deviled eggs topped with caviar, the burrata with heirloom tomatoes, and the herb and ricotta gnocchi with roasted mushrooms and brown butter are some of our favorite dishes on the menu.

If you love burgers as much as we do, then you can’t miss the SOMI burger with Beechers flagship cheddar, arugula, pickled red onion, and spicy mayo all on the softest sodo bun. It’s one of the best burgers in Seattle! SOMI also has a list of rotating craft cocktails that are not-to-be-missed. This is the perfect spot to stop in for bites and drinks before a concert or sporting event.

Ginger & Scallion

Ginger & Scallion is the newest restaurant that comes from the same incredibly talented team that brought us Secret Congee. Specializing in authentic Hainanese chicken and rice, Ginger & Scallion is already blowing up in popularity, and for good reason. Everything they’re serving up is delicious, flavorful, and makes for the perfect comfort food. The staff and owners are super friendly, which makes this spot warm and inviting. Their signature dish is poached chicken and rice, which comes in Classic Style, Drunken Style (made with 15 year aged rice wine!), and Curry Style. You can’t go wrong with any of their chicken dishes, and don’t forget to try all of the house-made sauces that come with. The chili sauce and ginger and scallion sauce are our favorites!

Ginger & Scallion offers a few appetizers as well, including a fresh cucumber salad and crispy chicken skins with sweet chili. There are also a couple of daily dessert options, like the delectable matcha tiramisu. The drink menu consists of local beer, wine, and several non-alcoholic beverages. Ginger & Scallion is located in between the Ballard and Phinney Ridge neighborhoods of Seattle. The space is small and tends to get crowded, but we promise that it is absolutely worth the wait.

Duke’s Seafood on Alki Beach

Duke’s Seafood has been in the Alki Beach neighborhood for more than two decades, providing sustainable, delicious food in a cozy and inviting atmosphere. They just recently reopened after an unfortunate flood, and we couldn’t be happier to have this neighborhood establishment back open again. Their award-winning clam chowder is truly the best in Seattle, along with their Dungeness crab “un” cakes which are packed full of crab meat and served with a zesty lime aioli. Other menu highlights at Duke’s Seafood include the wild salmon that is stuffed with fresh Dungeness crab and wild Argentinian red shrimp and is topped with pesto and lemon beurre blanc; as well as the macadamia encrusted Kodiak Island halibut, served with a hazelnut beurre blanc (so good).

Those who want to imbibe will love their housemade “Duketails,” with our favorite being the Duke & The King with Hendrick’s botanical gin, elderflower liqueur, homemade sour, and fresh basil. It’s so refreshing and pairs perfectly with a meal enjoyed on Duke’s sprawling patio that overlooks Alki Beach. This is the quintessential summer spot and is perfect for watching the sunset with loved ones. Don’t miss their upcoming Winemaker’s Event on April 18th at Dockside at Duke’s! Tickets can be purchased here.

re:public

Situated in the South Lake Union, re:public is a lively restaurant crafting farm-to-table Pacific Northwest cuisine in a modern, exposed-brick space. This is the perfect spot for grabbing dinner and drinks after work, enjoying a cozy date night, or letting loose on the weekend with friends. The bustling atmosphere and seasonal rotating menus make re:public a fun place to visit any time of day. Start the meal off with beef tartare or steak bites, both made with a deliciously juicy Double R Ranch Prime Coulette. We also recommend the seared scallops with pork belly and spaghetti squash, or the wild prawns served with gruyere and Beecher’s cheddar grits.

re:public has an excellent selection of craft cocktails, including ‘The Big P’ made with Grey Goose La Poire, ginger liqueur, lemon, honey, and angostura bitters. For main dishes, the Kurobuta pork chop and the wild boar bolognese are both house favorites, along with the manilla clams linguine. Finish your meal off with the strawberry and rhubarb bread pudding, which pairs well with the espresso martini. re:public has a great happy hour with both food and drink specials, as well as a discounted late night food menu.

El Grito

El Grito is a cozy yet lively taqueria located in the heart of South Lake Union that is serving up delicious margs, tacos, and more. They are open for lunch and dinner, and they have a fantastic happy hour. Their elote dip made with grilled corn, sour cream, cotija, tajin, and cilantro is to-die-for and comes with a side of perfectly fried corn tortilla chips. Their tacos are what they’re most known for, which are served on corn or flour tortillas and include options like chicken tinga, marinated steak tenderloin, fried cod, cactus with pepitas, prawns, and carnitas. We’re also a big fan of their quesobirria, a crispy quesadilla oozing with cheese and juicy braised beef short rib, and served with a rich soup of braised beef short rib for dipping.

Their spicy margaritas are always a hit, and if you’re a mezcal fan then you’ll love their take on a Paper Plane cocktail; it’s called The Layover and is made with mezcal, Aperol, Amaro Montenegro, and lemon. The best day to visit El Grito is Taco Tuesday, when the tacos are steeply discounted and you can mix and match them all night long.

Wildwood Spirits Co.

Wildwood is a local distillery that produces small-batch whiskey, gin, and spirits that are handcrafted in Washington state. Wildwood was started by renowned Seattle restauranteur John Howie and master distiller Erik Liedholm, both of whose experience and passion have brought the distillery to fruition. Wildwood takes pride in producing spirits with the highest quality ingredients, many of which are organically grown and locally sourced from the Pacific Northwest.

The distillery and tasting room are located in Ballard, where you can enjoy guided tours, whiskey and gin tastings, and a selection of classic craft cocktails such as the Old Fashioned using Dark Door bourbon and the Negroni using Kur gin. We highly recommend stopping in for a pre- or post-dinner cocktail if you are in the neighborhood.