Pike Place Market and the waterfront below it are where most visitors to Seattle end up eating, and with good reason: there’s a lot of great seafood packed into a few blocks. Here are the market and waterfront meals I’ve posted, with links to each one.
Inside Pike Place Market
- Pike Place Chowder: famous for its award-winning chowders. Get a sampler to try several. The original location is tucked into Post Alley, and the lunchtime line moves quickly.
- Athenian Seafood Restaurant: in the market since 1909 and famous for its appearance in Sleepless in Seattle, with windows over Elliott Bay.
- Lowell’s: one of the market’s longest-running restaurants, with three floors of seating and big views of the bay and the ferries. Ask for an upper-floor window table.
On the waterfront
- Ivar’s Acres of Clams on Pier 54: the flagship of the local seafood chain founded by Ivar Haglund in 1938, with a walk-up fish bar outside.
- Ivar’s fish and chips: a Seattle classic. Eat it by the water, and watch out for the seagulls.
- The Alaskan at the Crab Pot on Pier 57: a seafood feast poured straight onto the table, eaten with mallets and bibs, next to the Seattle Great Wheel.
Tips
- The market is busiest from late morning to mid-afternoon, especially at weekends, so go early if you want to browse comfortably.
- The Market Hillclimb and the elevators connect the market to the waterfront below.
- Many market restaurants close earlier than you’d expect, so check hours if you’re planning dinner.
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