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A colorful mural on the back outside wall of a bar depicting bowls of chili and mugs of beer.
A mural behind Mike’s Chili Parlor in Ballard, Seattle.

17 Restaurants That Make Ballard One of Seattle’s Best Dining Neighborhoods

Ballard has everything from dive bar chili to high-end tasting menus

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A mural behind Mike’s Chili Parlor in Ballard, Seattle.

Once a quiet working-class Nordic-American neighborhood, Ballard is now a nightlife, shopping, and restaurant destination. Boutiques and cocktail bars line Ballard Avenue (home to one of Seattle’s few year-round farmer’s markets), and townhomes and high-rises have taken the place of single-family homes. Some of the best restaurants and bakeries in the city can be found here, along with almost (almost!) too many breweries, which is why if you walk far enough inland you can literally smell the hops. Where else in Seattle can you find Dungeness crab fried rice, Detroit-style pizza, and perfectly flaky French pastries?

Know of a spot that should be on our radar? Send us a tip by emailing seattle@eater.com. As usual, this list is not ranked; it’s organized geographically.

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Sunny Hill

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Sunset Hill landed this stellar pizzeria in 2020, focused on both Detroit-style square and 12-inch round pies served from a Wood Stone hearth oven. Options include the Gobb Shoppe, made with wild herb raclette, asparagus, and nettles, and the Death By Stereo, pizza topped with confit garlic, Nardello peppers, sprouted broccoli, and stracchino cheese. The smash burgers are sensational as well, topped with frizzled onions (don’t forget about the waffle fries). And the seasonal spritzes make for a refreshing cocktail best enjoyed on the comfortable back patio.

Cafe Munir

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The food at Munir, with influences from owner Rajah Gargour’s Lebanese background, is a vegetarian’s dream. The small plates of lentils ground with roasted garlic, house labneh, and sweet pears in savory tahini always impress, and Sundays at the restaurant mean an elaborate chef’s choice meal that’s sure to impress. The dining room—separated into two areas connected by large archways in the white wall—reopened last year. Patrons should check Instagram for seasonal items that keep the menu vibrant.

Beast and Cleaver

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At this hybrid butcher shop-restaurant from London native Kevin Smith, customers can find premium cuts of pasture-raised meat from local farms, as well as terrines, porchetta di testa, and pâté en croûte. There are also fabulous tasting menu dinners under the moniker Peasant that include well-crafted seasonal plates and plenty of beer and wine pairings. 

Delancey

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Diners know this spot for its thin-crust wood-fired pizza and lovely salads. Two-day-fermented dough is the base for the likes of zesty tomato sauce, spicy salami, and onions. The Jersey salad with red cabbage, crispy lettuce, and croutons is a crunchy treat. Don’t leave without a couple of the chocolate chip cookie with gray salt, or buy some of the cookie dough to bake at home.

A rare fine-dining establishment in a generally casual neighborhood, Copine serves a mix of American, Italian, and French fare in its three-course prix fixe dinners and a la carte bar menu. Recent tasting menu selections include raw hamachi with red Fresno chilis and cucumber, agnolotti pasta filled with morels and preserved Meyer lemons, and bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin. The bar serves wine with snacks like grilled lamb tenders with cucumber yogurt, buttermilk biscuit pork sliders, and truffle popcorn. Copine is one of celebrity chef Shota Nakajima’s favorite restaurants in Seattle.

Stumbletown Ballard

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Opened in late 2021, Stumbletown is named after the strip of 65th Avenue Northwest where people used to “stumble” for predawn drinks or coffee. There’s a small but top-shelf beer and wine selection here, but you come to Stumbletown for the “Italian-inspired” sandwiches, hand-held symphonies of cured meat, sun-dried tomato spread, hot or sweet peppers, and arugula, all on warm bread from Sea Wolf bakery.

Rupee Bar

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This Ballard bar and kitchen is led by Elisabeth Kenyon, previously of Manolin, who crafts an assortment of Sri Lankan and South Indian snacks like egg rolls stuffed with lamb and potato curry, tomato, and curry leaf, and yogurt-marinated spiced fried chicken. The cocktail menu includes South Asian ingredients like toasted coriander seeds, turmeric, and tamarind date chutney. The bar won a James Beard award for best design for restaurants with under 75 seats in 2020, and Kenyon was nominated for a separate James Beard Award for her cooking in 2022.

Note: Besalu is closed for the moment.

You have to get up pretty early to experience Besalu’s pastries. On weekends the line is out the door, and if you come after noon any day of the week you’ll be greeted by desolate, empty pastry cases. The star of the show is the flaky, buttery croissants, but the bakery also puts out a wide range of seasonal treats, from chocolate pistachio babka to stone fruit danishes. Late risers can preorder pastries here.

Cookies Country Chicken

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It’s only fitting that Cookie’s Country Chicken has found a home in Ballard, a neighborhood with strong nautical ties. Owner Brian Chandler spent 10 years in the maritime industry, including a stint spent perfecting his fried chicken recipe while feeding oil industry crews in Louisiana. Chandler started Cookie’s as a pop-up, having a consistent spot in Pioneer Square. The new Ballard location includes more menu offerings, with sides like mashed potatoes with gravy, mac and cheese, and collard greens.

Brimmer and Heeltap

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Set in a beautiful brick building on NW Market Street with an airy dining room and leafy patio, this neighborhood bistro serves creative dishes like radishes with salmon roe and creme fraiche, Manila clams in cider broth, and pork chops with fermented greens. It also has a deep and complex cocktail menu. The business has a wine club and a small cafe called Red Arrow Coffee in the backyard.

Pestle Rock

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Pestle Rock features Thai food from the Isan region of the country, which is known for dishes packed with fresh herbs and chili peppers and drenched in lime juice. Highlights include the crispy fried chicken wings, an excellent kao soi, and a Dungeness crab fried rice. Quality preparations also make deft use of local ingredients, such as the grilled wild boar collar served with lime juice, toasted rice, and lots of chili pepper.

A closeup view of a bowl, with noodles, chopped vegetables, and green and red peppers sticking out prominently.
Pestle Rock features food from Thailand’s Isan region.
Pestle Rock [Official]

Rachel's Bagels & Burritos

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Formerly the much-loved Porkchop & Co, this Ballard shop was reborn as a bagel spot during the pandemic. These perfectly chewy bagels are excellent across the board, with offerings like bagels topped with za’atar and shichimi togarashi (a Japanese chili pepper and spice blend). There are also great bagel sandwich options, like the Nick and Nora, a riff on avocado toast with chili crisp. Beyond bagels, the shop serves a few satisfying one-pound breakfast burritos with fillings like Oaxacan cheese and guajillo chili salsa, and J Kenji López-Alt-approved biscuit sandwiches.

Miro Tea

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This Ballard tea shop offers 150-plus varieties of tea, available steeped and poured into cups, in tea pots, iced, or as part of elaborate chai drinks and lattes. A few teas are always kept warm to sample, and there is a selection of pastries (with gluten-free options) as well as rotating Japanese confectionaries from Phinney Ridge shop Tokara. Owner Jeannie Liu, who started off her career by founding C-ID bubble tea shop Oasis, travels around the world to source her tea from farmers and merchants, switching out about 40% of her selection each year. She’s normally around to offer suggestions if you feel stuck about what tea to choose.

San Fermo

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The menu at this popular Ballard restaurant is minimal and lighter than one might see at more traditional Italian joints, and changes daily. Recent standouts include a chicory salad with persimmon and pomegranate molasses and a decadent saffron spaghetti bolognese with pork and veal. There’s also an outdoor deck and expanded sidewalk seating.

Sabine Café & Market

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This all-day cafe, brunch spot, and bar on Ballard Avenue features a Mediterranean-inspired indoor space replete with white tile and sky-blue arches. Brunch-goers line up outside the door on weekends to get a seat in a greenhouse-like space to the side of the building decorated with palm fronds, or to sip champagne around a coveted table inside with a propane fire. The menu features sandwiches with smoked meats, hummus with house-made pita and za’atar, and a satisfying gluten free pancake made with steel cut oats and apple butter. At night, the back bar serves well-balanced, creative cocktails.

Reuben's Brews - The Taproom

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One of the most well-known breweries in this brewery-heavy neighborhood, Reuben’s also has perhaps Ballard’s widest variety of beers. On any given day you can try more than half a dozen IPAs, some light-bodied and juicy, others take-your-head-off high-ABV monsters. But you can also sample barrel-aged stouts, sours, a pilsner, and even cider and hard seltzer. Reuben’s has recently launched its own food truck specializing in sausages.   

Reuben's Brews
Reuben’s Brews
Reuben’s Brews [Facebook]

Mike's Chili Parlor

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Amid all the new development, Mike’s is an actual hunk of history. Founded in 1922, this dive bar is still cash-only, still rings regulars up on an antique cash register, and still serves a mysterious beer called the “Mike-ro Brew.” And there’s still an actual Mike (Mike Semandiris, the great-grandson of the original Mike) stirring chili in a huge battered pot behind the counter, which they serve on its own or poured over a burger, fries, or a hot dog. There are fancier restaurants in Ballard, but none that feel more like home.  

Sunny Hill

Sunset Hill landed this stellar pizzeria in 2020, focused on both Detroit-style square and 12-inch round pies served from a Wood Stone hearth oven. Options include the Gobb Shoppe, made with wild herb raclette, asparagus, and nettles, and the Death By Stereo, pizza topped with confit garlic, Nardello peppers, sprouted broccoli, and stracchino cheese. The smash burgers are sensational as well, topped with frizzled onions (don’t forget about the waffle fries). And the seasonal spritzes make for a refreshing cocktail best enjoyed on the comfortable back patio.

Cafe Munir

The food at Munir, with influences from owner Rajah Gargour’s Lebanese background, is a vegetarian’s dream. The small plates of lentils ground with roasted garlic, house labneh, and sweet pears in savory tahini always impress, and Sundays at the restaurant mean an elaborate chef’s choice meal that’s sure to impress. The dining room—separated into two areas connected by large archways in the white wall—reopened last year. Patrons should check Instagram for seasonal items that keep the menu vibrant.

Beast and Cleaver

At this hybrid butcher shop-restaurant from London native Kevin Smith, customers can find premium cuts of pasture-raised meat from local farms, as well as terrines, porchetta di testa, and pâté en croûte. There are also fabulous tasting menu dinners under the moniker Peasant that include well-crafted seasonal plates and plenty of beer and wine pairings. 

Delancey

Diners know this spot for its thin-crust wood-fired pizza and lovely salads. Two-day-fermented dough is the base for the likes of zesty tomato sauce, spicy salami, and onions. The Jersey salad with red cabbage, crispy lettuce, and croutons is a crunchy treat. Don’t leave without a couple of the chocolate chip cookie with gray salt, or buy some of the cookie dough to bake at home.

Copine

A rare fine-dining establishment in a generally casual neighborhood, Copine serves a mix of American, Italian, and French fare in its three-course prix fixe dinners and a la carte bar menu. Recent tasting menu selections include raw hamachi with red Fresno chilis and cucumber, agnolotti pasta filled with morels and preserved Meyer lemons, and bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin. The bar serves wine with snacks like grilled lamb tenders with cucumber yogurt, buttermilk biscuit pork sliders, and truffle popcorn. Copine is one of celebrity chef Shota Nakajima’s favorite restaurants in Seattle.

Stumbletown Ballard

Opened in late 2021, Stumbletown is named after the strip of 65th Avenue Northwest where people used to “stumble” for predawn drinks or coffee. There’s a small but top-shelf beer and wine selection here, but you come to Stumbletown for the “Italian-inspired” sandwiches, hand-held symphonies of cured meat, sun-dried tomato spread, hot or sweet peppers, and arugula, all on warm bread from Sea Wolf bakery.

Rupee Bar

This Ballard bar and kitchen is led by Elisabeth Kenyon, previously of Manolin, who crafts an assortment of Sri Lankan and South Indian snacks like egg rolls stuffed with lamb and potato curry, tomato, and curry leaf, and yogurt-marinated spiced fried chicken. The cocktail menu includes South Asian ingredients like toasted coriander seeds, turmeric, and tamarind date chutney. The bar won a James Beard award for best design for restaurants with under 75 seats in 2020, and Kenyon was nominated for a separate James Beard Award for her cooking in 2022.

Besalu

Note: Besalu is closed for the moment.

You have to get up pretty early to experience Besalu’s pastries. On weekends the line is out the door, and if you come after noon any day of the week you’ll be greeted by desolate, empty pastry cases. The star of the show is the flaky, buttery croissants, but the bakery also puts out a wide range of seasonal treats, from chocolate pistachio babka to stone fruit danishes. Late risers can preorder pastries here.

Cookies Country Chicken

It’s only fitting that Cookie’s Country Chicken has found a home in Ballard, a neighborhood with strong nautical ties. Owner Brian Chandler spent 10 years in the maritime industry, including a stint spent perfecting his fried chicken recipe while feeding oil industry crews in Louisiana. Chandler started Cookie’s as a pop-up, having a consistent spot in Pioneer Square. The new Ballard location includes more menu offerings, with sides like mashed potatoes with gravy, mac and cheese, and collard greens.

Brimmer and Heeltap

Set in a beautiful brick building on NW Market Street with an airy dining room and leafy patio, this neighborhood bistro serves creative dishes like radishes with salmon roe and creme fraiche, Manila clams in cider broth, and pork chops with fermented greens. It also has a deep and complex cocktail menu. The business has a wine club and a small cafe called Red Arrow Coffee in the backyard.

Pestle Rock

Pestle Rock features Thai food from the Isan region of the country, which is known for dishes packed with fresh herbs and chili peppers and drenched in lime juice. Highlights include the crispy fried chicken wings, an excellent kao soi, and a Dungeness crab fried rice. Quality preparations also make deft use of local ingredients, such as the grilled wild boar collar served with lime juice, toasted rice, and lots of chili pepper.

A closeup view of a bowl, with noodles, chopped vegetables, and green and red peppers sticking out prominently.
Pestle Rock features food from Thailand’s Isan region.
Pestle Rock [Official]

Rachel's Bagels & Burritos

Formerly the much-loved Porkchop & Co, this Ballard shop was reborn as a bagel spot during the pandemic. These perfectly chewy bagels are excellent across the board, with offerings like bagels topped with za’atar and shichimi togarashi (a Japanese chili pepper and spice blend). There are also great bagel sandwich options, like the Nick and Nora, a riff on avocado toast with chili crisp. Beyond bagels, the shop serves a few satisfying one-pound breakfast burritos with fillings like Oaxacan cheese and guajillo chili salsa, and J Kenji López-Alt-approved biscuit sandwiches.

Miro Tea

This Ballard tea shop offers 150-plus varieties of tea, available steeped and poured into cups, in tea pots, iced, or as part of elaborate chai drinks and lattes. A few teas are always kept warm to sample, and there is a selection of pastries (with gluten-free options) as well as rotating Japanese confectionaries from Phinney Ridge shop Tokara. Owner Jeannie Liu, who started off her career by founding C-ID bubble tea shop Oasis, travels around the world to source her tea from farmers and merchants, switching out about 40% of her selection each year. She’s normally around to offer suggestions if you feel stuck about what tea to choose.

San Fermo

The menu at this popular Ballard restaurant is minimal and lighter than one might see at more traditional Italian joints, and changes daily. Recent standouts include a chicory salad with persimmon and pomegranate molasses and a decadent saffron spaghetti bolognese with pork and veal. There’s also an outdoor deck and expanded sidewalk seating.

Sabine Café & Market

This all-day cafe, brunch spot, and bar on Ballard Avenue features a Mediterranean-inspired indoor space replete with white tile and sky-blue arches. Brunch-goers line up outside the door on weekends to get a seat in a greenhouse-like space to the side of the building decorated with palm fronds, or to sip champagne around a coveted table inside with a propane fire. The menu features sandwiches with smoked meats, hummus with house-made pita and za’atar, and a satisfying gluten free pancake made with steel cut oats and apple butter. At night, the back bar serves well-balanced, creative cocktails.

Related Maps

Reuben's Brews - The Taproom

One of the most well-known breweries in this brewery-heavy neighborhood, Reuben’s also has perhaps Ballard’s widest variety of beers. On any given day you can try more than half a dozen IPAs, some light-bodied and juicy, others take-your-head-off high-ABV monsters. But you can also sample barrel-aged stouts, sours, a pilsner, and even cider and hard seltzer. Reuben’s has recently launched its own food truck specializing in sausages.   

Reuben's Brews
Reuben’s Brews
Reuben’s Brews [Facebook]

Mike's Chili Parlor

Amid all the new development, Mike’s is an actual hunk of history. Founded in 1922, this dive bar is still cash-only, still rings regulars up on an antique cash register, and still serves a mysterious beer called the “Mike-ro Brew.” And there’s still an actual Mike (Mike Semandiris, the great-grandson of the original Mike) stirring chili in a huge battered pot behind the counter, which they serve on its own or poured over a burger, fries, or a hot dog. There are fancier restaurants in Ballard, but none that feel more like home.  

Related Maps