This intimate sushi counter tucked away inside Capitol Hill’s Broadway Alley has an array of offerings besides seafood for its artful multicourse tasting menu, but master chef Hideaki Taneda’s Edomae-style sushi preparations are the main event. Each seasonal dish is lovingly crafted and presented like mini gifts, a one-of-a-kind experience in a city with plenty of competition.

Hiding inside Capitol Hill’s Hillcrest Market, this Mexico City-style taqueria is a true gem, with a full-fledged restaurant on First Hill now. Among the highlights are the campechano, featuring chorizo, steak, and potato, as well as a satisfying vegan taco with mushrooms, refried beans, and guajillo chili.

After building a strong following for its naturally leavened sourdough creations, this former pop-up has set down more permanent roots with a cozy restaurant and corner market on 12th Avenue. While the menu changes often, it’s hard to go wrong with the simple cheese pie, served hot out of the oven with aged mozzarella and just the right amount of grease. Don’t sleep on the retail, which include rare items from local purveyors, plus a great selection of beer and wine.

The owners of nearby cocktail destination Knee High Stocking Co. run this Filipino takeout window, which pays homage to buses in the Philippines with its graffiti backsplash. It serves up staples such as adobo, lumpia, and sisig, alongside some stellar desserts, such as ube bread pudding. Plus, it offers single-serve to-go cocktails.

Ten years in, and this romantic trattoria continues to amaze with fare from Italy’s Piedmont region. The nest of delicate tajarin pasta with butter and sage sauce is a true Seattle comfort food mainstay, but every dish is memorable. Those who want to extend their meals should head over to sibling apertivo bar Artusi for a nice nightcap.

Expertly-made Laotian dishes shine at this Madison Street restaurant from three chefs, Sydney Clark, Khampaeng Panyathong, and Jenessa Sneva, with strong Seattle dining pedigrees (including Herbfarm and Poppy). Items such as thom khem and chicken laap utilize produce from local farms and a whole animal approach to butchery. Meanwhile, the smash burger made with pork jowl bacon and jaew sauce may be the best patty in the city.

This Indo-Pakistani soul food pop-up landed a brick-and-mortar location in Capitol Hill this summer. Chef Nasir Zubair and his wife Nicole Greenwald have filled out the dinner menu with offerings like aloo sliders, chana masala, and kheema — halal ground beef simmered with spices and sweet green peas. Follow Karachi Cowboys’ Instagram account for the most current specials.

Colorful, vibrant dishes fill the menu at chef Tamara Murphy’s farm-to-table restaurant, from the muscovy duck breast to the roast pig with manila clams. There’s paella on Mondays, and a partnership with the Food Is Love Project to feed those in need. Those who are able to nab a seat on the lush rooftop are in for some great scenery, too.

This upscale but approachable restaurant on East Pike specializing in Southeast Asian cuisine has won over diners with items such as chili cumin pork ribs, fried master stock chicken, crispy duck rolls, and turmeric rockfish. Stateside has also bottled some sauces for retail (the Sriracha made with Alvarez Farms chilis should be a staple in any pantry), and the well-conceived cocktails typically pack a punch.

Star chef Shota Nakajima Osaka-influenced street food spot has drawn fans in droves for its well-seasoned, twice-fried karaage, available as nuggets and wings, or as part of the playful “Fuckit Bucket” assortment. The lively bar also has fun punk rock vibes, as well as an assortment of Jell-O shots and some potent kegged cocktails, boilermakers, and highballs.

The low-key ramen counter above the QFC on Harvard Avenue serves some seriously terrific bowls of soup, with silky broths and noodles that soak up the flavor nicely. The shoyu variety is a favorite, but for those that don’t mind a little more heat, the spicy kotteri ramen certainly delivers — with spice level customizable.

Capitol Hill’s vegan restaurant from celebrated chef Makini Howell is as versatile as it is magnificent. Some of the biggest hits include “chicken” fried seitan, a mac and cheese spin called Mac and Yease (made with plant milk), and sweet potato gnocchi.

This cozy Italian restaurant located inside a former auto body serves rustic Emilia-Romagna-influenced dishes from chef Sabrina Tinsley. The gnocco fritto (fried bread puffs) are the perfect start to a meal, best followed with the tagliatelle in a white truffle butter sauce. The tiramisu, a family recipe, is one of the best in the city, with a simultaneously rich and light velvety texture.