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Eight Seattle Marketplaces, Specialty Shops, and Restaurant Diversions

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[Photos: S. Pratt/Melrose Market]

Sometimes, it's fun to unwind and lose yourself at a restaurant for hours. Other times, it's fun to find diversions in addition to eating. From Belltown to Pioneer Square, Fremont to Capitol Hill, Seattle is full of spaces that combine dining, drinking, and shopping.

Here's eight hot spots in Seattle that offer extracurricular activities.
—Jen Chiu

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Ada's Technical Books and Cafe

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Named after the world's first computer programmer Ada Lovelace, Ada's Technical Books used to primarily be a bookstore haven for Seattle’s science-obsessed. Then last year, Ada’s moved to new digs in Cap Hill and opened a cafe to go along with their books. Now, it’s a gathering space for book lovers and food enthusiasts alike. The store is part bookstore, part cafe, part gift shop; it's the perfect destination for anyone who craves a curated selection of books, cool home architecture, great food, and/or a cozy place to hang out.

[Photo Credit]

Bar Ferd'nand

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I don’t know what I like better, the great wine selection at this bar in Melrose Market or the five dollar serrano ham and butter sandwich served on a crusty baguette. Venture a few steps from the bar and you can pick up an aged Manchego from Calf and Kid or some meat from Rain Shadow to throw on the BBQ at home. Walk the other direction and you can grab a bite at Sitka and Spruce and pick up some flowers from Marigold and Mint. You can also head upstairs and visit with Butter, a cute home decor shop where you can snag a letterpress card or a dishtowel for a friend.

[Photo Credit]

Book Larder

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Lines are a buzz kill, unless it gives you time to scope out all of the latest and greatest culinary books. Every Saturday, pastry extraordinaire Rachael Coyle is greeted with a line full of hungry pastry seekers who are crazy for her pretzel croissants, olive oil Bundt cake, and passion fruit tarts. The line serpentines through the book displays, giving you plenty of time to peruse ice cream cookbooks to cooking memoirs. Time passes so quickly you’ll almost wish you had a few extra minutes to stand in line.

[Photo Credit]

E. Smith Mercantile

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The concept is a nod to the frontier days of mercantiles: Half general store, half meeting place. In this case, the Pioneer Square establishment is retail in the front with items ranging from stylish denim to jewelry to Jacobsen’s sea salt to antiques and a petite craft cocktail bar in the back. Owned by the mother daughter team of Jessie Kaye Poole and her mom Kate, Kate makes infusions for all of the cocktails such as barbecue and lavender, while Jessie runs the bar.

[Photo Credit]

The London Plane

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Where else can you get a beautiful floral arrangement, watch a bread maker churn out signature loaves, pick up pie dough and stash away some pastries for later, all before your order arrives? Located in the brick-laden Occidental Square in Pioneer Square, this mini bustling marketplace is as gorgeous as it is functional. One-stop shopping has never been so elegant.

[Photo Credit]

picnic : a food+wine boutique

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Picnic is one of the best stops you can make on the way to a friend’s house. Anything you get is sure to impress because owners Jenny and Anson Klock carefully curate every item in the store. Culinary treasures include Anson’s legendary pate, Jacoben’s black salt licorice, Ballard Bee honey, and carefully selected wine. The Klocks know the story behind all of their products and can help you find the item that best suits the occasion. Make sure you buffer in a few extra minutes to sit in the cafe and have Anson make you one of his signature sandwiches. And hey, you deserve it after all that thoughtfulness.

[Photo Credit]

During the lunch and dinner rush hour, Via6 is transformed into a bustling marketplace filled with people looking for a quick bite to eat. Options include Home Remedy, a grocery offering ready-made burritos, pizzas, soups, and also an assortment of cheeses, chocolate and more. Hungry folks craving a sit-down venue can head straight to Tanakasan, while people who just want a coffee, juice or pastry can head to Assembly Hall. While you’re waiting for your juice or sandwich, you can buy a magazine or pick up that set of cocktail glasses you have been eyeing.

[Photo Credit]

Vif Wine and Coffee

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People sometimes ask, “Is Vif a coffee shop, cafe or wine shop?” The answer—It’s all of the above. This is Fremont’s all-in-one breakfast, lunch, and happy hour spot. Vif embodies a lot of what the good people of Fremont have been craving: Pourover coffee, a Zen place to cuddle up with a pastry and a book, wine tastings, and a laid back casual spot to order wine and a charcuterie plate. And bring a few bottles home with you as Vif has a wide selection of natural wines. Early bird special: Get 10 percent off any bottles you purchase before 9 a.m.

[Photo Credit]

Ada's Technical Books and Cafe

Named after the world's first computer programmer Ada Lovelace, Ada's Technical Books used to primarily be a bookstore haven for Seattle’s science-obsessed. Then last year, Ada’s moved to new digs in Cap Hill and opened a cafe to go along with their books. Now, it’s a gathering space for book lovers and food enthusiasts alike. The store is part bookstore, part cafe, part gift shop; it's the perfect destination for anyone who craves a curated selection of books, cool home architecture, great food, and/or a cozy place to hang out.

[Photo Credit]

Bar Ferd'nand

I don’t know what I like better, the great wine selection at this bar in Melrose Market or the five dollar serrano ham and butter sandwich served on a crusty baguette. Venture a few steps from the bar and you can pick up an aged Manchego from Calf and Kid or some meat from Rain Shadow to throw on the BBQ at home. Walk the other direction and you can grab a bite at Sitka and Spruce and pick up some flowers from Marigold and Mint. You can also head upstairs and visit with Butter, a cute home decor shop where you can snag a letterpress card or a dishtowel for a friend.

[Photo Credit]

Book Larder

Lines are a buzz kill, unless it gives you time to scope out all of the latest and greatest culinary books. Every Saturday, pastry extraordinaire Rachael Coyle is greeted with a line full of hungry pastry seekers who are crazy for her pretzel croissants, olive oil Bundt cake, and passion fruit tarts. The line serpentines through the book displays, giving you plenty of time to peruse ice cream cookbooks to cooking memoirs. Time passes so quickly you’ll almost wish you had a few extra minutes to stand in line.

[Photo Credit]

E. Smith Mercantile

The concept is a nod to the frontier days of mercantiles: Half general store, half meeting place. In this case, the Pioneer Square establishment is retail in the front with items ranging from stylish denim to jewelry to Jacobsen’s sea salt to antiques and a petite craft cocktail bar in the back. Owned by the mother daughter team of Jessie Kaye Poole and her mom Kate, Kate makes infusions for all of the cocktails such as barbecue and lavender, while Jessie runs the bar.

[Photo Credit]

The London Plane

Where else can you get a beautiful floral arrangement, watch a bread maker churn out signature loaves, pick up pie dough and stash away some pastries for later, all before your order arrives? Located in the brick-laden Occidental Square in Pioneer Square, this mini bustling marketplace is as gorgeous as it is functional. One-stop shopping has never been so elegant.

[Photo Credit]

picnic : a food+wine boutique

Picnic is one of the best stops you can make on the way to a friend’s house. Anything you get is sure to impress because owners Jenny and Anson Klock carefully curate every item in the store. Culinary treasures include Anson’s legendary pate, Jacoben’s black salt licorice, Ballard Bee honey, and carefully selected wine. The Klocks know the story behind all of their products and can help you find the item that best suits the occasion. Make sure you buffer in a few extra minutes to sit in the cafe and have Anson make you one of his signature sandwiches. And hey, you deserve it after all that thoughtfulness.

[Photo Credit]

Via6

During the lunch and dinner rush hour, Via6 is transformed into a bustling marketplace filled with people looking for a quick bite to eat. Options include Home Remedy, a grocery offering ready-made burritos, pizzas, soups, and also an assortment of cheeses, chocolate and more. Hungry folks craving a sit-down venue can head straight to Tanakasan, while people who just want a coffee, juice or pastry can head to Assembly Hall. While you’re waiting for your juice or sandwich, you can buy a magazine or pick up that set of cocktail glasses you have been eyeing.

[Photo Credit]

Vif Wine and Coffee

People sometimes ask, “Is Vif a coffee shop, cafe or wine shop?” The answer—It’s all of the above. This is Fremont’s all-in-one breakfast, lunch, and happy hour spot. Vif embodies a lot of what the good people of Fremont have been craving: Pourover coffee, a Zen place to cuddle up with a pastry and a book, wine tastings, and a laid back casual spot to order wine and a charcuterie plate. And bring a few bottles home with you as Vif has a wide selection of natural wines. Early bird special: Get 10 percent off any bottles you purchase before 9 a.m.

[Photo Credit]

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