Washington Cascade Mountains and Valleys Restaurants

Olympia and especially Tacoma have increasingly hip and sophisticated dining scenes, with everything from laid-back cafés to seasonally driven restaurants with water views. After those cities, Gig Harbor and Bellingham have the best food scenes—they’re not terribly big, but support fine little crops of notable restaurants. You’ll also find good brewpubs and indie coffeehouses in most of the larger towns in the area. Edmonds also has a growing bounty of exceptional eateries.

On the road, refueling takes place at country-style cafés, farm stands, and kitschy or specialty shops like the ’50s-style sweets shops of Port Gamble and Snoqualmie or the Norwegian bakeries of Poulsbo. None of these is in short supply, and many eateries, however small, pride themselves on using local ingredients.

Sort by: 9 Recommendations {{numTotalPoiResults}} {{ (numTotalPoiResults===1)?'Recommendation':'Recommendations' }} 0 Recommendations
CLEAR ALL Area Search CLEAR ALL
Loading...
  • 1. Bellingham Cider Company

    $$$

    With a dining room and spacious terrace overlooking the downtown's Waterfront District and Bellingham Bay, this spacious craft cider taproom is an inviting, family-friendly place to sample the rotating selection of small-batch sippers. This is a legit dining option, too, with a kitchen that turns out well-crafted contemporary Northwest fare, from pan-roasted diver scallops with gnocchi to pork tenderloin with rosemary spaetzle and a mustard cream sauce. There's also an impressive selection of beer, wine, and cocktails. 

    205 Prospect St., Bellingham, Washington, 98225, USA
    360-510–8494

    Known For

    • Interesting cider flavors like blood orange and blackberry-ginger
    • Popular Sunday brunch
    • Cider–poached apples with vanilla ice cream

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch weekdays
  • 2. Mackinaw's Restaurant

    $$

    In a vintage brick building in downtown Chehalis, a 10-minute drive south of Centralia, you'll find the region's most sophisticated restaurant, a source of consistently imaginative, fresh Pacific Northwest fare at reasonable prices. The seasonally driven menu changes daily but might feature a starter of cheddar ale fondue with apple, artisan bread, and sausage, followed by Parmesan-crusted whitefish with a light lemon-dill sauce, or sliced duck breast with a black-cherry-and-walnut reduction—it's pretty urbane fare for this laid-back, down-home part of Washington.

    545 N. Market St., Chehalis, Washington, 98532, USA
    360-740–8000

    Known For

    • Extensive list of local beers and wines
    • Beautifully presented dishes
    • Chocolate-coffee pots de creme

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch
  • 3. Nell Thorn

    $$$$

    On a breezy, sunny day, it's hard to find a more inviting spot for lunch or dinner than the deck of this upscale farm-to-table restaurant overlooking the pleasure boats chugging along downtown La Conner's Swinomish Channel. Whether you dine inside or out, expect a menu of stellar Pacific Northwest fare, perhaps lightly fried local oysters with lemon aioli to start, followed by a bone-in Kurobuta pork chop with stone-ground mustard demi-glace. 

    116 1st St., La Conner, Washington, 98257, USA
    360-466–4261

    Known For

    • Many organic ingredients, and locally sourced seafood and meats
    • Delicious desserts including an apple tart
    • Seasonally inspired cocktails
  • 4. Over The Moon Cafe

    $$$$

    Tucked in an alley near downtown theaters and nightlife, this cozy and romantic neighborhood bistro serves first-rate Northwest-influenced Italian fare, including bounteous salads and creative grills. It's worth seeking out this art-filled space with exposed-brick walls for such delectable fare as twin duck breasts with an apple-port reduction and cherries, and slow-cooked pork loin Bolognese with house-made pappardelle pasta. 

    709 Opera Alley, Tacoma, Washington, 98402, USA
    253-284–3722

    Known For

    • Knowledgeable, friendly service
    • Some of the best steaks in town
    • House-made ice creams and other lavish desserts

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch
  • 5. The Oyster and Thistle

    $$$$

    A couple of blocks from the river on a bluff with expansive views of the village, this homey restaurant with a rustic dark-wood interior serves superb seafood, including clams steamed in white wine with smoked tomatoes and bacon, and seared sea scallops with creamed-leek risotto. There are also always a few well-prepared French-inspired classics, such as baked escargots and dry-aged rib eye with confit potatoes and foie gras–anchovy butter. 

    205 E. Washington St., La Conner, Washington, 98257, USA
    360-766–6179

    Known For

    • Extensive selection of regional oysters
    • Impressive list of Washington and French wines
    • Specialties like paella and Northwest fish stew

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed.
  • Recommended Fodor’s Video

  • 6. Animarum

    $$$$

    Exquisite farm-to-table Pacific Northwest fare stars at this upscale, dimly lighted bistro at the foot of the harbor, next to the Harbor History Museum. Dishes like coffee-rubbed pork tenderloin with sweet-corn tamales and a honey-walnut glaze, and pan-seared black cod with roasted beets and miso reveal the deft touch and creative inspiration in the kitchen.

    4107 Harborview Dr., Gig Harbor, Washington, 98332, USA
    253-858–2114

    Known For

    • Three-course prix-fixe dinners during the winter off-season
    • Lighter tapas and cocktails from the "speakeasy" menu
    • Summer dining on the charming side patio

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues. No lunch
  • 7. Dockside Bistro & Wine Bar

    $$$$

    The marina views are only part of the appeal of this bright, modern bistro overlooking West Bay and doling out equal parts well-chosen wines and stellar Pacific Northwest cuisine. The menu focuses strongly on what's local and organic, perhaps Totten Inlet steamer clams in white wine or local elk rib-eye carpaccio with juniper berries, followed by pistachio-crusted Parmesan seasonal wild whitefish with arugula pesto and gnocchi. 

    501 Columbia St. NW, Olympia, Washington, 98501, USA
    360-956–1928

    Known For

    • Friendly service
    • Several dishes featuring local seafood
    • First-rate Washington-centric wine list

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch Tues. and Wed.
  • 8. The Herbfarm

    $$$$

    Set in a rather ornately decorated country house beside the Willows Lodge, this nationally renowned dining destination helped usher in farm-to-table dining in the Pacific Northwest when it opened in 1986. The carefully choreographed, multicourse feasts here are quite the production and include discussions about the food with the kitchen team, tours of the surrounding gardens, and classical guitar music; thoughtfully curated drink pairings are included in the prix-fixe. The food on the seasonally changing menu is exquisite, with many ingredients sourced from the restaurant's 5-acre garden.

    14590 N.E. 145th St, Woodinville, Washington, 98072, USA
    425-485–5300

    Known For

    • Special-occasion dining with sophisticated, seasonally changing menus
    • Packages that include a tour, helping with harvesting, and brunch and dinner at the farm
    • Reserve months in advance for this four-hour experience

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed. No lunch, Reservations essential
  • 9. The Table

    $$$$

    One of the city's top proponents of farm-to-table cooking, this unpretentiously stylish neighborhood bistro is worth the splurge for consistently artful, flavorful fare and a wine list featuring mostly lesser-known producers from throughout the old and new worlds. The menu changes to reflect the seasons but might offer braised elk with an ancho chili–huckleberry cream sauce, or local cod with golden beets, leeks, and a preserved-lemon vinaigrette.

    2715 6th Ave., Tacoma, Washington, 98406, USA
    253-327–1862

    Known For

    • Knowledgeable sommelier
    • Beautiful salads featuring local, seasonal produce
    • Nicely curated cheese plates for dessert

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch

No Restaurants Results

Please try a broader search, or expore these popular suggestions:

There are no results for {{ strDestName}} Restaurants in the searched map area with the above filters. Please try a different area on the map, or broaden your search with these popular suggestions:

Recommended Fodor’s Video