The Place for Government Per Diem Rate Hotels

City Overview

Gateway to the lush Pacific Northwest, Seattle enjoys a verdant natural setting surrounded by the waters of Lake Washington and Puget Sound. The city is home to many hotels, including a number offering government per diem rates, military per diem rates and federal per diem rates, as well as providing a vibrant arts and music scene, as well as fascinating, multicultural neighbourhoods sprinkled with award-winning restaurants, cosy cafes and stylish bars.

Natural beauty is a big part of Seattle's allure. Seattle has numerous parks and trails coupled with enchanting waterways and small islands off the coast. The nearby Cascades and Olympic Mountains, including Washington's highest peak, Mt Rainier offer a spectacular setting for outdoor adventures. In addition to hiking, mountain biking and skiing in winter, visitors can just enjoy vistas from a waterside cafe.

Seattle has also been at the forefront of a number of international trends, including Microsoft and the e-commerce boom, Starbucks coffee, amazon.com, the grunge music scene and the Frank Gehry-designed Experience Music Project Museum. Today, Seattle continues to be an innovator in the arts, with a dense concentration of galleries and indie-rock favourites playing before packed audiences

Getting Around

Airport

Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA)
Tel: (206) 433 5388 or 1 800 544 1965.
Website: www.seatac.org

‘Sea-Tac' airport is located 19km (12 miles) south of Seattle, off the I-5, and carries close to 30 million passengers annually. It is the primary air transportation hub for Washington State and the Pacific Northwest, as well as a departure point to Canada, Japan, Mexico, Russia, and South Korea. As in all US airports, heightened security measures are in place for passenger safety and you should allow extra pre-flight time, as well as check the website for the latest updates.

Take-offs, landings and the Olympic Mountains can be viewed from the glass-walled Central Terminal (centre of the Main Terminal). The state-of-the-art hub contains Pacific Marketplace, a centre of restaurants and retail shops. A five-storey officer tower has conference rooms and state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment. A shuttle runs from the north end of the Main Terminal to its south end.

ApproximateflighttimestoSeattle: From London is 9 hours 45 minutes; from New York is 6 hours 10 minutes; from Los Angeles is 2 hours 40 minutes; from Toronto is 5 hours 30 minutes and from Sydney is 18 hours.

Airportfacilities: These include a visitor information centre, a lost property office (tel: (206) 433 5312) and several 24-hour ground transportation booths (tel: (206) 431 5906). There are numerous ATMs, two ThomasCook bureaux de change and a language phone line which provides interpreters for more than 150 languages. The airport has telephone booths, mailboxes and wheelchair availability, as well as the usual shops, restaurants, bars, banks and duty-free shopping. Left luggage is available at Ken'sBaggageandStorage, located on the baggage claim level, between Carousels 12 and 13. Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz and National car hire companies have information counters in the baggage claim area.

Businessfacilities:LaptopLane is located in North Satellite Terminal, adjacent to Gate 9, with PC workstations, Internet access, telephones with long distance and conference-calling capabilities, printing, copying, faxing and package shipping, as well as private offices.

Transporttothecity: Airport and hotel shuttles run almost around the clock, with scheduled departure and arrival times available from the Ground Transportation Information Booths (tel: (206) 431 5904), located on the third floor of the parking garage. Service requires advanced booking. ShuttleExpress provides shared rides and a door-to-door service to most of Greater Seattle (tel: (425) 981 7000 or 1 800 487 7433; website: www.shuttleexpress.com). The GrayLineDowntownAirporter (tel: (206) 626 6088 or 1 800 426 7532; website: www.graylineofseattle.com) departs twice an hour throughout the day, with services to and from main hotels and downtown destinations. The public bus 194 (see PublicTransport in the GettingAround section) departs every 30 minutes for the city centre (journey time - 45 minutes). Taxis (tel: (206) 246 9999) and limousines (tel: (206) 431 5904) are also available.

Trains

Rail services to and from Seattle are good.

Rail Services

Seattle’s rail services operate to and from King Street Station, 303 South Jackson Street, located in the historic Pioneer Square district. King Street Station has been restored to its original turn-of-the-century architecture. There are bureaux de change, banks, wheelchair access, luggage storage areas, snack bars and newspaper kiosks.

Rail Operators

Seattle is on the main Amtrak network (tel: 1 800 872 7245; www.amtrak.com). Service is slow but can offer a remarkably scenic journey. The Coast Starlight service runs southwards to Oakland and Los Angeles via Portland; the Amtrak Cascades runs northwards to Vancouver and the Empire Builder runs eastwards to Chicago via Spokane.

Connections

From Los Angeles - 35 hours; Vancouver - 4 hours; Chicago - 45 hours.

By Road

The USA has a good network of interstate highways and state highways. Speed limits are 40kph (25mph) in urban areas, 80kph (50mph) on county roads and 97kph (60mph) on state highways. All valid national licences are acceptable, but an International Driving Permit is preferred. US insurance is mandatory and can be purchased at customs points or from the car hire company. The minimum driving age is 16 years and cars drive on the right.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) (tel: 1 800 222 1134; www.aaa.com) can provide further information.

Emergency breakdown services
AAA (tel: 1 800 222 4357 or AAA HELP).

Routes to the city

Seattle is served by two major interstate highways. The I-5 goes south to Portland and San Francisco and north to the Canadian border and Vancouver. The I-90 links Seattle with central and eastern Washington State, passing through Spokane on its way to Chicago and Boston.

Driving times to the city
From Portland - 3 hours; Vancouver, Canada - 3 hours; Spokane - 6 hours.

Coach services
Greyhound (tel: (206) 628 5526 or 1 800 231 2222; www.greyhound.com) operates from the Greyhound Bus Station, 811 Stewart Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues in downtown Seattle. The facilities are minimal but include 24-hour ticketing, left luggage and a snack bar. Greyhound buses serve hundreds of destinations around the USA, Canada and Mexico.

By Water

Seattle's harbour, run by the Port of Seattle (tel: (206) 787 3000; www.portseattle.org/seaport) has terminals for cruise ships and local ferries. The new Smith Cove Cruise Terminal, Pier 91, 2001 W Garfield St and the Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal, Pier 66, 2225 Alaskan Way, are where cruise liners dock. Ferries to Victoria in Canada depart from Pier 69, 2701 Alaskan Way, and Pier 48.

Ferry services

Several major cruise lines offer summer cruises to Alaska from Seattle. Princess Cruises (tel: 1 800 774 6237; www.princess.com), Holland America Line (tel: 1 877 932 4259; www.hollandamerica.com) and Royal Caribbean International (RCL) (tel: 1 866 562 7625; www.royalcaribbean.com) leave from Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91.

Norwegian Cruise Line (tel: 1 800 327 7030; www.ncl.com) and Celebrity Cruises (tel: 1 800 722 5941; www.celebrity.com) sail from Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal at Pier 66. Victoria is also accessible daily all year round on the Victoria Clipper (tel: (206) 448 5000 or 1 800 888 2535; www.victoriaclipper.com) high-speed catamarans from Pier 69.

Transport to the city

A taxi service operates from both cruise terminals to SeaTac Airport. Shuttle service to/from the airport is available through Shuttle Express (tel: (425) 981 7000 or 1 800 487 7433; www.shuttleexpress.com) and Gray Line Seattle (tel: (206) 626 5200 or 1 800 426 7532; www.graylineseattle.com).

Contact Metro Transit (tel: (206) 553 3000; http://metro.kingcounty.gov) for public transport schedule information from downtown to Smith Cove Cruise Terminal.

To reach Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal on Pier 66 and the Victoria Clipper embarking from Pier 69 take the waterfront streetcar line - currently being replaced by the free bus Route 99, while the line undergoes renovations.

General Information

Location

King County, northwest Washington State, USA.

Time zone

GMT - 8 (GMT - 7 from second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November).

Electricity

110 volts, 50Hz; flat two-pin plugs are standard.

Average January temperatures

8°C (46°F).

Average July temperatures

8°C (75°F).

Annual rainfall

944.6mm (37.19 inches).

Things to do

Sightseeing Overview

Seattle was founded in 1869 and did not really blossom until the Alaska Gold Rush of the late 19th century, when the city glittered with racy Wild West ‘underground' prostitution and illegal drinking dens.

As a result, its historic attractions, outside those of Native American culture, are little more than a century old, focused around Pioneer Square and Yesler Way, near the city's Waterfront. The International District is filled with medicinal herb shops and wonderful Asian restaurants and shops. The Waterfront area is full of unique maritime attractions and is a good place for visitors to enjoy the views and fresh air of Puget Sound from Waterfront Park or to board a Washington State Ferry to local islands.

Pike Place Market, First Avenue and Pike Street, is a now-renowned fish and vegetable market, which also contains open crafts bazaars, as well many trendy bars and restaurants. Continuing north from First Avenue is Belltown, the city's most rapidly gentrifying neighbourhood and entertainment quarter, full of restaurants, art galleries and nightclubs.

At various points, visitors can board the famous monorail to the Seattle Center, home of the Space Needle, the Pacific Science Center, the Seattle Repertory Theater, Pacific Northwest Ballet, the Opera House and Key Arena - a major sporting venue.

Other neighbourhoods of interest include Ballard, in north Seattle, once a Norwegian shipping village and now home to artists' studios, galleries and a number of live music venues, restaurants and the Hiram M Chittenden Locks.

Fremont, Capitol Hill and the University District are equally youthful neighbourhoods, with cinemas, vintage clothing shops, home furnishing stores and coffee bars.

Tourist Information

Seattle's Convention & Visitors Bureau
Citywide Concierge Center
Washington State Convention and Trade Center
7th Avenue and Pike Street
Tel: (206) 461 5888.
Website: www.visitseattle.org  
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700, closed for lunch 1300-1400; also open Sat-Sun in summer.

Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau administrative offices are located at One Convention Place, 701 Pike Street (tel: (206) 461 5840) and accept postal, e-mail and telephone enquiries only.

There are other visitor centres at the airport, at Pike Place Market and, from June to August only, at Pioneer Square (open in summer through September), Occidental Street and South Main Street.

Passes

The CityPass (website: www.citypass.com) offers free admission to five Seattle attractions - Pacific Science Center, Seattle Aquarium, Museum of Flight and Woodland Park Zoo and a Seattle Harbor Tour with Argosy Cruises. It is valid for nine days and can be purchased from the attractions on the day or online in advance. Another pass, the Go Seattle Card (tel: (206) 285 3010 or 1 800 887 9103; website: www.goseattlecard.com) offers a one- to multi-day card for free admission to over 30 attractions.

Attractions

Capitol Hill  
Once the residence of Seattle's wealthiest citizens, today Capitol Hill is populated by the city's most diverse and youth-oriented population. The Broadway district, just south of St Mark's Cathedral, is where to find the city's gay community, grunge rockers, hip hoppers and people of many cultures, who share the area with long-time residents of the historic mansions, elegant old homes and classic apartment houses. In contrast are the tree-lined streets that border stately 19th-century mansions. It is also home to the Volunteer Park Conservatory, 1400 Galer Street, Lakeview Cemetery, 1554 15th Avenue East, and the Frye Art Museum.

Throughout the area are numerous boutiques, entertainment venues and coffee houses, particularly along Broadway Avenue East, between East Denny Way and East Roy Street and along Pike and Pine between Boren Avenue and Broadway. Young people come in search of cheap, funky clothes whereas the others seek the area out for fashions that are a little 'out there'.

Nearby, the Central District/South Seattle neighbourhoods have long been the heart of the city's African-American community and, in the 1930s, the area began establishing a reputation for jazz and blues musicians. Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Jimi Hendrix and Ernestine Anderson have all lived here at one time.

Ballard
Seattle's Scandinavian heritage remains evident in this now trendy maritime neighbourhood of north Seattle, where the Alaskan fishing fleet winters at Fishermen's Terminal before embarking on its quest for salmon. The Hiram M Chittenden Locks provide the link to the saltwater beyond. A walk along the locks is a unique experience, with underwater windows from which to watch migrating salmon. Historic downtown Ballard has brick streets, numerous galleries and lively taverns full of local music. From May to September, there is a Sunday market with fresh produce and crafts on sale. The Nordic Heritage Museum is also located here. This is the country's only museum honouring immigrants from the five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) in collections of photographs, costumes and century-old fishing and maritime implements. The Ballard Chamber of Commerce (see below) can offer additional sightseeing tips.

Ballard
Tel: (206) 784 9705.
Website: www.ballardchamber.com  

Nordic Heritage Museum
3014 Northwest 67th Street
Tel: (206) 789 5707.
Website: www.nordicmuseum.org  
Opening hours: Tues-Sat 1000-1600, Sun 1200-1600.
Admission charge.

Washington Park Arboretum
On the shores of Lake Washington, south of the University District on Union Bay, 6km (4 miles) east of downtown Seattle, is an 93-hectare (230-acre) park, with over 4,800 species of rare trees and other flora, both native and imported. The impressive Japanese Garden has koi pools, a mountain-inspired waterfall and a traditional teahouse.
2300 Arboretum Drive East
Tel: (206) 543 8800.
Website: http://depts.washington.edu/wpa  
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1600 (visitor centre); 0700-dusk (grounds).
Free admission.

Japanese Garden 
1075 Lake Washington Boulevard
Tel: (206) 684 4725.
Website: www.seattle.gov/parks/parkspaces/japanesegarden.htm  
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700 (late Feb-late Mar); Tues-Sun 1000-1900 (late Mar-late Apr); daily 1000-2000 (May-mid Aug); Tues-Sun 1000-1900 (mid Aug-mid Sep); Tues-Sun 1000-1800 (mid Sep-mid Oct); Tues-Sun 1000-1600 (mid Oct-mid Nov); closed Thanksgiving-late Feb.
Admission charge.

Alki Drive
Along the water, out in West Seattle, the 4km (2.5-mile) white sandy beach along Alki Drive is the point where the first white settlers arrived in 1851, before retreating to the less windy site on Elliott Bay. The view over Puget Sound and the city skyline is considered one of the best in the city. In summer, the beach is filled with families and children picnicking, swimming, sunbathing and eating the speciality fish and chips.
Alki Drive, West Seattle

Fremont
A walk through this funky, fun neighbourhood (Seattle's Left Bank) will bring a smile to your face. Its declaration as the 'Center of the Universe' is commemorated with a ballistic missile atop a roof on 35th Street and Evanston Avenue. Check out the stainless steel curly-cues that adorn the building that houses Stone Mountain Creamery. Also of note is a statue of Lenin, the Fremont troll under the bridge and unique boutiques, ethnic restaurants, consignment shops and quirky coffee shops like the Good Cafe, which offers 'coffee, scones and live girls'.
Fremont area between Dayton and Fremont Avenue North and 34th and 39th Streets

Restaurants

Gastronomic

Brasa
Seattle's best celebrity spotting venue offers rich clients as well as rich Northwest/Mediterranean cuisine, including superb gnocchi with morels and oyster mushrooms, roasted pig with house-made chorizo and clams or duck breast with strawberry gastrique. Warm earth tones and soft banquettes give an understated villa atmosphere to the dining area, as does the copper bar with its padded elbow rests. The entrance sits enticingly behind a heavy wrought-iron gate.

2107 Third Avenue
Tel: (206) 728 4220.
Website: www.brasa.com  
Price: $$$$

Canlis
Seattle's classiest restaurant since the Breakfast at Tiffany's era never fails to impress. Diners enter through an antique Japanese door and find impeccable service, a stunning view across Lake Union and the house's own venerable recipes - the Canlis salad and Peter Canlis prawns, truffle fries, and Dungeness crab legs are recommended. Canlis specialises in Northwest classics, such as steak, game, salmon and oysters, including Washington-grown Kobe-style beef, all served in an Asian-modern atmosphere. Add to that a piano bar and a vast wine list. If you can't get a reservation, don't fret. It is possible to enjoy Canlis' appetisers and truffle fries at the bar. No lunch. Closed Sunday.

2576 Aurora Avenue North
Tel: (206) 283 3313.
Website: www.canlis.com  
Price: $$$$

Il Terrazzo Carmine
This discreet, highbrow Florentine restaurant, run by Carmine Smeraldo since 1984, is where the locals have chosen to return over and over again, partly for the understated classical guitar music and first-rate service. Waiters wear white tuxes and tables are set with white linen under shimmering chandeliers. Starters might include calamari affogati or venison ravioli, while main courses could be beef filet in Barolo, or ossobuco (veal shank with wine). There is a spectacular Italian wine list and outdoor seating in summer. Closed Sunday; no lunch Saturday. Complimentary valet parking after 1700.

411 First Avenue South
Tel: (206) 467 7797.
Website: www.ilterrazzocarmine.com  
Price: $$$$

Le Gourmand
The funky district of Ballard is one of Seattle's best-kept secrets and this French favourite, set unprepossessingly in a shop front, features local, seasonal produce in high style on a fixed-price menu. Starters include rabbit liver pâté or sole and shrimp mousseline. The organic beef tenderloin in Merlot-pressings butter is renowned, as is the rabbit in apricot sauce, the venison in elderberry and pinot noir stock and the salmon poached in champagne. There is house-made ice cream, crème brulée or local cheeses to finish with. The restaurant is small, cosy and romantic, with white tablecloths and a candlelit hush-hush ambience of understated French elegance. Closed Sunday to Tuesday.

425 NW Market Street, Ballard
Tel: (206) 784 3463.
Price: $$$$

Rover's
Thierry Rautureau is one of the city's most famous chefs and his imaginative take on traditional French cuisine is stunningly presented in this restaurant. Set in a small house with private gardens, Rover's has a very French country style, with secluded courtyard seating and a simple but cheery décor. Depending on available fresh ingredients, the menu, which is either is fixed-price or à la carte, changes on a daily basis. Every night, the kitchen produces three tasting menus of six or nine small courses, one of which is vegetarian. There is a superb wine list and garden dining in summer. Closed Sunday and Monday. No lunch.

2808 East Madison Street, North Seattle
Tel: (206) 325 7442.
Website: www.rovers-seattle.com  
Price: From $$$

Business

Dahlia Lounge
Despite its fame after featuring in Sleepless in Seattle (1993), chef Tom Douglas has lost none of his culinary edge and the Dahlia Lounge remains a gastronomic institution as well as the place to impress business guests. The Chinese red walls, industrial ceilings and low-lit lanterns are still there, along with a banquet service for up to 45 diners and personalised menus. Appetisers lean to Japanese-inspired seafood specialities, although the meat dishes from the rotisserie are often hunters' favourites, such as barbecued pork loin, Washington strip steak or wood-grilled king salmon. The coconut cream pie and other desserts are legendary, especially since the restaurant has its own bakery.

2001 Fourth Avenue, Belltown
Tel: (206) 682 4142.
Website: www.tomdouglas.com  
Price: $$$$

The Georgian
Seattle's most opulent restaurant is also a splendid setting for power breakfasts, lunches and clinched-deal celebrations. Vast ceilings are hung with antique chandeliers and service is reminiscent of a bygone era. Executive Chef Gavin Stephenson is a former winner of the Acorn Award for the best British chef. The luxurious menu is geared toward European classics, including truffle and foie gras, as well as duck, veal, rack of lamb and venison, all gorgeously presented. Guests can also take brandy and cigars on the terrace, after dinner. The Georgette Petite room can be booked for business groups and private parties. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Fairmont Olympic Hotel, 411 University Street
Tel: (206) 621 7889.
Website: www.fairmont.com/seattle  
Price: $$$$

Hunt Club
The Hunt Club offers a gentleman's club atmosphere (brick walls, deep red leather, mahogany and plush seating) as well as some of the most divine steaks in town. Other options include pheasant, duck dishes and of course, seafood. Much of the seasonal menu is Pacific Northwest style with Mediterranean influences, and features dishes such as beef carpaccio and scallop fettuccini. Chef Jason Dallas grows many of the herbs used in the food preparation. Dessert, coffee, cognac or port and truffles can be taken in the Fireside Room, which also features piano music and card games. Service is impeccable. Brunch is served at the weekend.

Sorrento Hotel, 900 East Madison Street
Tel: (206) 343 6156.
Website: www.hotelsorrento.com/dining-hunt-club.php  
Price: $$$$

Metropolitan Grill
Appropriately situated in the heart of the financial district and famous for its power-sized, custom-aged, mesquite-broiled steaks and antique sports bar atmosphere, this is one of the most popular stops for celebrities, stockbrokers and other big-money clientele. Macho food and portions, from the oysters and caviar starters to the red meat and sea bass, are all washed down with no-nonsense martinis. No lunch at weekends.

820 Second Avenue
Tel: (206) 624 3287.
Website: www.themetropolitangrill.com  
Price: $$$$

Tulio
Warm woods, white tablecloths and an open kitchen make this friendly bistro inviting and cosy. Service is good and the menu runs the gamut of Italian dishes, from pizza and pasta to seafood and meat. All is creatively presented, but the star of the menu is the sweet potato gnocchi. Even those who think yams are yucky give it raves. There is a small counter by the open kitchen for those who want to get up close and personal with the chefs.

1100 Fifth Avenue
Tel: (206) 624 5500.
Website: www.tulio.com  
Price: $$$

Trendy

Boka
Because a friendly atmosphere permeates this cosy venue, it is a place where the locals come to have dinner, a drink or ‘urban bites' like crab cupcakes. The huge glass, bamboo sculpture in the middle of the restaurant, glass wall sculptures and lights behind the bar and toward the back that slowly change colours add a touch of drama. Comfortable grey banquettes are accented with warm woods. Well presented, popular dishes on the tasty, ever-changing menu are confit duck, some sort of salmon, and scallops. Located next to the Hotel 1000.

1010 First Avenue
Tel: (206) 357 9000.
Website: www.bokaseattle.com
Price: $$$

Cafe Lago
A cheery, informal trattoria, Cafe Lago boasts some of the best antipasti, wood-fired pizza and house-made pasta in town - worth every penny. The restaurant produces noteworthy lasagne con melanzane (aubergine) and ravioli, as well as an extensive list of Italian wines. No lunch. Reservations accepted.

2305 24th Avenue East, Montlake (near Arboretum)
Tel: (206) 329 8005.
Website: www.cafelago.com  
Price: $$$

Fish Club
The setting is simple - an open kitchen, wood-trimmed walls and accents of muted reds, oranges, purples and greens. It is here that Todd English, an east coast celebrity chef and acclaimed TV personality, has brought his culinary skills. Many of his dishes have a Mediterranean flair, and some sort of flatbread is usually featured on the frequently changing menu. Expect friendly and competent service.

2100 Alaskan Way (next to the Marriott)
Tel: (206) 256 1040.
Website: www.fishclubseattle.com
Price: $$$$

Flying Fish
Exotic and photo-worthy fish specialities, mostly Asian-inspired, are served at one of trendy Belltown's most famous landmarks, Flying Fish. Platter dishes are huge and meant to be shared by large parties - these are ordered by the pound weight and include tasty novelties such as barracuda. The spacious restaurant is strikingly colourful with a contemporary, geometric design. There is street dining in summer and the private dining room seats 36 or has reception space for 70. Reservations recommended. Open until 0100 for dinner; bar open until 0200.

2234 First Avenue, Belltown
Tel: (206) 728 8595.
Website: www.flyingfishseattle.com  
Price: $$$$

Marazul
Think Indo-Asian cuisine fused with Cuban and Caribbean flavours in a minimalist setting and you have Marazul. Amid an exposed pipe ceiling, mahogany-coloured woods, woven chairs and accents like a Buddha, a samurai, fish and leaves, you can sup on such interesting delicacies as Havana-style pad thai, churrasco skirt steak, Jamaican jerk satay or Caesar salad with cashew nuts. The menu offers ‘small plates' and large plates to share as well as a variety of rum drinks, martinis and sake.

Pan Pacific Hotel, 2200 Westlake Avenue
Tel: (206) 654 8170.
Website: www.marazulrestaurant.com
Price: $$$

The Pink Door
Famed for its off-beat cabaret bar as well as hearty Italian food, this fashionable hideaway also offers great views of Puget Sound and the Market from its festively lit roof terrace. The décor could easily be described as gay as in flamboyantly flowered tablecloths on the outdoor tables, fun Italian kitsch and bistro lighting. Roasted garlic and tapenade are prime starters, while the cioppino and lasagne are legendary. Salads feature the Market's organic produce.

1919 Post Alley, Pike Place Market
Tel: (206) 443 3241.
Website: www.thepinkdoor.net  
Price: $$$

Budget

Alibi Room
This young, artsy spot attracts film industry wannabes and has a view of the Puget Sound sunset. Décor and ambience are laid-back New York, with low-budget lounge lizard effects in its darkly painted, dimly lit and cheaply furnished interior. Diners can linger over the hummus or brie and apple plate starters before digging into ravioli, salmon or steak. Vegetarian lasagne is excellent. Script readings, film screenings or live music occur some evenings. Open for brunch and stay open until 0200.

85 Pike Street, Post Alley, Pike Place Market
Tel: (206) 623 3180.
Website: www.seattlealibi.com
Price: $$$

Emmett Watson's Oyster Bar
This unpretentious bolt-hole specialises in live oysters direct from the Market, served au naturel, fried, baked or stewed. Some think they serve the best fish and chips in town. Beer is fresh and cold and cosy booths face a small flower-filled courtyard. The salmon soup and fish and chips are excellent. Cards accepted. No dinner Sunday.

1916 Pike Place (Pike Place Market, Soames Dunn building)
Tel: (206) 448 7721.
Price $$

Mama's Mexican Kitchen
One of Seattle's best California-Mexican restaurants and also one of the cheapest, Mama's Mexican Kitchen has a lazy, bustling atmosphere that attracts the hip and the business suits alike. Fajitas and chicken burritos are recommended - diners should be sure to pick up a big dish of the super house-made salsa.

2334 Second Avenue, Belltown
Tel: (206) 728 6262.
Website: www.mamas.com  
Price: $$

Siam
This tiny, authentic favourite is the closest Seattle comes to a Bangkok street stall and is widely credited with the best tom kah gai (spicy chicken, lemongrass and coconut milk soup) in the city. Diners can decide upon their preference for chilli from items with heat rating indicated by one to four stars. No lunch at weekends.

616 Broadway, Capitol Hill
Tel: (206) 324 0892.
Price: $$

Specialty Cafe & Bakery
This is the perfect place to grab a fresh sandwich, soup or delicious spinach and bacon salad. The smell of fresh baked goods permeates the restaurant, so it is a popular place for breakfast, a huge brownie or chocolate chip cookie. Open for breakfast and lunch; closed Saturday and Sunday.

1023 Third Avenue (Third & Spring)
Tel: 1 888 533 2253.
Website: www.specialtysdirect.com
Price: $, no alcohol

Other branches at:
701 Fifth Avenue  (Fifth & Cherry)

505 Fifth Avenue South (Between King & Weller)

2690 NE Village Lane (University Village)

1400 Fifth Avenue (Fifth & Union)

Personal Recommendations

Andaluca
This dimly lit European-style restaurant is quiet and sophisticated enough for private business meals, sexy enough for a tête-à-tête and also a great place to dine solo. Food is light but satisfying Mediterranean-inspired fare, made of fresh Northwest ingredients. Specialities include a towering full-meal Dungeness crab salad, as well as excellent paella, zarzuela, Carbrales steaks and the finest mussels in town. Andaluca also offers a selection of fine sherries and Spanish and local wines.

Mayflower Park Hotel, 407 Olive Way
Tel: (206) 382 6999.
Website: www.andaluca.com  
Price $$$$

Cafe Flora
Vegetarian food so exquisite carnivores will not notice the difference. The setting is a sophisticated Asian-style atrium, boasting a fountain and natural stone. A seasonal menu features new-age renditions of pizzas, like grilled peach pizza with cilantro pistou, goat's cheese and toasted pecans. Also on the menu are tacos stuffed with spicy potato and cheese. The Portobello Wellington mushroom must be tried. Weekend brunch features berry and ginger cream beignets and breakfast quesadilla (a filled tortilla turnover). Reservations accepted for eight or more.

2901 East Madison Street, Madison Valley, North Seattle
Tel: (206) 325 9100.
Website: www.cafeflora.com  
Price: $$$

Etta's
This unpretentious eatery near Pike Place is a favourite with locals. Yellow walls and funky lights are about the only decorations. The restaurant, by Tom Douglas (Seattle's star restaurateur), features fresh seafood, fish and, for lunch, inspired cuisine like Thai fried chicken salad with kumquats, peanuts and nuoc chum. The crab cakes rule.

2020 Western Avenue
Tel: (206) 443 6000.
Website: www.tomdouglas.com  
Price: $$$$

Izumi
This is a true Japanese, suburban family restaurant with a simple menu and friendly service. But it is so popular that it is not unusual for hopeful diners to have to sit by the door, watching children and their grandparents practising origami before a table is finally set free. The sushi bar is superb, the teriyaki salmon delicate and the tempura perfect - the house special has all of the above and more, served in a big lacquer box. Closed Monday.

12539 116th Avenue North East, Kirkland
Tel: (425) 821 1959.
Price: $$$

Lola
Another Tom Douglas winner, this cosy, Mediterranean-inspired bistro is the kind of place where good friends would meet for dinner. Simple décor with high, industrial ceilings (which doesn't help with noise control), black banquettes, bare wood floors, and art deco chandeliers gives the place a kind of 1940s look.  Foodies love the homemade, warm pitta and Jackie's Greek salad that comes with a big chunk of barrel-aged feta. For the main course, there are speciality tajines, lamb ravioli and a variety of kebabs, but save room for the loukoumathes, little doughnuts with cinnamon, honey and chopped walnuts.

2000 Fourth Street
Tel: (206) 441 1430.
Website: www.tomdouglas.com
Price: $$$

Serious Pie
This restaurant is as popular with the locals as it is with the tourists. This time Tom Douglas has created a friendly pizza parlour complete with stone tile walls, communal tables and wood-beamed ceilings. The open kitchen has a wood burning oven that produces the scrumptious, serious pizza pies. Some are quite unique like the one with lobster, soft egg and arugula or the clam, pancetta and lemon thyme pie. For traditional eaters there is pie with a buffalo cheese and tomatoes. To finish off the meal, try tiramisu with bing cherries or chocolate spumoni. Open for lunch and dinner. No reservations.

316 Virginia Avenue
Tel: (206) 838 7388.
Website: www.tomdouglas.com
Price: $$

Shanghai Garden Restaurant
Everything from the conventional to the bizarre can be found at this top Chinese family restaurant, which is large, airy and bright pink inside with a big bubbling fish tank feature. The menu offers mu shu pork and ostrich meat, as well as meals that will delight the vegetarian, such as bean curd hot pot. Highly recommended are the house special hand-shaved green noodles and the fried ice cream dessert. Open daily.

524 Sixth Avenue South, International District
Tel: (206) 625 1688.
Price: $$$

Thai Ginger
Located across from the Benaroya Hall, Thai Ginger is the place to find multi-regional Siamese cuisine. The décor, accented with touches of black, is simple, with pipe-exposed ceilings, light wood tables and woven chairs. There is a bar for single diners or, when a table is unavailable, for small groups. The ever-changing menu is dependent on whatever is available in the morning but it always offers tasty specialties like wok-fried barbecued prawns with hoisin sauce, peanuts, garlic and scallions or satay tofu skewers with chilli sauce. Sweet and sour, a mixture of stir-fried onions, cucumbers, tomato, pineapple and bell peppers with a choice of chicken, pork, tofu or beef, is a speciality of the house. Service can be spotty. This is a popular place so reservations are suggested even for lunch.

600 Pine Street
Tel: (206) 749 9100.
Website: www.thaiginger.com
Price: $$$$

Night Life

Seattle is a city of youth and numerous fashionable districts (from the Pioneer Square and Belltown neighbourhoods downtown to University District, Capitol Hill and Ballard), which are dominated by clubs, bars, coffee houses, cinemas and eccentric eateries. Due to the strictly enforced minimum drinking age of 21 years, a number of 'all ages' live music venues in the city centre do not serve alcohol to minors but offer a wide range of the latest in local music. The restriction is strictly enforced and it is essential to bring photo identification.

Most Seattle bars are open 1100 til 0200. Entertainment listings can be found in free tabloids such as SeattleWeekly (website: www.seattleweekly.com) and TheStranger (website: www.thestranger.com/seattle/home). There is also NWsourceSeattle (website: www.nwsource.com), SeattleInsider (website: www.seattleinsider.com) and City Search (http://seattle.citysearch.com).

Bars: Several chic lounges have opened in the city recently. Vessel, in the old Skinner Building, 1312 Fifth Avenue, melds the old with the fashionable, while Marazul, 2200 Westlake Avenue (in the Pan Pacific Hotel), is a fusion of Asia and the Caribbean. Purple Cafe and Wine Bar has opened a new location in the heart of downtown Seattle at 1225 Fourth Avenue. The comfortable Boka, 1010 First Avenue next to the Hotel 1000, is where you are likely to find more locals than tourists.

The Alibi Room, 85 Pike Street, is a trendy cocktail bar tucked away in Post Alley, under the Pike Place Market, with a lovely view of Puget Sound. The BluWater Bistro, 1001 Fairview Avenue North, has a remarkable array of colourful cocktails, while Cascadia, 2328 First Avenue, Belltown, is perhaps the classiest bar in town, famed for its Gershwin-geared pianist, carved glass window/waterfall and Pacific Northwest wine list.

The Cha Cha Lounge, 506 East Pine Street, Capitol Hill, offers dimly retro décor with Chinese red walls and an artsy clientele. Conor Byrne's, 5140 Ballard Street North West, is a hip and authentic Irish pub that has live Celtic music on weekends. Doc Maynard's, 610 First Avenue, Pioneer Square, is a rowdy, rock-and-roll bar, restored from the turn of the century. Linda's Tavern, 707 East Pine Street, is famed for the latest music trends. Manray, 514 East Pine Street Capitol Hill, is a 1970s retro chic space pod done up in stark white décor, while The Pink Door, 1919 Post Alley, in the Pike Place Market, serves legendary violet martinis and has a great view over Puget Sound.
For more serious dark and smoky dives, try Comet Tavern, 922 East Pike Street, the oldest bar on Capitol Hill, or Tini Bigs, 100 Denny Way, famed for its over-sized martinis and cigar haze. Its massive dance floor and a variety of DJs have made Trinity, 111 Yesler Way, one of hottest bars in the city.

Clubs: The Baltic Room, 1207 East Pine Street (website: www.thebalticroom.net), is a stylish alternative rock, hip hop and jazz nightclub. Dance to anything from hip hop to Top 40 tunes at The War Room's rooftop deck, 722 East Pike Street (website: www.thewarroomseattle.com). A gay and straight crowd packs into the Last Supper Club, 124 South Washington Street, Pioneer Square (website: www.lastsupperclub.com).

LiveMusic: The Crocodile Cafe, 2200 Second Avenue and Blanchard Street (website: www.thecrocodile.com), was the original home of Seattle's grunge music scene (from Pearl Jam to Mudhoney and the Posies) and is still a cutting-edge, live music venue. However, it is rapidly being overtaken by Showbox, 1426 First Avenue, Belltown (website: www.showboxonline.com), due to its massive 1,100 capacity, domed ceilings and red velvet curtains. Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Avenue, Downtown (website: www.jazzalley.com), is a sophisticated jazz club that consistently features internationally known acts, while Tula's, 2214 Second Avenue, Belltown (website: www.tulas.com), is a low-key local jazz bar with an older clientele.

Shopping

Shopping in Seattle is diverse and eclectic.

Markets
Seattle's Waterfront and the Pike Place Market, on First Avenue and Pike Street (Monday to Saturday 1000-1800, Sunday 1100-1700), offer all the crazy souvenirs imaginable, from wooden slugs (which look a lot like the real thing) to Space Needle hats and, of course, enormous sides of smoked Alaskan salmon for visitors to ship home. The market, which first opened in 1907, is the oldest continually operating farmers' market in the USA. The market also runs heritage tours Wednesday to Friday at 1100 and Saturday at 0930 (for a charge).

Shopping centres

The true downtown shopping core, however, is between First Avenue and Sixth Avenue and Olive Street and University Street, including the flagship Nordstrom Store, Old Navy, Macy's, Pacific Place Mall, Barney's, Nike Town, Anne Taylor, Barnes & Noble and more. Fifth Avenue is famous for its designer shops, including Louis Vuitton, Escada, and St John.

Key areas

Belltown, north along First Avenue from the city centre, has unique boutiques with everything from locally designed clothing, imported shoes, antiques, used clothing and more. Ballard offers a number of Scandinavian gift and food shops, as well as Sonic Boom Records, 2209 Northwest Market Street, an independent record store with a good selection of new and used CDs and vinyl. Capitol Hill corners the market for high style and quirkiness, with shops such as Le Frock, 317 East Pine Street, which specialises in vintage designer wear. Bluebottle Art Gallery & Store, 415 East Pine Street, is a colourful shop to browse for crafty gifts. For the best selection of handcrafted jewellery, artwork and antiques, Pioneer Square is your destination. Nautical flags and antiques make up much of Cuttysark Nautical Antiques' inventory, 320 First Avenue South.

Shopping hours

Shopping hours are 0930-1800 on average, including Sundays. Seattle sales tax is 8.8% on non-food items.

Tax information

Unlike other US states, visitors are unable to claim tax refunds on goods purchased in Seattle.

Events

Chinese New Year Celebrations
January/February
Dragon parades and Chinese cultural events.
International District

Seattle International Boat Show
January/February
Shilshole Bay Marina
Website: www.seattleboatshow.com

Northwest Flower and Garden Show
February
Washington State Convention Center
Website: www.gardenshow.com

Oyster Games
March
Exhibits, all-you-can-eat, Celebrity Oyster Slurp and ‘Oystertainment'.
Anthony's Homeport on Shilshole Bay
Website: www.pugetsoundkeeper.org
 
Seattle Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cultural Festival
Third week in April
A celebration of Japanese culture with dance, music, colourful costumes, martial arts and tea ceremonies.
Seattle Center

Folklife Festival
May
Folk music and dance performances, arts and crafts displays, cooking demonstrations and films.
Seattle Center
Website: www.nwfolklife.org

Seattle International Film Festival
May-June
Various venues
Website: www.seattlefilm.com
 
Fremont Street Fair
Mid June
Fremont neighbourhood
Website: www.fremontfair.com

Bite of Seattle
July
Outdoor market with stalls featuring cuisine from the city's top restaurants.
Seattle Center
Website: www.biteofseattle.com

Fourth of Jul-Ivar's
4 July
Food, fun, fireworks and free live music.
Myrtle Edwards Park, Seattle Waterfront

Bumbershoot
First weekend in September
Arts, crafts fair and entertainment festival.
Seattle Center
Website: www.bumbershoot.org

Fremont Oktoberfest
Third week in September
More than 30 microbreweries pouring handcrafted beers, music, streetfair, a children's area and traditional German food.
Fremont district, north Seattle
Website: www.fremontoktoberfest.org

Washington Mutual Winterfest
November-January
Entertainment, displays and holiday lights.
Seattle Center

Christmas Ship Festival
December
Festively lit boats.
Waterfront

New Year's Eve
31 December
Bottom of the Space Needle

History & Culture

Despite the economic downturn, Seattle has more cultural construction projects underway than any other urban area in the USA. The city's average arts events attendance tops 5 million and it has the highest per-capita dance attendance in the country. The Greater Seattle area boasts 29 professional theatre companies, and over 80 fringe theatre companies, as well as more than 80 live music clubs, 16 symphony orchestras, 18 major art, cultural and scientific heritage museums and over 200 private art galleries.

Although Seattle's theatre scene is considered one of the most dynamic in the USA, natives notably prefer home-grown culture to that from outside the state and a look through the city's listing and review tabloids will not, in all likelihood, produce names that most visitors will have heard of. Exceptions are the internationally acclaimed Pacific Northwest Ballet, glass art's Dale Chihuly, maestro Gerard Schwarz, Kurt Cobain's widow Courtney Love of Hole, sax man Kenny G, actor Tom Skerritt and writers Ann Rule and Tom Robbins. British author Michael Dibdin has made Seattle his home and travel writer Jonathan Raban also lives in the Pacific Northwest.

The Seattle Opera's season runs from August to May and both the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Seattle Repertory Theatre run from October to May. All three perform at the Seattle Center. The Seattle Symphony Orchestra plays from September to June, at Benaroya Hall.

Ticketmaster (tel: (206) 628 0888; website: www.ticketmaster.com) sells tickets to all cultural events in Seattle, as does PacificNorthwestTicketService (tel: (206) 232 0150 or 1 800 281 0753; website: www.nwtix.com), while TicketWindow (tel: (206) 325 6500; website: www.ticketwindowonline.com) sells half-price, day-of-show tickets to theatre, music, comedy and dance events. It has three outlets: Sixth and Pine, inside Pacific Place Fourth Level (open Tues-Sun 1200-1800); Broadway Market, 401 Broadway East, on the second level between Urban Outfitters and Gold's Gym (open Tues-Sat 1200-1900, Sun 1200-1800); and Pike Place Market Information Booth at the main entrance to the Pike Place Market (open Tues-Sun 1200-1800). Entertainment listings can be found in the free tabloids, TheWeekly and TheStranger.

Music:Philharmonia Northwest (tel: (206) 675 9727; website: www.philharmonianw.org) performs at its downtown venue, the Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Avenue, as well as St Stephen's Episcopal Church, 4805 NE 45th Street (tel: (206) 522 7144). The Seattle Choral Company (tel: (206) 365 8765 or 1 800 838 3006; website: www.seattlechoralcompany.org) performs seasonal music events in various venues throughout the city, while the Seattle Opera Company (tel: (206) 389 7600/76 or 1 800 426 1619; website: www.seattleopera.org) performs at the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, 305 Harrison in the Seattle Center. The Seattle Symphony Orchestra (tel: (206) 215 4700 or 1 866 833 4747; website: www.seattlesymphony.org) offers a wide range of musical events at Benaroya Hall, 200 University Street, Downtown (tel: (206) 215 4747 or 1 866 833 4747; website: www.benaroyahall.com).

Theatre: Performances of popular Broadway hits are on offer at the Paramount Theatre, 907 Pine Street (tel: (206) 467 5510; website: www.theparamount.com), all year round. You can catch other classics at the Fifth Avenue Musical Theatre, 1308 Fifth Avenue (tel: (206) 625 1900 or 1 888 584 4849; website: www.5thavenuetheatre.org). See more contemporary work at Theater Schmeater, 1500 Summit Avenue (tel: (206) 324 5801; website: www.schmeater.org), and the Intiman Theatre, 201 Mercer Street (tel: (206) 269 1900; website: www.intiman.org), at the Seattle Center. The biggest theatre company, the Seattle Repertory Theatre (tel: (206) 443 2222; website: www.seattlerep.com), plays at the Bagley Wright Theater, 155 Mercer Street, in the Seattle Center. The Seattle Children's Theatre is at Second Avenue North and Thomas Street (tel: (206) 441 3322; website: www.sct.org), in the Charlotte Martin Theatre, Seattle Center.
Dance: The Century Ballroom, 915 East Pine Street (tel: (206) 324 7263; website: www.centuryballroom.com), specialises in salsa and swing dancing. The world-renowned Pacific Northwest Ballet (tel: (206) 441 9411 or 2424 (box office); website: www.pnb.org) is based at the Seattle Center Opera House, 301 Mercer Street, in the Seattle Center.

Film:Cinerama, 2100 Fourth Avenue (tel: (206) 441 3080; website: www.cinerama.com), a retro, restored theatre with state-of-the-art sound, shows mainstream American films and is also a major venue during the Seattle Film Festival. AMC Pacific Place, Sixth Avenue and Pine Street (tel: (206) 652 2404; website: www.pacificplaceseattle.com), is another mainstream multiplex. You can watch foreign and alternative films at two Capitol Hill Landmark venues (tel: (206) 781 5755; website: http://landmarktheatres.com/Market/Seattle/Seattle_Frameset.htm) - Harvard Exit, 807 East Roy Street and the Egyptian, 801 East Pine Street).

The best-known Seattle-based film, SleeplessinSeattle (1993), starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, was set in a Lake Union houseboat. Other movies filmed in Seattle include GetCarter (1999) with Sylvester Stallone, TheFugitive TV series (2000) and LifeorSomethingLikeIt (2001) with Angelina Jolie and Ed Burns.

LiteraryNotes: As part of the Wild West and the Alaskan Gold Rush and the subsequent lack of intellectual investment, Seattle is not known for its literary history until the Beat generation of the 1950s onwards. Writer Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) lived here briefly, while Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) passed through after a three-month stint as a fire-watcher in the Cascades in 1956. Poet Theodore Roethke taught at the University of Washington, along with native Seattle writer Richard Hugo and the more famous Raymond Carver, who once lived on the Olympic Peninsula.

The best-known Seattle-based popular novelist is Tom Robbins, author of AnotherRoadsideAttraction (1971) and EvenCowgirlsGettheBlues (1976). British travel writer and novelist Jonathan Raban lives in the Pacific Northwest and has written extensively about the area, as well as Seattle itself, particularly in PassagetoJuneau (1999), where he makes wry observations on the 'Scandinavian rectitude' of the natives.

ThisBoy'sLife (1989) was Tobias Wolff's story of his childhood in a small town north of Seattle, which was made into a movie starring Ellen Barkin and Robert De Niro in 1993. David Guterson's SnowFallingonCedars (1994) was set in the misty San Juan Islands and was made into a film in 1999. Annie Dillard wrote TheLiving (1992), a romantic tale of the Pacific Northwest, set in the late 19th century.

There are an increasing number of crime writers using Seattle as a setting. Best known is Native American writer Sherman Alexie, whose book, IndianKiller (1996), concerns the serial murder of scalped white men in the city, contrasted against the trendy coffee bars and misty scenery. Curiously, the Seattle area has also launched internationally known, offbeat contemporary cartoonists, such as Lynda Barry (ErniePook'sComeek), Matt Groening (originator of TheSimpsons), and Gary Larson (The Far Side).

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