3 Days of What to See & Eat in Seattle

Seattle, located in the Pacific Northwest, is surrounded by water, mountains, forest and is home to Microsoft and Amazon headquarters. I have been wanting to go to Seattle since my friend from Singapore moved there. She and her husband brought a brand new house and we arrived two months after she moved in so we got the opportunity to see her beautiful home and meet their dog, Oslo. In addition to catching up with her, I had the chance to explore Seattle and see the city Grey’s Anatomy where is based. Here are my suggestions for Seattle.

SIGHTSEEING RECOMMENDATION

Gas Works Park

Gas Works Park is a 19.1-acre public park that used to be a former Seattle Gas Light Company coal gasification plant. This park was fully open to the public in July 1976. Visitors can enjoy great views of the lake and downtown Seattle on the top of the park’s 60-ft hill. There are a lot of different activities including kayaking, sailing, picnicking, bicycling, flying kites, and more.

Rating: 7.8/10.0
What Have I Learned: If you’re going to see the Fremont Troll, this is only a 15-minute walk or a 3-minute drive away.
Cost: FREE
Hour: Mon to Sun: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Kerry Park

This public park is famous for its panoramic views of downtown Seattle with the Space Needle and you may also see Mt. Rainier in the background if the skies are clear. This is a great place to watch the sunset and the city’s night lights. If you are a Grey’s Anatomy fan like I am, you can also see Meredith Grey’s House from Kerry Park (Corner at 3rd Ave W & W Cornstock St).

Rating: 8.5/10.0
What Have I Learned: There is free parking along the streets in the Queen Anne neighborhood but make sure to get there much earlier if you’re trying to catch the sunset.
Cost: FREE
Hour: Mon to Sun: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Chihuly Garden and Glass

One of my favorite thing to do in Seattle was Chihuly Garden and Glass. I have seen Dale Chihuly’s famous pieces at museums and casinos but there are so many other pieces here that you don’t see anywhere else. There are eight galleries, a Glasshouse featuring a 100 ft long structure, and a lush garden.

Rating: 10.0/10.0
What Have I Learned: There are live daily glass demonstrations from 11 AM to 5 PM
Cost: 32 USD (Regular 13-64)/ 27 USD (Senior 65+)/ 19 USD (Youth 5-12) – Purchase Ticket Here
Hour: Mon to Sun: 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM

Pike Place Market

Eight local farmers started selling produce in August 1907 and Pike Place Market is the oldest continuously operating farmers’ market in the country. This market has more than 500 shops, restaurants, and bars. You can also check out the first Starbucks, eat a Russian beef and cheese pastry at Piroshky Piroshky, and more.

Rating: 8.5/10.0
What Have I Learned: There is one hour of free parking on the block of Pike Place Market if you’re lucky enough to get a spot.
Cost: FREE
Hour: Mon to Sun: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Fremont Troll

This wasn’t on the top of my list but we grabbed brunch near here so we made it one of our stops on the first day we were here. It’s an 18 ft troll crushing an actual Volkswagen Beetle in his left hand. Sculptor Steve Badanes won the art competition led by Fremont Arts Council in 1989. The troll was an inspiration from the folktale Three Billy Goat’s Gruff which is about a troll that lives under a bridge.

Rating: 7.0/10.0
What Have I Learned: The art competition was created to rehabilitate the area under the bridge which became a dumping ground and a place for drug dealers.
Cost: FREE
Hour: 24 Hours

Space Needle

Space Needle, an icon in Seattle, is 605-ft tall. It opened in 1962 and celebrated its 60th Anniversary this past April. It is the first in the world to have a rotating glass floor and they also have tilting glass walls. The restaurant on the top also rotates so you can enjoy your floor with different views as you eat.

Rating: 7.8/10.0
What Have I Learned: The Space Needle recently changed the color on the top to orange to show support for survivors of gun violence and honor the ones who died from gun violence.
Cost: 35 USD (Regular 13-64)/ 30 USD (Senior 65+)/ 26 USD (Youth 5-12) – Purchase Ticket Here
Hour: Mon to Sun: 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM

Amazon Sphere

The Amazon Sphere is an indoor garden and was built as a place for its employee to have meetings, hang out, eat and relax. It reminds me of Singapore’s Flower Dome with the gigantic wall of greens. It doesn’t have a waterfall but it does have a mist wall. Our friend works at Amazon and said she would have to let us into Amazon Sphere. When we got there, they said our friend would have to accompany us the whole time we were inside. It is open to visitors by reservation (free of charge) on the first and third Saturday of each month.

Rating: 7.0/10.0
What Have I Learned: The Sphere is 72 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity at around 60% so it is warm inside.
Cost: FREE
Hour: Mon to Sat: 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM/ Sun: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM

FOOD RECOMMENDATION

Mama’s Kitchen

Since our friends lived in Seattle for so many years, we let them pick our first meal in Seattle. They chose this Korean restaurant. We had the cheese tteokbokki (18.99 USD) which reminded me of one of my earlier dates with my husband. We also had their tuna kimbap (14.99 USD) and soondooboo soup (15.99 USD). I really liked their soup but my husband said BCD Tofu house in NYC makes it better.
Cost: $$
Rating: 7.8/10.0
Hours: Mon to Sun: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Menu

Super Six

If you’re looking for a great Hawaiian brunch spot, this is the place to go. We ordered the chicken & HK egg waffle (15.5 USD) and Loco Moco (14.50 USD). We both love their Loco Moco which is rice, hamburger, and gravy. It may sound weird but don’t judge it until you taste it. We also ordered the malasada with a filling but it wasn’t memorable. They have a great outdoor space so my friends were able to bring their dog, Oslo, with us.
Cost: $$
Rating: 9.0/10.0
Hours: Mon to Thu: 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM/ Fri: 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM/ Sat: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM/ Sun: 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Dinner Menu & Brunch Menu

Fremont Brewery

This is right by the Fremont Troll. My husband loves trying the local beer when we’re in a new city so we checked out this brewery. They have a flight of 5 beers for 15 USD. This place has a lot of seating indoors and outdoors.
Cost: $$
Rating: 7.8/10.0
Hours: Sun to Wed: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM/ Thurs to Sat: 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Menu

So Tasty

Our friend loves and raves about this place so we had to try this restaurant. He mentioned that it had one of the best fried chickens he had so we had to order that. We were both surprised by their fried chicken. We had really good fried chicken wings from Chinese take-out restaurants before but this was different. The crispiness is on par with fried chicken from the south and it was flavorful! They are also known for their noodle soup so we got the mala soup base and really enjoyed it.
Cost: $$
Rating: 8.2/10.0
Hours: Mon: Closed/ Tues to Sun: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM & 4:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Menu

Paseo

Yelp has so many great ratings for this sandwich shop. We ordered the Caribbean roast sandwich to share since we were going to have dinner soon. It’s a very juicy sandwich! Must try!
Cost: $$
Rating: 9.5/10.0
Hours: Mon: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM/Tue to Fri: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM/Sat: 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM/ Sun: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Menu

Supreme Dumplings

My husband and I wanted to go to Din Tai Fung since we currently don’t have it in NYC. Our friends said their lines are usually long and they had better soup dumplings. They have been wanting to try this place since it opened but luckily she was able to get a last-minute reservation. Every dish that came out was really good so I understand why it’s impossible to get a reservation. We ordered the black truffle and vegetable fried rice (16 USD), tan tan noodles with peanut (9.50 USD), 8 pcs pork xiao long bao (11 USD), 6 pcs shrimp & pork wontons (8 USD), and drunken chilled chicken (9.50 USD).
Cost: $$
Rating: 9.0/10.0
Hours: Mon: Closed/ Tue to Fri: 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM & 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM/ Sat & Sun: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Menu

Inside Passage

This fun tiki bar has Instagram-worthy drinks in unique cups and food. I made the reservation about 3 weeks in advance and you’ll want to because it gets booked up fast. We didn’t make our reservation but something we would like to check out the next time we are back in Seattle.
Cost: $$
Hours: Mon to Sun: 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Menu

The Pink Door

This Italian restaurant has over 5.8K reviews on Yelp with 4.5 stars. Some popular dishes are Linguine Alle Vongole, Pappardelle Al Ragu Bolognese, and Squid Ink Pasta.
Cost: $$
Hours: Tues to Sat: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM/ Sun & Mon: Closed
Menu

Elliott’s Oyster House

This 1975 seafood restaurant was on my list because I wanted to try their oysters. They have a variety of local Washington oysters (4.00 to 4.50 USD/ oyster). They are also known for their crab cakes, white clam chowder, Dungeness Crab, and other seafood dishes.
Cost: $$$
Hours: Sun to Thu: 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM/ Fri & Sat: 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Menu

Toulouse Petit Kitchen & Lounge

This New Orleans and cajun creole restaurant is known for its Creme Caramel French Toast, Crawfish Beignets, Seafood Gumbo, and French Onion Soup.
Cost: $$
Hours: Mon to Fri: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM/ Sat & Sun: 9:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Brunch Menu Other Menus

Top Pot Doughnuts

If you’re looking for donuts, you can find a variety of doughnuts, pastries, and drinks here.
Cost: $
Hours: Mon to Fri: 6:00 AM – 3:00 AM/ Sat & Sun: 7:00 AM – 3:00 AM
Menu

Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery

The name of the restaurant tells you what they are famous for… molten lava cake. My husband loves molten lava cake so this was on our list. However, we didn’t end up having enough meals to try this spot.
Cost: $$
Hours: Mon to Fri: 4:00 PM – 11:00 PM/ Sat & Sun: 2:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Menu

Bakery Nouveau

This shop has three locations and is known for its Double Toasted Almond Croissants. They have a variety of pastries, bread, dessert, and more.
Cost: $
Hours: Mon & Tue: 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM/ Wed to Sun: 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Menu

FAQ

How many days do you need in Seattle? 2-3 days
What is your main transportation in Seattle? Car
How long did it take to get to Seattle? We drove 2 hours and 45 minutes from Portland to Seattle.
Where did you stay? We stayed at our friend’s house in Newcastle near Bellevue.
When did you go to Seattle? Mid-May 2022