- Address: 2408 1st Avenue, Seattle, WA (Belltown Location)
- Type: Italian
- Pricing: $12/person
- Rating: 5/5 stars
Macrina’s Website
A testament to how popular this place already is, we went at about 11am for lunch to a half full cafe, and by noon the place was overflowing. The bread is delicious, and is what makes their lunches so tasty. Most (if not all) of the menu uses organic ingredients.
I tried the “meza” plate, which is your choice of 3 out of 5 options. I had the green salad, the soup du jour (tomato & red pepper) and the crostini. All were excellent, and I was glad to have tried several things. My friend had the “demi” sandwich with a rice pilaf, which she said was also excellent. Our waiter seemed a little inexperienced, but was always helpful and was probably just new.
Afterwards, we bought some bread to take home and a devil’s food cupcake with a slight mocha-like frosting (not sure, thats just what it tasted it like) and some raspberries & strawberries on top. Basically, it took all my will power not to stuff the entire cupcake in my mouth at once. It was excellent, and I wish I had bought a dozen more. I’m sure it’s probably better that I didn’t, since I would have eaten them all for dinner.
Since it’s a little more expensive than I normally like to spend on lunch, it’s probably not a place I’d go very frequently. But, other than that, I’d probably eat there every day. They also serve some good smelling coffee, though I didn’t see what roaster they were using.
- Address: 8917 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA
- Type: Chinese
- Pricing: $15/person
- Rating: 4/5 stars
Website
A pretty popular restaurant with sometimes very long wait times. I’ve shown up and waited 45 minutes for a table, but I have also gone and sat down immediately. The staff is always nice and the prices pretty fair. Parking is off street only, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a problem finding a space.
The food is pretty good, though like the wait times, it sometimes can be hit and miss. There are some dishes that are always excellent (I loooove the potstickers). We had the chow mein with house made noodles, and they were pretty good, but the left overs the next day reminded me how incredibly greasy they were.
It’s close to my house, so I tend to eat here a lot when I am craving Chinese food, but I am still looking for my favorite westside Chinese place.
- Address: 2137 Second Ave., Seattle, WA (Belltown)
- Type: French Italian
- Pricing: $25-$30/person
- Rating: 5/5 stars
The 25-$25 Promotion Menu
We chose this restaurant for a girl’s night out, after hearing wonderful reviews for the place. It’s a little hidden, in my opinion, and looks small from the outside. If you were just walking down 2nd Avenue, you might not choose this restaurant at first glance. You would be passing up a great opportunity if you did, though!
Inside is a nice, clean, open atmosphere. The staff were professional and prompt, and always available. I didn’t feel like I was treated as second-class because I was ordering off the promotional menu, and the waiter was knowledgable and had excellent suggestions.
I had the seasonal soup (pear and squash? I forget what was in it, but it had a nice creamy smooth texture) while my companions tried the ricotta garlic gnudi. All were excellent. Then for entrees, also all excellent, we tried the roasted garlic chicken, creamy pear & gorgonzola risotto, and grilled portobello/vegetables. The risotto was a little too creamy for me, and in the end I decided I might have liked the chicken better. For dessert - super chocolatey eclairs for me and strawberry panna cotta for my friends. The chocolate was too rich after having such a rich entree, and I probably should have chose the panna cotta.
Overall, an excellent place, and I would go back again for special dates and occasions. Maybe a bit too pricey for the casual dine out, but good if you want to impress someone 
- Address: 5431 Ballard Ave. N.W., Seattle, WA
- Type: Mexican
- Pricing: $20/person
- Rating: 5/5 stars
SeattlePI Review
TheStranger Review
It’s always crowded here, but on my search for good Mexican food in Seattle, this is in my top 3 places to satisfy my cravings. Everyone writes good things about this restaurant, but for good reason - the food is awesome.
They have a self-serve salsa bar with lots of yummy options, and the dishes are best ordered family style. We ordered a couple plates per person, and had a hard time sharing with each other My favorite was the empanadas.
I personally enjoy the neat art and photography on the walls, but others may call it “sterile.” It’s much different than any other Mexican place you’d find in Seattle, but I think the owners are aiming for that.
We went at about 8pm on a Saturday night, which I knew was going to be a bad idea, but I wanted to go anyway. We waited for about 45 minutes, which sucks because there is no waiting area and on a cold night in Seattle it isn’t too fun to wait outside. There is a restaurant “bar” but it’s more like a couple stools and about 30 people crammed in next to each other because they don’t want to lose their spot in line and they don’t want to wait outside.
Service was good but lots of action going on and constantly changing tables, so while they help you as best they can, don’t expect the most attentive service on busy nights (which is every night, LOL).
Would go again and again if the restaraunt was bigger and reduced their wait times a little.
- Address: Crossroads Mall, Bellevue, WA (Near Stage)
- Type: Bubble Tea/Coffee
- Pricing: $3/person
- Rating: 4/5 stars
A short (and incomplete) listing of Crossroads restaurants
Not too bad and never really crowded (at least, the mall is crowded but the line for bubble tea is short).
My new favorite thing lately is hot milk tea with the mini-tapioca balls, and this place is alright. Gossip on University Ave is way better.
Although it’s a mall, the Crossroads has free WiFi and has ample seating. Also, there is a lively gaming crowd at the north end with a giant chess board and lots of games to purchase at Uncle’s Games right near by. A great place to enjoy your bubble tea and hang out for a bit.
- Address: 14045 NE 20th St, Bellevue, WA
- Type: Korean Grill & Sushi
- Pricing: $20/person ++
- Rating: 4/5 stars
From the outside, it looks like just another restaurant in a strip mall among strip malls. Once I stepped in the door, however, I realized how spacious and well-planned this restaurant must have been. There are many tables, and sections divided up on what type of meal you plan on having (just sushi or do you want to grill too?) with large stainless steel fans above the grill tables.
We went on a random Monday night, and it was exceptionally crowded. I admit that we weren’t looking for something as upscale as this place turned out to be - I just didn’t feel like cooking that night. The waitress said we had to order a minimum of two meat dishes to be grilled, which was unfortunate because the two of us never eat that much food to begin with. We took a couple of the waitress’ suggestions, and also got a single order of tuna sushi just for kicks.
The spread was gi-mongous, and we barely touched a lot of it. There was a large salad for us to share, and at least 7 different side dishes (of which we sampled each one and that was it.) For the main entree, we received two large plates of meat and 3 different kinds of very awesome sauces for them. The grill was great and we definitely filled ourselves up.
Honestly, I don’t remember thinking the sushi was good, but then, if I had known the grill part was going to be so huge, I would never have ordered it in the first place. I would have to sit down and have a real sushi-only meal to give this place a fair rating in that area.
My drink was always full and the waitress was very helpful. I would go back to this place all the time if it wasn’t so expensive.
- Address:1420 5th Ave, Seattle, Wa
- Type: ummm… Soup?
- Pricing: $6/person
- Rating: 4/5 stars
nothing better on a cold rainy afternoon than some warm wholesome soup. for lunch in the winter, going to Soups! is a regular thing for me. they usually have about 10 varieties, and it comes in three sizes. all soups come with bread and a piece of fruit (never seen it be anything but apple, banana, or orange). they usually have at least 1 or 2 vegetarian, and sometimes vegan, options. there is a daily special that is a medium size soup for a small price deal.
Soups! is in the US Bank Centre near Star(f)ucks, and you’ll notice it because there is probably a gimongous line in front of it. the only probably with Soups! is that it is so popular that if you don’t go close to lunchtime rush (noon-1pm) then you might not get the soup you want, and they start closing/cleaning up at around 2pm-ish on some days. (technically i think they are supposed to close at 3pm).
- Address: 2001 4th Ave, Seattle, WA
- Type: Traditional/American - Lunch
- Pricing: $10/person
- Rating: 4/5 stars
Tom Douglas Website
The cafe is a smaller little place to the right of the Dahlia Lounge. I’ve only eaten at the Dahlia Lounge once, and don’t feel qualified to review it since I didn’t pay for my meal and I wasn’t paying attention much. (I can say that it has a beautiful atmosphere though.)
I probably eat at the cafe once every week or two for lunch. I love their sandwiches (always creative, about $7 a piece) and their salads are often good too. The staff are helpful and will always suggest something if you don’t know what to get. The menu usually includes 3 or 4 sandwiches and a couple salads. Of course, the real reason I go in Dahlia Cafe is because I want to gawk at the awesome pastries they have lined up behind the glass. My favorite: Coconut Pie Bite - $2.50. A little slice of heaven…
Don’t go here if you want a lot of selection - the key is that they do a few things really well and that’s it. There is no seating here - just pick up your lunch and go. (They do have a chair or two out front though.)