With a hilly topography and a coastal setting, Seattle has numerous restaurants offering memorable views. The best continues to be my longtime recommendation of Canlis, overlooking Lake Union and the distant Cascades. But on this most recent visit, I tried two others, serving two different styles of seafood.

Ray’s Café

Located above the more formal Ray’s Boathouse and a short drive from the Hotel Ballard, this restaurant is an ideal choice for lunch on a sunny day. Its terrace has sweeping, unobstructed views of the Olympic Mountains across Puget Sound. We opted for a window table inside, to avoid the cool autumn breeze. I loved my plump Mediterranean mussels (raised nearby at Taylor Shellfish Farms), bathed in a rich and spicy Thai-style broth of coconut milk and red curry. And the delicious local sablefish (black cod) had delicate and moist flesh glazed in sake kasu, accompanied by grilled bok choy, honey-soy sauce and scallion oil. A spicy and floral Bodhizafa IPA from Seattle’s Georgetown Brewing Company paired perfectly.

Ray’s Café
6049 Seaview Avenue NW. Tel. (206) 782-0094