Justin's Visitors Guide to Seattle

They have an amazing patio that looks out over South Lake Union, where you can watch the seaplanes land and take off while drinking a margarita and eating their delicious tortilla chips.

Rays Cafe has one of the most beautiful views from a restaurant patio. Make sure you go upstairs to the cafe to be able to sit outside.

This place has wagyu tacos and delicious margaritas. The Papa Loca and the Rojitos Plobanos are also amazing. We pick this up probably once a month.

Stoneburner does a lot of things right. It has great drinks, food, like the pizzas, steak tartar, and their vegetable dishes, but they also have a great staff, which is saying something in Seattle.

We only really do this place for brunch, but it consistently delivers. I always get the benedict, but the real star is the donuts. Make sure you get an order for the table.

Happy hour drinks with unobstructed Sound and Olympic views. Sit on the patio having a glass of bubbles and a round of oysters with a side of fries.

Get the xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and these spicy wontons. We usually order this for delivery.

Lebanese-Mexican fusion tacos that are fried, sewn together, and then pan-fried. Esquire named it one of the best new restaurants in America for a reason.

The best pasta in Seattle, full stop. Housemade Piedmontese egg-yolk noodles in an intimate room that feels like northern Italy.

Dutch babies (giant baked pancakes) in a historic Seattle gem near Seattle Center. Get the blueberry-lemon ricotta or go savory.

Waterfront views of the lake and mountains, award-winning chowder, and sustainable seafood that actually tastes like the Pacific Northwest.

Parisian wine bar owned by David and a recent James Beard nominee for wine list. Good charcuterie boards that won't break your budget.

Modern Korean steakhouse with shareable small plates. Order 3-4 dishes and experience the vibe.

Casual Italian in one of Seattle's oldest houses with rotating pastas, fresh burrata, and tiramisu that justify the reservation scramble.

Globally sourced fresh seafood in a reclaimed-wood fishing lodge vibe. Great preparations without the pretense.

Grass-fed steaks in Greenwood with an anchovy-paprika butter that's the only topping you need. The tomahawk is worth the splurge.

French bistro with golden-hour views of Elliott Bay and the Olympics. Seasonal menu rooted in market ingredients since 1981.

Order the Acadiana Benedict with crab and creole hollandaise at brunch. Arrive early — it lives up to the hype.

Lychee margarita, Hawaiian-Korean fusion sliders, and a picnic table under string lights on Alki Beach facing the skyline. Peak summer move.

Raw fish dinner with over 60 imported sake options and an intimate sushi bar. Great date night.

House-made pasta, meatballs, and $8 happy hour bowls at the bar. Sit at the counter for the best bartenders in town.

Open until 2am with hand-cut fries and milkshakes since 1954. The Dick's Deluxe is a Seattle institution and a rite of passage.

So many great cocktails and good bartenders. You can't go wrong.

They might have the best red wine in Washington. We were a member for many years.

This is one of the biggest tasting rooms in the area. Lovely to walk around on a nice sunny day.

JM is a cool place in the woods, but make a reservation ahead of time.

These guys recently moved into a new space and they did a good job. Motorcycles and Rock & Roll. We are members here. Great staff.

A nice, spacious patio that serves pizza and charcuterie.

Patio with great wine. Get the Protagonist and the Conflict. Good vibes on the patio.

Darby makes good wine, but they just moved into a new space that has a hidden room where you can listen to vinyl records. Very cool vibe, especially when it's not nice outside.

DeLille has a nice size patio and a good size dining room. A great place to come in, have some wine, eat some lunch.

Sandy beach with tide pools, Puget Sound views, and Olympic Mountain sunsets. Best beach in the city.

Repurposed gas plant on Lake Union with a hill perfect for kite-flying and sweeping skyline views. Bring a blanket.

Free salmon viewing as fish navigate the ladder between salt and fresh water. Watch them through underwater windows — peak season July through September.

5.5-mile out-and-back hike with three viewpoints of Mount Si and Cedar River watershed. Moderately challenging and absolutely worth the drive.

Order a Dungeness crab to-go cup at City Fish and crack it while wandering the market. Worth the trip for the produce alone.

15-minute ferry from Pier 50 to West Seattle beach. The commute is half the fun. Pair with lunch at Marination Ma Kai.

Paddle past floatplanes, houseboats, and the Space Needle with Moss Bay. Sheltered waters make it beginner-friendly.

Kenmore Air's seaplanes take off and land right by the lake. Grab a coffee and watch — it never gets old.

Massive glass sculptures, a vibrant garden, and 40 years of Chihuly color experiments. Budget 1-2 hours.

Seattle's largest park with 534 acres of forest, meadows, and dramatic bluffs overlooking Puget Sound. The trail down to the lighthouse is one of the best walks in the city.