The grindy days of winter are upon us. No more holidays to look forward to, still not much warmth or light, rain or snow that turns to rain or bright days that are somehow the coldest of all. What do you have to look forward to? New restaurants! From late December through early February we’ve seen plenty of promising restaurants open; here are a few of the more notable ones.
Know about a place we missed? Email us at [email protected].
TANGLETOWN — The highly anticipated Detroit-style pizzeria My Friend Derek’s opened the first week of February in the former MKT space. The website, with typical MFD understatement, reads, “So, we’re open. (Honestly, I’d recommend waiting a week or two.)”
CAPITOL HILL — A new bar from Katze Opatz (of La Dive and Rich Rich, among other projects) just opened in the shoebox-sized space on Olive Way that was formerly home to Crumble and Flake. Called Laurel (in honor of Opatz’s mother) it is currently open for coffee during the day and will be starting cocktail service on February 10, Opatz wrote in an email.
SOUTH PARK — After being badly damaged in a fire in 2023, the coffee shop Good Voyage has reopened. It’s still in “soft service” mode for the time being, owners said on Instagram, but is now offering cocktails and dinner Thursdays through Sundays.
EASTLAKE — Fram Brews is the latest remote work–friendly cafe/bar/whatever to open in Seattle. It offers coffee, Sea Wolf pastries, boozy slushies, beer, and Australian meat pies — the pies plus the inclusion of flat whites on the coffee menu means this is kind of giving Land Down Under? Dogs are welcome, and there’s a “mimosa happy hour” all day Sundays.
MADISON VALLEY — A new coffee shop, Yeobo Cafe and Bar, has opened on Madison. It specializes in breakfast sandwiches with a Korean twist, with ingredients like gochujang kewpie mayo plus vegan options.
BALLARD — Brunch spot Watson’s Counter has been replaced by Migaku, a high-end restaurant that does kaiseki — an elegant, traditional style of Japanese cuisine that’s relatively uncommon in Seattle. The owner is Migaku Inaba, a chef from Shizuoka, Japan. Prices for the set menus range from $130 to $300.
CHINATOWN INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT — Conspagna Ethiopian Restaurant just opened in the CID. Judging by its menu, it specializes in shiro wot — a chickpea stew — and tibse, a stir-fry-esque meat dish.
BELLEVUE — An intriguing new Eastside restaurant, Pacifika Grill and Bar, has opened in Belleuve’s Wilburton neighborhood. It specializes in Hawaiian and Samoan cuisine and even has some Chamorro dishes, like chicken corn soup, on the menu. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and doing takeout orders under the name Pacifika Express.
WHITE CENTER — A solid takeout spot that operated out of a Capitol Hill ghost kitchen is now a brick-and-mortar in White Center. Cocina Casera serves a wide range of South American food, including arepas, empanadas, and “bento boxes” that let you sample a lot of dishes at once.
CENTRAL DISTRICT — Minna Mediterranean on Cherry has a traditional menu of shawarma, falafel, gyros — you get the idea — plus ice cream.
BALLARD — Replacing well-loved coffee shop Root on Ballard Avenue is Homage Coffee, which also sells ceramics. Judging by its Instagram, Homage is continuing Root’s legacy of high-quality beans and unusual seasonal drinks.
WALLINGFORD — Incredibly U Wine Bar says that it’s “Seattle’s first upscale board game wine bar.” Shouldn’t the city already have three or four of them? U Wine does Commander nights on Mondays and Magic: The Gathering drafts on Fridays.
UNIVERSITY VILLAGE — Last but not least, Andrew Rubinstein’s Hey Bagel brick-and-mortar has finally opened to rave reviews. Expect long lines, no sandwiches, and no toasting.
2025-02-03T19:44:48Z