Queen Anne
Establishment
neighborhood
Canlis
2576 Aurora Ave. N, Queen Anne
When it comes to Seattle dining establishments, Canlis is OG, located inside a 1950’s modernist home overlooking Lake Union. A bonus: All the tables have water views, meaning there’s not a bad seat in the house. It’s a family-owned spot that began as a steakhouse, though over the years they’ve tweaked the menu, adding Japanese elements here and there. Don’t miss the stellar selection of sake, and be sure to order the truffle fries. Trust.
Taylor Shellfish
124 Republican St., Queen Anne
While there’s certainly no shortage of great seafood joints in Seattle, Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bars is our pick for pre-dinner appetizers (their selection of oysters is one of the city’s biggest). The fifth-generation family fishing business has expanded to include three oyster bars in Seattle, all of which uphold the family commitment to sustainable fish farming and sourcing locally grown produce. The Shuckers Dozen, a composition of various oysters, is a good entry point. There are now three locations in Seattle (the other two are in Pioneer Square and Capitol Hill).
Molly Moon’s
321 W. Galer St., Queen Anne
If you ask someone who lives in Seattle where to go for ice cream, Molly Moon's is likely to be one of the first places on their must-try list. Mainstay flavors here include vanilla bean, earl grey, honey lavender, melted chocolate, balsamic strawberry, and Scout Mint (Molly Moon's buys thousands of boxes of Thin Mint cookies each year from Western Washington Girl Scouts). They have a number of do-good policies: Everything used in the shop (from spoons to milkshake cups) is entirely compostable; their Anna Banana Milk Fund sends fresh milk to families in need every week; they source locally as much as possibly. (About 90% of their ingredients come from the Pacific Northwest. They've been working with the same organic lavender farm, Purple Haze, for several years. And the approximately 16,000 pounds of chocolate that they use annually comes from organic, fair-trade Theo Chocolate, which is made in Seattle.) The original Molly Moon's is in Wallingford, which has a parklet outside with swing seats and a baby hill for play. All of the ice cream in Wallingford is made on-site—same goes for the locations in Capitol Hill, Queen…
Top Pot Doughnuts
325 W. Galer St., Queen Anne
Top Pot Doughnuts is Seattle's sophisticated take on the doughnuts-and-coffee love affair, and a popular one at that—they're now more than 20 locations strong, and expanding into Texas, too. With so many outposts and free WiFi at each, it's a convenient alternative to Starbucks, with the notable addition of doughnuts that are baked fresh every day. Other locations: Capitol Hill, Downtown, plus many more.
Queen Bee Café
223 W. Galer St., Queen Anne
This sweet café specializes in English crumpets, with a menu that offers countless iterations of them (both sweet and savory). But just because you’re eating British fare doesn’t mean you can only drink tea—the baristas here do a full range of coffee drinks using Stumptown beans. Bonus: Both the Capitol Hill and Queen Anne locations are registered 501c3s—all profits are donated to a rotating group of local charities.