Seattle: A Weekend Guide

We recently visited Seattle, over a cold and rainy weekend, but we didn't let that slow us down. We discovered it was a fun city to explore rain or shine! This was a work trip for my husband, so we had limited time to see the city, but we made the most of it.

If you're headed to Seattle anytime soon, here's some of the places we hit and enjoyed!

SPACE NEEDLE

This is an obvious stop, but a must-do! Whenever we are traveling to a new city, we like to spilt our time between super touristy spots and places the locals hang out. This touristy spot provides some gorgeous views, along with the history of the city and how the needle was constructed. 

Tip: Bundle up (you'll be glad you did!) and go before noon and you'll save $10. 

Website: Space Needle

Pike's Place Market 

Another hot spot and tourist destination! It's the market of all markets. There is plenty to do and see as you stroll through this nine acre market place - try local foods, explore the historic district, visit with local artists, watch the fishmongers at Pikes Place Fish Market shout orders and throw fish to each other, shop antiques and much more. I think we explored at least four floors of shops and it's all impressive! Plus, the original Starbucks is located right on the corner outside of the market. 

Website: Pike's Place Market

Starbucks Reserve

This was such an interesting stop. There are only two Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Rooms in the country - this one in Seattle, another in New York and they are currently building one in Chicago. This one is just nine blocks from the original Starbucks at Pike's Place and this 4,000 square foot store showcases the entire coffee making process. You can watch the coffee beans roasting, taste rare Starbucks Reserve brews and specialty drinks, take the stairs in the library to the overlook to watch the entire production. It's a very unique and interesting experience. 

​Website: Starbucks Reserve

Bellevue

During this quick trip, we were able to meet up with my aunt and uncle who have lived in the Seattle area for many years, so they were our tour guides for an evening! We drove over the long bridge from downtown to Bellevue just as the sun was setting, which made the landscape even more beautiful.

We were having so much fun catching up, I hardly took any photos. We grabbed drinks at JOEY Bellevue, before heading to the botanical garden to see their Christmas light display! For dinner, we went to Serafina (more on that below) before driving back over the bridge and through the beautiful downtown area. They were wonderful tour guides, driving us through all the hot spots and sharing the history of the city. Such a fun night exploring! 

food recs.

Tilkum Place Cafe

We stumbled upon this place through Yelp since it's close to the Space Needle, which was our next stop. The coffee was incredible, the food was equally delightful and they were very accommodating and switched out the sides for us.

Address: 407 Cedar St. Seattle, WA 98121
Website: tilikumplacecafe.com

Brave Horse Tavern

This was a fantastic brunch spot! They had shuffle board, darts, plenty of TVs to watch the football games, and great, efficient service. To start, I ordered my favorite, a spicy bloody Mary and it came with a short local brew too - both were delicious! For an entree, I chose the Smoked Brisket Hash, which was "smoked brisket, sweet onion, pickled peppers, house ketchup, breakfast potatoes, two eggs." Absolutely phenomenal. 

Address: 310 Terry Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109
Website: bravehorsetavern.com

Serafina

This is a quaint little Italian restaurant located in the Bellevue area. My aunt and uncle took us here during our trip to the east side of Seattle and it did not disappoint! On the left was my entree, one of the specials described as, "braised beef short rib, baby potato confit, cipollini agrodolce, haricot vert, red wine jus, gremolata." It was superb. I didn't snap of photo of everything, so the one on the right is from Yelp, but it's what my husband ordered. He had the Rigatoni Bolognese, which was "anderson ranch lamb, fennel sausage, marjoram, pecorino." 

Address: 2043 Eastlake Ave. East Seattle, WA 98102 
Website: serafinaseattle.com