Where to Eat, Drink, and Sleep With Only 24 Hours in Seattle

The summer in Seattle is gone, the cold snap of rain back on Cherry Street. The fastest-growing city in the country according to the U.S. Census Bureau last year, the Emerald City is an ever-stranger series of contradictions. Infamous grunge iconoclasts flaming out on Pill Hill; the wealthiest capitalists in the world donning their Patagonia vests in South Lake Union. And a wealth of natural food and outdoor serenity on top of it all.

You’ve got just a day and a night in Seattle, perhaps a lay-over or a conference downtown. No, you won’t see it all — you won’t even come close. But if you head from SeaTac to this middle chunk of Seattle, eating and drinking and walking through it all, you will see what it’s like to enjoy the city like a proper PNW local.

Hotel — Gaslight Inn

This Craftsman-style lodge was built in the early 1900s and granted landmark status by the city in 2015. New ownership took over in 2021, but the eight bedroom hotel still boasts gorgeous interiors, a pool, and easy access to the sights of the neighborhood and transit. The rooms can go for under $300, though the ambitious can look to rent the entire house for $2,000. For those on a tighter budget and with a skip in their step, look to the Green Tortoise Hostel downtown, as much a part of the Pike Street landscape as that neon sign. In either case, drop your bags and head to Bellevue Avenue.

1727 15th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

Coffee — Ghost Note Coffee

Picking coffee favorites in Seattle is, I can only imagine, much harder than picking your favourite child. It’s the birthplace of the villainous mermaid multinational, a place almost synonymous with coffee culture for many Americans. There are tons of options even around Capitol Hill. But Ghost Note Coffee cuts through all the noise.

Owner Christos Andrews debuted his shop in spring 2017 after winning awards at national competitions including America’s Best Espresso contest and Coffee Masters NYC. Try the ‘Sun Ship’ – smoked grapefruit, rosemary, coconut milk and espresso, or another signature: ‘Lush Life’, a concoction of espresso, almond milk, and orange blossom honey.

Take your brilliantly caffeinated self to the International District from here, perhaps beelining for Volunteer Park first if you’re down for a big walk and those quintessential skyline views. After which you must make your way to Seattle’s neighborhood for outdoor ping pong and big-time boba. Visit the Wing Luke museum, Seattle’s premiere spot for Asian American history, if you have the time.

1623 Bellevue Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

Lunch — Uwajimaya Village

This family-operated Asian grocery store launched in 1928 and is sort of like a PNW H Mart. It’s a mega-popular lunch destination for those in the neighborhood due to the sprawling aisles of Japanese treats and food hall of 12 vendors. Those restaurants change over the years, but longtime standards include Beard Papa’s Cream Puffs and Hawaiian restaurant Aloha Plates.

If you’re left wanting after having seen all there is to see and devour inside Uwajimaya, which would be bold, Purple Dot Cafe is a fine nearby alternative that is also excellent for late-night. 

From here, it’s paramount — given your hotel’s location and the flow of this itinerary — to head to Pike Place Market. Cinnamon Works bakery and Mee Sum Pastry are iconic outlets for decadent cookies and lo mai gai if you’re on an Action Bronson-inspired tear. The market is a cavalcade of wonder through every story, comic book stores and curiosity shops aplenty. The market and its splendor are not a far walk, or there are plenty of cabs headed that way. 

600 5th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104

Dinner — BaBar

Near the edge of the Central District lies one of the city’s finest examples of modern Vietnamese cuisine. Eric and Sophie Banh, owners and siblings, took the Town by storm in 1999 when they launched their first Monsoon restaurant. In summer 2011 they unveiled an upscale companion, an elegant Capitol Hill destination from the jump for fine local duck and oxtail pho. 

Fans return for the robust cocktail options — greats include the pandan-riddled ‘Good For Her’ and an impressive zero alchohol list — and locally sourced renditions on mi vit tiem, confit duck with wheat noodles and shiitake in broth. An honorable salute to all the wonderful waffles, and chicken, at Fat’s. This classic corner spot, and any of the outrageous Ethiopian restaurant club combos in the Central District, would be good options if BaBar is too pricey.

550 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

Drinks — Shorty’s and Rob Roy 

From this vantage in the city, it’s time to head to Belltown. It’s a neighborhood revered for grunge era hayday and grittiness, but as Amazonians remake the town in their image it’s become a bit more have and have-not feeling, meaning more high rises while folks live their lives outdoors. Through all the ups and downs Shorty’s has persevered like a barnacled buoy in the chilly Salish Sea. Grab a cheap gin and tonic and play pinball at Seattle’s go-to spot for paddles and points. Next move to the much classier Rob Roy, a chic bar with a decade of history in the area. In 2023, the James Beard foundation nominated Rob Roy for its best bar category; fans return for inventive drinks incorporating rare ingredients and a long list of nonalcoholic options.

This does not have to be the end of your 24 hours. Late-night culture may not be what people trek through the Pacific Northwest for, but they’d be fools to skip out on these Seattle pearls: Beth’s is iconic, a too-weird-to-believe diner that calls the 12-egg omelet home, and 5 Point Cafe is another rowdy destination for 3 a.m. corn beef hash. Dick’s (cheeseburgers) and Ezell’s (fried chicken) are must-visits in this category, too.

2316 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
2332 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121

Paolo Bicchieri is a writer living on the coast. He’s worked in restaurants since he was 15, cutting his teeth at legendary fine dining destination McDonald’s and sugar dusting morning buns at underground cult hit Tartine. His writing has appeared in Eater, Standart Magazine, the San Francisco Standard, and more. All photography by Paolo Bicchieri, except otherwise stated. Header photo: Seattle Skyline by Chait Goli.