Unearth The Voyage
Washington State’s geography is all about water. From the crashing Pacific waves to the winding Columbia River and the sheltered bays of Puget Sound, these waterways have shaped how communities grow and where people gather. Restaurants built along these shores don’t just serve food; they offer front-row seats to the state’s most beautiful natural features, turning every meal into an experience where the view is as important as what’s on your plate.
1. Salty’s on Alki Beach (Seattle – Elliott Bay & Puget Sound)
Perched right on West Seattle’s shoreline, this restaurant commands one of the city’s most photographed views. Elliott Bay stretches out in front, with downtown’s towers rising across the water and the Olympic range standing guard beyond. It’s the kind of panorama that makes locals bring out-of-town guests here just to show off.
The menu reflects what’s swimming and crawling in those nearby waters. Dungeness crab, fresh salmon, and platters of local oysters anchor the weekend brunch, which has become something of a Seattle tradition. The restaurant knows its greatest asset is that view, so the building design commits fully: floor-to-ceiling windows wrap the dining room, and the expansive patio puts you practically at water level.
Ferries chug past, cargo ships glide toward the port, and cruise boats drift by. Watching all that maritime traffic is half the reason people keep coming back.
2. Ray’s Boathouse (Seattle – Shilshole Bay / Puget Sound)
Since the 1970s, this Ballard landmark has been serving Northwest salmon with a side of stunning sunsets. Tucked along Shilshole Bay, the restaurant looks straight across Puget Sound toward the jagged silhouette of the Olympics. On clear evenings, the mountains glow pink and gold as the sun drops behind them.
Sustainability and local sourcing aren’t just buzzwords here; they’re part of the restaurant’s DNA. The menu highlights what Pacific Northwest waters provide, especially wild salmon prepared a dozen different ways. Ray’s built its reputation on knowing where its fish comes from and treating it with respect.
The building itself is designed around that view. A big waterfront deck and walls of glass ensure almost every seat has a sightline to the Sound. Sunset isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a core part of the experience, timed and anticipated like a second course.
3. The Oyster Bar on Chuckanut Drive (Bow – Salish Sea)
Imagine a dining room that feels like it’s floating above the sea. That’s what you get on Chuckanut Drive, where this restaurant clings to a steep hillside with views stretching over Samish Bay toward the San Juans. The location alone is worth the winding drive along one of Washington’s most scenic highways.
Originally just a roadside oyster shack, the spot has grown into a full restaurant without losing its focus. Local shellfish still dominate the menu, particularly oysters pulled from the very bays you’re looking at through the window. There’s something satisfying about eating oysters harvested from water you can see.
The dining room is small and intimate, with every table oriented toward the Salish Sea. You watch tides shift, light change, and weather move across the water as you work through your courses. It’s the kind of place where the view and the food are inseparable.
4. Anthony’s HomePort Edmonds (Edmonds – Puget Sound Ferries & Marina)
Right on the Edmonds marina, this restaurant has a direct sightline to one of Puget Sound’s busiest ferry routes. Washington State Ferries glide back and forth all day, and beyond them, the Olympic peaks rise in layers of blue and white. It’s a view that never gets old, even for people who see it daily.
The menu sticks to what the region does best: seasonal fish, fresh shellfish, and local microbrews and wines. Everything ties back to the surrounding waters, from the Dungeness crab to the salmon specials. The restaurant doesn’t try to be fancy; it just delivers solid Northwest seafood in a setting that makes it taste even better.
Huge windows wrap the dining room, and the layout ensures almost every seat has a water view. The rhythm of the ferry schedule becomes part of your meal, and the changing light across the Sound shifts the mood from lunch to dinner.
5. Ivar’s Acres of Clams (Seattle – Elliott Bay Waterfront)
Few Seattle restaurants carry as much history as this Pier 54 landmark. Dating back to the 1930s, it started as a humble fish-and-chips stand and grew into a full-service institution. Today it still serves the classics: wild Alaska cod, creamy clam chowder, and other straightforward seafood that built its reputation decades ago.
A major remodel expanded the space and added a large outdoor deck, but the goal stayed the same: maximize views of Elliott Bay and the working harbor below. From your table, you watch ferries come and go, tugboats nudge barges, and seaplanes buzz overhead. The Central Waterfront itself is part of what you’re paying for.
This isn’t a place trying to reinvent Northwest cuisine. It’s a place that knows what it does well and keeps doing it, with the bay and the bustle of the waterfront as constant companions.
6. Boathouse 19 (Tacoma – Tacoma Narrows / Puget Sound)
Built directly over the water at Tacoma Narrows Marina, this casual spot claims the best view of the Narrows Bridge that Puget Sound has to offer. It’s hard to argue. The suspension bridge dominates the scene, arcing gracefully across the water while boats bob in the marina below. On sunny days, the whole setup feels like a postcard.
The menu keeps things simple: chowder, fish and chips, and other Northwest seafood staples served without pretension. It’s the kind of place where you can show up in shorts and sandals after a day on the water and feel perfectly at home. The deck is the main attraction, putting you right at the edge of the Sound with the bridge looming overhead.
Even the interior design nods to maritime history, with salvaged wood from the old Day Island Bridge and vintage barrel pieces worked into the decor. The building itself is a love letter to the working waterfront.
7. The Cliff House (Tacoma – Commencement Bay & Puget Sound)
High on a bluff over Commencement Bay, this landmark has been turning heads since 1925. The location was chosen specifically for the view, and it delivers: Mount Rainier rises to the southeast, Puget Sound spreads out below, and Tacoma’s skyline fills the middle distance. Nearly every seat in the house is oriented to take it all in.
The menu matches the setting with a special-occasion feel. USDA prime steaks and Northwest seafood anchor a white-tablecloth experience that’s as much about the occasion as the food. People come here for anniversaries, proposals, and celebrations where the view needs to be as memorable as the meal.
Shipping traffic moves through the bay, the mountain changes color with the light, and the city twinkles as dusk falls. The combination of water, mountain, and urban energy defines every meal here, making the setting as important as anything on your plate.
8. Pickled Fish (Long Beach – Pacific Ocean)
On the top floor of the Adrift Hotel, this restaurant puts you face-to-face with the Pacific. Waves roll in, storms sweep across the horizon, and sunsets paint the ocean in shades of orange and purple. The all-glass oceanfront wall ensures you don’t miss a moment of it, no matter where you’re sitting.
The menu leans into the location with creative, locally inspired seafood and seasonal produce. Regional wines and Northwest microbrews complete the coastal experience. Live music nights add another layer, turning dinner into an evening where the ocean is both stage backdrop and main character.
Weather is part of the atmosphere here. On stormy days, the drama of wind and waves makes the cozy dining room feel like a refuge. On clear evenings, the endless horizon and fading light create a sense of calm that’s hard to find anywhere else. The wild Washington coast isn’t just outside; it’s woven into the experience.
9. Bennett’s Fish Shack (Westport – Westport Marina / Pacific Coast)
At Westport Marina, this casual counter-service spot sits right by the docks where fishing boats tie up. Walk along the piers, watch the catch come in, then grab a basket of fish and chips a few steps away. It’s the kind of easy, unpretentious setup that makes coastal towns feel welcoming.
The food is straightforward and generous: cod, halibut, crab, and chowder, all fried or steamed to order. Multiple local awards and a steady stream of regulars prove that simple done well beats fancy any day. Indoor and outdoor seating means you can eat right there, surrounded by the sights and smells of the working marina.
There’s no dress code, no reservations, and no fuss. Just good seafood served close enough to the boats that you can practically see where it came from. For a quick, satisfying meal that tastes like the coast, this shack delivers every time.
10. WildFin American Grill (Vancouver – Columbia River Waterfront)
Vancouver’s redeveloped Waterfront district has transformed the Columbia riverfront, and this restaurant anchors the new scene. The dining room and patio face directly onto the river, with Mount Hood rising in the distance on clear days. It’s a view that reminds you how close Washington and Oregon really are, separated only by this massive river.
The menu describes itself as premier waterfront dining, featuring fresh Pacific Northwest seafood, premium steaks, and a strong selection of local craft beer and wine. The emphasis is on regional ingredients and flavors that reflect the surrounding landscape. Reviews consistently mention the river views and the adjacent waterfront trail as major draws beyond the food itself.
Watching the Columbia flow past while you eat gives you a sense of scale. This is one of North America’s great rivers, and sitting beside it makes you feel connected to something larger than just dinner.
11. Clinkerdagger (Spokane – Spokane River)
Inside Spokane’s historic Flour Mill building, this restaurant perches above a bend in the Spokane River. Tables and patio seating are positioned to look down on the water as it flows through downtown, passing under bridges and around rocky bends. The location above the rapids has defined the restaurant’s identity for decades.
The menu leans classic: steakhouse fare, seafood, and dishes that feel timeless rather than trendy. But the real star is the view. Sunset colors reflecting off the river, the sound of rushing water below, and the play of light through the trees along the banks all become part of your meal. Many diners say the river vistas are the main reason they chose this spot.
Summer and early fall are especially popular, when the patio is open and the weather cooperates. Watching the Spokane River flow past while you eat reminds you that even inland cities can offer waterfront dining worth seeking out.
12. Anthony’s at Spokane Falls (Spokane – Spokane River & Falls)
Built right alongside the Spokane River in the heart of downtown, this restaurant offers something rare: a front-row seat to a waterfall in the middle of a city. Spokane Falls crashes and tumbles through town, and big windows and outdoor decks let you see and hear the spectacle while you eat. It’s a feature most restaurants can only dream of.
The menu focuses on Northwest seafood and steaks, but the real show is outside. The falls change dramatically with the seasons, roaring with snowmelt in spring and settling into a gentler flow by late summer. That seasonal rhythm means the restaurant’s main attraction is always shifting, always different.
Because the river’s flow varies so much, regulars know to visit at different times of year to see the falls at their most powerful or their most peaceful. Either way, the sound and sight of the water make this spot memorable long after the meal ends.
13. Cascade Dining Room at Skamania Lodge (Stevenson – Columbia River Gorge)
At Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, the Cascade Dining Room feels like a lookout tower over the Columbia River Gorge. Broad windows frame the river far below and the forested cliffs rising on both sides. The lodge was deliberately built on this hillside specifically to capture that view, and the dining room takes full advantage.
The menu emphasizes locally sourced ingredients and Northwest flavors that mirror the surrounding landscape. Dishes reflect the seasons and the bounty of the Gorge, from wild mushrooms to river fish to orchard fruit. It’s food that tastes like where you are.
Because of the elevated position, you can watch barges push upstream, trains snake along the riverbanks, and weather systems roll through the Gorge. The landscape is constantly changing, and every meal comes with a slightly different show. The Gorge itself becomes part of the experience, as essential as anything on the table.
14. Anthony’s at Columbia Point (Richland – Columbia River)
Anchoring the Columbia Point marina in Richland, this restaurant sits directly on the Columbia River. Long riverside windows and an outdoor deck make the water the central feature of the space. Boaters can literally tie up at the marina and walk in for lunch or dinner, making it a favorite stop for people spending the day on the river.
The menu specializes in Northwest seafood with a strong wine focus, fitting perfectly in the Tri-Cities wine region. Local wines pair with fresh fish and shellfish, creating a meal that reflects both the river and the vineyards that thrive nearby. It’s a combination that works beautifully.
Sunset over the Columbia is a big draw, with the light turning the water gold and pink as the day ends. The proximity to the marina and the rhythm of river life make this spot feel connected to the water in a way that goes beyond just the view.
15. Budd’s Broiler (Richland – Columbia River at Columbia Point)
Just steps from its sibling restaurant, this steakhouse sits on the same Columbia Point riverfront with the same stunning Columbia River and marina views. The focus shifts from seafood to steaks and chops, but the setting remains the star. Large windows and patio seating keep the river front and center, no matter what’s on your plate.
The menu still includes Northwest seafood, giving diners a more steakhouse-style option without sacrificing the waterfront experience. It’s a smart pairing: two restaurants side by side, each with a different culinary focus, but both sharing that prime riverfront real estate. You can choose your mood and your meal, but you get the same great view either way.
Together with the neighboring restaurant, this stretch of Columbia Point has become a small hub of riverfront dining tied closely to the marina lifestyle. Boaters, locals, and visitors all gather here to enjoy the river, the food, and the easy, waterfront vibe.
