Pioneer Square has had at least dozen identities. One of the first parts of Seattle to be built up by white settlers, it burned to the ground in 1889 and was quickly rebuilt. It still feels like something from the 19th century thanks to all the exposed brick and old buildings, but in more recent times it’s been both a nightlife hub and a neighborhood with more than its share of missions and other nonprofit organizations that serve those in need.
The Best Restaurants in Seattle’s Pioneer Square
Your guide to Seattle’s historic heart
Joey Carreon is a writer and storyteller living in Seattle. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, Joey has covered a wide array of topics from collegiate sports to local food scenes for publications including South Seattle Emerald, Anchorage Daily News, and The Northern Light.
The COVID pandemic transformed Pioneer Square again. With the closure of downtown’s offices and the cancellation of all cruises and events at the nearby stadiums, the neighborhood’s economic life came to a screeching halt. Many of Pioneer Square’s restaurants closed permanently or were forced to reinvent themselves. But more recently, the area seems to be on the rise again, with new restaurants opening seemingly every week and major real estate developments arriving.
In June 2025, we updated this map to include three new restaurants: the freshly opened Parisian cafe Mirabelle by Orphee, the Korean deli Ohsun Banchan, and the sushi and wings spot Matsu.
As always, this list is organized geographically, not ranked. If we missed something email us at seattle@eater.com
The Best Restaurants in Seattle’s Pioneer Square
Your guide to Seattle’s historic heart
Joey Carreon is a writer and storyteller living in Seattle. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, Joey has covered a wide array of topics from collegiate sports to local food scenes for publications including South Seattle Emerald, Anchorage Daily News, and The Northern Light.
Pioneer Square has had at least dozen identities. One of the first parts of Seattle to be built up by white settlers, it burned to the ground in 1889 and was quickly rebuilt. It still feels like something from the 19th century thanks to all the exposed brick and old buildings, but in more recent times it’s been both a nightlife hub and a neighborhood with more than its share of missions and other nonprofit organizations that serve those in need.
The COVID pandemic transformed Pioneer Square again. With the closure of downtown’s offices and the cancellation of all cruises and events at the nearby stadiums, the neighborhood’s economic life came to a screeching halt. Many of Pioneer Square’s restaurants closed permanently or were forced to reinvent themselves. But more recently, the area seems to be on the rise again, with new restaurants opening seemingly every week and major real estate developments arriving.
In June 2025, we updated this map to include three new restaurants: the freshly opened Parisian cafe Mirabelle by Orphee, the Korean deli Ohsun Banchan, and the sushi and wings spot Matsu.
As always, this list is organized geographically, not ranked. If we missed something email us at seattle@eater.com
Mirabelle by Orphee
Mirabelle by Orphée’s mission is to “eat, drink, and celebrate like in Paris”—a motto that appears front-and-center in its stylish space on First Avenue. Paris-born chef and owner Ophee Fouano’s masterful technique can be seen — and tasted — in just about every croissant, baguette, and pain au chocolat. One of their most popular pastries is the kouign amann, delectably sweet and reminiscent of a croissant but with a caramelized-sugar exterior. Sandwiches, coffee, and wine round out the menu, with a curated selection of imported dry goods to boot.
Rojo’s Mexican Food - Vegan Taqueria
All those boffins trying to engineer lab-grown meat in the aim of satiating the world’s carnivorous tastes should pop down to this vegan restaurant in the old Il Corvo space and try Daniel Rojo’s soy al pastor. The achiote paste and vinegar marinade gives it heat, pineapples give it a sweetness, and the grill gives it a satisfyingly crispiness. Great fake meat is here, people, we’ve done it, it’s over, you can shut down your startups now.
–Harry Cheadle
Suzi Pratt
84 Yesler
Pioneer Square may be one of the most history-drenched zip codes in Seattle, but 84 Yesler is thoroughly contemporary. The upscale dinner joint run by chef Christina Siegl and owned by restaurateur Sam Takahashi serves Italian and Japanese-inspired riffs on local ingredients. On a recent visit highlights included black cod in a luxurious, rich dashi bath and foie gras mousse on focaccia. Don’t skip dessert: The pavlova here has jagged shards of perfect meringue sticking out of a creamy, citrusy yogurt concoction.
–Harry Cheadle
Harry Cheadle
Nirmal's
Nirmal’s has been one of Seattle’s most celebrated Indian restaurants since it opened a decade ago. Its ever-shifting menu takes inspiration from India’s many regional cooking styles, and there’s always a great roster of vegetarian and vegan dishes on the menu. If you’re overwhelmed by choice here, don’t be afraid to fall back on the classics — on a recent visit the chicken korma was beautifully creamy and warming.
Saigon Drip Cafe
A relatively new entrant to Seattle’s thriving banh mi scene, Saigon Drip Cafe has innovation to spare. For starters, there’s the Banh Mi Dip, which comes with a side of beef bone marrow soup for dipping — a top choice if you can’t decide between banh mi and pho for lunch. Speaking of pho, you can get containers of their pho broth for takeaway in case you want to sip it during your afternoon Zooms. You can also get coffee here, and the to-go iced drinks come with a soda-can-style pop-top lid. Will wonders never cease??
–Harry Cheadle
Jay Friedman
OHSUN Banchan Deli & Cafe
Ohsun’s atmosphere is unmistakably nostalgic, featuring an inviting street-level space that embraces customers with soft, natural light and a menu full of simple Korean dishes. The cafe is named after Oh Sun Pak, owner Sara Upshaw’s grandmother, and it is a reflection of the love they shared through food, Upshaw says. Korean staples like bibimbap and japchae can be found on the menu along with a ginger chicken soup that’s comforting to the core. Another favorite is Ohusun’s banchan meal which includes rice, three housemade banchan, and a choice of protein. There’s also a fridge full of grab-and-go banchan to be enjoyed at home (or at a Mariner’s game).
Joey Carreon
Darkalino’s
Darkalino’s caters to an extremely specific type of guy: a sneakerhead who loves to grab a focaccia sandwich when he’s having a client lunch, or nosh pasta when he’s on his way to the Macklemore show. That dude’s specific prayers have been answered at this shoe store/restaurant/cafe.
–Harry Cheadle
Harry Cheadle
Salumi
Salumi is a Seattle institution founded by Mario Batali’s father, Armandino. The Batali family has since sold the bulk of its stake in the place, but the sandwich shop remains largely unchanged. The meatballs are fairly famous at this point but the porchetta, with some sharp chimichurri sauce, is a terrific lunch as long as you can take a nap at your desk afterward. The Grindhouse is such a well-balanced Italian sandwich that we’re not even mad about the dill pickles in there. Just be warned that there’s typically a wait during peak lunch hours.
–Harry Cheadle
Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar
Is there anything more Seattle than slurping down oysters and getting rowdy on local beer and wine before a Seahawks game? Venerable Taylor Shellfish Farms’ Pioneer Square bar is the perfect pre-game haven, weekday happy hour, or weekend destination for the freshest seafood on the West Coast.
Taylor Shellfish
Matsu
Situated on Stadium Place a football’s throw away from Lumen Field, Matsu’s space is serene and modern with nods to traditional Japanese interior design. Matsu boasts a daily happy hour (4 to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. until close) with nigiri and sashimi sets, rolls, appetizers, and drinks. Specialty rolls, an omakase tasting menu, and other Japanese dishes can be found during dinner service. Locals might also recognize the Korean fried chicken wings on Matsu’s menu, and yes— those are the same wings from Girin, the beloved Korean steakhouse that occupied the space until 2019.
Joey Carreon
