Why go?

The largest city in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle may deserve its reputation of being the cloud capital of America, but the rain rarely keeps the locals indoors and who can blame them? Surrounded by the waters of Elliott Bay, Lake Union and Lake Washington, glorious green forests of evergreens and magnificent mountain ranges, the views of the city are pretty spectacular. Seattle has also become a popular starting point for those wanting to visit Alaska and in recent years has recreated its Northwest cuisine by fusing several international styles, no doubt influenced by the cultural diversity of the Seattleites.

What to do

Downtown Seattle contains many of the city’s main attractions. Start off at Volunteer Park where the biggest draw is the Seattle Asian Art Museum (seattleartmuseum.org), whose extensive collection contains exquisite Chinese terracotta sculptures. Head west towards the Seattle Center (seattlecenter.com), the city’s entertainment district, where you literally can’t miss the famous Hammering Man, a 14.6 metre-high sculpture, before visiting the city’s most famous landmark the Space Needle (spaceneedle.com). The observation deck at 158 metres offers 360° views stretching beyond the mountains and surrounding islands. The city’s waterfront is a hub of activity best explored on foot. The must-see attraction is the Olympic Sculpture Park (seattleartmuseum.org): nine acres of industrial-site-turned-green space dotted with contemporary art with free admission. Take your time to navigate the vast warren of Pike Place Market (pikeplacemarket.org), one of America’s oldest continuously operating farmer’s markets. Along with aisle upon aisle of fruit, vegetables, flowers and freshly caught fish, it has several good restaurants and the first Starbucks, opened in 1971. Seen a few already? Not like this one, which has its original architecture and façade preserved for posterity. Just off the waterfront you can visit Seattle’s first neighbourhood, Pioneer Square, site of the statue of native American Chief Seattle who gave the city its name, now home to galleries, cafés, fashion boutiques and lively bars.

Where to stay

The Edgewater (00 1 206 728 7000, edgewaterhotel.com) is located on the city’s waterfront so it’s not surprising that the best rooms come with views overlooking the bay. Located downtown, boutique Hotel Max (00 1 206 728 6299 hotelmaxseattle.com) is decorated with the works of local artists and rooms are simple but smart. Kimpton Hotel (00 1 206 621 1770, monacoseattle.com) offers luxurious rooms, wine evenings and award-winning personalised customer service.

Where to eat and drink

Seattle may be the birthplace of the coffee revolution, but there are plenty of other cafés to choose from. Try the outstanding organic coffee house, Caffé Fiore (http://caffefiore.com) where the Sevilla, their signature orange mocha, is a big hit. Wild salmon is another local favourite, and for some of the best head to Ivar’s Salmon House (00 1 206 587 6500, ivars.com), which is something of an institution. The sampler menu offers pieces of wild-caught Alaskan king, sockeye and coho salmon fillets cooked over alder wood fires. The stylish Canlis (00 1 206 283 3313, canlis.com) serves Northwest cuisine with Asian and continental influences. It’s worth visiting just to pore over the 100-page wine list and to sample the prawns sautéed in dry vermouth and steak from the copper grill. When it comes to eating on the go, food trucks are seriously popular and pop up at festivals and street markets Try the catfish po’ boy sandwich at Where Ya At Matt (whereyaatmatt.com), the Hawaiian-Korean creations of Marination Mai Kai (marinationmobile.com) or the acclaimed pulled pork sandwiches of Maximus/Minimus (maximusminimus.com).

Time running out?

Catch a duck – a Second World War amphibious landing craft – from 5th and Broad for a 90-minute spin of city sights, followed by a splash into Lake Union for a super view of the Seattle skyline (ridetheducksofseattle.com).

Travel Information

Travel Information

Currency is the US dollar. Seattle is four hours ahead of GMT, and a nine-hour flight from London.

Getting There

KLM (klm.com) flies from London Heathrow to Seattle with one stop.
British Airways (ba.com) flies direct from London Heathrow to Seattle.

Resources

Seattle Tourist Board (visitseattle.org) is a great source of information for planning your trip.