Hot new Seattle area restaurants in August

Craving fresh dining ideas during the dog days of summer? Don’t sweat it — the past several weeks have seen a deluge of restaurant + food-centric bar debuts in the Seattle region thanks to long-planned projects finishing their fine tuning and some welcome surprises.

From big-time gastropubs to rockin’ lobster, there should be something for every local gourmand who’s looking for a hot new dish. Loosen up those belts as we dig in.

❤️ Date night

  • Bar Sur Mer | Mediterranean | Average main: $15-25 | This intimate spot is the fishier sibling to Flintcreek Cattle Co. next door in Greenwood with a variety of small, shareable plates. We’re eyeing the wood-fired Spanish mackerel and charred octopus.
  • Chiho Bistro | Chinese | Average main: $12-22 | The dumplings at this Belltown newcomer are out of sight — City Editor Alina vouches for ‘em — but you can also fill up on larger plates like mapo tofu + five spice braised brisket.
  • Khushi | Indian | Average main: $10-15 | The owners of the critically acclaimed Nirmal’s in Pioneer Square now have a bright, casual street food spot in Bellevue. It serves dishes from four different Indian regions — and those dosas look killer.
  • Sparrow | Contemporary PNW | Average main: $30-50 | Juanita’s new, upscale dining destination boasts a lamb quesabirria as a shareable app, but also features an interesting spin on surf + turf with scallops and pork belly in a fig sauce.

🎉 Lively locales

  • Benbow Room | Pub grub | Average main: $10-15 | The old pirate vessel vibe is the main attraction here. But owner Mark Fuller has major culinary chops — his famed Ma’ono fried chicken pops up occasionally, along with a robust list of hot dogs.
  • Kamp Social House | Southern/Caribbean | Average main: $15-25 | Bar bites go to the next level at this trendy Capitol Hill joint with honey citrus glazed pork belly + confit jerk spiced duck leg alongside kid-friendly fare like grilled cheese.
  • Hatback Bar & Grill | Pub grub | Average main: $15-30 | This week, the Mariners debut their fan-friendly spot, which serves the usual pregame lineup of burgers, wings + pizza, alongside fancier fare like halibut with pickled Rainier cherries. Grab a beer from Métier Brewing at the adjacent Steelheads Alley taproom.
  • Tio Baby’s | Pub grub | Average main: $5-15 | The former party-hearty pop-up is all grown up into a full-fledged restaurant with a love of food that goes well with booze — think loaded nachos + a fancier version of the McDonald’s McRib.

🥪 Lunchables

  • BOCA Bakery and Pizzeria | Argentinian | Average main: $10-15 | You can try pizzas Italian style or the way they do them in Argentinabasically, with huge, delightfully gooey chunks of cheese. On the sweeter side, there are cakes by the slice + tarts.
  • Maria Sabina Restaurant and Bar | Mexican | $15-25 | South Lake Union, meet your newest taco specialist — although don’t sleep on some of those larger entrees, particularly the chicken mole. The drinks list leans heavy into mezcal.
  • Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls | Seafood | Average main: $18-22 | One of the East Coast’s most prominent crustacean franchises has landed near Pike Place with its well-crafted rolls, bisques + even some super decadent lobster mac + cheese.
  • Voi Cà Phê | Vietnamese | Average main: $10 | There’s a lot of competition for banh mi in this town, but Georgetown’s new cafe has already received kudos for its enticing sausage patty take + mint toppings.

Bonus: While not completely new, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Gold Bar‘s new Capitol Hill location + longtime favorite Simply Soulful, which is settling into a larger new space in the Central District and planning a mid-September grand opening.

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