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City Cast Seattle

Keep It Local by City Cast Seattle spotlights local businesses we love and provides personal, curated, and neighborly recommendations that will help you live your best Seattle life. So, if you’re ready to ditch the national chains, e-commerce giants, and big box stores,

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Harry Cheadle

Tara Almassi says that everyone she talked to told her that she should put 

, her cafe-wine bar-event space, on the ground floor of a building, like most businesses. Instead, she picked a location on the second story of a Capitol Hill building on Pike Street between Belmont and Summit. There’s not much in the way of signage outside — you might walk right by it even if you’re looking for it. And to get to it, you have to walk up a narrow staircase.

“This is what makes it so special – the experience of walking up the stairs and then having the space open up,” Almassi says.

The space does open up. It’s a single room, low-ceilinged but bright thanks to the large windows facing the street. During the day there’s chill, house-ish music coming from the big speakers on one side of the room, and a variety of tables, couches, even a couple low tables with cushions for seats. At any given moment there’s at least a half-dozen people working on laptops (including me, as I write this), plus a few friends catching up. The bar opposite the speakers serves pastries, coffee, wine, and matcha.

The floor cushions are one of several nods to Almassi’s Persian heritage (both of her parents are from Iran). Another is a refreshing watermelon and chia seed drink that’s a riff on 

, a traditional summer beverage. Open Form also offers Persian tea service, tea being a core element of Persian hospitality. “In Persian culture, they’re always drinking black tea, Ceylon tea,” says Almassi. “They drink it till midnight, and we can still sleep after drinking it. It's in our blood.”

In the evenings, Open Form puts those speakers to use by clearing out the center of the room, setting up a DJ rig, and hosting ticketed dance parties that can stretch into the late night. It also hosts private events, workshops — almost anything can happen here. It’s the kind of place Almassi loved when she lived in New York, she says, spaces that were bars or cafes or event spaces or somewhere in between. “They're not clearly defined, which I think creates a lot of curiosity for people,” she says. “And I kind of like not being put in a box.”

Tara Almassi says that everyone she talked to told her that she should put Open Form, her cafe-wine bar-event space, on the ground floor of a building, like most businesses. Instead, she picked a location on the second story of a Capitol Hill building on Pike Street between Belmont and Summit. There’s not much in the way of signage outside — you might walk right by it even if you’re looking for it. And to get to it, you have to walk up a narrow staircase.

Open Form in Capitol Hill Has Something For Everyone

Hidden Away in Capitol Hill, Open Form Can Be Anything You Want It to Be

Keep It Local

The ideal remote work location has ample seating, food that goes beyond pastries, and maybe beer or wine in case you want to segue straight into happy hour. It should also stay open past 3 p.m. The places on this list all check at least some of those boxes.

. You can get everything from sandwiches to cocktails to coffee here and hang out in the stylish space (Porter is a hospitality and design company). But you can also reserve conference rooms and small meetings for in-person gatherings.

Parking around here is either difficult (if you want street parking) or expensive (if you use it a lot). But there is a lot of public transportation nearby.

 has literally everything you want from a remote work cafe. There’s coffee and pastries if you don’t want a meal, but also a full brunch-y menu if you do. The oat pancakes with nutty dukkah are a gluten-free vegan marvel. There’s a covered patio that’s heated in the winter. And if you can log off at 4 to take advantage of the happy hour, martinis are just $10.

📻 I’ve never felt more like a Seattleite than when I’m sipping a cup of 

 from its recording booths. This Seattle Center-adjacent space has a huge number of seats and just the right amount of hustle and bustle — you really feel like you’re in the heart of an exciting, artsy city.

For the early risers, Caffe Vita offers $2.75 drip coffee between 7 and 8 a.m. on weekdays.

 in Beacon Hill is a little bit of everything. Is it a bakery? Yes (check out the gluten-free banana bread). Is it a cafe? Most definitely. Owner Matthew Wendland also runs 

. Can you get sandwiches? Of course! Do they have kombucha, cider, and beer on tap? You already know the answer.

If you’re trying to cultivate an early happy hour vibe here, keep in mind that it does close at 5 p.m. But that’s when familyfriend — one of Seattle’s hottest restaurants — opens across the street.

The ideal remote work location has ample seating, food that goes beyond pastries, and maybe beer or wine in case you want to segue straight into happy hour. It should also stay open past 3 p.m. The places on this list all check at least some of those boxes. 

Places to Work Remotely in Seattle

Great Places to Work Remotely in Seattle 

 32 years ago, when he was a bike mechanic, and he still is. Donahue is the owner of the shop, but he keeps a workbench outside the office, where he repairs bikes every day. “That's really what I love to do,” he says. “And it sets a good example for younger staff members to see me at 58 still turning wrenches and having a good time with it.”

The shop began in 1994 as a single room in a building where the Burke-Gilman Trail meets Boat Street near the University District, within a helmet’s throw of Portage Bay. As the years have gone on, the shop has expanded into two floors — an upstairs where customers can buy bikes, biking gear, and a dizzying array of bike parts, and a downstairs where Donahue and his team repair and refurbish bikes. At any given time, he says, there are 100 bikes being repaired and 200 used bikes waiting to be fixed. The shop is a bustle of activity between customers coming in to ask all manner of bike-related questions, employees working on bikes, and people dropping off or picking up rental bikes — a lot of vacationing families will rent bikes to tour the Burke, Donahue says.

 started. Donahue has seen the rise in popularity of road biking brought on by Lance Armstrong “winning” the Tour de France — “Air quotes around that,” Donahue says — as well as the more recent spike in interest in electric bikes. (The shop sells a single type of e-bike frame that Donahue says is popular among people trading in their old bikes for store credit.) You can get a real sense of history from browsing around the shop — there’s a glass case labeled “museum” where there’s a collection of rare or notable bike parts. The shop even has a big-wheeled penny farthing. A customer sold it to the shop way back around 1995, Donahue says, and the staff used to put it outside to draw people in. These days, it’s hanging from the shop, a reminder of the cycling history Recycled Cycles is a part of.

“We're still down here going strong,” Donahue says, “and we'll be here for as long as as long as we can.”

Steve Donahue started Recycled Cycles 32 years ago, when he was a bike mechanic, and he still is. Donahue is the owner of the shop but he keeps a workbench outside the office, where he repairs bikes every day. “That's really what I love to do,” he says. “And it sets a good example for younger staff members to see me at 58 still turning wrenches and having a good time with it.”

Recycled Cycles Has Kept Cyclists Rolling Since 1994

Here are some of my favorite small businesses along the Burke-Gilman Trail, from west to east:

🤏 The “missing link” part of the Burke, where the route is less protected from cars, runs roughly from the Ballard Locks to the Fred Meyer next to Leary. The silver lining is that at least you’re traveling through the heart of Ballard, where there are a ton of restaurants and shops, including 

, which showcases goods from local makers. The lineup of suppliers changes regularly, but right now you can browse some cool candles and ceramics along with merch from the local soccer clubs Ballard FC and Salmon Bay FC

If you are looking for a place to sell your wares, Smål Market is accepting applications to be a summer 2026 tenant.

☕ Right next to the trail in the sleepy Northlake neighborhood is one of Seattle’s 

, the Wayland Mill serves Japanese-American food all day (think tamago omelets and karaage chicken sandwiches on milk bread), but it might be best for a coffee-and-treat pick-me-up — the star of the menu is arguably its peanut butter shoyu icebox pie.

On weekends, expect a line, especially in the mornings.

of places to stop for a beer along the Burke, a credit to Seattle’s twin passions of cycling and drinking IPAs. But one of the most scenic places for a drink is this 

, with a patio that has sweeping views of Lake Washington.

 Magnuson Brewery is not directly on the Burke but inside the old naval base at Sand Point — the easiest way to get there is to get off the trail where it meets Fairway Estates and go down to Sand Point Way.

 says that it is “the largest bowling center north of Reno, Nevada, and west of the Mississippi.” It is also roughly right at the Kenmore terminus of the Burke-Gilman Trail — so if you like to cap off a day of bike riding with some bowling, this is the place for you.

If you want to make sure you get a lane, call the bowling alley at 425-486-5555 before you get there.

Here are some of my favorite small businesses along the Burke-Gilman Trail, from west to east.

Small businesses along the Burke-Gilman Trail

Small Businesses to Visit Along the Burke-Gilman Trail

Here are some Seattle businesses that are great places for kids to hang out!

 seemingly hosts a million events (it has the space for it), but over in one corner is a fenced-in play area where young kids can safely play. By brewery standards, Stoup also serves a lot of kid-friendly NA drinks, including root beer and sparkling lemonade.

Stoup is also low-key a great place to work remotely if your child is chill enough to let you get some laptop time in.

📚 Obviously, book-loving kids love to go to the bookstore. But 

’s kids’ section has more than just books — there’s a pretty big wooden boat where kids can explore and play even when they aren’t in the mood to sit down and read.

The bookstore may be kid-friendly, but it’s in the heart of Capitol Hill, which is not parking-friendly.

 and event venue over near the old Theo Chocolate factory (RIP) operates a cafe with a major perk for families: there’s a whole room filled with toys and games ideal for preschool-aged kids.

 If you pair a trip to Fremont Social with a walk along the Cut, you’ve got yourself a nice little pre-nap morning.

 is also one of its most child-friendly, with a barbecue-themed play area where kids can pretend to be smoking up some brisket. Maybe when they grow up, their brisket will be as good as Outsider’s? But I doubt it.

🧘 Kids yoga is officially “A Thing”, but 

, in Delridge, goes above and beyond with its family-friendly offerings. Four days a week, there are classes for babies or children, with a family yoga class on Sunday, toddler yoga play on Wednesdays, and classes for caregivers and babies on Tuesdays and Thursdays. View the schedule 

Kid Friendly Business in Seattle

Seattle Small Businesses Where You Can Take Young Kids

 is an improbable dining hotspot, a counter-serve restaurant located inside the Copperworks distillery in sleepy Kenmore. But since it opened last year, critics have been singing its praises, with 

 its food “rivals that of the top spots in the city.” De La focuses on seasonal ingredients — it gets most of its produce from a single farm down the road — and boasts a killer smashburger with Beecher’s smoked cheddar alongside dishes like an heirloom tomato tartine and pork collar grilled with za’atar.

That creativity extends to the kids’ menu. Instead of opting for the hot dog/chicken nugget approach taken by so many restaurants, De La serves kids a salad of greens and peaches with a dill vinaigrette, or grilled huli-huli chicken with pineapple relish. Cody Westerfield, who owns De La with his wife, Andrea, says that this focus on what kids eat is an extension of their family-friendly philosophy — the restaurant also has an outdoor space with lots of toys, games, and a pretend lemonade stand. “Once the kids enjoy themselves, the adults get to finally join in the fun,” Cody says.

At home, the Westerfields try to get their kids to try a wide variety of foods, but they also know that children in a picky phase might not go for dill vinaigrette. A pasta and tomato sauce dish currently on the menu is the “easy out” for those kids, Cody says — though even there, they use heirloom tomatoes, so kids have a slightly “elevated experience.”

At this point, Cody is used to guests stopping by the counter to thank him for a great meal. But some parents stay at the counter, he says, and “tell me that this is the only place their kids like to go out, or their kids are eating stuff they normally wouldn't have. Those are the comments that I really really enjoy hearing.”

 are opening a barbecue restaurant next door this summer, called 

, that will continue the family-friendly vibes with a play structure that has a tower and a slide.

De La Soil is an improbable dining hotspot, a counter-serve restaurant located inside the Copperworks distillery in sleepy Kenmore. But since it opened last year, critics have been singing its praises, with Seattle Met saying its food “rivals that of the top spots in the city.” De La focuses on seasonal ingredients — it gets most of its produce from a single farm down the road — and boasts a killer smashburger with Beecher’s smoked cheddar alongside dishes like an heirloom tomato tartine and pork collar grilled with za’atar. 

Check Out De La Soil’s Kids’ Menu

De La Soil’s Kids’ Menu Is a Major Flex

Ivar’s is one of a handful of local chains that feels embedded in the fabric of Seattle. The logo with the looping 

is iconic, and the seafood bars are a reliable place to get fish and chips for about 15 bucks, which feels like an inflation-adjusted steal. So it’s easy to forget there was a real guy named Ivar, though the more you read about him, the less real he seems.

Ivar Haglund was born in Seattle in 1905, when the city was very different — he 

 to the University of Washington from Alki Point, where he was raised. After graduating from UW in 1928, he bummed around as a folk singer before opening a waterfront aquarium in 1938. He started selling fish and chips and chowder alongside it, and soon the restaurant business eclipsed the aquarium. He opened his Acres of Clams — the full-service restaurant next to the more affordable fish and chips window at Pier 54 — in 1946.

Haglund was a canny businessman, but he’s most remembered for his stunts. He made a tradition out of carting a seal in a baby buggy to visit a department store Santa. He sold clam broth as an aphrodisiac — women had to sign off on their dining partner having more than two cups. Ivar’s hosted eating contests and a wrestling match between a man and an octopus. When a syrup truck spilled its cargo all over the highway, Haglund ran out with a stack of 

. When a neighboring waterfront business demanded people 

, Haglund put up signs telling people to feed the seagulls more. Pranks are so embedded in the company DNA that even after Haglund’s death in 1985, Ivar’s did things like dredge up old billboards from the bottom of Puget Sound before 

. Haglund was civic-minded as well as being a jokester — he bought the Smith Tower in 1976, donated to many charities over the course of his life, and left the bulk of his estate to UW’s business school.

Not that you need to know any of that to enjoy some waterfront fish and chips. Just remember to feed the seagulls — it’s what Haglund would have wanted.

Ivar’s is one of a handful of local chains that feels embedded in the fabric of Seattle. The seafood bars are a reliable place to get fish and chips for about 15 bucks. So it’s easy to forget there was a real guy named Ivar, though the more you read about him, the less real he seems.

The history behind Ivar's Fish Bar

Fish and Chips With a Side of History

Wake up, put your coffee in a travel mug, get on the light rail, we’ve got to go!

🥐 One of Pike Place Market’s newer businesses (on the north side of the market), this tiny bakery specializes in exquisite, airy croissants, sometimes featuring wild flavor combinations — who wants a garlic fries croissant?

Make this your first stop, because they typically sell out of everything by midday.

🧑‍🦯 My favorite way to get down to the waterfront from Pike Place is to cut through the DownUnder, the lower level of shops that is less busy — and quirkier — than the above-ground market. 

 has a neat selection of vintage maps and posters, 

features products from micro-businesses too small to have storefronts of their own.

DownUnder is accessible by ramps, but if stairs aren’t possible for you, you’ll need to find an elevator to get all the way down to the water.

🍳 Head south along the water to Skalka, a block inland from Pier 54. This Georgian restaurant is locally famous for its khachapuri, a kind of bread boat with egg, cheese, and other fillings in the middle. It’s warm, filling, and photogenic — and a little different than the seafood-centric menus around here.

Khachapuri is the opposite of gluten-free. If you have dietary restrictions, try the new Brazilian lunch counter in Pike Place, Baiana.

Afternoon Attraction: Exquisite Creatures

🪲 There are lots of activities around here, from the Great Wheel to the aquarium to hour-long cruises around Elliot Bay. But don’t miss out on Exquisite Creatures, an exhibit that features artist Christopher Marley’s beautifully preserved plant and animal specimens.

Exquisite Creatures is popular enough that you should book tickets in advance.

At this point, you’ve spent several hours trekking around the market, waterfront, and museum. If you need a break, check out Copperworks Distilling, one of Seattle’s most decorated distilleries, which has a tasting room right across the street from the water. Tours are available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

 If you aren’t a spirits fan (or the tasting room is too crowded), walk a block up to the Reuben’s taproom on First and Seneca, which has lots of beer, cider, and NA options on tap.

There are lots of restaurants with waterfront views, but none more iconic than Matt’s, on the top floor of the Corner Market building. It’s across the street from the famous Pike Place Market sign, and you can look out over the top of the market to Elliot Bay. The menu is classic Pacific Northwest stuff, livened up with some unexpected culinary touches — get the mussels and clams in lemongrass broth.

If the price tag puts you off, head down to Ivar’s Seafood Bar right by the water.

A full-day itinerary to enjoy your day at the Seattle waterfront

What to do at the Seattle waterfront

How to Have a Perfect, Non-Touristy Waterfront Day

Soft serve is deceptively simple. At its core, it’s just light ice cream, and usually the flavors are pretty standard. But once you start to talk about toppings, sauces, and taiyaki fish-shaped cones, the options are limitless. Here are a few-

🍪 This walk-up bakery window and job training program in Pioneer Square doubles (or triples?) as one of the most inventive soft serve spots around. It offers sprinkled-covered dipped cones, sundaes with lots of toppings — including passion fruit curd — and cookie sandwiches.

Keep in mind the ice cream window is open 3 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays.

🍵 This is a little dessert spot connected to Capitol Hill mainstay Tamari Bar that serves up Japanese-style sweets like fruit sandwiches. It’s only got vanilla soft serve, but it has a wide array of syrups. The Instagram-conscious will lean matcha, but the black sesame is the sleeper hit — a deep, rich, almost savory hit of umami.

You can always get a syrup “flight” and try all of them.

🐟 You ever eat an ice cream cone and go, “I wish this was a fish barfing?” Taiyaki cones are for you! At this Georgetown spot, these eye-catching Japanese-style cones aren’t just fun to photograph, they are warm and chewy. For an extra dose of flair, get bright purple ube soft serve.

They have onigiri here too in case you skipped lunch.

🍨 This three-location mini-chain has some of the most affordable Indian street food in Seattle, and a soft-serve flavor that rotates monthly. Past flavors have included relative rarities like cardamom and rose or mango lassi.

Spice Waala is only open 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, so plan accordingly.

Homer, one of Seattle’s best restaurants, has a more chilled-out sibling business in this chicken-and-ice-cream joint in Beacon Hill. Come for the classic vanilla-and-malted-chocolate swirl, come back for the rotating special flavors (there’s a raspberry and espresso combo right now).

We’d be run out of town if we didn’t put this Wallingford window on the list. It has soft serve made from famous Hokkaido milk, plus traditional Japanese toppings like Shiratama, small rice-flour dumplings. Just be warned: There 

Here are a few soft-serve spots in Seattle

Where To Get Soft Serve in Seattle

Where To Score Scrumptious Soft Serve in Seattle

 is the kind of place that should be in every neighborhood. It sells a selection of local beers and chocolates and so on; it has breakfast tacos and sandwiches you can eat sitting down at some diner-style booths in the middle of the shop; and it has ice cream, specifically New Zealand–style ice cream.

New Zealand has a style of ice cream? It sure does. Owner Meaghan Haas spent her late teens and university years in the country, and a few years ago, she bought a Little Gem machine to bring this style of dessert to West Seattle. (She operates Tip Top Ice Cream as its own brand inside the store.) It is basically an industrial-strength blender. You take a plastic cone and put in regular ice cream (the shop has a coconut base for vegans) along with your choice of frozen fruit. Then you put the cone on the blender, and after a few moments of grinding, out comes a mixture of cold fruit and light, soft–serve–style ice cream.

A lot of people get mango, Haas says, but she prefers a mix of blackberries and raspberries, which makes a sweet-tart concoction with lots of pleasantly gritty bits in it. The fruit-soft-serve mashup resembles a cross between ice cream and a smoothie — less extravagant than some of the sundaes you see around town, and more focused on the seasons. Haas says they’ll offer marionberries and even tay berries when they’re available, and in the winter they do a lemon version that includes some of the rind for a trace of bitterness.

Could New Zealand–style ice cream be a trend? Maybe! If you aren’t in West Seattle, 

 over in Fremont uses the same Little Gem machine.

Where to get New Zealand-style soft serve