Utility player. Swiss army knife. The Dolly Parton challenge of restaurants. Pick your simile for describing this French bistro that moves seamlessly from bread pudding french toast to oyster happy hour on the covered sidewalk patio. Throw in the six-course tasting menu at the chef’s counter and reliable dinners that range from bread service and two-person tomahawk steaks to an easy burger at the bar: few restaurants offer such range. And while Le Coin throws itself into the role of Fremont neighborhood favorite, the food’s just as great if you visit from across town.

Why aren’t people shouting from the rooftop about these bowls of handmade udon noodles? It could be that this restaurant has very little in the way of seating, not to mention a tendency to stay very low-key. But these noodle bowls—combinations include soups, kamatama versions topped with raw egg, stir-fried udon, and more—deserve attention. Treatments like garlic and pork, mentaiko, and dan dan satisfy all cold-weather comfort cravings. But the real star is the noodles, which owner Ryuji Miyata cuts by hand throughout the day.

Even the descriptors don’t do it justice: Wood-fired. Seasonal vegetables. Local ingredients. Sigh…new American. These words apply to so many restaurants. Most of which don’t stand up to what chef Eric Anderson is doing. His charred rice cake with dungeness crab is one of the city’s best (and most buttery) dishes, but this is a menu that will also make you feel feelings about charred cabbage…and make you beg for seconds on the house bread, baked in the wood oven.

When a Seattle menu describes itself as Cajun, you have every right to be dubious. But Rainier Beach’s standout neighborhood restaurant quietly nails the details of spice and flavor balance. Meanwhile, there are also options for vegetarians and vegans, destination-worthy cocktails (including an NA list), and thoroughly interesting wine. Oh, and the service is great. In 2022, the restaurant adopted a co-op model with ownership shared among employees.

It’s easy to forget about a place when it’s hidden away in an Interbay complex in between a distillery and an orthodontist. But this sibling to Pioneer Square’s Damn the Weather is a beacon of chilaquiles and shrimp louie in a part of town where good food is scarce. The food (brunch, lunch, and dinner) is bougie versions of diner classics, further upgraded with top-notch cocktails and lots of natural wine.

This elegant spot in Mt. Baker is a comeback story: owner Toshiyuki Kawai closed his fledgling restaurant in 2017 and traveled to Osaka for cancer treatment. Fifteen months later Iconiq returned. And Kawai’s French fare with Japanese influences remains unsung and impressive. Iconiq also benefits from warm service and a cool west-facing city view hidden away back in the dining room.

Yes, Fonda la Catrina in Georgetown is a reliable destination for the warm embrace of some pozole, carne asada, and enchiladas. But next door, its little sibling serves the same caliber of Mexican food with a focus on mariscos, or shellfish. This might include a rich rockfish soup, ceviche, shrimp tostadas, and clams in a creamy chipotle broth. The fish tacos are a destination unto themselves. Come to think of it, so are the mezcal drinks. El Sirenito also boasts two other hallmarks of an indispensable restaurant: a patio and a happy hour.