4 Great Tasting Menus To Check Out In Seattle And On The Eastside

If you find yourself in Seattle but are not native to the area, you’re probably looking for some tasty food to dig into. 

It can be pretty daunting trying to find a great place to eat somewhere you aren’t as familiar with, and if you take a chance on a restaurant and it turns out to be bad, that can really leave a sour taste in your mouth. 

But there is something you can try that will save a lot of time, and allow you to sample a menu without committing to it. This is where Tasting Menus come in. 

Have you ever tried a Tasting Menu? If not, then this might be exactly what you are looking for. 

In this article, we will be going over 4 restaurants with great Tasting Menus that you need to check out if you find yourself in Seattle and the Eastside!

What Is A Tasting Menu? 

Some of you are probably scratching your heads by now, wondering what a Tasting Menu even is. Well, don’t worry! We’re going to tell you all you need to know. 

A Tasting Menu is basically a collection of dishes that are served in very small portions as a single meal. They let you sample what the chefs in restaurants have to offer, without having to commit to a single meal. 

Because the portions are so small, you can sample several dishes at once, without getting uncomfortably full. They also let the chef do more with less, which means they can focus on making the dishes of the highest quality. 

Tasting Menus have been around for quite some time, but they have only really found mainstream popularity in the last few years. They are incredibly efficient and don’t require the chefs to take as long over different dishes. 

Because they are making the exact same dishes for each set Tasting Menu, it means that all the chefs in the line are working quickly and they don’t have to worry about making larger dishes all at once. 

If you have never tried a Tasting Menu before, then you definitely should! It takes the stress away from trying something new and risking it being bad. If you don’t like one part of the Tasting Menu, there will be plenty more for you to try. 

4 Tasting Menus You Need To Try In Seattle & On The Eastside

So now that you know what a Tasting Menu is, we can dive into 4 great Tasting Menus you definitely need to try if you find yourself in the Seattle/Eastside area. 

Each of these Tasting Menus offers something different and really gives you a feel for each restaurant. We will be going into a bit of detail on each of the restaurant options, so you can decide which one you want to try first! So let’s get started. 

1. Tomo

First on the list, we have Tomo’s Tasting Menu. This Tasting Menu is made up of five courses which you can choose to have as meat or vegetarian. 

Tomo is a bistro and its main focus is plant-based foods and dishes. If you do check out the website, then you need to know that they don’t update as regularly as they do in person.

This is because they are constantly experimenting and changing the menu, and sometimes these changes can be put on the menu just before they open up for the night. 

This is a great restaurant for any vegans and vegetarians out there (Also check out The Very Best Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurants In New York). The team at Tomo is all about pushing the boundaries and making vegetarian and plant-based meals fun and extremely tasty. 

Though they do mainly focus on plant-based meals, the meat options are just as fantastic. There are many meat dishes to choose from, as well as a variety of seafood dishes. 

The full address for Tomo is 9811 16th Ave. S.W.; White Center. 

2. Cafe Juanita

Cafe Juanita offers you a whopping 11-course Tasting Menu that you can enjoy in 4 different variations that include carnivore, pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan.

This restaurant is very professional in its approach and will give you the vibe that you’re in incredibly good hands. This is reflected in their food as well, which is prepared and cooked to perfection. 

Cafe Juanita’s menu focuses very heavily on the tastes of Northern Italy, so that’s what you can expect from the Tasting Menu. You can get a range of beautiful dishes at this restaurant, which includes soup, pasta, meat, and vegetarian dishes.

If you love bread then you definitely have to try their bread baskets too! 

This is a great choice for anyone who loves Italian food but wants to try a variety of different dishes, without having to commit to just one. 

The full address for Cafe Juanita is 9702 N.E. 120th Place, Kirkland.

3. Canlis

Canlis is another great choice for a Tasting Menu in the Seattle area. You can choose between three options: meat, seafood, and vegetarian. 

This restaurant is a family-owned business that is absolutely rich in history. If you want to know the full story about how Canlis came to be, just check out the “Our Story” tab on their website, it’s quite a tale! 

Canlis prides itself on being a fine dining institution, so you can be sure that the food is nothing short of sublime. All the dishes are of the highest and finest quality and filled with the love and passion of the family who created the dishes. 

Their course selection is actually limited to a three-course meal that comes in the same options as the Tasting Menu, so your Tasting Menu will be a mini version of what the restaurant has to offer. 

The full address for Canlis is 2576 Aurora Ave. N., Seattle.

4. Cook Weaver

And finally, we have Cook Weaver. The Tasting Menu consists of seven courses, but you can also opt for the smaller, five-course variation. Both versions come in either meat or vegetarian options. 

Cook Weaver is a great restaurant for those who have a bit more of an adventurous palette. They combine the flavors of multiple countries, including Asian, European, South American, and African cuisine. 

A bit like Tomos, Cook Weaver focuses on plant-based meals, so it’s perfect for vegans and vegetarians.

One of the best and most popular dishes at this restaurant is the fermented carrots that are roasted in chili and cumin oil, before being smoked in applewood for an even more delicious tang. 

The dishes at Cook Weaver are incredibly creative and tasty, and if you opt to try one of their Tasting Menus, you won’t be disappointed in the slightest. 

The full address for Cook Weaver is 806 E. Roy St., Seattle. 

Conclusion

Even if you’ve never heard of Taster Menus before, you can be sure that once you have tried one, you will be looking for them all over the place! 

The four we have listed in this article are definitely some of the best in all of Seattle and the Eastside. Whether you want something plant-based or Italian, each of these Tasting Menus deserves your attention. 

Try one of these Tasting Menus today and see which one you like the most!