Seattle was the second leg of my summer trip to the Pacific Northwest. And as many people, I wanted to see the touristy things and do the touristy stuff. To accommodate my desire of being a tourist, we got an Airbnb right next to Pike Place Market as it was close to many attractions.

But for this post, I wanted to focus on the food that surrounds Pike Place Market. Like many people, I planned ahead and had a massive list of things to consume. And while I executed my plan, I was left underwhelmed and an outlier to the mass’s opinion. Below is what I tried around Pike Place Market and my thoughts. Sadly, I didn’t get any pictures from these eateries. I was too busy consuming.

indi Chocolate

Located on Western Ave., this hip store specializes in hand-crafted chocolate and has a coffee bar. Instead of paying for expensive chocolate, we opted for a caffeine fix. I went rogue and ordered a random drink of the menu that tasted like carbonated iced coffee with chocolate shavings. It was unpalatable to my taste and the chocolate felt like sand in my mouth. My friend got the iced mocha latte and it was absolutely delicious. If Starbucks is busy, give this place a try. It’s less crowded.

Le Panier

This very popular French bakery is a must according to many online outlets. I went twice during my visit, and tried their croissants, baguette, macarons, chouquettes, palmiers, eclairs, jambon mornay, feuilletes and au jardin pastry. I went twice because my first visit felt underwhelming so I decided to give it a second chance. My second visit didn’t spark any magic I was hoping for. I wanted to love it, but walked away thinking it was simply decent. My friend absolutely loves this place, and thinks it’s one of the best bakeries he has ever experience.

If you do visit, I suggest going as early in the morning as you can. There is always a line out the door.

Mee Sum Pastry

Another popular establishment at Pike Place Market is this Chinese stall that specializes in hombow (buns) and shumai (dumplings). I ordered a BBQ pork hombow and some shrimp and pork shumai. I wanted to try the truffle shumai, but they were out. The pork bun was too sweet and fatty to my taste and the shumai were over-steamed. The wrapper on the outside sadly lost its chew. You’ll get a better quality at a sit-down dim sum/yum cha restaurant.

Piroshky-Piroshky

This small Russian bakery has been in business since 1992, and always has a line outside the door. During my visit, there was a greeter outside the bakery welcoming visitors and answering menu questions– which I thought was super helpful. I decided to order the beef and onion and the smoked salmon pate. Since I visited early in the morning, the pastries themselves were still warm. The beef and cheese had great flavors. It reminded me of eating pate chaud. The smoked salmon pate is what it sounds like. My friend, who doesn’t like seafood, thought the smell was revolting. It did have a strong smell, like canned tuna – but I didn’t mind. If you are looking for a hardy pastry, I recommend giving this place a try.

Elliots Oyster House
While Elliots isn’t located at Pike Place Market, it’s a short 10-minute walk. I visited Seattle with a friend that hated seafood so I was delighted when my he wanted to try Elliots Oyster House. We arrived for dinner around 6 with a lot of empty tables and the place was packed by when we left around 7:30. For appetizer we ordered the mussels and Dungeness crab cocktail. I also ordered a dozen raw oysters that never came out from the kitchen. For my entrée I ordered a $65 salmon entrée that was slightly overcooked to my preference. Overall Elliots was decent, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to go here again.

Old Stove Brewing

Out of all the places, Old Stove Brewing was probably my favorite – and the least on my radar. After looking at several places on Yelp, we randomly decided to try this place for dinner one night. It’s a very casual atmosphere. The place was busy, but not stuffy and everyone seemed very relax. I ordered wings and fish and chips and thought it was delightful. Nothing mind-blowing or innovative, but executed well. The best thing about this restaurant? It’s waterfront and there is outdoor seating. Come early and you can get a table on the patio to watch sunset.