Seattle Is an Amazing City for Oysters—Here Are the Best Places to Eat Them

The cold, salty inlets and bays fissuring the edges of Puget Sound are prime real estate for oyster farming. Dozens of streams and rivers, assisted by the area’s famous rain, carry rich nutrients to these filter feeders, and strong tides and currents deliver fresh breaths of oxygen.

The region’s many oyster farms grow just about every type of bivalve imaginable, from the area’s small gem of a native oyster, the Olympia, and the creamy Kumamoto—an ideal bite for beginners—to the large, salty Virginica and beyond. Each oyster tells the story of where it was grown, thanks to the subtleties of the microclimates where they were raised.

Seattle’s oyster bars and restaurants wholeheartedly embrace the region’s aquatic bounty. And though it’s fairly easy to find oysters almost anywhere in the city, not every spot is created equal. So shuffle off that raincoat, and belly up to these top-notch oyster bars.