The Most Fun Dinner Spots In Seattle

Rimini is an Italian restaurant in Kirkland that doubles as one big party. When you walk in, expect a welcome pour of Lambrusco. A whole wall is devoted to framed photos of classic crooners. There's even a Sicilian fellow named Tony who serenades the dining room with Sinatra standards and asks each table, "Va bene?" approximately six times per course. And if the food were mediocre, we'd probably still come here for Negronis and live music—but what's happening in the kitchen makes the goofy "Old Italy" motif feel validated. Order some vodka-sauced chicken parmigiana, creamy cheese tortellini, or cognac-spiked mushroom sauce tossed with short rib ravioli, and then lean into the chorus of "That's Amore."

Embarking upon a rowdy bar crawl is normally the only way to have a fun time in Belltown. But if you require a full meal (and an earlier bedtime), there’s Lenox. This Afro-Latin soul food spot feels as electric as a night out at a luxe resort. Majesty palms and lively chatter are abundant. Crystal-clear clarified piña coladas look like ice water and taste like vacation. And lest we forget the phenomenal food—like braised beef wrapped in empanada pastry flakier than a third-tier friend, grilled chicken thighs on a swipe of guava BBQ sauce, and crackly lechon with coconutty greens we’d like to protect at all costs. Let the rum flow and get cozy with the fact that you might not be able to hear your friends over the atmospheric buzz.

No, Secret Fort is not a cool clubhouse constructed out of pillows and quilts—it’s a yakitori bar attached to Yoroshiku in Wallingford. The menu has many choices of skewered meats, but if you want to end up with a platter of hits, order peppery pork belly slices, rare seared tuna dolloped with wasabi, grilled glazed eel, and chicken thighs. The small plates are for the most part underwhelming (we're looking right at you, store-bought tortilla chips with chopped tomato chunks labeled as "yuzu shiso salsa"), so go all in on yakitori and cocktails. The place is generally pretty packed, but the mood is upbeat and they have lamps that look like Super Mario question mark blocks.

Initially, Vindicktive's setting screams “generic sports bar” with huge booths, TVs lining the walls, empty pint glass towers, and regulars glued to barstools. But the more time you spend here, the more it becomes a college party with best-night-ever energy. Music blasts, bartenders pause to ask how you've been, and sumo wrestling plays on the screens. And on Wednesday's 99-cent wing night, there's a packed house full of customers that catch bowls of wings zipping out of the kitchen like fly balls. It's nothing short of chaotic, but these crackly wings are well worth braving the bone-gnawing crowds.

This Caribbean restaurant renovated their beach-like patio, and all the sand that once filled it is pretty much gone. We were upset at first, but honestly, we don’t miss the stuff. The new-and-improved island deck atmosphere actually makes Bongos feel even more like the party it is, with increased room for picnic tables, coconut-blasted piñas on the rocks, spicy shrimp plates, and cheese-stuffed yucca balls that might be one of the best fried snacks in town. After a summertime Green Lake lap, just try to resist a sunset sandwich among the upbeat music and abundance of cute dogs. You can’t.

This Japanese gastropub works great for a boisterous last-minute group hang or Happy Hour. You can share things like yuzu cauliflower karaage, nicely seasoned nori tots, or mac salad. Order sparkling sake jelly shots for the table—they are tasty enough to want more than one, but have a low ABV so you’ll still wake up the next morning in one piece. And if you’re lucky, the bartender may even pull out a dinosaur dentist toy from your childhood and make a drinking game out of it. 

Haidilao is an experience. At this popular hot pot chain in Bellevue, they’ll escort you to a booth like you’ve got a FastPass, dance tableside while hand-pulling noodles, and have servers sing “happy birthday” while fist-pumping with a neon sign. And don’t even get us started on all the free stuff (toys, pints of ice cream, lotion, manicures). All the bells and whistles are nice, but the hot pot is truly great too—their tom yum broth pairs nicely with delicate beef tongue. Best to come here with a big group, rock an apron, and clink soju as you dunk those meats.

There are two very different ways to have a thrilling time at Fogón. Both start with a complimentary tostada and end with the Bartender's Margarita. Between pumping music and crowds of people that spill out onto the street, this Capitol Hill Mexican restaurant is practically designed for groups that want to get a little rowdy over al pastor pork tacos and margaritas that taste (and feel) triple-spiked. On the other end of the spectrum, this place is also great if your idea of fun is a solo situation that involves tequila as your only companion. Fogón has the best patio for people-watching along Pine, so camp out on a bar stool and observe the chaotic nightlife unfold as you eat fajitas. 

For a serotonin rush, have dinner on Dreamland’s balcony patio, a.k.a. Carnelian Bay. The whimsical space-galaxy-jungle-grotto surroundings make this diner feel like a hazy movie mashup of Jurassic Park, Alien, and Xanadu in the best way possible. There are $99 large-batch margaritas served in disco balls alongside salty pucker powder-rimmed glasses, Jell-O shots that taste like homemade jam straight from the jar, and some above-average bar snacks—like vegetarian chicken strip baskets, pimento cheese slathered on fried saltines, and a gooey burger that can do no wrong in our eyes. Very much like the title track of Xanadu.

Beyond the unmarked, literal pink door at this iconic Pike Place Italian spot, you’ll find an elegant circus-restaurant hybrid, with low lighting, a mural of a court jester, thick curtains, and acrobatic talent swinging on silks above you and your linguine with clams. It’s a wacky place for you to leave everything behind and escape real life for a night. Don't forget an order of lasagna and grilled bread.

Maybe it’s the EDM DJ sets playing on every TV, but Bellwether feels like a meat-fueled party. Everyone is here for a good time, from big groups piling into booths to solo folks. And while the meat options are nothing exceptional, it’s the hot bar that makes this CID spot worth a visit. Grab as much purple rice, chicken wings, chow mein, and cheesy corn as you want—all without having to flag down a server for the 10th time.

Among the dives and breweries dotting Georgetown’s industrial landscape is Ciudad, a boisterous Middle Eastern-influenced spot that’s good for large groups starting out the night. Nab a seat outside where the atmosphere feels like someone’s cool cookout as a charcoal grill sears tasty hanger steaks and seafood (you order by the weight to share). Inside, the look is more “modern art gallery” with concrete floors and a mural depicting some sort of demonic parade. Beyond those grilled meats, get the hummus and smoky yogurt dips for the table (with flatbreads), plus a round of spicy carrot margaritas, and everyone will be happy.

When your boss incorrectly uses the term "low lift" again, ditch work early and head to Island Soul for a rum-heavy drink and some Caribbean food. This Columbia City restaurant is always loud, with soccer matches playing on the TVs, big open windows that let in sunlight, and the bustling soundtrack from Rainier Ave. Colorful paintings of far off places are almost as beautiful as a pile of Island Soul’s creamy mac and cheese, sticky chicken wings, or glistening gumbo. And make sure a coconut corn muffin side (that we could eat for dessert) hits your table, plus at least one rum punch—which usually turns to two.

This Wallingford pasta place is a different kind of wacky, and yet, still covered head to toe in bizarre props like spooky framed art and the occasional bicycle hanging from the ceiling. There's always a decent flow of crowds that makes the energy palpable, and it's hard not to have fun when your tagliatelle with mushroom cream comes with a free salad and focaccia. Just remember that there's a surcharge added if you whip out your phone, so live in the moment. Ignoring social media can be fun, we promise.

The words "beachy" and "tropical" are not exactly synonymous with a night out on Capitol Hill (rainy and dark is probably more accurate), but Koko’s is the exception. This Mexican restaurant from Seabrook—a small Washington beach town—brings fun warm weather energy and real-life palm trees to the Hill. Large half-moon booths are full of people partying in what feels like the lobby of a high-end Tulum resort, and the staff is right there with you having a good time. Don't count on the entrees to be very memorable, but it’s a good place to have a few jalapeño margaritas with small snacks while discussing the intricacies and character archetypes of Vanderpump Rules.

King’s Hardware in Ballard is less of a restaurant and more like a debaucherous bar where you can get a full meal of decent pub snacks. Said debauchery is powered by copious amounts of taxidermy, a rowdy patio, spiked slushies, and your friends' competitive aggression when they catch a glimpse of the Skee-Ball machine. Gather everyone out on a bunch of shoved-together tables and order a round of tater tots, chicken tenders, and cheeseburgers.

At Pasifika, the servers say things like “hell yeah, let’s do this” after you order shatteringly crispy lumpia or sticky-sweet BBQ wings. The restaurant may be wedged into a quiet office park in Bellevue, but bright tropical drinks, bouncy reggae, and people celebrating five minutes of sunshine make the place feel like a party. Order the Ha’ani (a mango-hibiscus mojito) and let the stress of 405 gridlock nearby melt away.

This excellent Japanese restaurant on Capitol Hill serves sashimi staircases, torched sushi rolls, dumplings, and marinated wagyu you sear yourself on a molten hot rock. All that is truthfully enough fun for an entire weekend. And even though it’s pretty packed every night of the week with walk-in traffic, you could call and make a 12-person reservation for the very next day. This is particularly useful if you forgot to get something on the books for your friend’s birthday, and you’d like them to still be your friend.

Just like someone who can actually pull off Doc Martens with a floral skirt, Cornelly is effortlessly cool. At this small Italian spot, there’s always a packed patio loaded with silver pizza stands and groups of pals you can tell actually like each other. The dining room feels like someone picked up a Brooklyn natural wine bar and dropped it in the middle of Capitol Hill. It’s laid back and has such great carbs that it simply makes the act of eating dinner more fun. Make sure a white pie and at least one pasta hits the table, and remember to tack on their fluffy focaccia.

Mbar has all the makings for a total rooftop scene—a social media-worthy skyline view, overly complicated drinks, and the Amazon employees who drink them. But what makes Mbar so much more special is that the food here doesn't suck—it's what keeps us coming back. Snack on Lebanese small plates like shrimp kebabs, tahini chicken wings, and green pea falafel that you should definitely be ordering more than one of for the table. This place is perfect for dates, group outings, and anything else you’d like to celebrate, even if that’s just finishing laundry for the week. 

This West Seattle spot serves Seattle’s best fish tacos and makes for an easy weeknight dinner—but things get more bumping on the weekends. You’ll find mango margaritas flowing and danceable music piped throughout the dining room decorated with Día De Los Muertos murals and an ofrenda. There may even be a raucous birthday party on the front patio with karaoke going on—warm up those pipes, just in case.