Photo:
Don't miss the vintage Fiat parked outsite Piatti. Photo: JiaYing Grygiel
Remember the days when we’d go out for dinner with friends at 9 p.m.? Yeah, me neither.
That’s why brunch is absolutely genius. With kids in tow, it’s easily the best meal of the day: You get a lazy morning, a fun outing and you make it back home in time for a nap.
I brunched my way all around Seattle to find the yummiest eats paired with fun places for kids nearby, and came up with five kid-tested fun brunch itineraries.
The Restaurant & Terrace Bar at Salish Lodge, Snoqualmie
Snoqualmie is only half an hour from downtown Seattle, but it’s enough to take you to an entirely different world. Snoqualmie Falls is taller than Niagara Falls, and in my biased opinion, so much more stunning.
Salish Lodge & Spa is perched at the top of the falls, and its Restaurant & Terrace Bar just reopened in the spring after a full renovation. We love that it’s owned by the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe.
The biscuits are baked fresh every day and come with the Honey From Heaven service: Your server drizzles your biscuits with honey from the lodge’s own hives — so much fun for kids to watch! The country breakfast has been a lodge staple since 1916 and the portions are truly massive, which is crucial if you’re feeding teenagers.
Brunch hours: Weekdays, 8 a.m.–1 p.m.; weekends, 8 a.m.–3 p.m.
Nearby activities: The parking lot across the street from the lodge is free, and a pedestrian overpass takes you safely to the falls side. Choose your own adventure: easy, intermediate or advanced trails.
Two of the viewpoints are completely accessible, located a few steps from the parking lot along a paved sidewalk. Drive to the lower parking lot for a view from the base of the valley. There’s a boardwalk with stairs to the bottom of the falls, and another path that leads to the enormous boulders by the river. Bonus points if you hike the 268 feet down the river and 268 feet back up to the lodge.
Piatti, Seattle
What kid doesn’t love the most quintessential Italian food? I’m talking about pizza, and Piatti in University Village does a wonderful breakfast version. I had one tiny corner of the bacon and eggs flatbread before my kids made the rest of it vanish. Don’t sleep on the lemon ricotta pancakes either. It’s a big fluffy stack drizzled with berry compote and lemon curd.
The dining room is pretty with mossy green velvet, warm woods and gold tones, and casual enough to feel welcoming to families. Car-crazy kids will go nuts for the vintage Fiat parked out front.
Brunch hours: Weekends, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Nearby activities: The covered play area at U Village was a lifesaver when my kids were toddlers. It’s open early, completely fenced and has heat lamps. I love that there are nice restrooms everywhere, and my kids love going on a scavenger hunt to find the little fountains sprinkled around U Village. Speaking from experience, make sure to bring a complete change of clothes, socks and shoes included, or you might find yourself making an emergency purchase at Gap.
Cedar + Elm, Kenmore
Cedar + Elm is where you go for an elevated brunch. Located in The Lodge at St. Edward Park, the historic space was once the dining hall for students of St. Edward Seminary, and it still uses the original fixtures (now updated with LED bulbs). The restaurant is fancier than what we’re used to, and my son got scolded by another diner for slurping his Italian cream soda too loudly. I don’t blame him one bit, because it was so delicious you’d want every last drop too. The brioche French toast is a total kid-pleaser, and the brunch menu also includes off-the-beaten-path dishes like dry tonkatsu udon and Chinese-style congee.
Brunch hours: Weekends, 7 a.m.–2 p.m.
Nearby activities: The Lodge at St. Edward Park is a hotel, and it’s open to the public. The first time we visited, I went to take a photo of my kids in front of the 1938 Pontiac parked out front, and a valet came running up. I thought we were going to get in trouble because we weren’t hotel guests. Instead, he opened the door and invited the kids to hop in!
You wouldn’t think former priest-training grounds would be kid-friendly, but it is wildly fun. There is a castle-themed playground just outside the lodge. Take a well-marked 0.62-mile trail through the woods to Lake Washington. Note: You’ll need a Discover Pass to park.
Agua Verde Café, Seattle
Agua Verde doesn’t have an official brunch menu, which is only a problem if you don’t believe in tacos for breakfast, second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon or afternoon tea. Snag a table on the patio on a sunny day, and the combination of Mexican cuisine with the view of the water makes you feel like you’re on vacation.
You can order breakfast tacos and burritos ‘til noon. We started with a big bowl of guacamole and chips, followed by black cod Baja tacos and the machete quesadilla filled with suadero (beef brisket). The kids loved the horchata, a sweet rice drink with cinnamon. Save some room for dessert: The orange flan is a work of art!
Restaurant hours: Takeout, 10 a.m.–10 p.m.; dine-in, 11 a.m.–10 p.m.
Nearby activities: Agua Verde Paddle Club is in the same building, right below Agua Verde Café. You can rent kayaks and stand-up paddleboards by the hour. Kids 17 and younger must paddle with an adult in a double kayak, so make sure to come in the right ratio of kids-to-adults.
If you’re more of a landlubber, Fritz Hedges Waterway Park is next to Agua Verde Café. There’s a nice green space, a pier and a rocky beach. The park opened in 2020, and my transportation-obsessed kids would have loved it when they were tots. You have the thrill of watching seaplanes, kayaks and the traffic across the Ship Canal Bridge all from one location. The beach alone is entertainment for babies, who love throwing rocks into the water.
Ben Paris, Seattle
It’s no secret that the downtown Seattle sector has been struggling, and it made my heart so happy to see the vibrant, hopping brunch crowd at Ben Paris. Their avocado toast is the best I’ve had in the city. The keto-friendly carnitas bowl comes with the perfect amount of kick, and the towering carrot cake comes topped with a macaron.
Ben Paris is located on the ground floor of The State Hotel, a historic 1904 building steps away from Pike Place Market. After brunch, check out the hotel lobby. There’s a cool wall of doorknobs!
Brunch hours: Daily, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.
Nearby activities: Use that brunch fuel to go for a stroll across one of Seattle’s newest spaces, Overlook Walk. There’s a tiny playground built right into the slope. Can you make it all the way to the waterfront? The new jellyfish playground at Pier 58 features a super-fast slide. If the day turns soggy, duck into the Seattle Aquarium’s Ocean Pavilion expansion and marvel at the tropical fish from the Coral Triangle.
