Mini Travel Guide To Seattle + Places I Loved

Before I headed off to my parent’s house, I made a quick pitstop in Seattle to see my friend Kavita. I only had 2 full days with her, so we planned to hit the ground running when my plane landed at 6AM on the first day. We definitely made the most of our time together and today I’m going to share a couple of places we visited that are definitely worth popping into if you’re in the area. Consider this a mini travel guide to Seattle and the greater Seattle area 🙂

Mini Seattle Travel Guide + Places I Loved

Dane and I have already visited Seattle a time or two, so we skipped the Space Needle and Pike Place Market this time. If you haven’t seen either of those, definitely start there! The majority of the trip was just about hanging out together, but we managed to see quite a few cool spots that are worth checking out and dubbed our adventures as the “Kavita’s Favorite Places Tour”, so if you 

Glassy Baby – This was such a cute store (we visited the Bellevue location) and honestly — I had no idea what it even was before we went in! Glassy Baby (as I’ve learned) is a Seattle staple. They are hand blown glass tumblers that can be used for candles. When illuminated, they produce some of the most beautiful colorful glows. Each tumbler has a cute little name and mini poem to go with it. 

Bellevue Square – We popped in here to grab some small plates at the Nordstrom Bar (10/10 recommend–loved getting locally made cider!) and then browsed a couple of the shops. It was a great mall and has pretty much every store you could ever want or need! 

Starbucks’ Reserve Roastery + Tasting Room – I had been to the original Starbuck’s down by Pike Place Market, but this roasters and tasting room is NEXT LEVEL! It’s like walking into a giant coffee library where every varietal (and snacks) are available to taste. 

Associated Vintners Tasting Bar (South Lake Union) – This entire building has some cool spots in it, but the wine pop up bar and tasting room is where you need to go. It’s not super fancy, but the decor is so thoughtfully done and the wine is delicious! Also – definitely affordable!

Cactus Alki Beach – Butternut Squash Enchiladas….that’s pretty much all I need to say. This place is super yummy and has great views right on the water.

Mamnoon – I had never had Lebanese food before, so when Kavita suggested Mamnoon, I was all in, but had no clue what to expect. We shared a few appetizers and it’s safe to say it was some of the most delicious food I’ve ever eaten. I am ashamed to admit, I forget exactly what we had (I know warm pitas were involved), but every dish was full of flavor and absolutely amazing. I would go back to Seattle just for this restaurant!

Marination ma kai – If you’re looking for the best view of the city, hit up Marination ma kai. I had terrific, sunny weather while visiting, which made this indoor/outdoor (totally casual) bar even better. It has a prime location for panoramic views of Seattle.

We also enjoyed a homemade Indian meal with Kavita’s parents but unfortunately I’m pretty sure you have to be her friend to cash in on that amazing offering 😉 All in all — was a wonderful stay and I will definitely go back! Seattle is gorgeous and I think all that rainy weather gives it a bit of an unfair rep, because the sun was shining nearly the entire time I was there 🙂

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy 12 Hours In Seattle or Our Cruise To Alaska From Seattle.