This article appears in print as the cover story of the September 2018 issue. Read more from the Best of the Best Restaurants feature story here. Click here to subscribe.

Best of the Best: Bateau

Where the traditional American steak house zigs dark and heavy, Renee Erickson’s French-inspired version zags to all things light and bright, from the white walls to the tiny, airy poof of an amuse-bouche gougère that comes to the table before the meal.

Steaks (starting from $23) come in a variety of sizes, cuts and types (listed on the chalkboards), and in limited quantity, encouraging a conversation with the knowledgeable servers to select the perfect piece of beef for you; consider them sommeliers for your entrée. Steaks come solo, adorned only by your choice of butter, leaving diners free to roam the remainder of the menu for Erickson’s culinary expertise in the form of French onion croquettes or the famed bread pudding from her late, great Boat Street Café.

Capitol Hill, 1040 E Union St.; 206.900.8689; restaurantbateau.com

OTHER FAVORITES

Kokkaku
Wallingford, 2208 N 45th St.; 206.588.1568; kokkakuseattle.com

Asadero
Ballard, 5405 Leary Ave. NW; 206.659. 4499; asaderoprime.com

Girin
Pioneer Square, 501 Stadium Place S; 206.257.4259; girinseattle.com
TIP: Those golden vessels that look a bit like tea kettles being brought to tables around you at Girin actually hold makgeolli, a lightly fermented rice drink made in-house—one of only a few places in the country that do so.