3 Seattle restaurants make The New York Times’ 2021 list of the country’s most exciting

While many magazines and websites have shied away from the idea of “best” restaurant lists during the COVID era, The New York Times went with just a light reframing, calling its 2021 list "The 50 places we’re most excited about right now."

Seattle put up an outsized showing, with three local restaurants included in the list – Hillman City’s Filipino tiny fine-dining destination, Archipelago, Queen Anne’s casual modern Korean spot Paju, and Kristi Brown’s much-acclaimed Communion in the Central District.

Only one city garnered more spots on the list – New York – though both Philadelphia and San Francisco equaled Seattle’s total.

Portland tailed just behind with two spots: Thai-Texas barbecue spot Eem and quintessential neighborhood restaurant Coquine. The list is not limited to brand-new spots – Coquine opened in 2015, and New Orleans’s Brigtsen’s in 1986 – all three of the Seattle spots opened in the last two years. The choices give a distinct glimpse at the quantity and direction of growth in the Seattle restaurant scene.

The New York Times sent a variety of editors and reporters out to cover the story and Los Angeles-based restaurant critic, Tejal Rao, wrote up all three of the Seattle spots – though one of the packages’ editors, Brian Gallagher, is a former Seattle resident. Rao praised how Archipelago “[told] complicated, expansive stories about the Pacific Northwest and the many ways that Filipino immigrants have shaped it, using words, pictures and even some unexpected dance moves behind the pass.” At Communion, she found the vibes "warm and welcoming," and declared that chef Brown "Doesn’t miss." After dismissing the dining room at Paju as plain, she declared chef Bill Soo Jeong’s modern Korean dishes “elegant and expressive.”

All three restaurants already sported mile-long waitlists for very limited seats, and this likely just made those reservations even harder to get. Thankfully, the strong showing on The New York Times' list indicates that much more of the local dining scene sits just behind these big three. But you'll have to get out and find them yourself before everyone else does.