Seattle Swings Both Ways: Your Sapphic Guide To Staying & Playing In The Emerald City
From city views to seaside breeze. From Lesbian Fight Night to Flounder the harbor seal. Seattle is ready to give you an adventure—any way you want it.
Featured image by Michael Jagla/Getty
Waterfront views and hiker-friendly mountains. A thriving queer nightlife scene and a homebody’s dream. A growing public transit system and…occasional free parking—hey, nowhere’s perfect. Seattle’s mosaic of residents and rich history of queer culture come together to create an evergreen charm.
The Emerald City is no stranger to welcoming flocks of queer travelers. The city’s underground gay scene began thriving in the 1930s, when Seattle’s first after-hours club, The Casino, opened and became one of the few places on the West Coast that allowed same-sex dancing. Seattle’s first gay-owned bar, The Garden of Allah, opened in 1946, and the city’s first lesbian bar, The Hub, followed in 1950.
Today, the city is continuing to grow. Seattle has the current highest number of same-sex couple households in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In March, the city expanded its 2 Line train system, creating the first light rail line to operate on a floating bridge anywhere in the world.
Seattle, home to more than 800,000 residents, is one of the fastest-growing U.S. cities, but this growth comes with some challenges. Like many major cities, Seattle is facing a severe housing crisis. Between 2022 and 2024, the number of people experiencing homelessness has increased by 26 percent. Residents are looking to newly elected Mayor Katie Wilson, whose campaign heavily focused on homelessness, affordability, and public safety, for much-needed change.
If you’re planning to take a trip to the Emerald City, we have a few tips for you. Try to avoid planning your visit during the “Big Dark,” the city’s rainiest time of year between November and February. If you get caught in the Seattle showers, opt for a rain jacket, not an umbrella. And, do not, under any circumstances, wait in line for Starbucks.
Coffee, Coffee, Coffee
Seattle, appropriately nicknamed the “Coffee Capital of the World,” has an obsession with caffeination, and really, you can’t go wrong with most of the city’s cafes. Bonito Café y Mercadito (@bonito________), a Latino- and queer-owned shop in Capitol Hill, was opened by husbands Daniel and Ismael Calderón in 2024. Come early and prepare to wait in line at this trendy (but worth the hype) spot. We recommend anything with their horchata cold foam or their house-made Café de Olla syrup.
Flora Bakehouse (@theflorabakehouse), an LGBT-owned bakery and coffee shop in Beacon Hill, is the place to find wildly delicious pastries. Owner Nat Stratton Clarke tells GO he highly recommends the Florentine breakfast sandwich on their house-made tomato milkbread and the almond croissant. You can pick up more treats at Temple Pastries (templepastries.com), a queer- and woman-owned bakery in the Central District, that does special seasonal menus. Come by in the early spring for a chance to try their crowd-favorite carrot cake.
For something more grab-and-go, we recommend Fulcrum Coffee (@fulcrumcoffeeroasters) in Belltown for locally roasted and sustainably sourced coffee.
If matcha is more your speed, try Taz (tazseattle.com) in Downtown Seattle for their Earl Grey matcha and Phê (@phe.yet) in Capitol Hill for their banana pudding matcha.
Eat Up
Once you’re appropriately caffeinated, it’s time to explore Seattle’s impressive restaurant scene. The city is known for its Asian food culture, thanks to generations of Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Chinese immigrants. If you want to find the heart of Seattle, head to Toshi’s Teriyaki Grill (toshisgrill.com) in the Chinatown-International District (CID). Teriyaki is to Seattle as pizza is to New York City, meaning every local worth their salt has their personal favorite spot. But Toshi’s has been serving up the signature dish since 1976, and it’s a great place to start.
Biang Biang Noodles (biangbiangnoodles.com), a women- and LGBT-owned restaurant in Capitol Hill, offers hand-pulled noodles made to order. The Mala Spicy Beef + Pork Ribs Soup is perfect for a rainy day. Then head to the second floor, where Paper Fan Cocktail Bar (@paperfancocktailbar) is tucked away, for refreshing tea-infused drinks.
For Hawaiian-Korean fusion with an incredible view, check out Marination Ma Kai (marinationmobile.com) on the West Seattle waterfront. Co-owned by partners Roz and Kamala, this queer-run spot packs a punch in the form of tacos, sliders, and their signature Aloha Fries. Cafe Flora (@cafefloraveg), a sister restaurant to Flora Bakehouse, is serving up vegetarian fare in Madison Valley. For an upscale afternoon, make a reservation for their afternoon tea if you’re feeling fancy.
Cafe Lago (cafelago.com), a woman-owned Italian restaurant in Montlake, is a must if you’re craving fresh (and reasonably priced) pasta. Since opening in 1990, founder Carla Leonardi has impressed the community with Tuscan-inspired recipes.
You can’t visit Seattle without trying the seafood. Slurp up some exceptionally fresh oysters at Taylor’s Shellfish (taylorshellfishfarms.com), a family-owned and operated farm, with locations in Queen Anne, Capitol Hill, and Pioneer Square. Bite into a fish taco at Agua Verde Café (aguaverdecafe.com) on the waterfront of the University District. Enjoy pan-roasted trout with yam pavé at Lenox (lenoxwa.com), an Afro-Latin restaurant in Belltown.
Shop ’Til You Drop
Make sure to leave some extra space in your luggage to go shopping! For our bibliophiles, you’ll definitely want to pop into Charlie’s Queer Books (charliesqueerbooks.com) in Fremont. This LGBT-owned store is Seattle’s home to queer books, both bestsellers and new arrivals.
Elliot Bay Book Company (elliottbaybook.com) in Capitol Hill is Seattle’s premier independent bookstore, with more than 150,000 books on the shelves. Be sure to check their calendar for upcoming author events!
Stick around Capitol Hill for Station 7 (station7seattle.com), a woman- and AAPI-owned gift shop showcasing local goods from small businesses. More than 70 percent of what you’ll find at Station 7 belongs to local, women-owned businesses. Owner Mary Jensen recommends visitors check out Seattle Candle Company (seattlecandlecompany.com), a bestselling woman-owned candle line, and And Arlen (andarlen.com), a woman- and LGBT-owned jewelry brand.
Domingo (@domingoenlaluna) is a new addition to the Downtown Seattle scene. The queer- and Latinx-owned business celebrated its grand opening this spring, showcasing jewelry and clothing, as well as art from local Black and brown artists.
For high-quality vintage and the occasional crafting event, check out Doll Parts Collective (wearedollparts.com), a queer- and women-owned shop in West Seattle.
Tourist Hot Spots
You can’t talk about Seattle without mentioning Pike Place Market (pikeplacemarket.org) in Downtown. The city’s original farmers’ market and a cultural landmark, Pike Place is one of the oldest and largest public markets in the country. We highly recommend taking advantage of free samples from the fishmongers as you explore more than 500 independently operated businesses. This is the perfect place to be as touristy as possible—pick up a novelty t-shirt, some postcards, or a magnet.
A few blocks from Pike Place, right on the Elliott Bay waterfront, you’ll find one of the city’s best attractions: the Seattle Aquarium (seattleaquarium.org). There you’ll meet three of our favorite Seattleites, harbor seals Hogan, Casey, and Flounder. To get the best deal on tickets, purchase a Seattle CityPASS, which grants you access to three main attractions for $108 or five attractions for $139.
The Space Needle (spaceneedle.com), which has incredible 360-degree views of Downtown, Mount Rainier, the Sound, and the Cascades and Olympic mountain ranges; Chihuly Garden and Glass (chihuly.com), which showcases larger-than-life glass sculptures; and the Woodland Park Zoo (zoo.org), known for its naturalistic habitats, are just some of the CityPASS options.
For the museum buffs, Seattle has you covered. The Museum of Pop Culture (mopop.org) in Lower Queen Anne, a few blocks from the Space Needle, has a wonderful variety of exhibits. Movie buffs, gamers, music lovers, and science fiction nerds will all find something to enjoy here. Our favorite exhibit is Scared To Death: The Thrill Of Horror Film, which displays more than 50 props and costumes from iconic horror films.
The Seattle Art Museum (seattleartmuseum.org) has three locations: the main museum in Downtown, the Seattle Asian Art Museum in Capitol Hill, and the Olympic Sculpture Park on the Central Seattle waterfront. With multiple locations, SAM boasts a variety of exhibits—from modern art to Native art collections.
Mountains And Trees And Beaches, Oh My!
One of the greatest highlights Seattle has to offer is its parks. The city has over 485 parks and natural areas, covering roughly 12 percent of Seattle, and many are easily accessible by public transit! Seattle’s largest park, Discovery Park in Magnolia, has over 11 miles of walking and biking trails on the shore of the Puget Sound.
Volunteer Park in Capitol Hill is just over 40 acres, including a botanical garden inside the conservatory. The park’s dahlia garden is a must-see if you’re visiting during the viewing season, July through September.
The Washington Park Arboretum, on the edge of Montlake, boasts more than 200 acres of flowers and plants—some of which you can’t find anywhere else in the region.
For the perfect picnic spot, head to Gas Works Park on the Lake Union waterfront. At the site of a former Seattle Gas Light plant, this park has incredible views of the city and is a perfect place to watch the sunset.
Kerry Park in Queen Anne is the place for Instagram pictures, with one of the city’s most iconic skyline views. So much so that this park famously appeared in the 1999 film 10 Things I Hate About You.
If you’re looking to dip your toes in, try the historic Alki Park in West Seattle. Though be warned: the water is usually quite chilly. Alki is popular for beach volleyball, sunbathing, kayaking, and, of course, enjoying the spectacular views of the Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.
Golden Gardens Park in Ballard has over 80 acres of beach and forest trails. The view of the Olympic Mountains in the distance and the occasional sailboat sighting make the chilly water and rocky beach worth it.
Party Like A Seattleite
Seattle’s queer nightlife is highly underrated. It’s rarely mentioned alongside queer cities like San Francisco, NYC, or Atlanta, though it should be. The party scene here is consistently growing and changing, with new pop-up parties and events happening almost every week, and the reliable brick-and-mortar spots keeping things fresh.
Wildrose (@thewildrosebar) in Capitol Hill opened in 1984 and is currently Seattle’s only lesbian bar. This PNW institution is also one of the oldest lesbian bars in the country. Owner Martha Manning tells GO that her favorite thing about the lesbian community in Seattle is that they show up.
“The love and support they’ve shown us over the years is huge,” she says. “This bar is still here today because of the community.”
Swing by Capitol Hill’s Pitch the Baby (@pitchthebabybar), recognized as the first Latine-owned women’s sports bar. Co-founder and COO Monica Dimas says she loves seeing “elder queer folx come in and sit next to a decades younger crowd.” The door at Pitch is open to everyone, even “people who have never watched a women’s game in their life,” Dimas jokes.
Rough and Tumble Pub (@roughandtumblepub) is home to women’s sports in Ballard. Opened in 2022 by Jen Barnes, the pub has a delicious weekend brunch, hosts endless watch parties, and has recently expanded to a second location in Columbia City.
The stereotype of beanie-wearing, microbrew-loving Seattleites is only kind of true. Métier Brewing Company (metierbrewing.com) in Central Seattle is queer-run and is recognized as Washington’s first Black-owned brewery.
“For many in our community, folks do not see themselves reflected in our shared spaces,” says CEO and co-founder Rodney Hines. “We’ve been told many times, by many different folks, that they feel at home in our space.”
Hines says some of his favorite queer- and/or women-owned bars in the city include El Suenito Brewing Company (elsuenitobrewing.com), Footprint Wine Tap (footprintwine.com), and WeRise Wines (werisewines.com).
The city’s pop-up party scene may not rival that of New York City’s (yet), but it’s certainly carving out a much-needed and highly appreciated space. Lezztalkaboutit (@lezztalkaboutit) has blown up on social media in the past year and is now hosting multiple parties a month, including Y2K nights, goth nights, and fight nights.
Sapphic Events (@sapphicevents) is known for hosting large queer dance parties in Seattle and Tacoma that often sell out, so plan ahead!
Honey (@seeyoutathoney) events specifically create spaces for BIPOC queer women outside of the city’s typical bar scene.
Seattle Sapphic Sluts (@seattlesapphicsluts) is newer to the city’s pop-up party scene. This three-person collective hosts femme-focused events that are open to everyone.
“People sometimes think queer nightlife in Seattle is all one vibe, but actually it’s so full of spaces for different communities, energies, and expressions,” co-founder Rae tells GO. “Every night can feel completely unique depending on where you go.”
Afrosapphix (@afrosapphix) hosts a number of events, including parties, book clubs, and workshops, for Black sapphics in Seattle.
Babe Night (@babe.night) is known for femme-forward raves and “grrl powered” dance parties, which often include drag performances.
Rest Your Weary Head
After thoroughly exploring Seattle’s nightlife, culture, and restaurant scene, you’ll need to rest so you can do it all again tomorrow.
If you’re really looking to treat yourself, book a room at The Edgewater Hotel (edgewaterhotel.com), a luxury hotel in Downtown. This is the city’s only “over-water” hotel, meaning waterfront rooms that look directly onto the Puget Sound. The Edgewater has welcomed legendary guests, including The Beatles, Elvis Presley, and Kurt Cobain. If you’re looking for a room with a spectacular view during the summer, be prepared to pay upwards of $500 a night.
The Fairmont Olympic Hotel (fairmont.com) is a massive luxury hotel in Downtown with 450 rooms, five restaurants, a full-service spa, and an indoor pool. If you’re not ready to drop a pretty penny on a room, have a drink at the Founders Club in the lobby to appreciate the architectural beauty.
For more neighborhood variety, check out one of the StayPineapple hotels (staypineapple.com). The Maxwell Hotel in Lower Queen Anne and Hotel FIVE in Downtown are located near some of the city’s biggest attractions—the Space Needle, the Climate Pledge Arena, and Pike Place. The Watertown Hotel in the University District boasts six floors only blocks away from the University of Washington campus.
