Where to Eat Seafood in Downtown Bellevue.
Refined PNW raw bars, first-of-season California seafood, sustainable wild-caught fish, and Peruvian ceviche in leche de tigre — the six rooms doing seafood right on the Eastside, with live hours and ratings updated automatically.
The Pacific Northwest has more right to a serious seafood scene than almost anywhere in the country — and downtown Bellevue is where that claim is most fully realized on the Eastside. The options span every format and price point: a refined PNW raw bar at Seastar, a first-of-the-season California seafood concept at Water Grill, sustainable wild-caught fish at its most approachable at Duke's, and Peruvian ceviche in leche de tigre from a globally acclaimed chef at La Mar.
The choice is largely a question of what you're after: raw-bar refinement and PNW sourcing (Seastar), theatrical first-of-season abundance (Water Grill), principled sustainability at an everyday price (Duke's), or a distinctly Latin take on Pacific seafood (La Mar). Ascend Prime adds a sushi and raw-bar dimension at 31 floors, and Monsoon brings a Vietnamese lens to local fish.
Fine Dining Seafood
Two dedicated fine-dining seafood rooms, different enough that choosing between them is a meaningful decision.
Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar
Chef John Howie's seafood restaurant is the more focused, ingredient-driven counterpart to his steakhouse — and the raw bar is the reason to make the reservation. Oysters come from Pacific Northwest beds (Taylor Shellfish and neighboring producers), served alongside crudo and sashimi that reflect the same sourcing discipline as the hot menu. The approach is tighter and more PNW-rooted than Water Grill: smaller in scale, more specific in identity, with a serious wine program and private dining.
"Absolutely delicious food. Most of my party ordered from the 3 course menu and the items did not disappoint."
Tina M. · ★★★★★ · via Google
- Rotating PNW oyster selection
- Hot crab dip
- Seasonal Pacific halibut
Water Grill
Water Grill brings a distinctly Californian seafood sensibility to Lincoln Square South — abundant raw-bar presentations, whole roasted fish built around what's arriving first-of-season, and a dining room designed for celebration. Where Seastar skews intimate and PNW-focused, Water Grill is more expansive: a bigger room, broader reach, more theatrical plating. The Washington State debut of a 30-plus-year California institution.
- Seasonal whole roasted fish
- Shellfish tower for the table
- Whatever arrived this week
Steak & Seafood
Downtown's best dual-concept room — for tables that don't want to choose between fish and beef.
Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi
The sushi program at Ascend Prime is the most serious raw-seafood offering at 31 floors above Bellevue — omakase-caliber preparations that rotate seasonally alongside the Wagyu steak menu, with A5 Wagyu nigiri bridging both kitchen identities. If your table is split between sushi and steak (or fish and beef), Ascend is the clearest solution downtown — and the panoramic Cascade views don't hurt the conversation.
- Seasonal omakase sushi
- A5 Wagyu nigiri
- Daily sashimi selection
Pacific Northwest Casual Seafood
Not every seafood meal needs to be a $100-per-person occasion. One room threads the quality-and-sustainability needle at an accessible price.
Duke's Seafood
Duke's is the most principled seafood restaurant in the Bellevue Collection, and the one that earns the most loyal repeat business from downtown regulars. The 100% sustainable wild-caught commitment is the organizing principle of every fish through the kitchen — not a marketing claim on a conventional menu. The award-winning chowder has its own devoted following: thick, loaded with wild clams, a meal in itself. The happy hour is one of the better deals in the Collection.
- Wild seafood chowder
- Wild salmon of the day
- Grass-fed burger
International Seafood
Two rooms apply international traditions to local and regional fish — and make the case for why international seafood belongs in the same conversation.
La Mar Cocina Peruana
La Mar is the most significant international seafood opening on the Eastside in years — brought to Bellevue by chef Gastón Acurio, whose restaurants helped establish Peruvian cuisine as a major world tradition. The ceviche clásico is the anchor: fresh fish cured in leche de tigre — a citrus, ají amarillo, and cilantro marinade — with cancha corn and sweet potato. Tiraditos are equally accomplished, and the pisco program is as deliberate as the food. Nothing else in the PNW does Peruvian seafood at this level.
- Ceviche clásico
- Tiradito
- Pisco sour
- Causas
Monsoon Bellevue
Monsoon's Pacific Northwest ingredient philosophy applied to Vietnamese tradition produces seafood unlike anything else downtown. The kitchen sources locally — Hood Canal shellfish, Pacific salmon, seasonal regional fish — and applies Vietnamese technique (lemongrass, fish sauce, fresh herbs, charred aromatics) that brings out entirely different qualities. The refined pho uses a slow-simmered broth with depth most Vietnamese kitchens don't reach. Complimentary parking in the Courtyard Off Main garage.
- Hood Canal shellfish
- Pacific salmon
- Pho
- Seasonal wok specials
How to Choose: Seafood in Downtown Bellevue
The short version: Seastar for the most refined PNW raw bar and a focused, ingredient-driven room. Water Grill for first-of-season abundance and a celebration-scale dining room. Ascend Prime when the table is split between sushi and steak, 31 floors up. Duke's for sustainable wild-caught seafood and award-winning chowder at an everyday price. La Mar for world-class Peruvian ceviche and pisco. Monsoon for a Vietnamese lens on local fish in Old Bellevue.
Price tracks format: Seastar, Water Grill, and Ascend land at $$$$; Duke's, La Mar, and Monsoon at $$$. All are within the downtown core and Old Bellevue, walkable or a short hop apart.
Questions Locals Actually Get
Which Downtown Bellevue seafood restaurant has the best raw bar?
Seastar is the pick for raw-bar refinement — a rotating PNW oyster selection from Taylor Shellfish and neighboring beds, plus crudo and sashimi held to the same sourcing standard. Water Grill runs a more expansive, celebration-scale raw bar with a big shellfish tower. For sushi specifically, Ascend Prime's 31st-floor omakase program is the most serious raw-seafood offering downtown.
Where can I get good seafood in Bellevue without spending $100 per person?
Duke's Seafood, easily — 100% sustainable wild-caught fish at a $$$ price point, an award-winning wild-clam chowder, and one of the better happy hours in the Bellevue Collection. La Mar and Monsoon also land at $$$ with distinctive international takes (Peruvian ceviche and Vietnamese-PNW, respectively).
Is there a restaurant for a table that wants both steak and seafood?
Ascend Prime is the clearest answer — a full Wagyu steak menu alongside an omakase-caliber sushi and raw-bar program, 31 floors up with Cascade views. A5 Wagyu nigiri bridges both sides of the menu, so a split table doesn't have to compromise.
Where should I go for ceviche or Peruvian seafood?
La Mar Cocina Peruana, from globally acclaimed chef Gastón Acurio — the ceviche clásico (fish cured in leche de tigre with cancha corn and sweet potato) and the tiraditos are the anchors, paired with a deliberate pisco program. Nothing else in the Pacific Northwest does Peruvian seafood at this level.
Which seafood spots are the most sustainable?
Duke's makes sustainability its organizing principle — 100% wild-caught and traceable. Seastar sources oysters and fish from Pacific Northwest producers like Taylor Shellfish, and Monsoon leans on local Hood Canal shellfish and Pacific salmon. If certified sustainability is the priority, start with Duke's.