Tilikum Place Cafe

Tilikum Place Cafe is a small, neighborhood-style cafe at 407 Cedar St in Seattle's Belltown area, facing the triangular Tilikum Place and its statue of Chief Seattle, a short walk from the Space Needle. The cuisine is New American, with a menu that shifts between breakfast, brunch and a more composed dinner, built on seasonal ingredients from Washington state and the Pacific Northwest. The dish most strongly associated with the cafe is the Dutch baby pancake, a baked, puffed skillet pancake served with fruit and other seasonal accompaniments; it has become the emblematic order for brunch visitors and regularly draws diners specifically to Belltown. Dinner entrees change with the seasons and tend toward carefully handled seafood, meats and vegetables. The room is compact, bright and relaxed, with a modest number of tables, so conversation is easy and the mood remains calm even at busy times. Dress is casual, and many guests arrive on foot from nearby hotels or the Seattle Center. The beverage side includes coffee, a short wine list and cocktails suited to the dinner service, though wine and cocktails are not the main draw. Prices are moderate for Seattle, at roughly $25-45 per person. Reservations are accepted online, and weekend brunch is the period most likely to involve a wait, so booking or arriving early helps. Weekday mornings and early dinners are much easier. The cafe is well placed for combining a meal with a visit to Seattle Center, the Space Needle, the Museum of Pop Culture or a walk along the Belltown waterfront, and it appeals to visitors who prefer a small local restaurant to a larger tourist-oriented dining room in Washington's largest city. Seasonal dinner dishes change often, so the menu on the website is the best guide to what will be available, and visitors with dietary restrictions can ask the kitchen about alternatives.