Archipelago
Pacific Northwest restaurant (US) · Columbia City
5607 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118
Highlights
Pacific Northwest-inspired Filipino flavors, storytelling, and local ingredients
Pacific Northwest-inspired Filipino flavors, storytelling, and local ingredients
"Archipelago is the best restaurant in the south end. This 12-seat billboard for the Pacific Northwest is a tasting menu spot, made up of 9-12 courses inspired by the owners’ Filipino heritage. Every incredible plate of food involves ingredients exclusively sourced from the PNW—that includes cracked wheat pandesal roll with truffle butter you’ll have at the beginning and the sweet cedar plank suman (rice cake) with hazelnut pumpkin ice cream that occasionally caps things off. You’ll walk away feeling like there’s nowhere else in the world you could have a meal like this. Keep an eye on Archipelago’s Instagram, where they’ll announce when the next two months of reservations will open up. Take advantage of the waitlist as well, and get comfy with the idea of booking alone if you want to get in as quickly as possible. And if you know a leader in your community who deserves to eat here on the house, you can nominate them—Archipelago gives away seats to folks worthy of celebration, while prioritizing those who might struggle financially." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley
"This small counter in Hillman City is more than a 10-course dinner inspired by the owners’ Filipino heritage. It’s a billboard for the Pacific Northwest and a meal that should be required by law for every resident. Each dish represents a part of history that connects our city to Filipino culture, and Archipelago only uses ingredients exclusively sourced throughout the region. That means you'll get plates like tart vinegar-cured kinilaw with local ginger served on a sardine tin to shout out the cannery workers from Seattle, and the vibrant halo halo topped with “pineapple ice.” Pineapple doesn’t grow here, so it’s pine plus apple—which is just one example of how intentional the entire production is. After two hours, you’ll walk away from Archipelago with a belly full of outstanding lechon (crispy skin and all) and a newfound appreciation for both Filipino food and the surrounding PNW. Keep an eye on Archipelago’s Instagram, where they’ll announce when the next two months of reservations will open up. Take advantage of the waitlist as well, and get comfy with the idea of booking alone if you want to get in as quickly as possible. And if you know a leader in your community who deserves to eat here on the house, you can nominate them—Archipelago gives away seats to folks worthy of celebration, while prioritizing those who might struggle financially." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley
"This small counter in Seattle is more than a 10-course dinner inspired by the owners’ Filipino heritage. It’s a billboard for the Pacific Northwest and a meal that should be required by law for every resident. Each dish represents a part of history that connects our city to Filipino culture, and Archipelago only uses ingredients exclusively sourced throughout the region. That means you’ll get plates like tart vinegar-cured kinilaw with local ginger served on a sardine tin to shout out the cannery workers from Seattle, and the vibrant halo halo topped with “pineapple ice” (pineapple doesn’t grow here, so it’s pine plus apple). After two hours, you’ll walk away from Archipelago with a belly full of outstanding lechon and a newfound appreciation for both Filipino food and the surrounding PNW." - arden shore, team infatuation
"A Seattle-area restaurant that received a 2025 James Beard Award nomination for Outstanding Hospitality; the recognition was prestigious, though it did not result in a win." - Harry Cheadle
"It’s difficult to overstate how ambitious Archipelago is. It’s not just a Filipino fine dining restaurant, it’s the only place in the city where each course comes accompanied by a short speech from a staff member that connects the dishes to some element of local or Filipino history, foregrounding the political undertones of a dinner that usually go unsaid. The miracle is that all of this is pulled off without it seeming pretentious or jarring. It helps that the team led by husband-and-wife owners Aaron Verzosa and Amber Manuguid are exceptionally welcoming. They’ll do things like ask each guest how hungry they are before serving the last savory course — perfectly cooked steak — ensuring no one feels the need to stop for a burger on the way home (a stereotype of fine dining restaurants). The tiny restaurant’s 12 seats are normally booked out months ahead so pay attention to when reservations drop in order to score a seat. Good for: Intimate dinners with one or two people (getting a full table here is hard)." - Harry Cheadle
