Brimmer & Heeltap

"Brimmer and Heeltap isn’t a secret — there are no secrets left in Ballard — but the garden seating feels like something hidden. It’s open for coffee and wifi during the mornings and afternoons (via Brimmer’s cafe alter ego, Red Arrow), but it also makes for a romantic dinner location in the evenings. And if the surroundings aren’t romantic enough, we’re fairly certain that Brimmer’s great wine list and expansive cocktail menu can help." - Harry Cheadle

"Set in a beautiful brick building on Market Street with an airy dining room and leafy patio, this neighborhood bistro serves creative dishes like radishes with salmon roe and creme fraiche, Manila clams in cider broth, and steak with yakitori glaze and brown butter miso. It also has a deep and complex cocktail menu. Owner Jen Doak also has a small cafe called Red Arrow Coffee in the backyard and a wine shop and bar called Halfseas across the street. Need one more reason to visit? How about $2 oysters from 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays?" - Harry Cheadle

"Set in a beautiful brick building on Market Street with an airy dining room and leafy patio that’s heated in the winter, this neighborhood bistro serves creative dishes like radishes with salmon roe and creme fraiche, Manila clams in cider broth, and pork chops with fermented greens. The business also has a small cafe called Red Arrow Coffee in the backyard, which feels a long ways away from the busy intersection it neighbors." - Jade Yamazaki Stewart, Harry Cheadle

"Primarily it gives the bottles more room to breathe — formerly Halfseas had been inside Doak’s Brimmer and Heeltap compound on the corner of Market Street and Sixth Avenue Northwest, which also includes the coffee shop Red Arrow." - Harry Cheadle

"This all-day cafe in Ballard has released a few different batches of spiked eggnog in classic, espresso, and turmeric-ginger flavors. They’re available to enjoy by the glass on their patio, or to go in a 750ml bottle." - aimee rizzo