Cafe Juanita

"Holly Smith and her team have been holding down the fine dining fort in Kirkland for over two decades, and the northern Italian–influenced tasting menus haven’t lost a step. The focaccia is casually some of the best in the metro area, the little in-between-course surprises are thrilling, and the staff boasts an encyclopedic knowledge of the dishes being served. Tasting menus (which include vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian options) are $205." - Harry Cheadle

"Where a lot of the region’s fine dining destinations lean on French and Japanese techniques, chef Holly Smith’s Cafe Juanita is an ode to Northern Italy. The Kirkland restaurant looks sleepy from the outside (it looks a little sleepy inside, too) but the food here is powerful. You’re likely to stumble across a bite you remember years later, whether that’s a truffle-filled cabbage roll, a foraged mushroom packed with an incredible amount of flavor, or something as simple as a freshly baked, pillowy focaccia. There are no a la carte options here and a meal costs $205, but the good news is there are separate tasting menus for vegetarians, vegans, and pescatarians." - Mark DeJoy, Harry Cheadle

"Kirkland’s Northern Italian fine dining mainstay offers several excellent seasonal tasting menus, including pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan options. Chef Holly Smith’s omnivorous tasting menus include dishes like duck breast with charred strawberries and English pea pignoli tartelette, while vegan and pescatarian options showcase what the talented team here can do with fish and mushrooms." - Eater Staff

"For a special occasion dinner, Cafe Juanita in Kirkland is the ultimate venue. With a dark, sleek space that can only belong on the Eastside where the Microsoft executives play, it's a restaurant where you can dress up and propose to the love of your life over A5 Miyazaki wagyu and delicate homemade tagliatelle with chanterelles. Their tasting menus have both vegetarian and vegan options, which also makes Cafe Juanita versatile for a cuisine that tends to prioritize pork and butter." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley

"A meal at Cafe Juanita feels like crashing a Microsoft executive’s dinner party at their Medina estate in the best way possible. With a fancy dining room that can only belong on the Eastside where the tech daddies play, it's a restaurant where you can dress up and propose to the love of your life over A5 miyazaki wagyu and homemade tagliatelle with chanterelles. Their $185 tasting menus have both vegetarian and vegan options, which also makes Cafe Juanita incredibly versatile for a cuisine that tends to prioritize pork and butter. " - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley