The 12 Best Restaurants in Redmond Washington - Seattle Travel (2023)

Ask someone about Redmond Washington, and chances are the first thing that comes to mind is "Microsoft." Redmond, long the home of the computer behemoth, has traditionally been known as a sleepy suburb filled with no shortage of tech workers. However, in recent decades downtown Redmond has been transformed, with dozens of apartments springing up.

As the city has become denser, the old chain restaurants have been replaced by a more diverse dining scene. Today, Redmond has a mix of fine ethnic cuisine, breweries and wineries, restaurants showcasing Northwest ingredients, and more.

Let's dive into 12 of the best restaurants in Redmond Washington.

The The 12 Best Restaurants in Redmond Washington

Before we dive into more details, here's a full list of the best restaurants we'll be reviewing below:

1. Pomegranate Bistro
2. Wooden cube
3. Tipsy Cow
4. Sparks Pizza
5. The Third Place
6. Matador
7. Farine Bakery & Cafe
8. Kanishka
9. Blue Sardinia
10. Matt’s Rotisserie & Oyster Lounge
11. Dough belt
12. Bandido's Mexican Cafe

1.) Pomegranate Bistro

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Address: 18005 NE 68th St A-150, Redmond, WA 98052

Best for:A little Southern hospitality in the Northwest

Pomegranate Bistro is across from Whole Foods on Redmond-Fall City Road. The restaurant specializes in sourcing local ingredients from its menu, with a list of local farms and vendors proudly displayedon her website.

The restaurant has bakery products (including desserts), breakfast and dinner.Happy hour includesdrink specials and a selection of about six smaller dishes. However, thebetterreason for a trip to Pomegranate is the weekend brunch. Available on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am. until 3 p.m.

Appetizers range from cinnamon rolls to warm Savannah puffs, to cookies with jams and honey butter. This is truly a small taste of southern hospitality. For food, you can stick to the southern theme and order dishes like chicken and waffles or shrimp and gritstheyou can enjoy more traditional options.

Before you go, be sure to note that there is (as of late 2022) a 20% service charge that will be added to your check.

2.) Wood

Address: 16175 Cleveland Street, Suite 109 Redmond, Washington 98052
Best for:A meal almostAnythe group can also agree on an incredible bar

The Woodblock is at the bottom of one of Redmond's many condos springing up downtown. The cuisine is modern American, which means the gnocchi haveanimal breast,a whole section is for burgers, and the main dishes are mainly seafood and steaks.

The menu overall is well done and should satisfy most groups. However, thebetterThe reason to visit Woodblock is its bar which sets the restaurant apart from many options in the same price range. The house specialty is whiskey, and they'll smoke cocktails and bring them to your table before removing the cover. Aside from the novelty of seeing a smoky cocktail, it's simpletasty.

Another favorite of ours at Woodblock is their Scotch Egg. It's soft, wrapped in sausage, breaded and deep fried. Then we add sides like arugula, mustard, and caramelized onionseven more flavor.It's offensive, and it isgood.

3.) Tipsy Cow

Address: 16325 Cleveland Street Redmond, Washington 98052
Best for:Inventive burgers and well-made fries and shakes

If you're doing a search for the best burgers on the Eastside, chances are your search will land you at Tipsy Cow, and for good reason.

Tipsy Cow serves gourmet burgers (think the opposite of Shake Shack's small burgers) along with a variety of fries and milkshakes. Overall, the burgers are creative and extremely varied. There's a salmon burger, chicken, ahi tuna, black beans, and plenty of meatloaf options. If you're stuck on choosing a burger from their extensive menu, our vote is not to overdo it and try the Tipsy Burger with Beecher's White Cheddar.

It should be noted that since it is a gourmet burger, the cost will be a little higher. If you want to have a drink with your beer, there is a selection of local beers on tap.

4.) Sparks Pizza

Address: 16175 Cleveland Street, Suite 109 Redmond, Washington 98052
Best for:Delicious toppings and incredible pizzas

If you are aa long timeresident of Redmond, you probably remember Frankie's Pizza. A downtown staple, the casual pizza joint hosted a garlic fest where you could add anywhere from one to five cloves to dishes.

(Trust me when I say that adding five cloves was abad decision!)

Like many past Redmond products, Frankie's Pizza is gone today. However, his legacy lives on at Sparks Pizza. Their "Homage to Frankie's" pizza is delicious. It has Italian sausage, pepperoni, basil, pickled peppers, mushrooms and red onions.

Creativity is on full display in Spark's pizza collection. They have rotating seasonal pizzas and their 'Legend Pizzas' which are loaded with toppings.

Spark is starting to get a lot of attention, so don't be surprised if there's a healthy wait on Friday or Saturday night. Our bet is that the wait will be worth it. This is not only the best pizza in Redmond, it might be the best pizza in the entire Seattle area.

5.) The Third Place

Address: 7844 Leary Way NE Ste 110 Redmon, Washington 98052
Best for:Delicious Korean food and fried wings

Third Place sure doesn't look like much. Located in Old Redmond near Matador, it would be easy to walk by this restaurant without even noticing. Once inside, the interior is also quite spartan.

However, skipping this hidden gem would be a mistake if you want to sample some of the best flavors Redmond has to offer. Third Place is a Korean restaurant specializing in Korean fried chicken. For years, discerning fans of Korean fried chicken have headed to Federal Way for the best the area has to offer, but The Third Place offers an Eastside option that requires less travel. Our personal favorite is the Honey Garlic Fried Chicken, but there are many options to try.

Aside from fried chicken, you'll also find great dishes like stone pot bibimbap, udon noodle dishes, and soups.

6.) Matador

Address: 7824 NE Leary Way, Redmond, Washington 98052
Best for:A good happy hour spot for the 21+ crowd

say it with memarinated steak nachos.Matador has long been afavorite place for happy hourin part because their Grande Nachos start at $6. Standard nachos are good, but that's itexceptionalwhen adding marinated steak. Other happy hour options include quesadillas, street tacos and shrimp. The reality is that most happy hours haven't been the same since Covid happened, and while Matador may not beenoughas it used to be, it's still one of the best happy hours in town.

Happy hour aside, if you want to try tequila, Matador is probably the best place in Redmond (see the image above for a shot of their bar). In addition to a wide variety of tequila that you can try in order, Matador also has a large selection of seasonal cocktails that are heavily tequila based. Last time we stopped in, we had an orange margarita and enjoyed it.

If you're looking for dinner, the menu is above average with a wide variety of tacos, enchiladas, burritos and appetizers like fajitas. An important note is that Matador is an over 21 band, so if you have kids at home, you'll need to look elsewhere.

7.) Farine Bakery & Cafe

Address: 16450 Redmond Way Ste 100, Redmond, Washington 98052
Best for:A European style bakery this isseriousfor his pastries

There's simply no better place to be in Redmond on a beautiful Saturday morning than Farine Bakery. This oven takes its breadseriously. Farine is inspired by Belgian cafes and is open from 7am. until 3 p.m. every day of the week. Seating is first come, first served, but on a nice day, we recommend trying to get a seat outside.

What can you eat at Farine? They serve bread baskets, cheese boards, meats and nuts, breakfast sandwiches and more classic egg breakfasts. However, our favorite is their tartines. A tartine is essentially a very fancy slice of toast and their options include Croque madame, smoked salmon, avocado and seafood. The tartine options will change as we have previously enjoyed their Roasted Pear with Whipped Ricotta Tartine but it is not currently on the menu.

Last but not least, remember to grab some of the excellent pastries and desserts on your way out.

8.) Kanishka

Address: 16651 Redmond Way Ste 180, Redmond, WA 98052
Best for:Delicious Indian food with lunch thaalis

Kanishka is a long-time staple in downtown Redmond that opened in 1999. The cuisine is primarily North Indian, with many hearty curry dishes that are a mix of vegetarian and meat options. Trust us when we say the menu is pretty extensive.

Our biggest complaint? Kanishka had one of the best buffets with a great variety of sambals. However, like many other restaurants, Kanishka removed their buffet post-Covid and has yet to return. In its place is a special thali priced at $14.99 for vegetarians or $16.99 for non-vegetarians. The thali comes with a choice of curry, naan, rice, salad, samosa and a small dessert.

9.) Blue Sardinia

Address: 8862 161st Ave NE Redmond, Washington 98052
Best for:A higher Italian dinner

If you're looking for a more classic sit-down meal, Blue Sardinia is one of the top choices in Redmond. The cuisine is Italian, with mainly ricotta-stuffed chicken, filet and wild salmon. Don't be fooled by the menu though, as the restaurant maintains a steady rotation of specials that often include items such as rack of lamb, scallops and other hearty items.

If you're more in the mood for a light meal, antipasti include grilled octopus, charcuterie, or you can enjoy a pizza or one of the many pasta dishes (we've enjoyed the pesto shrimp bucatini on previous visits).

10.) Matt’s Rotisserie & Oyster Lounge

Address: 7325 166th Ave NE f210, Redmond, WA 98052
Best for:Upscale casual that's serious about its oysters

Matt's first opened in 2003 and has been a longtime favorite on the Redmond dining scene. The restaurant bills itself as "upscale casual." Mains are what you'd expect, with a mix of steak, chicken, pork and other classics like salmon.

However, Matt's offers a few surprises you might not expect. For example, the menu includes a section on Argentinian street tacos and rotates seasonal options. We ate at Matt's in October and enjoyed butternut squash gnocchi, for example.

As you might expect from the name, the menu focuses on oysters and seafood appetizers. If you want to really enjoy oysters, Matt's keeps them on the happy hour menu.

11.) Dough belt

Address: 7625 170th Ave NE, Redmond, Washington 98052
Best for:Delicious xiao long bao without the Din Tai Fung wait

One of the biggest pieces of Seattle food news was the announcement that Din Tai Fung was heading to Seattle in late 2015. The Taiwanese restaurant chain had built a devoted following and was awarded a coveted Michelin star. Today, there are three Din Tai Fungs in the Seattle area, including one in Bellevue. However, Din Tai Fung comes with some common drawbacks and complaints that include long wait times and poor service.

With this in mind, Dough Zone has emerged as an alternative to Chinese comfort food. The star of the show is xiao long bao – or soup dumplings. We are happy to report that the quality of the soup noodles at Dough Zone is very comparable to what you will find at Din Tai Fung. Aside from that, other standout items include pan friend buns and dan dan noodles.

Dough Zone was only founded in 2014, but now has 10 locations across Washington state, with seven on the Eastside alone. If you're not near the downtown Redmond location, another option is a Dough Zone located next to Fred Meyer in Overlake.

12.) Bandido’s Mexican Grill

Address: 8151 164th Ave NE, Redmond, WA 98052
Best for:Delicious tacos at a reasonable price

Bandido's Mexican Grill is a little different than what you've seen before on this list. Actually, it's not even a restaurant, it's a food truck.

It is onegood stuffwhen it comes to street tacos, however. The best and most authentic flavors usually come from smaller operations. Whether you want to get a standard carne asada, carnitas, or want to try some beef tongue, their entire taco selection is worth a sample. If you're looking for something heartier, Bandido's also has California and wet burritos in addition to more standard fare like carne asada, fajitas and quesadillas.

Trust us when we say that a great taco stand is worth its weight in gold. Be sure to try Bandido's.