If Seattle is the crown jewel of the Pacific, new Seattle restaurant Westward may be staking a comparable claim to become the crown jewel in the oblong coronet where land meets Lake Union.
It’s not just waterfront views, though roll-up lake-facing garage doors allow those for indoor and outdoor seating alike. No, it’s the fact that you can scootch up in one of nearly 20 weathered wood Adirondack chairs (first come, first serve) and practically dip your toes in the water, wine glass in hand. Patrons walk over from the Fremont or down from the Wallingford neighborhoods, drive in from around the city, or boat in from across the lake to the Westward dock (yes, the prospect of making boat friends did just get infinitely more appealing). Meanwhile, the restaurant itself inches ever closer to the lake: ideal for peak-hour visitors is the brand new bar out on that dock, where waiting for coveted outdoor long table seating feels less an inconvenience and more a lucky strike.
Indoor seating oughtn’t be eschewed, either. The decor is awe-inspiring (and James Beard Award nominated). Big bold light fixtures are sewn from primary-colored sails. A to-scale steamship replica covers the entire back wall, open-sided with miniature staterooms filled by fantastical diorama-type scenes. Nearby, the wood-burning oven is the cornerstone of the kitchen, and guests can watch ramekins of wood-baked gigante beans or roasted squash emmer-farro slide in and out of the structure on sturdy wood paddles.
The fusion of fashionable furnishing and notable edibles is award-winning chef/restauranteur Josh Henderson’s specialty. As one of the newer additions to Henderson’s Huxley Wallace Collective restaurant group, Westward brings in one of its finest to run the show. Executive Chef Zoi Antonitsas comes from serving as chef de cuisine at Madison Park Conservatory, having held comparable positions at similarly notable restaurants outside of Seattle (Presidio Social Club in San Francisco, Zazu in Santa Rosa). It’s no surprise that Westward does savory particularly well. Weekend brunch leans more toward the “unch” side of things—smoked manila clam dip (exemplary), toasted orzo carbonara and imaginative bruschetta are favored over anything like sweet waffles or French toast. Savory leanings encompass the cocktail list too, where standouts like the Casablanca (gin, house pickle brine, lime and soda with a Ras el hanout spiced rim) outclass sweeter offerings.
Next door at Little Gull Grocery (which actually sits inside Westward but with its own separate entrance), oyster-fiends get their fix at a shuck-side bar top and independent bivalve-focused menu. A charmingly curated selection of picnic-ready specialty food products, oyster-shucking accessories and the like are available to enjoy there or to-go. It’s worth a gander while you wait, or a stop on the way to Gasworks Park for a picnic.
The menu at Westward and Little Gull can quickly get pricey, but the convivially chill atmosphere and unbeatable lakeside views are what to stay for. Order a sampler of small plates plus an imaginative drink or two, warm up by the fire pit as the sun goes down, and spend a laid-back lakeside evening here.
Westward || 2501 North Northlake Way || westwardseattle.com
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