We hope you’ll get the chance to appreciate the charm and grit that make Olympia special. Here you’ll find our personal recommendations, curated based on quality, character, and/or uniqueness. You may note that our list does not include several restaurants that pop up first in a google search. Those are fine – but we prefer these! We’ve starred our favorites and included live links below.

COFFEE

(1) Ember Goods

(2) Olympia Coffee Roasting

(two locations)

BREAKFAST

(3) King Solomon's Reef

(4) Martin Way Diner

(5) New Moon Cafe

(6) Octapas

weekend brunch (reservation recommended)

(7) McMenamin's Spar Cafe ("The Spar")

FOOD TO GO

(8) Vic's Pizzeria

(two locations)

(9) Old School Pizzeria

(10) Wicked Pies

(11) Nou Thai

(12) Meconi's Subs

(13) Delmonico's

(14) Nineveh Assyrian

DINNER & DRINKS

(15) Chicory*

(6) Octapas

(16) Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar

(17) Swing Wine Bar

wonderful view (full bar - not just wine)

(18) Koko's Restaurant & Tequila Bar

A LITTLE MORE CASUAL

(19) Cascadia Grill

Cozy Pacific Northwest vibes

(7) McMenamin's Spar Cafe

A+ for ambience

(20) Tugboat Annie's

Kayak rentals too!

(21) Buzz's*

Large patio on Mud Bay

(22) Westside Tavern

Sports Bar

A LOVELY VIEW

(23) Boston Harbor Marina*

Food, drinks, kayaks

(17) Swing Wine Bar

(24) Hearthfire

TREATS

(25) Left Bank Pastry*

(26) Juju’s Iced Cream & Custard

(27) San Francisco Street Bakery

DIVES

(28) The Brotherhood

Cash only

(29) McCoy’s Tavern

(30) The Clipper

Nightly karaoke, cash only

(31) Cryptatropa

Gothy cave vibes, cash only

(3) King Solomon’s Reef

Diner with backroom bar

SHOP

(32) Rainy Day Records

(33) Olympia Farmers Market

(34) Sound & Vision

(35) Compass Rose

(36) Peacock Vintage

(37) Fun Junk

(38) Orca Books

(39) Browser’s Books

WALKS / PICNIC SPOTS

(40) Percival Landing

(41) Capitol Lake

(42) East Bay Drive

(43) Priest Point Park

(44) Tumwater Falls Park

ACTIVITIES, ODDITIES & MISCELLANY

(45) Olympia Pinball Museum

$20 for unlimited play on dozens of games

(46) Eastside Big Tom

Burger joint with a perplexing array of dinosaurs

(47) Artesian Well

Fill up your water bottle with “water from the heavens”

(48) Capitol Theater

Indie movie theater

(49) 24 Hour Grocery: Ralph’s Thriftway

( * ) Wedding shuttle pick-up

(<3) Wedding!

MT. RAINIER NATIONAL PARK

Get up close to this majestic mountain (it’s the big one you can see from Olympia) or explore one of over 130 trails. If you can handle a short half-mile incline up front, we recommend the Skyline Trail Loop (5.5 miles) for rainbow wildflowers, whistling marmots, waterfalls and mountain glaciers.

OLYMPIC NATIONAL FOREST

Located on the Olympic Peninsula, this “emerald paradise” includes hiking trails with a variety of landscape settings for all levels. If you’re seeking a real challenge, Mt. Ellinor is Steph’s favorite. This 7 mile round trip is steep and scrambly (trekking poles recommended), but the payoff is stunning 360 degree views of the Cascade and Olympic ranges, Hood Canal, Lake Cushman, Puget Sound, and even Seattle on a clear day.

SNOQUALMIE (“TWIN PEAKS” FILMING LOCATIONS)

Check out Snoqualmie Falls, Ben Horne’s Great Northern Lodge (Salish Lodge) and “Ronette’s Bridge” before finishing up with cherry pie and coffee at the Double R Diner (Twede’s).

HAMA HAMA OYSTER SALOON

Eat oysters direct from the farm while overlooking the Hood Canal.

WESTPORT, WA

Enjoy swimming, surfing, and seafood in this quiet beach town on Grays Harbor once known as the “Salmon Capitol of the World.” If you’re into weird roadside attractions, stop by the abandoned and unfinished Satsop Power Plant towers on your way. You’ll see them in the distance on your left when you pass the town of Elma.

Honorable Mentions: The Skyline Drive-In movie theatre or the small logging town of Shelton (Bob’s Tavern is the ultimate dive), Centralia (small-town antiquing + The Olympic Club)