Seattle: Pike Place Market Chef-Guided Food Tour

About This Experience

Pike Place Market is a twenty-minute walk or a short monorail ride from Seattle Center, and it is the obvious second half of a day that starts with glass. This walking tour makes nine tasting stops across the market with a working chef rather than a general guide.

The stops are where Seattle kitchens actually shop, and the commentary is about sourcing as much as eating: how to pick fish, what is in season, which stalls the city's restaurants buy from. You skip the Pike Place Chowder queue, taste chocolate-covered Rainier cherries at Chukar Cherries, and eat tacos made by the people who own the stall.

You also leave with a card giving 10% off at selected partner vendors, which is worth something if you go back to shop.

Groups average 10–12 people. It moves at a fair pace over hills and stairs, and the bites are small and frequent rather than a sit-down meal.

Highlights

• Nine tasting stops across Pike Place Market with a working chef as your guide
• Skip the line at Pike Place Chowder for a Pacific Northwest staple
• Taste chocolate-covered Rainier cherries at Chukar Cherries
• Learn how Seattle chefs pick fish and produce, from someone who does it for a living
• Keep a 10%-off card for selected partner vendors in the market

What's Included

• ✓ Chef guide
• ✓ Samples at 9 different stops
• ✓ Discount card with 10% off at selected partner vendors

Not Included

• Tips
• Hotel pickup or drop-off

What to Bring

• Comfortable walking shoes — the route covers hills and stairs
• Weather-appropriate clothing; much of the route is outdoors

Good to Know & Caveats

• Tasting stops vary with the date and time you book
• A medium level of fitness is needed: hills, stairs and very little seating
• Not suitable if you eat dairy-free or gluten-free — the operator cannot substitute
• Fast-paced with small bites throughout, not a sit-down meal
• Average group size is 10–12 people

Meeting Point

Outside Simply Seattle, 1600 First Ave, at the corner of First Avenue and Pine Street. Your chef-guide wears a black chef's coat and meets the group on the street — arrive early, the tour leaves on time.