The city where locals are more obsessed with coffee than Aussies

In the northwest corner of the USA, Seattle is a progressive city that not only has nature on its doorstep but offers the best of culture, cuisine and coffee.

The outdoor activity

Alki Kayak Tours will give you a revealing waterside view of Seattle.

Even if you’ve never wedged your butt into a small sea-going vessel, the crew at Alki Kayak Tours will soon have you confidently exploring Seattle’s waterways. Highly recommended is its Duwamish River Tour, where, as guide Gill points out, “the natural and urban come together”. Over the course of a couple of hours, you’ll paddle past industrial wharves, commune with harbour seals and ride the chop of tugboats. Plus, there are some epic views of downtown Seattle. See kayakalki.com

The walking tour

Is it possible for the citizens of a city to be more obsessed about coffee than Australians? As it happens, yes. Seattle may be the home of Starbucks, but it’s the indie roasteries and third-wave coffee shops that generate caffeinated excitement around here. Join Urban Adventures on its Seattle Coffee Culture Tour of Capitol Hill to sip on mushroom coffee and espresso sodas, all while learning some of the political and social history of the area. See urbanadventures.com

The record store

Vinyl freaks should make a beeline for Easy Street Records.

If you want to pick up a vinyl copy of Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger or Screaming Trees’ Sweet Oblivion in the home of grunge rock, head to Easy Street Records. Not only are there two floors of new and used albums waiting to be flicked through, you can also grab a themed cocktail in the upstairs bar to accompany your deliberations. The Gin Paul Jones combines Rainier gin (a Northwest drop inspired by the forests of Mount Rainier), fresh lemon, blackberry and soda. There’s a popular cafe downstairs, too. See easystreetonline.com

The hotel

Its red neon Roosevelt sign perched on high tells the story of Hotel Theodore that harks back to the day when this art deco gem was the tallest building in the city. Located in Seattle’s downtown, the art-centric inn has 153 rooms with leather and navy-coloured accents and are decorated with artworks and artefacts – a Sky Needle patent, a framed original Eddie Bauer Skyliner jacket, photographs of the Starbucks founders – curated by the Museum of History & Industry. Downstairs is a Made Coffee counter, where you can grab a quick bite at breakfast, as is the vibey Rider bar and restaurant that comes alive after five (pm, that is). See hoteltheodore.com

The big night out

Life is a cabaret at Can Can.

If you thought – or at least, hoped – theatre restaurants had died out with Dracula’s Cabaret, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by Can Can. This is a night out for grown-ups, with the scantily clad cast incorporating dance, acrobatics, burlesque, song and comedy. Buy a ticket for the show only or upgrade and have a three-course French/Pacific Northwest-inspired meal, wine and cocktails. And, yes, there is a little audience interaction. See thecancan.com

The brewery

There are more than 60 craft breweries in Seattle, most of them located in the Fremont and Ballard ’hoods. They all have their own quirks and smashable bevs, but for something different head to Metier Brewing Co. This Black-owned business, in Seattle’s historically African-American neighbourhood known as Central, is all about great beer, excellent Japanese-style street food and building community. Off the booze? Its alcohol-free Sparkling Hop Water is crisp and refreshing with no chance of causing a hangover. See metierbrewing.com

The music venue

It was the heart of a musical revolution in the 1990s, and Seattle still boasts cracking venues. Back in the day some – The Showbox and The Crocodile (albeit in a new location) – hosted the likes of Mudhoney, Pearl Jam, Nirvana and other local legends. As did Neumos. Then, it was called Moe’s Mo Roc’n Cafe and was hugely popular with touring artists. Now, mid-sized Neumos (New Moe’s, geddit?) plays host to big names and up-and-coming ones across the genre spectrum. Rock on! See neumos.com

The bar

Head upstairs at popular noodle bar Pho Bac, duck through the curtain of wooden beads and you’ll find Phocific Standard Time. You’ll feel as though you’ve stepped into a speakeasy in Vietnam, complete with a slowly rotating rattan fan, when you take a seat at the bar and watch the mix team create innovative cocktails. The strength of the libations increases as you go down the list, so when you get to Ca Phe Trung (egg coffee), made with aquavit, Viet coffee, bruleed chartreuse egg yolk custard and cinnamon, you’ll likely need only one. See instagram.com/pst.seattle

The museum

Chihuly Garden and Glass with Seattle’s famous Space Needle towering above.Credit: iStock

As you walk through the gallery spaces, Dale Chihuly’s glass masterpieces seem to take on a life on their own. That only becomes more apparent outside, where stems and swirls of coloured glass become delicate inhabitants of the garden. Chihuly Garden and Glass, set beneath the Space Needle, features an enormous collection of the local artist’s epic works created since the 1970s. Incidentally, Chihuly was unable to blow glass after an accident in 1979, so just about everything you see here was created by fabricators under his direction. See chihulygardenandglass.com

One more thing

Pike Place Market is Seattle’s fresh food hub.

Of course, you’ll spend some time at Public Market Center (known as Pike Place Market). It’s been supplying fresh food to the city since 1907 and is now a warren of shops, stalls, restaurants and other curiosities. Head there early, before the crowds, and you’ll still get to see the fish throwers and a lot of what else makes the market special. Get the day started right at Piroshky Piroshky, which serves up delicious Russian pastries with savoury and sweet fillings. See pikeplacemarket.org

Carrie Hutchinson

The writer was a guest of Visit Seattle.