From trendy restaurants to classic cuisines, downtown Spokane is home to some of the hottest restaurants in town.
Whether you’re looking for an upscale dining experience or just a casual bite to eat, downtown has something that you will love.
So if you’re looking for a delicious meal or just want to get out of the house and explore some new restaurants, look no further than Downtown Spokane! Here are the 12 best restaurants in Downtown Spokane:
- Wooden City
- Vieux Carre NOLA Kitchen
- Gander and Ryegrass
- Hogwash Whiskey Den
- Elliotts an Urban Kitchen
- Gilded Unicorn
- Italia Trattoria
- Purgatory Craft Beer And Whiskey Bar
- The Barrel Steak & Seafood House
- Steelhead Bar & Grille
- Ruins
- Wiley’s Downtown Bistro
1. Wooden City
Address: 821 W. Riverside Ave Spokane, WA 99201
Wooden City is the perfect place to go for American foods and great beverages. It’s very well-reviewed and one of the most popular restaurants in Downtown Spokane. This restaurant is perfect for any occasion, as it is reasonably affordable and has a wide variety of food. It only serves dinners.
The environment at Wooden City is slightly casual. Some people here wear smart casual, while others wear T-shirts. There is plenty of seating, and it’s all very well-spaced, with two floors full of seats.
Wooden City has a more modern style with plenty of uniquely placed lighting and plants for decoration.
The hostess and waiter are both very friendly here. They’re accommodating and professional.
I recommend getting their fried chicken sandwich, beet ravioli, or lamb bolognese. All of the cocktails and mocktails here are also great.
2. Vieux Carre NOLA Kitchen
Address: 1403 W Broadway Ave, Spokane, WA 99201
This restaurant has some of the best creole and cajun combined with elements of French and Spanish cuisine. This is an affordable restaurant with a large food and drinks menu you can choose from. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The ambiance at Vieux Carre is more old-school. There are leather chairs, plenty of artwork on the walls in golden frames, plenty of plants, and slightly dim lights.
Service is always fast for dinners, but it can be a little slow around breakfast and lunch times. They’re attentive and will check up here and there.
Some foods I recommend ordering are their bacon-wrapped shrimp, vc gumbo, and cajun burger. Their Vieux Carre drink is a memorable drink that I recommend you try out too.
3. Gander and Ryegrass
Address: 404 W. Main Ave Spokane, WA 99201
Gander and Ryegrass is one of the best places to go to for Italian fine dining. It’s a great choice for a date night or a business meal. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Gander and Ryegrass have a fairly fancy interior. It has a cozy and inviting feeling to it. Its bar has a really high shelf, with almost ten shelves stacked up on each other, displaying hundreds of bottles. The seating is somewhat limited, so you should make reservations.
The service here is what you’d expect from a five-star restaurant. It’s on point, having a perfect balance of attentiveness, friendliness, and speed.
They have spectacular scallops, pork tenderloins, and octopus salad. They also have excellent three-course meals like their frutti de mare.
4. Hogwash Whiskey Den
Address: 304 West Pacific Avenue Spokane, WA, 99201
Hogwash Whiskey Den is an amazing basement bar featuring over 200 whiskeys and delicious comfort foods. This is a first-come, first-serve restaurant with no reservations, so be prepared to wait a little. You’ll need to be over 21 to enter this establishment.
The environment is what you’d expect a typical den to look like. The walls are simple concrete and bricks, and the lighting is all hanging from the ceiling. The decor makes it intentionally look classy and antiqued. Overall, the environment is welcoming and warm.
The service can be a little slow and unattentive, but they are informative about the drinks available here.
Hogwash Whiskey Den has amazing Panacea and White Lotus cocktails. Their Hogwash burger is also delicious.
5. Elliotts an Urban Kitchen
Address: 2209 N Monroe St, Spokane, WA 99205
This is an amazing American food restaurant with casual meals at an affordable price. Elliotts is open for breakfast and lunch.
This restaurant’s environment is somewhat modern, with plenty of drawings and artwork pieces on the wall. The lights hang from the ceiling, and live music is present at times. The music isn’t too loud and creates a more relaxing atmosphere.
The service is very attentive. At times the owner comes around to see if you need anything. They’re really personalized and friendly.
If you do decide to come here, you should try out their scratched eggs or pork belly. Both of them are super delicious.
6. Gilded Unicorn
Address: 110 South N Monroe St, Spokane, WA 99201
Gilded Unicorn is a modern American restaurant with handcrafted foods and cocktails. They reinvent classic American dishes from the 50s and 60s and add some extra flavor to them. Their food is amazing.
This restaurant is popular for using high-quality and healthy ingredients while offering reasonable prices. This is a dinner-only restaurant that’s family-friendly.
The restaurant has a really unique design, with an old-world classy design that just reminds you of Spokane. Their walls are made of stone, and there are pictures and mirrors all over them. The lighting is also slightly dim here.
Gilded Unicorn has spot-on service. They’re patient and informative when choosing things on the menu, and they’ll make sure everything is going well for you.
You should try either their tater-tot casseroles, deviled eggs, or porterhouse pork chop. All of them are excellent choices.
7. Italia Trattoria
Address: 144 S Cannon St, Spokane, WA 99201
This Italian restaurant has some of the best genuine Italian food from local produce and products from the Pacific Northwest and Italy. Italia Trattoria also serves martinis, cocktails, and wines. This is a family-friendly restaurant that’s open for dinner from Wednesday through Saturday and brunch on Sunday.
The restaurant has an elegant and bright design. There are decorations throughout the restaurant, from wall art to flowers on the walls. The walls and chairs have a bright yellow and orange color to them.
There is also a full-service bar that is bright, with white lights under each shelf, displaying each drink. Overall, the environment is warm and welcoming.
Italia Trattoria has a welcoming staff that’ll greet you upon entry, and they’ll check on you throughout your meal. They’re really friendly and personal. It’s worth noting that there is a 3% service charge, which I think is worth it.
They have amazing baked eggs, squid ink fettuccine & spicy wild shrimp, and polenta lasagna, which are super delicious. If you come here for brunch, you should try their brioche french toast – it’s sweet and smells amazing.
8. Purgatory Craft Beer And Whiskey Bar
Address: 524 W Main Ave, Spokane, WA 99201
This is another excellent whiskey bar in Downtown Spokane. This is a newer bar that’s popular because it has some of the best cocktails, beer, and whiskey. This is an establishment for 21+ individuals.
The ambiance is casual yet classy, and it is slightly noisy since it’s a popular place. This bar has one of the largest displays of nearly a thousand bottles stacked up on its nearly 10-story shelf. There are a lot of drinks here, with one drink costing upwards of $1000 a pour. The seats are limited, so you should try to come a little earlier or be prepared to wait for a seat.
The staff at Purgatory Craft Beer And Whiskey Bar is knowledgeable about the drinks they serve, and they’re fast. I think being knowledgeable is a huge plus for a bar since buying a drink without a sense of what you have isn’t enough.
Their “Last Laugh” cocktail is amazing, along with their famous elk burger and poke salad.
9. The Barrel Steak & Seafood House
Address: 6404 N Wall St, Spokane, WA 99208
The Barrel Steak & Seafood House uses hand-selected beef from Pacific Northwest farms that comes with a unique blend of over ten spices and herbs to add flavor to the steaks. Their food is highly flavorful, fresh, and surprisingly affordable. This is a family-friendly restaurant that is good for dinners.
The restaurant environment is more modern, with a clean design. It also has some old-school parts to it too, like the leather chairs and lamps above some of their tables. Their dining area is dim, with minimal lighting and somewhat dim lamps for light. This makes it perfect for a cozy date night.
There is also a small patio area you can sit by if it isn’t too cold or rainy. It has plenty of plants and even a small waterfall.
The staff at this steakhouse are super nice and professional. They’re cheerful and will make going to this restaurant a wonderful experience.
Their prime ribs, top sirloin, and mud pie are excellent choices for a full meal.
10. Steelhead Bar & Grille
Address: 218 N Howard St, Spokane, WA 99201
This restaurant serves a wide selection of drinks and locally sourced foods at a very reasonable price point. This is a first-come, first-serve place, so you may have to wait, depending on the time you come. It’s closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
The environment is well-lit and has an old-school design to it, with brick walls, a huge furnace, and wooden floors. There are TVs bolted on corners of the restaurant playing sports to keep you entertained and plenty of seats that are spaced apart well.
The staff are timely and gives great recommendations, but they have a little bit of an attitude.
Their most popular dishes are their smoked steelhead, fish and chips, and smoked salmon. They also have a great steelhead manhattan drink.
11. Ruins
Address: 225 W Riverside Ave, Spokane, WA 99201
Ruins is an excellent cocktail bar that serves amazing sandwiches and drinks. This restaurant is modestly priced, and this is also a first-come, first-serve place that you may have to wait at. This is a family-friendly establishment that has many vegetarian options, and it’s good for lunches and dinners.
The ambiance is casual, inviting, and comforting wherever you sit. There are plenty of seats all over and a full-service bar with a decent selection of drinks. There is low lighting and candles at every table. Overall, this is a good place to go for a casual date night.
The service at Ruins is highly attentive, and they’ll check up on you every couple of minutes, which I think is good. The bartender can also make off-menu drinks and is a great conversationalist.
Now, let’s talk about the food here. It has plenty of delicious options, especially vegetarian ones. The seasoning they use makes all their food exquisite. They have great Nashville hot chicken sandwiches, pork belly Cuban sandwiches, and beet salad.
12. Wiley’s Downtown Bistro
Address: 421 W Main Ave Suite 104, Spokane, WA 99201
This restaurant is an upscale New American restaurant that is perfect for lunch or dinner. This is a gluten-free and vegan-friendly restaurant that also has a wide selection of delicious beverages.
The environment is intimate and comfortable. There are many modern design elements in the restaurant, with an overall clean design. There are candles lit at each table and it’s moderately noisy. Most people here dress smart casual. Overall, it’s great for business or a date night.
The service is super accommodating to any dietary restrictions and is decently fast, given the number of people here. They’re also super friendly and attentive.
Some recommendations I have are their halibut, beef Wellington, and cranberry stuffed baked brie for dessert.
