RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com
Dallas has its self-sustaining ’burbs — like Plano, Frisco and Grand Prairie — all which hover in Dallas’ orbit, but they have all grown into their own destinations. Likewise, Seattle has its Bellevue, located across Lake Washington from Rain City, which started as a suburb but has transitioned into an unexpected travel destination offering a striking contrast of high-tech modernity and stunning Pacific Northwest greenery.
Bellevue is a booming hub for tech companies such as Microsoft, Amazon and Meta. But it’s also an oasis for retail and restaurants and has its fair share of lush green, outdoor amenities. It fuses its very cool, sleek clean side with its numerous parks as well as Lake Washington into a city that feels very modern and thoughtful but also respectful of its origins and environment.
The stay
My first day offered a rainy introduction to both Seattle and Bellevue, but checking into the W Hotel Bellevue remedied any dreariness.
The W Hotel Bellevue (Marriott.com) was an immediate upgrade to a rainy travel day, with its stylish, moody lobby of dark wood, sleek lines and decor and edgy low lighting. The front desk was friendly and courteous and, more importantly, able to answer all the questions I had about the surroundings and offer a few recommendations.
The suite continued the hotel’s vibe with a grand window that looked toward the skyline and colorful pops of furniture and design. Small touches like the record player and even a welcoming rainbow Texas Rice Krispie treat added to the welcoming air. The standalone bathtub added a luxurious touch, while the soft metallic headboard elevated the room’s decor with a random but fitting sci-fi style.
The hotel’s Pop Art decor and retro aspects created an exciting environment that kicked off the visit with a punch. The minimal staircase to the garage featured a magnificent mural, while the lobby’s library was a funky feature of old paperbacks and a central bright red pool table.
The lounge area — which becomes a nightclub in later hours — was almost like being inside a Nagel painting, with its rich hues of black and purple.
The hotel was attached to Lincoln Square, a development of restaurants, retail and more that made shopping and dining an easy adventure from the hotel.
Dining
The culinary landscape in Bellevue was diverse and high-end and certainly can be considered a foodie destination due to its array of everything from casual eateries to Michelin-level fine dining. Menus drew from the city’s Asian influence and innovative Pacific Northwest cuisine with globally-inspired plates.
Coming from Texas, I smirked that my first meal was Mexican food at Cantina Monarca (CantinaMonarca.com) in Lincoln Square. The restaurant boasts authentic cuisine inspired by Tulum.
No matter the time of day, I will order chilaquiles. Often a breakfast dish, this one came with the option of adding in Wagyu beef and offered complex, layered flavors, from its well-seasoned meat to the floral notes of its xni pec salsa.
With more than 100 tequilas, anything other than a margarita would feel sacrilegious. The menu featured more than a dozen margs, including the Melon Beso, a light but potent mix of Cazcabel Blanco, fresh pressed honeydew and lovely melon gelatina garnish.
The menu was succinct, but the attention to detail in my dish promised that each plate has both visual and flavor appeal.
The space itself was a vision with its nod to Mexico using freeform Mayan jungle wood and imported bejuco vine from Yucatan with major plant daddy vibes — all designed by architect Gulla Jonsdottir.
The next morning meal offered a delightful contrast to the previous night’s richness. Bellden Cafe (BelldenCafe.com), an absolute jewel box of a spot, and lived up to its reputation as The Nicest Place in Washington. A popular coffee/breakfast stop, it offered a fresh menu of acai bowls, artisanal toasts, gluten-free waffles, salads and brekkie sandwiches.
Toast is definitely a ubiquitous thing in Bellevue. Thick slices of bread were loaded with fresh ingredients like ricotta cheese, salmon and avocado topped with flavorful punches from chili flakes, lemon and fresh herbs. Along with a fruit bowl and an unforgettable cereal milk latte, the woman-owned cafe has a solid menu of fresh flavors both classic and innovative.
But what made the place special — other than the flyer for a Pride Pet Parade at the door — was its community-forward mission. Through its Bellden Community Fund, which works to address urgent needs of community nonprofits, owner Claire Sumadiwirya infuses the cafe into the community. Proceeds from specialty drinks may benefit a local organization; merch on sale supports local artisans, and the space may host a cross cultural events.
Bellevue’s diverse palate expanded with a visit to Chay Concept (ChayConcept.com), a highly-rated, plant-based Vietnamese restaurant. The experience offered an inventive take where even the meatiest of meat lovers would find substantial plates. The interior was a lovely, clean aesthetic that complemented the vegetarian concept inside its cozy four walls.
Color is a big deal at Chay. The salted egg tofu was a dish of rich orange hue with spicy flavors to match. The purple yam soup was deeply colored with house-made mushroom balls swimming in the thick broth. Despite its depth of umami flavors, it seemed like it should have worked better as a cold soup than a warm one.
Where Chay’s magic really shined was in its banh mi skillet, a deconstruction of the popular Vietnamese sandwich made with bean cakes, house-made mushroom pâté, mushroom steak, sunny-side-up egg, cilantro and house-made mushroom sauce. The mushroom steak was identical to the flavor of beef fajitas. The shareable plate would get a bit messy trying to fashion each item into a banh mi bite, but the skillet was filled with such unique flavors and textures that succeeded in the traditional flavors while still delivering a mouthful of complex and fresh tastes.
Brunch at Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi (AscendPrimeSteak.com) wasn’t just a meal; it was a sensory event that offered unparalleled views — albeit mostly foggy — from the 31st floor of Lincoln Square. The brunch was more of a tasting menu, with every perfectly plated brunch item served against a breathtaking backdrop. The massive, floor-to-ceiling windows provided a panoramic look of Lake Washington and the stunning Cascade Mountains.
Tastings included a beautifully crunchy chicharon chicken and waffle that balanced sweet and spicy to perfection, layered caviar salmon egg bites that melted into an array of salty flavors once it hit the mouth, spicy tuna prosciutto pizza with unexpected richness but definitely a big kick, and shoulder medallions cooked to remarkably pink perfection with a delicate placing of egg yolk on top.
My final bite before flying out was at the stylish and cozy Cafe Hagen (CafeHagen.com). This Danish-inspired gem has a wonderfully calm atmosphere and is ideal for a sunny Sunday morning. Rooted in Nordic coffee culture, the menu featured an array of open-faced smørrebrød sandwiches, sophisticated baked goods and, shocker, toasts.
Four days in, I was already a convert to the toast trend which seems to have gone away in Dallas. My red beet and avocado toast was hefty but delicately presented with its colorful bursts of pinks and greens. That with a København Latte left a final, warm impression of Bellevue’s sophisticated and thoughtful dining scene.
The experience
On an early Friday evening, a leisurely cruise on Lake Washington with Bellevue Lake Cruises (BellevueLakeCruises.com) offered a new perspective of the city. The hour-long, intimate guided tour offered extraordinary views of the Bellevue skyline, a stark contrast to the landscape, and revealed the floating bridge to Seattle, notable shoreline estates of prominent local figures and the awe-inspiring sights of Mt. Rainier and the Olympic Mountains.
Bellevue was a retail paradise. The Bellevue Collection (BellevueCollection.com), a premiere shopping and dining district has more than 200 shops, 50 restaurants and more, all connected by sky bridges which made navigating through them easy and geeky cool. It includes Bellevue Square filled with everything from high-end luxury shops to mainstream stores; Lincoln Square with its fine dining like Monarca and Ascend,and Bellevue Place with its boutique-focused stores.
A trip to Woodinville Wine Country in the Artisan Hill district was a delightful way to spend Saturday afternoon. A haven for artists, creators and winemakers, the space was rich with trees undermined by less attractive industrial spaces. A strip of winemakers appeared from nowhere in an almost nondescript collection of buildings. But inside were treasures of different wine labels, all with unique stories.
The woman-owned Callan Cellars (CallanCellars.com) welcomed visitors with a packed tasting room. This winery’s labels are crafted from grapes sourced from some of Washington vineyards in the Columbia Valley, Red Mountain and Walla Walla.
A couple doors down was the LGBTQ-owned winery Descendant. Winemaker/owner Michael Guittard’s story goes all the way to France where his family created wines. After graduating college, Guittard eschewed his engineering studies to work at a local wine shop. He then learned the craft, teamed with just the right people and launched Descendant Cellars (DescendantCellars.com).
“It felt like a natural thing. I guess with that family connection who had been doing it for so long,” he said.
The Descendant tasting room reflected Guittard’s pride with a rainbow flag.
“When I got into the industry, I realized there was not a lot of representation for queer people or even POC,” he said. “So I’m glad to be out and proud here.”
However, Descendant only debuted at Pride in 2024.
“I’m always working, and Pride can be a big weekend, so I’m usually here selling. But I finally had enough staff that I made it out to Seattle Pride finally to march,” he said.
Guittard is committed to his community and has donated to the Seattle Men’s Chorus (his husband sings with them) and the Greater Seattle Business Association Scholarship Fund. The GSBA is the LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce based in Seattle.
The scene
Bellevue felt very safe for its queer community. Pride flags were not an unusual site throughout downtown, and many businesses posted flyers for upcoming queer events. But the nightlife? That’s across the lake.
Living up to the city’s reputation, the Seattle rain had begun. Even with the downpour, the ride to Seattle was easy. But the Uber driver dropped me off in the wrong spot: in the middle of downtown. I thought I could walk to the bar district; it was only a mile away, and I’m not THAT out of shape!
But the incline and the cold rain was just no fun, and the last thing I wanted was to look exhausted and sweaty for my first time in the Seattle’s Capitol Hill gay scene. So I got another Uber.
My first stop was bear bar Diesel (DieselSeattle.com), only it was early so the crowd was minimal. The vibe was a mix of the Hidden Door and the old Big Daddy’s bar — simple, straightforward friendly service with a nice vibe. But ahead of peak hour, it was hard to determine the spot’s high energy.
I headed to the queer sports bar Madison Pub, (MadisonPub.com) and I’m sure it’s great for sports fans, but at the time, the crowd was pretty sparse. I didn’t stay long, but I appreciated its impressive bar layout and nuts-and-nachos concession stand. Like Diesel, the bar did feel wonderfully aged and lived in. But it was the wrong time to step in, so I stepped out.
Next door-ish was the glorious gay heaven called Pony (PonySeattle). Touted as a tribute to the West Village and Castro bars of the 1970s, the bar felt wonderfully trashy and fun. By now it was early evening, but this place was getting packed fast, even before 7 p.m. Pics of naughty naked men adorned the walls, and the graffitied bathroom partition was centerpieced by a glory hole. The crowd was a mix of young and less young, male- and female-presenting, barflies and casual drinkers. I grabbed a beer and spent the next hour people-watching.
I examined the “art” and fell into a conversation with a local about opera because clearly I know how to talk to men. The vibe had great energy that really did feel like a throwback to a different, edgier time for gay folks in bars.
Bellevue of the ball
Needing to get back to an evening appointment, I left Seattle with mixed impressions. I barely scraped the surface of its queer scene, but the rain really did bring down my enthusiasm. I also found myself missing Bellevue’s clean streets and charming walkability — and my dry hotel room. One rep told me, “People visit Seattle, but stay in Bellevue.” I could see why.
Bellevue is mindful in ways I hadn’t seen in cities before.
Instead of Ubers or Lyfts, it’s easy to grab the free BellHop, the city’s first all-electric, on-demand shuttle service, to see the city and head to a number of destinations. The BellHop runs daily from 9 a.m.-10 p.m. What an amazing amenity by the city in partnership with Circuit and Amazon!
The city also thrives on cleanliness, and the natural scenery is everywhere, along public art, thoughtful and aesthetic design as well as a strong history.
Ultimately, the true takeaway from Bellevue was the perfect balance it strikes. This is a city that doesn’’t force a choice between the urban hustle and natural peace; it blends the two with ease. It is a polished, accessible destination offering both world-class amenities and immediate access to the breathtaking Pacific Northwest environment.