Overlooking Puget Sound isn't enough for Palisade—the restaurant brings the ocean right inside. On the way to their table, diners cross over an indoor saltwater pond with a cascading waterfall which is home to more than 100 steelhead.

Oceanic influences also abound throughout the menu of pan-Pacific surf 'n' turf, which Zagat scored in the "extraordinary to perfection" category. In addition to sushi rolls made with sashimi-grade Pacific tuna and a raw bar filled with fresh oysters on the half shell, executive chef Leo Lopez injects regional flavors into their menu. Cedar-plank-roasted king salmon, North Atlantic lobster tail, Barents Sea red king crab legs as well as land options like American Kobe Beef and grilled New Zealand rack of lamb. The extensive wine list highlights numerous Washington and Oregon producers, and even the bartenders embrace Northwestern flavors by using locally crafted whiskeys, gins, and vodkas in many of their specialty cocktails.

Elegant plates of food do their best to draw diners' eyes, but it's easy for gazes to remain locked elsewhere. Just beyond the restaurant's windows lies a sweeping vista that Seattle magazine hailed as "one of the grandest Elliott Bay/city skyline views around."