Want to explore all that Belltown has to offer? It's hard to keep up with all of the new arrivals in this Seattle neighborhood, but here are three places you won't want to miss. From a relocated bar and eatery to a Taiwanese restaurant, read on for a list of businesses that opened their doors earlier this year.
Babirusa
2319 Second Ave.
Back in March, Babirusa made the move from an Eastlake strip mall to its new space in Belltown, the Seattle Times reports. It's now in the former Kushibar location.
The bar and eatery, which is named for an omnivorous Indonesian pig, serves up lunch and dinner fare along with weekend brunch. On the menu, offerings include lamb tartare served with yogurt and horseradish in the early hours, and sockeye salmon and pork loin with baby squash for dinner. Six-course tasting menus are also available. The full menu can be seen here.
Yelpers are excited about Babirusa, which currently holds 4.5 stars out of 93 reviews on the site.
Mariah R., who reviewed it on June 6, wrote, "My friend ordered the fish and chips that were divine, and I ordered the smoked beets which was of course served on a unique handmade plate and was absolutely phenomenal in both flavor and presentation."
Ashley K. noted, "The food was just as phenomenal as I'd remembered, and I've gotta say, I think Babirusa is one of only a handful of nice restaurants in town that I've eaten at and not had one nit to pick about the food."
Babirusa is open from 4–10 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and 4 p.m.–midnight on Thursday-Sunday. (It's closed on Monday.)
Black Cat
2132 First Ave.
Stop by Black Cat for signature cocktails, comfort food and trivia nights. The bar, which opened in February, features a covered outdoor patio, pinball machines and a punk rock vibe.
Try boozy fruit slushies and shot-and-beer combos. Hungry? The menu includes bison grilled cheese, deviled eggs with curried chickpeas and a fried chicken sandwich with kimchi slaw. Check out the full menu here.
Yelpers are generally positive about Black Cat, which currently holds four stars out of 14 reviews on the site.
"I feel like they successfully made a dive bar that feels authentic but once you look at the details you can tell they put a lot of money and time into their aesthetic," wrote Yelper Max C. "I had a cocktail called red fang, which was really good and I had fun watching it being made. Fun crowd too. Will definitely be back."
Black Cat is open from noon–2 a.m. daily.
QQ Taiwanese Bites
2325 Sixth Ave.
QQ Taiwanese Bites specializes in street food and shares a few dishes with sister restaurant Facing East. The restaurant debuted earlier this year and uses natural and organic ingredients, including "tea-smoked air-chilled natural chicken," organic brown eggs, housemade sauces and soups that are simmered for more than four hours, per its website.
The menu features a variety of grab-and-go rice and noodle dishes, such as the Taiwanese rice vermicelli with shrimp, onion and cabbage. Other offerings include the braised pig ear salad; steamed barbecue pork bao; and spiced pork stew over rice with daikon and hard-boiled egg. QQ also caters.
With a four-star rating out of 45 reviews on Yelp, QQ Taiwanese Bites has been getting positive attention.
Yelper Atta F. wrote, "So glad they opened up a sister restaurant of Facing East! We live in West Seattle so it's nice not having to drive over to the east side to get our pork bowl and five spice chicken. Every person we've encountered at the register has been super friendly and helpful and the food tastes just as good at the original."
QQ Taiwanese Bites is open from 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m. daily.
