5 Best Restaurants in Winthrop, North Central Washington

A sylvan hilltop overlooking the Methow Valley sets the scene for an extraordinary dining experience featuring upscale Pacific Northwest cuisine with local and often organic ingredients, artfully presented and served in an elegant yet unpretentious, wood-filled setting. Highlights include chicken curry soup, mushroom strudel, prime beef tenderloin, and Columbia River steelhead. Desserts vary by the season: apple pie with house-made ice cream is a fall favorite, while pavlova with sugared cranberries is refreshing in winter. Beignets make an appearance on the breakfast menu, along with a tasty BLTA croissant. The 3,500-bottle wine cellar is one of the best and most extensive in the region.

If you need a handy stop for breakfast or lunch, or takeout provisions for a picnic in the North Cascades, this gluten-free bakery featuring tasty, made-from-scratch baked goods and hearty meals is definitely worth a quick detour off the highway between Sedro-Woolley and Marblemount. The breakfast menu lists the usual quiches and waffles, along with three-potato hash (with eggs, corned beef, veggies, or andouille sausage). Midday offerings include sandwiches (both grilled and cold), salads, and soups. There's a full espresso bar and a soda fountain with delicious shakes.

Locally sourced farm-to-table meals are the draw in this airy, casually elegant restaurant on the edge of downtown Winthrop. Notable examples of the deftly plated, sophisticated fare you might find here include braised lamb shank with lemon farro, grilled pork chop with savory pear sauce, lemon and feta risotto, and mushroom cassoulet. The starters and mains on the shorter bar menu are equally ambitious 

This buzzy, wood-paneled ciderhouse and taproom on the road to North Cascades National Park stands out for both its bright, crisp ciders and its elevated pub grub. Tuck into a plate of baby back ribs, Thai chicken sausage, or pulled-pork pizza, and consider a sampler of ciders—all of these sippers are produced with apples and other fruit grown in the immediate vicinity.

Located in a long red building designed to resemble an old-time, one-room schoolhouse, this craft brewpub sits between the town's main drag and the Chewuch River. While waiting for a burger or a bowl of chili, sip an Epiphany Pale, Hooligan Stout, or Ruud Awakening IPA. Live music plays on the outdoor stage in the riverbank beer garden on summer weekend nights. In winter, make a reservation to dine outdoors in the heated Geodomes with your family or small group for a unique experience. Other locations of the brewery in nearby towns are the Old Schoolhouse Taproom in Twisp and the Mazama Public House in Mazama.