Japanese-inspired Seattle diner named among best new restaurants of 2026

The Wayland Mill, a North Lake Union Shōwa-era kissaten (tea and coffee shop) turned American diner, earned national recognition when Bon Appétit ranked it among the best new restaurants of 2026.

The all-day cafe and restaurant is at 3800 Latona Avenue NE in the Northlake Commons, tucked along the Burke-Gilman Trail but easy to spot by the long lines winding around the block.

Executive chef and owner Yasuaki Saito dubbed it “yoshoku Americana,” as its menu is interpreted through a Japanese lens with hints of “Midwestern warmth.”

“Saito takes you on a palate-expanding, mouthwatering trip that will leave you craving his version of nostalgia,” Kelsey Jane Youngman wrote for Bon Appétit.

Menu blends American comfort food with Japanese flavors, ingredients

The Wayland Mill offers a wide variety of daytime brunch options, such as its biscuit and miso-chasu gravy; Sansai “Three Things” with shio miso soup, tofu, and wakame, paired alongside a bowl of buttered rice with furikake; and a “P-L-T” with sesame-scallion focaccia, chashu porchetta, yuzu kosho mayo, and more.

“Interlacing the heritage of Western influence on Japan’s culture, The Wayland Mill is an all-day bistro kissaten in a modern vein,” The Wayland Mill stated. “We serve fun and fabulously delicious variations of regional American cuisine through the lens of Japanese flavors & ingredients while ascribing to the hospitality ideal of omotenashi.”

For dinner, The Wayland Mill serves up a “Pan Roasted Gindara” featuring pan-seared black cod, summer succotash, and miso butter. Customers can also grab its sweet potato gnocchi or the “Buffalo” chicken karaage with marinated chicken strips and miso-blue cheese dressing.

Pastry chef Ellary Collins offers a rotating selection of treats in the bakery case, including the Gohan Gooey Butter Cookie with malted milk powder, puffed rice toffee, and white chocolate, or the hojicha canelé with a caramelized crust and a “perfect” custard within.

All of Wayland Mill’s baked goods are served daily and available on a first-come, first-served basis, with fan favorites more likely to sell out later in the day.

The Wayland Mill falls under the Jensen Marina Project umbrella, which includes several other hospitality ventures such as Saint Bread on the Portage Bay waterfront, the Hinoki food truck “perma-parked” outside Heave Ho! at the Jensen Marina, and Postale, a cocktail and wine bar located in the back of the Tivoli pizza joint in Fremont.

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