Bainbridge Island Foodie Itinerary
Come from Seattle. Leave the car there. Get on the Bainbridge boat at Colman Dock (Pier 52), not the Bremerton boat next to it. Downtown on this side is called Winslow. It is a ten-minute walk uphill from the dock.
This day is lunch, ice cream, maybe the Saturday market. Stay in Winslow. You do not need a car. A lot of restaurants are closed Monday and Tuesday. Check hours before you promise a sit-down. Plan the last boat home around the meal, not the other way around.
Looking for things to do on Bainbridge Island or a day trip from Seattle? Start on the visitor guide. This page is the food day on foot, not the full visitor guide.
Monday and Tuesday, a lot of restaurants are closed.
Check hours before you promise a sit-down. Café Hitchcock is the all-day backup when it is open.
How long you have
Times start when you walk off the boat. Build in time to get back to the terminal.
| Time off the boat | Do this | Skip |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | Farmers Market first, at Town Square next to City Hall. Then lunch. Go early. | Sleeping in. Parking at 11:30. |
| 3–4 hours, on foot | One restaurant sit-down, or Café Hitchcock plus ice cream. Be back in the ferry terminal early. | Lynwood, the village on the south end. A 7 p.m. dinner in Seattle. |
| 6–7 hours | Market if it is Saturday. A real lunch. Island Cool ice cream. Bon Bon chocolate to take home. | Jake’s Pickup and Lynwood on the same day. |
| Monday / Tuesday | Confirm restaurant hours. Bakery, ice cream, whatever is actually open. | A reservation you did not check. |
The day
Buy a walk-on ticket in Seattle (foot passenger, no car). Youth 18 and under ride free as passengers. Use the restrooms on the boat, then again in the terminal when you land. Then you climb into downtown.
Saturday, April through November: Farmers Market at Town Square / City Hall, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Uphill from Winslow Way, not at the dock. Go early. Parking fills up. Not Saturday? Skip to lunch.
- Sit-down on Winslow Way: Café Hitchcock all-day, Proper Fish on the harbor, Ba Sa at the west end. Reservations on summer Saturdays.
- Ice cream: Island Cool is on Madrone Lane, one block off Winslow Way. When someone wants ice cream, go here. Grab a cone on the way back toward the boat.
- Take home: Bon Bon for chocolate. Still hungry: Sweetwater Tavern. Oysters, wood-fired plates, a small bar on Madrone. Special occasion: Kingfisher.
- Only with a car: Jake’s Pickup on High School Road is organic comfort food from a gas-station window. Not a walk from Winslow. South-end dinner is Lynwood (Treehouse, Marketplace). Too much with Bloedel Reserve and a last boat you might miss.
If it rains
Still eat. Café Hitchcock, a sit-down, the bakery, ice cream. The market is outdoors. Saturday rain is jackets, not a cancellation, unless it is miserable. Skip a harbor picnic.
Getting home
A 5 p.m. island dinner and a 7 p.m. Seattle dinner is how you miss the boat.
Pick one. Be in the terminal earlier than you think. Live times are in the app on the crossing.
Skip
- Promising a sit-down on Monday or Tuesday without checking hours.
- Lynwood, Bloedel Reserve, and a last boat you might miss.
- A winery crawl with little kids. That is a different day, with a driver.
- Driving the car onto the ferry just for lunch in Winslow in July.
FAQ
Are restaurants open Monday and Tuesday on Bainbridge?
A lot of restaurants are closed Monday and Tuesday. Check hours before you promise a sit-down. Café Hitchcock is the all-day backup when it is open. Ice cream and the bakery still save a short trip.
Do I need a reservation?
On summer Saturdays, yes for a real lunch or dinner. Walking up without a reservation works better on a weekday. You cannot reserve a seat on this ferry route.
What if it is Saturday?
Farmers Market is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Town Square, next to City Hall. That is uphill from Winslow Way, not at the dock. Go early. Parking fills up. Eat after the market, not instead of it.
Do I need a car for a food day?
No. Downtown Winslow is the food day. Jake’s Pickup (the window at the gas station on High School Road) and Lynwood (the village on the south end) need a car. Do not add Lynwood dinner, Bloedel Reserve, and a last boat you might miss.
Can I do a 5 p.m. island dinner and a 7 p.m. Seattle dinner?
Pick one. You will miss the boat, or eat in a panic in the terminal. Be in the ferry terminal earlier than you think.
On the phone
This same plan is in our free phone app, Explore Bainbridge. Download it on the ferry. Open the Itineraries tab and tap Eats & Drinks Crawl.
The app shows a map of each stop and how long it takes to walk from the dock. This page is the plan: where to go, what to skip, and when to head back so you do not miss the boat to Seattle.
iPhone and Android. No account. explorebainbridge.com.
