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Cozy Holiday Cocktails at Ray’s!

Cozy Up with festive Seattle holiday cocktails at Ray’s Boathouse & Cafe.

Rainy season has officially arrived in Seattle, and there’s no better way to warm up than with a hot, handcrafted cocktail by the waterfront. This December, Ray’s Boathouse & Cafe invites you to grab a table by the fireplace, soak in the sweeping Puget Sound views, and sip on a lineup of cozy, seasonal drinks that pair perfectly with lunch or a relaxed afternoon escape. If you’re searching for the best waterfront dining in Seattle, this is your sign.

First up is the Sweater Weather, a rum-based hot toddy-style cocktail designed to warm you from the inside out. Featuring Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, Amaro Montenegro, St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram, fresh lemon, and a chai-tea simple syrup, this soul-soothing sipper is aromatic, gently spiced, and irresistibly comforting.

For a festive classic with a fruity twist, try the Warm Blueberry Mulled Wine. This holiday favorite blends red wine with Christian Brothers brandy, blueberries, clove, cinnamon, orange peel, and star anise. It’s rich, fragrant, and full of nostalgic winter flavor—perfect for slow sipping while watching the water shimmer outside.

Rounding out the trio is the decadent Hot Buttered Rum, a rich and velvety winter classic. Crafted with Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, brown sugar, cinnamon, clove, butter, nutmeg, and topped with whipped cream, it’s indulgent, comforting, and utterly satisfying.

Whether you’re stopping in for lunch, meeting friends for a midday toast, or planning a cozy date by the fire, these festive Seattle holiday cocktails are the perfect way to celebrate the season. This December, come experience the magic of warm drinks, waterfront views, and holiday cheer at Ray’s—where Seattle’s winter feels a little brighter, and a lot cozier.

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Shop Ray’s Gift Cards This Holiday Season!

Holiday Gift Cards from Ray's Boathouse in Seattle

Give the Gift of Ray’s: Share the Flavors of the Season

Holiday gifting in Seattle is here, and there’s no better way to celebrate than by sharing the warm, welcoming flavors of Ray’s Boathouse and Ray’s Café. Whether you’re thanking a teacher, treating a coach, appreciating a colleague, or surprising a loved one, Ray’s holiday gift cards are a thoughtful way to support a beloved Seattle seafood restaurant while giving the gift of an unforgettable meal.

Ray’s gift cards are available to purchase online 24/7, making holiday gifting easy no matter how busy the season gets. Choose email delivery for a quick, last-minute surprise, or select traditional mail for a classic gift that arrives right to their doorstep.

Your recipients can enjoy their Ray’s experience in either of our two unique spaces:

  • Ray’s Boathouse on the first floor, offering an elevated waterfront dining experience perfect for date nights, special celebrations, or anyone who loves expertly prepared seafood with sweeping Puget Sound views.

  • Ray’s Café upstairs, a relaxed and welcoming spot ideal for casual lunch, family dinners, weekend bites, or sipping a cocktail while watching the sunset over the Olympic Mountains.

A Ray’s gift card is more than a present—it’s an invitation to savor local flavors, reconnect with loved ones, and enjoy one of Seattle’s most iconic waterfront dining destinations. From fresh Pacific Northwest seafood to comforting seasonal favorites, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

This year, give a gift that supports local, tastes incredible, and feels special every time it’s used.

Give the gift of Ray’s—and share the joy of great food, great views, and great company. Cheers!

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New Year’s Eve Dining at Ray’s!

New Year's Eve friends dining at Ray's boathouse with water view and cocktails.

Celebrate and dine at Ray’s Boathouse and Cafe this New Year’s Eve and take in the gorgeous views as you raise a glass to 2026!

On Wednesday, December 31 Ray’s first floor Boathouse and second floor Cafe will offer a New Year’s Eve Surf & Turf dining special in addition to our full menus.

Choose from our Steakhouse Pop-Up menu, or try our New Years’s Eve only “Surf and Turf” style special: Grilled Filet Mignon & Seared Diver Scallops with porcini emulsion, fried fingerling potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, demi glace.

Reservations for both restaurants are strongly encouraged! Toast to the new year at Seattle’s best seafood restaurant. Cheers!

BOATHOUSE (first floor)
5pm (first seating) to 9pm (last seating). Reserve your table.

CAFE (second floor)
11:30am (first seating) to 8pm (last seating). Reserve your table.

We’re Open New Year’s Day!
Ray’s Boathouse and Cafe will be open regular hours on New Year’s Day Thursday, January 1! Join us starting at 11:30am in the Cafe for Bloody Marys, Fish & Chips, Clam Chowder and all of your favorites.

The Boathouse will open at 5pm for dinner on Thursday, January 1 for fresh seafood, shared plates, pasta, steaks, cocktails and more. See you at Seattle’s best seafood restaurant as we welcome in a new year!

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Steakhouse Pop-Up All December at Ray’s!

Steakhouse pop-up at Ray's Boathouse in Ballard

We’re thrilled to bring back our guest-favorite Steakhouse Pop-Up at Ray’s Boathouse!

Seattle’s best steakhouse pop-up features a limited number of steaks per day served with classic steakhouse sides like Loaded Baked Potatoes, Mac and Cheese, Oysters on the Half Shell more! Plus, the option to add special sauces or compound butter. Or make it really special and add Hollandaise and Dungeness Crab for an Oscar style steak!

Enjoy these delicious specials at Seattle’s best waterfront restaurant through December 31, 2025 in our first floor Boathouse and upstairs Cafe (excludes 12/24 and 12/25)! Our Cafe will offer the menu for lunch and dinner. So get out and enjoy a delicious holiday lunch at Ray’s Cafe this December!

Reserve your table today in the Boathouse, our Cafe is walk-ins only (except on select holidays). Cheers!

Steakhouse Pop-Up Menu

Grilled RR Ranch Steak GF
choice of cut served with demi-glace and seared broccolini
• 8 oz Sirloin
• 8 oz Filet Mignon
• 14 oz Ribeye
• 12 oz Strip Steak

Sauce/Butter Addons
• Mushroom Cream Sauce
• Salsa Verde
• Calabrian Chili Butter
• Hollandaise (ADD 2oz Dungeness Crab for Oscar style)

Accompaniments
• Loaded Baked Potato – bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese, chives
• Mac & Cheese – fusilli pasta, Tillamook white cheddar, parmesan breadcrumbs
• Sauteed Mushrooms – garlic, shallot, sherry wine, butter, herbs
• Prawn Cocktail
• Wedge Salad – Iceberg lettuce, blue cheese dressing, diced red onion, cherry tomatoes, scallions, bacon
• Alaskan Tanner Crab Cluster GF – steamed with butter sauce
• Oysters on the Half Shell GF/DF – Shigoku or Miyagi with red wine mignonette

Steakhouse Burger
house ground 8oz burger patty, caramelized onion-bacon jam, blue cheese, garlic aioli, arugula, crispy fried shallots, brioche bun

Steakhouse Wine Pairings

GD Vajra Barolo ‘Albe’
Piedmont, ITA 2021
The 2021 Barolo Albe continues to be one of the best values the region has to offer and punches far above its weight class in this vintage. The nose is ripe with fresh, layered notes of pure red cherries, fresh flowers, anise, and refined spices.

Pedestal by Long Shadows Merlot
Columbia Valley, WA 2020
Full-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe plums, chocolate, spicy oak, and graphite define the aromatics, and it’s concentrated, has ripe, chalky tannins, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish. The blend is 84% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Malbec, raised in 75% new French oak.

See you soon!