There aren’t many formal restaurants left anymore—I mean the kind where guys must wear ties, and gals can put on their dressiest duds—but this is one of them. By formal, however, I don’t mean stiff or stuffy. Canlis’s has a special-occasion atmosphere, with live piano music and a quietly stylish dining room, in a two-story bluff-top building. But its impeccable service means that guests are put at ease, whether it’s their first time dining here or their 40th. A Seattle fine-dining destination for over 6 decades, dinner-only Canlis has kept up with the times without losing any of the ingredients that have contributed to its remarkable longevity. This culinary standout in the Queen Anne neighborhood was the first restaurant in Seattle to serve what is now referred to as “contemporary Northwest cuisine.” Diners choose dishes from a 4-course tasting menu which offers an array of tempting choices. Steaks from the copper grill, the Canlis salad, and Peter Canlis’s prawns (Alaskan spot prawns with vermouth, butter and lime) are perennial favorites that have been on the menu since 1950. There’s a comprehensive wine list, including delicious Northwest vintages. Reserve as far in advance as you can, because formality has lost none of its popularity here.