Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar (Capitol Hill)

Taylor Shellfish is a family business from Shelton, in the south of Puget Sound, and its Seattle oyster bars are a direct link between the city and the farms that supply it. The family has raised Olympia oysters since the 1920s, and the company in its current form was started in 1969 by the brothers Edwin and Justin Taylor, grandsons of James Y. Waldrip, who founded the Olympia Oyster Company in the 1890s. Today it describes itself as the country's largest producer of farmed shellfish, with beds in Oakland Bay, Totten Inlet, Eld Inlet, Samish Bay, Willapa Bay and Whidbey Island.

The company has run oyster bars in Seattle since 2014, and there are three in the city: Capitol Hill, Pioneer Square and Queen Anne. The Capitol Hill bar is on Melrose Avenue.

The main reason to come is to taste oysters from different Washington waters side by side, served raw, and to compare how flavour changes from one bay to the next. Look out for the Olympia oyster, the small native oyster found only in South Puget Sound, which the Taylor family has farmed for generations. Staff can advise on what to try if you are new to oysters.

Hours are not given here, so call the bar or check the website before you go. Booking ahead is wise for weekend evenings, when the room can fill up; for a quick visit, earlier in the evening is usually easier. The company also offers pre-orders for pick-up, which is useful if you want shellfish to take away.

The bar suits couples, small groups and seafood fans who want a relaxed meal focused on produce. Allow an hour or so for oysters and a drink, longer if you plan a full meal. Prices depend heavily on how many oysters you order. If you want to see where the oysters come from, the company also runs a seafood market in Shelton and an oyster bar and market at Samish on Chuckanut Drive, north of the city, which make good stops on a road trip.

Capitol Hill is one of Seattle's liveliest neighbourhoods for eating and drinking, so the bar is a good start to an evening. The Pioneer Square and Queen Anne bars are alternatives if you are staying downtown or near Seattle Center.