Breakfast in Seattle can be as simple as grabbing a cup of coffee and a doughnut at a Dunkin' Donuts or as decadent as champagne brunch with a view of Puget Sound.  The Seattle version of the former would be something more like a "Tall skinny double hazelnut macchiato" (who knew) and a raspberry scone from Starbucks.  But whatever kind of coffee and carb you want for breakfast, you will easily find it.  Starbucks abound (from anywhere in downtown you are within two city blocks of at least six Starbucks stores) and the city has a large number of quality coffeehouses.  Local coffeehouse chains include Tully's, Seattle's Best Coffee (formerly SBC), Uptown Espresso, Cafe Lladro and Diva's.  All are reliably excellent.

For the quirkier, local institutions, the University District has the Allegro Cafe, Cafe Solstice, SureShot Coffee and Perkengruven.  Capitol Hill has Victrola Coffee, Bauhaus Books & Coffee, and the RedLine.  South Green Lake has Zoka's, Lake City has Cranium.

Unfortunately, most of these coffeehouses don't serve "hot out of the oven" baked goods.  For your cup o' joe with a hot, fresh breakfast goody, try:

For those who want a sit-down breakfast, there are many options.  Pike Place Market offers great views of the harbor at Lowell's, the Athenium (right next door) and the Sound View Cafe.  Cafe Campagne is another option if you're in the neighborhood.

Away from downtown, Julia's has been an institution (Eastlake, Wallingford, Ballard & Capitol Hill) serving Seattlites for over 20 years. The pesto scramble or french toast are good choices here. If you're looking for somewhere on Capitol Hill, The Coastal Kitchen serves excellent (and generously-portioned) breakfasts - make sure you get the spicy hashbrowns.  Another neighborhood favorite for their eggs benedict and cozy atmosphere is Rosebud.   The Original Pancake House (started in Portland) has two branches (Kirkland & Crown Hill) and the Dutch Baby or Apple Stuff Pancake are the specialty here.  Perennial favorites include the Scarlet Tree (Roosevelt), Mae's Cafe (Phinney Ridge), and the Hi-Spot Cafe (Madrona).  Pete's Egg Nest (now located in Crown Hill) has the largest variety of scrambles & omelettes of anyplace in the city.  But for the largest omelette you've ever seen, go to Beth's Cafe on the north side of Green Lake.  Six and twelve egg omelettes are the standard sizes and Beth's is one of the few places in the city where you can get an omelette 24 hours a day.  You got the munchies after a night of clubbing, Beth's is THE place to go.

Locals know that Leary Ave in Ballard has two of the best breakfast joints in town.  The Dish (more properly in "Frellard"--the strip of Leary that runs between Fremont and Ballard) on 8th and Leary is known for the Seattle to Portland scramble and the Slacker Especial.  The line is well out the door on weekends but they give you coffee while you wait and keep the line moving by kindly letting lingerers know that they need to make room for others.  Senor Moose on 20th and Leary is a more recent addition to the neighborhood, specializing in Mexican breakfasts (although they have a few "American" breakfast dishes as well).

And lastly, if you want that Fine Dining Weekend Brunch (to take your mom for Mother's Day or that someone special for champagne breakfast) the two best offerings (with a view) or Salty's (West Seattle) and Palisades (Magnolia).  You will need to reserve months in advance for the special days, but otherwise, call ahead.

This list is only the start of breakfast options available to visitors in Seattle.  Bon appetit.