What is Beli and Why Should We All Be Using It?

Meals hold more importance than we realize. Eating together is a way to share cultures, grow closer, and decompress after a long day. Food fuels our motion and brains, giving us the ability to do what we love. We might learn how to use chopsticks over a bowl of Biang Biang noodles in Capitol Hill, make a family recipe for our roommates in our dorm or apartment, or come together for Suhur during this month of Ramadan. 

Meals look different for everyone, yet each one brings us closer together. As a student with a minor in nutrition, I love going out to eat and trying new foods–but here in Seattle, there are so many options to choose from. Should I get a warm bowl of pho on a rainy day, or branch out and try the homemade pizza place in Fremont? Maybe I should wait in the line for Raising Cane’s that goes all the way around the block to see what the hype is all about? 

I used to face these dilemmas every time date night rolled around or my friends and I were picking a place to go to on the Ave. But this December, I found an app that changed how I decided to go out.

The app is called Beli, and it is a life changer for people who love dining out. You can use this app to make reservations, find a restaurant’s website, discover nearby recommendations, and even see your friends’ favorite spots. There is also a feature that lets you rank where you eat and upload photos of menu items and the inner atmosphere. 

As a pescatarian, I sometimes worry about finding meat-free options on the menu. Beli lets you customize your dietary restrictions, so it recommends the restaurants that have the most appropriate menu for you. Some of the dietary restrictions you can choose from are Halal, no pork, nut allergy, paleo, sesame allergy, vegan, and more! You can even request individual, specific dietary restrictions when finding a restaurant if you have a rare food allergy. If there is a specific cuisine you absolutely cannot stand–like seafood for some people–you can also exclude it from your restaurant recommendations. 

Another feature of this app that I love is the ability to save restaurants you want to visit. I am always seeing TikToks and Instagram reels of Seattle restaurant reviews, so I have been saving them in the Beli app so I don’t lose track of the places that I want to visit. 

This app has been so helpful for me as an out-of-state college student who is unfamiliar with the UW and Seattle area. This January, I was in Bellevue Square and had no idea what I wanted to eat for dinner. I, of course, pulled up Beli and found a restaurant with high ratings and pictures of food that looked delicious. The restaurant was Castilla Restaurant and Tapas Bar, and after eating there, it is now my favorite place to eat! 

I know cost is a make-or-break factor for college students, but Beli is free. There are even Seattle foodies who have rated over 1,000 restaurants in the city, who you can follow for recommendations. I would recommend this app to anyone who loves going out to eat, as it has been a game changer for me.

Here are my top 10 Seattle restaurants that I have rated on Beli:

My Top 5 Seattle Restaurants: 

1. Castilla Restaurant and Tapas Bar
2. Tavolata
3. Din Tai Fung
4. Cheese Room Seattle
5. Bamboo Sushi
6. Piatti
7. Biang Noodles
8. Nuna Ramen
9. SuBI Japanese Restaurant
10. Portage Bay Cafe-Roosevelt