Portland Restaurants

These days, rising-star chefs and the foodies who adore them are flocking to Portland. In this playground of sustainability and creativity, many of the city's hottest restaurants change menus weekly—sometimes even daily—depending upon the ingredients they have delivered to their door that morning from local farms. The combination of fertile soils, temperate weather, and nearby waters contributes to a year-round bountiful harvest (be it lettuces or hazelnuts, mushrooms or salmon) that is within any chef's reach.

And these chefs are not shy about putting new twists on old favorites. Restaurants like Le Pigeon, Beast, Ox, Ned Ludd, Natural Selection, and Aviary have all taken culinary risks by presenting imaginatively executed, often globally inspired fare while utilizing sustainable ingredients. There’s a strong willingness in and around Portland for chefs to explore their creative boundaries.

Menus frequently extend across nations and continents. First-time visitors to Portland always seem to be impressed by the culinary scene’s international diversity, especially when it comes to Asian and Mediterranean fare, but you’ll also find outstanding examples of Peruvian, Russian, regional Mexican, and dozens of other ethnic restaurants. Of course, seafood is prevalent, with chefs regularly taking advantage of the availability of fresh salmon, albacore, halibut, crab, oysters, and mussels from the rivers and the Pacific Ocean.

Most of the city's longtime favorites are concentrated in Nob Hill, the Pearl District, and downtown. But many of the city’s most exciting food scenes are on the East Side, along Alberta Street, Mississippi Avenue, Williams Avenue, Fremont Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Burnside Street, 28th Avenue, Belmont Street, Hawthorne Boulevard, and Division Street, and tucked away in many neighborhoods in between. Serious food enthusiasts will definitely want to make some trips to some of these vibrant, if out-of-the-way neighborhoods.

Bar and restaurant culture greatly overlap in Portland, and many eateries around the city stand out as much because of their carefully curated beverage programs as for their food. Expect to find wine, craft beer, and cocktail lists that rely heavily on Northwest products, and also note that many of the top cocktail lounges, brewpubs, and wine bars we included in our Nightlife and Performing Arts chapter also serve excellent tapas and bar snacks.

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  • 1. Afuri Ramen

    $$

    Acclaimed Japanese ramen chain Afuri decided to open an outpost in the United States in 2016, choosing this modern, high-ceilinged dining room in food-obsessed Portland in part because the exacting culinary team appreciated the city's pristine, glacially fed water supply, which plays a significant part in the steaming, savory portions of yuzu shio (with chicken broth, yuzu citrus, shimeji mushrooms, seasoned egg, chashu, endive, and nori), one of a half dozen deeply satisfying ramen bowls. The kitchen also turns out flavorful skewers of shishito peppers and chicken thighs, pork dumplings, sushi, and other izakaya-style fare, all of it consistently exceptional.

    923 S.E. 7th Ave., Oregon, 97214, USA
    503-468–5001

    Known For

    • Authentic Japanese ramen
    • Meat and veggie skewers
    • Flights of premium sake
  • 2. Akadi PDX

    $$ | Southeast

    Verdant plants hang from the timber beams and high, pitched ceiling of this outstanding West African restaurant founded by chef-owner Fatou Ouattara, who grew up in Cote D'Ivoire and learned to cook using clay ovens and wood fires from her grandmother. Akadi's menu draws on traditional recipes like street-style grilled goat with a mustard sauce and plantains, and palm butter stew with shrimp, gambas, crab, fish, and spices. There's a full bar.

    1001 S.E. Division St., Portland, Oregon, 97202, USA
    971-271–7072

    Known For

    • Nice selection of mostly South African wines
    • Boldly flavored West African stews and grills
    • Several vegan options

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch
  • 3. Broder

    $

    This adorable neighborhood café—one of the most outstanding brunch spots in town—serves fresh and delicious Scandinavian food with fun-to-pronounce names like friterade applen (apple fritter) and aebleskivers (Danish pancakes). All the food—the hashes, lefse potato crepes, the baked egg scrambles, the Swedish breakfast boards—is delicious, with the Swedish meatballs in sherry cream sauce and salmon fish cakes with caraway vinaigrette being especially tasty among the midday choices. There are additional locations in North Portland, Southwest Portland, and Hood River in the Columbia Gorge.

    2508 S.E. Clinton St., Oregon, 97255, USA
    503-736–3333

    Known For

    • Light-filled dining room with rustic-modern furniture
    • Often long waits for a table, especially for breakfast
    • Impressive selection of aquavit

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues. No dinner
  • 4. Coquine

    $$$ | Coffee

    Home to the sunny neighborhood-oriented Market Cafe, which serves brunch daily, Coquine blossoms into a romantic, sophisticated French–Pacific Northwest bistro in the evening. Early in the day, feast on sourdough pancakes with huckleberry compote, or black cod–based fisherman's stew with garlic toast, while in the evening, you might encounter pappardelle noodles with pork ragu or roasted whole chicken with hand-cut fries. The unfussy storefront space is just steps from Mt. Tabor Park, making it a lovely spot for a meal before or after a leafy stroll.

    6839 S.E. Belmont St., Oregon, 97215, USA
    503-384–2483

    Known For

    • Four- and seven-course tasting menus (with optional wine pairings)
    • A dim sum–style candy tray offered during the dessert course
    • Cheerful setting near Mt. Tabor

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.–Tues.
  • 5. Ha & VL

    $

    This humble, no-frills banh mi shop amid the many cheap and authentic Asian restaurants on S.E. 82nd stands out not just for its filling sandwiches (these crispy-bread creations come with fillings like spicy Chinese sausage, pork meat loaf, or sardines) but also for the daily featured soup, such as peppery pork-ball noodle soup on Wednesday and Vietnamese turmeric soup, with shrimp cake and sliced pork, on Sunday. There's also a diverse selection of thick milk shakes—top flavors include avocado, mango, and durian. The owners also operate Rose VL Deli nearby, which offers a more extensive soup menu.

    2738 S.E. 82nd Ave., Oregon, 97266, USA
    503-772–0103

    Known For

    • Barbecue pork loin banh mi sandwiches
    • Fun, welcoming atmosphere and fast service
    • Selling out of soups so be there early

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No dinner
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  • 6. Kachka

    $$$

    This Central East Side establishment decorated to resemble a dacha (a Russian country/vacation house) turns out wonderfully creative and often quite light Russian fare, including plenty of shareable small plates, like crispy beef tongue with sweet onion sauce, orange, and pomegranate; panfried sour-cherry vareniki (Ukrainian dumplings), and—of course—caviar with blini and all the usual accompaniments. Another crowd-pleaser on the menu is the classic chicken Kiev, prepared the old-fashioned way, oozing with butter. The owners also run Lavka, a market and deli above the restaurant.

    960 S.E. 11th Ave., Oregon, 97214, USA
    503-235–0059

    Known For

    • Extensive craft vodka list
    • The cold "zakuski" assorted appetizer experience ($30 per person)
    • Hearty Ukrainian dumplings

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Wed.
  • 7. Kann

    $$$ | Southeast

    Top Chef celebrity Gregory Gourdet looked to his heritage (he was raised in New York City by parents who had immigrated from Haiti) in developing this beautifully designed restaurant that, thanks to a tidal wave of critical acclaim, is now one of the most sought-after reservations on the West Coast. Everything that comes out of Kann's kitchen bursts with flavor and color—think lightly seared butterfish with lemongrass, mint, and green-apple shaved ice, and cane syrup–glazed breast and leg of duck with pineapple and tamarind. Reservations are a must, and it's advisable to book at least a couple of months in advance. 

    548 S.E. Ash St., Portland, Oregon, 97214, USA
    503-702–0290

    Known For

    • Outstanding, friendly service
    • Intimate Sousòl cocktail bar in the basement
    • The spicy chocolate–peanut butter–habanero tart

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No lunch, Reservations essential
  • 8. Ken's Artisan Pizza

    $$

    Douglas-fir beams, old wine barrels, and hungry crowds surround the glowing, beehive-shaped wood oven in the open kitchen of this thin-crust pizza joint. Ken Forkish, also of Ken's Artisan Bakery, uses fresh, organic ingredients for the dough, sauces, and toppings of his pies, which include a Margherita with arugula, a hand-pressed fennel sausage with onion, and a soppressata with basil.

    304 S.E. 28th Ave., Oregon, 97214, USA
    503-517–9951

    Known For

    • Terrific salads and vegetable sides
    • Unique topping combos such as leek and potato
    • Solid wine list

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch, Reservations not accepted
  • 9. Langbaan

    $$$$

    Guests reach this tiny 24-seat spot with an open kitchen by walking through the Phuket Cafe, which is itself a wonderful option for flavorful Asian cuisine. The restaurant serves the most interesting and consistently delicious Southeast Asian food in Portland via a weekly changing 10-course tasting menu that features unusual dishes like pickled mackerel with melon, sumac, and Thai chilies, and oxtail with bone marrow, chanterelle mushrooms, lentils, and tendon chips.

    1818 N.W. 23rd Pl., Oregon, 97214, USA
    971-344–2564

    Known For

    • Some of the most inventive Thai food in the country
    • A carefully curated wine list
    • Wonderfully creative and flavorful desserts

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Thurs. No lunch, Reservations essential
  • 10. Lauretta Jean's

    $

    This pie-focused operation began as a stall at Portland's Saturday Farmers Market at PSU and is now a charming, homey, brick-and-mortar café along Division Street in Southeast. Though it's the delicious pies—with feathery-light crusts and delicious fillings like tart cherry, salted pecan, and chocolate-banana cream—that have made Lauretta Jean's a foodie icon in Portland, this cheerful eatery also serves exceptional brunch fare, including the LJ Classic, a fluffy biscuit topped with an over-easy egg, Jack cheese, bacon, and strawberry jam. In the evening, it's a popular spot for desserts and coffee, or even cocktails.

    3402 S.E. Division St., Oregon, 97202, USA
    503-235–3119

    Known For

    • Salted-caramel apple pie
    • Short but well-curated cocktail list
    • Flavorful savory goods such as quiches

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner
  • 11. Le Pigeon

    $$$$

    Specializing in adventurous Northwest-influenced French dishes of extraordinary quality, this cozy and unassuming restaurant consistently ranks among the city's most acclaimed dining venues. James Beard award–winning chef Gabriel Rucker presents a five-course tasting menu ($135), with a vegetarian option available as well, and although the lineup changes nightly, dishes like Iberico pork jowl and tenderloin and gnocchi with lobster and black truffle are typical.

    738 E. Burnside St., Oregon, 97214, USA
    503-546–8796

    Known For

    • Open kitchen in which diners at the counter can interact with chefs
    • Lavish, leisurely five-course meals
    • Less expensive à la carte next door at Canard

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch, Reservations essential
  • 12. Little T Baker

    $ | Division/Clinton

    Set in an airy, high-ceilinged space on the ground floor of the architecturally noteworthy Clinton Condominiums building, this sleek operation serves delectable breakfast and lunch sandwiches and sweets that are nearly impossible to pass up, like the lemon-curd-and-currant scones and sea-salt chocolate brownies.

    2600 S.E. Division St., Portland, Oregon, 97209, USA
    503-238–3458

    Known For

    • Tantalizing pastries and sweets
    • House-cured lox on spelt and other breakfast sandwiches
    • Savory breads, including a delectable olive slab

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner
  • 13. Olympia Provisions

    $$$

    The flagship restaurant of one of the country's leading sources of artisanal charcuterie, such as smoked chorizo, pepper-coated capicola, and pork-pistachio pâté, Olympia Provisions serves gorgeous platters of meats and cheeses along with more eclectic seasonal Mediterranean-influenced fare like eggplant à la plancha with pine nuts and lemon vinaigrette, and pan-roasted black cod with stewed chickpeas. The setting is a smartly designed warehouse space and features a glowing "Meat" sign which quite simply says it all. There's also a pub and a Spanish-inspired tavern, Bar Casa Vale, which are both also in Southeast.

    107 S.E. Washington St., Oregon, 97214, USA
    503-954–3663

    Known For

    • Lively happy hours
    • Deeply flavorful charcuterie
    • Interesting cocktail selection
  • 14. Oma's Hideaway

    $$ | Southeast

    Colorful lights, floral-print tablecloths, and lush plants provide a bit of tropical flair to this festive culinary homage to the hawker foods of Singapore and Malaysia, such as corn fritters with sweet-chili peanut sauce, charred-pineapple salad with chili-shrimp sauce, and sour-tamarind baby-back ribs with fish sauce. Save room for a Fruity Pebble rice crispy treat.

    3131 S.E. Division St., Portland, Oregon, 97202, USA
    971-754–4923

    Known For

    • Amusingly named but seriously tasty cocktails
    • Lunch on weekends
    • Whole charcoal-roasted game hen with coconut sambal

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch weekdays
  • 15. 3 Doors Down Cafe and Lounge

    $$ | Southeast

    Three doors down a side street from the bustling Hawthorne Boulevard, this small restaurant is known for its high-quality Italian food and extensive happy hour list. The intimate, unpretentious trattoria has built a reliable clientele with consistently well-crafted plates like lemon-zest-and-ricotta-stuffed eggplant with marinara, panko-crusted Oregon fried oysters and aioli, and a risotto of sautéed kale, sweet corn, and aged Gouda. There's a good list of reasonably priced wines, too.

    1429 S.E. 37th Ave., Portland, Oregon, 97214, USA
    503-236–6886

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch, Credit cards accepted
  • 16. Apizza Scholls

    $$

    The pies here—which have been lauded by Anthony Bourdain, Rachael Ray, and thousands of everyday pizza lovers—deserve the first-class reputation they enjoy. The greatness of the pies rests not in innovation or complexity, but in the simple quality of the ingredients, such as dough made by hand in small batches and baked to crispy-outside, tender-inside perfection and toppings—including basil, pecorino romano, and house-cured bacon—that are fresh and delicious. Although the decor is rather plain and you'll likely have to wait for a table, you'll forget all once you take your first bite and start basking in the glory of some of the best pizza in the city.

    4741 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd., Oregon, 97215, USA
    503-233–1286

    Known For

    • Interesting beer list
    • The bacon bianca pizza (white, with no sauce)
    • Reservations are a good idea, even to sit at the bar

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch
  • 17. Bamboo Sushi

    $$

    Claiming to be the world’s first certified sustainable sushi restaurant, this Portland-based chainlet partners with nonprofits such as the Marine Stewardship Council and Monterey Bay Aquarium to ensure it sources its seafood from eco-conscious fishing operations. Bamboo has five locations throughout the metro area, including this stylish branch in Downtown's West End, where the counter seating fills for the weekday happy hour, served until 6 pm.

    404 S.W. 12th Ave., Oregon, 97205, USA
    503-444–7455

    Known For

    • Creative, nontraditional signature rolls
    • Choose-your-own sake flights
    • Happy-hour nigiri set

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch
  • 18. Bollywood Theater

    $$

    Set beneath a soaring beamed ceiling, and with a welcoming mix of worn wooden seating, kitschy decor, bright fabrics, and intoxicating smells, this lively restaurant along Division Street's hoppin' restaurant row specializes in Indian street food. Order at the counter, and your food—perhaps vada pav (spicy potato dumplings with chutney), gobi Manchurian (Indo-Chinese fried cauliflower with lemon, curry leaves, and sweet-and-sour sauce), or Goan-style shrimp served with a full complement of chutneys, paratha bread, and dal—will be brought out to you. The smaller original location is in the Alberta Arts District.

    3010 S.E. Division St., Oregon, 97202, USA
    503-477–6699

    Known For

    • Delicious breads and vegetable side dishes
    • Small Indian gourmet market with spices and curries
    • Mango lassi

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
  • 19. Bunk

    $ | Central East Side

    Focusing on both craft cocktails and the exceptionally delicious sandwiches that Portland's local Bunk chainlet has become justly known for, this trendy spot in the Central East Side has an industrial vibe with soaring ceilings, exposed ducts, and concrete beams. It's a great lunch option by day, and more of a drinking spot in the evenings, when you might also catch live bands playing, but anytime you visit you can sink your teeth into a pork-belly Cubano, fried chicken, or double cheeseburger. The other locations are in Inner Northeast, Alberta, and Downtown's West End.

    1028 S.E. Water Ave., Portland, Oregon, 97214, USA
    503-328–2865

    Known For

    • Excellent cocktails
    • Creative extra-stuffed sandwiches
    • Live music some evenings

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner
  • 20. Crema Bakery + Cafe

    $ | East Burnside/28th Ave. | Coffee

    If you're seeking a comfy spot serving great local coffee brands and exceptional baked goods—both savory and sweet—consider this light-filled bakery-café in the bustling Burnside and 28th section of Buckman. Drawing young families, laptop-toting freelancers, and hoodied hipsters, the kitchen turns out delicious breakfast sandwiches with candied bacon in the morning, and a wide range of sandwiches at lunchtime. There's a newer branch in Inner Northeast's Burnside Bridgehead development.

    2728 S.E. Ankeny St., Portland, Oregon, 97214, USA
    503-234–0206

    Known For

    • Honey-vanilla lattes
    • An oft-changing selection of tarts, custards, cakes, and cookies
    • Plenty of sidewalk seating

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner

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