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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
Known For
- Authentic Japanese ramen
- Meat and veggie skewers
- Flights of premium sake
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$$ | 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
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
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Operated by the acclaimed chef behind Langbaan and Eem, this cozy and casual counter-service eatery takes its name from a small Thai city near the Malaysian border and its concept from that region's spicy and delicious fried chicken with sticky rice and rich Malayu-style curries with panfried roti bread. Other treats here uncommon to Thai restaurant culture in the States include fiery turmeric curry with mussels and heady oxtail soup with lemongrass. There's a second location on Belmont Street in Southeast.
1605 N.E. Killingsworth St., Oregon, 97211, USA
Known For
- The roti dessert with condensed milk
- Perfectly crunchy free-range fried chicken
- Good selection of Asian beers
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A laid-back North Mississippi gastropub with an L-shaped indoor bar and a bi-level back patio with lush landscaping and a shaded pergola, Interurban is both a convivial drinkery and a fine spot for affordable, well-crafted American fare served from late afternoon until 2 am. The kitchen creates consistently good and creative food, such as risotto with seasonal vegetables and smoked-trout BLT sandwiches, and there's an extensive selection of cocktails and microbrews.
4057 N. Mississippi Ave., Oregon, 97227, USA
Known For
- Terrific afternoon and late-night happy hour menu
- Well-curated beer and cocktail list
- Top-notch staff
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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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
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
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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This unpretentious and airy neighborhood spot with wooden booths and whimsical fire-engine-red chairs is really two delicious dining options in one: the dining room serves inventively topped, crisp, wood-fired pizzas, and a small takeout counter dispenses homemade hard and soft-serve organic ice cream with flavors like hazelnut toffee and candied kumquat. Pizza toppings change seasonally and might include homemade fennel sausage with lacinato kale, or rainbow chard with fermented tomatoes and chilis.
4039 N. Mississippi Ave., Oregon, 97217, USA
Known For
- Beautiful seasonal salads with local greens
- Warm-and-friendly servers
- Unique pizza toppings like peaches and pancetta
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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Described by baker-owner Kristen Murray as a "modern pastry luncheonette," this dainty West End café has just a handful of wooden booth and counter seats and a minimalist-inspired white-on-white aesthetic. The menu features exquisite French–Scandinavian pastries, cakes, and sandwiches, as well as a full gamut of drinks, including wine (interesting flights are offered), beer, cocktails, teas, and coffee.
921 S.W. Oak St., Oregon, 97205, USA
Known For
- Ever-changing, handwritten menu
- Assorted Swedish fika (snack) pastries
- Revelatory black-pepper cheesecake
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues. No dinner
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This vegetarian-friendly tribute to Mediterranean cuisine occupies a handsome former warehouse on historic 13th Avenue in the Pearl. MEC (for short) is an energy-filled, open space with a mix of communal and individual tables (the food is served family-style)—it's surprisingly affordable considering the extraordinary quality and generous portions.
333 N.W. 13th Ave., Oregon, 97209, USA
Known For
- Greek lamb chops
- Middle East–inspired cocktails
- Warm honey cake with whipped feta, candied apples, and honeycomb
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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Beloved chef and cookbook author Lisa Schroeder dedicates her home-style, made-with-love approach to food to the comforting foods prepared by mothers everywhere. Clearly the theme resonates, as evidenced by the long waits on weekends, and even some weekday mornings for breakfast, which is arguably the best time of the day to sample Schroeder's hearty cooking; try the wild salmon hash with leeks or the French toast with a crunchy cornflake crust. Reservations are recommended on weekends.
121 S.W. 3rd Ave., Oregon, 97204, USA
Known For
- Down-home American comfort fare
- Fantastic breakfasts
- Seasonal fruit crisps and cobblers
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$$ | 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
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
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The line that forms outside this Southern-cooking restaurant during weekend brunch and dinner is as epic as the food itself, but you can more easily score a table if you come for weekday brunch, and it's easier to find seating at the newer Pearl District location. A large, packed dining room with canned pickles and peppers along the walls, this Portland hot spot does justice to authentic Southern cooking, especially when it comes to the crispy buttermilk-battered fried chicken with creamy mashed potatoes and collard greens cooked in bacon fat. Or choose the Screen Door plate with your choice of four sides (consider the mac and cheese, creamy grits, and most any of the salads on the rotating seasonal menu).
2337 E. Burnside St., Oregon, 97214, USA
Known For
- Fried chicken (with waffles at breakfast or brunch)
- Seasonal side dishes, from praline bacon to spiced zucchini fritters
- Banoffee pie with shortbread-pecan crust
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$$ | Downtown |
Established by the team behind the vaunted weekend dinner house, Han Oak, this cozy, casually minimalist spot in the trendy West End doles out inventive modern Korean bites, from savory bay shrimp pancakes with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce to Manila clams with miso butter and ginger sake. A highly popular brunch is served Friday–Sunday and is especially known for its twisted donuts in tantalizing flavors like milk tea and toasted coconut.
580 S.W. 12th Ave., Portland, Oregon, 97205, USA
Known For
- Korean fried chicken wings with a variety of sauce options
- Kimchi and pork belly buns at brunch
- Butter mochi cake for dessert
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed. No lunch Thurs.
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$$ | Nob Hill |
While this upscale tavern serves fine dinner plates, it's happy hour and brunch that draws scene-y Nob Hill revelers to 23Hoyt. With a cool, clean ambience and the owner's private collection of contemporary art on the walls, this corner establishment makes an excellent place to partake in early-evening or weekend noshing.
529 N.W. 23rd Ave., Portland, Oregon, 97210, USA
Known For
- Cocktails made with house-infused spirits
- Recurring drag brunch
- A wide selection of small plates
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Credit cards accepted
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$$ | 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
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch, Credit cards accepted
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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
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
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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
Known For
- Creative, nontraditional signature rolls
- Choose-your-own sake flights
- Happy-hour nigiri set
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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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
Known For
- Delicious breads and vegetable side dishes
- Small Indian gourmet market with spices and curries
- Mango lassi
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
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$$ | Northeast |
This welcoming employee-owned restaurant focused on locally and seasonally sourced ingredients bills itself an "all-day café" and encourages guests to linger. Start the morning with a frittata sandwich and a latte, or drop by later in the day for a wood-fired wild mushroom pizza or a bowl of clams steamed in fennel broth, and maybe a glass of wine.
3925 N.E. Martin Luther King Blvd., Portland, Oregon, 97212, USA
Known For
- Upbeat, community-oriented vibe
- Homemade ice cream with seasonal flavors
- Well-curated list of aperitivo cocktails
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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This Old Town landmark, located near the river and Voodoo Doughnuts, has oysters baked Rockefeller-style, stewed, and on the half shell, but the venerable 1907 restaurant offers plenty of other tasty local seafood, including steamed clams, Dungeness crab stew, and beer-battered cold-smoked salmon. The collection of steins, plates, and marine art fills beams, nooks, crannies, and nearly every inch of wall space.
208 S.W. Ankeny St., Oregon, 97204, USA
Known For
- Oyster stew
- Mix-and-match fried or sautéed combination dishes
- Endearingly old-fashioned ambience
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues.–Thurs.
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$$ | Downtown |
Angular wood-cut wall mountings and soft overhead globe lamps impart a subtly chic vibe at this upbeat mod-Mediterranean restaurant that divides its menu into "from the grill" (fennel-crusted rib eye, Spanish octopus) and "roasted and fried" (chicken in a Calabrian-chili tomato sauce, Sicilian eggplant parmigiana). If you were hoping to avoid carbs, think again: the homemade pastas are divine, as is the focaccia, baked fresh daily by the in-house bakery.
527 S.W. 12th Ave., Portland, Oregon, 97205, USA
Known For
- Flavorful sides that could be combined into an entire meal
- Italian-focused wine list
- Chocolate-pistachio cannoli
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
