We're looking for a couple of good restaurants to try in Portland while there for the weekend. We're staying at the Heathman and heard their restaurant is pretty good, but we would like to leave the hotel for at least one dinner. Thank you.

Atwaters is one of the finest in town..its on the top floor of the US bank building..$$$$. Northwest cuisine

Atwaters is one of the finest in town..its on the top floor of the US bank building..$$$$. Northwest cuisine

Atwaters is great and has a super view, commensurately priced. Another well-known and good restaurant (and expensive) is Zephiros (226-3394). The Oregonian recently wrote that no visitor should escape town without a visit to Paley's Place (243-2403). Says it is intimate, elegant, with a relaxed chic and glorious food. Think I'll try it with our out-of-town guests this weekend, if its not too late to make reservations!

Another enthusiastic vote for Atwaters -- the view, as indicated, is very special, the wine list excellent and the cuisine memorable.

For anyone who wants a different type of dining place (surely not as "swanky" as Atwater's), you should try Mirage which is on the east side under one of the bridges. It's a real experience!

I don't know what the big deal about Atwater's is. We found the service awful and the food only mediocre for what we paid. My husband asked our waiter if he knew the time and he barked back, "I don't know!" Didn't even offer to find out. That's only one example. I was impressed with the view, and not much else.

On the less expensive/uptight side is a place called Mumu's, or something like that, on NW 23 (that's in the "Nob Hill" area). The portions were decent, the service good, and the food excellent. We have also heard great things about "Jake's Famous Crawfish", a seafood restaurant downtown on SW 12th, but we haven't made it there yet. If you have a car, consider driving out to Troutdale (via I-84 East) to McMennamins Edgefield. It is an old poor farm that has been completely renovated, complete with restaurants of varying degrees of swankiness, pubs, a cigar bar, a winery and brewery, etc, etc. We take all our visitors there, and everybody has loved it, whether we take them to the Black Rabbit Restaurant (swanky) or the Power Station Pub (less so). Explore the grounds... and don't miss the "Little Red Shed"... it's so adorable and cozy for an after dinner drink.