charliesnickers

if you had one day, one dinner and one night in portland, where would you stay and where would you dine? thanks! i'll tally comments and make reservations.

lcuy

stayed at both Heathman and 5th AVE Suites last month. I'd definitely choose 5th Ave for a return,

For dinner...hmmm so many choices! Maybe Cafe Minge if I'm going back to a favorite. Tapas is high on my list to try, but it was closed last trip. Also I hear Henrys is great

lcuy

I hit post instead of preview...That should be Cafe Mingo (on NW 22nd) and Noble Rot (to eat tapas!).

jef7

Hi charliesnickers. I live in Portland area and have stayed in all three hotels, most recently on the Fifth Suites and the Benson hotels. Out of these three choices, my first choice will be the Fifth Avenue Suites, and then I will choose the Heathman, over Benson. I don't know exactly what room type you are looking at but the standard rooms at the Fifth Avenue Suites are the best value (for a few dollars more, I believe you can get a suite), for they are immaculately clean, good size I would say and I like its modern elegance motif. Truly, the lobby of the Benson is a class on it's own but their standard rooms are small, extremely dark and depressing I thought. I couldn't almost comment on the cleanliness for the lighting was so minimal it was hard to see. But if you prefer old world elegance and are going to splurge on their deluxe or junior suites, you might enjoy it. The service and location of all three are very comparable, but of the three in terms of dining, the Red Star Tavern adjacent to Fifth Suites was the one I mostly enjoyed. But just like Icuy hinted, there are many choices in Portland dining scene. Not knowing your preference, I'll suggest walk up to the newly developed Pearl District and you'll encounter different types of restaurants. Have fun.

Fodorite018

We live here and have eaten at Henry's several times and really enjoy it. It just opened in mid-April. The name is Henry's 12th Street Tavern, and it is on 12th and Burnside. Good for either lunch or dinner.

jimshep

I?ve stayed at all three and agree about 5th Avenue Suites. At www.travelportland.com we got a deal that included parking and continental breakfast delivered to our two-room suite. The Heathman restaurant is good.

nytraveler

My only experience is with the Benson and I would not recommend it. The room - not the standard but supposedly the deluxe - was small, dark, decored all in dull beiges and browns and way out of date. There were no feminine accoutrements - not even a make up mirror - and room service was poor (took forever and only a few plebian choices).

This was a business trip and I had no choice in the hotel - otherwise I would have changed after the first night - to any place more cheerful.

Andrew

Cafe Mingo is actually on NW 21st (but you were close):

http://www.criticsatlarge.com/USA/OR...fe%20Mingo.htm

Andrew

lcuy

Thanks Andrew. After misspelling it the first time, I also wanted to make sure that charlie didn't think I meant the Mingo out in Beaverton!

One other thing Charlie...try booking your hotel thru www.POVA.com. That the Portland visitiors assn and they have some great summmer deals for portland hotels. All include breakfast and parking too which is worth $40-$50 alone!

Barblab

Just returned from a long weekend at the 5th Ave Suites and can highly recommend this hotel. Wonderful rooms (ask for corner room), friendly staff, and complimentary wine in the lobby from 5-6 each evening. Ate at the adjacent Red Star Tavern and it too was excellant.

bunny

We stayed at the 5th Ave Suites this weekend and I would recommend it to anyone. The service is awesome and our room was well-appointed, clean, and quiet. The bed was incredibly comfortable. The location is convenient-we walked everywhere. We ate at the Red Star Tavern and Huber's Cafe and both had great food, spirits and service. We're looking forward to our next trip there.

winerycat

My husband and I enjoyed a very memorable dinner at the Heathman Restaurant, a special tasting menu created by Chef Phillipe Boulot and his visiting friend Phillip Groult, well-known chef of Amphycles restaurant in Paris. They both love to fish and together they personally caught the local fish that was one of our courses that night. Wonderful meal and accompanying wines. My only complaint was that the courses were way too generous!

Haven't stayed overnight there, but the downstairs public rooms are exquisitely beautiful in a classic, old-world, wood-paneled and marble kind of way. They also have afternoon tea and evening jazz, so even if you don't stay there, it's a great place to at least stop and have a drink.

beachbum

Cafe Mingo is a favorite for Italian, but maybe a little more casual than I'd recommend for your one dinner in Portland.

And Henry's is even more casual, with better restaurants even under the same ownership: Portland City Grill at the top of the bank tower, for one.

Help us out a bit with more info on what you're looking for. Elegant or funky? Chinese or Peruvian? I do like the suggestion to pick a place in an area that's interesting to walk before and/or after dinner. For me, that would be NW 21st - NW 23rd, or somewhere in the Pearl District.

kimamom

I'm headed through Portland in a few days on our way to the coast. I think I'm going to give Paley's Place a try for dinner. We'be been to The Harborside (great fresh fish) Jake's Crawfish (loved the crawfish and the whole atmosphere here!), Newport Bay (great lobster ravioli) and Lucere at the Riverplace Hotel.

I'm hoping to also check out the 750 ML wine bar. And if we have enough time, clarklewis, which is also the new rave in Portland. ***kim***