75 Best Restaurants in Portland, Oregon

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.

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.

At this Bay Area import, the rambling old Hawthorne house setting feels a touch country-chic, and the friendly servers deliver platters of almost gorgeous, colorful Thai food—mounds of florid jasmine blue rice, spicy Esan-style tuna larb, wagyu beef lettuce rolls, and crispy pork belly with garden veggies. Locally sourced and often organic produce and meats are favored, and quite a few of the dishes pack serious heat (but can be tamed a bit on request). There's a second location Downtown.

"Welcome to your friendly neighborhood beneficial bacteria emporium" is the playful greeting slogan of this locavore-minded, vegan, kombucha taproom specializing in all things fermented, from smoked-beet Reuben sandwiches with cashew-chive cheese and ruby kraut to grilled vegetables with mojo verde and fermented jalapeños. Homemade kombucha and pear-apple water kefirs are among the beverage offerings, and there's also a good variety of beers, ciders, and natural wines.

This chatter-filled breakfast and lunch spot on the edge of the Central East Side is a delightful spot for kicking off your day, with or without a splash of Campari in your glass (there's a fine selection of coffees and teas, too). The breakfast-brunch fare is superb, with chicken-and-waffles topped with hot-chili honey and Honduran baleadas (homemade flour tortillas rolled around refried beans, scrambled eggs, queso, avocado, and crema) leading the charge.

This casual but inviting counter-service Mexican eatery decorated with leafy plants and green-and-white Talavera tiles specializes in hefty tortas stuffed generously with chicken pibil, braised beef, carnitas, and plenty of flavorful accoutrements like habanero slaw and pickled onions. If you'd rather go breadless, you can customize a bowl using most of the torta ingredients.

Clean lines, natural light, and angular, modern tables (some communal) define the Scandinavian aesthetic of this bi-level café in the mostly residential—and quite picturesque—Alameda neighborhood, close to Beaumont's commercial strip. Drop by to work or socialize over cappuccinos or "freelancer" cocktails (espresso and fernet), or dig into a bowl of porridge, a fried egg and avocado sandwich, or a salad of roasted beets with a dill-chive yogurt dressing. There's a second location inside Powell's Books in the Pearl District.

Inside this sleek Woodstock café, with additional locations Downtown and on East Burnside, patrons sip fine coffees sourced from Central America, South America, and Africa, and indulge in breakfast and lunch fare, such as savory and sweet porridges, granola, toasts, and salads. Finnish owner Wille Yli-Luoma brings a modern, minimalist aesthetic to this striking space with plenty of tables for working and socializing.

One of Portland's original farm-to-table restaurants, this classic eatery, opened in 1994 by renowned namesake chef Greg Higgins, has built its menu—and its reputation—on its dedication to local, seasonal, organic ingredients. Higgins' dishes display the diverse bounty of the Pacific Northwest, incorporating ingredients like heirloom tomatoes, forest mushrooms, mountain huckleberries, Pacific oysters, Oregon Dungeness crab, and locally raised pork.

Diners have been enjoying fresh Pacific Northwest seafood in Jake's warren of wood-paneled dining rooms for more than a century. The back bar came around Cape Horn during the 1880s, and the chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings date from 1881. The restaurant, now operated by the McCormick & Schmick's chain, gained a national reputation in 1920, when crawfish was added to the menu. White-coated waiters take your order from an almost endless sheet of daily seafood specials—which can include cedar-plank-roasted salmon, pecan-crusted catfish, Dungeness crab, and Bay shrimp cakes. If you're dining during crawfish season (May–September), sample the tasty crustacean in pie, cooked creole style, or in a Cajun-style stew over rice. The daily happy hour in the bar is one of the best deals in town, with handcrafted drinks, $4 cheeseburgers, $5 fish tacos, and other toothsome bargains.

Dessert isn't the only offering at this modish East-meets-West patisserie, but these opulent treats—matcha-yuzu mousse tarts, fig–and–red wine chocolates, passionfruit macarons—are unquestionably JinJu's raison d'etre. For a more substantial breakfast or lunch experience, tuck into a five-grain Korean bulgogi bowl or a curried-chicken panini.

Golden crusts are the trademark of Ken's rustic breads, croissants, tarts, and puff pastries, perfect for breakfast and lunch. Sandwiches, barbecue pulled pork, and croque monsieur are served on thick slabs of freshly baked bread, and local berries fill the flaky pastries. If the dozen tables inside the vibrant blue bakery are crammed (they usually are), you can sit outside at one of the sidewalk tables.

This New York-style kosher deli and bagel bakery evokes a 1950s diner. The thick sandwiches are made with fresh bread and lean, fresh-cooked meats, and the tender home-smoked salmon and pickled herring are simply mouthwatering.

One of several spots around Portland that has become known for advancing the art of sandwich making, Lardo offers a steady roster of about a dozen wonderfully inventive variations, plus one or two weekly specials, along with no-less-impressive sides like chickory salad and apple hushpuppies. Sandwiches of particular note include the tender Korean-style braised pork shoulder with kimchi, chili mayo, cilantro, and lime, and grilled mortadella with provolone, marinated peppers, and mustard aioli. There's also a branch Downtown in the West End.

This tiny creperie just outside the hubbub of the Pearl District can serve as a romantic dinner-date spot or just a cozy place to enjoy a cocktail and a late-night snack. You can get sweet crepes with fruit, cheese, chocolate, and cream or savory ones with meats and cheeses; in addition, the dinner menu is rounded out with salads and steaks.

Run by the same creative team behind top-notch nearby eateries Angel Face and Navarre, this sunny corner storefront is both a casual neighborhood trattoria and a small Italian gourmet grocery stocking olive oils, vinegars, pastas, and sauces. The menu is well suited to sharing and focuses on rustic, hearty classics like minestrone, pappardelle pasta with rabbit, spaghetti with garlic, hot peppers, and clams, and hanger steak with garlic and rosemary. The quality of both the ingredients and the talent in the kitchen makes for a consistently terrific experience here. Save room for the flourless chocolate cake.

With a colorful purple-and-green color scheme, soaring ceilings with exposed air ducts, and lots of hanging plants, this modern mashup of Indian cuisine and comfort brunch fare isn't quite like anything even offbeat Portland has ever seen before. Dishes are both pretty and tasty, from the kitchari (savory rice dal with cabbage, herb salad, and bright-purple pickled eggs) to a rendition of shrimp and grits that showcases shrimp in a tikka mole sauce over coconut milk polenta. The owners also operate the popular DesiPDX food cart on North Mississippi Avenue.

This unpretentious, counter-service restaurant along lively Belmont Street is a terrific option for complexly seasoned, meat-free Sri Lankan fare, including hearty and spicy jackfruit curry and pigeon-pea fritters with chilis. There's also a daily-changing selection of additional curries and sides that might include deviled potatoes or shredded kale with grated coconut. Beer and wine is available.

Slip off your shoes and step inside one of the tatami rooms or pull up a chair at the sushi bar at this unassuming but outstanding Downtown Japanese restaurant. So ordinary looking it barely stands out among the office towers near Keller Auditorium, the restaurant draws a crowd of locals and Japanese businesspeople who order from the wide-ranging but well-executed menu.

In a small streetfront along an unimpressive stretch of Grand Avenue, this hidden gem serves some of the best Lebanese food in Portland, for prices that can't be beat. Everything from the fresh homemade pita to the hummus, falafel, tabouli, baba ghanoush, and kebabs is delicious, and comes in enormous portions. The meat, vegetable, or vegan mezza platters offer a smattering of the kitchen's best, and the lamb gyro is delish. There's a decent selection of beer and wine, too. Nicholas has a second branch in the Grant Park area in Northeast, between the Lloyd District and Hollywood neighborhoods.

This convivial neighborhood bistro and its adjoining side bar Over and Out have developed a devoted following over the years for friendly service, well-crafted and affordable contemporary American food, and a long, impressive list of local beers and creative cocktails. Start things off with one of the starter platters (smoked fish, Mediterranean, and charcuterie are all options), before graduating to one of the larger plates, such as the lamb burger with local goat cheese, or blackened catfish with remoulade.

With bar-top and wooden table and booth seating, fresh-baked pies on display, and a super-relaxed counter service, Off the Griddle feels like a pretty typical—if extra cute—diner, but this Foster Road standby is entirely vegetarian (and mostly vegan). Indeed, the menu reflects the greasy-spoon sensibility, with jackfruit brisket hash, biscuits and gravy with braised kale, walnut-meatloaf Benedicts, and veggie burgers with tempeh bacon among the standouts.

The original of what's now a franchise with more than 100 branches in North America and Japan, this pancake house is the real deal. Faithful customers have been coming since 1953 to this cabin-like local landmark, which is crowded with both locals and tourists from the time it opens at 7 am until it closes in the mid-afternoon. With pancakes starting around $7, it's not the cheapest place to get a stack, but with 20 varieties and some of the best waffles and crepes around, it's worth the trip.Signature item is Apple Pancakes.

A joint venture between James Beard Award–nominated chef Cathy Whims and renowned cocktail mixologist Ryan Magarian, this aptly named late-night spot specializes in creatively topped wood-fired pizzas and deftly crafted cocktails that rely heavily on local spirits and fresh juices. The salads and appetizers are also terrific, especially the radicchio version of a classic Caesar salad.

Painted in bright purples, pinks, and greens, this festive spot offers traditional Cuban fare: slow-roasted meats, tropical root vegetables, hearty stews, rice, and beans. The meat plates—featuring slow-roasted pork, oxtail, shredded beef, rubbed chicken, or giant prawns—with various rich and saucy accompaniments, are all tasty and best enjoyed with a side of fried plantains.

There's one reason people frequent this buzzy 23rd Avenue bistro: its luscious desserts, like the banana coconut cream pie, the berry cobblers, and the boccone dolce (Swiss meringues layered with whipped cream and seasonal fruit and drizzled with semi-sweet chocolate).

Loosen your belt a notch or two before venturing inside this down-home Southern restaurant that's especially beloved for its over-the-top breakfast biscuit fare. Pat yourself on the back, or belly, if you can polish off the Reggie Deluxe (a fluffy homemade biscuit topped with fried chicken, bacon, cheese, an egg, and sage gravy), a masterful mélange of calorie-laden ingredients, or the gut-busting smoked-brisket-club biscuit sandwich, shrimp and grits, and andouille corn dog featuring locally made Otto's sausage. You'll find several additional locations around town.

The red-checked tablecloths, Tiffany-style lamps, and simple decor of this pizza joint might not inspire high expectations, but just wait until you taste the blistered-crust East Coast–style pies and slices. You can build your own pizza selecting from a long list of ingredients, or choose one of the signature favorites, like the Clam Jam with clams, white wine, cream, garlic, pecorino, and chili flakes. There's a second location in Southeast.