94 Best Restaurants in Portland, Oregon

A veteran of TV's Top Chef Masters, co-owner Jenn Louis serves exemplary modern Pacific Northwest fare in this contemporary, conversation-filled spot along the increasingly trendy North Williams restaurant strip. The stew of clams, ocean steelhead, and Burgundy snails with shiso and Calabrian chilies is a winner, and there are always three or four fresh-made pastas on the menu, such as bucatini with an octopus Bolognese sauce and mint, plus locally sourced grills and inventive salads. Louis and her husband, David Welch, also run the more casual Sunshine Tavern on Division Street in Southeast.

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.

This cozy and colorfully decorated corner space has a near-fanatical following for flavorful Filipino-fusion food prepared by the restaurant's renowned classically trained chef-owner. Expect creative, artfully prepared renditions of classics like squid-ink crab-fat noodles with peppers and corn, pork-skin cracklings with spiced coconut vinegar, and tender pork adobo.

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.

It's easy to miss this intimate storefront space whose kitchen produces stellar Spanish, French, Italian, and Croatian food, but don't miss it. The menu changes daily and specials are written in red ink on the front window and always include some sensational seasonal dishes, from a simple summery radish-and-sweet-pea salad to lamb carpaccio with horseradish-celery root. Olive oils, dressings, sauces, and other gourmet goods for sale are displayed on the back wall.  If there's a wait for a table, head next door to the Navarre's sophisticated sister bar, Angel Face, which features raw oysters, charcuterie, and cocktails.

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.

Perched atop a four-story building on the Central East Side, this polished wine bistro offers expansive views of the river and Downtown skyline from its outdoor patio and large south- and west-facing windows, an extensive wine list, and creative food prepared by celebrated chef-owner Leather Storrs. Many of the produce and herbs used in creative salads and grills are raised in the restaurant's rooftop garden.

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.

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).

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.

Firing up the smoker at 5 every morning, the pit crew at Podnah's spends the day slow cooking some of the best Texas- and Carolina-style barbecue in the Northwest, including melt-in-your-mouth, oak-smoked brisket, ribs, pulled pork, chicken, whole trout, and lamb, all served up in a sassy vinegar-based sauce. Some sides rotate on and off the menu, but the collard greens, barbecue baked beans, and the iceberg wedge, topped with blue cheese and a punchy Thousand Island dressing, are excellent mainstays.

This often jam-packed Hawthorne taqueria with a second location on North Mississippi makes a strong effort to support sustainable practices, both with its decor—in which recycled wood and other materials are favored—and its commitment to line-caught fish and organic local meats. Of course, it's the flavorful fare that keeps regulars coming back, especially the soft tacos with fillings based on the owners' travels throughout Mexico, such as carne asada with fiery arbol-chili salsa, the braised-brisket barbacoa with cilantro and crema, and cornmeal-crusted cod with escabeche crema.