There’s nothing I’m asked more often, aside from what camera I use, than what to do when visiting Portland. There is SO much to do here, but Portland is famous for having incredibly diverse and high-quality food options. Honestly, even living here I’m going out to eat at least 4 times a week and constantly finding new spots. I’m a huge foodie, even though I don’t always post my meals on social media - my love for food developed even more after moving to Portland.
I’ve had this ongoing note in my phone where I add restaurants I love so I don’t forget the names - if I’m in a certain neighborhood, I can always glance at this to figure out where to eat. If I’m showing someone the city, I know all the must-hit spots to take them. And now, my extremely curated index of Portland’s finest eateries is seeing the light of day and being shared with the universe. Protect this list with your life… and happy eating.
Breakfast/Brunch
jam on hawthorne - mothers bistro - pine state biscuits - tasty n alder - moberi - st. honore - kure - coco donuts - blue star donuts - papa haydn - greenleaf juice - lovejoy bakers - breken kitchen - olympia provisions - proud mary - hey love - cheryl’s on 12th - figlia americana
I always recommend Tasty n Alder and Pine State to people who are visiting Portland for the first time - definitely a real PDX experience. Mother’s and Jam are fabulous for a traditional brunch, but be ready to wait in a LONG line on weekends. Breken and Olympia are a lot more lowkey, and great for coffee dates and weekdays. Definitely check out Proud Mary if you love beautifully plated food and a good Aussie accent. Kure and Moberi are tied in my book for best acai/smoothie places!
Lunch/Dinner
luc lac - vivienne - bullard - XLB - departure - urban farmer - siri indian cuisine - por que no - screen door - sizzle pie - grassa - lardo - bamboo sushi - Santa Fe - imperial - paley’s place - rosa rosa - pepino’s - killer burger - little big burger - garden bar - noraneko - hem 23 - afuri - boxer ramen - poke mon - quickfish - guero no.1 tortas - baan thai - boke bowl - swagat - tusk - cheese & crack - montage - virtuous pie - kachka - hem23 - paadee - shalom y’all - thai peacock - marrakesh - prasad - harlow - montesacro - bunk sandwiches - hat yai - stella taco - the whole bowl - grilled cheese grill - delores - nong’s khao man gai - jackrabbit - sea sweets poke - luce - besaw’s - andina - paragon - pok pok - langbaan
Portland has so many absolutely fantastic options for global cuisines, and all of the ones I’ve listed here are awesome. Check out XLB for a curated Chinese street food menu, Grassa for fresh pasta, and Por Que No for the most raved-about tacos in PDX. Shalom Y’all is a trendy new Israeli spot, known for their hummus and lebneh. Vegans are in luck in PDX - restaurants like Garden Bar, The Whole Bowl, Prasad, Virtuous Pie, Harlow and Stella Taco (get the fried avocado tacos!) are all vegan-friendly. Portland also has a lot of highly-rated Asian options - see Departure, Bamboo, Pok Pok, Hat Yai, Nong’s, Thai Peacock and Paadee. I also always take people to Afuri (SE Portland location) and Montage for the atmosphere - both of these are great for large groups.
Tea/Coffee
tea bar - barista - public domain - good coffee - zero degrees - tea chai te - heart coffee - bubble n tea - smith tea room - townshend’s tea - coava coffee - case study coffee - stumptown coffee - upper left - never coffee -water ave. coffee co. - maurice - kozy bar - presso coffee
Coffee shops in Portland are a dime a dozen, but there are certain ones that are a cut above the rest. Barista and Good Coffee are my faves, and aside from quality roasts they’re spacious and great places to sit and get some work done. I spend most of my time at Tea Bar, which is a coffee shop minus the coffee - they do tea lattes, matcha, boba and everything else tea. Upper Left also has a cute small bites menu, and Stumptown is the classic Portland brew you have to try.
Bars
rontoms - multnomah whiskey library - teardrop lounge - circa 33 - angel face - brix tavern - river pig saloon - mcmenamin’s back stage - barlow - momo’s - pepe le moko - departure - jackknife - opal bar - west
Rontoms has to be my favorite bar to take friends - the drinks are cheap, they have a chic interior and ping pong tables and a patio out back and it’s perfect in the summer. Brix and River Pig are also awesome for groups, especially if you want food as well. I love Angel Face, West and Pepe Le Moko for smaller groups or dates - super cute candelit hideouts. Back Stage is a fun one if you’re into pool and want a very Portland-y vibe, and the speakeasy at Circa 33 still makes me excited every time I go!
Check out these recommendations and let me know what you think (you can follow me on Instagram) - and if you have any recommendations for me, definitely shout them out! :)