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Chef Bonnie Morales prepares the cuisine of the former Soviet Union at Central Eastside eatery Kachka. The menu features savory meats, dumplings, cured fish and bright pickled vegetables, plus a selection of more than 50 vodkas.

Credit: Aaron Lee, Travel Portland

Portland Restaurants

Portland is a renowned culinary destination, and Portland restaurants run the gamut — no matter your budget, your location or the cuisine you crave, your next great meal awaits you in Portland.

Updated July 25, 2022 6 min read

Whether you’re craving a tried-and-true favorite or looking to experience a new cuisine for the first time, there’s no better place for a meal out than a city as eclectic as Portland. Whatever your mood, you can always find just the right restaurant in the City of Roses’ vibrant food scene: from indoor dining to patio dining, brunch to barbecue, fried chicken to food carts to fine dining.

What’s more, Portland’s size hits the sweet spot. Enjoy all the perks of dining in a major American city: the variety of restaurants, the high standards for quality, the availability of nearly any fare you can fathom. And at the same time, take advantage of the great parts of searching out a restaurant in a city that’s not too big: the easygoing vibe, the abundance of cozy neighborhood spots and the ability to find some excellent values (in Portland, a delicious meal doesn’t have to be an expensive one). Get started on the hunt for your new favorite restaurants today.

Brunch in Portland

Explore the all-but-endless breakfast and brunch options Portland has to offer.

Great Brunch Spots in Portland That Take Reservations

These local brunch hot spots offer reservations, meaning you can enjoy your pour-over coffee and avocado toast without waiting for hours.

Breakfast & Brunch

Every day, faithful breakfast and brunch fans file into Portland's mouthwatering morning meal hot spots. Follow the crowd and make the most of the most important meal of the day.

Comfort Food Favorites in Portland

Get your comfort food fix — whether you’re hankering for mac and cheese, fries topped with gravy or a steaming bowl of pho, these local dishes don't disappoint.

Best Restaurants in Portland

Portland has famously trailblazed many culinary truths: That great food can be prepared in a truck. That the humble doughnut can become an elevated delicacy. That, yes, you really can organize a whole Sunday around brunch. But Portland was also integral to the birth and spread of an even more foundational truth: Restaurants should serve fresh food, prepared with local ingredients.

Today, this trend infuses much of the Portland restaurant scene, but it all started with restaurants like Higgins, which opened in 1994 and continues to serve up great food today. Chef and co-owner Greg Higgins’ focus on seasonal, sustainable food made it a hugely popular dining destination (and helped earn Higgins himself a James Beard award in 2002).

As Portland has grown, the restaurant scene has exploded, with a daunting number of excellent, award-winning spots to choose from. Try Eem for delicious Thai-style barbecue and curries, bolstered by a first-rate cocktail program. For Italian, check out Amalfi’s, a storied Portland restaurant (it was established in 1959) that puts fresh twists on tried-and-true classics. At Magna, chef Carlo Lamagna presents elevated, elegant Filipino food, showcasing dishes from across the Philippines. Akadi specializes in traditional West African dishes that are packed with flavor (enough flavor to catch the eyes of some of the country’s most celebrated chefs — in 2020, Akadi was featured on Top Chef: Portland).

Black Chefs & Black-Owned Spots

Try terrific food from top Black chefs and support Black-owned restaurants.

More Black Portland

Po’Shines Café De La Soul Specializes in Catfish and Community

At Po’Shines Café de la Soul in North Portland’s Kenton neighborhood, community and comfort food go hand in hand.

Support Black-Owned Restaurants in Portland

Eateries owned by Black Portlanders are featured during August's Support Black-Owned Restaurant Week, but they shine all year long.

Five Great African Restaurants in Portland

Enjoy flavorful dishes from Ethiopia, Morocco, Cote d’Ivoire and beyond at these African restaurants in Portland.

Then there’s E’Njoni for tempting Ethiopian and Eritrean food. Gabriel Rucker — another James Beard honoree — heads excellent eateries Le Pigeon (French-inspired fine dining) and Canard (stylish café, great wine, great cocktails). What about the hearty, traditional fare at Jamaican Homestyle Cuisine? And what trip to Portland would be complete without dumplings from Duck House?

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. In the end, there’s no way to encapsulate all of Portland’s outstanding restaurants in a few short paragraphs, so let’s take our time and dig a little deeper. Because in Portland, you can find a great restaurant in every neighborhood, and no matter what cuisine you crave.

Portland Restaurants by Cuisine

Yes, Duck House is delicious — and it’s just one of the many Chinese restaurants awaiting you in Portland. In fact, you can find enticing Chinese eateries all over town, though the Jade District (a vibrant Southeast Portland neighborhood that’s home to many immigrants and people of color) is a solid starting point.

Let’s say you had Chinese food for lunch (maybe the spicy chicken skewers at Danwei Canting, or a family-style feast at Shandong). Why not follow it up with Indian food for dinner? Try Bollywood Theater for robust flavors and eye-popping colors. For vegan diners, The Sudra has been serving up delicious plant-based cuisine since 2013 (and hey — turns out it’s delicious for non-vegan diners too).

According to the 2010 census, Latinx people make up a robust 11.7% of Oregon’s population. Perhaps you’ve enjoyed an afternoon perusing the Portland Mercado, or taken in some culture at Milagro Theatre. But no experience of Latinx culture in Portland is complete without sampling some of the delicious cuisine, like a Cuban sandwich from Pambiche or an elegant ceviche at Andina.

Latinx Cuisine, Latinx-Owned Spots

Portland's Latinx food scene boasts food carts, cafés, taquerias, markets, micro-eateries & more.

More Latinx Portland

7 Great Latinx-Owned Eateries in Portland

Portland is home to authentic eateries from every corner of Latin America. Feast on tacos, tlayudas, pupusas and burritos; read on for some of the best Latinx-owned restaurants and food carts in Portland.

Portland’s Top Taquerias

Follow our guide to Portland's top taquerias and find a wide variety of tasty tacos — from meaty morsels to vegetarian creations — in every part of town.

Portland Mercado

With a neighborhood grocery, meat market, coffee shop, food cart pod and more, the Mercado is one of the city’s most delicious destinations.

Portland has had a robust Italian food scene for decades, and one of its stars is Cathy Whims — enjoy a classic, sophisticated Italian meal at her lauded eatery Nostrana, or a wood-fired pizza at Oven and Shaker. (Did we mention that she’s a six-time James Beard Award finalist?) If you’re in a hurry, but can’t stand to compromise on flavor, opt for a fast-casual, delicious experience at Rick Gencarelli’s Grassa.

Women in the Portland Dining Scene

These restaurateurs are making their mark on Portland — all over town, across many cuisines.

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Family is at the Heart of Lebanese Food in Portland

Meet the family behind beloved eateries Nicholas, Ya Hala and World Foods Market, and discover how they helped build Portland's Lebanese food scene.

The Magic of Mae is Maya Lovelace

This Southern chef puts diners under a spell with her spin on classic Appalachian cuisine.

Meet Kiauna Floyd, Owner of Amalfi’s Italian Restaurant

Black-owned Portland trattoria Amalfi’s has offered the same old-school recipes and community support for three generations.

Where to Eat in Portland, Oregon

Portland is divided into “quadrants” (with a couple of bonus sections thrown in, because we just have to be different). These areas create a convenient way to navigate the city, and great food abounds, no matter where you find yourself.

Quadrants and Neighborhoods

Find great Portland restaurants nearby, wherever you may find yourself in the city.

More Food

Dining Near the Oregon Convention Center

Lloyd offers a full menu of dining options, whether you're spending the day at the Oregon Convention Center or an exciting night at The Moda Center.

Downtown Restaurants

Downtown Portland restaurants run the gamut — you'll find everything from budget lunch options at a multitude of food carts to delicious fine dining at acclaimed dinner spots in central city.

Northwest Portland Dining

Explore the roots of Portland's acclaimed dining scene as well as newer favorites along bustling Northwest 23rd and 21st avenues.

Pearl District Dining

Acclaimed restaurants, brewpubs and neighborhood eateries occupy loading docks and sleek new buildings in this former industrial zone.

Division/Clinton Dining

Southeast Division, Portland's hottest dining corridor, has so many restaurants for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks that you could plan for a week and still not hit all the must-tries.

Southwest/Downtown Portland

There are several interesting neighborhoods in Southwest Portland, but the most action-packed of the bunch is downtown. It’s an ideally sized area to eat your way across — small enough to be walkable, but big enough to have an abundance of terrific restaurants. Downtown offerings include many fine dining destinations and lots of food trucks and lunch options.

Southeast Portland

This sizable quadrant is packed with vibrant neighborhoods and bustling streets. It’s an exciting area, where you’ll find quirky shops, colorful street art and top-notch people-watching. Enjoy shopping, attractions — and of course, great local food.

Northeast Portland

Home to a true diversity of neighborhoods, Northeast Portland is also where you’ll find some of Portland’s noteworthy landmarks, and some of its best nightlife. Of course no trip to Northeast is complete without a stop on East Burnside Street, where you’ll find block after block of restaurants — cafés and bistros and diners, oh my!

Northwest Portland

Looking for “Old Portland” charm, and interested in shopping and dining in historic homes that have been converted into unique new spaces? Then it’s time for a trip to Northwest Portland. This quadrant is home to Northwest 21st Avenue and Northwest 23rd Avenue, both of which offer an abundance of great restaurants (the latter was also named one of America’s Best Shopping Streets).

North Portland

North Portland is home to some of the city’s coolest up-and-coming neighborhoods. This “Fifth Quadrant” also offers a burgeoning culinary scene, with great new restaurants popping up all the time. North Mississippi Avenue is home to many of them, making it a good choice for a dinner out (and an after-dinner drink to wash it down).