The 14 Best Places To Eat In Portland Today

The city of Portland, Oregon, is known for its bookstores, coffee scene, microbreweries, and vintage thrift stores and, recently, for its fantastic food scene. With food trucks and fusion restaurants popping up all over the city, there is no shortage of tasty dishes to try. Those lucky enough to call Portland their home have many food options, and it might take a while to try them all.  And for those who only visit the city once in a while, a list of the best places to eat in Portland can help narrow down the choices.

Our list is based on recommendations, industry awards, industry experts' opinions, and our own experiences in the city. Some of the restaurants need reservations in advance, and for others, you can walk right in. All of these places have amazing food, creative menus, and excellent service.

1. Chelo

5425 NE 30th Ave, Portland, OR 97211

Chef Luna Contrares is the creative mind behind Chelo where she recreates Mexican classic dishes using local seasonal ingredients. Chef Luna Contrares is inspired by her grandmother’s food from Jalisco, Guadalajara. The menu has favorites like guacamole but with the addition of bright red pomegranate seeds and gorditas made with blue corn masa filled with mushrooms, leeks, kale, and Oaxacan queso. The chilaquiles de pato will knock your socks off, but the real star is the tlayudas. She has elevated classic Oaxacan street food to something divine with a chorizo/chicken and mushroom tlayudas. This place needs to be on your list for your next visit to Portland.

And if you are in the mood for tasty tacos, Chef Luna recently shared three good taco spots that she likes in Portland: Taquería Los Puñales, Mis Tacones, and La Tapatia in Gresham.

2. Jeju

626 SE Main St, Portland, OR 97214

Korean Barbecue is a beloved food, and at Jeju you get the Korean barbecue experience and then some. The restaurant is from the same folks over at Han Oak, so you know it's going to be good. At Jeju, they have a set menu featuring different proteins. They do all of their butchering in-house, and the banchan is a show stopper. Do yourself a favor and visit Jeju.

3.  Phuket Café

1818 NW 23rd Pl, Portland, OR 97210

Phuket Café is a fun Thai place that combines local seasonal ingredients with classic Thai flavors. The menu is amazing, from snacks of glazed pork belly bites to fried tofu and fermented chicken wings to main dishes like massaman curry, pad see ew, and pork fried rice. We suggest trying the Thai paella with manila clams of the panang curry with 21-day dry-aged New York steak. 

4. Xiao Ye

3832 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97232

According to the good folks at  Eater, Xiao Ye is the best new restaurant in Portland. The name refers to midnight snacks, and the folks at Xiao Ye describe their food as “first-generation American food.” When you visit, try the tempura fried sardines, squash toast, fried chicken, or chanterelles with grits. You will want to keep going back to try everything on the menu.

5. Republica

100 NW 10th Ave. Portland, OR 97209

At Republica you won't find traditional Mexican food; instead, you will find Mexican-inspired food with a creative and innovative execution. The restaurant has a set menu where the chefs can wow you. Republica describes their food as Mexico-Forward, and they serve a Chef’s Tasting Dinner with unique dishes inspired by the flavors of Mexico. You will not find any chimichangas and burritos on this menu. This place is such a cool experience, and we highly recommend it.  

6. Lovely’s Fifty-Fifty

4039 North Mississippi Ave. Ste. 101 Portland, Oregon 97217

At Lovely’s Fifty-Fifty, the owner and pizzaiola Sarah Minnick creates tasty pizzas with local seasonal ingredients. The menu changes with the seasons, but the high-quality pizzas are the same every time. You may have seen her on Netflix's Chef’s Table Pizza Edition, where she lets viewers into what inspires her creations. She also makes her own ice cream. Her restaurant is worth a trip to Portland just to try her creations.

7. Jacqueline

2039 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR 97202

Jacqueline is a seafood restaurant and oyster bar. You may not think of seafood when you think of Portland, but the connection is there. The restaurant sources oysters from local farms and serves fresh oysters daily. If oysters aren't your thing, that's okay because the menu features other Pacific Northwest classics like Dungeness crab, rainbow trout, and clam chowder. You will definitely want to make a reservation because this place fills up fast.

8. Afuri Izakaya

923 SE 7th Ave. Portland, OR 97214

When you are craving ramen, you need to go to Afuri Izakaya, which specializes in yuzu ramen. This Japanese restaurant chain opened its first restaurant outside of Japan in Portland. They explain that Portland has the cleanest, purest spring water for making the best ramen. We highly recommend the ramen, but they also have other excellent choices on the menu, like nigiri, dumplings, and tempura.

9. Luce 

2140 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214

Luce is a small Italian restaurant with great food. It is a great spot for a romantic dinner. The menu has a great selection of antipasto, from marinated mushrooms to polpette to crostini, with your choice of salt cod, smoked trout, or rabbit liver mousse. The pasta dishes feature old favorites like linguini with shrimp, tagliatelle ragu, fettucini with lemon and cream, and spaghetti with garlic and chili. But it also has a classic Emilia-Romagna comfort food cappelletti in brodo (broth). Do yourself a favor and visit this place for some amazing Italian food. Unfortunately, they don’t take reservations, so get there early.

10. Kaede

8268 SE 13th Ave, Portland, OR 97202

Kaede is part sushi bar and part Japanese bistro. The food is amazing, and the atmosphere is perfect for enjoying every bite. The restaurant does not allow walk-ins in reservations only, and the maximum size is two people. So find a friend who loves sushi and make a reservation.

11.  Le Pigeon 

738 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214

Le Pigeon is run by James Beard award-winning Chef Gabriel Rucker. The French-inspired restaurant serves two Chef’s Tasting Menus, one with meat and one with vegetarian food. The food is excellent, and the extensive wine list is perfect.

12. Montelupo Italian Market

344 NE 28th Portland, OR 97232

Montelupo Italian Market is a one-stop place for everything Italian. The restaurant has delicious food with homemade pasta and bread. Enjoy a cheese or salami plate to get started, then order one of their salads. We love the arugula salad with fennel and lemon vinaigrette. The bucatini pasta all’ amatriciana is a salty sensation of guanciale and garlic, while the spaghetti vongole is on another level. And the lumache alla vodka with hot Italian sausage in a tomato-based vodka sauce is an absolute must for anyone who loves the heat.

13. Magna Cusina

2525 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR 97202

Magna Cusina is a Philippino restaurant from Chef Carlo Lamagna, who was a semifinalist for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific at the 2022 James Beard Awards. Whether you are new to Phillipino food or already an avid fan, you will love the creative dishes and new takes on old classics.

14. Olympia Provisions

107 SE Washington St. Portland, OR 97214

This casual restaurant is perfect for grazing. At Olympia Provisions, they specialize in charcuterie boards, where the chef combines Spanish and Mediterranean ingredients and cuisine with delicacies from the Pacific Northwest. We love the laid-back vibe that is quintessential Portland, and the food is perfect for picking and tasting while enjoying a glass of wine with friends. They are open for brunch, lunch, and dinner, and you never need reservations. This is their flagship restaurant, and they have opened several others that are just as good.

Our list barely scratches the surface; there are just so many great places to eat in Portland. I guess that means we will have to keep coming back for more.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©JPL Designs/Shutterstock.com.