Here’s the Dish: Where to Eat in Portland, Oregon

Location is the secret to Portland’s culinary success. Sandwiched between the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest and the lush, pollution-free farms of the Willamette Valley, the city’s seafood, proteins, and produce don’t get fresher or more local. The huge variety of ingredients also contributes to the city’s famous farm-to-table reputation.

Any Portland resident will tell you it’s this confluence of location, fresh produce, and variety that make it the best food scene in the country. Plus, its thriving food trucks and increasingly diverse pop-up restaurants add fun and versatility to a place where quality over quantity reigns supreme. Here are some of our favorite places to eat in Portland, Oregon.

Le Pigeon

Helmed by James Beard award-winning chef Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon has been a French fine-dining go-to for 15 years. Its seven-course tasting menu (also available vegetarian) focuses on local and seasonal ingredients with a heavy dose of innovation. Dishes like chicken & dumplings with eel, pork belly, and scallions grace this season’s menu.

Whether you’re dining in winter or summer, the chef’s signature foie gras profiterole dessert is always on the menu.

Neighborhood: Buckman in Southeast Portland

Xiao Ye

Meaning late-night snack in Mandarin, the food here is described by its two owners as, “first-generation American food.” The menu is a delicious and delightful ode to dishes from the duo’s childhood, as well as flavors and techniques they’ve learned during their travels.

Try the corn and mochi madeleines with whipped butter and jalapeño powder, the roasted squash dip, and Jolyn’s favorite noodle V.1 with Taiwanese black vinegar and Lao Gan Ma chili sauce.

Neighborhood: Hollywood in Northeast Portland

L’Orange

With proximity to the Willamette Valley, one of America’s best wine regions, Portland has a number of stellar wine bars and restaurants. L’Orange is as cool as they come, recently setting up shop in an old apartment above a convenience store and serving French and Mediterranean dishes.

Comfort foods like the French onion soup, Parisian-style gnocchi, and the pork from the chef’s family farm are all must-tries. And, of course, the wines are expertly matched.

Neighborhood: Southeast Portland

King Tide Fish & Shell

River views and fresh seafood, what could be better? Inside the Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel, Chef Alexander Diestra takes hyper-local seafood and gives it a Nikkei twist. Blending Japanese and Peruvian flavors, try the clam chowder with Peruvian spices and the Alaskan halibut in a caper sauce.

Or, treat yourself to an incredible seafood tower and a surf and turf with beef tenderloin. You can’t go wrong.

Neighborhood: Downtown Portland

Yaowarat

Named after Bangkok’s Chinatown, this casual yet trendy Thai restaurant transports the flavors of Bangkok to Portland. Start with the addictive chive cakes before diving into the equally delicious Chinese black pork and the mouth-numbing mapo tofu.

One glance at the cocktail menu, and you’ll see it’s as vibrant as the colorful decor. The Same but Prettier with Thai tea-infused Bacardi is a must, trust us.

Neighborhood: Montavilla in Northeast Portland

Chelo

Trans activist and chef Luna Contreras’ restaurant Chelo started off as a booth at a Portland farmers’ market. An ode to her grandmother, this upscale Mexican restaurant focuses on recipes inspired by her time in Guadalajara.

Local vegetables and ever-changing seasonal ingredients guide the menu, featuring dishes like Chilaquiles Rellenos topped with truffles and enchiladas stuffed with local mushrooms and caviar.

Neighborhood: Concordia in Northeast Portland

Lil’ America

Food carts and trucks are massively popular in Portland, often banding together to create a “pod” of various carts. Lil’ America’s eight carts are exclusively owned by BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ chefs. Makulit creates Filipino fast food bites. The Drip’N Crab specializes in Southern seafood bowls. And Hawker Station sells Singapore hawker favorites like Hainanese chicken rice.

Lil’ America is attached to the Fracture Brewing Taproom, so diners can grab a local beer and any number of foods to go with it.

Neighborhood: Southeast Portland

Gabbiano’s

It’s Italian-American food made fun at Gabbiano’s. Here, shots come in the form of fried mozzarella filled with tangy marinara sauce. Other dishes include the classics, like massive chicken parm and a classic red sauce spaghetti with meatballs.

The restaurant’s whimsical touches carry through to its cocktail menu, especially the Negroni Caprese served with sun-dried tomato Campari and basil Vermouth.

Neighborhood: Killingsworth in Northern Portland

While some may consider Portland’s dining scene to be a farm-to-table cliché, its residents brag that it’s only a small part of the city’s culinary wonder. From Asian street food to classic Italian to home-style Mexican, the dining options here are endless and, most importantly, delicious.

Where to stay: Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel or Kimpton Hotel Vintage Portland

Check out our full series on the food capitals of America here.