Portland is one of my favorite cities and it’s taking me YEARS to put together this guide. We've been a handful of times every year for the last 8 years. My sister went to school there, one of my best friends lives there now and it's one of the best food cities ever! So without further ado... here are my go-to's! 
Multnomah Whiskey Library - super cozy lounge with an epic liquor selection and the best homemade popcorn every day!
Mediterranean Exploration Company - Mediterranean-Middle Eastern food with some of the best hummus on the planet. Just go and order all the small plates and prepare to be pumped!
Oven and Shaker - wood fired pizza. duh
Bamboo Sushi (northwest location) - seriously inventive sushi rolls that will blow your mind.
Hairy Lobster - go with people who you trust. It's all about shared plates and you want to be on the same page for ordering!
Pine Street Market - a little food hall that is NOT to be missed!
Luc Lac - Vietnamese Food!! I could eat here all day long.
Shift Drinks - cocktails and/or wine! Perfect place for happy hour before dinner.
Andina - the first restaurant I went to in Portland when I started visiting 10 years ago. I've been almost every year - best Peruvian outside of Peru!
Headwaters - a seafood focused restaurant with a French flair!
Olympia Provisions - Go for brunch and get all the home made charcuterie & European-style breakfast plates!
Nong’s Khao Man Gai - chicken and rice from a food cart... who knew. But it's pretty freaking life changing.
Ping Yang Pow - Southeast Asian shophouse vibes with the best hangar steak and the most amazing crab fried rice
Cornell Farms - V cute breakfast spot in the middle of a nursery! Farm to table vibes and very seasonal!
Mama Bird - honestly one of my most favorite spots we've ever done! All wood fired food with the best sauces
Bunk Sandwiches - there's a sandwich debate in PDX and if you ask me, Bunk wins!
Lardo - another front runner in the sandwich game!!
Bistro Agnes - farm to table / french-ish with incredible service!!
Ox - Argentinian food galore!
Tasty and Alder - all about a restaurant that does boards! Go for cheese boards, charcuterie boards... the works!
Blue Star Donuts - all the donuts please.
10 Barrel - BEER!
Nostrana - Seasonal pizzas that come with pizza scissors. It's everything my heart ever desires.
Coquine - go for the pastries!!
Tusk - Middle Eastern eats with a gorgeous interior. The hummus is truly some of the best.
Great Notion - one of our fav breweries!! And their pretzel is not to be missed.
Breakside Slabtown - more beer. Obviously. Portlands beer game is STRONG.
Apizza Scholls - thin crust pies all day long!
Pip’s Original Donuts - no explanation needed!
Salt and Straw - Portlands claim to fame with ice cream. It's BEYOND. Word to the wise - the lines are brutal.... so be warned!
Proud Mary Coffee - one of my favorite places to brunch ever! Their sweets (pancakes, french toast, etc) are everything you've ever wanted and more! And since it's an Aussie cafe, their coffee game is on point
Ava Gene's - some of the best Italian in Portland. Plus the most incredible veggie side dishes out there!
And if you need to spend a few minutes doing things other than eating make sure to check out the Portland Rose Garden, The Japanese Gardens and maybe even a Timbers game if you're feeling sporty!
LeChon is a must the next time you visit Portland. If you love Andina you will love LeChon too.
Welcome to my home town, the City of Rose's. If you need to find out what a good German Pancake is, come see me at Sanborn's Breakfast Restaurant. I run food there on the weekends. Would totally take care of you. Have yet to go wrong with any of your recipes.
What are some great places to,stay? Thank you!!
I like the Kimpton hotels in pdx!
Gabby, you need to come to the OG Portland and make a stop off in Biddeford too! Biddeford has become quite the hot spot for delicious eats: https://mainstreetmaine.org/never-go-hungry-or-thirsty-in-biddeford-maine/
Gaby,
I just tried this amazing bakery breakfast place in Portland you have to try next time.
Petite Provence.. The crossaints are in the luggage to go back to OC!
https://yelp.to/qTKq/499usUx1JO
Gaby! You need to go to Swiss Hibiscus on SE Alberta. AMAZING.
Gaby, you need to check out the "other" Portland - Portland, Maine! AMAZING food (thanks to all the ex-NYC chefs who moved up here for better quality of life) along with lots of other cultural pluses. Hope you get to visit us soon! (Summer is glorious and September is spectacular - a great way to escape the heat of LA!)
Good guide! I’m from Portland and you hit a lot of the good spots! One thing to note is that a few of these are a part of the Toro Bravo group and all of their restaurants are amazing. One of my newer favorites is Shalom Y’All which is Israeli street food. Another famous Portland restaurant with a few locations is Pok Pok. For beer lovers (especially if you like German beer) I recommend checking out Occidental and also Zoiglhaus (which according to my German husband and his brother is better than beer in Germany!).
Thanks for this! I'm newish to the area and am always looking for food recommendations.
My two faves Blue Star Donuts and Salt and Straw (right across the street from each other at the 23rd st location). Yes Salt and Straw lines can be brutal, but if you know what flavors you want, grab the pints to go- no waiting! I pack a cooler and ice every time I visit my daughter at college so I can bring pints home to Oly- I may have a bit of a problem. Mother’s Bistro is also a family favorite- salmon hash and corn flake French toast❤️ A visit to Powell’s Books is also a must do Portland experience.
Lovvvveeee Portland! Do you have a Seattle one?
sure do! check the travel section of my site
Salvador Molly's made me fall in love with Portland many years ago.
Helpful! Love Portland too.
Try Nicholas Restaurant http://nicholasrestaurant.com/ next time you're here; great Lebanese food!