It is a known fact that Portlanders insist on ‘keeping their city weird’, but they also know how to foster a world-class food scene. The city has something for everyone, from food trucks to fine dining restaurants.
We visited Portland in December 2021 and were amazed at the sheer variety and high-quality food. Here are a few spots we visited. You can also check out our 3-day itinerary to Portland. It covers everything in detail that can come in handy while planning your trip.
Portland City Grill | Downtown Portland
Located on the 30th floor, this award-winning restaurant genuinely won our hearts. It remains, to date, one of our all-time favorite dining experiences not only in Portland but in the nation, thanks to its excellent food and top-notch skyline views. We ordered the Chef’s special soup, crispy shrimp tempura for our appetizer, and the Oregon Rockfish Jambalaya for the mains. All the dishes were amazingly delicious. Moreover, our server was attentive and prompt.
Kasbah Moroccan Cafe | 201 NW Davis St | Pearl District
Kasbah Moroccan Cafe is a cozy little place with a perfectly traditional and homely feel. The restaurant is owned by Chef Naji, from Morocco is quite famous for serving authentic Moroccan delicacies. We had the Chicken Tagine with couscous and a kettle of piping hot Moroccan Mint Tea to warm us up on this cold winter day. The chicken was melt-in-the-mouth tender, and the flavors were delicious. The tea was pleasantly sweet and complemented the food perfectly. This spot is a two-minute walk from the Lan Su Chinese Garden. It’s a perfect place to grab a bite after a visit to the Garden.
Sushi Chiyo | Hollywood District
After a long stroll in the hip Hollywood District of Portland, we felt like eating some sushi. Sushi Chiyo is a super affordable conveyor belt sushi restaurant, but don’t be fooled by the price. The food quality is excellent. There’s something delightful about watching fresh sushi go around on a belt and grabbing any plate you like for a quick sushi fix. The dishes are color-coded by price. We had the California roll, Spicy Salmon roll, Tiger roll, Volcano Roll and Masago. We did feel a bit overwhelmed by the sheer variety and felt that labeling the dishes would have been good.
Garden Teahouse at the Lan Su Chinese Garden
Garden Teahouse is a cute little cafe within the garden complex serving premium varieties of tea and quick bites. The restaurant is right in the center of the complex, so the ambiance is, undoubtedly, super impressive. We tried a few teas and got the Mooncake, which was so satisfying, low-key addictive even!
Bonus tip: Grab your drinks and food and walk up the stairs for amazing views and better seating for larger groups.
Voodoo Doughnuts | Downtown Portland
These folks basically came up with the gourmet doughnut category, serving the likes of Bacon Maple Bar (voted America’s Greatest Doughnut), Guava Colada, and Mango Tango. To call their flavors unconventional would be a gross understatement! It’s open late, and the servers are friendly. There is usually a line to get in, but it is fast-moving enough. Voodoo Doughnuts is a Portland icon, not to be missed.
