Portland, Oregon: Experience a Uniquely Creative Culinary Scene

You'll find no shortage of fine-dining options in Portland, where award-winning chefs and beloved eateries are combining traditional flavors with local Oregon bounty to create inspired menus. The abundance of the Pacific Northwest’s ingredients meets Haitian cuisine with Caribbean and African influences at Kann. Chef Gregory Gourdet’s acclaimed spot became the first Portland restaurant named Best New Restaurant at the James Beard Awards in 2023. For a fine-dining take on regional Thai food, don’t miss Langbaan’s five-course tasting menu, changing seasonally and drawing inspiration from different areas in Thailand. Chef Akkapong “Earl” Nimsom has garnered multiple James Beard Award nominations for his culinary achievements over the years, including Langbaan’s Outstanding Restaurant nod in 2024. Experience classic Portland dining at Higgins, one of Oregon’s first farm-to-table restaurants and a staple since its opening in 1994.

How would you like to enjoy street food and casual fare in unique and colorful locales across the city? Portland’s famous food carts congregate in culinary havens known as food pods, where diners can sample bites from several carts at once. Many pods offer cozy seating and unique scenery, making these prolific open-air dining halls can’t-miss stops on your visit to Portland. Located in the eclectic Hawthorne District, Cartopia made its debut in 2008 and has been a landmark of the food-cart scene ever since. Its eight food carts serve everything from pad Thai and poutine to kebabs and fruit cups, and a beer garden creates a rustic ambience. Thanks to hours extending well into the evening, it’s also popular for a late-night bite. Collective Oregon Eateries — also known as CORE — boasts a food hall with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating for the rotating slate of food trucks. Come for the amazing eats but stay for the weekly community activities like game nights.

At coffee shops, breweries, distilleries and tasting rooms around the city, you can enjoy seriously supreme sips of whatever craft beverage you’re craving. An incredible coffee culture means it’s not hard to find local roasters and independent coffee shops serving up trendy lattes, classic brews and everything in between. Try creative signature drinks at Deadstock, a unique sneaker-themed coffee shop, or enjoy Heart Coffee’s complex roasts in a serene, minimalist atmosphere. For something stronger, check out the Aviation American Gin Distillery and Visitor Center, where tasting tours give you a look at co-owner and actor Ryan Reynolds’ office as well as the gin-making process. Freeland Spirits and Wild Roots is another local favorite offering tasting rooms for their creations. Portland beer brewers take advantage of local bounty, using fresh hops grown in the nearby Willamette Valley to create beers in every style you can imagine. Sample some at one of the city’s 70-plus pubs and taprooms, like local staples StormBreaker Brewing and Baerlic Beer Co. Wine enthusiasts can’t miss a visit to sipping lounges like industrial-chic Boedecker Cellars and women-owned classic Hip Chicks Do Wine.

Fly into Portland International Airport (PDX). Rent a car or take advantage of robust transportation options: You can explore the city on public buses, trains and bicycles.