Portland is a city that marches to the beat of its own drum. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, and it’s arguably the most exciting food city in the Pacific Northwest right now.
The culinary scene here isn’t just about following trends—it’s about setting them. From James Beard Award winners to funky food carts that turned into brick-and-mortar empires, Portland does food differently.
And 2026 is shaping up to be an absolute banner year. The city just landed multiple spots on the James Beard semifinalist list, including Le Pigeon in the prestigious Outstanding Restaurant category.
The New York Times is still singing Portland’s praises as “one of America’s great culinary cities”. And new openings are popping up faster than you can say “farm-to-table.”
Whether you’re a local or just passing through, these 13 spots represent the absolute best restaurants in Portland, Oregon right now. Let’s dig in.
1. Kann
Let’s start with the heavyweight champion. Kann, Gregory Gourdet’s wood-fired Haitian restaurant in the Buckman neighborhood, is still the most sought-after table in the United States.
Named one of North America’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2025, Kann leans into the lapel-grabbing power of dynamically spiced, live-fire cooking . If you didn’t know, walking in, that griyo and legim were staples of Haitian cuisine, you’ll learn it soon enough.
The space itself is warm and inviting, with an open kitchen that puts the fire front and center.
Chef Gourdet, a “Top Chef” favorite and James Beard winner, has created something truly special here—a restaurant that treats the food of his Haitian forebears with the same seriousness he learned applying to Asian and European cuisine while working for Jean-Georges Vongerichten .
For anyone seeking the best restaurants in Portland, Oregon, Kann is non-negotiable. Book your Resy exactly 30 days out at 9 a.m. PT, and prepare for a meal that’ll stick with you forever.
2. Le Pigeon
Le Pigeon is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026, and Chef Gabriel Rucker is marking the occasion with a “Greatest Hits” tasting menu that revisits the daring French-inspired dishes that put Portland on the global map two decades ago.
This place is a legend, plain and simple. It’s intimate, it’s unpretentious, and the food is absolutely off-the-charts good.
Think dishes like Foie Gras Profiteroles and Rabbit and Eel Terrine . It sounds wild, but Rucker’s genius is making the unexpected feel utterly natural.
The space is tiny—just a handful of seats at the counter and a few tables—so the vibe is cozy and interactive. You’re watching the kitchen work its magic while you eat.
For a truly special night out, Le Pigeon remains one of the absolute best restaurants in Portland, Oregon. It’s a piece of culinary history that’s still very much in its prime.
3. Javelina
If you want to know where Portland dining is heading, look no further than Javelina in the Cully neighborhood. This is the most important restaurant to open in 2025-2026.
Chef Alexa Numkena-Anderson brings Indigenous flavors to the forefront, creating a soulful and educational dining experience that’s strictly seasonal.
The fry bread with foraged seasonal toppings is a signature dish that tells a story with every bite . It’s not just food; it’s a connection to history and place. The vibe is warm, thoughtful, and deeply welcoming.
For anyone looking for something truly unique among the best restaurants in Portland, Oregon, Javelina is a must. It represents the future of the city’s dining scene, and that future is incredibly bright.
4. Langbaan
When it comes to Thai food, Portland has been punching above its weight for a long time. And Langbaan is the heavyweight champion.
Winner of the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant in 2024, Langbaan recently moved to a new space in Northwest Portland and continues to offer the most refined Thai tasting menu in the country.
Chef Akkapong “Earl” Ninsom is the genius behind this and several other acclaimed spots.
The tasting menu changes regularly, reflecting fresh inspirations from different micro-regions of Thailand . It’s a testament to the breadth of the country’s cuisine that 12 years since opening, Langbaan’s staff hasn’t run out of material. The cooking radiates both mischief and reverence.
For a deep dive into Thai culinary artistry, Langbaan is easily one of the best restaurants in Portland, Oregon. Book well in advance.
5. OK Chicken & Khao Soi
Here’s a brand new spot that’s already generating serious buzz. OK Chicken & Khao Soi just opened inside the original Pok Pok building on Southeast Division Street, and it’s the latest project from Portland restaurateur Earl Ninsom (yep, the same guy behind Langbaan).
On Jan. 23, 2026, Ninsom and co-owners Eric Nelson and chef Sam Smith introduced a new roster of Northern Thai dishes to this landmark location.
The menu features gai yang (charcoal-grilled chicken) and khao soi (Chiang Mai’s famed curry noodle soup), plus a beverage menu big on non-alcoholic drinks, including a tamarind limeade . It’s a welcome return to a beloved space, and early reports are glowing.
For anyone tracking the best restaurants in Portland, Oregon, this new opening is an essential stop. It’s Northern Thai comfort food from a master.
6. Astera
Vegans, rejoice. Astera in Buckman is a plant-forward fine dining experience that will blow your mind. The chef’s counter here—intimate and engaging, minus any food-church vibes—is the place to be .
Chef Aaron Adams leads diners through a captivating succession of dishes, some of which will appear for the first and only time on that evening’s menu.
Think grilled Romano beans with Sungold tomato purée and toasted pepitas, or a delicate tartlet with spherefied “seaweed caviar” atop a smoky mousseline made with alliums and Ota Tofu.
It’s art on a plate, and it’s all plant-based. In early summer, a delightful trio of ice creams might feature lovage from Adams’s garden and strawberries from that morning’s farmers’ market .
Astera is elevating Oregon’s produce to art-level status and is unquestionably one of the best restaurants in Portland, Oregon for plant-based dining .
7. Khao Moo Dang
Sometimes the best restaurants in Portland, Oregon are the ones where you can grab a seat without a three-month wait and still have a transcendent meal.
Khao Moo Dang on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard landed at No. 85 on Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. for 2026 . It was also named the most popular Thai restaurant for DoorDash deliveries in 2024 .
The signature Khao Moo Dang—roasted pork with rice and gravy—is the star, but the dumpling soup with tom kha broth and the crispy pork belly appetizer are equally fantastic . It’s cozy, it’s counter-service, and it’s absolutely delicious.
For authentic Thai flavors at a great price, Khao Moo Dang is a total gem among the best restaurants in Portland, Oregon.
8. Akadi
Head to Division Street and find Akadi, a lively, airy spot serving West African cuisine that’s full of soul. Chef Fatou Ouattara’s suya-spiced wings alone are a great reason to visit . The nutty, vibrant treatment, combined with a perfect fry, produces some of the best chicken in town.
The tangy lamb dibi and the hearty, earthy okra goat stew are worthy follow-ups. And for vegan diners, there are several stews that bring the same depth of flavor.
What unites much of the menu are Ouattara’s piquant housemade sauces—particularly one made with tomato, ginger, roasted carrot, and African spices . They’re so good, she now bottles and sells them at local grocery stores.
Akadi is a beautiful reminder that the best restaurants in Portland, Oregon represent the city’s incredible diversity.
9. Cafe Olli
In Northeast Portland’s King neighborhood, Cafe Olli recently pivoted its concept, but the food remains as exciting as ever.
They’ve moved much of their impressive bread and pastry program next door to Ollini, a bakery that opened in December 2025 . But for dinner and weekend brunch, Olli is still the place to be.
Think gently charred Neapolitan-style pizzas with the best ingredients the Pacific Northwest has to offer, along with vegetable and pasta dishes that showcase local produce—like charred zucchini under sumac-honey vinaigrette, and panzanella made with peaches and cherry tomatoes.
Co-owners Taylor Manning and Siobhan Speirits were named 2026 James Beard semifinalists for Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific .
For a vibrant, creative meal, Cafe Olli is easily one of the best restaurants in Portland, Oregon.
10. Coquine
Perched near Mount Tabor Park, Coquine is the kind of neighborhood restaurant that makes you wish you lived next door. Opened in 2015 by the wife-and-husband team of Katy Millard and Ksandek Podbielski, the restaurant has only gotten more dialed-in with time.
Millard, who has cooked at Michelin-starred restaurants in Provence and San Francisco, makes food that feels perfectly of itself: vigilantly seasonal and informed by French techniques.
The tasting menu, priced at an approachable $127, is the way to go . A pleasantly gamy lamb neck ragù might take on new dimension from a dusting of black lime powder, while roasted carrots get balanced with a puckering kiss of sorrel vinaigrette.
In 2026, Coquine was also named a James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program .
For a special meal that feels like a warm embrace, Coquine is a must among the best restaurants in Portland, Oregon.
11. Gado Gado
The name of this freewheeling Hollywood district spot references the Indonesian dish of the same name, roughly meaning “mix mix.” And that’s exactly what chefs Thomas and Mariah Pisha-Duffly are doing here.
Take the dry-aged steak tartare, fortified with hot mustard aioli and Indonesian bitter bean. It’s spicier and more intriguing than the classic French version.
The best way to experience the mix, though, is to order the Rice Table option, which the couple calls “our interpretation of the Dutch-Indonesian ‘Rijsttafel’ feast”.
A panoply of curry, rendang, satay, and pani puri fills the table and really gives a sense of what the restaurant does best. Thomas Pisha-Duffly was also named a 2026 James Beard semifinalist .
For Indonesian-Malaysian flavors with serious creativity, Gado Gado is a total win among the best restaurants in Portland, Oregon.
12. Ki’ikibáa
Out in the Roseway neighborhood, Ki’ikibáa is serving Yucatecan specialties that transport you straight to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. The unassuming dining room belies the care and craft that go into these dishes.
The panuchos and salbutes—both regional specialties of fried corn tortillas, the latter stuffed with refried beans—are great topped with any of the options.
But the cochinita pibil, citrusy slow-roasted pork, should be your first move. The relleno negro and menudo soups aren’t always available, but if they are, make sure to get both. Small plates shared among the table are the best way to try as much of the menu as possible.
For authentic, soulful Mexican food, Ki’ikibáa is easily one of the best restaurants in Portland, Oregon.
13. Sure Shot
We’re closing this list with a Portland classic in the making. Sure Shot is making the leap from beloved food cart to brick-and-mortar burger shack this spring.
After five years building a cult following—and earning a reputation as the city’s definitive smash burger—owners Nick Jarvis and Will Kuhns are moving into a permanent space on Northeast 42nd Avenue.
The new restaurant will go all-in on a retro fast-food aesthetic, with vintage decor and classic shakes alongside what the Oregonian recently called “the smashburger against which all other local smashburgers must be judged” . It’s simple, it’s perfect, and it’s exactly what Portland does best.
For a casual, no-frills burger that sets the standard, Sure Shot deserves its place among the best restaurants in Portland, Oregon. Get ready to wait in line—it’s going to be worth it.
Conclusion
There you have it—a culinary tour of Portland that spans the full spectrum of what makes this city so special.
From the Haitian global phenomenon of Kann to the Indigenous soul of Javelina, from the 20-year legacy of Le Pigeon to the brand-new energy of OK Chicken & Khao Soi, Portland’s dining scene is more vibrant and delicious than ever.
These 13 spots represent the very best of what the Rose City has to offer right now.
Now, what are you waiting for? Grab your phone, book those reservations (seriously, for some of these, do it now), and get ready to eat your way through one of America’s most exciting food cities. Your new favorite table is waiting in Portland.