From home-style cooking to cuisine from around the world, Portland, Oregon is an incredible culinary destination, ideal for a weekend of food adventures, combined with sightseeing and shopping. There are many great romantic things to do in Portland. Start your day with delicious Belgian-style waffles, followed by tapas or a classic wood-fired pizza for lunch. For dinner, sample sustainable sushi dishes, Swiss, Pacific Northwest, Southern Italian, Argentinian, Thai, Russian, traditional Japanese or classic American cuisine - our list includes best romantic restaurants in Portland, Oregon for nearly every taste and budget. Scroll to see the full list with photos or jump to the table of contents.
Bamboo Sushi
Bamboo Sushi is a unique sushi restaurant based in three locations across the city with the aim of operating the highest level of sustainability.
Partnering with some of the largest organizations in marine stewardship and oceanic sustainability in the United States, Bamboo Sushi ensures that every product that enters their kitchen is 100% sustainably-sourced. Menus include traditional sushi platters, tempura, nigiri, and other seafood dishes.
836 NW 23rd Ave, 971-229-1925; 310 SE 28th Ave, 503-232-5255; 1409 NE Alberta St, 503-889-0336
Good to know: Best Time to Visit Portland, Oregon
Swiss Hibiscus, Portland, Oregon
You’re in for a tasty treat when you dine at Portland’s Swiss Hibiscus – a cozy family restaurant serving authentic Swiss dishes since 2010.
Stop in and try the cheese fondue appetizer, before diving into delicious entrees such as the Szegedin Goulash and the wienerschnitzel. Don’t miss their famous Swiss Inn salad dressing! Before there was the Swiss Hibiscus, there was the Swiss Inn in Honolulu, which was also founded and run by owner Chef Martin Wyss.
Born in Switzerland, Chef Wyss has traditional Swiss recipes in his genes. Check out these hot springs near Portland for a relaxing day trip.
4950 NE 14th Ave, Portland, Oregon, Phone: 503-477-9224
Firehouse Restaurant
Firehouse Restaurant serves Southern Italian dishes made from seasonally-available, sustainable produce, fish, and meats whenever possible.
Enjoy the twentieth century Italian Renaissance style of the historically-rich building, while savoring delicious eats like the goat cheese bruschetta or the rotisserie porchetta with wood oven-roasted broccoli sprouts, pepper relish, and jus. Their pizza is also delicious. Owners Matthew Bussetto and Eric Rose opened the place in 2008.
Before it was transformed into the restaurant, the building formerly served as a train station until the early 1900s, when it was converted into a firehouse. It’s located in Portland’s Dekum Triangle.
711 NE Dekum St, Portland, Oregon, Phone: 503-954-1702
Ox Restaurant
Portland’s Ox Restaurant serves a creative and delicious blend of Argentinian and Pacific Northwest cuisine, all cooked on a wood-fired grill (an Argentinian tradition).
This comfortable and friendly restaurant has an energetic vibe and brilliant menu, which includes dishes like roasted sea scallops, Flankenstyle beef short rib, or the house chorizo. Wash it all down with Ox Blood, the signature cocktail. Chefs Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quinonez Denton opened the restaurant in 2012, each bringing a creative flare from their cultural backgrounds.
The Ox is located on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Northeast Portland. Day trips in Oregon offer a great way to explore nearby.
2225 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, Oregon, Phone: 503-284-3366
The Waffle Window, Portland, Oregon
The Waffle Window is a family-friendly eatery that serves Belgium-style waffles with a Portland twist. With two locations in the city, on Hawthorn Boulevard and Alberta Street, Waffle Window is owned by Mary O’Rourke and her two sons, Max and Brendan, who bring their ample experience in traveling and tasting European foods, particularly waffles, to Portland.
Basing their waffle recipe on the famous Liege sugar waffles from Belgium, Mary serves a variety of the sweet treats with delicious toppings for breakfast and lunch. A Berry Bliss Waffle is the perfect start to the day while a Pulled Pork Waffle makes lunch a special treat.
Waffle Window also serves a range of waffles-based sweets, decadent sundaes, and cold drinks.
3610 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, Oregon, Phone: 971-255-0501
Mother's Bistro & Bar
Mother’s Bistro & Bar is a cozy and comfortable eatery in the heart of downtown Portland that serves traditional, home-style cooking in a casual and welcoming environment.
Owned by Lisa Shroeder, whose dream was to bring to the people of Portland delicious, home-cooked fare, Mother’s Bistro has grown by leaps and bounds from a small, unassuming restaurant to a veritable Portland institution.
By day, the bistro serves guests in the sunny lunch room, which is decorated in shades of yellow and green, while at night the restaurant’s sultry bar, the Velvet Lounge, exudes an elegant and romantic ambiance for late-night dining with gilded mirrors, crystal chandeliers and an extensive cocktail menu.
121 SW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97204, Phone: 503-464-1122
Life of Pie Pizza
Life of Pie Pizza is one of the city’s most popular spots for classic wood-fired pizza, tasty Italian sides, fresh garden salads, and a pleasing wine and beverage list.
Situated on Williams Avenue, the pride of the pizzeria is the 6,900-pound wood-fired pizza oven, built by Stefano Ferraro in Naples, which brings a real taste of Italy to the city.
Appetizers such as arancini, oven-roasted cauliflower and meatballs are the perfect way to prepare your appetite for the incredible selection of mouthwatering pizzas to follow, with toppings such as fresh goat’s cheese, roasted leeks and fennel sausage making their mark. While not one of the fancy restaurants in Portland, Life of Pie Pizza is an excellent choice for a romantic date night.
3632 N Williams Ave, Portland, Oregon, Phone: 503-719-7321
Langbaan
Langbaan serves dishes featuring exotic Thai flavors, tastes and aromas. Meaning “Back of the House” in Thai, Langbaan offers guests a complete Thai-style dining experience in a casually elegant space.
Owner/Chef Akkapong Ninsom began cooking at an early age, and this shines through in his simple combinations of flavors. Scallops in coconut cream, woven egg net covering succulent pork and sublime poached lobster are just some of the delights on the menu.
The restaurant serves dinner, as well as a tasting menu with two seatings per night.
6 SE 28th Ave, Portland, Oregon, Phone: 971-344-2564
Cabezon Restaurant and Fish Market
Cabezon is an award-winning seafood bistro close to the Rose City Park and Hollywood neighborhoods. Owners Chef David Farrell and wine maven Jackie Speck strive to bring their customers creative dishes made with the freshest ingredients possible by supporting Portland’s fishing and food communities.
Combining the bounty of the Pacific Northwest with local farmer’s produce, the menu showcases delights such as wood-fired fish, smoked meats, handmade patés and seasonal ice-creams.
Keeping in line with their sustainable practices, Cabezon’s diverse wine list features vintages from small, local and regional producers.
5200 NE Sacramento St, Portland, Oregon, Phone: 503-284-6617
Kachka
Kachka is a Russian restaurant on Southeast Grand Avenue that will delight even the toughest foodie with their Slavic-inspired fare. Boasting a homey setting with Russian décor, Kachka is run by Chef Bonnie Morales, a first-generation American from Russian parents, who presents a delectable menu of Russian classics.
With an emphasis on high-quality, locally sourced ingredients, small plates, known as “vodka snacks” are the perfect way to prepare for a vodka-filled evening. Adventurous dishes such as veal feet terrine, cured salo (thick slices of fatback –the hump of the pig) and Siberian pelmeni will have you returning time and again, while the vodka menu, which features more than 50 brands of the tipple is just as impressive.
960 SE 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97214, Phone: 503-235-0059, See the Map
Nodoguro, Portland, Oregon
Nodoguro serves traditional Japanese dishes in a formal setting. Known as “sousaku” as opposed to sushi, dishes are made-to-order from fresh, locally sourced ingredients from the restaurant’s very own Phantom Rabbit Farm.
Serving dinner only, the restaurant offers an eclectic range of courses that are frequently changed according to the season and chef’s inspiration.
The restaurant is elegantly furnished in simple Asian style, with low lighting for an intimate ambiance and crisp linens for a refined touch.
2832 SE Belmont, Portland, OR 97214
