Portland is totally my happy place. My husband and I have now been a total of five times together (one of which was for our wedding) and to say that we are obsessed with this green little city might be a bit of an understatement.
Since we’ve been five times, I’ve put together the ultimate Portland travel guide for you guys. I’ve listed our favorite places to eat, drink, hike, and shop in Portland. You won’t be able to do everything in this post in one trip, but you can definitely plan an epic trip from this list. Remember, Portland does tend to be a bit drizzly. If rain isn’t your fav then plan for a summer trip. Portland is a dream in the summer time.
Portland Food
Ok lets start with the important stuff…food! Guys, the Portland food game is killer. They value fresh ingredients, local produce, open kitchens and creativity. Also, the restaurants are so cute and cozy. I’m obsessed. So, if you only go for the food it would be a trip well spent.
(Important Side Note: Portland is divided up into four districts: Northeast, Southeast, Northwest and Southwest. I’ll put what district each place is in throughout the post for easy trip planning. You’re welcome.)
Breakfast + Brunch
Portland does breakfast real well. They’re known for their donuts but don’t just stop there!
Blue Star Donuts – (NE, SE, NW, SW) A lot of tourists go to VooDoo donuts, but after talking to the locals this is the preferred donut shop. They’ve got delicious gourmet flavors like cointreau crème brûlée, raspberry rosemary buttermilk, blueberry bourbon basil and more. Yum!
Pip’s Original Donuts – (NE) Guys I told you Portland was known for their donuts, you didn’t think I was just going to give you just one donut shop option did you?
These donuts are much more simple, but no less delicious. They are warm, sugary and amazing. We got a dozen (two of every flavor) to share. They also have a chai flight! My favorite was the Emmylou which has lavender, chrysanthemum and chamomile in it. #flowerpower
Café Broder – (SE) If your looking for a more substantial, less sugary breakfast or brunch this small Scandinavian restaurant fits the bill. Our favorite breakfast dish is the trout hash. Also, they have a nice selection of brunch cocktails.
Tasty n Daughters – (SE) This place used to be called Tasty n Sons, but they are in a new location and have a name change, but the important thing is I looked at their menu and they still have this dutch baby with lemon curd listed. It was my first time ever having a dutch baby and I think they may have ruined me for all other dutch babies.
Lunch
Food Trucks – (NE, SE, NW, SW) This is one of the things that makes Portland, Portland. There are so many food trucks and they’re so good! Also, I know these are listed under lunch, but keep an eye out for the breakfast-y ones too. Food trucks are also great because they tend to be on the more affordable side. We always eat at a food truck at least once or twice on our trip to save a little money, but not compromise on deliciousness.
Flying Fish Oyster Bar – (NE) This place is cool. And tiny. Like 6 seats tiny. Its in a small market called Providore Fine Foods, which is also really cute and I bought the best goat cheese of my life there, but back to oysters. The oysters are great and fresh and the guys who work there really like talking about oysters.
Lardo – (SE, SW) This is a super yummy sandwhich shop. We’ve gone here so many times and have gotten the banhmi and dirty fries every time and have never looked back.
Olympia Provisions – (SE, NW) Great place to grab a charcuterie board and a nice cocktail.
Dinner
Ava Genes – (SE) This is my favorite restaurant in Portland. We came here on our first trip after we had hiked our first waterfall together and we talked about getting married one day and then we came here again the day after our wedding at a waterfall. But enough with the sappiness, lets talk about why you need to eat here.
It’s an Italian restaurant with the coziest and warm ambiance. The food is #agressivelyseasonal as they like to say on their instagram and all of their pasta is made in house. If you go to one nice dinner in Portland, go here. Please. We have such a crush on Ava Genes we bought the cookbook by their main chef called Six Seasons, so we could have a little taste of it back in Denton. Their Panna Cotta is the perfect ending to the perfect meal.
PokPok – (SE) Best thai of my life. They are known for their spicy chicken wings and they do live up to their hype. We also love the Kung Op Wun Sen, a noodle dish served in a clay pot with prawns, pork belly and a herby dipping sauce. Sorry, I wasn’t able to get any good photos due to lighting.
Bamboo Sushi – (NE, SE, NW, SW) Bamboo is not your average sushi chain. They’ve got 4 locations in Portland and one just recently opened in Denver (which I’ve also been to). Not only is there sushi delicious, all of their fish is sustainably attained. If you’re a scallop fan, get the Yakum scallop because it’s so good and you won’t be sorry.
Firehouse – (NE) This is a rustic pizzaria in an old firehouse. We liked this place so much we had our rehearsal dinner here. They’ve got good pizza and wine, need I say more?
Le Pigeon – (SE) Delicious French fare in an intimate adorable spot and they even serve pigeon! This is another fancier place, but hey you’re on vacation.
Dessert
Salt and Straw – (NE, SE, NW) A delicious ice cream shop with unique flavors. Make sure to check out their seasonal ones too. Last spring I had this one with of flowers in it!
Wine
Oregon wine. Ugh. It’s SO yummy. I may be having a glass of pinot while typing this. You can find delicious wine at almost all the places above, but here are a couple other places you need to know about.
Enso Urban Winery – (SE) This place is near and dear to my heart because we had our wedding reception here. It’s such a cozy spot and would be the perfect place to grab a flight of wine before dinner or for a light lunch with one of their boards. They don’t serve a lot of food, mostly bread and boards, but that’s ok because then you have more room for yummy wine. Priorities. My favorite wine is the Grenache and my husband loves the Malbec. And don’t forget to grab a case of their Portland Sangria to have in your AirB&B.
Wineries – There are a bunch of great wineries about an hour outside of Portland. You can google Dundee wineries. Two of our favorites are Durant Vineyards and Domaine Roy.
Portland Outdoor Activities
I love the Portland food scene, but I equally love the endless outdoor activity options. From just strolling throughout the neighborhoods walking back from dinner to hiking to waterfall, Oregon is a beautiful place to spend some time outside. Many of the outdoor activities I have listed are not actually in Portland, but just a short, scenic drive away.
Waterfall Hikes – I like all kinds of hikes, but hikes to waterfalls are for sure my favorite. The mossy green, the mist, the power…. ah they’re majestic. Apparently there are 238 in Oregon and we’ve been to 14! The most popular one is Multnomah falls and the one we hiked on our first trip. You can view it and the picturesque bridge with no hiking, but you can also hike up to the top.
Unfortunately some of the waterfalls we’ve been to are closed currently due to a fire that happened shortly after our wedding in 2017. But don’t worry, there are still plenty of waterfalls open including Multnomah, Latourell Falls (our wedding waterfall), the Trail of Ten Falls (south of Portland) and a bunch of other ones that are still on our bucket list. I’m pretty sure we’ll be hunting waterfalls till were old and gray.
Canon Beach – This is a popular beach because it is in the movie “The Gooney’s.” There is hiking near the beach, but I haven’t any of it yet. Canon Beach is about 2 hours West of Portland, but don’t worry, the drive is beautiful and keep an eye out for a small coffee shack on your way.
Mt. Hood Area – I’ve only been to the Mt. Hood Area in the winter (you can read all about our snowshoeing adventure here) and it was absolutely breathtaking. But, I’m dying to go back in the spring/summer and do some of the hiking trails and see the wildflowers.
Forest Park – (NW) This is actually in Portland and its a beautiful area of trails that makes you feel as though you couldn’t possibly be in the city. Big trees, moss and ferns. It’s great.
Portland Rose Garden – (SW) A vibrant and fragrant garden filled with over 10,000 rose bushes. Stop and smell the roses why don’t ya?
Japanese Garden – (SW) This is right across from the rose garden. The garden is beautiful and serene. One of my favorite areas was the bonsai display.
Portland Shopping
Powell’s Bookstore – (SE, NW, SW) There are three locations but my favorite and the largest is the one in the NW district on Burnside. This area is also known as Pearl District and there are cute shops and some mainstream shopping like a 2 story Anthropologie. I’ve been to Powell’s on every single one of my trips. They sell new and old books, plus some Portland themed souvenirs.
Porch Light – (NW) An eclectic shop with plants, decor, candles, apothecary goods and other knick knacks.
Tender Loving Empire – (SE, NW, SW) This place is cute and a little whimsical. They sell records and handmade goods. One of my favs in Portland.
MadeHere PDX – (NE, NW) Everything in this store is made in Portland.
Paxton and Gate – (NE) This place is a little umm quirky, but I love it nonetheless. They’ve got a plethora of taxidermy, fossils, framed insects, crystals, plants and other unique items.
Pistils Nursery – (NE) Specialty plant shop and mercantile. Next time, I’m definitely shipping one of their plants home.
Providore Fine Foods – (NE) This is the trendy little market with the oyster bar in it mentioned above. If you’ve got an Air BnB with a kitchen you should definitely swing by here, have some oysters, a glass of wine and then grab some groceries for a nice little meal at “home.”
Whew! I know that was a lot, but I there’s so much to eat and do in this chill city. Also, it should be mentioned that Seattle is just a hop skip and a jump away (a 3 hour car ride). So, if you wanted to really get in all those PNW vibes you could hit up both cities if you had the time. You can see what I thought about Seattle in this post here!
Cheers,
