OK Omens

The pizza here rivals the best pies you’ll find in NYC, meaning it’s a good idea to make a reservation in advance if you can—otherwise, prepare to wait a bit for a table. While the menu is stacked with good options, they'll let you build your own with up to three toppings, a limitation imposed to preserve the integrity of their pizza dough, which is sort of similar to ciabatta. Old-school video games in the arcade room help the wait time fly by.

With its warmly-lit ambiance, intimate seating, and extensive list of regional Italian wine, amari, and grappa, Ava Gene’s makes an ideal date spot. The Roman trattoria-inspired menu offers plenty of options: gardini for starters and salads, primi for pastas, and sharing-sized secondi of steaks and old-school Italian dishes like braciole. Chef Joshua McFadden (formerly of Maine’s Four Season Farm and Franny’s in Brooklyn, where he’s said to have made the famous raw kale salad happen) is known to source his ingredients from a hand-picked selection of the Pacific Northwest’s best farm-to-table produce and meats, so expect some pleasant surprises depending on the season.

We’d make dinner at Bullard a weekly ritual if we lived in PDX. Chef Doug Adams and his team churn out fresh local food and deliver it with a Texan twist (a tribute to Adams’s home state). If you’re like us, you’ll find it hard to choose from the menu—and there are no bad choices. But go for the full San Antonio chicken. It’s extra, extra juicy with crispy charred skin and served with fresh flour tortillas. Order a side of smoked beets or maple-roasted delicata squash and a Sazerac and you’re in for one hearty meal. Which is exactly what Bullard offers, with its dark-stained wood-and-leather banquettes: a cozy, indulgent escape. Photos courtesy of Jeremy Fenske.

A minimalist, welcoming restaurant and wine bar in the Pearl District, Arden specializes in natural wines, made with liquid that’s seen little to no adulteration and contains barely any additives (GMO yeast, coloring agents, thickeners—you name it). To accompany the wines, a seasonal menu is offered à la carte or as a four-course prix fixe.

Canard opened in 2018 and almost instantly became one of the city’s most popular restaurants—if not the most popular. We get this is a bold claim to make in a city brimming with such culinary talent. But Canard is that good. And that buzz-worthy. And really, that unique. In fact, we’re confident enough to say that anything Canard’s chef and co-owner, Gabe Rucker, does is gastronomic gold. (A meal at one of Rucker’s other restaurants, Le Pigeon and Little Bird, proves our sentiment.) But there’s something decidedly different about Canard. It’s casual and eclectic. It’s also modestly priced. Our favorites—the fried chicken wings, the three-cheese cannelloni, and the calamari French bread pizza—are under $20. (Not to mention the buttery, soft, decadent burgers, which are cooked with steam and $6 each.) But prices aside, what attracts here is the combination of really good food, a curved bar perfect for both a crowd or a solo diner, and a stellar wine list.

Helmed by veteran chef Troy MacLarty (formerly of Berkeley’s Chez Panisse and Portland’s Ned Ludd), Bollywood Theater is a go-to for fragrantly spiced street-style food MacLarty discovered during his explorations in India—dishes like savory lamb samosas and rich, creamy curries. The original restaurant on Alberta in Northeast Portland, spacious and decked out with Indian imagery (including a projector for screening Bollywood films), has a fast-casual vibe: order at the counter, get a number, choose your seat. The location on Southeast Division, an even larger space with an open-concept kitchen, also features a retail market stocked with dry goods, fresh spices, rice, ghee, and more.

This teensy restaurant in Concordia is so cozy that it feels more than a friend's dining room than an award-winning restaurant—though there's no question once your food arrives. Chef Naomi Pomeroy grew up in the area, but with a mother and grandmother who lived in France and New Orleans, her cooking style skews decidedly French. She’s also a James Beard Award-winner (she was a finalist three times), and we’ve yet to try a dish on her prix-fixe menu that wasn't worth writing home about.

Bamboo Sushi has four locations across Portland's quadrants: SW, NW, NE, and SE. Each location varies slightly; they all have a casual vibe and really good sushi (in addition to hot Japanese dishes). You can make table reservations, but seats at the sushi bar (always fun) are first-come first-serve. What makes Bamboo stand apart is their commitment to the sustainable way: they don't serve fish from endangered populations; their seafood is caught by fishermen who operate under environmentally ethical principles; and their grass-fed, hormone-free, and free-range meat comes from ranches in Oregon/Idaho. True to their word, Bamboo Sushi uses renewable energy sources, reusable teak wood chopsticks, biodegradable to-go containers, and so on.

Though it’s on the first floor of the Ace, Clyde Common doesn’t feel at all like your typical hotel bar. Jeffrey Morgenthaler is one of the city’s best bartenders, and happy hour is one of the best times to be here, when cocktails like the Southbound Suarez (a boozy horchata with tequila and Becherovka) and the Bourbon Renewal (a mixture of bourbon, lemon, cassis, and bitters) are $6 each. Not to downplay this worthy dinner destination—the menu is a very Northwestern celebration of unusual ingredients like nettles, spring alliums, burnt yogurt, and fiddlehead ferns.

Dame is quaint and intimate. A meal here feels like having dinner at a friend’s (a friend who has an extensive natural wine collection). Jane Smith opened the restaurant several years ago with the intention of providing warm, impeccable service and food and wine that honor natural ingredients. Portland chef Patrick McKee (who’s also the chef at Estes) prepares comfort dishes, including an outstanding cacio e pepe. Enjoying a plate of the creamy, peppery pasta classic with a glass of red in Dame’s cozy, dark-blue dining room is the most comforting way to spend a rainy Portland night.

Gado Gado’s kitschy colorfully patterned wallpaper, bright tiling, and vintage framed posters make it a fun respite from the neutrals and minimalism that reign in the Portland restaurant scene. And then there’s the food. Rich, satisfying umami rice noodles with curry, shellfish broth, and a whole blue crab. Grilled halibut with chili leaves. And gado gado, a traditional Indonesian salad topped with a spicy peanut sauce. Everything is an expression of founders Thomas and Mariah Pisha-Duffly’s personal connection to Southeast Asia—and it’s divine.

There’s a sizeable cohort of Portlandians who'll argue that Lovely Fifty-Fifty serves the best pizza in town. Their pies (each of which is big enough to serve two people) are cooked in the restaurant’s wood-fired oven, which makes the entire restaurant smell pretty great. While several of the pizzas—try the roasted potato with caramelized onions and gorgonzola—feature more adventurous toppings, it’s the kind of place that’s welcoming to the entire family. Fair warning: Kids go crazy for the homemade ice cream.

Le Pigeon, the sister restaurant of Little Bird, is a dinner-only French-inspired bistro opened by chef Gabe Rucker in 2006. It's become a local favorite thanks to dishes like salmon poke with curry aioli, duck breast with fava bean hummus and spicy tahini, and basil ricotta tortellini. You can also opt for the chef's five- or seven-course tasting menu.

Mae should be high on the list for any trip to Portland. Southern chef Maya Lovelace turned her pop-up supper club into a permanent location in the city’s northeast. Tucked behind Lovelace’s popular restaurant Yonder (a gem of a spot that serves a modern twist on the South’s classic meat and three), Mae is the place to slow down and indulge in prix fixe seasonal feasts and natural wines. The interiors read like a dining room at an old estate, and the menu of zucchini and buttermilk soup and Appalachian lavender grits with pickled cherry chicken jus and roasted peppers had us wanting to book our return flight to Portland before we’d even left.

Ask a Portlander about Kachka and they’ll prelude their accolades with a smile. Chef Bonnie Morales’s food has been on the hearts, minds, and palates of every foodie in and out of town for the past five years. Every dish is inspired by Russia and former Soviet Republics. Mustard-marinated cabbage schnitzel, perfectly fried to a light crisp. Pan-fried cherry-filled Ukrainian vareniki. Decadent shakh plov, an Azerbaijani rice dish with eggplant and garlic, wrapped in flatbread and served with zaprana compound butter. The flavors are bold, rich, and deeply comforting. Meals here call for longer stays to enjoy the food, distinctive drinks, and camaraderie encouraged by Morales and her husband and co-owner, Israel. Photos courtesy of Carly Diaz.

Chef Gregory Gourdet is a three-time James Beard Award winner, a former Jean-Georges chef de cuisine, and an all-star of the Portland food scene—and his restaurant Kann has been called the best new restaurant by...everybody. Here, Gourdet serves live-fire Haitian food including jerk cauliflower, poul ak nwa (Haitian cashew chicken), and whole red snapper in pineapple-pepper sauce. The entire menu is gluten- and dairy-free. And there’s a separate bar downstairs for everything from pre-dinner drinks to full-on meals; go for doubles (Trinidad flatbread with curried chickpeas) and guava-infused vodka cocktails.

Back in the day, Ken Forkish was just making pizza once a week out of his eponymous bakery. But when the pizza nights started getting out-of-control busy, he knew it was time to open a full-fledged restaurant. At Ken’s Artisan Pizza, you’ll find simple, Neapolitan-style pies that comes straight from a wood-fired oven in the open kitchen. The décor is as local as the ingredients, with a bar and tables made from old-growth Douglas firs that were salvaged from one of the city’s old roller coasters. P.S.: Ken’s James Beard Award-winning cookbook, Flour Water Salt Yeast, is a totally worthwhile souvenir.

This taqueria is a local favorite for its elaborate offering of Mexican fare, especially their next-level tacos. The corn tortillas are made fresh onsite and filled with sustainably-sourced, unconventional-yet-delicious ingredients, including calamari, chorizo, and barbacoa-braised beef brisket straight from nearby Cascade Farms. Quick counter service and picnic tables for outdoors dining (weather permitting) make this a great casual spot to people-watch. There's a second outpost in Richmond.

Andy Ricker’s Thai food is the stuff of legend at this point (with one outpost in Brooklyn and another in Downtown Manhattan), but it’s more than worth than seeking it out in Portland where the empire first began. The original location itself is notoriously dive-y, with multicolored twinkle lights on the ceiling and brightly patterned tablecloths covering the crowded tables. As ever, the papaya salad and the chicken wings are the must-orders, though you can’t go wrong with any of the traditional dishes here.

For their third Portland restaurant, chef Vitaly Paley and his partner and wife, Kimberly Paley, bring global influences to their menu. There’s a pan-roasted chicken chkmeruli inspired by the Paleys’ time in Telavi, Georgia. Kebabs with sweet herb salad hearken back to their travels in Turkey. And comforting, classic spaghetti pomodoro winks at both Italy and New York City, where rich red-sauce Italian dishes abound. Rosa Rosa also serves a hearty brunch that includes a traditional Turkish breakfast meant to be shared: eggplant caviar, roasted tomatoes, smoked fish, baklava, boiled eggs, and more. Come hungry.

Chef Naoko Tamura has been cooking and serving authentic Japanese dishes to Portlanders for more than a decade. She uses only local, seasonal, organic ingredients. Lunch trays of shumai dumplings, Japanese fried chicken, and wild Alaskan salmon are complemented with rice, salad, pickles, and miso soup. In the evenings, the menu is a fixed traditional omakase dinner. The décor here, which was revamped by renowned architect Kengo Kuma in 2017, is nearly as impressive as the food. You’ll find thin, whorled bamboo screens decorating the ceiling and a mini zen garden. Photos courtesy of Jeremy Bittermann.

Tasty n Alder is not your typical steakhouse: after all, their Korean bulgogi strip steak is pretty much beyond. If you aren’t feeling up for a steak, you’ve got options: baja tacos, peking duck cooked on a Spanish-style plancha grill, and a variety of locally-sourced seafood. Their brunch menu is just as eclectic, offering everything from Korean bibimbap to classic steak and eggs. If you’re craving a change from the usual Bloody Mary or mimosa, indulge in their cognac-spiked chocolate milkshake.

This spot has a definite neighborhood feel to it, but it’s famous across the city for its burger, which is served on a brioche bun with a generous helping of bacon jam (the jam can, and probably should, be ordered with any of the sandwiches on their menu). The casual vibe makes it exceptionally kid-friendly—there are plenty of high chairs to be found at weekend brunch.

The best view in all of Portland—even on a cloudy day. On the rooftop of the Hoxton Hotel, Tope is an impeccable, stylish, greenery-filled respite serving impressive street-style tacos and stellar tequila and mezcal cocktails. We came up here for lunch—mushroom tacos with chipotle purée, king salmon ceviche, freshly made celery soda, creamy guacamole—and were reluctant to leave. Why would we want to? The space is open and bright, the vibe is incredibly friendly, and again: that view. This is an ideal spot for those long Friday lunches that blend into happy hour.

There aren’t enough superlatives for Tusk, the Middle Eastern–inspired spot from Luke Dirks and chef Joshua McFadden (the duo behind Ava Gene’s) and chef Sam Smith. As we sat at the corner bar seat and sipped a turmeric ginger bourbon cocktail and ate whipped hummus finished with Turkish chili pepper, we thought, How could it get better than this? Then the grilled eggplant arrived, savory and sweet, topped with green chermoula. The chicken skewer with yogurt and Aleppo pepper followed. And then the buttery black cod with Italian heirloom broccoli and fennel. And that’s when we knew we were having one of those meals that we’d remember for decades. Photos courtesy of AJ Meeker.

Taqueria Nueve first opened in 2000, then shut its doors in 2008—a disappointment for many Portlanders—but it reopened in 2013 with the same great Mexican fare (the ambience is perfect, too). Although it’s perfectly family-friendly, you could also come here with a group of friends for happy hour.

The adorable décor in here is enough to convince you to stay before you’ve even had a sip of coffee—the whitewashed space is punctuated by green wire chairs, a mirror that’s really more of an art piece, and a mint-green cappuccino machine. Chef/owner Kim Wilson is famous for her amazing baked goods, which they bake fresh onsite every day. While the brunch menu is good enough to merit a visit any time, you’ll almost always find people here on their laptops enjoying the natural light and perfectly brewed coffee.

Our friend Georgia Lee Hussey took us to this vibrant distillery—and we’re still thanking her. Light pours into the front entrance and bar, bouncing off the sapphire-and-copper wallpaper and dazzling gin and whiskey bottles that look like shiny teardrop-shaped jewels. It’s an arresting space. But that’s not even half of its charm. Once Jesse Brantley, the head of sales, started our tour, we knew we were witnessing something different. Freeland Spirits is both founded and run by women (an anomaly in the distilling world). Founder Jill Kuehler, a leader in agricultural education, started the distillery as a way to celebrate and honor Oregon’s rich bounty of fresh grains, produce, and water. You’d think it would be an impossible task for someone with no distilling experience, but Kuehler did it—teaming up with master distiller Molly Troupe. The team has since landed on the radar of discerning spirits enthusiasts around the globe. You’ll want to spend several hours here. Take a tour to learn about Freeland’s history (which is artfully painted on the wall); smell the fresh anise, lavender, and mint; and learn about the cold-distillation process Troupe uses to preserve the botanicals’ integrity. Finish the day with a Voodoo Lady—Freeland’s gin, fresh sage, honey, and Ramazzotti—prepared by cocktail master Kacee Solis.

Like so many good casual spots, Kure started out as a food cart—when the lines got out of control, the owners knew it was time to expand into brick-and-mortar. The menu is full of fresh-tasting acai bowls and smoothies, along with a healthy selection of cold-pressed juices and other healthy eats, like oatmeal and matcha (the West End location actually has some heartier lunch options, too, like salads and quinoa bowls). Astonishingly (and awesomely), 90% of the ingredients used in their products are grown or made in Portland. The other locations only have juice, smoothies and açai bowls, but they're in almost every neighborhood:SE Division, Downtown, Hawthorne, and Moda Center.

Great coffee is in no short supply in Portland, but this café serves up some of the best—their experts roast the beans themselves as soon as they come in fresh from Central America, South America, or Africa. If you’re not into black coffee, their fresh, house-made almond, cashew, and hazelnut milks are a creamy, delicious alternative for those dairy-averse customers and go especially well with one of the flaky, buttery croissants, massive chocolate cookies, or fresh-baked brioches that are brought in from local bakers daily. There's a second location in Kerns.

It’s hard to imagine now that their coffee is in every cute coffee shop from San Francisco to Charleston, but there was a time when you could only get Stumptown in Portland. Their cheeky shops are still the best for local roasts, and Tasting Bar at their HQ makes a fun (and energizing) outing for coffee snobs. There are locations in every major neighborhood: Downtown, Sunnyside, Old Town Chinatown, and Richmond.

In addition to the charcuterie cured onsite at the original, Olympia Provisions’ Northwest location has its own identity: chef Ben Reaves’s menu specializes in French-style rôtisserie, as well as a fusion of Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine with meats and veggies sustainably-sourced within the Pacific Northwest. Tall windows let natural light into the clean, modern space in the daytime, when it serves as a popular lunch spot, though locals attest their brunch is the best—have your choice of eggs benedicts (florentine, country-style, pork belly—serious decisions), huevos rancheros with braised pork, and biscuits with sausage gravy, on top of the usual selection of French, Italian, or Spanish meat-and-cheese boards. There’s also a pastry chef in-house, so save room for the fresh beignets.

Mom Mary O’Rourke started making her famous waffles (a unique variation on a Liege-style sugar waffle) after her sons came back from a European trip and begged her to recreate what they’d eaten abroad. Today, they serve them out of the previously-abandoned service window of the family's restaurant, Bread & Ink. The menu features the original sugar waffle as well as savory options (ham and cheese; bacon, brie, and basil) or dessert-style (Nutella and banana, blueberry cheesecake). There’s a second location in Alberta, and two more opening this summer.

In retrospect, it's no surprise that street food is such a big part of Portland's epicurean culture—food carts offer tons of diversity and an opportunity to support small, local businesses, plus their small size means owners can be highly specialized. Rather than roaming around like they do in other big cities, Portland's food carts park together in groups, called “pods,” which is great because a) you can sample tons of different foods at one time, and b) they're easy to find. There are pods located throughout the city, but the classic version is the Alder Street pod, right in the center of Downtown—it takes up an entire city block.

While Voodoo Doughnut, with its long lines and anti-establishment atmosphere, is an important pilgrimage for foodies, locals head straight to Blue Star for delicious donuts and much more manageable lines. The vibe here is decidedly more buttoned up, with tall ceilings and subway tiled walls, and the flavors to match. You won’t find any cereal-themed donuts here—instead, opt for sophisticated flavors like brioche, lemon poppy buttermilk, blueberry bourbon, or the famous apple fritters. There are three other locations in Portland, in Northwest, Boise, and Sunnyside.

The famous punk doughnut shop is the stuff of Portland legend at this point, with unbelievably good doughnuts shaped like voodoo dolls, joints, and everything in between, in a candy-colored shop with an excellent sense of humor. Sure, the line is around the corner no matter what time of day (or night), but it’s so, so worth it for flavors like the Bacon Maple Bar (includes two full strips of bacon), Captain my Captain (made with Captain Crunch), and the Tangfastic donut (which is genuinely made with Tang). Oh, yeah, and it’s a popular wedding destination. This is the original location, but they've also opened a second shop on the other side of the river.

This brand-spanking-new food hall downtown occupies the old United and Carriage Transfer building, offering more than 10,000 square feet of grab-and-go food concepts. Most of the stalls are offshoots of existing local restaurants, so it’s an excellent place to get a solid feel for the food scene if you’re short on time: Definitely hit Ken Forkish’s bakery/pizzeria, Olympia Provisions’ hot dog stand in the center, and Shalom Y’all, an Israeli concept from the Tasty n Alder group. There’s even a mini Salt & Straw.

While it doesn’t garner nearly the lines of the more famous Salt & Straw, many locals argue that Portland's best ice cream is actually at Ruby Jewel. They have three locations (one in each major neighborhood, in Richmond, Downtown, and Boise) and while ice cream is as advertised, they’re really famous for their ice cream sandwiches, with flavors like lemon cookie with honey lavender, dark chocolate with fresh mint, and “The Chub,” their way-better take on a Chipwich.

The small-batch ice cream business, which cousins Kim and Tyler Malek launched out of a single neighborhood ice cream parlor, has grown into a family of shops, including three in Portland (here in Nob Hill, and in Richmond and Alberta), plus a stall in Pine Street Market. The focus at S&S is on inventive flavors: salted caramel cupcake, pear & blue cheese, avocado & strawberry sherbet. On the flip side, their single-origin vanilla is some of the best we’ve ever had. For those who aren’t fortunate enough to live near a shop, the seasonal Pints Club, which sets you up with five unique pints every month and delivers them right to your door, is an excellent option.

Fried Egg I’m In Love (awesome name) is a yellow food cart situated on Hawthorne Boulevard with an attached, covered picnic seating area. Egg sandwiches are their thing–made with local eggs from Willamette Egg Farms, served on sourdough bread from Portland French Bakery, with FEIIL’s secret spice blend (Magic Egg Dust—which you can buy at the cart or online). Every sandwich can be made vegetarian- and gluten-free. For the adults, there’s coffee from Stumptown—as well as mimosas, local beers, cider, and FEILL’s take on sangria.

P’s & Q’s in Woodlawn is a gem of a neighborhood market and deli. You can eat in or take a picnic to go—offerings range from smoky tomato soup with saffron and sweet peppers, to a brisket plate, and fried polenta with pickled red onion and roasted chiles on a potato bun. There are also more kid-friendly options here, like grilled cheese or a ham and cheddar sandwich. Plus, P’s and Q’s has a separate weekend brunch menu.

Specialty chocolate has exploded in the last ten years, and this sweet little shop, which is somewhat of a requirement on any walking tour of Downtown, dedicates its shelves to the very best varieties from around the world. The knowledgeable staff will walk you through finding something that perfectly suits your tastes (or a friend’s, as this is a great place to shop for gifts). Kids will freak out over their decadent, creamy, house-made drinking chocolate.

You’ll find Sweedeedee in a cute little pocket of North Portland, occupying a corner unit and adorned with yellow striped awning: The inside, with open shelves and mismatched stools, is just as adorable. The menu here is all about the oven; they bake their own bread (which gets turned into excellent sandwiches) and are famous in the neighborhood for delicious pies and baked goods. It’s impossible to pick favorites, but if we had to, it would be the breakfast burrito, honey cake with fruit and cream, salted honey pie, and the good buddy sandwich.

https://goop.com/destination/rhode-island/newport/Situated in the shopping alley Union Way, next door to the Ace Hotel on Stark and the famous Powell’s Books on Burnside, Quin is a candy boutique filled with caramels, chocolates, lollipops, gummies, and more, made in-house by a small, skilled staff. Candy-maker and owner, Jami Curl, sticks to locally-sourced ingredients like Oregon-farmed nuts and berries, caramel and chocolate made from fresh cream and butter, coffee flavors from locally-roasted beans, and extracts from locally-sourced fruits and vegetables. With its no-nonsense philosophy, Quin is perfect for health-conscious parents and their kids (or anyone with a sweet tooth, really). There's a second location on Ankeny Street.

Portland has a rich concentration of distilleries, and they've certainly made their mark on the American spirits scene. Get a sampling by heading to distillery row in Portland’s Central Eastside, where there’s an abundance of independent distilleries creating handcrafted, small-batch whiskeys, gins, liqueurs, and more. One standout is Westward, which started in 2004 and has since gained a huge following for its grain-to-glass single-malt whiskeys and other spirits. Cofounder Christian Krogstad considers every single grain that is malted, mashed, fermented, distilled, matured, and bottled. He and his team exude a true Portland maker ethos, evident in how they compliment their fellow local spirit makers. Take a tour here. It’s totally fun—and you’ll learn a ton.

Pasture is an ethically and sustainably focused produce purveyor and custom whole-animal butcher shop founded by John Schaible and Kei Ohdera. With a shared history cooking vegan food, the duo takes a holistic approach to their process, focusing on culling older dairy cows and promoting animal husbandry in their work. Schaible and Ohdera know every farmer they work with and the life of every animal they procure. We were fortunate to meet Schaible at Dame, where he and Ohdera were presenting a pop-up Pasture dinner series. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the food industry, the troubled conventional meat market, and the need to return to honoring the work of ethical farmers. As Schaible says, it’s paramount to “know your farmer, know your butcher, and know your pasture.”

Owner Teri Gelber brings people together over tea. She blends small batches of organic botanicals and teas, all by hand, and sells them at her light-filled retail studio in Northwest Portland. Her loose-leaf combinations are whimsical and inventive, inspired by her experience working in the food world (she’s authored several cookbooks). The blends are named after songs plucked from nostalgic eras of music. There’s Tangled Up in Blue, an Earl Grey with Indian black tea, blue cornflowers, and bergamot oil. Green Green Grass of Home is a blend of Japanese sencha and Oregon mint. And the herbal Kozmic Blues marries licorice root, mint, and spices. Gelber packages her teas in tins made of 80 percent postconsumer recycled material.

There are many reasons to visit the Woodlark without being a guest. For starters, Good Coffee—the café in the lobby, fully outfitted with abstract art—whips up a creamy rosemary-and-spiced-fig latte worth trekking across town for. Tucked in the back is Abigail Hall, which we’d give an award for its ambience and martinis. Next door, Bullard’s roast chicken is not to be missed. And of course, these are also compelling reasons to stay here, as are the plush beds in the lush, sophisticated rooms. The hotel invites you to relax. Each room is bathed in natural light from the giant windows, one of the many charming aesthetic details in the hotel’s two early-twentieth-century structures, the former Cornelius Hotel and the Woodlark Building. The details are minimal but dramatic: rich emerald-green and midnight-blue custom wallpaper, velvet sofas, and blonde hardwood floors. The rooms vary in size and layout (the loft suite has an apartment feel), but they’re all spacious. There are Peloton bikes in the pristine fitness center if you’re looking to work out. But given the Woodlark’s location in the heart of downtown, you may want to grab that latte, then get your cardio exploring the nearby boutiques and landmarks. Photos courtesy of Provenance Hotels.

Palisociety hotels are consistently impressive. Their Portland property is no exception: It's competitively priced, beautifully decorated, and delivers on their ethos of hands-on, friendly, and detailed customer service. Firmly in east Portland, you'll be in a central location just by the Willamette River. You can expect some street noise in your room—but the overall vibes are calm and the lobby is relaxing and quiet.

Particularly well-equipped with a round-the-clock gym and in-room work spaces for business travelers, the downtown location (close to PSU and the big weekend farmers market), generously sized rooms, and plentiful outdoor spaces make this a great home-base for Portland first-timers and families. Staying true to its mid-century roots, the modern décor is consistent throughout the hotel’s communal areas—the games room, complete with pool table and big-screen, is a hit with guests of all ages. Local chef David Machado’s wood-fired pizza-centric restaurant is set up right inside the hotel and is beloved by locals and visitors alike—high praise considering Portland’s tremendous food scene.

Housed within the terra cotta walls of this storied, century-old corner building is a quintessential Portland hipster hotspot, masquerading as one of the city’s most historic hotels. Much like the grand lobby, the guest rooms and suites are done in subdued jewel tones and come with all the expected creature comforts (plush bedding, blackout shades, and ample room to move around) and some unexpected surprises, too: a specialty pillow menu—yes, literally a menu of specialty pillows to choose from—and pet room service. Also cool: Your tea is likely to come with a side of Bee Local honey, harvested from bees that call the hives on the Sentinel roof their home.

This is the Ace Hotel’s flagship location, and the original is actually quite a bit different than the more luxury hotels the brand has come to be known for. For one, it’s set up like a hostel, so guests can sign up for shared rooms with bunk beds, and even solo rooms are likely to have a shared bathroom situation. The hostel-style accommodations make this one of the chain’s most affordable locations, which only contributes to the cool-kid vibe they’ve come to be known for.

Inarguably one of the more grand properties in the city, The Nines has a lot going for it, not least of which its central location steps from Pioneer Square. Inside the former Meier & Frank department store building, where the hotel’s sprawling lobby, rooftop restaurant, and 300+ guest rooms take up the top floors, the décor is kept elegantly comfortable with modern furnishings and soothing earth tones. During your stay, set aside an evening for a grass-fed, locally sourced steak at Urban Farmer, followed by cocktails at The Library—which, as its name suggests, is well-stocked with titles from Powell’s bookstore.

The cool thing about the Riverplace (and what sets it apart from other Portland hotels) is that it’s right along the water, so many of the rooms have great views of the river. The décor is modern, but warm and comfortable, with details like leather headboards, flannel throws, and a stone fireplace in the lobby. It’s also good for families, with a decidedly un-stuffy, kid-friendly vibe and ample suite options for those traveling with a brood.

A packed social calendar (live music and nightly wine service), spacious and home-like rooms (Frette sheets, lots of natural light), and the organic small-plate-focused restaurant, Red Star Tavern, make Monaco one of the most coveted reservations in town. The elaborate, Mediterranean-themed tapestries and vibrant red-orange-and-blue color scheme throughout the communal areas and rooms are a refreshing departure from the strictly classical or modern hotels in the city. Lest you forget you’re in Portland, a live goldfish can be sent up to your room upon request to keep you company during your stay.

Portland is home to several beautifully manicured city parks—but what’s really unique about Mt. Tabor is that it’s situated on top of a volcanic vent (don’t worry, it’s dormant). Taking up close to 200 acres, the native plant-rich grounds are outfitted with hiking trails, picnic areas, playgrounds, tennis courts, and two surprisingly serene reservoirs, all in pleasantly close proximity to each other. As you explore, keep an eye out for scenic overlooks offering uninterrupted views of Mount Hood and downtown scattered throughout the park. Photo: Norm Clark

Gorgeous, snow-capped Mount Hood is visible from virtually anywhere in Portland, but it's totally worth the hour drive to see it up close. Make it an outdoor adventure day trip, whether skiing, mountain biking, lake sports, or picnicking is your thing. Timberline Lodge is an easy jumping-off point—you can pick up hiking trails here—and a good dining option in the area.

For obvious reasons, the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry is a kid’s dream: planetarium, check, robots, check, giant digital globe, check. There’s even a fast attack submarine docked on the river (kids can climb aboard and tour it). What’s more surprising is that it's also a cool destination for grown-ups; the 21+ “OMSI After Dark” program brings in special science-based programming for adults to enjoy over beer and cocktails.

This urban Portland hike is unique for combining a trail, a tram, a trolley, and a train in one well-guided loop that offers great views of the city. You can enter the 4T loop at any point but this is a good order of events for first-timers: Hike from the Oregon Zoo (notable for its conservation efforts and gang of endangered species) to Council Crest Park (the highest point in Portland at 1,073 feet), then down to the campus of Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). Get on Portland Aerial Tram, which will send you gliding 3,000-plus feet downhill along the Willamette River in just a few minutes. Next, step on the trolley (called Portland Streetcar) for a ride downtown and to refuel (we recommend the hot chocolate at Cacao). You can take the train (MAX Light Rail) back to the start of the loop/your car/home base depending on where you’re posted in Portland. Alternately, if you’re staying in a hotel downtown, you can begin the loop with a train ride to the start of the trail. Either way, the entire journey takes around four hours. And it is a really fun tour of Portland for the family, but note that the walking stretch of the 4T is about four miles—so the trail portion is best for kids of a certain leg length.

Roughly the size of Manhattan, Sauvie Island sits 20 miles outside of Portland, flanked by the Columbia River, Willamette River, and Multnomah Channel. There’s plenty to do here on a day trip; depending on the season and the weather, you can hang at the river beaches, ride bikes, check out the wildlife (the northern half of the island, which is owned by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, is big for bird-watching), and/or pick berries or pumpkins at one of the local farms. (If you’re headed here with the family for a beach outing, just be aware that a part of one of the beaches, Collins, is clothing-optional.)

At 40-plus acres, Westmoreland Park is a mecca for outdoor activities. There are sports fields and courts, picnic tables for brown bag lunches, and a nature-based play area that opened in 2014 with wood log and rock boulder structures for kids to climb.

Located on Oregon’s coast, Pacific City is about a two-hour drive from downtown Portland, so getting there is a bit of a haul, but more than worth it. Driving there, you’ll wind through Oregon’s impossibly green forests and wide swaths of farm country—you’ll also pass through the sweet little town of Tillamook (home of the eponymous cheese brand, which does amazing factory tours that are free and kid-approved). Once you arrive, head straight to the long, wide beach, where you’ll find a huge sand dune full of kids climbing to the top and sliding down, and plenty of tide pools filled with sea urchins, barnacles, and other sea life. When everyone’s tired out, order a flight of the award-winning beer at Pelican Pub & Brewery. Make sure to get a seat on the porch, so you can watch the dorys—crazy local fishing boats that beach themselves at high speeds to get in and out of the water.

The Columbia River Gorge—occupying about 300,000 acres of land—sits about twenty miles east of Portland. This expansive river canyon is home to incredible waterfalls, some of the finest hiking trails in the region, as well as the best windsurfing. On your way here from Portland, be sure to stop at Crown Point, which is just off of the Historic Columbia River Highway. The panoramic view of the Columbia River from this lookout point is truly majestic.

In true Portland fashion, a mainstream mani/pedi spot just wouldn’t do. The mastermind behind this avant-garde concept salon, Glynis Olson, tricked out an industrial storefront in the newly built Zipper Building with blasting speakers, graffiti murals, black-leather recliners, and a beer list–a vibe more in line with a tattoo parlor than a nail place. Save for the elaborate nail-art (ask for the mystery manicure if you’re feeling adventurous), the service menu is fairly standard. What’s not standard, however, are the freakishly late opening hours (still, booking ahead is recommended), instituted in part to accommodate the all-over-the-place schedules of clients in the, ahem, service industry.

We’re suckers for a well-designed nail studio, and Fleur de Lys definitely qualifies. Blessedly free of germ-infested soaking tubs, they do their pedicures in pretty round copper bowls—which, in addition to looking beautiful, have the added benefit of being a natural heat conductor (they keep the water warm for so much longer). Order a cocktail to sip on while you have your service done.

The design at Löyly (which is Finnish for the steam that comes off hot rocks at a sauna) is distinctly Scandinavian, with straightforward hardwood floors, clean light woods, and minimalist wooden lounge chairs occupying the communal space. It’s just a $23 fee to get in, but we recommend springing for one of their famous—obviously Swedish-style—massages, which start at a reasonable $45. This is the larger of the two locations (with more saunas), but there's another outpost in Southeast Portland.

Ruby’s Spa is part of Edgemere, a quirky estate in Troutdale, which is a short day trip from the city and also fun for a short overnight. McMenamin’s (the group that owns Edgemere) is famous for whimsical wall paintings and a subtly renaissance feel, and the spa is no exception—you’ll find quirky designs on the walls, dark wood furniture, and a warm soaking pool outside the old white building. While you’re in town, stop at one of Egemere’s famous brew pubs or catch some live music.

For glow-inducing facials, organic waxing (bikini, brows, et al), vegan eyebrow tinting, and skilled clean-makeup application using brands like Intelligent Nutrients, One Love Organics, and RMS, this cozy, women-run Portland studio is by far your best bet. The studio is open seven days a week, the vibe is low-key, and the aesthetic is akin to hanging out a friend's bungalow rather than an aesthetician's office.

As far as dive-y foot spas go, Tranquille checks all of the boxes. It’s very clean, and you’ll soak your feet in a pot of hot water rather than a germ-filled jetted tub. You’ll get a free drink as part of your treatment, and more massage can be added in 15-minute increments.

Banshee lives along an eclectic strip of Burnside Street, tucked between boutiques and restaurants. (It’s a stone’s throw from Tusk.) The focus here is vintage, but the owners do a stellar job at selecting items that have a modern bent and are in impeccable shape. Pristine blouses, knit skirts, vintage Levi’s. Everything here is seasonal, stylish, and considered. A mix of natural skin care, pottery, and accessories from local makers rounds out the mix.

This cozy indoor-gardening boutique nestled in Northeast Portland has everything you need to create your own miniature ecosystem: healthy, happy plants, and plenty of decorative touches–there’s even special sand for planting your succulents in, which is a bonus because, 1) it’s quick-drying, unlike soil (succulents don’t require much water), and 2) you can layer colored sands–the red garnet sand, sourced from India, is especially pretty. The mini-gardening experts at Artemisia host workshops that teach customers all they need to know to make their own terrarium, all the while encouraging creativity. For a less hands-on experience, you can always buy one of the pre-made terrariums.

Husband-and-wife team Jocelyn and Robert Rahm (a painter and furniture reclaimer, respectively) restored this 7,000-square-foot warehouse into a workspace-slash-retail space in 2011, and it’s since become a major go-to for Portland’s designers and makers. Here you’ll find that everything has its own story, from vintage home goods and refurbished furniture to handmade ceramic pottery, sunglasses, and earrings, even organic fragrances—some of which is produced in the studio upstairs. This impressive, warm-yet-industrial environment is all for promoting homegrown talent; their second-floor studio is open to inquiries for any independent designers who’d like to share the workspace.

Stopping at Canoe is practically a requirement of the obligatory stroll through downtown Portland: It occupies prime corner real estate right in the center of town. Inside, you’ll find everything from stunning jewelry, to elegant kitchen goods, to mid-century lighting and tables. There’s also a healthy selection of more light-hearted giftables, like cards, knick-knacks, and coffee table books. Good to know: They offer wedding registries.

Powell’s hardly needs an introduction at this point—the Portland flagship is world’s largest new and used bookstore, with more than one million books inside its walls. The interior is always full of people, but with countless bookshelves to peruse, it's easy to find a quiet reading corner. Definitely take the time to look through the incredible selection of obscure titles and ancient editions in the rare book room.

This niche Japanese outdoor retailer only has one location in the US, and it should probably come as no surprise that they’ve landed in Portland. Come here for one-of-a-kind outdoor clothing (for both men and women) in modern, urban color-ways and interesting prints. They also have an amazing selection of cooly designed accessories like gas stoves and hatchets.

This little shopping arcade, lined with minimalist light wood and marked by rustic beams overhead, actually connects the West End (a.k.a. the Ace Hotel) to the Pearl District (a.k.a. Powell’s) with a few great gems in between. On the far end is the Portland hiking boot staple Danner, alongside Self Edge, a cool-kid shop that sells specialty denim from Japan and other far-flung parts of the world. Walking through, you’ll also find Quin Candy, an artisanal candy shop with Portland-exclusive flavors, and Spruce Apothecary, CANOE’s gorgeous take on a beauty shop—while it’s not exclusively clean lines, they carry some of our favorites, like Ursa Major, Fig + Yarrow, and Coola. There’s also excellent ramen, a cute little bakery, and a really great Steven Alan.

Home to thousands of pieces of fine vintage, antique, and estate jewelry, Gem Set Love (formerly known as Gilt) has been a destination for collectors and casual shoppers alike throughout its 20-plus years in Northwest Portland. Brides-to-be flock here from around the country for the impressive collection of estate engagement and wedding rings with stunning, well-preserved diamonds and precious stones, as well as bracelets, brooches, necklaces, and earrings, each in hard-to-find, if not totally individual designs. With prices ranging in the low hundreds to the several thousands, there really is something here for every budget. This is a reliable place to bring in your own well-loved jewelry for repairs, too.

Every bit the neighborhood toy store, Kids at Heart has been in business for almost thirty years. They carry a great mix of the classic, nostalgic toys parents typically pick out as well as of-the-moment trends that the littles seek out for themselves. Probably the best part of the store is the books section, which carries everything from beautifully illustrated picture books to young adult novels.

Polliwog is run by a husband-wife pair who moved to Portland from Brooklyn—they were seeking a more flexible, laid-back lifestyle after having their first child. Polliwog specializes in products from small, hard-to-find brands, offering tiny knit hats, design-focused onesies, and battery-free toys.

Shopping in Portland is supremely satisfying because there’s a higher concentration of small-batch goods than mass-produced items. The Yo! Store is the perfect example. It’s a thoughtfully stocked boutique where you’ll find Portland-made skin care (we see you, Olio E Osso), accessories, and ceramics lining the shelves next to tiny racks of European-made children’s clothing and vintage dresses. There’s also a handsome offering of art books and homewares. If you’re looking for a distinctive thank-you, hostess, or birthday gift, you’ll find it here.

This intimate cocktail bar transports you to the early 1900s. That’s because its lavish design—green velvet ottomans, burgundy leather banquettes, dark mahogany accents, hand-painted wallpaper—were chosen to mirror the aesthetic of the room’s first life as the ladies’ reception hall in the old Cornelius Hotel. Today, the dimly lit space, tucked in the back of the Woodlark, serves up dry martinis, crispy fries, and a mean burger. Abigail Hall is everything we want in a bar: stiff drinks, knowledgeable bartenders, and a comfortable, welcoming lounge vibe. It’s the perfect spot to meet coworkers, bring your in-laws, or have a first date. Photos courtesy of Christopher Dibble for Provenance Hotels.

This Downtown institution’s cocktail list doesn’t stop at its elaborate archive of whiskeys. Here, you’ll also find a range of specialty spirits like Icelandic bourbon sherry, smoky wahaka espadin mezcal, and Volstead vodka (which is filtered for 96 hours through charred coconut husks), all presented on a roving bar cart. Its mood-lit atmosphere, outfitted with dark wood and plush leather seating, evokes an old-world smoking room, and though there’s no obligation to, patrons tend to come dressed up. Though you won’t find books on the floor-to-ceiling shelves—they're stocked with bottles of bourbon and Scotch years older than you—you will be making your whiskey selection from thick, leather-bound tomes.

Situated in the Pearl District, 10 Barrel brews their own creative selection of beers and serves food with locally-sourced ingredients to pair it with: Try the champagne oyster shooters for starters, and leave room for all the comforting, quintessential pub food, from burgers to fish-and-chips to pizza (gluten-free crust is an option for all pies on the menu). Upstairs, at the open-air rooftop bar, you'll find the same menu, in addition to panoramic views of the West Hills and the Pearl District—when the weather cooperates.

Ex Novo draws big crowds for its extensive beer selection and locally-sourced, yet somehow totally diverse menu (not often will you find phô, carnitas tacos, Cornish game hen, and shawarma all in the same kitchen)—even if it is a little ways off the beaten path. But what makes this family-friendly pub really special is the fact that it’s the world’s first nonprofit brewery. All of Ex Novo’s net profits go to organizations like Friends Of The Children and the International Justice Mission—all the more reason to enjoy this microbrewery’s tap list of signature brews made with European-imported hops, as well as specialty brews that change with the season.

As the name suggests, Basecamp is a popular hangout for local climbers and outdoorsmen (though in Portland, pretty much everybody qualifies for those designations). The brewery itself is high-ceilinged and open, with wooden beams cutting across the ceiling, a canoe hung over the bar, and more than one string of prayer flags. It’s exceedingly casual and welcoming, and their beers offer a good mix of bold, hoppy craft beers in addition to more traditional brews for classic palates.

In addition to serving award-winning microbrews, Hopworks is famous around town for their die-hard commitment to sustainability. They’ve been USDA-certified organic since 2002, and recently they achieved a longtime goal of officially becoming a certified B-Corp. As breweries go, it’s also remarkably kid-friendly: The menu has plenty of easy pizza and sandwich options, and things never get too rowdy.