Portland Travel Guide
You may have seen on Instagram that Jon I took a sabbatical in Portland this summer. It was absolutely incredible and - per usual - we were not ready to come home. Oregon feels like home to us so two weeks flew by but we crammed as much beer and hiking in as possible. I have lots of people ask us for recommendations so I thought I'd put together a guide of our favorites!
** UPDATE ** We live here now! I've added lots of fun new additions :)
Food (most important, obviously)
+ Porque No: Amazing Tacos. Try the Pescado No. 2 and the agua fresca margarita with chili-lime salt. Deeeelish!
+ Danweh Canting: Authentic Beijing food and amazing bar/beer selection. Pot stickers FTW.
+ Pok Pok: Authentic Thai food with incredible flavors. We were told this was a super "touristy" spot and not to go unless we were prepared for very interesting combinations and authentic dishes (no pad see ew). Jon used to live in Thailand so he was excited to relive that part of his past and it didn't disappoint!+ Biwa: Ramen so delicious you'll drink it from the bowl.
+ Bollywood Theatre: Crazy-good Indian food. This place is a tie with Porque No for our favorite spot. Okra, Chicken Curry, and All Indian Permit to drink!
+ Farmhouse Thai: More "Americanized" Thai food but still thoughtfully created and a zillion times better than takeout.
+ Proud Mary: New Australian brunch and coffee spot that is so beautiful designed you'll almost forget that you're there to eat. Everything is amazing but the peach and apple granola made me question all my life breakfast choices.
+ Tin Shed: Always-crowded brunch spot that's totally worth the wait.
+ Noble Rot: Rooftop dining with an amazing view of the city and equally delicious food and drinks. Pricey for dinner (so worth it) but also perfect for happy hour.
+ Food Trucks on 28th and Division: Cannot go wrong here.
+ Bamboo Sushi: High-end sushi joint with a modern take on traditional rolls and a great drink list.
+ Salt & Straw: Best ice cream you'll have in your whole life. Their flavors are seasonal but if they have the strawberry-balsamic with black pepper, GET IT.
+ Marukin Ramen: The best ramen I've ever had.
+ Nong's Khao Man Gai: A Portland must-eat. Seems so simple (just chicken and rice) but it's out-of-this-world good.
+ Mother's Bistro: Delish brunch downtown. Make a reservation or try to go on a weekday to avoid a long wait.
+ Cubo: Amazing Cuban food with a great patio.
+ Parmacy Food Truck: They specialize in chicken/eggplant parmesan and it's SO GOOD. Try the polenta fries! Next door to a growler with tons of great beer options.
+ Broder: Amazing brunch. Go early or prepare to wait about an hour (it's worth it though!) Get the Danish pancakes.
+ Wiz Bang Bar (and the rest of Pine St Market): Yummy soft serve ice cream by Salt and Straw.
Drinks (a close second to food)
+ Ten Barrel : Brewery and restaurant with a fun rooftop deck. We are obsessed with their Cucumber Sour!
+ Base Camp: Mountain-themed brewery with a great selection of different types of beers (Jon got the s'more stout with a roasted marshmallow on the rim and I had a plum sour - both amazing!). Super laid-back atmosphere with a great patio and food truck lunch and dinner.
+ Cascade: Sour-focused brewery - my fav in all of Portland.
+ Deschuetes: Lodge-like brewery with decent food but deeeelicious beer.
+ Pfriem: Brewery in Hood River (adorable town about an hour outside of Portland) with a great atmosphere and river views.
+ Full Sail: Not the best food but awesome beer selection and a great view of Mt. Hood on a clear day.
+ Everybody's Brewing: Over the bridge from Hood River in White Salmon, Washington and so yum!
+ Double Mountain: Also in Hood River. Amazing pizza!
+ 442: Soccer Bar in Southeast Portland - Jon's fave.
+ Multnomah Whiskey Library: Gorgeous, delicious, and thoughtful. A little pricey but you have to visit! The downstairs bar, Green Room, is beautiful but make sure to go upstairs to the main library. (Make a reservation or go around 5pm so there is no wait.)
+ Rum Club: Fun, quant place to meet friends for a happy hour.
+ Kennedy School: Historic school-turned-hotel with a movie theatre, whiskey rooms ("detention" and "study hall" ha!), restaurant, patio and bar. Incredible experience!
+ Ace Hotel: A must-see even if you don't stay there. Stumptown coffee is in the lobby and then Clyde Common is their hotel restaurant/bar and it has such a cool atmosphere. There's a vintage photo booth in the lobby, too!
+ Parkside: Fun little spot in Kenton (about 20 min from downtown, where we get tattooed). Open-air in the summer, cozy with a fireplace in the winter and they have board games, which is always my style.
+ Skyline Tavern: We stopped here on our way back from Pittock Mansion and loved it! It's sort of a hole-in-the-wall spot but has a great outdoor patio.
+ Coelho Winery: Small, family-owned winery in Amity, Oregon.
+ Winter's Hill Winery: Unbelievably beautiful vineyard grounds and delicious rose in Dayton, Oregon.
+ Ex Novo Brewery: A non-profit brewery with the nicest people and delicious food. Get the sweet potato hush puppies!
+ Richmond Bar on Division: Awesome outdoor patio and great "bar food"
+ Olympia Provisions (both NW and Division St. locations): Locally cured meats and yummy beer. NW is a more upscale dinner, Division is a pop-in casual place
+ Cosube: Fun coffee/surf/beer shop with a great Cali vibe.
+ Toffee Club: Great spot if you like beer and soccer or if you are my husband.
Shops
+ Communion: Gorgeous local and ethically-made clothing and wares for men and women.
+ House of Vintage: Sprawling thrift store with room after room of clothing and accessories. A little pricier than I feel like it's worth but still a fun way to spend the afternoon.
+ Artifact Vintage: Amazing collection of clothing, home goods and jewelry with a hint of curation.
+ Bridge and Burn: Jon's favorite store. Men and women's line of everyday apparel and accessories with a nod to adventure.
+ Powell's Books: The largest independent book store and such a fun place to escape the heat or cold depending on the season. I could have spent the entire day in there.
+ North of West: Clothing and homewares by Nell & Mary and other indie artists. Eye candy!
+ Orn Hansen: More eye candy! Small boutique with minimal design and ethically-made wares.
+ Schoolhouse Electric: Eye candy of all eye candy. My favorite store iiiiiin the world. Sofas and clocks and art, oh my. Another spot to grab a coffee and spend several hours roaming.
+ Porch Light: Curated little spot full of home goods and accessories. They have an amazing perfume bar!
+ Next Adventure: Killer outdoor goods store with a second-hand basement of gently used items. Great deals.
+ Poler Stuff: Curated outdoor gear shop - expensive but so, so beautiful.
+ Tender Loving Empire: Stationery and gift shop with something for everyone. Lots of Portland mementos.
+ Blue Ox Tattoo: Our favorite tattoo studio (we love Kati Greene!) in Kenton. Cute little downtown area.
+ Mantel: Gorgeous shop down the street from Blue Ox. Perfectly curated. I perused for almost an hour and think I made at least three laps around the place.
Outdoor Fun / Hikes
+ Trillium Lake: Our favorite spot. In the winter, you can hike around and on the frozen lake and in the summer, we take a picnic and beer and enjoy the view of the mountain. We can't get enough.
+ Government Camp: Sweet little mountain town on the way to the big mountain.
+ Angel's Rest: 5-ish mile hike (bring water!) with a winding trail and an unbelievable view at the top.
+ Multnomah Falls: "The" gorge waterfall. Touristy but if you hit it on the right day, it's not too crowded. You can walk right up to it (and will get wet!). Absolutely gorgeous quick trip on the way to another stop.
+ Silver Falls: State Park with 9 different waterfalls - each as amazing as the next. Take water and snacks and spend the day exploring.
+ Cannon Beach: Coastal town with long beaches and iconic Haystack Rock. It's where The Goonies was filmed!
+ Pittock Mansion: Super fun afternoon spot. Drive through the hills above the city for a crazy view and pay a small fee to tour the mansion. So interesting.
+ Mt. Tabor Park: Gorgeous views of the city, great walking trails, good shady spots for a picnic.
+ International Rose Test Garden: Rows (ha!) and rows of ... roses. Make sure you go in the spring/summer when they're in bloom and smell them all! So, so beautiful and a great free afternoon activity.
+ Japanese Garden: In the same area as the Rose Garden, this one has an entry fee but it's so worth it. Winding paths of beautifully manicured gardens and waterfalls.
+ Pacific City: Another beach town with a great brewery. Amazing views of Cape Kiwanda and the prettiest teal water I've ever seen.
Things we haven't done yet but know are awesome
Drinks: Sentinel Hotel, Jackknife Bar, Breakside, Commons, Pepe le Moko, Expatriate, Gigantic / Ecliptic, Edgefield, Dame, Spella Coffee
Food: Ken's Bakery, Afuri, Ox, Nostrana, Pollo Norte
Day Trips: Gifford-Pinchot State Park, Crater Lake, Mt. St. Helens, Arch Cape, Oswald State Park, Smith Rock State Park