Portland’s Coolest Restaurants

Need advice on where to eat in Portland, OR? Journalist Amber Gibson shares six restaurants in the city, where chic design complements the equally beautiful food on your plate.

Shizuku: While indoor dining hasn't restarted yet, this sophisticated Japanese restaurant can accommodate private dinners. Quaintrelle: A crystal chandelier, bright purple record player and elegant wooden arch above the bar are just a few highlights at Quaintrelle's new location. Bar manager Camille Cavan selected wallpaper and vintage glassware to accentuate her creative cocktails and she designed the lush tropical garden patio, with heated covered seating year round for 40 people. Herbs interspersed with bamboo are used as garnishes in the bar and kitchen. Montelupo Italian Market: As timeless as the bowls of housemade pasta the restaurant is known for, Montelupo flows naturally from the marketplace and pasta-making station to a chic dining room with plush green leather banquettes. Italian posters adorn the walls and imagery of wolves can be seen throughout the space. Lovely Rita: Velvet cocktail chairs and vintage couches dot a dining room decked out in dark wood and exposed brick at Lovely Rita on the ground floor of the Hoxton Hotel. Ennismore's in-house design studio was inspired by the northwest modernist movement that flourished along the West Coast during the 1960s, and the result is a cozy space you want to hang out in on a rainy day. Dóttir: Dóttir brings a taste of Nordic sustainability and comfort to Portland's Central Eastside, with salvaged-wood flooring and Art Deco vibes. The light-filled dining room is filled with eclectic vintage objects collected by Icelandic designer Hálfdan Pedersen and imported from the Netherlands, France, and Egypt. Mediterranean Exploration Company: Formerly an old warehouse and loading dock, this now vibrant Mediterranean restaurant in the Pearl District is Sesame Collective group's flagship. A spot at the 12-seat chef's counter overlooking the open hearth is the best seat in the house for curious foodies.