Guidebook for Portland
Food Scene
High-end Peruvian restaurant with adventurous chef and top-notch drinks (including the best Pisco Sour in the Northwest.) The consensus best restaurant around (in walking distance). Wise to make reservations, but you can often eat in the bar without.
183 locals recommend
Andina
1314 NW Glisan StHigh-end Peruvian restaurant with adventurous chef and top-notch drinks (including the best Pisco Sour in the Northwest.) The consensus best restaurant around (in walking distance). Wise to make reservations, but you can often eat in the bar without.
This is where real Portlanders go for dessert and a drink after dinner or a movie somewhere else. Bustling with delicious decadent desserts. 2 blocks away.
189 locals recommend
Papa Haydn
701 NW 23rd AveThis is where real Portlanders go for dessert and a drink after dinner or a movie somewhere else. Bustling with delicious decadent desserts. 2 blocks away.
Incredibly delicious food in an unpretentious setting, great value. Looks like a lunch spot but they have great full entrees. If Slow-roasted beef brisket or lamb shank drizzled with porcini sauce over polenta cooked perfectly by a gourmet chef for $12 sounds good to you, don't miss this place. Highly recommended. And everything else on the menu is cheaper.
Open 11 am to 8pm Th-Sat, 6pm M-Wed
Gastro Mania Deli
1986 NW Pettygrove StIncredibly delicious food in an unpretentious setting, great value. Looks like a lunch spot but they have great full entrees. If Slow-roasted beef brisket or lamb shank drizzled with porcini sauce over polenta cooked perfectly by a gourmet chef for $12 sounds good to you, don't miss this place. Highly recommended. And everything else on the menu is cheaper.
Open 11 am to 8pm Th-Sat, 6pm M-Wed
I haven't been but a couple of guests did and they recommend it. Can't get much more convenient!
10 locals recommend
Carina Lounge
410 NW 21st AveI haven't been but a couple of guests did and they recommend it. Can't get much more convenient!
Fresh baked gourmet French pastries and breads, a block and a half away, and good espresso drinks. What more do you want?
81 locals recommend
Ken's Artisan Bakery
338 NW 21st AveFresh baked gourmet French pastries and breads, a block and a half away, and good espresso drinks. What more do you want?
Drinks & Nightlife
A world-class comedy club; one of the hosts occasionally performs there.
42 locals recommend
Helium Comedy Club
1510 SE 9th AveA world-class comedy club; one of the hosts occasionally performs there.
M Bar
417 NW 21st AveA tiny (one room) bar nearby, often candle-lit.
Cozy basement bar with live music and an excellent free comedy show, late nights Friday and Saturday at 10:30pm. They have residencies by excellent musicians from time to time. Very chill scene.
12 locals recommend
McMenamins Crystal Hotel
303 SW 12th AveCozy basement bar with live music and an excellent free comedy show, late nights Friday and Saturday at 10:30pm. They have residencies by excellent musicians from time to time. Very chill scene.
Classic Irish pub -- they serve Irish Soda Bread as a snack. Very close.
23 locals recommend
Kells Brewery
210 NW 21st AveClassic Irish pub -- they serve Irish Soda Bread as a snack. Very close.
Classic dive bar with the funky, pre-hipster atmosphere that made people love this town -- cheap drinks, relaxed furnishings, dimly lit, quality post-punk music and interesting, cool people.
13 locals recommend
Low Brow Lounge
1036 NW Hoyt StClassic dive bar with the funky, pre-hipster atmosphere that made people love this town -- cheap drinks, relaxed furnishings, dimly lit, quality post-punk music and interesting, cool people.
Parks & Nature
Stunning view of the city and a world class rose test garden. If you like roses, this is the place for you (especially in June, when they're blooming and Portland -- the Rose City -- has its Rose Festival.
Little kids will love a ride on the retro mini-train which takes you right to the zoo.
627 locals recommend
International Rose Test Garden
400 SW Kingston AveStunning view of the city and a world class rose test garden. If you like roses, this is the place for you (especially in June, when they're blooming and Portland -- the Rose City -- has its Rose Festival.
Little kids will love a ride on the retro mini-train which takes you right to the zoo.
This park covers essentially the entire hill above our house for 20 MILES, from the zoo all the way north. Wildwood Trail and Leif Erickson Drive (an abandoned road) offer long, unpaved running/hiking trails closed off to cars.
940 locals recommend
Forest Park
This park covers essentially the entire hill above our house for 20 MILES, from the zoo all the way north. Wildwood Trail and Leif Erickson Drive (an abandoned road) offer long, unpaved running/hiking trails closed off to cars.
Beautiful manicured Japanese garden just up the hill. Recently renovated.
1015 locals recommend
Portland Japanese Garden
611 SW Kingston AveBeautiful manicured Japanese garden just up the hill. Recently renovated.
Spectacular waterfall in the spectacular Columbia Gorge, where one of earth's largest rivers cuts through the Cascade Mountains. About 30 miles from Portland. If you don't have a car, there is a public bus for $5 round trip that runs on weekends in the summer, from the Gateway Transfer Station (on the Max Red Line, you went through it on the way in from the airport). http://columbiagorgeexpress.com/
974 locals recommend
Multnomah Falls station
Spectacular waterfall in the spectacular Columbia Gorge, where one of earth's largest rivers cuts through the Cascade Mountains. About 30 miles from Portland. If you don't have a car, there is a public bus for $5 round trip that runs on weekends in the summer, from the Gateway Transfer Station (on the Max Red Line, you went through it on the way in from the airport). http://columbiagorgeexpress.com/
Arts & Culture
Excellent museum, which you can get to easily on the trolley or just walk if the weather is good.
785 locals recommend
Portland Art Museum
1219 SW Park AveExcellent museum, which you can get to easily on the trolley or just walk if the weather is good.
One of Portland's two biggest theatres, within walking distance (right by the MAX train stop). Consistently high-quality work, Equity theater, fully funded.
29 locals recommend
Artists Repertory Theatre
1515 NW 11th AveOne of Portland's two biggest theatres, within walking distance (right by the MAX train stop). Consistently high-quality work, Equity theater, fully funded.
Portland's biggest and best-funded theatre, an Equity stage that always has something impressive and big to present. Just a few blocks down the street. https://www.pcs.org/
90 locals recommend
Portland Center Stage at The Armory
128 NW 11th AvePortland's biggest and best-funded theatre, an Equity stage that always has something impressive and big to present. Just a few blocks down the street. https://www.pcs.org/
Shopping
23rd Avenue is a street full of fancy shops in old converted houses, maybe something like a combination of Union Street and Chestnut Street in San Francisco. Some good restaurants mixed in too, from the hyper-trendy ice cream shop Salt and Straw to Kornblatt's Deli and Boxer Ramen. Literally two blocks away from here.
239 locals recommend
Northwest 23rd Avenue
Northwest 23rd Avenue23rd Avenue is a street full of fancy shops in old converted houses, maybe something like a combination of Union Street and Chestnut Street in San Francisco. Some good restaurants mixed in too, from the hyper-trendy ice cream shop Salt and Straw to Kornblatt's Deli and Boxer Ramen. Literally two blocks away from here.
Getting Around
The station I want to list is actually at NW 21st and Glisan, one block from here, but BikeTown stations are all over town. Check out a bike here, check it in anywhere else so you don't have to worry about it getting stolen. They don't have helmets but we have two you can borrow.
67 locals recommend
BIKETOWN
The station I want to list is actually at NW 21st and Glisan, one block from here, but BikeTown stations are all over town. Check out a bike here, check it in anywhere else so you don't have to worry about it getting stolen. They don't have helmets but we have two you can borrow.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
2740 NE Sandy BlvdNearest car rental place. Good value, too.
The nearest light rail stop, on the Red Line. Takes you to the airport via downtown or the Zoo or out to Intel in Hillsboro, your choice. It's a great way to go to the airport, especially in snow or ice, only $2.50. Stops at midnight though.
22 locals recommend
Providence Park MAX Station
The nearest light rail stop, on the Red Line. Takes you to the airport via downtown or the Zoo or out to Intel in Hillsboro, your choice. It's a great way to go to the airport, especially in snow or ice, only $2.50. Stops at midnight though.
Entertainment & Activities
Portland's best art house movie theater, and it's literally right across the street from here.
73 locals recommend
Cinema 21
616 NW 21st AvePortland's best art house movie theater, and it's literally right across the street from here.
Home of the Portland Timbers soccer team and some other sporting events.
191 locals recommend
Providence Park
1844 SW Morrison StHome of the Portland Timbers soccer team and some other sporting events.