Portland's Most Iconic Restaurants

by The OpenTable team

Updated July 09, 2024

Seasons change, trends come and go, but these restaurants have withstood the test of time—and have become integral parts of the Portland dining scene. Here are Portland’s OpenTable Classics: the places that continue to excel after 10+ years. There’s a reason they’re still around: they keep giving us a reason to come back.

Jake's Famous Crawfish

4.7

4.7 (6716)

$30 and under

Seafood

Downtown

About the restaurant

Jake’s Crawfish is definitely famous. They’ve been around since 1892 as part of the McCormick & Schmicks family of restaurants (along with Jake’s Grill, also on this list), and Zagat considers them one of the most iconic restaurants in America. They take freshness seriously—from the hand-squeezed juices used in their cocktails to the Pacific Northwest seafood they’re constantly overnighting—so don’t question the quality here, go wild. The restaurant has a very old school feel, with neon lights aglow on their exterior sign, and it’s wonderful to come enjoy an American classic that’s still going strong.

Top review

Astrud

Dined 5 days ago

A very busy spot but worth the visit! Great food and friendly staff.

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4.5

4.5 (2522)

$31 to $50

Northwest

Southeast Portland

About the restaurant

When you first walk into this expansive Italian-American eatery, you’ll see a neat stockpile of wood near the entrance and an entire wall of the restaurant covered in glass-paned garage doors that stretch the length of the industrial-looking space. The wood is used for their oak-burning rotisserie grill, which is at the heart of their open kitchen and fills the restaurant with the unmistakable smell of wood smoke. With an allegiance to all things local, fresh, seasonal, and organic, the chef alters menu items daily. There are two things you can count on, though, their meat dishes are all pretty strong, and (droves of devoted fans refuse to order anything other than) their tagliatelle with lamb ragu, which has become an unshakable staple on the menu.

Top review

SusanVIP

Dined on Dec 21, 2024

We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Clarklewis. Classic Northwest Fresh cuisine worthy of a birthday, anniversary or other celebration. We had beet salad, root salad, pizza and pasta and all were top notch. The holiday decor of Noble firs and white lights was simple and stunning. We will return.

Serratto

4.7

4.7 (2458)

$31 to $50

Italian

Pearl District

About the restaurant

If you like European food, but can’t choose a favorite, the answer for you lies in Serratto’s seasonal menu that mixes together Italian, French, and Mediterranean flavors. Their inviting dining room resembles an earthy mountain home, with high ceilings, tons of wood, and natural light flooding in. They’ve created beautiful dishes from each of their cuisine influences. Start out Mediterranean and get their calamari (with paprika and a lemon-caper aioli), it’s well-crisped and refreshing. Their rigatoni with spicy Italian sausage is also a standout, and if they’re pairing any kind of meat sugo or ragu with one of their homemade pastas, get that. We also have to mention their French bouillabaisse (made with the season’s freshest seafood), which is rarely seen on a restaurant menu nor prepared this well.

Top review

Ellen

Dined 2 days ago

The food is reliably tasty and portions are generous. My husband and I happily shared a salad, pasta and a meat main course. The ambience is both relaxed and yet lively (we were thee on a busy night in the holiday season.) Highly recommended as a neighborhood favorite.

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4.1

4.1 (2291)

$30 and under

Northwest

Southwest Portland

About the restaurant

With glitzy chandeliers, ornate crown molding, and deep purple banquettes, Gracie’s is glam and guests have loved it that way for a long time. This classy spot is in a category of its own for several reasons: not only are they an unusually opulent place for Portland, but they’re actually one of the city’s oldest continually operating restaurants, and they do a great brunch and a British-style afternoon tea that are both more popular than their dinner service (which they also do well). For their very ladylike and traditionally English Afternoon Tea—with petit fours, scones, and tea sandwiches— they’ve added a Portland twist by incorporating some (not so traditional) tea-inspired cocktails, so grab some girlfriends and be Gracie’s guests.

Top review

Trisha

Dined 5 days ago

We went for. Christmas Day. The waitress was very accommodating of my daughter’s food allergies. The drinks and desserts were amazing!

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Popular dish

Lobster

Popular dish

Thiele's Original German Pancake

Experience

Afternoon Tea Service

Jake's Grill - Portland

4.5

4.5 (2908)

$30 and under

Steak

Downtown

About the restaurant

American food can often seem like a melding of different cultural influences, but dining in a classic grill feels like a real cornerstone of Americana, and that’s what Jake’s is celebrating. Much like their famed sister restaurant, Jake’s Famous Crawfish (located just blocks away), they have a wonderful old-timey feel that’ll transport you. Oregon’s dungeness crab will remind you of exactly where you are, and can be spotted all over their sizable menu. It shows up in delicious dishes like their crab & bay shrimp cake, crab & lobster dip, and even stuffed inside a salmon entré (along with bay shrimp, brie cheese, and garlic mashed potatoes) that you must order. They also have a great prime rib and filet, but seafood steals the show here.

Top review

Lynnette

Dined 6 days ago

Our server Ms. Merete is the best! Her care and attention really mattered and made the birthday celebration a success!

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Popular dish

Jake's Prime Rib

Popular dish

Classic French Onion Soup

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