Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Portland / Oregon

OpenTable

Updated December 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Portland / Oregon? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Libre

5.0

5 (11)

$50 and over

Dessert

Southeast Portland

About the restaurant

Where Freedom Meets Flavor

Libre is a dessert bar and cocktail lounge in Portland, Oregon, where freedom bleeds from mezcal cocktails to mole desserts. Walk in and leave your troubles at the door, and experience a world of dreams coming true.

Our pastry chef, Gabriella Martinez, creates fantastical desserts with components ranging from corn husk meringue to bone marrow caramel. Meanwhile, our bar director, "Nan" Chaison, crafts innovative cocktails, including a mezcal-based mole milk punch.

The moodily lit, flower-adorned space with purple velvet banquettes provides the perfect setting for an unforgettable evening.

Come to Libre and experience a taste of freedom.

Top review

Diana

Dined on Dec 8, 2024

The drinks, desserts, food, ambiance, and service were absolutely amazing. This was my third time in Libre, and every time it’s been just this great. I will be back!

Stanford's - Tanasbourne

4.8

4.8 (1111)

$30 and under

Steakhouse

Hillsboro

About the restaurant

Stanford's is a Classic American Steakhouse focused on traditional ingredients with complex flavors. Our family-friendly atmosphere welcomes all for dine-in, takeout, and catering from our diverse menu, crafted to satisfy all of your cravings. Our experienced restaurant team is eager to please and delight you with quintessential steakhouse favorites, from rock salt roasted prime rib to refreshing salads and mouth-watering appetizers, plus creative cocktails, local draft beers, and regional wines.

Top review

MaryLou

Dined on Dec 2, 2024

My friends and I had another awesome lunch today. We all had sandwiches! Two of us had BLTs and one had a burger! All were delicious! Stanford’s is our favorite lunch spot year round! Thank you for being consistent every time. We know we can count on great service, yummy food and relaxing comfortable seating. ❤️

Discover more

Experience

NEW Happy Hour Menu for $6, $8, $10, $12!

Arrivederci Wine & Jazz

4.8

4.8 (603)

$30 and under

Italian

Milwaukie

About the restaurant

Winebar, Restaurant, Jazz Club

Top review

Michelle

Dined on Dec 6, 2024

Fun place to hear music. Very busy so get there early before music starts at 7pm

Fort George Brewery And Public House

4.8

4.8 (718)

$30 and under

Pizzeria

Astoria

About the restaurant

Open Table Reservations are for the Upstairs Pizzeria where our pizza menu is available.
Our downstairs space is separate and is first-come, first-served. Our pub menu is available downstairs only.

Fort George opened its doors to Astoria as both a brewery and a public house, and that desire to serve the community continues to this day. The brewers and pub staff here share a common goal, to create a welcoming space where anyone in town can pull up a stool and enjoy a pint and a bite to eat. We take pride in our house-made offerings and our hospitality, and we’re always looking for improvements that bring us one step closer to perfection. It’s a goal Sisyphus could appreciate, even if he doesn’t have as much fun pushing that rock as we do rolling those kegs. And that’s why we like to call Fort George beer the best beer you’ve had today. Tomorrow it will only be better.

Top review

Rachel

Dined on Nov 17, 2024

We love Fort George and make it a point to come here every time we are at the beach, especially for our anniversary which is why we came last night. A little over a year ago we had to reconcile with Fort George no longer carrying Land Mass wines and switching to cheaper, less tasty options- all good, at least their gluten free pizza was still some of the best in Oregon, which is why we always come back. However, last night we were shocked to discover that they switched their amazing GF pizza dough to a stale, sugary, thin, easily burn-able dough that can’t even be cooked long enough to let the toppings melt/cook properly. And for $6 extra it honestly was laughable. We were fine paying that before because their other GF crust was worth it, but for the new crust I would never pay more than $2 for it. That being said, our server was so sweet and understanding, and took our drinks off the bill. The service is always fantastic, no complaints at all. The GF chocolate torte was amazing as well. Overall, the new GF pizza was so bad that we probably won’t be coming back for it. Hopefully the GF burger buns downstairs don’t change, as we would happily just eat downstairs. TL;DR : New GF pizza dough was really bad, the service was amazing, but if you come here bc of the GF options, you’re better off getting a burger

Whiskey Barrel Lounge

4.7

4.7 (646)

$30 and under

Cocktail Bar

Happy Valley

About the restaurant

Whiskey Barrel Lounge is Happy Valleys premier craft cocktail lounge & whiskey bar. With a selection of over 300 whiskeys from around the world there is truly something for everyone. Located downstairs in The Valley Public House. We offer an upscale menu that changes frequently with seasonal and daily specials. We are open for Happy Hour until 5pm and then Dinner from 5pm to closing, Wednesday through Sunday. Minors are allowed. We are well equipped to host large parties- Please call the restaurant to book groups larger than 8 people. We even boast a private event space capable of seating up to 70 guests. 20% gratuity applied to parties of 8 or more.

Top review

Lisa

Dined 1 day ago

We enjoy the bar and interaction with bartenders and manager. Food and beverages were delicious.

Wahi Hana

4.6

4.6 (233)

$31 to $50

Cocktail Bar

Vancouver

About the restaurant

Wahi Hana is uptown Vancouver's newest craft Tiki destination! Join us in our Tiki Hut for drinks and island themed food made by hand, from scratch. This craft cocktail experience is unlike any other. This oasis features a custom built Tiki Hut, interactive and immersive environment, as well as the occasional thunderstorm! Come into today and join us for a spectacular, rum soaked experience!

21 AND OVER ONLY.

Top review

Angie

Dined 5 days ago

Great place to eat amazing drinks Kahlúa pork was delicious. Appetizers were amazing ambience was outstanding. I cannot say enough good things about this restaurant. I will go back again.

Margarita Factory - Tigard

4.5

4.5 (200)

$30 and under

Mexican

Tigard

About the restaurant

Margarita Factory Tigard is locally owned and operated by dedicated restauranteurs who are equally passionate about the guest experience, and creating an enjoyable and rewarding environment for team members. We are especially proud to serve the Best Happy Hour in Town! You can savor festive and delicious margaritas while receiving friendly and genuine service in our covered patio, at our large central bar, or in a comfy booth. Best of all, we offer a great dining experience for all ages in a celebratory atmosphere. Cheers and hope to see you soon!

Top review

Gianni

Dined on Dec 8, 2024

Staff were really nice and very attentive, good food and good drinks!

clarklewis

4.4

4.4 (2521)

$31 to $50

Northwest

Southeast Portland

About the restaurant

A bustling eatery in the Central Eastside industrial neighborhood serving Italian-inspired, local, organic, seasonal, sustainable fare. The large oak-burning oven is the cornerstone of the large open kitchen. Clarklewis has helped define Portland as a food mecca since 2004 as a founder of our local farm-to-table sensibility.

Top review

GigiVIP

Dined 3 days ago

The service and food were fantastic! Great experience!

North Fork Tavern

4.4

4.4 (39)

$30 and under

Gastro Pub

Eugene

About the restaurant

North Fork is a brand-new eatery that pulls its inspiration from the northwest outdoors, with a key focus on sourcing ingredients from local farmers and purveyors within Oregon. Our space, crafted from reclaimed fir down to the bar, and the locally-sourced garnishes in our cocktails, all contribute to a superior farm-to-fork dining experience. We proudly serve Oregon grassfed beef and wild seafood harvested from the rivers and coastline of Oregon. Moreover, we showcase Oregon's award-winning beer varieties and present a curated wine list from the region's smaller vineyards. It's our mission to become the preferred dining spot for individuals looking to savor Oregon's distinct flavors and aesthetic beauty, and the local's choice for a friendly gathering place.

Top review

Steven

Dined on Dec 13, 2024

First time back to North Fork since the name change, and we were pleased. Kaitlin was delightful, and despite being photos with a table of 10, she remained attentive. The deviled eggs were quite different, although a bit too spicy for my wife (more for me!). The salad was excellent (and priced for Happy Hour), and the steak frittes was delicious – although a bit meager to share.

Toro

4.0

4 (81)

$30 and under

Latin American

Pearl District

About the restaurant

A lively, modern Mexican Kitchen + Bar
Influenced by the bold flavors of Mexico.
Featuring seasoned steaks and authentic Mexican dishes

Toro offers private dining. Treat your guests to a fun evening out in one of our two private dining areas. Our team will help you plan the perfect event tailored to your needs and budget.

Open 7 days a week
Sunday-Thursday 3pm-10pm
Friday-Saturday 3pm-11pm

We look forward to serving you!

Top review

Jason

Dined on Nov 9, 2024

The place has a good atmosphere. The service is great, They are attentive without being obtrusive a hard balance to strike. The food is good. The value at happy hour was quite good. Really do my wife and I finish dinner at around $50 and that was with 2 ciders. It was a perfect place to have dinner being only a mile from the Moda center where we saw a concert that night. If you are looking for a place to eat that is close to event centers this is a great option.

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