Diners' Choice: Contemporary American restaurants in Portland / Oregon

OpenTable

Updated September 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Contemporary American cuisine in Portland / Oregon? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Le Pigeon

4.9

4.9 (1599)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Southeast Portland

About the restaurant

Le Pigeon serves adventurous French-inspired food, along with a varied selection of wines in an intimate dining room on Portland’s East Burnside Street.

Top review

Stacey

Dined 7 days ago

Exceptional! Well thought out dishes that are delicious, layered complex and balanced. Each ingredient shines without overpowering the dish thanks to well execution. Service matched the level of the food, which is to say it was fantastic. Highly recommend for any food lover that wants to treat themselves for a wonderful night out.

Davenport

4.9

4.9 (736)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Northeast Portland

About the restaurant

A refined restaurant focusing on simple, well-prepared dishes maintaining the integrity of premier Northwest ingredients.

Top review

Ken

Dined on Aug 25, 2024

Consistently excellent food and service.... our favorite place for many years.

Canard - Burnside

4.9

4.9 (76)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Northeast Portland

About the restaurant

Wine bar meets casual eatery in the heart of Portland's Central East Side. From the team that brought you Le Pigeon.

Top review

Angelinavip

Dined on Aug 28, 2024

incredible experience!!! dylan my server was great, and the chefs were so friendly too. perfect place for a solo meal

Decant

4.9

4.9 (559)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Medford

About the restaurant

We believe in living a clean, natural and organic lifestyle mirroring that of the old world, where people eat only local foods. Most of our ingredients are certified organic and we source from local farmers to promote sustainability. We want to showcase how fertile the Southern Oregon valley is and the amazing bounty available from local farmers.

We're excited to share our wine and food knowledge with Southern Oregon. We want to educate anyone willing to learn on wines of the world as well as how they compare to local wines. We will strive to constantly create new menu items and wine pairings.

Top review

brad

Dined 2 days ago

AHHHHmazing!! From the greeting at the host podium to the amazing meal and dessert. I looked at Opentables' ten best romantic restaurants and we'd been to all of them, and they were all amazing...But Our meal and experience at Decant was most likely the best we've had in Southern Oregon, and would shut down many we've experienced in other areas. I mean the attentiveness of the staff, to an incredible meal- and the salad with istachio chips...I mean I could go on and on, but don't want it to get so busy that they cannot accommodate our next reservation!! this is a must try

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The Joel Palmer House

4.8

4.8 (1995)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Dayton

About the restaurant

Mushrooms are the heart of what we do at the Joel Palmer House. We have always endeavored to obtain seasonal and local ingredients and we use many locally produced greens, herbs, and vegetables, some of which come from our own culinary garden. We are frequently inspired by ingredients found in the cuisines of France, China, Thailand, Poland and India, so we call our cooking "freestyle." Our dishes pair well the celebrated wines of Oregon, especially Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. Our extensive, Oregon-focused wine list has been awarded the Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator. Of special note, The Joel Palmer House ranks as one of Oregon's finest historic homes and is on the National Register of Historic Places and the Oregon Historic Register. Built in 1857, the house is Dayton's oldest standing structure. When weather permits, guests can enjoy their dinner on our outdoor patio, soaking in the last rays of sunshine in the heart of Oregon Wine Country.

Top review

Laki

Dined 2 days ago

The staff was very welcoming and accommodating the entire evening. We opted for the omakase experience, and we added the bone marrow to the dinner. Each of the courses was amazing visually. Each dish featured micro greens and color from edible flowers and sauces, so we presented in a very organic looking way. Some of the the mushroom dishes didn't have a lot of flavor, but the duck was outstanding, the risotto was amazing, and the dessert was delicious. Our main complaint though was that there was too much food for an omakase, and left us feeling full before we reached the end of the experience. Ideally we should be feeling just right by the end, but there were several courses that had more food than was necessary. For instance the escargot could have been just 1 not 3, the muscles could have been 1, the NY steak could have been been about a quarter of the amount served. We felt full and couldn't enjoy the flavors of the things towards the end as much as if there was less. Has we known how much was remaining we would have eaten less of each, but we trusted the experience. The food visually was absolutely amazing though, and the dessert was some of the most visually appealing I have eaten. The frozen strawberry mousse, terrarium, and cannolis were amazing. Overall the food didn't match the $600+we spent for 2 with glass of wine each and 2 bottles of sparkling water, but it was still a great experience.

Arden

4.9

4.9 (926)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Northwest Portland

About the restaurant

Arden is an idyllic retreat tucked into Portland's Pearl District. Arden delivers seasonal Pacific Northwest cuisine and an award-winning wine program featuring over 250 bottles, many with bottle age. Guests have the option to dine a la carte or enjoy the chef's prix fixe menu ($70): a shared experience that features 4 courses of seasonal cuisine. Coursed wine pairings are also available ($45).

Arden is named in homage to Shakespeare's famous forest - a place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and appreciate nature's bounty and beauty. The restaurant invites you to take an exiting culinary adventure through the Pacific Northwest, and explore the incredible range of ingredients that the region has to offer.

Top review

Jennifer

Dined 3 days ago

We had the prix fixe menu with accompanying wine flight; dishes were well executed, well balanced, and paired well with the wines; service was friendly and sommelier was knowledgeable. Honestly not sure he was a sommelier but he certainly provided a wealth of information about the wines we tried. Best meal I’ve had in a long time - if you are a foodie, you will enjoy this place.

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4.9

4.9 (1816)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Corvallis

About the restaurant

Del Alma Restaurant, located in downtown Corvallis, offers an elegant yet warm and inviting dining atmosphere with a view of the riverfront. Del Alma translates to "of the soul", and the entire del Alma staff strives to create a dining experience that reflects their passion for excellent service, warm hospitality, and great food. The menu is inspired by the flavors and cuisines of Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain and offers items ranging from tapas to full entrees. Del Alma brings its passion for the vibrant flavors of Latin America and pairs them with the offerings of the Pacific Northwest, using fresh ingredients from local markets, farms, and ranches. The bar hosts an array of libations ranging from south-of-the-border classics to contemporary cocktails, plus an interesting and food-friendly wine list featuring both Old and New World selections. Prix-fixe dinner specials are available on Wednesdays and pairing dinners are regularly featured.

Top review

Margaret

Dined 7 days ago

We had a great time at this restaurant. We ordered a few appetizers to share, very tasty and creative, and good quantity. The filet mignon was really good, and was recommended by other reviewers.

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Popular dish

Grilled 8 oz Filet Mignon

4.8

4.8 (124)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Oregon City

About the restaurant

Coming Soon!

Top review

drsbar

Dined 2 days ago

Canard is the best — always delightful new twists on the menu which they change up frequently which is different than most places. They’ve always had me at the fruity Dole Whip desserts, love them.

The Painted Lady

4.7

4.7 (1689)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Newberg

About the restaurant

Oregon's only AAA four diamond and Forbes four star restaurant, The Painted Lady in Newberg offers a seasonal tasting menu nightly celebrating the products of their local neighbors- Oregon's world class ranchers, farmers and vintners. Inspired by the grand tradition of restoring Victorian homes across America, the restaurant uses classic culinary techniques to create a stunning modern menu. With timeless grace and a contemporary palate, The Painted Lady is more than a restaurant, it is an experience to remember.

Top review

Timothy

Dined on Aug 16, 2024

We love The Painted Lady! The custard is wonderful but we'd like to try something else in it's place every once in a while. Dishes and wine were top notch as usual.

The Restaurant at the Jacksonville Inn

4.6

4.6 (229)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Jacksonville

About the restaurant

Located underneath the historical Jacksonville Inn in Jacksonville, Oregon, the restaurant serves modern wine country cuisine, fine wines and handcrafted cocktails.
Being Family Owned and Operated and the matriarch originating from Florence, Italy, we strongly believe in the magic of food and the power it has to being families together. We relish in the opportunity to bring our passion for food and wine to the Jacksonville Inn and witness the memories made by all that dine at our table. Our philosophy is that you walk in as our guest but leave as a friend. WELCOME TO THE FAMILY.

Top review

Dined 6 days ago

We were treated like family!! The ownership here is wonderfully engaged! Love the personality of the owner, she is hilarious and a-lot of fun. What a charming spot. The food was delicious. That focaccia was incredible! Thanks

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