The coolest bars and restaurants in town

It's time for a new edition (easy there, Bobby Brown) of the Thrillist 47, giving you the best new and new-ish places to eat and drink. Some had to go (it's not OUR fault Trigger closed), while other hot spots could not be denied (Hello, Whiskey Library and Expatriate!). Have a look at the list (organized by hood, this isn't a ranking) and make the most of your next night out.
 

SOUTHEAST

Lardo Sandwich
Lardo

1) Lardo
1212 SE Hawthorne; 503.234.7786
Sometimes the name says it all, but that won't stop Lardo's from being repeated, as it's what people will be calling you once you're addicted to their sandwiches piled high with house-cured meats and served alongside a huge local beer selection.
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gigantic brewing

2) Gigantic Brewing
5224 SE 26th; 503.208.3416
Like a jackrabbit during mating season (or an Evander Holyfield during any season), the Portland beer scene just keeps popping out babies, and Gigantic's managed to go all alpha with a garage-style tasting room/"Champagne lounge" in the beer-starved industrial area hiding behind Reed College.
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levant

3) Levant
2448 E Burnside; 503.954.2322
Serving a specialized blend of North African, Middle Eastern, Iberian, and Sephardic Jewish cuisine, E Burnside's Levant proves that all you really need to unite a region is good food... assuming said region is in a nice Portland neighborhood.
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bar dobre

4) Bar Dobre
3962 SE Hawthorne; 503.477.5622
Sticking out among East Hawthorne's hot dog and bar-burger joints like a delicious potato- & cheese-stuffed diamond in the rough, Bar Dobre mixes traditional Polish food with the even-more-traditional Portland vibe of never having toiled a single day anywhere, let alone a field.
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white owl social

5) White Owl Social Club
1305 SE 8th; 503.236.9672
Joining it won't get you a creepy rendezvous with David Bowie after you lose your baby brother, but White Owl Social Club's got something even better up its sleeve: seriously local craft cocktails, high-end pub grub by the Sizzle Pie crew, and live rock shows and dance parties so epic, the next day you'll totally be reminded of the babe. What babe? That babe that you met there.
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cibo

6) Cibo
3593 SE Division; 503.719.5377
Authentic Tuscan cooking involves the delicate art of creating complex flavors from simple ingredients and utilizing every part of the animal… all while hunting womp rats and avoiding that annoying Ben Kenobi dude. For an authentic taste of Tuscan cooking without the threat of Sandpeople (for now), check out Cibo.
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roe portland

7) Roe
3133 SE Division; 503.232.1566
Essentially turning seafood joint Block + Tackle into a Russian nesting doll filled with fish instead of tiny fat women, this signage-eschewing, reservations-only seafoodery requires cruising through B+T's bustling bar like you know what the hell you're doing and walking directly to the back, where the chef plates seafood he personally selected from coastal merchants.
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shut up and eat sandwiches

8) Shut Up And Eat
3848 SE Gladstone; 503.577.5604
If you like restaurants that firmly order you around, you'll love Shut Up And Eat, a former food cart that plates Italian sandwiches alongside a big tap selection.
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woodsman

9) The Woodsman Tavern
4537 SE Division
From the caffeinated cat who started Stumptown Coffee, the gustatory genius who helped launch Olympic Provisions, and a torrid tender who raised the bar at Laurelhurst Market, Woodsman Tavern's epic raw bar, super-rare charcoal-fired oven, and tons of ham make this place quite H.A.M. itself.
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boke bowl

10) Boke Bowl
1028 SE Water; 503.719.5698
These noodle masters take two days to make the chicken & pork broth in which they float handmade noodles, buttermilk fried chicken, pork belly, and slow-poached eggs.
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nong khao's

11) Nong's Khao Man Gai Kitchen Window
609 SE Ankeny; 503.740.2907
Thanks to a carry-out window in her Southeast PDX prep space, Nong now supplies her immensely popular Thai chicken and rice w/ garlicky/spicy fermented soybean sauce to those who don't like crossing bridges.
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tanuki

12) Tanuki
8029 SE Stark; 503.477.6030
This polarizing Japanese dive bar is filled with all manner of effed-up fun: pinball machines featuring boobs, dolphins, and angry lizards, a sitting lounge for watching Human Centipede screenings (seriously), and a tiger-striped bamboo bar serving aggressive drinking food.
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padee interior

13) PaaDee
6 SE 28th; 503.505.7176
PaaDee brings a careful culinary eye to Thai street grub and comfort food in vibrant airy digs meant to mimic SE Asian outdoor dining: long communal tables and benches made of reclaimed teak, all surrounded by low stools illuminated by lights fashioned from birdcages
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rum club

14) Rum Club
720 SE Sandy; 503.467.2469
The intimate Dashiell Hammettian atmosphere provides the backdrop for drinks rescued from the back pages of dusty cocktail books, and served in mismatched vintage glassware.
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hokusei

15) Hokusei
4246 SE Belmont
Specializing in a dizzying array of sushi, nigiri, and sashimi, Hok also plates a grill menu that combines Japanese traditions with a Pacific Northwest attitude, which shockingly doesn't mean depressed cooks listening to Elliott Smith?
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el cubo

16) El Cubo de Cuba
3106 SE Hawthorne Blvd; 971.544.7801
Offering PDXers a chance to live the Cuban life without drawing the suspicion of the ghost of Joe McCarthy, this cart-turned-restaurant actually encourages that most un-American of activities, eating, by slinging the city’s best Cuban street food.
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tarad

17) Tarad
601 SE Morrison St; 503.234.4102
Part Thai market, part Thai restaurant, and all awesome, Tarad’s cooking up all-Thai-m classics like green curry, slow-cooked pork belly, and savory buns until 3a on weekends, so you can still go after you… sigh… Thai one on.
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breakside milwaukee

18) Breakside Milwaukie
5821 SE International Way; 503.719.6475
The NoPo brewery’s funneled the cash from its award-winning beer into a gigantic Milwaukie facility n' tasting room that makes the south-of-PDX suburb feel a lot like Wisconsin but, like, in a good way… if that’s possible.
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NORTH/NORTHEAST

ecliptic brewing
Ecliptic Brewing

19) Ecliptic Brewing
825 N Cook St; 503.265.8002
John Harris’ highly anticipated brewery has finally opened its doors to show off its... four draft beers and seven sandwiches (Trout Po’ Boy, a pancetta-topped burger, etc.). Like you need anything else… but if you do, they also have some seasonal mains and stuff.
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expatrate

20) Expatriate
5424 NE 30th Ave; 503.805.3750
From a former St. Jack barman and the Top Chef Master behind Beast (not Kelsey Grammer... dude's a terrible cook), comes this inconspicuous, laid-back bit of awesome specializing in high-end cocktails and spicy twists on drinking snacks.
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slow burger

21) Slowburger
2319 NE Glisan
The team behind Slow Bar ditched the ceviche and fondue to focus on mutating their lauded burger in the most deliciously deadly of ways, and it works.
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old salt marketplace

22) Old Salt Marketplace
5027 NE 42nd Ave; 971.255.0167
Emulating an old-school wagon trail-era grocery -- minus the part where you had to buy & eat pretty gross stuff -- the crew behind Grain & Gristle has set up this lunch counter rocking sandwiches w/ house-cured meat, a full butcher shop, and supper service featuring pretty much every character from Animal Farm.
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ox steakhouse

23) Ox
2225 NE MLK; 503.284.3366
This much-heralded Argentinean steakhouse chars its meat on a custom-made, Hades-hot, wood-fired grill whose grates raise and lower at the turn of two crank wheels.
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oregon public house burger

24) Oregon Public House
700 NE Dekum St; 503.828.0884
A philanthro-pub where, after overhead, they send the profits from food and drink stuffs -- like bacon cheeseburgers w/ a banana-/ rum-based secret sauce, and local craft beer -- to the charity of your choice. So get ready for a huge bump in funding, The UGBFCSAB (Unshackle Giant Breasts From Constraining Shirts And Bras) Foundation!! ...Just kidding, they do good here.
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bollywood theatre

25) Bollywood Theater
2039 NE Alberta
Bollywood will charm you with flamboyant song and dance numbers the subcontinent's lighter fare in digs that look like a spice-road antique riot, complete with bathrooms rigged with a video installation meant to recreate the chaos of Mumbai’s streets, which leave most tourists totally pooped.
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aviary cocktail

26) Aviary
1733 NE Alberta; 503.287.2400
Come for the top-notch restaurant in front, stay for the badass bar in the back.
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hlae pele interior

27) Hale Pele
2733 NE Broadway; 503.427.8454
A dark, neon-drenched tiki bar packed to its exotic gills with Polynesian decor, from antique spears and an army of gigantic wooden Tiki gods, to a private booth with velvet paintings, to an indoor pond complete with fog machine.
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old gold portland

28) Old Gold
2105 N Killingsworth; 503.894.8937
Gold's chef creates the late-night bar food she always dreamed of but could never find, including serious sammies like roasted pork seasoned with earthy achiote, garlic, and OJ and topped with pickled onions & "kaleslaw". Also: elk burgers!
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dar salam interior

29) Dar Salam
2921 NE Alberta; 503.206.6148
From a gent who left Iraq in 2007 because of, like, war and stuff, Dar Salam offers the region's indigenous cuisine in a cushioned & curtained oasis of a room that features a museum's worth of non-war-torn Iraq photos.
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smallwares cocktail

30) Smallwares
4605 NE Fremont; 971.229.0995
The baby of Johanna Ware (who once held it down at Momofuku), Smallwares delivers tradition-defying twists on far Eastern grub ranging from raw seafood to fully loaded dinners.
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SOUTHWEST

tasty alder

31) Tasty n Alder
580 SW 12th; 503.621.9251
Legendary NoPo brunch/ cocktail spot Tasty n Sons has gone west -- as many pioneers are wont to do -- and set up camp downtown in a rustic-yet-fancy space that twists their brunch classics, then ups the ante with a dinner service that includes house-made charcuterie, lamb chops, fish stew, and a huge variety of steaks. Sucks that your wagon can only hold 200lbs.
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penny diner

32) Portland Penny Diner
410 SW Broadway; 503.228.7222
Iron Chef winner Vitaly Paley's spot offers upscale diner food (behold the foie gras poutine) and soda-jerk inspired cocktails from breakfast to late-night.
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raven and rose

33) Raven & Rose
524 NW 14th; 503.894.9321
To make up for its false promise of being owned by Olivia from The Cosby Show and Betty White, Raven & Rose creates high-caliber Euro comfort food (wood-fired mussels & flatbread) in the Ladd Carriage House.
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imperial dish
Imperial

34) Imperial
524 NW 14th; 503.894.9321
Imperial offers fire-grilled steaks and some of Portland's best cocktails. 'Nuff said.
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tasting bar

35) Tasting East/ TE Bar
909 SW Park; 503.243.5991
Turning the lower level of downtown's Paramount Hotel into a pan-Asian wonderland of repurposed bleacher-seat booths and Japanese railway wood, Tasting East and TE Bar are two distinct venues plating everything from Tokyo street food to Hong Kong faves while providing contrasting dining experiences billed as "night and day", which they hope is enough to get you to Cruise on in.
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CLINTON/DIVISION

roman candle bakery

36) Roman Candle Bakery
3377 SE Division; 971.302.6605
The dude behind the Stumptown empire was already on fire after Ava Gene's took off, but that didn't stop him from opening up this crazy-good bakery which's making desserts, breads, sandwiches, and a white pizza that's so addictive, you might as well toss out all your pants and exclusively wear sweats.
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block and tackle

37) Block + Tackle
3113 SE Division St; 503.236.0205
A culinary water park from a chef who has spent so much time working with fish that he practically has an honorary degree at one of their… waitforit!... schools.
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sen yai

38) Sen Yai
3384 SE Division St; 503.236.3573
Offering more Thai street-style than the team that almost pulled an upset in that one Step Up movie, the dude behind Pok Pok continues his Division St domination with this old-school noodle house where -- if noodles aren’t your thing -- there’s also softball-sized pork buns.
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sok sab bai

39) Sok Sab Bai
2625 SE 21st Ave; 971.255.0292
Bringing a rare taste of Cambodian cuisine to PDX, this cart-turned-restaurant in a Clinton St colonial serves up authentic pork belly buns, fish sauce-marinated steaks, and amok trey, which's Cambodia's national dish, and not what the dude from Phish ran after too much acid.
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DOWNTOWN

whiskey library portland

40) Multnomah Whiskey Library
1124 SW Alder St; 503.764.9374
Once they bring a seriously next-level craft cocktail made with traditional techniques/ preparations to your table in an elegant wheeled cart, you’ll stop wondering why the wait at this old-school drinkery, with an "overwhelming" catalogue of spirits that's over 1500-strong, is even longer than the ones at a Seven of Nine kissing booth at Comicon.
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grassa

41) Grassa
1205 SW Washington St; 503.241.1133
Continuing a fine tradition of naming his restaurants after what people will call you if you eat there too often, the dude behind Lardo has swung open the doors to Grassa, which is serving up handmade pastas and craft cocktails of the Italian variety, and means "tubby" or "fat" in Italian.
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brunch box

42) Brunch Box
620 SW 9th Ave; 503.287.4377
Like a morbidly obese Optimus Prime, this spot’s transformed from food cart to actual restaurant, and despite its name, has larger ambitions: it’s an all-day breakfast joint that also specializes in ridiculous bovine fistwiches served up between insanely dense grilled cheeses.
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racion

43) Racion
1205 SW Washington St; 971.276.8008
Like a combination of Mr. Wizard's kitchen and a factory run by Willy Wonka's flesh-hungry brother, Racion makes complex tapas in an open, all-electric kitchen where you can watch chefs as they reduce, compress, and do other mad-scientisty things to foods before reassembling them into edible art.
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NORTHWEST

verde cocina

44) Verde Cocina Perla
524 NW 14th; 503.894.9321
What started out as a humble farm stand feeding kale-worshipping Sur La Table disciples at local markets is now a Pearl District standalone, but it still focuses on turning hyper-local, farm-fresh veggies & meats into authentic Mexican wonders.
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the parish

45) The Parish
231 NW 11th; 503.281.1222
In the beginning, there was EaT: An Oyster Bar, and it was good. The people flocked to enjoy its embrace of rich shellfish and po' boys alike. And its founders said, "Let us not be limited to the East Mississippi promised land, but spread this word to the Pearl, bringing high-class Cajun fare across the waters of the Willamette." And lo, there appeared The Parish.
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oven and shaker

46) Oven & Shaker
1134 NW Everett; 503.241.1600
This collaboration between Nostrana's three-time Beard-nominated chef/owner and the worldly bartender who helped launch Aviation Gin is a massive pizzeria/saloon that combines the former's brick oven skillz with the latter's vision of what a bar should be.
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bamboo sushi

47) Bamboo Sushi
836 NW 23rd; 971.229.1925
There are plenty of fish in the sea, except when there aren't and you're not allowed to eat some of them. That's the continuing credo of Bamboo Sushi's new location on NW Trendy-third, which keeps you from getting run down by a Kilo TT at the original SE 28th spot and keeps you full of ocean-fresh, Marine Stewardship Council-certified sushi and nigiri.
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