Diners' Choice: Best Ambiance restaurants in Portland

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best ambiance in Portland? 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 (24)

$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

AmaniVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Loved it my cocktail and dessert were both beautiful and anazing

República

4.9

4.9 (944)

$50 and over

Mexican

Pearl District

About the restaurant

James Beard-nominated Mexico-forward restaurant recontextualizing Mexican cuisine and culture through Storytelling.

We offer a tasting menu experience, as well as an a la carte menu. Both experiences are meant to honor the complex history that created each dish, as well as leave a lasting impact on all those who taste this beautiful food and listen to our stories.

We kindly require all guests to disclose all dietary restrictions and allergies prior to their reservation. We are unable to accommodate allergies to nightshades, chile, corn, or allium. Additionally we are not a gluten free kitchen and are unable to provide nut and seed free diners.

Top review

Rupert

Dined 1 day ago

Just changed format includes both tasting menu and a la carte options. Food and pairings were wonderful. Great to have an upscale yet original Mexican regional cuisine option in Portland!

Discover more

Experience

Tasting menu

The Star Portland

4.9

4.9 (308)

$30 and under

Pizzeria

Pearl District

About the restaurant

At The Star Pizza, we have take enormous pride in serving our award-winning deep dish and thin crust pizzas. By offering organic salads, appetizers made from scratch, house made dressings and sauces, oven baked sandwiches, and fresh dough tossed daily, our once small pizzerias have blossomed into a dynamic neighborhood restaurants. Beyond dozens of signature dishes, our bar serves artisan cocktails, carefully selected wines and beer in an elegant yet comfortable environment. Our commitment to our employees, community, schools and local nonprofit organizations embodies who we are. We treat our guests like family, invest in our employees, and use responsible and high quality ingredients to continue The Star legacy. Thank you for choosing to dine with us.

Top review

joe

Dined on May 15, 2025

Great appitzers and pizza as well as creative cocktails!

C'est Si Bon! Bistro+Vins

4.7

4.7 (612)

$31 to $50

French

Northeast Portland

About the restaurant

C'est Si Bon! Bistro+Vins is a casual fine dining French restaurant that specializes in thoughtful, modern French bistro cuisine using local, seasonal ingredients.

One of Southeast Portland's Central Eastside's best restaurants, C'est Si Bon! is a cozy, upscale eatery perfect for meeting friends to enjoy quiet conversation, a romantic dinner, or quick bite at the bar. Both indoor and outdoor dining options available.

John and his staff strive to provide a memorable dining experience that will take you back to Paris!
We hope to see you soon! Merci mille fois et a bientôt!

Kev's Best | Best French Cuisine in Portland | #1
2021

Honorable Mention | Portland’s Best Food Neighborhoods | Central Eastside
Eater, 2019

Top review

Chris

Dined on May 31, 2025

Great evening. Excellent food, wine and service. I had zucchini soup, pork tenderloin, and creme brûlée. All were beautifully prepared and delicious. The creme brûlée was far superior to any other version of this dessert I gave had in Portland. We will be returning soon.

Xiao Ye

4.9

4.9 (52)

$50 and over

American

Northeast Portland

About the restaurant

Xiao Ye is a unique dining destination in Portland, Oregon, celebrated for its innovative approach to first-generation American cuisine. With a menu inspired by the rich flavors that define American dining today, Xiao Ye offers nostalgic comfort food with contemporary culinary techniques.

At Xiao Ye, diners can enjoy a variety of dishes that reflect the diverse backgrounds and cultural influences from Chef Louis and his team. From hearty classics to creative twists, the menu is designed to appeal to a wide range of tastes. Their ever-changing menu allows for creativity and showcases seasonal produce of the PNW. Be sure to try their masa & mochiko Mini Madeleines!

The candlelit, cozy interiors with mismatched chairs, makes it an ideal spot for gatherings, from a casual dinner with friends, a family dinner, or special celebration. Whether you're visiting for the first time or returning as a regular, you can expect a warm welcome and attentive service from the team lead by Jolyn Chen.

Top review

Rob

Dined 1 day ago

Best service I've had in Portland and everything was delicious

Discover more

Experience

Live Fire Cooking Club at Xiao Ye: Ma Der Lao

Experience

Weekend Brunch

Experience

Friends In Town with Wildair and Bar Contra NYC

RingSide Steakhouse - Uptown

4.9

4.9 (7505)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

Northwest Portland

About the restaurant

For more than 8 decades we have been offering guests the best steaks in town, providing impeccable service with an unmatched wine list. With over 80 years of continuous family ownership, RingSide Steakhouse is a legend in the world of steakhouses. Start with RingSide's world famous onion rings...a recipe that is a closely held family secret. Choose a steak from a menu offering a variety of USDA Prime selections that are aged a minimum of four weeks and hand cut on the premises. Choose a wine from more than 900 labels. Wine Spectator has recognized RingSide Steakhouse yearly with its Best of Award of Excellence since 2001.

Top review

Darcia

Dined on Apr 2, 2025

The food was excellent, the staff was wonderful, and the whole experience was just great.

Discover more

Ringside's Onion Rings

Bellpine at The Ritz-Carlton Portland

4.6

4.6 (507)

$50 and over

American

Northwest Portland

About the restaurant

Located on the 20th floor, Bellpine presents panoramic views of the city and beyond. Acclaimed Executive Chef Pedro Almeida, whose previous restaurants earned Michelin Stars under his leadership, leads the culinary artistry of Bellpine. Inspiration is drawn from Oregon’s bountiful Willamette Valley, the state’s farms, ranchers, rivers, and the Pacific Ocean. The menu features ingredients indigenous to the region as well as items from local purveyors and skilled artisans. The culinary journey is accentuated with world-class wine selections featuring exceptional Oregon wineries and unique spirits crafted by the region’s master distillers.

Top review

CurtisVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Great service, incredible views and delicious food. A+

Discover more

Experience

7-Course Tasting Menu

Street Disco

4.8

4.8 (70)

$31 to $50

Contemporary French / American

Southeast Portland

About the restaurant

*Our patio seating is open for the season! While we are excited to host you outside on summer evenings, keep in mind it is not a heated patio*

Street Disco is a constantly evolving restaurant and natural wine bar by Rising Star Chef Kyle Christy and his team. Starting as a pop up and becoming an industry favorite all over Portland Street Disco finally opened their doors in the Fall of 2022 in the Foster-Powell neighborhood of Portland.

Menu changes frequently, expect oysters, plenty of veggies, tinned fish, rotating meat dishes and plenty of things grilled over charcoal. Natural wines from all over the world rotate their way through our glass pour and bottle list as well as seasonally driven cocktails and house made sodas.

Our food and wine are curated but the vibes are always welcoming. The playlist is always a highlight. Check for our frequent pop-ups and collabs.

Chef: Kyle Christy
General Manager: Maya Carlile
Wine Director: Ang D'Occhio
Sous Chef: Carlos Lopez

Top review

SueVIP

Dined 3 days ago

We had a great time. Wonderful food and fun ambiance.

Kachka

4.9

4.9 (2388)

$31 to $50

Eastern European

Southeast Portland

About the restaurant

Kachka features an award-winning menu of post-soviet inspired dishes including famous dishes such as the Herring under a fur coat, Rabbit in a clay pot, dumplings and much more. The restaurant is an homage to the dishes our chef/owner grew up eating. Kachka is open for indoor onsite dining. Walk-in lounge and bar seating are also available.

Our Lavka grocery is open from 11am-9pm daily with counter service ordering from our Lavka cafe and deli available from 11-3. Seating is first come first serve on our upper patio or indoor lounge tables.

We have proudly replaced tipping with a 22% service fee in order to provide a base wage of $25 per hour and free healthcare for all employees. More information is available at kachkapdx.com/wage-equity

For more info about Kachka, and our deli Lavka please visit our website: https://www.kachkapdx.com/about-us

Top review

Donna

Dined 5 days ago

Always amazing food and service. A wonderful restaurant with great ambience.

Noble Rot

4.9

4.9 (2346)

$31 to $50

American

Northeast Portland

About the restaurant

Restaurant Information Before Your Visit

-Reserving a table and any seating requests, DOES NOT guarantee your table location upon arrival at the restaurant. However, we always do our best to honor requests when possible.
-Be prepared to sit inside or outside, so hot, cold, sun, or shade. Also, we face west and can get hot during dining hours, hats and sunglasses may be necessary. We cannot block the setting sun.
-Please ensure that your entire party is here for your reservation.
-Please limit your stay to no more than 1.5 hours.

Top review

Julie

Dined 5 days ago

Relaxed environment, attentive service, excellent food and cocktails, combined for a pleasant unpretentious evening out.

Explore Diners' Choice best of Portland

Explore more Diners' Choice lists

Italian