Hidden gems in Portland
Skip the tourist circuit. These Portland spots are the ones locals actually send their out-of-town friends to.
Top spots in Portland
Powell's City of Books
CulturePearl District
The largest independent bookstore in the world — a full city block, plan an afternoon.
Forest Park
OutdoorsNorthwest
5,200 acres of urban old-growth — Wildwood Trail runs 30 miles.
Portland Japanese Garden
CultureWashington Park
Among the most authentic Japanese gardens outside Japan.
Alberta Arts District
Food & DrinkNortheast
Walkable strip of food carts, taprooms and the Last Thursday street fair.
Multnomah Falls Day Trip
OutdoorsColumbia Gorge
620-foot waterfall 30 minutes east — pair with Hood River wineries.
Where to eat
Pok Pok
$$$Thai · Division
Andy Ricker's Northern Thai — get the fish sauce wings, lines move.
Le Pigeon
$$$$French · Lower Burnside
Counter dining, brave menu — foie gras profiteroles are legendary.
Salt & Straw
$Ice cream · Multiple
Pear-and-blue-cheese ice cream made it nationally famous — the line is the experience.
Nong's Khao Man Gai
$Thai chicken & rice · Multiple
One menu item, perfectly executed — the ginger sauce is everything.
Apizza Scholls
$$Pizza · Hawthorne
Arrive early — they cap dough daily and walk-ins disappear.
Frequently asked
- Locals' under-the-radar picks include Powell's City of Books, Forest Park, Portland Japanese Garden. These are the places that don't show up on the first page of mainstream travel guides.