Get excited, Portland: We’re going to be eating well this winter. Rising costs, concerns over a new “barmageddon” rearing its head, and the current economic climate clearly aren’t deterring local restaurateurs, as the start of fall was packed with openings
(some new, some highly anticipated reopenings). From the return of James Beard Award-winning JinJu Patisserie (huzzah!) to cozy new bars perfect for whiling away those dark winter nights, there are lots of fresh spots worth trying out. Also, be sure to stop at the many new food cart pods that have recently made their debut: Fremont Garage, Modhaus, and the Callback, to name a few. These are among a recent wave of fully decked-out pods that offer many of the comforts and amenities of a restaurant: indoor and outdoor seating, covered or heated patios, and full bars and cafes, so they’re perfect for winter hangs as well.
This Heatmap, which is updated every two months, with a curated guide to the most exciting Portland openings of the last six months or so. As restaurants age out of the Heatmap, they may appear on other maps or even the Eater 38. But we’re confident that new ones will rise up to take their place. For a more comprehensive guide to openings, check out Eater Portland’s openings roundup.
New to the map in November: Hotel Reynard, Patufet, the Richmond Club, Sushi Fukami, JinJu Patisserie, and Bar Sprezzatura
Know of a spot that should be on our radar? Send us a tip by emailing pdx@eater.com. Create an Eater account to save your favorite restaurants on the site or download the Eater app for iOS to discover even more great restaurant recommendations in your area and create your own guides.
Marée
2930 Northeast Killingsworth Street, Portland, Oregon 97211, United States
As of Wednesday, August 5, the former home of the much-loved Dame, which closed up shop at the tail end of last year, finally has something new making the space its own. The crisp, cozy Marée brings together the talents of Garrett McAleese — owner of Italian restaurant Fantino, who is also part of the founding family of Kells Irish Pub — and former Normandie bartender Anna Moss. The menu draws inspiration from coastal France, Spain, and Basque Country, with dishes like mussel escabeche toast, clam boma rice, and crispy squid accompanied by guindilla peppers. Expect offerings to change up frequently depending on what’s fresh and in-season.
Alma
5237 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR, 97211, US
(971) 313-9730
Technically, Alma isn’t new; the Balkan-focused restaurant has been open since June 2025. But just ahead of its one-year anniversary, the restaurant closed for several weeks to spruce up the space and bring in a fresh dining format. With the reopening, it’s worth a revisit to experience the new Alma. Instead of a la carte offerings (although a small menu can be found at the bar), diners now sit down to all-you-can-eat two-hour feasts. For $55 per person, an endless parade of Balkan-inspired dishes — crispy calamari, albacore-stuffed tomato dolma, lamb kebabs — arrives at the table. The communal format reflects warm, welcoming Balkan hospitality. Drinks are extra but not to be missed; the cocktail menu has many fun options like the Curtain Call with popcorn-infused mezcal and nixta liqueur de elote, plus rotating rakja flavors from Tuff Talk.
Maddoggs
8627 Northeast Sandy Boulevard, Portland, Oregon 97220, United States
Summer and a good glizzy just go together, so it’s apt that this food cart opened up in June 2026. Set up outside My-O-My, Maddoggs is all about the hot dog, with options from the simple choose-your-own-topping classic to bacon-wrapped Sonoran dogs with pinto beans and pico de gallo. There’s also the spicy Pero Caliente with crushed potato chips and zesty Rolo’s Salsa, the Tikki Dog with pineapple slaw and teriyaki sauce, and the Elvis-inspired Hounddog, loaded with bacon jam, crunchy peanut butter, and grape jelly. Grab some hand-cut fries on the side as well.
Jinju Patisserie
3494 North Williams Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97227, United States
(503) 828-7728
Yes, JinJu Patisserie is not new-new; the bakery first opened back in 2019. But over the years, it’s become one of Portland’s most beloved bakeries, earning an avid following and out-the-door lines in the wake of its 2025 Beard win for Outstanding Bakery in the U.S., so the hype around its reopening more than warrants attention. It’s been nearly a year without JinJu’s coveted croissants, cakes, and confections; owners Kyurim “Q” Lee and Jin Caldwell announced the closure of the bakery’s original home last December. As of Wednesday, October 21, the new JinJu Patisserie is back in action, mere blocks from its former home. Joining the returning cast of familiar favorites is a line-up of savory and sweet salt breads, plus a breakfast sandwich and fresh flavors or styles for some of the classic baked goods. Go early and expect to queue; opening hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Hotel Reynard
302 East Historic Columbia River Highway, Troutdale, Oregon 97060, United States
It’s often the soft-serve and soup-sandwich combos at Sugarpine Drive-In that lure Portlanders out to Troutdale for a meal, but now there’s a new culinary destination that’s worth the drive: Hotel Reynard. The latest venture from the team behind Suttle Lodge and Pal’s on Hayden Island, which debuted on Tuesday, November 3, draws inspiration from European countryside inns for a “restaurant with rooms” format, where the tavern is the centerpiece. Deviled crab corn crumpets, mussel stew, lemon-roasted potatoes, and charcoal-grilled trout are a few examples of the kind of seasonal, sense-of-place dining Reynard aims to dish out. Chef Bill Wallender of Ava Gene’s and Quaintrelle heads up the kitchen, and Sean Hoard of Teardrop serves as beverage director. A custom-made European pale lager created with Commensal Fermentation, Guinness on draft, local and European wines, and refined cocktails like the Fox River with whiskey, cacao, and peach bitters are just a few ways to whet your whistle. And, if you’d like to make a night (or weekend) of it, book one of the eight stylish rooms, which feature work from local artisans.
The Malarkey
1210 NW Hoyt St, Portland, OR, 97209, US
(971) 300-0485
A celebrity chef full of flair, an executive chef with República roots, and a prime placement in the heart of the Pearl District: The Malarkey has all the right ingredients for a buzzworthy opening, and stuck the landing. The new wood-fired seafood and steak restaurant rode into town on a wave of hype, debuting in grand style with an invitation fete on Thursday, July 30, before opening to the public the following day. The brainchild of the Malarkey brothers, Brian and James, the namesake restaurant is a “loud love letter” to Portland and the Pacific Northwest, from the seasonal, local food to the decor. In the kitchen, Jose “Lalo” Camarena adds Mexican American influences to the standard steakhouse fare; think a hefty porterhouse with a side of salsa verde, Sinaloan shrimp cocktail, or beef tartare con chicharrónes. It’s a meal worth lingering over; both for the food and to fully appreciate the over-the-top design.
Sushi Fukami
1128 Southwest Alder Street, Portland, Oregon 97205, United States
(971) 339-2156
Intimacy is already built into the omakase experience; diners frequently sit counterside, watching chefs personally mold and present each piece, and the “leave it up to you” ethos creates a trusting bond between chef and guest. At Cody Auger’s Sushi Fukami, that sense of connection gets dialed up even further. The new restaurant from the lauded Nimblefish chef opened on Friday, September 18. Fukami, which originally began as a pop-up, seats a mere eight guests in a compact room artfully designed to feel even closer, with strategically placed walls, overhead beams, and little decor to encourage honing in on the experience. Clustered around the counter, guests then have a front-row seat to Auger’s scooping, slicing, torching, garnishing, and plating each Edomae-style dish. The menu embraces less-conventional fish and seafood alongside staples like chutoro. While it may seem less impressive than Hokkaidan scallops or Spanish chutoro, the tamago is a delight and worth anticipating if it’s on the menu that night. The whole experience is supported with drinks and hospitality from operations manager Billy Poplarchik, and priced at $195 per person.
Bar Sprezzatura
1001 Southwest Broadway, Portland, Oregon 97205, United States
Portland already has a stacked portfolio of Italian eateries, but with the Friday, October 16, opening of Bar Sprezzatura, there’s a new all-star joining the line-up. Celebrity chef Michael Mina, whose restaurant empire spans the globe, established this second location of his coastal Italian bar in the Heathman Hotel. But there’s hometown starring talent as well, as Mina has teamed up with Justin Ramirez, whose resume includes Arden and Coquine, as executive chef. With its selection of cicchetti dishes (small plates typically served in Venetian bars), cocktails, and wine, this is an ideal spot for aperitivo hour bites and beverages, but a robust array of pastas and entrees also entice diners to stay for dinner.
Patufet
2511 Southeast Belmont Street, Portland, Oregon 97214, United States
Just in time for winter, Patufet, a new vermouth and wine bar from Madeline Kenney and Chris Perry, opened up on Thursday, October 8, in the old Lucky Cup Coffee space on Southeast Belmont. Inspired by the vermouth bars of Barcelona where Kenney would hang out as a touring musician, this is an extremely atmospheric haunt, where the design and decor are as much of a draw as the menu. Looks-wise, Kenney and Perry transformed the Craftsman house into a cozy, nook-filled hideaway with mural-adorned walls, elegant tchotchkes, and soft lighting. The emphasis is on vermouth or wine by the glass, balanced by a snack menu featuring cookies, cakes, tarts, and savory European-style sandwiches. Kenney says the selection will switch up frequently, with new bottles or bites appearing based on seasonal ingredients or things that strike her and Perry’s fancy. Upping the coziness factor, Secret Sauna is in residency on the back patio through the winter, so you can book a schvitz.
The Richmond Club
3203 Southeast Division Street, Portland, Oregon 97202, United States
For over a decade, the Richmond Bar was a Southeast Division staple, a neighborhood favorite for cocktails, hand pies, and comfort food in a quaint setting. The news of its closure last October came as quite the blow to its devoted regulars. Whatever took over the space would have big shoes to fill. So Dan Costa of Double Dragon opted for a reincarnation. Enter the Richmond Club, a cozy Frenchified bistro for drinks and sophisticated bar fare. The mission remains the same as its predecessor: creating a comfortable, welcoming neighborhood hangout for a drink and bite. A meal here can go high or low — chicken frites and scallop crudo with a mezcal Negroni or gin martini, or a late-night hot dog with a $7 beer.
Sazanami
10053 SW Nimbus Ave, Beaverton, OR, 97008, US
(971) 534-9288
Omakase from a James Beard Award-winning sushi chef: That’s the Sazanami pitch, and it’s more than enough to lure diners to the restaurant’s South Beaverton location. It’s the latest restaurant from Hajime Sato, a lauded sushi chef whose past openings include Seattle’s Mashiko (now under the stewardship of former staff) and Sozai in Clawson, Michigan, which earned Sato a James Beard Award before closing in 2025. Here, alongside his sous chef Michael Ervin (himself an alum of the Sozai kitchen), Sato carries on his dedication to serving sustainable sushi, using responsibly sourced fish and seasonal ingredients (some sourced from his own garden) for masterful omakase spreads. Diners choose between two omakase options — a nine-course meal that’s fully vegan, and an 11-course pescatarian menu — with an additional curated sake pairing available as well. Reservations are required and can be made up to 21 days in advance, but this is already a hot ticket and the calendar books up fast. However, once inside, diners may find that it’s one of the most laid-back omakases they’ll experience; a spot where it’s not only easy but encouraged to chat with the chefs.
