The Best Dining with a View

  • Chart House (Portland; tel. 503/246-6963): Perched high on a hillside, this restaurant boasts the best view of any restaurant in Portland. The Willamette River is directly below and off in the distance stand Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens.
  • Roseanna's Oceanside CafĂ© (Oceanside; tel. 503/842-7351): You can expect a long wait to get a table here on a summer weekend, but the view of the haystack rocks just offshore makes this place an absolute legend on the Three Capes Scenic Loop.
  • Pelican Pub & Brewery (Pacific City; tel. 503/965-7007): Cheap pub food and good microbrews are usually enough to keep an Oregon brewpub packed, but this one also has a head-on view of Pacific City's Haystack Rock and is right on the beach.
  • Beck (Depoe Bay; tel. 503/765-3220): With windows that look out to Whale Cove, one of the prettiest little coves on the Oregon coast, this stylish, modern restaurant is a foodie's dream come true -- highly creative cuisine and a view to match. Sunset dinners are unforgettable.
  • Tidal Raves (Depoe Bay; tel. 541/765-2995): When the surf's up, you can practically forget about getting a table at this oceanfront restaurant. The windows overlook a rugged shoreline known for putting on some of the coast's best displays of crashing waves.
  • Saffron Salmon (Newport; tel. 541/265-8921): As you dine at this restaurant at the end of a short pier on the Newport bayfront, keep an eye out for sea lions and fishermen unloading their catch.
  • Lord Bennett's Restaurant and Lounge (Bandon; tel. 541/347-3663): The beach in Bandon is strewn with dozens of huge monoliths that make this one of the most impressive stretches of shoreline in the state, and this restaurant has the perfect view for enjoying sunset over the sand, surf, and giant rocks.
  • Multnomah Falls Lodge (Columbia Gorge; tel. 503/695-2376): This historic lodge is at the base of Oregon's tallest waterfall, and although not every table has a view of the waterfall, there are plenty that do, especially in the summer when there is outside seating.
  • Viewpoint Inn (Columbia Gorge; tel. 503/695-5811): Set high on a bluff at the west end of the Columbia River Gorge, this historic inn has a view that stretches down the Columbia to Portland and beyond. Start a tour of the Gorge with Sunday brunch here or finish the day with a sunset dinner.

The Best Off-the-Beaten-Path Restaurants

  • The Joel Palmer House (Dayton; tel. 503/864-2995): Mushrooms are the chef's obsession at this wine-country restaurant, and you'll find them in almost every dish on the menu. The restaurant is quite formal, housed in an immaculately restored old home.
  • Nora's Table (Hood River; tel. 541/387-4000): In a tiny basement restaurant on a Hood River side street, you'll find some of the most creative food in Oregon. The setting is casual, and the eclectic menu ranges from India to Mexico.
  • Cascade Dining Room (Mount Hood; tel. 503/272-3104): Located inside the historic Timberline Lodge, the Cascade Dining Room is Oregon's premier mountain-lodge restaurant and has long kept skiers and other hotel guests happy.
  • Jen's Garden (Sisters; tel. 541/549-2699): This little cottage in the central Oregon faux cowtown of Sisters is one of the best reasons to stay here in Sisters. With superb food and exquisite wines, dinner here is unforgettable.
  • Kokanee Cafe (Camp Sherman; tel. 541/595-6420): Located amid the ponderosa pines on the banks of the Metolius River near the Western theme town of Sisters, this rustic restaurant has the look of an upscale fishing lodge, but its clientele is much broader than just the fly anglers who come to test the waters of the Metolius. The trout is, of course, always a good bet.
  • New Sammy's Cowboy Bistro (Ashland; tel. 541/535-2779): Long a hidden gem of the southern Oregon restaurant scene, this roadside bastion of culinary creativity serves meals driven by fresh produce from the restaurant's garden. The chef/owners started out in Napa Valley before moving north to Oregon.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.