One of the best things about living in Portland is all the different food options. There are so many amazing places to eat here, from eclectic happy hour’s to fancy rooftop restaurants, the possibilities are endless. Trying ALL the food can get pretty spendy though, and finding budget friendly options isn’t always easy. So I’ve come up with three different date night scenarios featuring some of the best restaurants in Portland, and all are under $50!
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Inexpensive Date Nights Featuring Some of the BEST Restaurants in Portland
Date Night #1 – Boujee on a Budget ($50!)
- Happy Hour at Bartini – $14.50
Bartini is a great place to start because it has an upscale vibe without the high price tag (if you go between 4:00pm-6:30pm or after 9:30pm!) All craft cocktails are only $6 during Happy Hour – I recommend the Lady Violet or the London Fog 😉 I’d also recommend getting there right at 4:00pm, because it can get pretty packed and you may have a wait.
- Walk over to Carina for dinner – $34.50
A short walk away from Bartini is Carina, a tapas restaurant with European flare. If you make it there during Happy Hour time (say you spend an hour and a half at Bartini, then get to Carina around 5:30pm, you can order cheaper plates and still get plenty full. All plates are $5.95 and there’s a ton of options. The five that I’m drooling over are: Wild Prawns, Gremolata Steak Bites, Goat Cheese Ravioli, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, and Flatbread. Even if you ordered one each of all of these, with tip, you’d still make your $50 budget!
Date Night #2 – Dinner & Dessert ($32!)
- Early dinner at le Bistro Montage – $25.00
Montage is one of the best restaurants in Portland in my opinion. I love the vibe, the food is amazing (be sure to have some leftovers for a fun surprise!), and the drinks are killer. I’ve probably been like, ten times in the past ten years LOL. My fave thing to get is the Tomato Garlic Pesto Macaroni, it’s sooo good! The portions are also big enough to split, so I’d recommend getting this, an oyster shooter each, and the Vegetarian Hushpuppies as an appetizer. Also, be sure to get there right when they open for dinner, this is another restaurant in Portland that can get super busy and have long wait times.
- Dessert at Cheese and Crack – $7.00
Eihab and I went on this date night a couple weeks ago and it was so much fun! We really enjoyed Cheese and Crack, it’s this cute little cheese and wine shop that also sells the most delicious vanilla soft serve with chocolate ganache in the cone and covered with espresso dust #HeavenOnEarth! We really want to go back for Happy Hour to try their cheese next time!
Date Night #3 – Movie Night ($16!)
- Tightwad Tuesday at Cinetopia
Every Tuesday night you can see a movie and get popcorn and a drink for half price at Cinetopia! This is one of my favorite things to do, especially since Cinetopia has super comfy chairs. It’s $6 per person for a ticket, and a large popcorn and drink is only $6 as well!
Best Restaurants in Portland According to a Local
I also wanted to give you guys a list of the 10 best restaurants in Portland in MY opinion. I’ve personally been to each of these spots and can say they are all absolutely fabulous! Be sure to let me know in the comments if you have a restaurant you think should be included 🙂
- Portland City Grill – so cliche, but seriously a good one. They have an amazing happy hour (get there when it starts so you can get a cozy couch near the window to enjoy the gorgeous view!), and are located on the 30th floor of the US Bank Building.
- Nong’s Khao Man Gai – tiny hole in the wall with some of the best chicken and rice I’ve ever had in MY LIFE.
- Luc Lac – this Vietnamese spot in downtown Portland has delicious food and drinks and the decor is so much fun. I love the vibe at this restaurant! I’ve been several times but I usually order takeout, as the line can get pretty long regardless of when you go.
- Theo’s – if you’re a local, seeing Theo’s on my list may surprise you. It’s a sandwich shop, but they’re open late night and are located near a bunch of the clubs in Chinatown (get where I’m headed with this???). They also have the best Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich I’ve ever had. I used to live right next door to them (good for my tummy, not so much for my waistline LOL).
- Rice & Spice – this is a small teriyaki restaurant over in Northeast Portland. It’s super unnoticeable but really affordable and delicious! I used to work down the street and would walk there often for lunch!
- American Dream Pizza – right down the block from Rice & Spice is American Dream Pizza, also known as where my husband took me for dinner the night he proposed LOL (it was my idea, I was craving it!).
- Matador – I guess this is actually a chain but it’s really good so I’ll still mention it. Whenever we have friends in town from Seattle we like to go out for a fun dinner/happy hour, and Matador is a frequent flyer for us. It’s super fun, has amazing margaritas and nachos, and won’t break the bank!
- Besaw’s – getting away from dinner and into the daylight, I’d highly recommend Besaw’s for brunch! My favorite thing about their menu is their veggie sausage patties, they are SO. FREAKING. DELICIOUS.
- Brix Tavern – another spot that I’d recommend for brunch is Brix. They have bottomless mimosas and give you a freaking donut for free as an appetizer!
- Podnah’s Pit – if BBQ is more your style, I’d recommend Podnah’s. I’ve never been much into ribs, but when I visit this restaurant, I’m suddenly all about them!
Have you been to any of these restaurants in Portland? I’m curious to hear if you have and what you thought! Also, if you have an inexpensive date night idea, drop it in the comments below!!
xo,
B
I unfortunately live in the UK so these places aren’t over here…but it’s given me some good ideas for date night, including that amazing dress!
Thank you Nicole!
I’ve never been to Portland but I love getting ideas on places to eat all over the country. One day I hope to travel west and if I can keep my budget down especially on food that would be even better. Thanks for the recommendations and the ice cream in your picture looks so yummy!
OMG it was so good, I love elevated basics like ice cream with a twist haha 😉
I love that you provided prices of what you bought to give an idea of what to expect for your budget dates. I’ll be checking a few of your favorite during my next Portland trip.
I’m so glad it was helpful! Hope you have an amazing trip!
Nice list! I’ve heard good things about Podnah’s BBQ before!
It’s sooo good!
All of these places look and sound amazing. I haven’t been to any of them before. Way cooler than the options I have!
Portland has a lot of great options, there’s always somewhere new to try!
When we lived in SoCal I always wanted to make it to Portland. Friends always said how amazing the restaurant scene is. Y’all make such a cute couple 😊
Aw thank you Cammeo! I hope you get to visit one day, the restaurant scene is definitely amazing!
Thanks for the tips! Now I won’t get too overwhelmed on where to eat if ever I go to Portland 😀
I hope you get to visit, it’s such a fun city!