The 25 Best Restaurants in Portland, Ore., Right Now

In the Where to Eat: 25 Best series, we’re highlighting our favorite restaurants in cities across the United States. These lists will be updated as restaurants close and open, and as we find new gems to recommend. As always, we pay for all of our meals and don’t accept free dishes.

Akadi

Hosford-Abernathy | West African

Credit…Sara Beasley

The chef Fatou Ouattara’s suya-spiced wings alone are a great reason to visit this lively, airy spot on Division Street. The nutty, vibrant treatment, combined with a perfect fry, produces some of the best chicken in town. The tangy lamb dibi and the hearty, earthy okra goat stew are worthy follow-ups; for vegan diners, there are several stews that bring the same depth of flavor. What unites much of the menu are Ms. Ouattara’s piquant housemade sauces. They are so compulsively enjoyable — particularly one made with tomato, ginger, roasted carrot and African spices — that you’ll be searching the plate for anything else to dip. The sauces are so good, she now bottles and sells them at local grocery stores. BRIAN GALLAGHER

1001 Southeast Division Street; 971-271-7072; akadipdx.com

Cafe Olli

King | Pizza, Brunch, Bakery

At Cafe Olli, the all-day cafe concept is anything but stale. Maybe it’s the bread program, churning out fresh boules every day. Or the pastry menu, with its generously salted chocolate chip cookies alongside delicate laminated items. Or maybe it’s the eclectic array of breakfast and lunch dishes seemingly designed for your personal cravings — why yes, I could go for charred cabbage with harissa tahini and fried shallots — or the Neapolitan-style pies with seasonal toppings. But the most likely source of Cafe Olli’s freshness is that it’s employee-owned, and there’s a clear buy-in from everyone involved that you can taste on your plate. NIKITA RICHARDSON

3925 Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard; 503-206-8604; cafeolli.com

Coquine

Mount Tabor | Continental, Pacific Northwest

Advertisement