Top 16 Best Italian Restaurants In Portland

Affordable, flavorsome and with a huge variety of dishes to choose from, Italian food is one of the most popular cuisines in the world.

The food-loving city Portland is home to many fine Italian restaurants, some casual, some elegant, but all pretty fantastic. Here are some of the best Italian restaurants in Portland, Oregon…

1. Fillmore Trattoria – a friendly Italian restaurant that offers traditional Italian fare with vegetarian options

This Italian spot on NW 23rd Place offers just the right mix of casual yet elegant food from the old country – lots of different kinds of pasta, including lasagne and ravioli, but there are plenty of other dishes with a unique spin on your favorite Italian foods.

Popular dishes include fried goat, filet mignon, bruschetta and dine in or get take out from 4:30 p.m., but closed from Sunday to Tuesday.

1937 NW 23rd Pl, Portland, OR 97210

2. Degario’s Ristorante – a popular Italian restaurant with handmade pasta and vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options

Striving to be the best Italian restaurant in Portland and with the praise they get they’re doing pretty well with their aim!

Degario’s Ristorante a charming place which prides itself on serving handmade pasta, pizza as well as drinks craft beer, wine and even cocktails, Italian inspired of course!

Located in NW West Union Rd they also offer vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options and the happy hour is very popular too.

18365 NW West Union Rd, Portland, OR 97229

3. Gilda’s Italian Restaurant – authentic Italian food made with organic, local and sustainable products

The murals on the walls lend this restaurant plenty of old world Italian charm and ambience.

Located on Morrison Street, you can satisfy almost any Italian food craving here – pastas, pizzas, and plenty more, and Gilda’s focuses on local, sustainable ingredients when making its dishes.

Open Wednesday until Sunday, from 4:30 on.

1601 SW Morrison St, Portland, OR 97205

4. Pastini Italian Restaurant – the perfect spot for amazingly delicious Italian inspired food

Located on SE Division Street, Pastini is open seven days a week starting with lunch at 11:30.

This spot does a contemporary take on old world favorites, like lasagne, spaghetti with meatballs and other classics.

Pastini caters to folks with a hankering for the rib-sticking Italian foods, but tips its hat to modern eating habits by offering gluten-free versions of some pastas.

1426 NE Broadway St, Portland, OR 97232

5. Mucca Osteria – a romantic and modern Italian restaurant in an elegant spot with gothic flair decor

Whether you dine in or get a big order to take home to the family, Mucca Osteria specializes in handmade pasta that delights the taste buds and doesn’t break the budget.

The restaurant has a lovely, romantic feel, so take time to sit, sip a glass of Chianti and order a steaming bowl of spaghetti. Open every day but Sunday, from 5 until 10 p.m. Located on SW Morrison.

1022 SW Morrison St, Portland, OR 97205

6. Gino’s Italian Restaurant & Bar – an upmarket trattoria with a stylish ambience

This family-run establishment has been a hit with Portland residents for nearly 24 years, and it’s now doing indoor dining once again, along with pickup orders.

Located on 13th Avenue in Sellwood, Gino’s offers up classic Italian fare like Cesar salad and other expected dishes, but also has some delightful surprises.

Try the sausage on polenta, or if you’re really hungry go for “Grandma’s Jeans,” a dish of pork ribs, beef, and tomatoes spooned over penne. The portions are generous so you may be taking some home! Open daily from 4 p.m. until 9.

8051 SE 13th Ave, Portland, OR 97202

7. Ava Gene’s Italian Restaurant – a traditional Italian eatery that serves tasty food and local wines

Ava delights its customers with a chic atmosphere and plenty of inventive cocktails to start, then dishes up everything from a beautiful beet salad to more substantial and traditional Italian fare, including gnocchi fritto and lamb ragu pasta.

While Ava Gene’s enjoys hosting romantic diners, it makes a point of welcoming families, too. Located on SE Division Street, open on Thursdays only right now.

3377 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97202

8. Luce Italian Restaurant – a small trendy Italian restaurant and grocery perfect to find your seasonal food

Luce is a small place filled with big flavors. Open daily from 4 until 10 p.m., Luce makes its own pasta, and has a grocery store on site so you can stock up on your favorites and take them home!

Dine in, take out, but no delivery. Located on Burnside Street, Luce features seasonal ingredients in many of its dishes, so the menu varies month to month.

2140 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214

9. Cibo Italian Restaurant – traditional Italian restaurant with a wood-fired oven

This eatery, located on Division Street, is known for the fabulous pizzas that emerge from its wood-fired pizza oven. Whether you want one piled high with meat or chock full of veggies, Cibo no doubt has a pizza to fit your preference.

The cocktails are famous for their originality with locals and visitors alike – the perfect kick before the pizza arrives! Open daily from 4 until 10 p.m.

3539 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97202

10. Caffe Mingo – a cozy Italian restaurant that offers classic Italian food with a touch of America

The menu at Mingo is big enough to satisfy even the most discerning Italian food lover, and the restaurant has a wine menu to match – big, bold, and offering something for everybody.

After having a glass of red, try the gnocchi, or the warm roasted beets with herb and yogurt dressing, followed by the scallops with risotto and herbs.

For the meat lover in the crowd, there’s the Chianti and espresso braised beef, or perhaps the lamb chops with pumpkin puree? Like we said, something for everyone.

If you’ve got any room left when your meal is finished, there is a dessert menu that’s almost as big as the wine and entree lists. Mingo is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Located on NW 21^st

811 NW 21st Ave, Portland, OR 97209

11. A Cena Ristorante – simply cooked meals with locally sourced ingredients perfect to enjoy in a warm environment

Situated on 13th Avenue, this Italian eatery lets you dine in or order take out and is popular for making homemade pasta with locally sourced ingredients.

The room has a chic and elegant vibe, and though it’s closed Monday and Tuesday, it opens at 5 every other night, so you can sit down to an early feast of dishes traditional dishes like eggplant parmigiana, caprese salad, or polenta.

If its’ meat you’re after, try the Bistecca – grilled hangar steak with pine nuts and peppers. There is also an extensive wine list and dessert menu.

7742 SE 13th Ave, Portland, OR 97202

12. Mama Mia Trattoria – an elegant restaurant lounge where you can enjoy a happy hour and gluten-free pasta

At this popular Italian restaurant, the meatballs simmer all day long and the pastas are homemade. Every day has a different list of specials, all of which make the most of local, seasonal and fresh ingredients.

Start with a charcuterie board to share with your fellow diners, then move on to favorites like fettuccine Alfredo.

This spot has gluten-free pasta options for a small fee. Located on the waterfront, on SW 2nd Avenue, Mama Mia also hosts private events, including corporate dinners and family birthday parties.

439 SW 2nd Ave, Portland, OR 97204

13. Serratto Italian Cuisine – a refined Italian Mediterranean restaurant and bar located in a lively neighborhood

This is one of the city’s most chic establishments, with a long, copper bar and private dining rooms to host any event on your calendar.

The food is a lovely balance of Italian with French influences, but you can also get their take on a good, old-fashioned hamburger if that’s your craving.

There is just about everything Italian on Serratto’s menu, to, including fresh pastas and seared sea scallops. Located on NW Kearney Street, open seven days a week starting at 4 p.m.

2112 NW Kearney St, Portland, OR 97210

14. Gumba Italian Food Cart – food cart that serves high-end food with delicious flavor

When it’s time for something a little more low key than some of the swankier locations in Portland without sacrificing an ounce of flavor and zest, Gumba’s is the spot.

This cart, located on NE Alberta Street, specializes in Italian sandwiches and plenty of homemade pastas.

Take home an order of ricca pasta with beef, a fried chicken sandwich and a few slices of olive oil cake, and let the family relax and eat in tonight. Closed Tuesday, open from 4:30 until 9:30 other days.

1733 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211

15. Gallo Nero Italian Restaurant – an authentic Tuscan bistro with outdoor seating

This eatery is hugely popular with Portland’s Italian food fans, so that tells you how good the dishes are.

Billed as an “authentic Italian bistro,” Gallo specializes in the cuisine of Tuscany, and offers spaghetti with seafood, antipasto, lasagne and risotto, along with plenty of other Italian traditional entrees.

Also on the menu is fish stew, and pasta sauteed with prosciutto and garlic. Dine in or order for pickup, open Wednesday and Thursday noon to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from noon until 9 p.m.

903 NW Everett St, Portland, OR 97209

16. Ernesto’s Italian Restaurant – extensive menu from traditional pasta to hand-crafted soups perfect for gatherings

Located on Apple Way, this establishment’s generous portions of many Italian classics, along with a salad bar, make it the ideal locale for a night out with the family or a big group from the office.

Open daily from noon until 9 p.m., Ernesto’s serves up everything folks love about Italian food – rich, cheesy sauces, garlic bread, filling, delicious pastas, and plenty of other fare that delights the senses without breaking the wallet.

There are desserts, too, and good wine by the glass for the grownups in your group.

8544 SW Apple Way, Portland, OR 97225

We also have posts on…

Scott Balaam

Scott started his travelling life back in 1999, when he headed off on a solo jaunt to South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia with just a backpack, a camera and a spirit for adventure. After that, the travel bug bit hard and now he is always seeking to head off somewhere new. Over the years he has lived in Italy, Qatar, Ireland, UK and the US but his spiritual home will always be Rome as this is the city which most satisfies his unrelenting craving for culture, good food and great football. Scott loves nothing better than to be behind the camera and also runs his own blog and Instagram page. He also counts Melbourne, Cape Town and Tel Aviv among his favourite places. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @scottbalaam

Top 16 Best Italian Restaurants in Portland