Portland has become a world-class foodie destination, thanks to the natural bounty of the Northwest and an infusion of visionary culinary talent. In fact, the city was named one of the country’s best places to eat by Food & Wine magazine just last August. So with an abundance of choices and creative, sustainable menus becoming a top wedding priority, it’s no wonder more couples are marrying their two great loves: food and each other. Going beyond the private dining room, these restaurants are available to rent in their entirety for a private, and of course, delicious affair. Inquire directly for availability on specific dates—most try to close only once or twice a month and often not on Saturdays, so try to book well in advance.
ANDINA/TUPAI
NW Portland
Capacity: Varies
Cuisine: Peruvian
Rental fees: Varies; food and beverage minimum for each
Andina has not one, not two, but six spaces for that distinctive wedding reception with an exotic flair. Small and intimate? Rub elbows at the knotted alder table in their cozy Pearl Wine Shop (seats 16). Need more elbow room? Try Tupai, a loft-like event space opened in 2008 specifically for special occasions; with its own kitchen and full-service bar, it’s ideal for wedding celebrations for up to 100 people. There’s also the George V or Tourmaline private dining rooms, which can be combined for parties up to 70. And if you have the budget to spare, Andina restaurant and Bar Mestizo, with three floors decked out in the vibrant colors of South America, are sometimes available for a full buyout.
AQUARIVA
SW Portland
Capacity: 150 seated, 175 standing
Cuisine: Italian with Northwest twist
Rental fees: Fee waived if food and beverage minimum met
This is your spot, from start to finish. Staff work with the bride and groom to create a customized menu. Grand columns frame large-as-life views of the Willamette River through floor-to-ceiling windows. Guests can mingle around the bar, sit down in the luxe dining room to eat, and then dance the night away in the upstairs mezzanine. Take advantage of valet parking, or take a cue from the eco-conscious and shuttle your party via TriMet’s Streetcar from downtown. After all the fun, the River’s Edge Hotel & Spa is just next door.
BLUEHOUR
NW Portland
Capacity: 200 seated, 250 standing
Cuisine: Northwest with an Italian/French twist
Rental fees: Food and beverage minimum
You know how it goes: “Something old, something new.…” Borrow from the hip Pearl District to find a twist on something blue. Bluehour may be the restaurant that has it all for those who want to indulge. Guests will enjoy artful fare from your specialized menu and a sleek, contemporary atmosphere in the heart of the Pearl. They have accommodated everything from 80 wedding guests for a luncheon to 200 for a sit-down reception dinner, tables glittering under stunning oversize circle chandeliers and tucked behind dramatic two-story curtains.
GENOA
SE Portland
Capacity: 54 seated, 70 standing
Cuisine: Slow Food/Italian
Rental fees: Food and beverage minimum of $2,500, not including gratuity
Recently reopened Genoa—the restaurant that planted the gourmet seeds here over 30 years ago—is making the old new again, complete with private dining at next-door café, Accanto. Debbie Burns and Mike Elliot reserved the entire restaurant for their ceremony and reception on 10/10/10, and Debbie does not hesitate to give Genoa a perfect 10. “Phenomenal,” she says, to put it into words. She especially loved the risotto. Tim Parsons, events manager, calls it “the sexiest, most comfortable space in Portland” that includes a fireplace and stained-glass chandeliers—standard backdrop for any fine dining.
GRÜNER
Downtown Portland
Capacity: 40 seated, 50 standing
Cuisine: Alpine
Rental fees: $400 for luncheons; $7,000 and up for buyouts, not including gratuity
You may not know it, but the corner of SW 12th Avenue and Alder Street is a great spot to watch the city, and an easy walk to just about anywhere downtown. But why would you go anywhere else? Tucked in the striking SkyLab Architecture building, Gruner takes Alpine comfort food (think beef goulash and braised chicken spatzle) to a newly sophisticated level. Sit down at the large Stammtisch, or family table, in a modern-day lodge that looks like what a woodland would be if it grew up in the urban landscape.
LINCOLN
North Portland
Capacity: 75 seated, 125 standing
Cuisine: Seasonal Northwest
Rental fees: Food and beverage minimum
Chef and co-owner Jenn Louis describes Lincoln as “Supernorthwest,” i.e., very Northwest: simple, genuine quality. “What we do is Northwest hospitality. It’s a sensibility: We like nice clothes, we like to be treated well, but we like it comfortably, not too much ego attached to it, and we don’t want it to be too fussy.” One recent wedding menu included salmon slowly roasted over rock salt with fennel and lemon. Warm wood (mostly reclaimed, of course) is made even warmer by plenty of light, and doors roll up for an open yet intimate affair. If most of your wedding guests are coming from out of town, this is the place to show them what all the fuss is about.
YAKUZA
NE Portland
Capacity: 65 seated
Cuisine: Japanese
Rental fees: Food and beverage minimum per person varies depending on day
Like nowhere else in town, Yakuza is the place to make a fun and funky statement on your day. A lively muraled wall separates the sushi bar from the front room, but you can combine both for your reception—plus a lush patio filled with bamboo. Guests can sample such a variety of finger foods and incredible sushi that they’ll be more than satisfied. And cocktails like the carrot cosmo and pink peppercorn and grapefruit martini will keep everyone buzzing.
GOURMET STATE More delicious Oregon wedding settings:
Valley
Coast
Gorge
Central