Cafe
Photo: Arnaud 25 · Public domain

14 cafe places in Portland we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Portland | Cafe across every city.

Portland takes its coffee as seriously as its food, with a roaster-driven culture spread across the peninsula. Tandem Coffee Roasters runs its roastery on Anderson Street in East Bayside, while Speckled Ax on Congress Street in the Arts District built its name on wood-fired roasting. Bard Coffee on Middle Street holds down the Old Port end of the scene.

Tandem Coffee Roasters Anderson Street ★ 4.7

$CaféEast Bayside

Tandem Coffee Roasters on Anderson Street, since 2012 from Will and Kathleen Pratt, is the working East Bayside roastery and cafe with espresso and filter.

TipMonday to Saturday 07:00-13:00. The Congress Street cafe handles weekends and full-day brunch.

Tandem Coffee + Bakery Congress Street ★ 4.7

$CaféWest End

Tandem Coffee + Bakery on Congress Street in the West End is the brunch sibling to the Anderson Street roastery, with buttermilk biscuits and pour-overs.

TipOpen daily 08:00-13:00. Online ordering for collection 07:45-10:15.

Bard Coffee ★ 4.6

$CaféOld Port

Bard Coffee on Middle Street, since 2009, was Portland's first dedicated third-wave cafe, pouring espresso flights and pour-overs from rotating roasters.

TipMon-Sat 07:00-17:00; Sun 08:00-17:00. Pours coffee from rotating roasters, not just one house program.

Speckled Ax ★ 4.6

$CaféArts District

Speckled Ax on Congress Street, since 2012 from Matt Bolinder (roasting since 2007), is Portland's wood-fired coffee roaster with house-roasted beans.

TipDaily 07:00-17:00. The wood-roast lineup rotates seasonally; ask for the latest single origin.

Coffee By Design Diamond Street ★ 4.5

$CaféEast Bayside

Coffee By Design on Diamond Street is Portland's flagship coffeehouse and roastery, since 1994 from Mary Allen Lindemann and Alan Spear. Tours by appointment.

TipDaily 07:00-18:00. The Diamond Street site is the working roastery; tours by appointment.

Arabica Coffee House ★ 4.3

$CaféOld Port

Arabica Coffee House on Free Street has run since 2001 as Portland's bohemian third-wave room, with house-roasted espresso, lattes and a summer patio.

TipOpen daily 07:30-17:00. The room is small but the patio opens in summer.

Forage Market ★ 4.5

$CaféEast Bayside

Forage Market on Washington Avenue in East Bayside, a wood-fired bagel cafe with all-day Speckled Ax-roasted coffee, schmears and brunch sandwiches daily.

TipMon-Fri 07:00-13:00; Sat-Sun 08:00-13:00. Bagels sell out by early lunch; arrive before 11:00 on weekends.

Moonday Coffee ★ 4.5

$CaféEast Bayside

Moonday Coffee at the Black Box on Washington Ave in East Bayside, a shipping-container roastery cafe pulling Speckled Ax and pouring scratch-made masala.

TipThursday to Sunday 09:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00. Counter and standing only, no laptops.

Speckled Ax ★ 4.2

$$CafeArts District

Speckled Ax on Congress Street in Portland is the city's wood-fired coffee roaster, roasting over open hardwood flame and vanishingly rare in the country.

TipDaily 07:00-17:00. Ask the barista for the latest wood-roasted single origin.

Tandem Coffee Roasters ★ 4.8

$$CafeEast Bayside

Tandem Coffee Roasters on Anderson Street, since 2012 from Will and Kathleen Pratt, is Portland's flagship third-wave roastery and East Bayside cafe.

TipAnderson Street is the working roastery and cafe; Congress Street is the brunch and pastry sibling.

Coffee By Design ★ 4.6

$$CafeEast Bayside

Coffee By Design on Diamond Street, since 1994 from Mary Allen Lindemann and Alan Spear, is Portland's longest-running independent roastery.

TipDaily 07:00-18:00. Bag-of-the-month subscription via the operator site.

Speckled Ax Wood-Fired Coffee Roasters ★ 4.7

$$CafeArts District

Speckled Ax on Congress Street (Bolinder roasting since 2007, shop since 2012) roasts coffee over an open hardwood fire from an Arts District storefront.

TipDaily 07:00-17:00. Ask the barista for the latest wood-roasted single origin.

Bard Coffee ★ 4.5

$$CafeOld Port

Bard Coffee on Middle Street, since 2009, was Portland's first dedicated specialty-coffee cafe and runs a rotating multi-roaster program with no house roast.

TipThe Middle Street cafe is the only Bard site; subscription beans rotate through the cafe.

Lay Day Roasters ★ 4.4

$$CafeBayside

Lay Day Roasters on Preble Street in Bayside Portland, a small-batch micro-lot specialist with a rotating single-origin program and a quiet roastery cafe.

TipRotating producer drops every few weeks.

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