Noisette Restaurant: Elegant Simplicity

One of the most well-known and classiest restaurants in the Portland area is Noisette, an upscale, small plate dining spot. Typically known as a special occasion restaurant, Noisette is intimate, but connects back to the spirit of Portland in that it's run by a husband and wife team, Tony and Debbie Demes.

The restaurant offers tasting menus that allow diners to get a mini tour of the chef's capabilities. The tasting menu is an eight-course menu, and the small plate menu gives diners the choice of choosing three to four options per person. Dishes on the small plate menu include complex items, like the Oregon Coast albacore tuna tartare with black garlic sauce, carrot and egg radish salad, and a miso-white soy emulsion. Or for something a little simpler, Maine lobster with snap peas, or Columbia River king salmon.

The chef aims to take the diner on a journey through the courses, not to rush them through to turn a table. Their sommelier even works with you to pair wines perfect for what you're eating. Noisette is a quite, intimate place to enjoy some of the most decadent and perfected dishes in Portland, so stop by for a quality dinner.