Portland Dining Month returns in March with $35 and $55 prix-fixe menus at 100-plus restaurants
A citywide dining promotion reappears after a five-year gap
Portland Dining Month is scheduled to run throughout March 2026, marking the event’s first return since 2020. The program brings more than 100 restaurants into a single, time-limited promotion built around set-price, multi-course menus intended to draw diners during a traditionally slower period for the industry.
The event is organized as a coordinated push across neighborhoods and cuisines, with restaurants offering a standardized pricing structure and published menus intended to make comparing options easier for diners planning reservations.
How the promotion is structured
Participating restaurants are offering three-course meals at two fixed price points: $35 and $55. Menus are built around at least an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert, with individual restaurants defining specific dish choices and any dietary modifications they can accommodate.
- Timeframe: March 2026 (all month)
- Format: prix-fixe, three-course menus
- Pricing: $35 or $55
- Scale: more than 100 participating restaurants
A central event website lists participating restaurants and their menus, including filters for common dietary needs such as vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options where available.
What’s on the menu: breadth by cuisine and neighborhood
The restaurant list spans a mix of long-established dining rooms and newer entrants, reflecting Portland’s wide range of formats—from neighborhood bistros to destination restaurants. The published line-up includes Italian-focused restaurants such as Ava Gene’s and Campana, French bistros including Canard and Normandie, and Thai options such as Yaowarat and Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine. Other participating restaurants include Andina, Kachka, Nostrana, Higgins Restaurant, and several Bamboo Sushi locations.
Menus vary by restaurant and may emphasize either well-known signature dishes or limited-time offerings created specifically for the month. The result is a cross-section of how restaurants position themselves—some highlighting “greatest hits,” others using the set menu to introduce new ideas at a controlled price.
Why the return matters in 2026
The five-year interruption underscores how significantly the local dining economy was reshaped in 2020, when the pandemic triggered widespread restrictions and cancellations. The relaunch in March 2026 reflects a renewed effort to drive in-person dining through a broad, coordinated campaign rather than isolated restaurant-by-restaurant promotions.
For diners, the month is designed to lower the planning and price barriers to trying restaurants that can be difficult to book or budget for at full menu pricing.
Planning considerations for diners
Given the size of the participating list and the time-limited nature of the menus, reservations are expected to be a practical necessity at many restaurants, particularly on weekends. Diners can review menus in advance, compare the $35 and $55 tiers, and confirm whether dietary modifications are available before booking.