Carafe is a French bistro conveniently located in downtown Portland, just across from the Keller Auditorium, near Portland State University at SW 2nd and Market. It is an excellent option for a lunch meeting, happy hour drink and snack, or a pre-show meal. They provide authentic French fare with Northwest flavors and seasonally inspired ingredients, spectacular service and expert wine pairings.

I’ve enjoyed a number of dishes from their winter menu and recently had the pleasure of tasting their updated spring dishes. I prefer to sit in the bar area where I have a direct view into the bustling kitchen - but the whole restaurant is well laid out. The walls are entirely glass, giving it an open, spacious feeling and they offer outdoor seating for sunny afternoons and warm evenings. Another understated but great aspect of the location is free valet parking and ticket validation. Up to two hours in a downtown garage for free with your meal: unbeatable. The atmosphere inside is upbeat and energetic but not overwhelming.

And the food? Unreal. With spring finally shining in the Pacific Northwest, now is the season of fresh veggies and microgreens. Executive chef Brad Ryder revamped the menu with lighter dishes, playful flavor balance and beautiful color. It is apparent through all of their dishes that Carafe Bistro strives to provide top-notch French food. The kitchen clearly takes pride in their work and the craftsmanship involved shines through in all their food. Their food is well prepared, both technically and aesthetically. I love the elegance of their plating, the well balanced flavors and deliberately chosen ingredients.

Carafe Smoked Salmon Salad
Let’s start with the Smoked Salmon Salad. Resting on a bed of succulent smoked salmon, this salad of frisée and radish microgreens is tossed lightly in a meyer lemon vinaigrette and served with orange wedges. Perfectly balanced bitter, smoky and sweet flavors, it is an ideal light first course or satiating enough for a simple dinner.  


Carafe Sweet Breads

For the more adventurous eater, I would highly recommend the Crispy Glazed Sweetbreads. Served on a bed of frisée with roasted heirloom beets (Portland loves beets), grapes, mimolette cheese, and tossed in a meyer lemon vinaigrette, this salad was my favorite course. I was a bit hesitant at first, but I cannot emphasize enough how delicious this salad is. Sweetbreads are the thymus gland of a calf, lightly breaded and fried, and are described by Carafe’s kitchen as “the best chicken nugget ever.” However, this does not do them justice. Carafe’s sweetbreads are succulent, crispy, moist and rich. Paired with mimolette - an aged French cheddar- the flavor balance is pleasing to the palate. 

Carafe PoissonFor main courses, every option is a good one. The poisson varies seasonally and was halibut when I went in but is frequently Columbia River Salmon. Served with gnocchi, wild mushrooms, nettle cream and preserved lemon oil, this dish is elegant, balanced, and light but sufficiently filling. The nettle cream was earthy and complimented the sautéed wild mushrooms which included Maitake, King Oyster and Morel. In contrast, the fish was perfectly seared, moist and fell apart in my mouth. This dish is brilliantly imaginative.

Carafe Crispy Duck Leg
For a slightly more substantial entrée, the  Duck Confit is rich and tender. The crispy duck leg melted from the bone yet the skin crackled in contrast. The rich flavours begged some acidity or sweetness and were met with a seasonally inspired rhubarb puree, sweet, acidic and almost bitter without overwhelming the palate. Matched with potato croquettes, this dish was beyond impressive. The croquettes can only be described as a fried mashed potato- crispy on the exterior and creamy inside. You can see the rhubarb pickles adorning the plate - perfect vinegar to balance the richness.

Carafe Cripsy Pork ShankFor the brave soul with a large appetite (perhaps you’ve just run a marathon?), the Crispy Pork Shank is best for those who are not planning to leave room for dessert (or for breakfast tomorrow). This plate filler is everything a pork shank should be. Like all Carafe’s food, it is cooked perfectly: crisped skin, rich and moist meat, flavorful. Apple chutney lightened the palate with a bit of tart and sweet, creating a balanced flavor spectrum. Served on a bed of seasonal veggies, early spring means carrot, beet, roasted pepper, baby turnip, snap peas, asparagus and fava beans.

Carafe DessertFor their new spring dessert, I tried the Fleur des Nuages - literally the flower of the clouds. This is exactly the dessert to complete a large meal. Every ingredient is deliberately chosen and beautifully plated. Chantilly cream, seasonal berries, honey, lemon zest, meringue and asian pear blossoms. It was both beautiful and flavorsome. Creamy and rich, yet light and airy this dish was impressively distinctive. Carafe desserts change fairly frequently but are all creative and inspired. They also offer a few rotating flavors of ice cream, all made in-house.

It is apparent through all of their dishes that Carafe Bistro strives to provide top-notch French food. The kitchen clearly takes pride in their work and the craftsmanship involved shines through in all their food. Their food is well prepared, both technically and aesthetically. I love the elegance of their plating, the well balanced flavors and deliberately chosen ingredients.

Carafe also offers a spectacular happy hour. Tuesday through Friday from 2:30-6 (unless there is a show at the Keller Theatre in which case HH ends at 5), you can get bifsteak frites, made with hangar steak and served with bearnaise for $7! Their fries are amazing. Most of the happy hour menu is less than $5 and ¼ liter of wine is $6. Plus, you might have the pleasure of being served by Nick, their very knowledgeable bartender.

So why go there now? Carafe was recently purchased by ChefStable, a Portland restaurant group that includes Grüner and St. Jack’s, and will be closed for the transition starting the 2nd of June. You must try their food before ownership changes!
Open Monday 11:30am-2:30pm, Tuesday - Thursday 11:30am-8:30pm, Friday 11:30am-9pm, Saturday 5pm-9pm and closed Sunday.

For more information about the author, Bethany Huntley, please visit their profile page.