Arden

Perks

  • Complimentary glass of sparkling wine any time you dine at the restaurant
About

The name of this Pearl District eatery, so popular since its 2018 opening, is an allusion to the Arden of Shakespeare's As You Like It, a magical forest where anything can happen. Named to Eater's 2022, 2024, and 2024 List of Portland's "38 Essential Restaurants" (as well as their 2024 "Best Tasting Menus in PDX" List), Arden lives up to that name by being a green delight, with loads of hanging plants, natural wines at the table, and an open kitchen where one can watch Chef Erik Van Kley at work. Chef Van Kley earned his stripes under Gabriel Rucker, James Beard "Best Chef: Northwest" Award-Winner, first at Little Bird, which the Oregonian named "Restaurant of the Year," and then at Le Pigeon, before opening his own restaurant, Taylor Railworks. At Arden, he celebrates seasonal produce, meats, and fish from local purveyors with dishes like burrata with squash, pear, pine nuts, and cider brown butter; chanterelle and potato pierogis with chive crème fraiche and burgundy truffles; trout with radishes, turnips, and puffed rice; and slow roasted pork shoulder with grits, prawns, clams, and crispy corn. The Bard himself once wrote, "I almost die for food, and let me have it!" He would be happy at Arden.

Category
  • Restaurants
  • Arden hero 1 updated