The Top Five Places to Eat in Portland This Week

1. Twisted Croissant

2129 NE Broadway, 503-477-5514, twistedcroissant.com.

Originally operating out of local farmers markets, owner and chef Kurt Goddard now makes his 27-layer laminated dough in the back of a pocket-sized Irvington brick-and-mortar, and his plain butter croissants and pain au chocolat already have such a loyal following they frequently sell out. But Goddard's buttery-light touch shines best in the savory options, like the Loaded Corn Bread Croissant, which is basically patisserie as empanada.

Read the full review: Twisted Croissant's Decadent Pastries Already Have a Cult Following, but Chef Kurt Goddard Can Do Savory Just as Well as Sweet.

2. G-Love

1615 NW 21st Ave., 971-229-1043, g-lovepdx.com.

Portland's first "reverse steakhouse" puts veggies in the spotlight and relegates meat to sideshow status, which isn't the novel idea around these parts owner and chef Garrett Benedict seems to think it is—but items such as the craveable Ensalata Bomba are delicious enough to justify the restaurant's existence, regardless of the concept.

Read the full review: G-Love's "Reverse Steakhouse" Is the Normcore Veggie Restaurant Slabtown Didn't Really Need, But Probably Deserves.

3. Lovely Rita

5 NW 4th Ave., 503-770-0500.

The Hoxton's ground-floor restaurant has rebranded, now serving a wonderfully funky and smoky burger, decadent sweet potato gnocchi and veggie-forward dishes like smoked mushrooms in a zesty chermoula sauce. Don't overlook the dessert counter, which now sells some of the best grab-and-go Mexican-inspired pastries available downtown.

Read the full review: A Trio of New Restaurants Have Opened in Downtown Portland Hotels. We Went to All Three.

4. Berlu

605 SE Belmont St., berlupdx.com.

Chef Vince Nguyen elevates fine dining to the astral plane: delicious, mysterious, stylish without pretension, invariably thoughtful and focused. Each presentation is a work of visual artistry, bursting with bright, sometimes psychedelic colors. But it's not just the food that makes this one of Portland's best new restaurants. A meal here is a fully formed experience, where everything from the music to the David Bowie-themed restroom plays a part.

Read the full review: With Broths Served in Test Tubes and a David Bowie-Themed Restroom, Berlu Is One of Portland's Most Unique Fine-Dining Experiences.

5. Magna

2525 SE Clinton St., 503-395-8542, magnapdx.com.

It's past time for a food city like Portland to have its own great Filipino restaurant, and with Carlo Lamagna's Magna, we've got one. To a first-gen Filipino who grew up eating this food at every meal, Lamagna's dishes are both intimately familiar and achingly cool. In his hands, even the humble tortang talong—a simple fried eggplant omelet—is coddled with as much care as an Escoffier-style omelet, served with a spray of quick-pickled watermelon radishes, onions, and fresh tomatoes.

Read the full review: Magna Is like Being Teleported into a Filipino Family's Sunday Dinner.