Portland Readers Vote for Best Pasta as Top Restaurants Compete for 2026 Title

Campana, the Woodlawn restaurant that topped the Oregonian/OregonLive's 2024 Readers' Choice poll for best pasta, is back in the running as the competition opened April 1, 2026, with Portlanders voting through April 7 across a field of ten nominees.

Chef-owner George Kaden's restaurant came up as a pop-up focused on East Coast Italian cooking before permanently taking over its host space, and it has held critic attention and reader loyalty ever since. The Bolognese, in particular, has generated the kind of repeat evangelism that fuels these polls: one reader described it as "to die for" in coverage tied to this year's competition. Campana's menu is built around house-made pasta and a la minute risotto, the kind of operation where technique is the product rather than the backdrop.

The field challenges that standing. A Cena, at 7742 SE 13th Ave., has built its identity around handmade pastas, cured meats and sourcing from local Pacific Northwest farmers. It is the kind of spot where the supply chain is as much a part of the pitch as the plate. Gabbiano represents the red-sauce tradition, the style that established Portland's Italian dining identity in the first place, while Bocci's Peace and Pasta anchors the comfort-driven end of the ballot.

The spread of nominees reflects how far Portland's pasta scene has developed. Century-old establishments and modern fresh-pasta kitchens share the same list, and the diversity of forms, from traditional shapes to orzo-driven plates with local influence, mirrors the range of approaches happening across the city.

Results are expected shortly after voting closes April 7. For the ten restaurants on the shortlist, the contest is already doing its work: nominees in the Oregonian's Readers' Choice orbit historically see spikes in reservations and social attention before a single winner is named.