This casual, tropical island-themed floating restaurant is a great spot for a chill, laidback lunch or dinner looking out over the water. Here, Vancouverites and Portlanders meet in the middle for meals of shrimp cocktail and ahi tuna tacos, accompanied by margaritas and virgin piña coladas. It’s best to sit right by the water on the open-air wooden deck dining area, covered with colorful umbrellas, for peaceful views as boats slide by. While you won’t find views of a crystal-clear turquoise ocean, the views of the mighty Columbia River are just as good.

Open seasonally from approximately late April to the end of September, this easygoing restaurant at McCuddy’s Marina in Northeast Portland floats right on the waters of the Columbia River. The sunny outdoor patio is the best place to snack on seafood, sandwiches, burgers, and other casual fare while boat-watching and admiring nearby houseboats. The cocktails are also fun, especially the Shark Bite, which comes with a grenadine-filled toy shark.

Located on the southern bank of the Columbia River in Northeast Portland, looking across at Vancouver over the water, the upscale Salty’s on the Columbia River has the best river views to pair with its seafood and steak menu. If the weather’s nice, the breezy outdoor dining patio overlooking the water is the place to be. But the view from the enclosed dining room, with its banks of windows, is just as good for bird- and boat-watching. If it’s a clear day, Mount Hood may even make an appearance on the horizon. The menu offers seafood from near and far, like local oysters, Dungeness crab, Maine lobster, and Alaskan salmon. It’s hard to say when the view is best, from sunny in the morning for brunch to watching the stars come out over the Columbia at night.

A chic, stylish spot for tequila and mezcal-centric cocktails, natural wine, and tacos, Tope’s privileged position on the rooftop of downtown’s Hoxton hotel gives it excellent views across the city. Look down onto the hubbub of West Burnside and at the surrounding historic buildings of Old Town Chinatown, or gaze east across the Willamette River toward East Portland and Mount Hood, with the Portland Stag a few blocks away. Tope has both indoor and outdoor dining areas, with great views from both the white, minimalist indoor dining room and airy, lit-up patio.

Despite being only four floors above the hustle and bustle of East Burnside, Noble Rot’s classy dining room and small but cozy outdoor patio still manage to feel like quiet, secluded oases in the heart of the city. Watching the sun sink behind the West Hills or listening to cars whizz by below, visitors sip on pours from the restaurant’s James Beard Award-nominated wine program and enjoy seasonal dishes that utilize fresh produce from the rooftop garden. The best seat in the house is undoubtedly on the outdoor deck overlooking Burnside, strung with lights and full of lush greenery. Those who prefer the indoors can snag a seat at one of the sleek white banquette tables right by the window.

With an ultra-modern, all-white aesthetic accented by orange umbrellas and chairs, the outdoor rooftop decks at Departure on the top floor of The Nines hotel in downtown are instantly recognizable as one of the most popular rooftop dining experiences in the city. With views overlooking Pioneer Square and encompassing downtown, the West Hills, the Willamette River, and the wooded neighborhoods of East Portland, a scenic backdrop is guaranteed regardless of the assigned table. Select seats inside placed by tall windows also offer city views. While dropping in for happy hour craft cocktails and small bites is a great way to soak up some much-needed Vitamin C from the Pacific Northwestern sun, staying for the signature pan-Asian cuisine at dinner also allows diners to watch the city light up at night.

Before catching a show downstairs, first catch the show upstairs, which is to say the unbeatable panoramic city views from Roof Deck. Open seasonally from April to October and weather permitting, this sunny, open-air spot serves burgers, pizza, beer, cocktails, and other easy, tasty food and drink options from Show Bar downstairs. The unobstructed city view is one of the best in the central Buckman neighborhood, with a grand view of downtown and the hills to the west, the striking profile of Mount Tabor to the east, and Portland’s lush, woodsy neighborhoods all around.

From the patio of Amaterra Winery, on the top of Swede Hill, this expansive winery and restaurant offers gorgeous panoramas of the vineyard plantings, West Haven-Sylvan, and surrounding forests, both from the winery patio and the indoor dining room. Here, members taste flights of Oregon and Washington wines, or opt for full dinners of wild Oregon Chinook paired with Willamette Valley pinot noir. Reservations are available online, and are recommended.

Chef Alexander Diestra — formerly of Peruvian stalwart Andina — now runs the kitchen at this riverside seafood spot, serving Willamette views alongside kanpachi crudo and grilled branzino. For the best scenery, diners should reserve a table outside on a sunny day, where diners can catch a glimpse at the Hawthorne bridge between the trees. A stroll through the South Hawthorne Waterfront Park is a fine finish to a meal of oysters and risotto.

Despite running right through the heart of Portland, there are few actual sit-down restaurants and dining experiences to be had along the Willamette River. Located along the tree-lined pedestrian esplanade that runs from the South Hawthorne Waterfront Park down toward the South Waterfront, Il Terrazzo offers sidewalk seating right by Riverplace Marina. While dining on their menu of seasonal and mainstay Italian dishes, diners can watch the Hawthorne Bridge, see boats come and go from the marina, and contemplate any other action along the river.

The highly-anticipated South Waterfront outpost of the Seattle-based Chinese comfort food chain Dough Zone brings far more than its delicious xiao long bao to the area. The warm, light-filled dining room also boasts beautiful views of the Willamette River and the Marquam Bridge. Tilikum Crossing can also be glimpsed in the background, with OMSI right across the way. The dining room is fronted by a towering bank of crystal-clear windows looking out onto the river, with the peaceful views complementing the menu of dumplings, noodles, and other classic Chinese dishes.