If you’re searching for a special occasion restaurant in Portland, Oregon that has elevated food in a comfortable, casual setting, check out Kann restaurant. The dairy-free, gluten-free menu focuses on Haitian cuisine that’s elevated yet approachable, in a lively atmosphere that makes any dining experience here feel like a celebration.
Portland, Oregon is a foodie city. With access to numerous nearby farms and the bounty from dozens of rivers and the mighty Pacific Ocean, we locals and tourists alike are spoiled with farm fresh everything. From the wines of the Willamette Valley to freshly foraged mushrooms, it’s a foodie and chef’s dream. So it’s no wonder there’s a constant revolving door of restaurants opening here.
When Chef Gregory Gourdet opened Kann restaurant in 2022, it was arguably one of the most anticipated restaurant openings Portland had seen in a while. Fresh from his Top Chef All-Stars run (he was runner-up in Top Chef Boston, in 2015), Portlanders were eager to eat more of his food.
Reservations were impossible to get, with rabid foodies setting alarms to hop onto the reservation system the minute a new batch of reservations were released for the month ahead. Kann was everywhere on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook.
Restaurant hypes eventually die down. Mixed reviews are almost always inevitable. Like many other fine dining restaurants in town, diners would praise the flavorful dishes at Kann and complain about the portion sizes and pricing in the same breath.
Still, four years later, Kann remains one of the most sought after and, while not as difficult to attain as the first few years, still challenging to attain reservations in Portland. Locals and foodie tourists still flock here. And it’s all for good reason.
Kann restaurant is still one of the best restaurants in Portland, Oregon. The hospitality is warm and welcoming. The food is still elevated yet totally approachable. And while the prices are higher compared to other restaurants of the same caliber here, they’re still worth paying.
Alain and I recently celebrated an early Father’s Day with dinner at Kann restaurant. And I’m here to confirm: four years in, it continues to live up to the hype.
Table of Contents
- Top Chef alum Gregory Gourdet’s Kann restaurant tops the lists
- A warm, lively restaurant vibe
- A fully dairy-free and gluten-free menu
- Starter dish: Griyo
- Main course: Head On Prawns
- Main course: Steelhead
- Don’t skip dessert at Kann!
- 🍷 🥂 Wine list
- Restaurant FAQs
- Dine at Kann restaurant
- More restaurant reviews
Top Chef alum Gregory Gourdet’s Kann restaurant tops the lists
Owned by Top Chef alum and James Beard award winner Gregory Gourdet, Kann translates to “sugarcane” in Haitian Creole. A nod to one of Gourdet’s favorite childhood memories listening for the sugar cane vendors in his Haiti neighborhood.
Since opening in 2022, Kann has collected a bounty of accolades from some of the restaurant industry’s top publications and top lists. It started with recognition as the Best New Restaurant by the New York Times and by Eater. Then the Best New Restaurant in America by Esquire. Most recently, Kann was named the Best Restaurant in Portland in 2025 (Oregonian), and one of the 50 Best Restaurants of North America. Gourdet has also won the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in 2023.
A warm, lively restaurant vibe
Walk into Kann and you immediately get it: this place was built to make Haitian food feel like the main event, not a niche category.
The dining room is bright and spacious, with an open kitchen anchored by an eight-foot wood-fired hearth that’s basically the heartbeat of the whole restaurant. It’s polished without being stuffy, which is very Portland. Think “elevated dinner party” energy rather than hushed romantic dinner vibes.
Warm wood tones and warm lighting bathe the space, and a fun subtle soundtrack keeps the whole room feeling alive rather than library-quiet.
Service moves fast here, with staff watching attentively at a distance and keeping the dinner flowing. The hospitality at Kann is genuinely warm and welcoming. We feel right at home here.
A fully dairy-free and gluten-free menu
With a kitchen headed up by Chef de Cuisine Erika Claassen, the menu at Kann is built for sharing. So come hungry and ready to pass plates!
The spice level on most dishes is mild to medium, with just one or two dishes usually on the spicier side. Your server will most likely ask you about your spice preference, but be sure to inquire if you are unsure about the spice level of a certain dish.
Perhaps one of the biggest feats that I am impressed by: every single item is dairy-free and gluten-free. So for someone like me which has a milk protein allergy, it’s an absolute gift to be able to order anything on the menu without worrying about breaking out into hives after dinner.
On our most recent dinner here, Alain and I decided to order one starter, one main dish for each of us, and dessert.
Starter dish: Griyo
To start, I recommend the griyo, which we were told is the most popular dish currently at Kann. This is twice-cooked pork that’s served with avocado, bannan peze (twice-fried green plantains, similar to tostones) and pikliz (pickled cabbage slaw).
We both really enjoyed this dish. The pork was the star, although I’m a big fan of the bannan peze. This dish wasn’t spicy at all.
Main course: Head On Prawns
For my main course, I ordered the Head On Prawns ($27). They were served with diced pineapple, on African pepper sauce (mild) and lime.
The prawns were perfectly cooked, with a sweet, savory, slightly sour flavor profile that I loved. This would be perfect if you were sharing main courses with others, but I really just wanted the prawns all to myself.
Main course: Steelhead
Alain was torn betwen the Steelhead ($52) and the Pork Coppa ($55). Because we had pork for our starter, he ordered the Steelhead. It was definitely the right decision.
The steelhead came in a fairly large portion, and, like the prawns, it was perfectly cooked. The skin was delightfully crispy and beautifully seasoned. The fish was light and flavorful. It came with confit potatoes, pikliz remoulade, and ginger relish.
Don’t skip dessert at Kann!
Normally, I do not order dessert when we dine out, because most restaurants either don’t offer any dairy-free desserts, or I’m limited to yet another fruit sorbet as my only option.
But at Kann, I could have my pick from four amazing-sounding desserts!
We chose the Passionfruit Chiboust, which was a dairy-free pastry cream with toasted ginger, salted coconut sauce, and a scoop of dairy-free rum ice cream on the side. So delicious.
🍷 🥂 Wine list
There is a nightly sommelier wine by the glass special in addition to the regular wine list. The wine list is a good size and well curated.
We actually fell in love with the 2023 Domaine de Belliviere Chenin Blanc wine we ordered (pictured above). So much so, that we ended up ordering some for home from a local wine shop as well as from a national distributor.
And if you’re not drinking, you’re in luck: the zero-proof cocktail program here is one of the best in the city. Chef Gourdet has long been open about his sobriety, and the mocktails here are creative, delicious inventions that aren’t treated as an after thought.
Restaurant FAQs
While there is not a dress code, most diners tend to wear business casual attire. Some diners do opt for dressier attire, and since this is Portland, I’ve also seen diners here in nice jeans and casual tees. I’d suggest dressing up at least a little bit. You’re here for a nice expensive meal, not a $10 burger and fries.
Children are welcome here, however, I have not actually seen any underage diners during my visits.
Yes! Kann offers a separate vegan menu. Simply note a request for it with your reservation, or ask for it when you arrive.
There is ample street parking around the restaurant. We’ve been able to find street parking within a block or two without any issues.
Dine at Kann restaurant
In its fourth year of service, it is evident that Kann is still worthy of its ranking as a leading restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
As someone who dines out regularly, visiting restaurants all across the world, I think it’s increasingly difficult to find a restaurant where the service as well as the food are all at the same high level that they are at Kann. There is a consistency in its quality that is so appreciated.
While it’s not a restaurant that may fit into the average diner’s everyday budget, it is worthy of a special occasion meal. One in which you want to enjoy with a lively dim of conversation and activity around you instead of a quiet, uncomfortable, stuffy setting. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it if you want an intimate, romantic dinner. Go here for birthdays, anniversaries, client dinners, and girls’ nights out.
Kann is still a fun, vibrant Portland establishment that maintains excellence in all it does.
Kann pricing: Our total bill for one starter ($25), two mains ($82), one dessert ($18), and one bottle of wine ($80) came to $205 plus gratuity. Kann is more expensive than most restaurants in the Portland area, with the highest priced item on the menu being a popular smoked beef for $120. However, the food is also of higher quality here, and so is the service.
Kann hours:
closed Monday & Tuesday
Sunday & Wednesday 4 – 7 PM
Thursday, Friday, Saturday 4 – 9:30 PM
Kann is located at:
548 SE Ash Street
Portland, OR 97214
For the latest information, please visit the Kann restaurant website. Or visit Resy online to make dinner reservations.
More restaurant reviews
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