The Paper Bridge (Bún Chả Cầu Giấy)

We had reservations on a Monday evening. Walked in and we're shown to a table in a dark back room next to the restroom. We weren't greeted after 10min at our table and left. Would not recommend

Service: 1

Went to dinner at The Paper Bridge for the first time last night. Everything about the dinner was great. The ambiance is perfect and the service amazing. Everyone was so attentive and nice. The food was great too. We tried a number of things and ended with the half duck. All cooked to perfection and so good! I will definitely be back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The Paper Bridge has got to be one of the best Vietnamese restaurants that I have ever eaten!
I was lucky to get dining reservations since the New York Times review was published as best Vietnamese restaurant in Portland.
First walk in the restaurant is well laid out and beautifully decorated. Right as you walk in you can just smell the amazing aromas of the spices being used in the food.
We ordered Nem Cua Be which is Dungeness crab spring rolls, I was not expecting the spring rolls to be dep fried but they were packed with amazing flavor and the dipping sauce is so good.
Each of us order a bowl of Pho, pho nam Dinh (nam Dinh style beef pho) was so amazing!! This has to be some of the best Pho I have ever had! Along with the order of pho we were served a Vietnamese fritter which is so good. The home chili sauce also is really good.
I will go back to this restaurant again if I can get dining reservations. I highly recommend this restaurant for amazing food however I am not 100% if the restaurant is ADA approved, when you get walk in there are six steps you have to walk down. They might have another entrance but I am not certain.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

A rare 5 star restaurant in every category. Service was excellent, food was out of this world delicious and a cozy atmosphere.

Reservations required.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Like some other reviews, service lackluster especially for a restaurant getting national recognition. We were the first table to be seated & order and yet it took over an hour for our food (which they should have told us when we ordered how long it would take). By the time we got our food, most of the other tables were done eating. Wanted to like this place and support it as a POC but they need to be better about customer service. With their prices, more is expected. Do better please.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 2

Really good Pho. You can tell there is so much love and effort put into all of their dishes, specially their broths. Their staff was very attentive, helpful and friendly. One particular preparation that stood out was their paper thin pickled garlic. As a cook myself I definitely come out of this experience inspired and just happy to have found a place that shines through passion and attention to detail.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I love the interior design and enjoyed learning more about Viet paper money back then. However, service is super slow, we had to wait more than 30mins for the food, not including time for them to take our order (another 10 minutes). One of the servers spilled the hot pho broth into one of my friends, and we experienced long wait time so I cannot say they have good service.

In my opinion, they deliver a specific North Vietnamese cuisine, so the taste can be very different from other Viet restaurants.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 2

Unbelievable food, service wasn’t the best.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

I’ve been eating at Paper Bridge since their early days here in Portland, and after trying plenty of Vietnamese restaurants, I can confidently say they truly deserve their recent spot on the list of America’s Top 50 Best Restaurants.

Their focus is on Northern Vietnamese cuisine, and they absolutely deliver. I’m a huge fan of their main dishes—Phở Nam Định (one of the only places making their own fresh rice noodles), bún chả, and bún đậu. Even my 2-year-old son loves their phở, and we make it a weekly tradition to come here.

I get why some people mention the wait times lately. They started out as a small local spot, and with such a big menu covering a wide range of Northern Vietnamese dishes, it’s a lot to handle now that they’ve gotten so popular. That said, the chef deserves a lot of credit. His recent grilled fish special (Nẹp cá nướng) is outstanding—he’s managed to capture about 80% of the authentic flavor of this beloved Northwestern dish, which is an impressive feat, especially as a foreign-born chef. Hands down the best special for September!

This isn’t your standard phở restaurant, and it really shouldn’t be compared as such—you simply won’t find another place like it in Portland.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

I’ve always been a casual lover of Vietnamese food (ie pho) and figured I should give this place a try and expand my pallet. Boy was that the best decision I made in Portland. I was blown away by this food. Everything we ordered was delectable and you could tell it was thoughtfully crafted and clean. If I lived in Portland I’d be in trouble because I would be here every week.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

One of the most enjoyable meals I’ve had.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We recently had the pleasure of dining at The Paper Bridge, a restaurant we discovered through a glowing feature in the *New York Times*, which listed it as one of America's top 50 restaurants. Curious and eager to see if it lived up to the hype, we decided to give it a try.

We showed up around 11:30 AM without a reservation, but the staff couldn’t have been more accommodating. They kindly asked us to wait for about an hour nearby, which gave us time to explore the neighborhood a bit. When we returned, the atmosphere inside was warm and inviting, and it was clear this was a place that takes both food and service seriously.

The food, without question, was worth the wait. Our waiter was an absolute gem, offering a detailed introduction to the restaurant’s drinks, appetizers, and main dishes. His expert guidance led us through a few of their standout items, and every recommendation was spot on.

We started with the Morning Glory with Garlic—a savory combination of garlic, plus the meat skewers, and the crab-filled fried rolls. Each element was perfectly executed, with the skewers tender and full of flavor, and the rolls crispy with a rich, delicious filling. These bites alone could have made the meal memorable, but there was so much more to come.

The highlight of the meal was the signature Pho (less broth and more elements in it) and it did not disappoint. The broth was incredibly aromatic, with layers of flavor that unfolded with every spoonful. The dish came loaded with generous portions of pork, and different styles each bite offering a perfect balance of savory, spicy, and comforting. A side of noodles, garlic and chilis provided the perfect complement for dipping into the broth, wrapping it all in lettuce, basil, morning glory and herbs and the combination made for an unforgettable experience.

From start to finish, the meal was exceptional, and the service was impeccable. The Paper Bridge has definitely earned its place among the country’s best, and we’ll be back without hesitation.

Highly recommended for anyone in search of expertly crafted dishes and an unforgettable dining experience!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Impossible to cancel a reservation, they do not answer the phone. If you did it through their website link to Resy, there is no way to cancel it the same way.

Service: 1

Absolutely excellent

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The taste closely mimics to what I’d get from walking into a food stall in the streets of Vietnam. This is with ingredients that won’t be the same as what you can get in Asia. The restaurant does make it more of an elevated experience, with a elevated prices. For me, I’ll come back when I’m craving the flavors, but won’t be a regular.
Staff were kind, but service was just okay. But we can cut them some slack for being busy.
Overall it’s really a 3.75 for me, but round up to 4!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4