Justin Woodward’s progressive Portland tasting books on Tock, Wednesday to Saturday — reserve a week ahead for a quiet, serious dinner.
The Reservation Problem at Castagna
Castagna runs on its own clock: one nightly tasting, four nights a week, behind a plain storefront on Hawthorne that gives nothing away. Miss the days it opens and there is no second room to fall back on. That scarcity, not hype, is what makes the table hard to get.
Castagna sits at 1752 SE Hawthorne Boulevard, with the more casual Café Castagna next door. Chef Justin Woodward, a James Beard Award nominee who cooked at Mugaritz and wd~50, builds a progressive Pacific Northwest tasting around what Oregon grows, fishes and forages. It is the quietest serious meal in the city.
How to Book Castagna
Castagna books through Tock, not OpenTable, and takes a small deposit when you reserve. Service runs Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30 to 9 and Friday and Saturday from 5:30 to 10; the room is dark Sunday through Tuesday. With only four service nights and one seating that matters, weekend tables go first.
Book two to three weeks out for a Friday or Saturday, sooner for a Wednesday. If Tock shows nothing, call 503-231-7373 and ask about cancellations, which tend to surface midweek. The vegetable version of the tasting is booked the same way; note any dietary needs in the Tock reservation.
What You Eat
There is one tasting menu at $125, with a parallel vegetable version, and an optional wine pairing at $75. The cooking is technical and restrained, built on Oregon produce, Pacific seafood and foraged elements, and it changes constantly through the season. Expect a long, composed progression rather than a greatest-hits run of signatures.
Next door, Café Castagna is the à la carte fallback and a separate booking, the place for a burger and a glass of wine when the full tasting is sold out or the mood is lighter. It keeps later, easier hours than the main dining room.
The Smart Play
Take a Wednesday or Thursday if your schedule allows; the room is calmer and the table easier to get. Add the wine pairing, which tracks the kitchen’s Pacific Northwest sourcing closely. For a group or anything elaborate, email ahead rather than leaning on the Tock grid. When Castagna is dark, the Portland dining guide and the hardest Portland reservations guide cover the rest of the week.
Not for a spontaneous or late dinner. Castagna opens only Wednesday through Saturday, serves a single fixed tasting, and the plain storefront hides the kitchen inside, so a walk-in is rarely the move.
View Castagna on Restaurants for Kings →
Related Reading
- Our full profile: Castagna in Portland.
- The wider city: Portland dining guide and the hardest restaurant reservations in Portland.
- Strategy: the impossible-reservation playbook.
- Tasting-menu siblings: how to book Le Bernardin and how to book Grill 23.
- Nearby Portland tables: Nimblefish and Beast.
- Occasions: a first date and solo dining.
Frequently Asked Questions
How hard is it to book Castagna?
Harder than the rating alone suggests, because Castagna serves only four nights a week with a single seating that matters. Tables book on Tock, and weekend evenings go first. Plan two to three weeks ahead for a Friday or Saturday, and target a Wednesday or Thursday if you want an easier table and a calmer room.
How far in advance should I book Castagna?
Two to three weeks for a weekend, less for a weeknight. Because the dining room is small and opens only Wednesday through Saturday, the prime Friday and Saturday slots clear early. If Tock shows nothing for your date, call 503-231-7373 about cancellations, which most often open up midweek as plans change.
How much does Castagna cost?
The tasting menu is $125 a head before drinks, with a parallel vegetable version at the same price and an optional wine pairing at $75. Plan on roughly $200 to $250 per person once you add the pairing, tax and tip. Café Castagna next door is the cheaper, à la carte alternative for a lighter night.
Does Castagna have a vegetarian option?
Yes. Castagna runs a full vegetable version of the nightly tasting alongside the standard menu, at the same $125 price, and the kitchen handles dietary requests well when you flag them in advance. Note any allergies or restrictions in the Tock booking so the team can build your menu around them before you arrive.
What should I order at Castagna?
The menu is a set tasting, so the decisions are the vegetable version versus the standard menu and whether to add the wine pairing. Take the pairing if the budget allows; it follows the kitchen’s Pacific Northwest sourcing. For a lighter, cheaper night, book Café Castagna next door instead and order the burger and a glass of Oregon wine.