Anna’s Table - Cannon Beach — Restaurant in Cannon Beach

We were strolling Cannon Beach’s Main Street as we walked back to our hotel, when my husband smelled something amazing that he was so determined to find where it was coming from. We walked up the steps to the restaurant and peeked through the glass door to see a modern, simple and cozy inside with chefs prepping for dinner. We were so excited based on the look of the inside and menu that we had to try this place.

We were greeted by Jenny who we learned at the end of dinner is Chef John’s wife! We instantly felt welcomed, she and our waitress were attentive and made us comfortable the entire time as if we we were guests in their home. Jenny is a lovely person and Chef John is a super talented chef with an awesome palette, extremely passionate about cooking from what I saw and tasted. What was cool was when I saw the chef teaching a young male dishwasher when he asked the Chef a cooking question and Chef John thoroughly answered him, happily teaching the young man wanting to learn.

The interior of the restaurant is a modern simple and beautiful Scandinavian design which ties in with the menu and Chef’s family background. With a cozy open concept kitchen/restaurant space to interact between chef and guests, creating an intimate and unique dining experience. I learned from our waitress that the inspiration behind the name of Anna’s table is a combination of the chef mom and daughters’ names. I felt we had the best seats at the high top table looking into the kitchen watching Chef John and his sous chef in action. We love watching their attention to detail, culinary skills, and them tasting everything before the food goes out.

Everything we had was wow! Every bite was an mmmm out loud and a nod of goodness. We ordered mostly seafood dishes as the majority of the menu was seafood and inspired by Scandinavian cooking. The dishes celebrated and highlighted the seafood as the main star, and it is supported with delicious sauces, pickles, and veggies all cooked perfectly separately but brought together in an umami bomb filled dish. Salivating as I write this review…. chef’s John food made us happy and the taste of the food and the hospitality of the staff is still in our memory. Equal efforts were put into the drinks and desserts.

Food: Complimentary focaccia bread with hints of rosemary and fried shallots/onions on top (yes!) place on top of olive oil is something we had to refrain from eating too much of for risk of getting full.

Pacific north west oysters all unison in size and taste. The cucumber mignonette (so good) and touch of fish roe compliments the fresh oysters.

special of the night was cheek halibut. Seasonal and special to have as it’s not common. Chef works with local sourcing for fish and beef. The size of fish cheek to isn’t a lot so it’s not common to have on a menu, but our dish had plenty so it’s definitely a special dish to have that night. Cooked perfectly soft and not over cooked. Could eat spoonfuls of the sauce.

poke. Love the crunch texture of the radish and shrimp chips. Large sufficient chunks of fresh and delicious albacore.

complimentary tasting of the octopus by Jenny. What a treat! Octopus was super tender. Learned it was braised for a long time. Really appreciate the technique.

Chinook salmon. Saw Chef John carefully plate what I counted 8 different baby veggies on the dish, I felt the love being put into the dish even before I tasted it.

coconut cake. It must be good because my husband ate all of it quickly. Lemon mousse was light and strong in lemon flavor.

Lucky to have discovered this place on our walk, lucky to get to eat Chef John’s food, lucky to eat local fresh seafood throug Chef John’s sourcing connection. So cool to learn that John and Jenny used to live in Bend, which is where we live now, and that Chef John was an instructor at the Cascades Culinary Institute (CCI) which we frequent their lunch, dinner, bakery when students are in session. Hoping to...

An Amazing Experience

Anna’s Table is a truly elevated fine dining experience on the Coast. From the exceptional locally sourced ingredients to the staff’s attention to detail, Executive Chef and Owner Jeff Nelson and his staff provide a one of a kind experience that should not be missed.

My husband and I visited this past weekend. We arrived a half hour early, but the staff was accommodating and welcomed us early. We reserved the Chef’s Counter, and I highly recommend doing that. Sitting right in front of the kitchen, we were front row for symphony that unfolded before us. And despite being busy, Chef Nelson and his Sous Chef took time to talk to us about the menu, ingredients, wine pairings, and the future vision for the restaurant. We felt like the only two in the restaurant, lending to the experience.

The food was outstanding. We made our way through several the amuse-bouche, several small dishes, and shared an entree and dessert. We experienced the halibut cheeks (a special), octopus, poke, beet salad, pork chop with a berry chutney (a special) and Swedish cream dessert. Each dish we watched being meticulously made, which I think added to the overall flavor. Speaking of flavor, the blend of complementing flavors was amazing. During our nearly 3-hour visit (we overstayed our welcome for sure), Chef Nelson also dished out two other quick dishes not on the menu for us to enjoy. Don’t expect this to happen when you visit, I think it was a one time thing and would not want future visitors to have this as an expectation. If it occurs, be grateful and gracious.

While we brought a bottle of white, the Level 2 Som on staff walked us through the wine list and we landed on an exceptional, reasonably priced, bottle of champagne and a glass of another later on. The $25 corkage fee makes it very affordable for those of you wanting to bring your own, but don’t be surprised if you leave it unopened and chose from the wine list.

I started this review by saying it was an amazing experience, and I want to stress experience. If you are one that likes to remember your visits to exceptional restaurants years after your visit, reserve your table now because I have a strong feeling that reservations at Anna’s Table may be hard to get in the...

AMAZING DINNER! One of the best dining experiences we’ve ever had—easily on par with world-class Michelin-starred restaurants.

We booked the chef’s table a few weeks in advance and had been looking forward to this meal during our trip to Cannon Beach. The team here does everything perfectly. They source local, farm-to-table ingredients and elevate them with world-class technique, while still keeping the food honest, refined, and approachable. The focus on quality ingredients truly shines.

Chef John brings a personal touch to his dishes, drawing inspiration from the food he grew up with. It really comes through in the flavors. As frequent travelers to Europe, we especially appreciated hearing about his Swiss roots—my fiancée lived in Europe for a time and said the meal reminded her of some of the incredible homemade dishes she had there.

If you’re a fan of watching a master at work, book the chef’s table. It’s a fun and engaging experience with a great vibe. Chef John was kind enough to start us off with an amuse-bouche: a seafood sausage, local Dungeness crab, smoked salmon, and pickled steelhead. This opening course rivaled the high-end omakase seafood we’ve had in Japan—absolutely phenomenal.

For our main courses, I had Petrale for the first time, perfectly paired with a crisp Chardonnay, while my fiancée enjoyed a hearty ribeye steak with prawns. Each dish was satisfying, beautifully prepared, and made with high-quality, healthy, farm-fresh ingredients.

We finished with a delicious coconut cake and a pot of locally sourced tea—an ideal way to end the evening.

The service was impeccable—attentive, knowledgeable, and friendly, without being overly formal. The front-of-house team struck the perfect balance of professionalism and warmth. Truly some of the best service we’ve ever experienced.

The atmosphere was inviting and thoughtfully designed. It felt modern yet cozy, with a coastal flair that made it feel like we were dining in the chef’s personal home kitchen. Every detail in the decor added to the overall experience.

The name “Anna’s Table” couldn’t be more fitting—it really did feel like we were guests at someone’s beautiful, welcoming home, being served food made with...