I love food, and have spent many years exploring culinary greatness across major food meccas, including years spent living in New York and LA, and travels across Rome, Copenhagen, Paris, London, Melbourne, and the US, trying many different meals along the way, and was grateful to have one of the best meals of my life at this spot in Portland (not my first time in the city, but my first time here).
I ordered an excellently seasoned pork chop, and my dinner companion had the tagliatelle. Don't skip dessert, they clearly know what they're doing on that side of things as well. Perfect textures and flavors, with nothing overdone. I can't wait to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chris MacColl
Isa Bistro truly does my hometown proud. The food and drinks were exceptional. Particular props for the braised short rib ragu, which was among the best dishes I’ve had in Portland. Tremendously friendly, down to earth service and a beautiful bar in a relatively intimate setting. Very well done overall.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jack Lawson
Isa Bistro never disappoints, and our most recent visit was no exception. We enjoyed some incredible dishes starting with the lobster tostada, which was fresh, vibrant, and beautifully balanced.
The shaved fennel salad and Brussels sprouts were standouts as well, each prepared with the kind of thoughtful flavors and textures that keep us coming back. The burrata was creamy and refreshing, the perfect complement to the rest of the meal.
For entrées, the halibut was cooked to absolute perfection! tender, flavorful, and plated with care. The gnocchi was rich, comforting, and wonderfully executed, easily one of our favorites of the night. Every dish felt crafted with intention, and the attention to detail shows. We love coming to Isa Bistro, not only for the consistently delicious food but also for the warm, welcoming atmosphere. Each visit feels special, and this one reminded us exactly why it’s one of our go-to spots. Highly recommend!
I love Isa. The food is so good. The vibe is relaxed. Its where I go when I have a fantastic meal in mind . Eggplant lasagna and Caesar salad for the home run !
Robert French
Our favorite restraunt when we want a good meal. We look at it as a treat for a long work week. The food is always consistant. The avacado beet salad and mango cheescake are my favorite items. The bolognese is also great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Peter Eyermann
Great family run restaurant. Atmosphere is terrific and service is excellent. Great options for drinks and food selections. Highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jason Fox
Wow. Every item we ordered for my wife’s birthday dinner was exquisite. This focaccia bread is like a smoked cloud of wonder. Grilled octopus, tender and balanced. The fries punch above their weight, I thought they were fried in tallow or duck fat but nay. The mains were inspired, with a delicate crunch to offset the rich smoothness of gnocchi or ragu. Pleasant service and atmosphere, unpretentious but refined, really a gem that reminds of what it means to be a restaurant. A superb experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jessica
Great food and great service. Coconut pie is amazing. Drinks are tasty and the staff are wonderful
Laura S.
What an amazing spot. Great specials on the night I dined, waiter was superb, flavors blew me away. I will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David
As usual, we had a wonderful meal with quality reflected in each dish from apps through dessert in a lovely small, intimate setting. Isa Bistro remains a favorite spot to dine
Sat at the bar and was still well attended to. Food was superb and the specialty drinks were excellent. Not our first visit and we'll be back
Tom
Best pork chop I've ever had at age 80 and a part-time chef and long-time foodie. Service by Phoebe was outstanding. Caesar salad was excellent, as was the grilled octopus salad. I would highly recommend Isa based on service (thanks Phoebe), delicious dishes and atmosphere.
Scott Cover
Absolutely fantastic. We randomly picked it a few days before our visit to Portland. The food was stellar. My wife and I both said one of the dishes is basically worth making a trip to Portland (we're from Maryland) to have again. I specifically loved the tostada and my wife who is obsessed with beets was obsessed with the salad. My wife said the Squid Ink pasta was a close second to this fabulous restaurant we went to over the summer in Iceland.
We 100% will be back on our next trip to Portland
Ralph
The staff was soo friendly from the front door to the server. The menu was perfect and what we ordered could not have been better! Came out exactly as we asked including the drinks!!
Sandra
The food and service were outstanding. We ordered the octopus, olives and green salad for appetizers. For mains, we had squid ink linguine seafood and branzino. The octopus was just fine, served with flavorful chickpeas. More charring would have improved the flavor and texture. The salad was delightful - well dressed with high quality EVOO and crunchy greens. The star was the branzino - it was meaty and the skin was perfectly seasoned and crispy. The fried shallots added great texture and flavor. The pasta was al dente and had lots of fresh seafood, but it needed more salt. Service was efficient and attentive. The ambience was meh. Tables are a little too close and the decor was more homey than elegant. Overall, a great experience. Eating here was a highlight of our trip to Portland.
I love food, and have spent many years exploring culinary greatness across major food meccas, including years spent living in New York and LA, and travels across Rome, Copenhagen, Paris, London, Melbourne, and the US, trying many different meals along the way, and was grateful to have one of the best meals of my life at this spot in Portland (not my first time in the city, but my first time here).
I ordered an excellently seasoned pork chop, and my dinner companion had the tagliatelle. Don't skip dessert, they clearly know what they're doing on that side of things as well. Perfect textures and flavors, with nothing overdone. I can't wait to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Isa Bistro truly does my hometown proud. The food and drinks were exceptional. Particular props for the braised short rib ragu, which was among the best dishes I’ve had in Portland. Tremendously friendly, down to earth service and a beautiful bar in a relatively intimate setting. Very well done overall.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Isa Bistro never disappoints, and our most recent visit was no exception. We enjoyed some incredible dishes starting with the lobster tostada, which was fresh, vibrant, and beautifully balanced.
The shaved fennel salad and Brussels sprouts were standouts as well, each prepared with the kind of thoughtful flavors and textures that keep us coming back. The burrata was creamy and refreshing, the perfect complement to the rest of the meal.
For entrées, the halibut was cooked to absolute perfection! tender, flavorful, and plated with care. The gnocchi was rich, comforting, and wonderfully executed, easily one of our favorites of the night. Every dish felt crafted with intention, and the attention to detail shows.
We love coming to Isa Bistro, not only for the consistently delicious food but also for the warm, welcoming atmosphere. Each visit feels special, and this one reminded us exactly why it’s one of our go-to spots. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Tostada, Tagliatelle Bolognese, Grilled Bistro Steak, Shaved Fennel Salad
I love Isa. The food is so good. The vibe is relaxed. Its where I go when I have a fantastic meal in mind . Eggplant lasagna and Caesar salad for the home run !
Our favorite restraunt when we want a good meal. We look at it as a treat for a long work week. The food is always consistant. The avacado beet salad and mango cheescake are my favorite items. The bolognese is also great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great family run restaurant. Atmosphere is terrific and service is excellent.
Great options for drinks and food selections.
Highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wow. Every item we ordered for my wife’s birthday dinner was exquisite. This focaccia bread is like a smoked cloud of wonder. Grilled octopus, tender and balanced. The fries punch above their weight, I thought they were fried in tallow or duck fat but nay. The mains were inspired, with a delicate crunch to offset the rich smoothness of gnocchi or ragu. Pleasant service and atmosphere, unpretentious but refined, really a gem that reminds of what it means to be a restaurant. A superb experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food and great service. Coconut pie is amazing. Drinks are tasty and the staff are wonderful
What an amazing spot. Great specials on the night I dined, waiter was superb, flavors blew me away. I will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
As usual, we had a wonderful meal with quality reflected in each dish from apps through dessert in a lovely small, intimate setting. Isa Bistro remains a favorite spot to dine
Restaurantji Recommends
Sat at the bar and was still well attended to. Food was superb and the specialty drinks were excellent. Not our first visit and we'll be back
Best pork chop I've ever had at age 80 and a part-time chef and long-time foodie. Service by Phoebe was outstanding. Caesar salad was excellent, as was the grilled octopus salad. I would highly recommend Isa based on service (thanks Phoebe), delicious dishes and atmosphere.
Absolutely fantastic. We randomly picked it a few days before our visit to Portland. The food was stellar. My wife and I both said one of the dishes is basically worth making a trip to Portland (we're from Maryland) to have again. I specifically loved the tostada and my wife who is obsessed with beets was obsessed with the salad. My wife said the Squid Ink pasta was a close second to this fabulous restaurant we went to over the summer in Iceland.
We 100% will be back on our next trip to Portland
The staff was soo friendly from the front door to the server. The menu was perfect and what we ordered could not have been better! Came out exactly as we asked including the drinks!!
The food and service were outstanding. We ordered the octopus, olives and green salad for appetizers. For mains, we had squid ink linguine seafood and branzino. The octopus was just fine, served with flavorful chickpeas. More charring would have improved the flavor and texture. The salad was delightful - well dressed with high quality EVOO and crunchy greens. The star was the branzino - it was meaty and the skin was perfectly seasoned and crispy. The fried shallots added great texture and flavor. The pasta was al dente and had lots of fresh seafood, but it needed more salt. Service was efficient and attentive. The ambience was meh. Tables are a little too close and the decor was more homey than elegant. Overall, a great experience. Eating here was a highlight of our trip to Portland.
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