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.
Heather
Of all the restaurants we visited while in Portland, this was my favorite. Excellent food, excellent service. I also appreciated that it was a bit removed from downtown, which made it seem more cozy and quaint than some of the other spots we ate.
Vivian
Our wait staff was patient, prompt, accommodating. Overall great, friendly service. We will come again! Always love your menu options and our mains were excellent.
Diane
Isa is a gem. My partner and I live in the neighborhood and feel incredibly fortunate to have such a wonderful restaurant nearby. We prefer to sit at the bar, and the food, cocktails, wine, and atmosphere are always outstanding: there are great options for vegetarians and pescatarians and the wine and cocktail selections are expertly curated. On this particular night, there was a very loud person (to the point of being obnoxious) at a table behind us, which distracted from the vibe somewhat; this was in no way the fault of the staff-- but since it's a small place, one overly loud person can have an outsized impact on the noise level.
John
Although we are local southern Mainers, this was our first time dining at Isa Bistro...and we had a totally delightful experience. We were dining with our son and his wife on our son's birthday, and we truly enjoyed everything from the creative mixed drinks to the absolutely delicious food to the impeccable service. We'll definitely come again!
lance
What a gem of a place. Great servers with suggestions and kind attitudes. A definite must if you get a reservation
James
What a great, locally owned bistro. The food far exceeded any fine dining I've had in the Portland area. The intimate atmosphere was perfect for our anniversary dinner. The owner made time to visit our table to ensure we had superior service, and we did. I highly recommend Isa Bistro.
ERIC
Very friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Food was superb as were our cocktails. Highly recommended.
Dale
Very. Cute little place. Friendly bartender and owner present. Food was delightful. Best crab take I ever had—nice crabcake full of crab on some high fat something like yogurt or mascarpone, with orange supremes to balance the dish. Also great were scallaops and eggplant lasagna. Neighbors had halibut which looked terrific.
Celina
This was the best dinner we had while vacationing in Portland. The lobster and crab pasta was perfection as well as the tomato corn salad and short rib poutine. Food and service were top notch. We definitely come back.
Food was fabulous and the service was over the top. We forgot to pick up our credit card from the tray after paying, the restaurant called us and made arrangements to bring it to us at our hotel! Great food and really nice staff, highly recommend!
Olivia
If excellent food and service is what you're looking for, Isa Bistro is consistently the best in Portland!
Jonathan
This was a great dining experience. When I saw pictures of the eggplant lasagna, I knew I was going there specifically for that. I also tried the poutine appetizer, which was also delicious. 
Holly
The food was fresh and fantastic! The service was great, and the bartender had great recommendations for us! You will definitely enjoy! 
Haley
My husband and I met some friends for dinner last night at Isa Bistro. We chose to sit on the patio since it was a beautiful, warm evening. The patio is such an oasis in Portland. It's a quiet spot where you can enjoy being outside while dining on some of Portland's most delicious cuisine. Isa is one of our favorite Portland eateries. The food is consistently excellent, the wait staff is attentive and knowledgeable and the overall atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. The summer salad with corn, tomatoes and avocado was fresh and refreshing. The eggplant lasagna is a perpetual favorite and the coconut cream pie was luscious. The quiet patio made conversation easy. Overall a 5-Star experience. If you haven't tried Isa Bistro, you're missing out on a treat.
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.
Of all the restaurants we visited while in Portland, this was my favorite. Excellent food, excellent service. I also appreciated that it was a bit removed from downtown, which made it seem more cozy and quaint than some of the other spots we ate.
Our wait staff was patient, prompt, accommodating. Overall great, friendly service. We will come again! Always love your menu options and our mains were excellent.
Isa is a gem. My partner and I live in the neighborhood and feel incredibly fortunate to have such a wonderful restaurant nearby. We prefer to sit at the bar, and the food, cocktails, wine, and atmosphere are always outstanding: there are great options for vegetarians and pescatarians and the wine and cocktail selections are expertly curated. On this particular night, there was a very loud person (to the point of being obnoxious) at a table behind us, which distracted from the vibe somewhat; this was in no way the fault of the staff-- but since it's a small place, one overly loud person can have an outsized impact on the noise level.
Although we are local southern Mainers, this was our first time dining at Isa Bistro...and we had a totally delightful experience. We were dining with our son and his wife on our son's birthday, and we truly enjoyed everything from the creative mixed drinks to the absolutely delicious food to the impeccable service. We'll definitely come again!
What a gem of a place. Great servers with suggestions and kind attitudes. A definite must if you get a reservation
What a great, locally owned bistro. The food far exceeded any fine dining I've had in the Portland area. The intimate atmosphere was perfect for our anniversary dinner. The owner made time to visit our table to ensure we had superior service, and we did. I highly recommend Isa Bistro.
Very friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Food was superb as were our cocktails. Highly recommended.
Very. Cute little place. Friendly bartender and owner present. Food was delightful. Best crab take I ever had—nice crabcake full of crab on some high fat something like yogurt or mascarpone, with orange supremes to balance the dish. Also great were scallaops and eggplant lasagna. Neighbors had halibut which looked terrific.
This was the best dinner we had while vacationing in Portland. The lobster and crab pasta was perfection as well as the tomato corn salad and short rib poutine. Food and service were top notch. We definitely come back.
Restaurantji Recommends
Food was fabulous and the service was over the top. We forgot to pick up our credit card from the tray after paying, the restaurant called us and made arrangements to bring it to us at our hotel! Great food and really nice staff, highly recommend!
If excellent food and service is what you're looking for, Isa Bistro is consistently the best in Portland!
This was a great dining experience. When I saw pictures of the eggplant lasagna, I knew I was going there specifically for that. I also tried the poutine appetizer, which was also delicious. 
The food was fresh and fantastic! The service was great, and the bartender had great recommendations for us! You will definitely enjoy! 
My husband and I met some friends for dinner last night at Isa Bistro. We chose to sit on the patio since it was a beautiful, warm evening. The patio is such an oasis in Portland. It's a quiet spot where you can enjoy being outside while dining on some of Portland's most delicious cuisine. Isa is one of our favorite Portland eateries. The food is consistently excellent, the wait staff is attentive and knowledgeable and the overall atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. The summer salad with corn, tomatoes and avocado was fresh and refreshing. The eggplant lasagna is a perpetual favorite and the coconut cream pie was luscious. The quiet patio made conversation easy. Overall a 5-Star experience. If you haven't tried Isa Bistro, you're missing out on a treat.
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