I Wanted to Get It So Much, But I Didn'tFor a few weeks we were looking forward to experiencing Leeward based upon recent reviews. Later we learned about its James Beard award nomination. But I will say - I just don't get it. I want to get it but I don't. To be direct and more specific. I will address the vibe first, then service and then food. The vibe was intense, serious and without any soul. The staff seemed focused on performing and not making a mistake. So much so, that they appeared very phony and transactional. We sat at the counter and the cook staff were there, but not there. The music was a bit too loud - you would think talking should not be challenged by the music. The decor and layout was great - but that was it. Regarding the service, when we arrived - no welcome. I shared we had a reservation. The person at the front of the room looked around said they have to do something else and left. We had no idea what that meant. Someone else showed up, grabbed menus and seated us. There was no pleasantry, no comment such as have a nice evening or thank you for coming have a nice meal. Just a walk away. The waitress was not a good experience at all. There was no welcoming, just an arrival and asking us if we want a drink - very curt and transactional. The smile seemed fake and there was an interest in leaving as soon as she arrived. We ordered a bottle of wine, She came back to show me the bottle and then said she had to leave to have the wine checked. I have no idea what that was about. She reappeared with the bottle and I said I did not need to try it - I am of the mindset if it is corked we would know, and asked her to kindly pour - we would be fine. She said they tried it too and it was okay. So do you try the wine in the bottle before serving it? That is weird. Next we said we would be sharing our appetizers and entrees but that we only settled on the appetizers for now. We were told we had to order everything at once. But once she took our small plate order, she disappeared. I guess that was not true, but why say it? We did order two main meals. The food was just okay. As someone who is an avid cook with flavors, textures, balance and presentation, I cannot tell you what I was eating and explain how it tasted. I was left very disappointed. The artichokes were okay. We got what we expected with some caramelization, but the overall dish was very dry. The best experience of the night was the burrata, charcuterie meats and wonderful pillows of fried dough. The burrata was the best I've had - a real depth of creaminess. Everything together blended well and we savored each bite. As for the main dishes, the ravioli was overwhelmed by the lemon zest. We could not taste the egg yolk, the fresh pasta or the pureed bean. We could taste the texture of the white beans, but not the flavor. A+ for the technique of serving a raw egg inside the ravioli - that was cool. Our other entree was the gnudi. This dish was so disappointing. They were bland, and only with sauce was there flavor. I couldn't believe I made myself put sauce on the gnudi in order to have a flavor in my mouth. The sauce was tasty, but the gnudi felt like I put food in my stomach and cannot tell you what I ate. Lastly, it was strange to experience the staff. At the end of the entrees, the waitress eventually came back and dropped of dessert menus. She never asked if we were interested in dessert or if we would like something else. When she came back we told her we were passing on dessert. It felt like everyone was so focused on performance and not making a mistake that they left their joy and passion behind. I would have rather had a dish where no cotton was used to clean the rim before presenting if it meant the staff could be more relaxed, would engage authentically and the food was cooked with passion and soul. We were very bummed out from the experience. I still left a 20% tip because the staff works hard and deserves to be paid for their efforts. However, the culture means we won't go back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Jonathan Proctor
The gigli pasta left a mark on my life. Phenomenal!
Susanne Tartarilla
Outstanding experience at Leeward for my husband’s birthday. Burrata, focaccia, pasta dishes, and gelato were all superb. We sat at the chef’s counter which was fun. Service was also exceptional. Our new favorite restaurant in Portland!
Lovely dining room, outstanding pasta dishes, and good appetizers. Small portions for pasta dishes so order accordingly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bethany
This place deserves a 10/10! Everything was spectacular!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gwendolyn Calhoon
Vegetarian options: Of the 7 main pasta dishes on the menu tonight, 3 were vegetarian. I had the sheep's milk ricotta gnudi, and it was SPECTACULAR!Dietary restrictions: They offer gluten free pasta options, however, be aware that it is made on shared equipment with the gluten-containing pasta.
Amazing food- fantastic waiter (Jenny)! And we could hear our conversation ! There was not a misstep in any dish, and it all exceeded our expectations and surprised us!
Spectacular. The service, the food, the cocktails and atmosphere. Unequivocally our favorite dining destination on the east coast.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Housemade Focaccia
David Craig
One of my best
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gnocchi, Housemade Focaccia
StevenSeagull ..
Birthday delights, relaxing underneath these dim lights. The focaccia gotcha, delicious with that oil. Maybe warm it up a little. Beginning to eat, recalling that the music had a strange beat. Server wanted to rush but eventually she went hush. Paid the toll then took the stroll.
this place is a must! everything we had was amazing but I’ll be thinking about the chicken liver mousse and yuzu sorbet for a loooong
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maxwell Press
Epic staff accommodated us on short notice and got us a cozy spot quick. Drinks were incredible, had the mezcal cocoa negroni and a glass of wine via Hungary. Pasta was delectable, steak was perfect, and we left fat and happy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael Dempsey
Great service. Food was interesting with limited choices. Menu was difficult to read, the waiter helped. Small room, quite noisy but it was a Friday night.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
Eric S.
We live locally and had high expectations based on the hype of Leeward being one of the best in Portland. Keep in mind they pretty much seem booked up 2 weeks for any reservations if you want to choose your ideal day and time. Walk-ins can be taken on first come first serve for the bar seating and we popped in and were thankful to the nice hostess who managed to get us a table for 2! Spot is open, high ceilings, nice low lights with candles, average level noise. Drinks: their cocktails are definitely interesting- my wife loved hers, which she said was refreshing and would order again. I ended up skipping the cocktail and had some nice local craft beer options instead. We ordered 2 starters- one with roasted Brussels sprouts with shoestring potatoes (extremely light shaved potato on top like grated cheese-not much potato flavor) which were cooked well and this dish had a rich cheese sauce underneath which didn't add much to the dish-it was ok. The second starter was AMAZING-perfectly cooked chanterelle mushrooms with a balsamic glaze and sheep's milk cheese on fresh sourdough crostini slices, delicious (I don't even love mushrooms so that says a lot!). For our entrees I had bucatini pasta with cheese sauce- it had strong high quality cheese flavors. Pasta was well cooked, but not particularly homemade tasting. Overall my dish was very salty (like salty enough I might feel sick later if I eat the entire dish even though it was on smaller size). I mentioned it to the server and she apologetically sent it back and the second round was better. My wife had a wild mushroom pasta that tasted like fresh pasta, nice tomato based sauce. Both of us agreed our entrees were pretty good, but had hoped for more complexity and better balanced flavors at this price point. Dessert had a cinnamon cocoa gelato which tasted a bit grainy in texture, mostly of cacao and could barely discern the cinnamon, it was ok. Our server was friendly, answered questions about the menu, did not rush us and was attentive, 5/5 stars. All in all we can see ourselves coming back to Leeward to give it another try, especially in another season like summer with different food options on the menu, but we both agreed food wise the app was good but the food didn't stand out from other restaurants in Portland given the buzz.
Michael M.
Not Great. Canceled my reservation at another restaurant when I was referred to Leeward. Disappointed upon entering as my wife wanted to turn around and walk out. She thought we were in the wrong place and commented it looked like a cafeteria. Not very warm or inviting. Focaccia was good, a little burnt on the top. Balsamic add on was just okay. Carpaccio was good but not great. Kind of lacking compared to others but a fair portion for a reasonable price. We ordered two pasta dishes and I had the bolognese. Sadly a 5/10. Just lacked flavor and tasted like slightly burnt ground beef (think American Chop Suey...). I finished it but was disappointed. Rigatoni was fresh and cooked well. My wife also had a pasta dish with spinach and mushrooms and a few other items. Unremarkable as there were only two leaves of spinach and could not see/taste the other ingredients. Nice wine selection! We will not return. Two servers/food runners wreaked of weed (not our waitress who was vey nice). The front door had political statements printed out and taped in the window, just tacky. It's Christmas and Hanukkah and there are wars in Israel and Ukraine - ALL lives matter.
I Wanted to Get It So Much, But I Didn'tFor a few weeks we were looking forward to experiencing Leeward based upon recent reviews. Later we learned about its James Beard award nomination. But I will say - I just don't get it. I want to get it but I don't. To be direct and more specific. I will address the vibe first, then service and then food. The vibe was intense, serious and without any soul. The staff seemed focused on performing and not making a mistake. So much so, that they appeared very phony and transactional. We sat at the counter and the cook staff were there, but not there. The music was a bit too loud - you would think talking should not be challenged by the music. The decor and layout was great - but that was it. Regarding the service, when we arrived - no welcome. I shared we had a reservation. The person at the front of the room looked around said they have to do something else and left. We had no idea what that meant. Someone else showed up, grabbed menus and seated us. There was no pleasantry, no comment such as have a nice evening or thank you for coming have a nice meal. Just a walk away. The waitress was not a good experience at all. There was no welcoming, just an arrival and asking us if we want a drink - very curt and transactional. The smile seemed fake and there was an interest in leaving as soon as she arrived. We ordered a bottle of wine, She came back to show me the bottle and then said she had to leave to have the wine checked. I have no idea what that was about. She reappeared with the bottle and I said I did not need to try it - I am of the mindset if it is corked we would know, and asked her to kindly pour - we would be fine. She said they tried it too and it was okay. So do you try the wine in the bottle before serving it? That is weird. Next we said we would be sharing our appetizers and entrees but that we only settled on the appetizers for now. We were told we had to order everything at once. But once she took our small plate order, she disappeared. I guess that was not true, but why say it? We did order two main meals. The food was just okay. As someone who is an avid cook with flavors, textures, balance and presentation, I cannot tell you what I was eating and explain how it tasted. I was left very disappointed. The artichokes were okay. We got what we expected with some caramelization, but the overall dish was very dry. The best experience of the night was the burrata, charcuterie meats and wonderful pillows of fried dough. The burrata was the best I've had - a real depth of creaminess. Everything together blended well and we savored each bite. As for the main dishes, the ravioli was overwhelmed by the lemon zest. We could not taste the egg yolk, the fresh pasta or the pureed bean. We could taste the texture of the white beans, but not the flavor. A+ for the technique of serving a raw egg inside the ravioli - that was cool. Our other entree was the gnudi. This dish was so disappointing. They were bland, and only with sauce was there flavor. I couldn't believe I made myself put sauce on the gnudi in order to have a flavor in my mouth. The sauce was tasty, but the gnudi felt like I put food in my stomach and cannot tell you what I ate. Lastly, it was strange to experience the staff. At the end of the entrees, the waitress eventually came back and dropped of dessert menus. She never asked if we were interested in dessert or if we would like something else. When she came back we told her we were passing on dessert. It felt like everyone was so focused on performance and not making a mistake that they left their joy and passion behind. I would have rather had a dish where no cotton was used to clean the rim before presenting if it meant the staff could be more relaxed, would engage authentically and the food was cooked with passion and soul. We were very bummed out from the experience. I still left a 20% tip because the staff works hard and deserves to be paid for their efforts. However, the culture means we won't go back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
The gigli pasta left a mark on my life. Phenomenal!
Outstanding experience at Leeward for my husband’s birthday. Burrata, focaccia, pasta dishes, and gelato were all superb. We sat at the chef’s counter which was fun. Service was also exceptional. Our new favorite restaurant in Portland!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gnocco Fritto, Housemade Focaccia, Gelato
Lovely dining room, outstanding pasta dishes, and good appetizers. Small portions for pasta dishes so order accordingly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place deserves a 10/10! Everything was spectacular!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vegetarian options: Of the 7 main pasta dishes on the menu tonight, 3 were vegetarian. I had the sheep's milk ricotta gnudi, and it was SPECTACULAR!Dietary restrictions: They offer gluten free pasta options, however, be aware that it is made on shared equipment with the gluten-containing pasta.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Liver Mousse, Mocktails, Gnocco Fritto, Housemade Focaccia, Ravioli, Gelato
Amazing food- fantastic waiter (Jenny)! And we could hear our conversation ! There was not a misstep in any dish, and it all exceeded our expectations and surprised us!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Liver Mousse, Gnocco Fritto, Ravioli
Spectacular. The service, the food, the cocktails and atmosphere. Unequivocally our favorite dining destination on the east coast.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Housemade Focaccia
One of my best
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gnocchi, Housemade Focaccia
Birthday delights, relaxing underneath these dim lights. The focaccia gotcha, delicious with that oil. Maybe warm it up a little. Beginning to eat, recalling that the music had a strange beat. Server wanted to rush but eventually she went hush. Paid the toll then took the stroll.
Restaurantji Recommends
this place is a must! everything we had was amazing but I’ll be thinking about the chicken liver mousse and yuzu sorbet for a loooong
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Epic staff accommodated us on short notice and got us a cozy spot quick. Drinks were incredible, had the mezcal cocoa negroni and a glass of wine via Hungary. Pasta was delectable, steak was perfect, and we left fat and happy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great service. Food was interesting with limited choices. Menu was difficult to read, the waiter helped. Small room, quite noisy but it was a Friday night.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 5
We live locally and had high expectations based on the hype of Leeward being one of the best in Portland. Keep in mind they pretty much seem booked up 2 weeks for any reservations if you want to choose your ideal day and time. Walk-ins can be taken on first come first serve for the bar seating and we popped in and were thankful to the nice hostess who managed to get us a table for 2! Spot is open, high ceilings, nice low lights with candles, average level noise. Drinks: their cocktails are definitely interesting- my wife loved hers, which she said was refreshing and would order again. I ended up skipping the cocktail and had some nice local craft beer options instead. We ordered 2 starters- one with roasted Brussels sprouts with shoestring potatoes (extremely light shaved potato on top like grated cheese-not much potato flavor) which were cooked well and this dish had a rich cheese sauce underneath which didn't add much to the dish-it was ok. The second starter was AMAZING-perfectly cooked chanterelle mushrooms with a balsamic glaze and sheep's milk cheese on fresh sourdough crostini slices, delicious (I don't even love mushrooms so that says a lot!). For our entrees I had bucatini pasta with cheese sauce- it had strong high quality cheese flavors. Pasta was well cooked, but not particularly homemade tasting. Overall my dish was very salty (like salty enough I might feel sick later if I eat the entire dish even though it was on smaller size). I mentioned it to the server and she apologetically sent it back and the second round was better. My wife had a wild mushroom pasta that tasted like fresh pasta, nice tomato based sauce. Both of us agreed our entrees were pretty good, but had hoped for more complexity and better balanced flavors at this price point. Dessert had a cinnamon cocoa gelato which tasted a bit grainy in texture, mostly of cacao and could barely discern the cinnamon, it was ok. Our server was friendly, answered questions about the menu, did not rush us and was attentive, 5/5 stars. All in all we can see ourselves coming back to Leeward to give it another try, especially in another season like summer with different food options on the menu, but we both agreed food wise the app was good but the food didn't stand out from other restaurants in Portland given the buzz.
Not Great. Canceled my reservation at another restaurant when I was referred to Leeward. Disappointed upon entering as my wife wanted to turn around and walk out. She thought we were in the wrong place and commented it looked like a cafeteria. Not very warm or inviting. Focaccia was good, a little burnt on the top. Balsamic add on was just okay. Carpaccio was good but not great. Kind of lacking compared to others but a fair portion for a reasonable price. We ordered two pasta dishes and I had the bolognese. Sadly a 5/10. Just lacked flavor and tasted like slightly burnt ground beef (think American Chop Suey...). I finished it but was disappointed. Rigatoni was fresh and cooked well. My wife also had a pasta dish with spinach and mushrooms and a few other items. Unremarkable as there were only two leaves of spinach and could not see/taste the other ingredients. Nice wine selection! We will not return. Two servers/food runners wreaked of weed (not our waitress who was vey nice). The front door had political statements printed out and taped in the window, just tacky. It's Christmas and Hanukkah and there are wars in Israel and Ukraine - ALL lives matter.