My wife and I have been to Chaval a few times in our lives, twice in recent memory. One of our most…read morerecent trips was for a cooking class, the other was for dinner. In the Paella cooking class, we really enjoyed the intimate instruction that Chef Damien and Bartender Asher. The class was informative and very fun - and the food & cocktails were delightful! When we returned a few weeks later for dinner, our impression of Chaval (the staff and the food) didn't skip a beat. We sat at the bar and had a really enjoyable evening. This is a great place for date-night, a celebration or just an excuse to go out and enjoy what Portland's local cuisine has to offer!

I have been to Chaval a few times now and i can absolutely say i enjoy my experience everytime. I…read morethink the staff is absolutely incredible - attentive, knowledgeable, extremely friendly. They make you feel very welcome and will answer any questions you have. I have great beverages when I dine here as well, fantastic wines, they did well choosing the wine list and it's always delicious. I even enjoyed a fantastic cocktail this most recent time i went and I think it might have been my favorite cocktail i've ever had. The Ay Caramba! which was reminiscent of a dirty martini and spicy margarita - it was fantastic! Now for what has deemed this a 3 star instead of higher - the food and prices. The food is wonderful, i don't remember having a bad bite but for some of the pricing i would hope i wouldn't. I think the snacks and appetizers are more fairly priced for what they are considering portland in general but I was rather disappointed that the doses weren't more of a wow factor. My biggest concern was the paella night that they have every monday, i had been so excited to go and finally got the chance. I was disappointed to find out it is $28 a person and a minimum of two people so it's actually $56 total minimum. As a solo diner i couldn't justify that for myself and wish they would make that clear when they advertise it every Monday on instagram. I love Chaval but I don't think the dishes make sense all the time - i think it is in the eye of the beholder how you feel about this place!

The Knotted Apron delivered the kind of meal that feels effortless, though clearly a great deal of…read morethought is behind it. My guest and I shared the country bread to start, and it immediately set the tone. It had a subtle sweetness against a beautifully salty texture, which made it far more memorable than bread service usually is, comforting and refined at once. I had the steak tartare temaki and the tagliatelle, and both were outstanding. The tartare was clean, balanced, and quietly confident, with excellent texture and flavor. The tagliatelle was just as impressive, rich and satisfying without ever feeling heavy. Both dishes felt composed rather than overworked, which made them all the more memorable. My guest had the salad and the salmon, and those were equally well executed. Everything that came to the table felt thoughtful, polished, and deeply appealing without trying too hard. The dulce at the end was a lovely finish, understated but exactly right. The only small note is that the room was a bit robustly noisy, especially for an early reservation. Even so, the quality of the food and the assurance of the kitchen carried the experience. What stood out most was the consistency. Every dish felt considered, every flavor felt intentional, and the entire meal had a calm sense of confidence that is harder to find than it should be. The Knotted Apron is the kind of place that leaves a strong impression precisely because it does not need to announce itself.

We made a reservation at The Knotted Apron because we saw they were taking part in the 2026 Maine…read moreRestaurant Week and we figured it was a fantastic reason to go back. We got seats at the bar which gave us the opportunity to chat with Tyler, who was our server and the bartender. He took really good care of us! Our meals were fantastic! The Scottish Trout was perfectly cooked and the Duck Leg Confit was crispy but not dry. We enjoyed sitting at the bar, watching the cocktail action as well as the well organized operation in the kitchen. This is just an amazing restaurant!

I really wanted to love Anoche…read more Here's what was great: The ambience/decor/vibe/interior--truly such a unique building (why is the door unbelievably cool!?). It felt Mediterranean? Moroccan? Unsure, but I felt like I was transported from the streets of Portland to a seaside town in Europe the minute I stepped through the doors. The cider selection (cider is not always my thing, but they have plenty for everyone) What was okay: My cocktail (the Maine Mami) - tasted like a mix between an Aperol Spritz and a Negroni, with the olives of a dirty martini. It was good, but I wasn't wowed. What was meh: The food menu. Just a whole lot of overpriced combinations of charcuterie. Anoche's space presents as a restaurant, but it's really just a bar that happens to have some food, and that food won't be filling but will drain your wallet. The service. Not attentive, slightly standoffish. Wouldn't *not* recommend this place, but most likely won't be back, either.

I came here around 7:30pm on a Tuesday. This spot was not too busy, but I was one of three groups…read morehere. I really enjoy coming here with small groups of friends because of how cozy the space feels. There's soft lighting and lots of wood, and it feels good to meet up here in the winter to read books or chat with friends. I've been here a small handful of times, and I can't say enough good things. The cider is delightful! I adore the ice ciders-they're made from frozen apples and result in stronger drinks with a crisper taste (feel free to fact check me!). I've never had food here, as we are typically killing time here before heading to izakaya minato. If cider is not your thing, there are other delicious drinks. I had one friend try some cocktails and I liked the taste of the Rhonda's rita. There's cider, beer, vermouth, g&t, wine, and some cocktails. I definitely recommend coming here either alone or with friends, as long as you want to treat yourself to a nice drink. My favorite drink was a dry Spanish cider-I wonder what yours will be!

Great neighborhood restaurant/bar with friendly employees and delicious food. It gets busy and loud…read morewith tables in close proximity so would recommend going early!

Good food, very pricey and then at the end of the meal they provide you a bill that includes an…read moreadditional 3.25% service fee. This is getting out of hand! The price of meals has skyrocketed and then the establishment has the balls to add a service fee. I guarantee this will start affecting tips given to the servers.

We pick fries up to go and scarf them down in the car in the mall parking lot, while they are still…read morefresh. I think they are really tasty. Not the best poutine I've ever had but worth a stop. We just get the Classic Poutine & I get the strawberry lemonade which is delicious. Service has been pleasant. I will say we do online ordering & whenever my husband goes in to pick up the order, the iPad they get the orders on is either off because the battery went dead & they didn't notice-or it just was not on, or something is wrong with it-resulting in them making the order fresh for him there, so that probably also impacts how good & fresh they taste. Ambiance is the mall & parking is abundant.

Generous portions and reasonable prices for a mall foodcourt offering. I had tenders and fries. The…read moreKorean BBQ sauce is got on the side was delicious with a little kick to it, but not too much. Service was friendly.

Dominique (the owner) is a gracious unpretentious front of house. The relaxed vibe and warm…read morelighting complement the casual but elevated Baja-California food and beverage offerings. Over a half dozen visits since opening, I've found the experience unique and satisfying in the crowded Portland foodscape. Don't miss the bluefin tuna aguachile, the fish tacos and the roasted half-chicken (which is more elevated in flavor than the name suggests!)

addicted to the fish tacos love coming here for happy hour…read moreon the patio in the summer and pozole on a snowy winter night Dominique and the staff are so sweet and attentive

It's always unfortunate and sad to write a re-review for a spot that is a favorite that will be…read moreclosing. Gross Confection recently announced on social media they would be shutting down the bar/desserts service while remaining open as a bakery. My wife and I came here many a times for an end cap to the night for one last drink and delicious and beautifully made desserts. From times in their dimly lit space that gave off romantic vibes or even enjoying our desserts in the summer sun outside people watching, every time will be remembered. Timing worked out well and we were doing a staycation in Portland and knew we needed to add a stop here one last time. Thankfully we got our names in on the waiting list early enough Friday and got sat as one of the last tables. We each had one last phenomenal drink; my wife and Apricot 75 that had a great tart kick of apricot and lemon. While I enjoyed their Chai Fashioned which spelt like a chai but had that boozy bourbon warming you'd expect. Dessert wise everything sounded good as always but we settled on two. The Goat Cheesecake and Pineapple Cake. The cheesecake was the perfect sweetness without being cloying and the blueberry sorbet on top paired so well. The pineapple cake was moist and tasted so good we needed to scrap the plate clean. I'm sad that Portland is losing this amazing dessert space but glad it's not a complete goodbye since they'll operate the bakery still! If you somehow read this today and have the chance make it in for one last visit tonight before they close their doors!

It is a bar, but with the highest quality dessert. They do not serve non- dessert food…read more This was my 2nd time there. Loved it again. Great service, cozy atmosphere, open later (we went after 9pm), great selection of desserts.

Stopped by George and Leon's in Portland for lunch and had the Junior beef with the homemade onion…read morerings, and it absolutely hit the spot. The beef was tender, flavorful, and piled just right, with plenty of sauce to make every bite satisfying without being too much. The onion rings were a standout--crispy, golden, and clearly homemade, with great seasoning and a fresh taste you do not get everywhere. This was one of those simple, classic meals done really well. Good portions, great flavor, and exactly the kind of local spot you hope to find when you are in town. I would gladly order this again.

Very very dissatisfied & disappointed. I ordered two super beef deconstructed sandwiches & onion…read morerings to take back home to Old orchard beach. What I opened up was two super beef sandwiches that were well done, flavorless & not rare like they should be. A north shore 4 way sandwich should never be well done. I'm more than pissed,I just spent $60.00 plus an $9.00 tip. The only good part of my order was the very kind woman who took my order. I'm expecting a refund on my sandwiches that clearly should have been rare not well done. I'll be calling George & to express my disappointment. I've eaten north shore 4 ways probably a dozen times from multiple restaurants. Never once until today has the roast beef been nothing but a perfect rare. From now on I will be forever ordering my sandwiches from Roasty's in Portland, Maine. George & Leon's you let me down big time

Oak & Ember is such a gem. We visited for brunch and loved our experience…read more We had heard good things about Oak & Ember, so we finally made our way there for brunch, not knowing what to expect. Our experience was nothing short of amazing. The restaurant itself is beautiful -- it's quintessentially Maine. The thoughtful decor, cozy ambiance, and meticulously designed interior blew us away. The brunch menu was extensive, with a handful of boozy options offered as well. I had the brisket hash, and it was delicious, plus visually stunning. I haven't seen such a beautiful brunch plate in a while. It was hard to pick a cocktail -- they had many mimosas (including a guava one that looked divine) and Bloody Marys, but I opted for a spicy version of the latter. It was so good and came with plenty of toppings. We finished our meal with a cinnamon bun from Sullivan Bakery. It was yummy! The service was great. Our waitress was friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable. I also want to call out the wine shop located inside the restaurant. It was a lovely and a great addition! Most wines were affordable, under $20, and they had a vast selection of unique wines you just don't find anywhere. We left with a few bottles. We loved our experience and can't wait to go back. Some constructive feedback for the owners: For brunch, the coffee was tiny and also lukewarm. It was the size of two long espressos. Please consider offering a larger size -- I'd gladly pay extra. For a black coffee, I was expecting a much bigger cup. Also, it would be lovely if you offered iced coffee in the future. The bloody Mary's were so good. My partner said it's the best he ever had. However, some of our guests were vegetarian, and the Bloody Mary came with salami (as a topping), but this was not noted on the menu. Lastly, I do wish our hash came with a side of bread or something else. It was a bit on the lighter side, even though we picked it because it felt like one of the heartier options. All in all, we had an awesome experience.

A wonderful addition to Buxton. Staff is friendly and so accommodating. We made reservations and…read moredidn't realize that they were for there outside patio which of course due to it being cold was closed. They made it work and found us a table fairly quickly by making a few minor changes. Food was delicious! Their cocktails delicious. We just went again the night before Thanksgiving and again another wonderful meal. We sat at the bar and the bar tender was wonderful. Where we sat at the bar we had a good view of the kitchen I was fascinated watching them work! Very attention to detail oriented I can't wait to go back

Fantastic food and service! Wish we had a brunch place this good in Western Mass! Friendly…read moreattentive staff, food served quickly and generous portions. Highly recommend.

I liked how different this menu was, both the fried eggplant and crumpets were very good. Waffles…read morewere a large portion but not very crispy, though the fruit and cinnamon butter were good. Drinks were good though wish they had more hot options, their lattes seem to be cold option only. Service was friendly. Menus are nice but pretty beat up looking. I think it would be helpful if there are pictures on the menu that it look like the food item being served at the restaurant instead of random stock photos. Also sampled the some of the potatoes but they came out very hard. Cute space with a window looking out to the road, though with the cold Maine weather currently definitely some cold breezes coming through in the front of the house.