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!

We celebrated our 50th anniversary at Chaval, a party of 10. The entire family style menu was…read moreterrific, start to finish. The special cake order did not disappoint. It was delicious. The staff was wonderful and attentive. We had small children in the party and they were very patient with them. My only negative is their private room. There's little about it that says inviting. I felt like we were in a storage room in the basement. Chaval waitstaff were up and down the stairs constantly replenishing wine and whatever it is that's stored down stairs. The room is very narrow and unappealing. If you are booking a special occasional , pray for a nice day and sit on their patio. Aside from lack of ambiance the cocktails/appetizers/dinner and dessert were spot on! Thanks to the staff for a memorable evening. Oh and thanks to our kids for this special treat.

We finished our excursion at the pier earlier than anticipated and needed a brief respite before…read moreour dinner reservation. Wind blown and certainly not dressed for a proper establishment such as this. The rest of the spots along this cobblestoned drag were more like sticky bar type spots. Despite our exterior, the service was super kind and the bathroom - impeccable. Loved the hooks under the counters to organize our shopping bags. The zero proof cocktail (Birkin) and sparkling rose (Woody) - refreshing. Felt very modern French chic.

"We don't want to rush you, but we need you out by 6:40 (for your 5:30 reservation)?"…read more WHAT? I mean, I found myself explaining to the maitrisse d that we usually eat so fast and never take longer than an hour......but why was I doing that? Why was I doing this on my anniversary dinner? It never starts off well when this is your first interaction with an establishment. Um, no, I made a 5:30 reservation so that I could reserve a table for however long it takes me to eat dinner. Why are you rushing me from the start? That is NOT the way to treat a patron, no matter how much money you want to make. I was instantly off-put by this mercenary (money over you) behavior and now I will never go back. I have no idea why this sort of behavior is permitted or encouraged. That being said, I ordered the moules (Mussels) Escabèche. They arrive out of their shells in a very sour, vinegar-soaked tomato base with dry (yet yummy) bread on the side. While the mussels themselves (all 5 or 6 of them for whatever the price was) were quite delicious, I do not think it was a worthwhile or to-die-for tasty deal. Luckily, next we got our steak tartare (Yolk Jam, Brioche) and my duck confit (with Buckwheat, Cherry) - both meals were delicious and savory and earned two thumbs up from both diners. We finished with the highlight of the evening - Le Soufflé ( Dark Chocolate, Hazelnut Cocoa Ice Cream) - which you have to order 20 minutes in advance. I thought it was sinfully worth it and magical beyond belief. All in all, though, portions were pretty light for the price we paid - and we still have that awful initial interaction to contend with. No one ever wants to feel like they are on borrowed time their entire stay. Overall, honestly, I'm not sure what to say.

5/5 Excellent Date Night!…read more Portions were massive, and the bolognese might be the best I've ever had, no joke. I genuinely don't like mushrooms and the mushroom pasta had me converted -- didn't think that was possible. Beef carpaccio was solid too. Got the seasonal cocktail and a draft beer, both great. Honestly can't find a flaw here. 5/5, will be back. Sean was also very sweet!

Sat at the bar. Great vibe, amazing beet salad and meatball. Bread with olive oil and salt and…read morepepper is the best ever.

This food ROCKED! My girlfriend and I went here on a Tuesday for our anniversary. The vibes are…read moregreat, staff are kind and welcoming in. Our waiter was the best, he was hilarious and helpful with our wine choice and our dishes and just a great soul. Sad I didn't get his name, but an older gentleman. It's a comfortable restaurant with a brick oven for their pizzas and a bar full of old license plates but still feels higher end. We started with a bottle of wine, no complaints. For an appetizer we got the arancini which were so cheesy and delicious I could have eaten hundreds of these and perfectly crisped. For our main course: we split a chicken cutlet pizza and added pancetta. Didn't even need the pancetta but wow the dough was fluffy with the brick oven char, which I love. Topped with perfectly crisped chicken cutlet pieces and covered in vodka sauce with pesto sauce through out,, beautiful. We also split the radiatori pasta dish which comes with a beautiful white wine sauce covered in the yellow thicker sauce on top, that you see in the photo, with lobster bits throughout. This was such a unique and delicious dish bursting with lemon flavor, creaminess, and freshness. A new pasta dish to my taste palate that really came with a pack punch of flavors, just fantastic. Highly recommend!

It was my first time tonight and I will not be back. The chairs were incredibly uncomfortable and…read morewould probably only work well if you're a size 2 or less as a normal size woman's bum does not fit in it. It took our server 15 minutes to bring us water and 15 more minutes to take our drink order, then another 15 minutes to take our food order, even though we were ready. Food did not arrive until we had been there an hour and 15 minutes. The food was decent, but the pepperoni pizza was incredibly greasy and the bottom beyond floppy. The first person's meal hit the table a solid ten minutes before mine, the last to arrive, did. They were polite and waiting for all orders to arrive, so as a result, their food was cold by the time mine came out. The prices are too high for what it is. I'm all for neighborhood restaurants but not this one.

Perfect anniversary dinner spot! We came here on a Friday night with reservations to sit inside. It…read morewas better than I imagined! First, the building is fabulous. Small outdoor area for summer nights. The indoors has a little bar area where you can see the chefs in the kitchen hard at work. Then there is a smaller and intimate room of tables with paintings and photographs on the wall. They had this delightful set of photographs of each employee and what they bring to the table. I thought it was a beautiful display of the team. Next, the food! Between the two of us we shared the tuna and mussels appetizers, the schnitzel and steak and frites for the main, and amazing cocktails. Each dish was unique and delicious! This place makes nearly everything from scratch. And I was informed that in the Winter they have a burger and fries special on Thursday nights. We are already excited to come back here and try more dishes! I highly recommend this place to bring guests and celebrate special occasions.

The staff were so rude that we didn't even stay. We may not…read morelive here and for the mold of regulars but we are still here for an enjoyable meal and to spend money. Sadly recommended by our hotel in old Port and drove out here for terrible service.

The food was absolutely amazing! From the bartenders to the cooks, everyone was incredible. The…read morewhole place felt so welcoming, and the drinks were SO yummy! We had such a great experience from start to finish. I highly recommend this place definitely a 10+ out of 10! We will absolutely be back!

Evo was recommended to us, and we were not disappointed during our recent trip to Portland. Our…read moreserver was friendly and knowledgeable. We chose to sit at a table upstairs (mezzanine). There was also an option to sit at the counter downstairs. We started with the chickpea fries, which were spiced well with a crispy exterior and creamy texture inside. It was a unique way of serving chickpeas. I had the NY strip steak, which I enjoyed, but a tip if you're going. The medium rare was closer to rare in my opinion. If you like medium rare, I'd ask for medium. My wife had the mushroom shawarma, which she enjoyed thoroughly and raved about the unique spices.

I had so much wanted to visit this farm to table restaurant. The building and spot is ideal…read more Well worth sharing with friends and family. Service was a little slow the evening we visited, but umderstable as the restaurant was fully seated. We ordered cocktails that I would have presumed would arrive before our meal Not the case. I specifically had asked for my overpriced cocktails beforehand They arrived with our meal. I did have one of the most amazingly fresh Caesar salads. Fresh greens and a nice ptesemtation Prices were steep for main entrees. My parents had a bowl of Clam chowder, I had a cup. Quality chowder but not comparable to a true Maine chowder Chowder is sometimes prepared with bacon or a salt pork base. The chowder served had actual bacon, not stated on the menu description. Very disappointed as it added to much sodium.I will be sure to pack my pocketbook and give it another chance. Maybe on a quiet day not in the midst of a Maine summer Put that Ceasar salad well presented

We stopped here for dinner on our way North after flying into Portland, ME and I have zero regrets…read more We had delicious appetizer of crab dip that was the equal of any crab dip back home in MD. We then shared the two patty smash burger that was absolutely delicious as well. Incredibly friendly atmosphere, excellent staff, and amazing food. Great spot for good conversation as well!

So so so good! This spot feels exactly like my Italians grandma kitchen in the best way. They have…read morethe best focaccia bread I've ever had. The service was lovely, the people were amazing! Such a hidden great staple everyone in Portland so go to!

We really liked the vibe of Ribollita! The cozy ambiance made it feel like an authentic Italian…read morerestaurant, and everyone around us seemed to be having a good time. I would definitely recommend a reservation though due to its size! Our food was great. We loved all of the options and had a hard time choosing, but then a few of us got the specials because those were also appealing (sometimes specials can really throw you for a loop, but not here). The service was a *tad* slow, but we were told they were short someone- not sure if they meant in the kitchen or waitstaff, but either way it took a while for us to be seen once we were seated. Either way, though, this was a yummy pre-race meal in Portland, and I would definitely recommend for date nights, celebrations, or carbing up before a half marathon!