I want to gatekeep this place because I know that once word gets out, it's going to be impossible to get reservations at this restaurant. You walk in, and they have a small shelf with ingredients that they use in their food. Everything is so clean and spacious. You know you're going to walk into an amazing meal. We were seated right away, and the wait staff is incredibly friendly and professional. They are so knowledgeable about the menu and gave great direction and advice. Now on to the food: I was simply blown away! They have a happy hour from 4-6 with $2 oysters! The fish was so clean and cooked to perfection! The leek salad was beautifully dressed and came with the most perfect gooey eggs. But the star of the show was the beans; incredibly tender and in the most amazing southern-style collard greens sauce. Everything was so fresh and different! The meal was simply spectacular! I truly cannot wait to go back and try everything. Chef Tim is simply a GENIUS who clearly cares deeply about his food. Not to mention how kind and generous he is as a human being. Thank you so much for one of the most memorable meals I have had in a VERY long time!! read more

Classy place with friendly service and interior designer touches. Ideal for a date night or special occasion. For two people we paid $150 with tip, and that was without desserts and coffee. Things of note from a Friday night summer visit to this place that's been there four years now: High-end presentation. The plating is top level and each thing they place in front of you is like a sculpture or work of art. Nice energy, not at all too loud. They have acoustic tiles on the ceiling and on the concrete floor added a runner that echos the curve of the large bar, which helps. Portion size looked nice and generous from examples of things we saw being brought to tables, such as the salad and focaccia. Best appetizers were fried cauliflower and the asparagus dish w/ the eggs (which would be even better if warm). The one fish entree is the sablefish (ours was underseasoned) that's brought out on thin piece of cedar with edges still slightly charred. It comes with nothing else on the plate so plan accordingly. Just inside the door they have a little snack/pantry curated market of sorts, where you can linger while waiting for seating and can buy things like a cute little bottle of honey for $20 or a colorful crocheted wall hanging basket for $70. Lots of good natural light because of the walls of floor to ceiling windows. Option of ample seating indoors and outdoors because it's a corner location. Cautionary note: We saw and heard a lunatic in hoodie who, at 6pm on a Friday night, walked up to one of the unoccupied outdoor tables and flipped it over, causing the plates and glasses to fly in the air and shattered, landing in shards next to the elderly couple at the next table who jumped up, her understandably in shock and tears. Staff did nice job moving them inside to a twotop, cleaning up the mess, and removing all the seating on that side of the building for the night. read more

See all

We happened upon Old Pal by chance, just driving by. It looked inviting so we made reservations and were wowed by everything there. I confess that I have a thing about river rocks, so I loved their collection of rocks interspersed with plants on the window sill. Everything looked clean, orderly and showed tasteful attention to detail. We started dinner with poached prawns -- always yum, and then followed with the celery salad, which was a creative approach to a salad, far from the usual salad fare and delicious. We tried the Dungeness crab-corn risotto, which was also fabulous and ended our meal with chocolate cake and the fruit-berry crostata. The staff at Old Pal were all friendly and attentive throughout, too. We can honestly say that we were very impressed with everything. Overall a great place to go back to. read more

Came here for dinner by myself and ate at the bar, which is held for walk-ins. Otherwise you should make reservations because word is getting out that the chef (who joined the restaurant the last few months) is killing it in the kitchen. The restaurant itself, like the name, has a very neighborly feel, with a tiny market at the entrance. Nothing pretentious about the interiors. The menu is the type that just list ingredients so it's hard to really figure out what you're going to get, but overall the approach is very Pacific Northwest with quality ingredients. But what's enticing is really the plating, that comes out very high-end. I also should note that I came early, so it wasn't super crowded, which helps because the food came out quickly and hot from the kitchen. I think that helped. It's nice they have happy hour oysters, which is getting harder and harder to fine these days. (They're at $2 an oyster for HH). For the food, I tried the Oregon albacore with new potatoes, zucchini, and salmoriglio. This was a meaty dish that was like a terrine with the tuna and potatoes turned into a cylindrical tower and then topped with the slices of zucchini in a pattern. It was comforting and filling. You could almost get this and a salad, but I wanted to also try the nettle and ricotta gnocchi with mushrooms. This was also a beautifully plated dish that felt like mushroom foraging in the forest. The nettle made the gnocchi green and overall this was my favorite dish for the creativity and flavor. There were only two dessert items, and one was sorbet, so I didn't get any. But overall it was a really creative and delicious plates in a relaxed, casual environment in Belmont. read more

See all

We recently came here for lunch as it was a new place for the both of us. I remember it being completely different before. The space is nice and feels inviting. There is a small shop in the front for you to buy little snacks. I had the Italian sandwich, and my friend had the chicken pot pie. We also got some fries to share. The sandwich was nice and simple. I think the Calabrian chile aoli gave it that extra flavor. The fries were pretty good, and I would recommend ordering it. read more

See all

Ambiance : clean and airy, spacious , comfortable and quiet but not stuffy ! A+ Service : friendly & Professional, Personable and welcoming even tho we just walked in looking for the OYSTERS A+ Food : WOWZA ! Pacific shucked oysters , fries with sauces, beer and wine A+ Timothy the CHEF came out and sat by us for a few, discussed how the restaurant came to be, and how they source the oysters and BOY OH BOY - did not disappoint !! Wowza again Rachel from NYC read more

See all

Was here a few years ago, and loved the ambiance and the service but wasn't impressed by the food. That has certainly changed! The Meyer lemon aioli for the fries is amazing and now the fries themselves are also delicious! We really enjoyed the cauliflower dish! The duck was well cooked but the bean flavor was strong. My husband liked it but it wasn't my fav. Overall I'd say still amazing service and ambience with a marked improvement in the food! Will have to come back sooner! read more

See all

Old Pal was great before, but some recent changes have really brought it to excellent. A new bar manager who is already blowing my mind with inventive, imaginative, and balanced cocktails. A new chef, a James Beard Award winner, bringing out subtle and interesting and absolutely delicious food. It shows in how full the place is most nights - reservations (available from as little as one person to as many as 6) are highly recommended, even for early seatings. And when we're in the mood for a light dinner, a martini, some incredibly fresh happy-hour priced oysters, and a plate of beautifully done herbed fries are always a treat. TL;DR - loved this place before. Love it even more now. read more

Visited Old Pal last night. Lovely small restaurant with cozy upscale vibe. We had reservations and we were seated right away. We had been to Old Pal once before months ago and enjoyed it. But last night was the food was absolutely delicious - even better than the last time. We started with the cauliflower appetizer and the shrimp cocktail. The cauliflower was roasted and served with a lemony crème fraiche. Very nice. The shrimp were large, fresh and cooked very well. Served on ice with a very good cocktail sauce. We also ordered focaccia bread which I definitely recommend. . For our entrées, my husband ordered the sablefish. It was delicate and buttery. Very good fish. I ordered the gnocchi and oh my goodness - best gnocchi I've ever had. It was delicate and melted in my mouth. The sauce was made with cherry tomatoes and basil, it was so fresh and delicious. Absolutely fabulous. Great night at Old Pal. Will definitely be back. read more

I'm not a customer who believes "the customer is always right," but holy... Really wanted to like Old Pal because it's close to home. Gave it 3 tries, and the first 2 were 3 stars, but my 3rd try will be my last. The waiter got a simple order wrong and instead of saying sorry and fixing it, proceeded to throw down. They actually got loud. Buzz kill for the rest of the customers within earshot, which was absolutely everyone. There are way too many other options in the hood to put up with that. Sorry not sorry. read more

Old pal has unique dishes that really hit home! I love seeing new spins on a burger that aren't gimmicky, and the peppercorn aioli with Gouda was the perfect pairing. The gnocchi was light and flavorful and the salad had nice big leaves with incredibly fresh lettuce. Everything felt simple yet perfectly prepared. The space feels fresh and modern and the staff were all welcoming, fast, and friendly! read more

See all

Spacious restaurant with modern interiors/vibe tucked away on a busy intersection of Belmont. No reservations but we walked in without issue on a Sunday night. While the pasta selection is limited, everything from apps to salad and the mussels were flavorful and done right. The fries (massive portion for two people) were decent but nothing to write home about. Would suggest getting a salad or other more interesting app instead (unless you just like fries, which is also understandable). Overall, a welcome addition to this stretch of Belmont. read more

See all

Came here for Lunch - tell me - how did they make something as forgettable as a tuna melt..... exhilarating? The lemon aioli that comes with the mountain of fries is a showstopper. Yes, aioli stopped me in my tracks. And BEYOND reasonable in pricing for a delectable sammy and fries. Came here for dinner too and sat at the bar. Salads are hearty and elevated, burgers are juicy and well balanced. Whenever I've come, servers have been attentive and kind. Old Pal is immaculately clean and pristine and somehow still inviting and cozy. read more

I'm surprised there aren't more reviews for Old Pal! I was curious after walking around the area and saw the new space open. Peeking in I was intrigued by the beautiful decor and art pieces hanging on their walls. I checked in case reservations were crazy but had no issues walking in during their happy hour from 4-6 pm. During happy hour they have $2 off their cocktails and $2 oysters for their half/full dozen. Overall really beautiful space and I really loved the colors used and their bar counter area. We ended up seating at a booth this visit but from the moment we entered we were greeted by the friendly staff. Looking at the menu they seem to be more vegan/vegetarian friendly with the protein items being more focused on seafood. I liked some of the unique flavor combinations I saw and this visit I definitely ordered more than I could eat in one sitting. The meal consisted of + Dozen oysters - they had two varieties in the dozen and both were delicious. Sweet but still a little brine. They had a nice mignonette sauce paired with horseradish. + Gougers - Must try! Super airy and a great warm way to start your meal. They pair it with beer jam which was unique on it's own but was a surprising flaovr combination. + Malt & Vinegar Potatoes - I love salt & vinegar chips so I HAD to try this. It did not disappoint. The potatoes were cooked well and the seasoning was on point. I just wished it was slightly crispier. I enjoyed their yogurt dipping sauce too because it also consisted of herb oil and fish eggs which I have never seen paired with potatoes before! + Ricotta Gnocchi - I ordered this because 1) love bolognese 2) love mushrooms 3) last time I ordered ricotta gnocchi was in Chicago and it was super soft. All in all I thought the sauce was super decadent without having meat. The gnocchi was denser here than what I was expecting but it absorbed the sauce well. + Deep fried squid + lemon - Not the most unique item on the menu but I do love my calamari. The coating here was super light and the squid was cooked well. Just slightly salty for my liking but the fresh lemon helped. Food comes as it is ready and the gnocchi took the longest but we didn't go too long in between items before our next one was ready. As for drinks since it was happy hour I got a mix of the pear martinez, milano, and oaxacan negroni. My favorite was the pear martinez and the staff said was a popular drink recently too. Drinks here are made well and strong. It's a great date night place or if you want to get something a little fancy. It is a little more pricier so it's worth coming when you want to splurge or come with a group to try more items together At the end of your meal you can pay by QR code which was nice. Come show them some love! read more

See all

Came for drinks, ended up getting some snacks. All were good. Service was great. Music was good. Decor was cute. read more

See all

Everything about this restaurant -- the food, the flowers, the lighting, the ambiance, the welcoming staff -- and its attached market of delectable speciality items is exquisite. There is real artistry at work here. What a gift to the lucky folks who happen to live in the neighborhood! read more

This place is awesome! I'd kinda put off coming here cause every time I looked at their changing menu, it didn't seem like there were enough entree options, then there was a lukewarm news review, but I'm so glad my wife finally brought us here. The space is really nice, save for some awkwardly positioned tables in the front area. The long winding bar looked comfortable, and the rest of the tables nicely spaced out, with views of the green neighborhood rather than busy Belmont. We started with some tide point oysters (conveniently $2 each on HH, which is all day Mondays), which were some of the best I've had. Smaller size, perfectly shucked, and super tasty. The Egg (Oeuf) was small but really interesting- spicy, savory, sweet, soft, crunchy all-in-one. The salad was generously sized for the price, and simple fresh butter lettuce with a great dressing and hazelnuts. The burrata came with a nice purée I wasn't familiar with, but added a small bit of fruity sweetness, but thankfully not too much. Asparagus was another winner, perfectly grilled and cooked, with a flavorful sauce to accompany. Lastly the potatoes were another interesting portion, though I felt they could use more salt and vinegar, since that was in the name. The dipping sauce that came with was unique, but maybe a bit too smoky for me. To end our feast we had the risotto and ricotta gnocchi entrees. The risotto was kind of an upscale take on rice and beans, and while simple, was very good. The gnocchi was also delicious, with a mushroom bolognese full of umami. I feel the need to also mention that we had some of the best service I've ever had in Portland. The restaurant was full by 7 on a Monday night, and our server was on top of everything, made great recommendations, and even let us know if we were ordering too much. Can't say how much I appreciate that she grabbed our water glasses by the very bottom to move them or fill them. I see so many clueless servers putting their fingers all around the tops of glasses where you drink from these days it makes me wonder what other gross stuff they do. I felt the prices were fair (even more so on Happy Hour) for most of the dishes. However I still wish they'd add another chicken/fish/steak entree option or two in the $25-35 range. Can't wait to go back, and if I lived closer I'd definitely be a regular. read more

See all

My partner and I were visiting and we enjoyed the food, great attentive service, and cute restaurant. We enjoyed our experience here. read more

Old Pal - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

This was out first time trying out Old Pal. My friends and I came to try a few bites before heading out for the evening. We had a two appetizers and also some oysters. We also grabbed a drink. The place itself was very welcoming and friendly. Music was good. Decor was fun. The oysters were quite small for the cost, but done well. Everything was good. I would come back again and try some more dishes. I liked the vibe of the place. I would recommend it read more

Every time we visit there is something new and creative on the menu and they nail it! Fresh, interesting but always simple and delicious. Not too fussy. Neighborhood ambiance is a 10. Go for oysters and stay for everything else! read more

Phenomenal restaurant. The food and service were out of this world good. Delicious drinks. Highly recommended. That vegan risotto.... Damn. Definitely coming back. read more

Amazing ambiance, service, and the food and drinks were special!! Wish I lived down the street. read more

I absolutely love Old Pal. This is my partner and my favorite spot for a special occasion. The oysters, wine options, oeuf du feu and asparagus are some of my favorites! read more

Perfect date night spot. Smaller menu but they sure do execute it! Mussels, when available, are a must get.

Fun classy neighborhood bar, love the happy hour oysters and cocktails (this review pertains to the happy hour as we haven't yet been back for dinner). Oysters were perfect, also had fluffy gougers, calamari with lemon and pepper, oeufs with jam were a fun twist, and tinned mackerel to round it out. Love the bottle freezer martini, simple and smooth. We also went over the summer and had this fun drink (with "serious peacocking") that's no longer on the cocktail menu but I hope they bring it back! A really fun neighborhood gem. read more

Old Pal - Happy hour oysters and a fun cocktail with tonic that had "serious peacocking" (sorry, forgot the drink name) - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Great spot for a date night. One of the best oysters I've had in town. Decently priced at a dozen for $38. I also recommend ordering the mussels. Drinks were solid too. My only takeaway here was that the service was a bit slow however we did arrive on a Friday evening for dinner. read more

See all

What a treat! We were in the area to check out another new spot, and drove past Old Pal and knew we needed to stop in here as well. We shared a few small items, oysters, and cocktails and everything was fantastic! The staff was knowledgeable about where all the oysters came from and I enjoyed hearing about them. The staff was also attentive without bearing overbearing, and helpful with making other decisions on what to order. Though we didn't have a full meal, we're excited to go back and try more items. I also wanted to note, they do have a happy hour- I believe it's $2/oyster, and $2 off their cocktails and wine/beer by the glass. I didn't see anything online offering that information, but it's truly a great spot to check out. Cheers! read more

Old Pal - Oysters and their Hockney cocktail - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

What a pleasant surprise! This is a very pretty bar/restaurant with nice vegetable & seafood forward plates. If you are in the neighborhood & want something a little elegant but casual & a little flirty & friendly, this is the spot! read more

See all

Always on the search for a better burger, we have finally landed at the place we will now call "our burger place." This restaurant is incredible. There is a wonderful vibe, enhanced by the people who work here who are so friendly and accommodating. The atmosphere is lovely, the interior "clean and classy," and the location perfect - a sweet corner spot smack in the middle of an old Portland neighborhood. They also have outdoor seating in the warmer months. Our Old Pal burgers were cooked exactly the way we ordered, and the peppercorn aioli with pickled red onion flavors were fabulous! We also ordered a side of the herbed fries that came with a lemon aioli which we loved. We will definitely be heading back to Old Pal on a regular basis. read more

Well, come here if you want the saddest gnocchi dish you can imagine. Not only did it look like vomit, you had to chew it? I was genuinely hungry and it did nothing for me. Service was sub-par before it even got busy. I like the Ambiance but this has to be my worst Portland meal yet. read more

This place was great, good food and friendly service! Wasn't sure what to expect when we arrived but was a great spot for quiet date night.

Great neighborhood spot! Love it for dinner or just wine or cocktails and a tasty appetizer. They have super friendly and efficient service as well. Nice outdoor seating in warm months and modern, cool ambiance inside. Bring back the potato appetizer! read more

Such a fun dinner. We practically had the restaurant to ourselves. Its cozy and the service was really nice and helpful. Definitely recommend the pickle situation, the spring toast and I always love a tin. We did the sardines. Panna cotta for dessert. We did a full dinner but these were the hi lights for me. Two bottle freezer martinis for me....it was A LOT. but worth it. read more

We came here on a whim for our anniversary. I had the bottom freezer martini with gin, which came in a bottle with an ice holder to keep it cold. Too often martinis are overshaken and collect too much water weakening the drink. This was lovely. My wife had the spritzer which they make just like it's done in Venice -- with an olive. A treat! We had the radishes with french butter infused with maybe lemon rind? Very delicious. Also had the "pickle situation" which tonight was glorious yellow beets and sweetish cucumbers and wax beans. Thought about ordering another pickle situation but instead had (I know this seems odd) Wild Mackeral in olive oil tin with pickled mustard seed, conichons and crackers. That too was scrumptious. We ordered a malvasia -- sparkling wine -- orange, very dry, then the Tavern salad with "cheese" dust (a dry cashew cheese) and smashed croutons (literally) with a pistachio vinaigrette. Very large, tangy, hard to describe but outstanding. Then the herbed fries with lemon aioli -- very crispy and the aioli stood up to the fries. Really wanted to take a spoon to the aioli but managed not to embarass myself. Then the mussels in a bouillabaise sauce with grilled bread and another aioli. My god it was fabulous. Don't know what to say other than -- "Go!". One of the best meals I've enjoyed in this great town. read more

Visited this past weekend and was not very impressed with the food for the prices that they charge. I felt the food was mediocre at best. I especially did not enjoy the oysters as they were not fresh. I was also highly disappointed that they charged me $15 for an Aperol spritz that wasn't even made properly. It should be a simple 3-2-1 recipe of 3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol and 1 part soda water. Mine was the opposite, with at least half of it being soda water. read more

Great burrata, really well executed and cool cocktails. The clarified milk punch is exceptional.

Came here last week for the first time and will definitely be coming back! The service was friendly and did a great job. All the food and drinks were delicious. The decor and vibes of the place were relaxing and made me feel very good. And I'm excited to come back for their happy hour menu. Ordered: pole beans, lemon butter radishes, herbed fries and a dozen oysters and my friends and I each had two drinks. read more

My wife and I had a fantastic date night here last week. Exceptionally crafted cocktails and the food was excellent. I'd highly recommend the Gruyère puffs and the ricotta gnocchi. Good wine and beer selection also. The staff was wonderful and attentive also. read more

Amazing food and drinks all around! I still think about the burrata all the time. I recommend for sure!

The food was absolutely delicious, went here for my mom and sisters birthday dinner last night with a party of 12/13 and they were very accommodating! Service was a little slow but that's expected with so many customers, my partner and I got the herbed fries, calamari, and salted blood orange sorbet, everything was amazing!! We ended up getting two orders of the calamari and honestly i recommend that as the #1 dish to anyone who is wanting to try this place out! Also the fries were super good, they come with a lemon mayo and ketchup! read more