My girlfriend and I decided to try Papi after a show around 9pm. It was drizzling a cold outside typical Portland spring. We walked inside and pushed aside a curtain to open up a warm, full capacity buzzing with life room. There was a coupe females ahead of us that put in for a seat and were told about a half hour. We were more than willing to wait, but...! The host pulled my girlfriend to the side and they started walking towards the back. A lovers booth! The green lit booth was perfect. The aesthetics were some of the best Iv experienced The Puerto Rican music was equalized to where you could talk across the table and other patrons wouldn't be able to eavesdrop. Our waitress was a busy a bee and was still able to get our drinks and take orders with ease. I orders a Margarita smh )I wish I had ordered one of their special cocktails.) it was fabulous. For our Mano we order the Sorullo. They were quite delicious. Our Plato she order the Bistec I order the Pollo Guisado. There isn't one iota of a critique we could offer. Price for the quality and experience was excellent. I can't wait to go back and try more of everything. Whenever I'm in Portland I'll be sure to stop by Papi. read more

Papi - Lovers Booth - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

Stumbled upon Papi, fell in love with the menu and the fun option to have a drink in a pineapple! Started with empanadas accompanied by mayochup, then we both had the pernil with rice and gandules. The service was great, food came out quick, and everything tasted amazing. Absolutely a great find in Portland! read more

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As a Boricua, I came in excited and ready to support last night. I'll always root for Boricua spots, which is why I left a little disappointed that nothing here truly felt authentic. No local Puerto Rican beers, and the food didn't quite land--rice without habichuelas on the menu (which felt odd on its own), arroz con gandules that was hard and missing that unmistakable sofrito flavor. The sangria leaned overly sweet, heavy on the simple syrup. And it felt off to see "street tacos" on the menu as well as noting l empanadas on the menu instead of calling them pastelillos. That said, the service was wonderful and the ambiance is gorgeous. I'm leaving four stars because I genuinely want to see my fellow Boricuas shine. With a few tweaks to bring more authentic flavors forward, this place could really sparkle. read more

Being from South Florida, never thought of going to a Puerto Rican restaurant in Portland, ME. However, we were brought in by a local to try this place and we are so glad we did. The vibe and ambiance is hip. Reminded us of being in South Beach. The place is definitely has a friday or saturday night feel. We just came in for drinks and appetizers, however we were so turned on by the aroma of other customer's dishes so when in (rome) we had to indulge. Their old fashioned is one of the best i've had, together with a stamped "Papi" ice cube made it all feel special. Tostones were on point, but the mofongo is certainly top notch. Pleasantly surprised and highly recommend. read more

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LyAnna and her team were awesome! We are from Miami and visited with our Puerto Rican friends. The restaurant was anything from ordinary in Portland! Amazing food, service, drinks and atmosphere! The vibe was so fun coming from our Miami background and we loved every minute of it! Thank YOU! read more

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Service was wonderful, friendly, great communication about course timing. Food was absolutely delicious, and the drinks were amazing. It was a great experience overall and we will definitely be back!! read more

Papi - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

Although my friend and I only came for a drink and an app, I can tell by the few bites we had that they are doing great things at Papi and will have to return for a full on dinner! The interior of this place is amazing. You are transported to what I can only describe as a boujee Puerto Rican jungle. I wish I liked rum because they have done an extensive bar menu featuring a rum lovers dream list of cocktails. We stuck to mock tails, the beef empanadas, yuca fries and the flight of sauces. Everything was delicious, full of flavor, and all with a nod to their PR heritage. read more

Papi - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

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I'd give this place 10 stars just on the atmosphere alone. It is gorgeous inside from the floor to the ceiling. Now for the food. Phenomenal! My friend and I shared Empanadas and the Ensalada De Calabaza. Both great to share. The Salad came with this amazing guava dressing. I wanted to bring that home! It was light but sweet- just perfect! Next we both got the Churrasco. The steak was super tender and cooked to perfection topped with a chiimchurri sauce. Wonderful! The staff was stellar too! They made me feel like family and the food was brought to us quickly. Seriously, try this place out. read more

Only tried a few things, but it was all so good! Definitely be back again soon. Great vibe and look, I could see hanging out with friends and ordering one of everything. Service was quick and food came out fast. read more

Papi - Mmm.. braised pork!! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

A surprisingly stunning little classy restaurant bar. It's been a long time since we been to Puerto Rico, but everything felt authentic and tasted magnificent. Within this historic old port facade (without signage) sits a vintage rustic door, through which you are transported to a uniquely beautiful oasis which contrasts with its touristy busy street. Having just opened, service can be a bit lethargic, but it's super friendly. People rave about the empanadas, but we thought they were upstaged by the pollo guisado, carne estofado and green banana escabeche. The cocktails were superb, including the non-alcoholic ones. And a real surprise was the cachaça selection! There are some you can't get here. No reservations for smaller numbers in a compact space, so expect a wait. read more

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I dug this place. The cocktails were dope, our apps, which were Peruvian wings and empanadas, were awesome and our main plate was great as well. Nice vibe, good service. I will say I came here on a Sunday in the middle of the winter. This place gets packed when the tourists are about read more

Such a cool little spot. Great atmosphere - very instagrammable. I had the mezcal drink - the "Tamarindo Lindo." I didn't try the food but I'll def be back! read more

Papi - Tamarindo Lindo - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

The service was great, we sat at the bar area inside, this place fills up quickly but all the servers were really cool and attentive. Ambiance is so great, very cool vibe as it turns from restaurant to bar as well! The food was well seasoned and authentic. Great cook on everything we had! read more

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Stopped in for some apps. Sat outside with my husband, son, and dog. The waitress was great and brought our dog over some water. Our first round of drinks were great. We ordered the pineapple drink second, while it tasted great. It certainly wasn't worth $35, I don't believe it was 2 drinks as advertised. We had empanadas and a steak dish. Both were outstanding! Next time I would like to sit inside! Overall, we loved it! read more

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Food is really unique and well prepared. Service great and atmosphere very authentic Latin vibe.

I love Papi! The decor is fun from start to finish. Even the bathrooms are cool. There is a wide selection of drinks and the mojitos were very good. The wine list, like the menu, is very small but there were some excellent and unusual choices on both. The street tacos and empanadas in the appetizer menu were delicious, especially the empanadas. The service was top notch with a team style and all the staff were delightful. I loved having some different flavors in Portland and already made a follow-up reservation. read more

Go. First off, Puerto Rican food in the heart of Downtown, Portland was very appealing but than to be in the restaurant you can feel the culture! Ok now the food was certainly like homemade food with traditional food items! Packed with flavor and extreme compliments to the Chef Ron and co owner Fun fact he is a CT native and wanted to bring PR flavor over to Portland which is executed. I took lots of photos!!! So tastyyyyy! read more

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Let me start with Coño (damn) ! Papi is the place to be in Portland. From the drinks, apps and dinner(too full for dessert) Everything was delicious ! Can't wait to return. read more

I have to admit that I was completely surprised to learn that there was a Puerto Rican restaurant in Portland, but I'm even more delighted to share that the food and cocktails were excellent. We walked in at around 5:30, thinking that there would be no problem being seated on a Monday night, but it was clear that Papi was a popular destination in the Old Port. Rather than be upset, I was thrilled to know that a Puerto Rican restaurant had become such a magnet for casual but elegant dining. We were texted within half an hour to take our seats at the bar. Most of the patrons were young couples or gatherings of friends. The cocktails were a big attraction, and we quickly learned why: each was made thoughtfully with exotic and delicious ingredients. We both ordered pernil, a Puerto Rican tradition served with arroz con gandules the way Abuelita used to make it. The pork was tender enough to eat with a fork and flavorful enough to savor - although one could be easily tempted to eat it too quickly. It's really that delicious. We don't get to Portland too often, but we sure hope Papi will be waiting for us the next time we do. read more

The service is top notch. Kind, generous and welcoming staff! However..... The tables are ridiculously small. We had a party of 4 adults at a table barely big enough for 2 ppl. They let us move to a corner seat next to us, which was definitely better but still tight and hard to find space for the food and drinks. And the food. Beautiful looking but beyond bland. Like no flavor without adding salt, lime or sauce. The exception being beef empanadas, which burst with flavor. I would go back but probably with just my husband and sit at the bar and snack. read more

Good, service and ambiance. Everyone is welcoming and the food is authentic! The drinks are all amazing, you can't just have one. Try them all! read more

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We've wanted to try out this Puerto Rican inspired bar since it opened. Very authentic PR vibe and music. Intimate areas to visit throughout, very good drinks. We tried an appetizer of scallops which was very tasty and well cooked, good spice here as well! Bar service was very good and bartender was attentive, answered all questions, and was knowledgeable and friendly. We will return. read more

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We were simply driving through but the vibe of this place caught our attention so we stopped for a drink and a quick bite. Loved the decor, the vibey-ness of the place, friendly service and a good mocktail too. Had vegetarian options to snack on with our drinks. read more

Edited: Other than the bartender threatening you by saying you're the one who should be worried when we dared ask why my drink was taking this long this place is great. We got out of there because it's unheard of for a bartender who controls what you ingest to say such things. No apologies were offered if it was a misunderstanding. Just a very confrontational situation. It continues as they complained about my post here. Apparently in their eyes a customer has no rights to feel like they treated them poorly. Just go to the other bars in Portland and skip the drama. read more

Great food, wonderful service fabuleuse atmosphere ! We've been here many tiimes and never disappoint!

Complete disappointment. Ordered a regular mojito, fancy narrow glass with lots of ice, typical trick. Must give credit, the drink was very good. Disappointed with the appetizers, sorrullos de maiz and meat empanadas. The sorullos were soft, not crunchy, the empanadas were so greasy that all the grease dripped on the menu as I ate. For dinner, biftec encebollado and pernil. Very disappointed with the biftec, horrible garlic sauce on top, not even a half a cup of white rice, and the amarillos were cooked in the same oil as the empanadas. Not worth $32 dollars. As for the Pernil with yellow rice and pigeon peas, the rice was greasy. Rice is not served greasy. As for dessert, we did not have any, guava cake with coconut ice cream or flan de queso with orange marmalade. read more

Was able to get bar seats on a Friday night with little wait even though it was packed! The bartenders were so friendly and amazing and the drinks were SO good! So many different kinds so there's something for everyone. I had a mocktail which was also amazing. The food was great. I had the steak dish and it was great. Would definitely go again and recommend. read more

Papi - Steak dish and mocktail - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

Amazing! The music the ambiance the staff the flavors! We have been wanting to check this place out for a while. Walk in service, but quick turn around. Mainly bar seats for the experience and to interact. Family style service with vegan and gluten free options, and yes a separate fryer. We had an amazing meal and Lilliana was awesome. Friendly answers menu questions shared personal stories. One of top new favorites this year read more

Food is 10/10! Cocktails are as amazing as everyone says on yelp. The food portions are tapas style, but that's what they're known for! Food is flavorful, the tostanos was my favorite dish with the garlic sauce on it. We sat at the bar and the Bartender was attentive! Very vibey as everyone says! Will come back for sure! read more

Papi - The guava drink with the foam! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

First time here and first time at a Puerto Rican restaurant. To begin the restaurant is small and reservations are strongly suggested. As far as ambiance it's a feast for the eyes. It immediately transports you to Old San Juan. Can be a little noisy. But not so much that it's a negative. The staff is warm and welcoming. Started with 2 well crafted drinks. Don't always have a cocktail, but they are known for their well crafted drink menu and they didn't disappoint. Our Senora Lola and Mojito were both delicious. We shared the Empanadas to start, really good, especially if you add one of the sauces, even better. We had perfectly prepared Pernil and a special stuffed shrimp dish for our mains. Both were fabulous. We had a very lovely red wine, our server's suggestion, with our main courses. We finished with one of each of the 2 desserts. Both were pudding like offerings and both were worth the calories. To sum up, Just go. Just having a drink and a nibble at the bar is more than worth the trip. read more

My sister and I came across this gem during a day trip to Portland early this fall. We were looking for a place to have drinks and relax after a day hike, and Papi's lively and pink decor immediately caught our eye. It was a Saturday night so we had to wait about an hour to be seated but it was so worth it. We were in such joy when we realized this was a Puerto Rican place, since we are natives. The tapas plates hit all the right flavor spots. The cocktails were definitely the star of the night. In spite of it being busy, the bartender was very attentive and friendly. This place makes one of the most creative cocktails I've had, and the flavor notes were reminiscent of my island. My favorite one was El Grito de Lares. The restaurant was also playing some great latin music, which transformed our night from good to amazing. If you're ever in the downtown Portland area, Papi is a must try. read more

Papi - Grito de Lares cocktail - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Finally made it to Papi after it opened a little less than two months ago. I went with a friend on First Friday Art walk and what a great place to begin our evening. We sat at the bar, and the bartender was super friendly and knowledgeable about the drinks. All the drinks are priced around $12-14 dollars, which is reasonable in Portland these days. We had three drinks total: the Hot N Sucio, a vodka based drink that tasted a lot like a bloody mary; El Cantante contained fig tequila and was very delicious; and finally, Salina Soundsystem - a drink with cachaca and cane sugar. Of the three, I think El Cantante was my favorite, but all the drinks were great. We also tried a few snacks. The Sorullo corn fritters were delicious. You bite into them and a creamy cheese filling oozes out. The Rellenos de Papa were also good, but I preferred the corn fritters. The Pincho grilled chicken skewers were ok, but the chicken was diced too small for me. I preferred the grilled plantains that were served with the dish. If it weren't for them, this dish would be overpriced and not very satisfying. The yucca fries were also great. Next time I would order a couple of those because they're so delicious and pair very well with the cocktails. The vibe of the place is great. Everyone who sat at the bar was friendly and excited to be there. The crowd is a mix of young and old. The decor is beautiful. It's hard to believe that this space was once Lululemon! The owners spent some money and took special care to create a beautiful venue. Overall Papi is a great addition to Exchange Street, and will likely give several of my favorite bars a run for their money. read more

We ate here on a Saturday night and the food was FANTASTIC. We got the chicken wing special appetizer, which was literally falling off the bone. Every entree was delicious. They also accommodated a gluten allergy at the table without issue. read more

Everything about this place is amazing. We had all the apps and the crab rangoon and tostones were my favorite.

We had a great time at Papi,, the server was amazing and so friendly. The food was great tasting and freshly. Nothing to complain about our drinks. We will be back soon. read more

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Wow. Awesome find. Food, drink and service. Restaurant waa alive w/music and guests having fun. Bar vibe was great.

Just great, really cool atmosphere/vibe, friendly waitstaff. The churrasco steak is still making go Mmm two days later.

This place was recommended to me and it did not disappoint! Amazing drinks and food! The vibe is amazing and the service was great! Will definitely be back! read more

Great food and good vibe sitting outside. The server was very nice and knowledgeable.

I really am sad to leave this review because I wanted to like it. I am Cuban and Spanish, so empanadas are our favorite! The empanadas tasted frozen and so did the shrimp. The bartender was great but the food tasted sad. read more