Amazingly flavorful and fresh food with inviting and friendly staff! The restaurant itself had a dim upscale environment. The focaccia bread was thick and fluffy. Some of the best focaccia i've had! Being able to add burrata was also a bonus. Another one of my favorite dishes I tried here was the parsnips with whipped ricotta and calabrian hot honey. There were only a few bites on the plate, but each bite was packed with flavor while still being light and refreshing! The plates are severed family or tapas style so order a lot to share! For the size of the plates it is a bit spendy, but for farm-to-table I can understand why. Over all I had a lovely experience here and would absolutely recommended trying out Tartuca to others! read more

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Nice little restaurant in the Boise neighborhood. My pasta was overall fine flavor wise. Noodles were slightly overcooked though so there was minimal distinction between the ragu and the noodles in texture. My wine recommendation by the staff was great though. read more

Tartuca - Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Came in for dinner shortly after they opened and was greeted with friendly smiles from the host stand to the dish pit! I arrived before theyre dinner rush so i had first picks of my seating, I chose to sit in front of The bartender (Adrien) at the very first seat as to catch the whole show from front to end! Everything looks and tastes even better then it reads (which is pretty hard to do) on the menu! Kudos to the chef for his menu! Adrien helped guide my decision based on what my palate was craving and they didnt fail me so be sure to ask for them next time you swing by! read more

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I found my favorite pasta! The wild boar is so light and packed with flavors, definitely the star of the show. First time trying gnudi, and they are little dense pillows that paired well with the mushroom. Making a reso is highly recommended. read more

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I always want pasta on my birthday and it's close to Christmas, so reservations can be hard to come by, but we were able to grab a 5:15 on the patio at Tartuca. It was late December, so a patio reservation made me nervous. The patio is a small space that's built out with plenty of heaters, so we were totally comfortable. The service was impeccable! Our server walked us through the menu and fielded our questions with ease. We started with their house made focaccia, it was incredibly soft and pillowy. The top is pretty charred, which seems intentional, but it didn't taste burnt. The olive oil that they serve it with was so good. We also had their Classic Caesar salad, which was delicious! I really enjoyed their dressing, it was traditional, but felt a little elevated. We decided to each get a pasta dish so we could taste almost everything. The server warned us that the pasta dishes were a little small for mains, in hindsight we should have ordered all 5. I do think for the price the servings should be a little larger. There are plenty of other pasta spots in town making everything from scratch and giving a much larger portion for a similar price point. I went with the Radiatori which had a beautiful traditional bolognese. My daughter had the rabbit Agnolotti which she really enjoyed, but it was small with only like 8 agnolotti. My friend had the wild boar Tagliatelle which was different than expected, but good. I think we all expected a red sauce, but it was almost without a sauce. Finally, my husband went with the Gnudi. The short rib sugo was probably my favorite thing on the table. The Gnudi were huge, pillowy, soft dumplings. I really enjoyed it! Overall our meal was good! I think the dishes were well thought out, created with care and good ingredients, and well executed. read more

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Dropped in during the evening and was able to get a table. Very swanky and cool vibes inside that just feel so Portland. They have bar seating and tables with an open kitchen. My server (I didn't catch their name) was very kind. Their cocktail menu looked enticing although I did not try any drinks this time. Their focaccia bread is very fluffy and has a salty exterior. It comes with three slices and a cup of olive oil for dipping. The campanelle was my favorite and has a layer of cheese on the top. The gnudi portion size was smaller than I'd hoped for the price and comes with only 7 pieces and not much protein. read more

Tartuca was an absolute treat! We got a reservation and had the table right by the front window. It was cozy and inviting, while still offering great views of the hustle and bustle outside. The service was phenomenal! My wife struggles with food allergies and the team went above and beyond to make sure she had a great meal and experience! Thank you! We started with some marinaded olives and the homemade focaccia. Both were good, but the focaccia was baked magic! The main dishes were sooooo good! I got the bucatini. Everything was cooked beautifully and the ingredients were fresh and flavorful! Fantastic service, great venue, delicious food! read more

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Fantastic experience and wonderful food! We sat at the bar and watched the chefs work--it was such a fun experience. The pastas were delicious, the farm greens salad with red wine vinaigrette was amazing, and the ciabatta with burrata was mouth-watering. We also enjoyed a lovely red wine from their great selection. The staff was professional and attentive, and the atmosphere was great. Overall, a fantastic experience! read more

This is a very cute Italian place with nice ambiance. We sat at the counter and talked with the cooks. The waiter was great. Got a nice bottle of Italian red and the food was excellent. The house made focaccia with olive oil and burrata is a must starter. I had a seasonal gnudi with sweet corn, gf had bucatini with zucchini. See pics. Both excellent. Worth the money read more

Tartuca - Bucatini with zucchini - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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OH. MY. GOD. Best food EVER!!! GET A MEATBALL APPETIZER!!! GET THE BREAD!!! Bucatini is incredible, but the Campanelle is INSANE!!! The flavors are to die for!!! Sorry - ate the bread and meatball as they hit the table - no pics. Cocktails are GREAT! Marriage of Figaro for the bourbon lovers, but the Strictly Business - STUPID GOOD!!! I'll be back tomorrow read more

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Service was excellent. The lamb meatballs were delish. The focaccia was super tasty and everything is better with burrata. The potties were ok. We also tried the radiatori which was delish. There was a wagyu special that didn't do anything for us. Drinks were great. Will definitely be back. read more

Tartuca - Focaccia with burrata - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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This was a bit hard to figure out. Not sure if came on an off day or something else. The prices are up there so one would expect a really top notch experience. The staff wasn't very welcoming when we first arrived. Got seated at the bar and put an order for several dishes. Focaccia was all burnt. All the focaccia they had out was burnt. I don't think I like my focaccia burnt. Beside being burnt it was fine. The dishes were decent and the radiatori was solid. Some of the other dishes were a bit not well balanced with the flavors. One was on the high end of being garliced out. They do frequently update their menu so maybe there are one offs that don't work out. I would potentially give this place another try but, my first time wasn't as great as I had expected. read more

Tartuca - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

A truly unforgettable experience. We stumbled upon this gem one evening while walking by, and were instantly drawn in by the warm, effortlessly elegant ambiance. It struck the perfect balance between casual comfort and refined charm. From the moment we sat down, everything felt magical. The cocktails were outstanding--each sip better than the last--and we ended up ordering a spread of dishes just to try it all. The truffle pasta, in particular, was next-level. Every bite melted in our mouths. This wasn't just dinner--it was our very first official date, and the night we truly fell for each other. The incredible staff and overall vibe of the restaurant made the night even more special. We returned a month later, only to find that the cocktail I had fallen in love with wasn't on the menu due to an egg shortage. When I called to ask about it, the team went above and beyond--they literally set aside two eggs just so I could enjoy that drink again. That kind of care and thoughtfulness is rare and truly appreciated. Though I live in the Bay Area, I'll be back in Portland this October for the half marathon--and you better believe I'll be reserving my victory dinner here. Thank you to the amazing team for creating such a memorable and meaningful experience. read more

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Small, quaint space. Dim lit. Nice outdoor patio (garden seating). If service had been better this would be a 5 star! The food was incredible. We got the coppa and the prosciutto pizzas, the focaccia with burrata, and the Bolognese. The bolognese was one of the best I've had. Seriously!! Seasoned to perfection. Perfect sauce/meat ratio. Just divine! Both pizzas had a thin crust that was the ideal texture and chew. The coppa was my favorite. Had a nice spicy kick from the Calabrian chilli. Burrata and focaccia were on point as well. Sadly our waitress just wasn't quite up to par with the food coming out. Inattentive and almost dismissive. Celebrated a birthday and just no enthusiasm. We all have bad days, hopefully that's all it was. read more

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Came here with a friend to welcome her back home from a long trip around the world. I made a reservation ahead of time which I recommend doing! We were welcomed warmly by the host and led to our seats at the chef's table. We ordered the the shrimp toast and the Radiatore. Both were very very good! Both were shared and easy to share. We had waters filled periodically throughout the visit which was nice. The chef's table view was so nice! I loved watching the staff at work. The inside is not too noisy. It's dark in a nice way. Parking can be difficult at times but I didn't have to park too far away. Worth the visit!! read more

Tartuca - Shrimp bread - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The service and food were amazing! We started with focaccia and an olive oil dip with burrata cheese. Tomato.Oh yum! Great wine, fabulous dessert. We enjoyed watching the chefs cook while sitting at the counter. read more

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This is a great Italian spot on N Mississippi Ave! Everything is fresh and delicious, especially the duck. They also have a great Italian wine selection. read more

Tartuca - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Cozy inside, a lot of energy and reservations recommended. Good for up to a table of four but it could be tight. Expensive price point. But we quickly dismissed that with our excellent waiter. Friendly, poised, attentive ~ everything you want for a night out of table service. Our dinner was delicious. Came out to us as soon as the kitchen plated them. Everything was satisfying. Two% auto surcharge was not as annoying as others forcing a 20%. Having the option to reward for awesome service will have us come back. read more

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It seems a new Italian restaurant opens in Portland every week. Some make it and others shut the doors before they even get going. Tartuca will not be another victim to the over-populated-Italian-restaurant Portland scene. My gosh, I sure hope not. It is truly a treasure. Nestled in an older era Portland store front in the N Mississippi hip part of town, Tartuca offers a bit of grit with a touch of the gilded age. Tartuca is the sort of place that makes you want to linger. The vibe is convivial and fresh. The staff are exceptional. The food is top shelf. Speaking of the food . . . the plates are all curated. There is no unnecessary items on the menu. Everything speaks to meticulously selected food and fare - with an emphasis on quality wine pairing. The wine offerings are some of the absolute best in the city. Easily in competition for the best Italian wine offerings outside of E&R wine shop. Tartuca is that cool neighborhood place that are often only found in the urban cities of San Francisco, New York and Boston. Eating there feels special, and not in an off putting or ostentatious manner. In fact, Tartuca feels like an old friend that welcomes you to a wonderful meal and a "sobre mesa" experience. read more

Went there last night with some friends. Service was good and the initial cocktails and salad was very nice. But I feel like that's sort of where the quality ended. The lamb meatballs were just OK and the Bolognese was good. But the Gnudi was awful. The Parsnips I couldn't even bite through they were so hard. I'm giving them three stars because some stuff was good if not great, but other things just completely missed the mark. Not to mention they need to update their Google page because they're listing a menu on there that no longer exists and it definitely confused us. The menu on the website is what is current. Again, the experience overall was just OK. We drove 40 minutes into Portland for this dinner date with some friends and just expected better. So much good food in Portland and these guys are just nowhere close. read more

This is my favorite place in Portland. 10 out of 10 every time. Great vibes, great service, great food. I get the focaccia and the radiatore pasta with a glass of red wine. If Portland did Michelin stars, this place would have three. read more

We came here for dinner this past weekend and had a seat at the chef's counter. This was great, and we were able to see the preparation of the food and also gave us an idea of what to order. The place is cozy on the inside and has a backyard patio that can seat larger groups. I highly recommend their burrata salad, campanelle pasta, homemade focaccia bread, and coppa pizza. The refreshing taste of their burrata salad and the flavor and creaminess of the campanelle were amazing. The Caesar salad, olives, and radiatori were also good. We had a great experience, and the service was hospitable. read more

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This was a very cute place with friendly staff. We sat at the bar before a show so didn't have a full meal but what we did have was enough to know I'll come back. Fresh oysters with a great house made hot sauce (the elderberry side was not very flavorful tho). Lamb meatball with a great combo of sauce that was not too sweet and not too salty. The pistachio and parm toppings really added to the flavor and texture. The focaccia was light and airy, so much so I wasn't convinced it was focaccia but it was great paired with a delicious understated olive oil. Martini was simple and clean. read more

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My husband had the radiatori and I had the campanelle to share. Both were good but the radiatori was absolutely delicious. I will be thinking about that dish for a long time. We sat on the back patio, which means sometimes you get forgotten. Not even remotely. The staff were excellent and attentive. read more

Was excited to try Tartuca after reading the reviews, so we went for dinner on a recent Tuesday night. Even mid week, it was super busy. We ordered a variety of food; some items were outstanding and some were barely edible (over cooked pasta, no excuse.) Let's start with the positive and make our way down. - The bottle of Rossi Di Montalcino, Casanova Di Nero from Tuscany was fabulous. A bold red, nice balance, smooth. - The focaccia which was delicious, the salt prominent but in a good way, and the olive oil rich in flavor. - The burrata green goddess salad was the absolute star of the meal! Roasted asparagus, some micro greens, a ball of burrata, and lots of fresh, herbaceous green goddess dressing and a few pistachio nuts to add some crunch. If I ever were to find myself here again, I'd order this and the focaccia for dinner and call it a done. - It was pizza week and we ordered a pizza, but not the special. A build your own of mozzarella, salami, peppers and red onions, cooked in a legit pizza oven, charred crust, fresh toppings. It was good. - The campanelle pasta with carrots sounded strange, but intriguing. Basically a purée or pesto with carrots, plus brown butter and a variety if diced, sautéed carrots. It was good, but for me, could not eat an entire dish of this, maybe just a side to some protein. Plus, the pasta was over cooked, not al dente. - The gemelli pasta with cardoons (kind of like artichokes) and leaks was a fail. The pasta was so over cooked, as were the veggies, that it was basically a bowl of mush with breadcrumbs on top. So disappointing. Inside is small and loud. All but two tables are high tops with the most uncomfortable chairs. The tables are also small that if you have four people, there really is not a lot of room for your plates and glasses. Fortunately we were seated at one of the two picnic style tables in the front window which was far more comfortable. Bottomline, overcooked pasta at an Italian restaurant is just wrong! Unacceptable. As good as the green goddess burrata salad was, I can't see going back after having such a disappointing main course. So many better restaurant options with consistently good pasta. If you go, get pizza, it's a safe bet. read more

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Love this place for an intimate date night! Very dark & moody. They're always changing up the menu but everything is fabulous. Sad they got rid of their pizza, it was my go to for this area. Staff is super friendly and gives great recommendations! read more

All around amazing dinner-- Came with a friend and ordered cocktails, an appetizer to share, two pastas, and a small pizza to share. We ended up taking home half the pizza and pastas because the portions were larger than we expected! They have a lot of great options for starters, with customization possible. We chose the beets, pistachio, cara cara orange, and humboldt fog shared plate to start. It was a refreshing palate cleanser, and a good way to start the meal. As for the pizza, I love Ken's pizza and I felt like Tartuca's crust was better. We had the pizza of the day, which had lamb sausage, kale, squash, a bunch of other veggies, and carrot pesto. Delicious! My pasta also featured the carrot pesto, and carrots cooked several ways. A great vegetarian option! We skipped dessert because we were really full (and the restaurant had pretty much closed by that time) but they had an interesting rhubarb-almond cake, pavlova, and lots of flavors of gelato. Next time! read more

Small but a rather charming place! They utilized a lot of high tables and seatings but also got outdoor areas outback and in front of the store. We went for a birthday dinner and had a decent experience, recommend making a reservation because of limited space especially for larger parties. Menu is seasonal and on the smaller side but that just shows their focus. Our waiter was very friendly and helpful as well. For food, we got the #4 12" pie with proscuitto, asparagus, and confit garlic and the Lungo pasta with clam, miso, and calabrian chillies. We thought these were the perfect amount of food for 2 people with no leftover. The pie had a nice and tasty dough but I thought the bottom was waaay too charred. Additionally, the base wasn't even crispy so it looked like they just burnt the bottom...We weren't very impressed by that but the flavors of the toppings were very nice and novel so kinda meh on this one. On the other hand, we loved loved LOVED the Lungo pasta. Homemade pasta, well-cooked. The sauce was herby and refreshing with lots of garlic and chillies. Clams were also fresh and they gave us quite a bit of them. Never had a pasta dish like this before. We practically drank up all the sauce in the plate. All in all, a decent place with a bit of a hit-and-miss for the dishes. It's hard to compete in the pizza game, I guess. Shoutout to the BANANAS cocktail, super tasty. Would be down to come again depends on what they got on the pasta menu. read more

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I came to Tartuca with high hopes since the food here is actually pretty good -- but the service was shockingly bad. First, our server forgot to place the order for our salad. We let it slide, even though it ended up coming during our main course. Then, during the main course, we ordered two pastas -- one to eat in and one to go. We waited 30 minutes and nothing came. A manager came by to ask if we had ordered more food and said it would be out in 5-10 minutes. Another 30 minutes passed, so I spoke to our server (at this point, not in the friendliest tone because I was clearly upset). Almost immediately after that, the pasta appeared. The food? Good. The service? Absolutely terrible. This kind of disorganization and delay is not what I expect from a restaurant at this level. read more

Open kitchen, so sit at the bar if you can. The chef, Shea O'Shaughessy, is as friendly as he is talented. Pay no attention to his last name, the bolognese is as delicious as any I've ever had-maybe the best. The proprietor, Jason Reily, is everywhere all at once, and suggested an excellent wine for the bolognese. If you come to Portland and can fit it in, come to the Mississippi District, drop in and out of the shops, and have dinner at Tartuca. read more

Tartuca is sandwiched into a fantastic foodie neighborhood on Mississippi - and it fits right in. A cute narrow space, but very well decorated and efficiently organized for intimate seating. We got here a bit before 5 on a Friday, and it was quiet. However that meant our food only took 15 minutes or so to arrive - AMAZING. And you guys, this pizza - lamb sausage, fennel, feta, and pickled red onions, with a herbed olive oil base. This was fantastic. The dough was the perfect chewy-soft-crunchy. I highly recommend coming to give this spot a try! read more

Tartuca - Lamb sausage pizza - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Tarruca was great. Nice ambiance and great service. The food was fresh and super flavorful. Less traditional than other local Italian fare but that's nice for a change. They no longer serve pizza at all so if that's the plan, head elsewhere. The lamb meatball is a must and the house-made focaccia with burrata was so good. Nice wine selection as well. Overall very nice evening. read more

Surprisingly good brunch given that Italian cuisine isn't known for brunch! The focaccia French toast was perfectly crispy on the outside while being soft and fluffy on the inside. It was complemented by rhubarb, lemon, and fresh whipped cream on top. The shrimp polenta was delicious and had excellent variety of flavors including a mild mustard seed condiment on the side. The ambience was on the upscale side but not stuffy. The service was polite but didn't come around very often. PS- I'd love it if they started offering lattes and cappuccinos in addition to drip and espresso! read more

Tartuca - Shrimp polenta - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Came with a friend for Valentine's Day and called ahead to let them know we'd d be late by a few since traffic was horrendous. They were super friendly, and truly one of the standouts was just how good the service was. It was cool getting to peek at the chefs, and they had a lot of interesting ingredients prepared in ways/pairings completely new to me which I loved. All of the food was great (though my pics of it are not lol). read more

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Had a beautiful birthday dinner with friends. The burrata salad, focaccia, and pastas are not to be missed. The back patio was warm enough on a cold night with heaters and a makeshift ceiling. Extensive Italian wine list. Wine manager Jeff is a gem. He came over and made recommendations based on our preferences, dinner order, and budget. PROTECT HIM AT ALL COSTS. Best wine consultation I think I've ever had. Highly recommend all around. read more

It wasn't the most memorable pasta that I have had (good, would go back, just not going to make a claim it's the best in Portland), but it was THE best focaccia I've had hands down anywhere. I love olive oil (probably would eat with spoon if I could) and the olive oil flavor in this was so rich. Crispy edges, soft but not doughy center. I think about it all the time. read more

I have to say... I hardly ever give places 1 star reviews, but this place was beyond disappointing.. And here is why. My best friend made a reservation here for my birthday after having read reviews saying there were very good (service/food/vibe etc). We were expecting the warm/pleasant environment people were talking about, and didn't get that at all. Let me paint you a word picture.. We had a res at 7pm, and I walked in a few mins early. A couple workers just stared at me and walked by, and then someone asked if I had a res which I said yes. My friend was just walking up as I was about to be taken to our seat (great timing lol) The person walked us to our counter seat way at the end in the back (which was totally fine). I should have started a timer because we put in our order for our mocktails and they didn't come out for like 15min? No one came to check on us or ask to take our food order for at least 20+min. After waiting quite a long time, my friend asked another person that was walking by if she could take our order because our server was nowhere to be seen, and just had not come back. The woman we asked said something along the lines of "no, you have a server" lol my friend asked nicely, and my friend was met with unpleasant vibes. I don't know how to describe our sever, but she was not very personable and seemed aloof to everything that was going on. It was giving Get out (the movie) vibes. The dinner was fine, but the vibe and service were beyond uncomfortable/strange and overall not pleasant. All we were trying to do was celebrate my birthday with a nice dinner. I would absolutely not come back here. Generally if someone is willing to spend their money somewhere, they would at least like to feel welcomed.. I believe in treating others the way you want to be treated... As I have been customer facing in many jobs and understand that it can bring difficult times and difficult customers, so I choose to be appreciative and easy to wait on when going out. But I did not feel like there was any pleasantness coming from the people there. I didn't even take photos of the food because of how off and uncomfy it was feeling the whole time. I would say go at your own risk, and I hope you have a better experience than we did. read more

Decent pasta and pizza options out of the old Radar space. We were able to grab bar seats around 6:30pm Friday without issue after being turned away by the two hour wait at Lovely's. Very friendly bartenders that made us feel welcomed and were great with helping us decide between dishes. Definitely one of the better pasta options in this area. We are not usually huge on olive oil cakes, but the one here was delicious and paired well with toppings/earl grey ice cream. read more

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My first bad yelp review pros focaccia and balsamic vinegar cons food that was so so cold but we waited almost an hour for it so we honestly just ate it in painful silence. The pasta wasn't cooked all the way and everything honestly seemed like it sat in a fridge it was odd. The food would have been wonderful if it wasn't so cold. Our waitress never asked how our food was but did take a smoke break while we waited for our check so we eventually just brought our card upfront. Very bummed because we have heard such good things about this place hoping it was maybe just a weird fluke experience but it was definitely the most I've paid for such bad service. read more

Tartuca. Tartuca. I love saying the name. I love how accommodating they were when I had to switch my reservation a couple times due to time constraints not of my control. I didn't want them to charge my card $15 if I canceled within 2 hours of my reservation. When I finally arrived, it was like a nice oasis of fun date dinner atmosphere. Looking over the menu, I chose a charcuterie board to start and decided on the pizza that had salami, olives and fennel on it. The charcuterie board arrived and it was just so beautiful. I just went in and started combining whatever I could onto a piece of crostini. I had no rhyme or reason other than just eating. The nectarine slices that were there were the high notes of the board after all the salty meats were devoured. As I waited, I started seeing plates come from the bar and I started to doubt my pizza choice -like did I choose well? Was it too basic? Should I have gone with more of a unique pairing? I had all these thoughts disappear when my pizza finally arrived. As hungry as I was, I was able to control myself to take photos of it. It was beautiful and looked delicious. The first bite proved all my thoughts were based on fear and anxiety. Damn you, Anxiety! The pizza was so effin delicious, I wanted to moan. Yes, that good! I couldn't finish the pizza, but I took it home and ate the slices the following morning! Still just as delicious as the night before. Five stars! read more