Love the ambiance. The only reservation we could get was for 4:30 and it quickly filled up in the next 45 minutes which is about how long it takes for their paella which is amazing! Our server recommended we order the paella right away if we were interested because of how long it takes. It is their only entree so we went for it! The tasty cocktails and curated wine will keep you company. Everything we ordered is 5 stars. Ox tail empanada, beet tiradito, Valencia mixta, and you can't go wrong with their desserts! I can't wait to come back. The service is warm, friendly, and relaxed. We never felt rushed. It felt like a vacation:) read more

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My husband and I were able to snag a couple seats at the bar around 5:30 on a Saturday night. The restaurant is beautifully designed, not cramped and not loud :) We started off with sangria tinto & esmeralda cocktail, along with the complementary corn nuts, and placed our order for paella right away. I'm allergic to shrimp and my husband hates mushrooms, so we asked for the Valencia mixta paella with shrimp on the side. Unfortunately, they could not put the shrimp on the side but they could take it out. We also ordered the octopus carpaccio and a carrot dish that is not on their online menu. Light and refreshing and a good way to kick off the meal. The paella was yummy, with a good mix of textures and flavors. Finally, we ordered the basque cheesecake with quince jam. Super delicious and would definitely eat an entire slice on my own. Will definitely return to try other items on the menu! read more

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I liked this place. I wouldn't say Spanish food is my favorite, but they do many things well and I would certainly consider coming back. Service was friendly. We arrived late on a weekday and there were plenty of open seats despite our reservation. I was looking forward to some sangria but was dismayed to see their version included Coke. That was a pass for me. I ended up with a lovely glass of red Spanish wine, albeit very pricey for what I recall Spanish wines are priced at. We had the cheese platter - two delicious cheeses, olives, quince jam, nuts and bread. Very satisfying. Beets- good, not great. Empanada- nicely deep fried and great filling. Not my favorite in Portland, but would certainly order again. Lastly, we had the paella of course. I liked the paella, but would ask for no aioli next time as the small dollops of aioli just tasted like mayonnaise. I also wish there was a spicy sausage or something to give it a bit of a kick in flavor. Overall it was a solid dish. I enjoyed our meal at Vya, but wouldn't say it's a top of my list for dining in Portland or a place I'm clamoring to return to, but it's certainly worth a visit. read more

What a beautifully designed and decorated space. The energy was so good here. The staff were all incredibly helpful and nice. They gave recommendations and shared their favorites. The drinks were so delicious and unique and fresh. The food was impeccable. The oxtail empanada was my favorite. Will definitely be back. My only tidbit of critique was the prices were just slightly too much. Take 2 dollars off each item and it would be ideal. Especially for the portion sizes. But quality of ingredients was on par. read more

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Spectacular is all I can say. Excellent food and service. So were the cocktails. The remodel is gorgeous. Highlights for us were the patatas bravas, octopus, and of course the jamon iberico. If you go here you must also get the paella. The oxtail empanada was also tasty. Will definitely be going back. read more

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Cute Spanish ambiance. Nice bar with about 10 seats. Overall the dining capacity is small, and some with small seats. Hence the staff will over to hang your jacket. Paella rice was pasty. The toppings could be more plentiful. One paella is good for 2 people if you add appetizers. Appetizers were ok - good. The waitress recommended the beets. They were a bit dried and portion is on the smaller side. Well plated, but tables are small for the well plated items. Drinks are cute. read more

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This review is strictly on the tapas or starters because I was dining alone and really didn't want to sit alone at the bar for 45 minutes waiting for paella, although I would love to one day try it. I came to Vya on my own without a reservations, and sat at the bar, almost like what you would think about the experience in Barcelona. But if you're expecting rustic Barcelona tapas, then this isn't it. Vya serves up fancified or even reimagined tapas. Yeah, there are the typical tapas like coquettes and jamon, but the others are more touching on flavors and ingredients of Spain but presented in high-end plating. My favorite was the octopus carpaccio, which was beautiful and such a light and tasty dish. The oxtail empanada had the rich flavor of oxtail in a simple bite, and the beet taradito was a creative beet salad dish. The only not-so-exciting tapas was the blistered shishitos because it came with a green curry foam, and there was just too much of the foam. The cocktails also get a star turn if you happen to order one that comes with the fancy designed imprints on the foam top, such as the cosita dulce, their version of an espresso martini (I admit my first attempt to get a fancy drink came off plain when I tried the esmeralda, which was refreshing but no fancy foam top.) The vibe, decor and service was all professional and welcoming. I could come back often to the bar just to get the octopus carpaccio. read more

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Dropped in without a reservation shortly after they opened. It was booked up upstairs but we were able to find seats at the bar before it filled up. We started with some cocktails - a white sangria and la novela. Both were good and went will with the gildas we got to start. The gildas were good, but for $7 a piece I thought it was too much. We also got the octopus carpaccio which was super tender and delicious. Of course, we had to get the mixta paella, which was well worth the wait. It was a pretty good portion, considering that paellas have gotten smaller and more expensive before almost disappearing altogether in Portland. The rice had that great brothy flavor and the chicken was kind of carmelized into the pan. There was a good mix of clams, mussels and shrimp, too. I would go back again for paella. It's not the best in Portland's history (that honor is reserved for Chesa/Ataula, RIP) but it will scratch my itch for sure. read more

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Welcome to Portland Vya! You have brought a new cuisine and a lively stylish vibe to the area as well as skillfully created paella that is light and refreshing. Our server Nicole was an absolutely gem in every way. My favorites of the night were the seafood paella and the chocolate basque. The appetizers were good but I could've done without them. The gentleman who brought out the paella was a little gruff but he did hand me delectable food so I'll take it with a grain of salt. read more

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Came here with a few girlfriends after work. Tony was our server and was so wonderful. We never felt rushed and he made sure to check in regularly. The vibe and ambiance was amazing- beautiful vibrant decor and plants. The food was delicious. My favorites were the paella, croquettes & chocolate cheesecake. The small menu ensured every dish was fresh, flavorful and thoughtful. Definitely will be returning for more tapas split with friends! read more

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I had big hopes for this place because of my love for paella. We first walked in the door and found out then we needed to have reservations. The man at the front desk saw that I was disabled and then pointed at the stairs and says we can set you upstairs. What a jackass. There was a two person table right in front by the door and he sat there and it was OK. We ordered paella straight off because he says it's a 45 minute cook time. So we ordered. I had ordered a plate of paella and my wife did as well. I also ordered a Diet Coke. That only was it not a refillable fountain drink. It was a bottle that looked like it belonged in a child's Playhouse. So incredibly small and it was five dollars. He brought us each a glass of water, which was nice, but it was about 1/3 the size of a normal water glass. Nobody came back and asked if we needed a refill for quite some time. We were a little bit hungry and thought 45 minute wait for dinner was sort of long so my wife ordered a cheese and cracker plate. How embarrassing for them. The cheese was hard and half dried as was the bread. My wife could only eat the small center of the bread because the crust was too hard to bite through and you would need to rip it in your mouth in order to even get the crust off. I about broke a tooth on one of the olives cause he were not pitched, then there was a sprinkle of almonds on the plate with a couple other weird things. Definitely no value to cost ratio. It was actually pretty disgusting. Now the big to the paella comes to the table. He put down one pan for the both of us to share, which was not our intent. By this time of the night, I was already pretty irritated. Very poor service except for one gentleman that was actually really good. The others were worthless. The pay was just OK. I make paella at home that run circles around this stuff. I'll just have to make some so I can have a good pay. You don't have to rack your brain for a entrée on the menu because paella is the only entrée they serve. They have a lot of side items that you can order, but definitely not meal worthy. So the service sucked, the food sucked, and the prices were way too out of control for what little you got As much as I was looking forward to finally trying this place, I only discovered that I will not be back. I'm sure there are raving reviews about this place because the inside of the restaurant is actually kind of cool. But as far as actual food service, nope. read more

Vya - The host saw that I was disabled and wanted me to sit down upstairs. He might just as well asked a blind man if he wanted to see a menu. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Newly opened. Very interesting blend of Spanish and Local wines. Their Spanish wines are all organic. We had the oxtail empanada and the Valencia paella. The paella is for 2. Or an appetizer for 4. Worth the 40+ min wait. A bit expensive tho..... read more

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This place is amazing, it's absolutely a delight. First off walking into this space is a dream, the ambiance is 10/10. Every detail is perfect. It's cozy, it's lively, it's fun. The food is incredible, we had one of everything and the drinks match the food with the same type of energy. The drinks are beautifully & thoughtfully curated, everything has so much flavor. My favorites are the beets, croquettes as well as the oxtail empanada that comes with the salsa verde. The Valencia seafood paella is also the perfect entree. Packed with flavor and the portions are generous for the price. The staff is incredible, fast & very attentive. So excited this is now open & in the SE neighborhood, it's PERFECT for any and every occasion. Date nights, dinner with the girls, or dinner with friends. Cannot wait to come back. read more

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Cute place! The croquettes were good! We ordered octopus and paella. The paella was ok. I have tasted better. The drinks were ok too. I think you pay for the ambiance. The servings are really small. Its not a place where i would go back and crave... but good thing our server was a nice and friendly. read more

Vya - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Invited by a friend to check out this new restaurant at Vya! It was so much fun girls night out with good foods and drinks. I like Valencia mixta paella with seafood and cosita dulce, pretty drink! The service from Tony and great and friendly! read more

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Wow!!! This place is down right spectacular! Service was fast friendly and what made even more enjoyable was our food was delivered by Steve the owner. He talked us into the vegan paella, I would not normally do the vegan version but happy we did because the flavors were truly awesome. We always enjoy dining at the bar because we are not shy and enjoy engaging with other patrons. Their signature coctails... very good! The decor was festive and beautiful. We will be back and check out their other places: Alma, Doja, Kooks and Landsdowne. Thanks for an awesome experience!!! Charles & Quan read more

We tried Vya with some friends and had the best experience. Tony was amazing and recommended some fantastic dishes. We had the vegan paella that was absolutely delicious. Would definitely recommend and we will be back. read more

We were a party of 4 celebrating my birthday and despite having a reservation on Sat night, we waited 45 min for a table. A complimentary drink would have been nice but they did apologize several times and offered some seats at the bar. After we were finally seated upstairs, we got our tapas. I was disappointed and a bit annoyed at how tiny the portions were, given the price. Especially the bread, that was just silly. And I'm a petite sized woman with a smaller to normal appetite. As far as the food, everything tasted delicious especially the croquettes, octopus carpaccio and mixed paella. Great crust on the rice. We did get 2 complimentary desserts for the long wait. Vibe is lively and it's a nice place for drinks or dessert but definitely don't go there hungry because you will leave hungry. Sadly, I won't be going back. read more

The food was delicious! We had the jamon croquetas, shishito peppers, oxtail empanada, and Valencia paella. Everything was amazing. We also tried the two gin and tonics, the sangria tinto, and Esmeralda cocktails. Omg, they were all so good! We closed out the meal with the chocolate cheesecake which literally melts in your mouth. Also, the service was amazing. Everyone checked on us throughout the meal and made sure we were taken care of. Finally, we absolutely loved the space. We'll definitely be back! read more

We are tapas connoisseurs (we love Spain!) So of course we had to try this new tapas place. The ambiance is nice but they need help with their playlist which does play loudly (at least upstairs). The music is random and doesn't fit the vibe- felt more like taqueria vibes than restaurant dining. The staff was so friendly & attentive. To start they bring you a small dish of crunchy corn-nuts which were unfortunately stale. Food: We ordered the croquettes which were delicious! Octopus dish - it was a meh for me but my husband liked it. My favorite was the beet dish and unfortunately it was hard to enjoy the cheese plate. The bread was way over baked - hard, dry. The olives are way over marinated and inedible IMO. We and our neighboring table had to ask for a small side of olive oil to use as a lubricant to get it down. The empanada was OK- the meat inside was kind of dry and chewy. I would return if somebody I was dining with really wanted to try this place, but I can't say that I would be excited about it. read more

Menu is extremely limited ( only 1 entree) , we would have ordered more but we tried everything! Very small portions (even by Tapas standards), and the signature Paella dishes are average at best. Putting that aside, the service is fantastic, very friendly and knowledgeable. Ambience is great as well. read more

We went on their third night but you would not have known it. Service was awesome. Short but great menu: 8 or 10 tapas items and two paella choices (one w meat and one vegan), plus regular and chocolate cheesecake. Never had vegan paella before but it was awesome. All the tapas items we had were really good. Chocolate cheesecake is perfect to share. Good wine and cocktail and sangria choices too. Bar looks fun. Will definitely be going back! read more