Arden Restaurant Portland

"Absolutely phenomenal dining experience. From the start, our server, Chris, took his time to walk us through the menu and helped us get started on our journey for dinner. I was blown away by the delicate details of flavor combinations and textures that existed with every dish. To take so many different flavor profiles and thoughtfully combine them was divine. Do not skip out on dessert either, the chocolate cake is less cake and more sin, with deep, rich chocolate fudge flavor dancing with sweet, crisp, light meringue, married with the explosion of candied kumquats… truly just a magical dining experience. I’ve been eating in Portland for over a decade and it’s a shame it’s taken me this long to walk through Arden’s doors. But I know I’ll be back soon, and I can’t thank the chef, cooks, and staff enough for filling my birthday, and my stomach, with compassionate food made with loving hands."

"We went for the Valentine's Day prix fixe and it might have been the best prix fixe menu we've had in Portland. It's a small place but felt special, nice tables and lighting. They were quite busy but the wait staff was still kind, took time to check in."

"Wonderful experience. Attentive and helpful service. Recommended a delicious wine, smoked olives are great, the leek and potato pierogi might be one of the best things I've ever eaten. The fermented curry with scallops was way too salty and the scallops were a tad over done. But everything else was amazing and plan to visit again."

"We celebrated Anh's birthday with a trip to Portland and booked a table at Arden based on a recommendation from Eater that it captured Portland's local flavor. Our night started with sitting around for 20 minutes with the menu. It wasn't due to indecision - we had quickly decided to open with the oysters and follow with the prix fixe since, at $70, the prix was quite reasonable. It just seemed like our server had lost track of our table. Luckily we weren't starving, but the wait was surprising since the dining room didn't seem particularly busy. The pf menu ended up including three snacks to open, plus the burrata and squash, the tagliatelle, the quail yakitori, and a finishing of cheesecake. Our meal was accompanied by a pair of decent cocktails, a wine pairing, and a lengthy wait between dishes. Our meal stretched to almost three hours for only 5 courses + oysters. We care more for food than service, though, so it wasn't a big deal. In general, we felt Arden's kitchen flourished with original ideas but missed a bit on the execution. Interesting pairings like burrata + squash + nutty salsa and quail + pears + lentils piqued our interest. However, not every dish hit its mark. We didn't even finish some of the snacks (which is rare for us). Anh in particular found everything too salty -- most especially the tagliatelle, which included bacon and briney clams in a salty ramen butter sauce. Some standouts from the pf menu included the quail yakitori, whose strong pear flavor balanced the richness of the sausage and quail, the smoked trout, and the cheesecake. We enjoyed the wine pairing as well - each wine felt thoughtfully selected. The oysters were also delicious, but raw oysters speak for themselves. Ultimately, our experience leaned positive, having ended with the two best dishes. But based on the heavy-handed salting, the chef's discretion with the prix fixe, and, to some extent, our time waiting, we likely won't be returning. This is a shame, since other menu items sound very enticing, like the cappelletti, pierogies, and scallops. We've learned though, that Arden's ideas sometimes shine brighter on paper than on the palate."

"Arden is quickly becoming my favorite restaurant in Portland. This was my second experience there, and I have to say each time was phenomenal. The service is excellent- our waitress was friendly and helpful with any questions we had, and was knowledgeable about the wine list. Each dish is carefully curated with local ingredients and priced appropriately. You can expect to order about 5 dishes for a party of two. They just changed their menu, so I had the opportunity to taste their summer menu last time, and the new fall menu this time. I definitely missed their Steak Tartare from the summer menu, but was so impressed with the fall appetizers I didn’t mind. The Fig & Goat cheese appetizer with Salsa Macha is not to be missed- it’s the perfect balance of sweet, salty and cheesy. If I could have one dish for the rest of my life it would be the Bavette Steak for two- PLEASE order this!! Perfectly cooked steak and charred cabbage together over this incredible miso sauce. I could have licked the plate but they also give you these bready muffins to soak up all of that sauce. Finally, you must order the stoner ice cream. It has Carmel corn over a corn ice cream, topped with shaved foie gras. It’s salty, sweet, crunchy and creamy. Unreal!"