02/09/07

CLOSED INDEFINITELY!?!?

by naart

Don't know if anyone uses this as a resource for dining anymore, but just wanted to put the word out there that Fernando's Hideaway is no more!!! Will miss all of the great staff, especially the very beautiful bar staff...hopefully this place will be able to resurrect itself in the future...

01/02/07

great tapas, great atmosphere

by angelehua

The tapas at Fernandos are great, we rarely get entrees because we eat so many of the tapas, they have a pretty good wine menu, the Azul is always great. The desserts are usually pretty good. They have salsa dancing on the weekedns which is pretty cool.

• Pros: tapas, desserts, wine

11/21/06

Great Tapas

by rylanlester

The only problem with my meal at Fernando's is that the lamb was so good that great food before it didn't seem so great anymore. If I had more time when I visited I would have doubled up and eaten everything on the menu.

10/20/06

Swanky

by frogger777

Great tapas, huge selection and variety. We have gone several times, originally it was just for the fabulous martinis. Eventually we were sampling tapas and lately we bring a group (huge back table), order tons of tapas and share all around!!!! The dancing lessons are fun and it is so easy to dance the night away...

• Pros: Great selection of tapas, good location, fabulous cocktails!
• Cons: smoky, too loud if you are trying to have a date-night

10/04/06

Love this place, but....

by prjen

This has been one of my favorite happy hour spots for a few years, but I have noticed that the quality of the tapas has suffered: Some examples: the pan con tomate is now being served with canned tomatoes, which is extremely evident the moment you take a bite. Previously it seemed like they just rubbed some fresh tomato on the bread, which is the correct way to do it. The manchego cheese in the jamon y queso platter is of a noticeably lesser quality than before. The red ceviche was made with shrimp and octopus that was either previously frozen or has been in a fridge for long enough for it to be way too cold. The filling in the croquetas is dry, and the breading seems oilier. The chorizo is of lesser quality than before, as it is less flavorful and actually reminds me of something Jimmy Dean might sell. I used to come here for both great wine *and* great tapas, but now the wine is the main draw for me (for example, bottles of wine $50 and under are 50% off every Tuesday, and they have a great selection). Their servers and bartenders are still as knowledgeable, attentive and friendly as they've been for the last few years. But you guys used to serve tapas made of great ingredients and cooked just right - what happened?

• Pros: Great wine and drinks, great service
• Cons: Tapas are starting to go a bit south

04/17/06

Hidden Away: Portland's Best Kept Secret

by dredc

When the marginal eateries of downtown are packed on a Friday night, Fernando's is a sure bet for a quick table, fantastic service, excellent wine, and top notch food. A fantastic date spot (whether on your 1st or 101st date!), the warm ambience and delicious bites represent

true Spanish cuisine--reminds me of Madrid. Recommend highly for a quiet lunch meeting or night on the town.

• Pros: excellent service, great wine selection, close to Max

03/03/06

This swanky tapas joint manages to be cosmopolitan and comfortable, despite its business-district location.

by Contributor

In Short
A curvy copper fixture casts a glow over the high-ceilinged front bar, which segues into an intimate brick-and-wood dining room with background Spanish melodies. A hip, young crowd dines on authentic Spanish cuisine with more than 30 tapas offerings, including Tortilla Espanola--egg, potato and onion pie--calamari in its own ink and quail in chocolate sauce. The restaurant's entree menu features seafood, chicken and beef dishes plus a list of complementary Spanish wines.

02/09/06

A late evening surprise and treat!

by gjportland

We arrived at Fernando's for the tapas after attending a stunning flaminco ballet performance at the Schnitz. Believing that Fernando's would be open late, we found out that it was closing in 10 min. But no problem, the head waiter tells us! So we were seated in the cozy, quaint dining room to enjoy tapas and a nice tinto. Our waiter was quite accomodating, not rushing us one bit. And since there were virtually nobody left in the place, we felt pampered. The tapas were very good (don't compare them with San Sebastian or Bilbao, Spain, that wouldn't be fair). We look forward to returning -- and think visiting Fernando's in mid week as we did to avoid the crowds is the way to go. Downside, some smoke from the bar does make it into the dining room.

• Pros: Reasonably priced, Good service, Nice ambiance
• Cons: Bar smoke

01/16/06

Unbelievable

by cwagner55

quiet, romantic and reasonably priced...some of the best Spanish Cuisine anywhere. I was visiting from out of town, and we enjoyed it very much. I will be back many times!

11/30/05

Very nice experience

by lemondrop78

We ordered about 7 tapas, a few were really good while the others were alright. There is a wide selection so we will try other ones next time. Their spicy calamari was very very bland though. Normally we love calamari but we didn't even finish half the plate, which was a big plate though. The waiter was great and the atmosphere was comfortable. Another thing i didn't like was their small table we sat it. There is no leg room and the table tilts to the side if you lean on it the wrong way. I still had a nice time and it was inexpensive. The menu also doesn't explain the description of the tapas very well. We will still go back though and try again.

• Pros: Nice atmosphere, Good service
• Cons: Wobbly, small table, Some food bland