Paley's Place

01/31/08

Great Food- Horrible Service- Would still visit

by insearchofwine at Citysearch

I would first off like to say that I am a total foodie and have visited some of the finish restaurants in America. I reside in San Francisco, where I find the greatest food on earth to be located. With that being said, I recently took a trip to Paleys to find out what the buzz was all about. The bulding is gorgeous and located on an incredibly eclectic street, similar to almost a 1960's Haigh Ashbury. The host(owner) was incredibly pleasant, but our waiter was horrible to say the least. He wrongly recomended the wine list, and was unsure of the three wines I had sampled off the tasting menu. My salad arrived before my girlfriend and I's wine, which is completely unexceptable. The salad was fantastic, and was a rendition of a ceaser, but with a nice lemon twist to it. Bread was amazing and crisp. Shiraz was impeccable, and although Oregon is known for their Pinot's, I ordered Duck and risotto which made the shiraz stand out that much more. The main course was one of the best pieces of duck I have ever had. Dessert was utterly fantastic, and the gorgeous deck that we sat on made the experience that much better. If it wasn't for the fact that our waiter was horrible and our table was just too small, I would have ranked this up within my favorite restaurants. I do not feel it was that overly expensive for the upscale entity that it was. I would tell anyone to try it, but be aware of the service, or lack there of.

• Pros: Eclectic Taste
• Cons: Service

08/27/07

Looking for some good escargots?

by jhanneman at Citysearch

I love French (food)! This restaurant satisfied all of my cravings. The price was definitely worth it; I love that you can order pomme frites as an appetizer and still feel like you are eating high class cuisine. Service was good, music was good, and food was delicious and beautiful.

10/29/06

While Good, Does Not Specialize in Vegetarian Food

by ahmontgo at Citysearch

Don't get me wrong; the food here is good and the wine list is superb. But a 9.4 on Vegetarian Food, according to CitySearch? Specializes in Vegetarian? While the chef was happy to turn a non-veg entree into a delicious vegetarian option, there was only one truly veg option on the menu; about what you'd expect from a normal restaurant in Portland. My complaint is more about CitySearch's characterization, rather than the restaurant itself, which was quite accommodating.

02/07/06

Great food - mediocre service

by hctech at Citysearch

The food at Paley's is among the best in Portland, but it can be overshadowed by the slow service. The ambiance is lovely, especially for a romantic diner, but one has to not be in a hurry. If goin alone, eat at the bar where the service is much better.

• Pros: Food, Ambiance
• Cons: Slow service, Parking

08/16/03

Paley's Pales....

by kontikijc at Citysearch

Sat at the bar, GREAT service. Beautiful restuarant. Orderd the lamb. The technique was nice, the lamb was tender, the potatoes done just right....but they lacked flavor. I don't think anyone in the kitchen is tasting the food before it's sent out or they wouldn't have let my dish out the door before adjusting the seasoning. I was disappointed. I honestly expected more attention to detail from a restaurant and chef so highly rated. I had the steak tartare as an appetizer and that was nicely done. Too bad the entree didn't match up.

• Pros: Great service, beautiful facility
• Cons: flat tasting food

02/14/03

a bit tight

by Gilbertinpdx at Citysearch

Love the food and the service, but not romantic. Tables for two are right on top of each other

10/28/02

Side Dishes Anyone?

by Wine_DineMe at Citysearch

Overall, this is a very enjoyable dining experience, that I would recommend. But a word of caution, both times I have been to Paley's they have forgotten to bring our vegetable side dishes. Which is a real shame, because their mashed potatoes are excellent. The second time we had completed our meals before the sides arrived.

Also, their website menu may not match the menu at the restuarant. This was a disappointment to our visitor from Canada who was looking forward to a dish that was on the website, but no longer being served at the restuarant.

• Pros: Good value, Great Cocktails
• Cons: Inconsistent Service

08/12/02

Bravo

by sansoo at Citysearch

Had dinner there Saturday night...was one of the best meals I ever had...in a league with the best in town. The duck confit was absolutely perfect with a potato side that had an eclectic mix of spices that reeked of thyme, marjoram, lavender etc. Spouse had a teriffic halibut cheek dish in a light red wine sauce. Service was attentive, wine list was broad with some very reasonably priced selections. It's there with Wildwood, Genoa and Castagna as our favorite in PDX. Don't go for the atmosphere..although it is OK...the food is the focus here.