Hugo's — Local services in Portland

Hugo's is a really special place in Portland. Although the city is bursting with amazing restaurants, they still manage to be unique and cutting-edge. I will fully admit that I have had some dishes here that simply don't work for me but that is part of the fun of dining at a restaurant that is constantly trying to innovate. And the dishes that I didn't care for are clearly outweighed by the majority that I found wonderful over the course of my half dozen meals here. This is not to mention the absolute top-notch service you can expect at a real fine dining establishment like those sporting fancy Michelin stars. I always felt extremely welcomed and catered to whenever visiting them.

A particular reason that Hugo's has a fond place in my heart is that they served me one of the handful of dishes I've had that not only was incredible but actually changed the way I thought about food and what it could be. Around five years ago I shared a large-format ribeye steak with five other people that changed my life. My stomach was already so miserably/joyfully full by the time it was served. The fact that this juicy, fatty, umami-filled piece of meat was good enough that I still managed to eat another half pound of food and love every bite speaks to just how awesome it was. As you can tell I'm passionate about a good steak and since then I've learned to make one (almost) as good as that but it was still enough to keep me coming back time...

WORST DINING EXPERIENCE EVER, GO TO GRACE INSTEAD FOR SURE. We have been to Portland many times and come here mainly to try new restaurants. We were very excited to try Hugo's... and left, two hours later, very disappointed. The portions were very very small for the price (and no, we were not expecting an all-you-can-eat buffet). There is some complimentary stuff they bring through your dinner (a little fried fish, biscuits and chocolates at the end) and they tasted better than what we ordered... though it would have been nice to have 4 biscuits for a table of 4 people, but, hey, at this point, nothing could have salvaged this dinner. The service was not that good and when one of us told the waiter that his plate did not contain any clams (he told us that the Fruit de mer plate contained clams) the waiter was a little arrogant and said: «Of course, that is a clam, sir»... pointing to a dime-sized piece of clam under a large parsley leaf. We didn't even try desserts, because, honestly, why stay there a minute more? I think people who gave 5 stars to this restaurant are either friends of the staff, got a free dinner or enjoyed a whole other menu that we have not seen tonight. This is my first and only review on Google about a restaurant... I don't usually take the time to write them but if someone reads this and decides to go elsewhere, it will have...

Hugo's Hits Every Note Perfectly

I cannot say enough good about the food, the atmosphere or the service. The appetizers were exquisite, we had a mushroom salad that brought the taste of the out-of-doors to the table and a squash salad with duck confit that I can still taste. It had the wonderful creamy sweetness of the squash, but there was this smoky, ducky flavor throughout. If you like oysters, you must order their "bar snack" of marinated oysters. The oysters were plump and delicious and the brine did not toughen them, it seems to make their taste even better (if that's possible!). We had the duck breast as a main course and it was tender, flavorful and maybe the best duck I"ve ever had; plus the pork with sunchokes which was excellent. The waiter chose wines to accompany our dishes and he did a great job. My only suggestion to you is not to over-order. We ordered the bread and the cashews and the charcuterie board, all of which were great, but contributed to that sense you've eaten too much. So be judicious in ordering so you can savor every bite. The waiter suggested maybe 3-4 appetizers and 2 mains. I think one of each would have been better, and left more room for dessert! A must-visit restaurant and our thanks to the many many staff that worked to get...