Brasa Haya — Restaurant in Portland

Just came by to check this new restaurant since I live close by and a bunch of people were dining outside. Having lived in Spain and New York I was immediately excited to see that it was a Spanish Tapas place run by a former Michelin Star restauranteur. I went over with 3 friends, some who traveled extensively in Spain, to check it out.

Upon being seated by super friendly staff we were impressed with the selection of Spanish wines. The cocktail list was also solid. All in all we ended up eating way more than we usually due, just riding the excitement of savoring some of the best tapas we've ever had. At the end, we had a really fun memorable night and definitely coming back here to get our fix soon.

Here are my highlights:

Tortilla - The best I've ever had, including stints in Spain and some overpriced NY spots. I hadn't seen one made with so many onions, in fact it was runnier that anything I've seen but the savory and delicate textures are to die for. Patatas Bravas - fried tempura like crispiness on the exterior and mashed potatoes creaminess inside. The potatoes were served in a tomato sauce and were still crispy! It was later explained to me that it takes them 2 days to make. Garbazo with Morcilla - Also the best garbanzos I've had. The morcilla (blood sausage) added so much savory depth to it and the sweet raisins mixed in sealed the deal like no other. Croquetas - I typically don't like bacalao croquettes because I find them too salty and pasty but we tried them at the behest of the party and am glad we did. These tasted like perfectly cooked white meat fish - buttery and creamy that melts in one's palette and on on top of that they were fried to perfection. Squid and Pork Belly - I wasn't sure how the combo will interact but the surf and turf combo paired...

We enjoyed a wonderful first time experience at Brasa Haya. Creative and classic Spanish tapas experience pulling in high quality PNW sourced ingredients and spirits with gratitude to the expert hospitality and care Robert provided. Robert facilitated our experience, rather than controlling it. The pace was perfect because he read and responded to our cues. We never felt rushed which enabled us to enjoy the width and breadth of the menu and each other. There was a wonderful selection of sipping accompaniments, cocktails to classics and enjoyed the flight options for unique Basque wines and a trio of sherries a perfect complement to dessert. We started with the classics - anchovy wrapped, pepper stuffed olive, patatas bravas, salt cod croquettes with two delicious cocktails. Simple and sublime first wave.

Two unlikely stars followed and were our most memorable tapas combination. The chef elevated tripe to a true addictive flavor and texture with the small pieces of scattered fresh mint and parsley not just for looks. We combined it with the coal roasted cabbage, garum butter. The sweet, lightly smoked cabbage was the perfect match with the harissa on the tripe. A chef that can elevate tripe was sure to handle sweetbreads with care and this was true combined with the acid of pickled mushrooms. The poached peach and rose granita and the fresh fig endings were stellar flavor, texture and taste finishes. We will definitely return with the expectation that the seasons will influence the menu. Thank you for a...

The food was good and the atmosphere was charming but we did not have the best experience. We HAD a reservation but were seated at a bar height table outside on very small, metal, cold, backless bar stools. I asked the server if there were any other seating options and told her we were open to inside or out. She reluctantly asked the hostess and came back and told us there was nothing available, however I could see open tables. This was our first date night since COVID and we tried to make the best of it. We ordered multiple drinks and courses (including the $90 steak). People came and went from all the more comfortable tables (apparently they had a different type of reservation)? and our server never offered to move us. We were both very uncomfortable during our entire $300 dinner. Overall, I would not return or recommend to others. The food was good but not exceptional and definitely not worth the discomfort of the seating and the...