CAFE NELL — Restaurant in Portland

Or visit to Café Nell was fortuitous, as the nearby restaurant we'd planned on checking out was unceremoniously closed during their posted operating hours (both online and terrestrial), for some unknown reason. We looked for something similar in the neighborhood, and this classy little bistro jumped out at us, having both an intriguing brunch menu and an adorable aesthetic.

Upon arrival, and lacking a reservation, we were informed that the only available tables were inside (awesome!), and were seated immediately. Pleasantly surprised to see a variant of one of my favorite cocktails (the Rusty Nail) on the drink menu, I ordered the Kentucky Nail to go with my chicken paillard, while my wife ordered the French 75, a sort of sparkling lemon gimlet, along with the shrimp and grits; I'm still flabbergasted that she didn't order the Dungeness crab mac & cheese!

In both cases, the entrées were incredible; the shrimp and grits, an elevated home-cookin' comfort classic, hit all the right notes. Meanwhile, the chicken paillard was a complex amalgam of savory, sweet and sour, unified by the acerbic mustard vinaigrette dressing drizzled over both greens and fowl, it's only weakness being there wasn't enough of it. This would be my only complaint about our dining experience here: without the presence of an included side dish, this otherwise exemplary dish seemed a little exorbitantly priced for the size of the portion, yet not enough to be a detraction. Still, those with larger appetites should plan, and order, accordingly.

As gorgeous as the covered outdoor seating is, especially as it was on the warm Sunday morning in which we visited, the interior décor is no slouch, with its upscale-diner-meets-Parisian-boutique vibe. It's cute, cozy, and intimate, particularly after sunset, when the lighting manifests a moodier, duskier, more sultry ambiance. Perfect for a date night!

Portioning and pricing taken into consideration, a meal at Café Nell is still a worthwhile experience. They do things differently enough to stand out among their competitors, offering some truly incredible dishes, uncommonly great (and uncommonly encountered) cocktails, and stellar service, all packaged together in a charming little corner space that wouldn't seem out of place in any of the 20 Parisian arrondissements...which is saying something, because this is ostensibly an American café. When you can stand toe-to-toe with the culinary colossus that is French cuisine and culture, you're doing...

I went to Cafe Nell for a brunch with my 3 good friends. I have gone to this establishment many times and this last time was the worst experience I have ever had. First off the host gave away our table because we were “late”. We tried to call to let them know, no one answered our 7 calls. We were only 10 minutes late. I understand giving away a table if the customer is 20-30 minutes late. I work in the service industry so I know the custom is 20 minutes and you try and call the reservation to see what happened. Then it took them 15 minutes for us to be seated after they gave our table away. Second it took 20 minutes for the server to come up and get our drink order. It took 50 minutes for us to get our first round of drinks. We ordered our second round right when the first round hit the table because it took too long. We asked the server when he first dropped the first round for a straw. We had to ask 2 more times so we could drink our drinks. The one good thing was that the food tasted delicious but it did take 50 minutes for us to get it. Third as we were finishing up our drinks and food, the “bar manager” came over to clear our plates. He asked how our meal was. We explained that the service was not up to our previous experiences and that we were a little frustrated on how long our drinks and food took. He said it was because of “growing pains”. Whatever growing pains is in a restaurant. Cafe Nell has been open for over a year under COVID conditions, the restaurant should know how to run the restaurant and staff it correct for a SUNDAY Brunch!! Everyone knows Sunday brunch is always busy!! Then the manager drops the check with no items taken off the bill. I did not complain to get items taken off. However, when the “bar manager” lists off our drinks after we have explained our frustration I thought we would be getting part of the bill taken care of. Fourth the server finally comes back to our table and tries to take the bill even though we were clearly not ready to pay. We were still clearly discussing the bill. Then we ask for manager again because we were more frustrated after talking to him and seeing the bill. He was patronizing, argumentative, and unwilling to accept responsibility for the restaurants short comings. I work in a fine dining restaurant in Portland, this would never be acceptable. IF I COULD LEAVE 0...

We stumbled upon this GEM of a cozy bistro during the Christmas holidays and loved it so much that we made a repeat visit before we headed back to Atlanta. My spouse and I don't drink and the NA offerings were delicious + the staff doesn't make you feel lame for not boozing. We scored a cozy table in front of the fireplace and was impressed with the healthier options.

We feasted on the Forest Mushroom Bruschetta with roasted cauliflower and white truffle puree, then dove into the Butter Lettuce Salad (I wanted to try the roasted beet but we had that the night before at Urban Farmer and BTW we loved The Nell more). This lettuce was incredibly tender with the perfect citrus vinaigrette. It was the best lettuce we had during our trip (and as someone who's mostly plant-based I know my lettuce).

After eyeing the Winter Vegetable Melange I had to experience it and it was so good I ordered it upon our return a week later. My spouse dined on the best ever Turkey Burger with generous portions of avocado and caramelized onions - yes he ordered this again the following week as well. Definitely order the hand-cut French fries (they are 100% better than Urban Farmer's fries). For dessert the Chocolate Chip Brownie Cake was perfection - just the right size to top off your meal with a small scoop of ice cream to make your tongue faint in ecstacy.

I wish I could remember our servers name, he was an incredibly friendly and hospitable human who made our experience exceptional. For our 2nd visit the restaurant reserved this private, cozy back section of the bar for our dinner before Thievery Corporation show and it was literally the icing on the cake with our same server (I'm so sorry I can't recall your name!).

This is a NW neighborhood GEM for a reason and quite frankly our FAVORITE restaurant in Portland! If you decide to open a location in Atlanta, come to Virginia Highlands and I'll help you find the perfect spot! Muah to the entire staff...