L’ Orange — Restaurant in Portland

I was SO excited to score a reservation here the night of my 30th birthday. A foodie friend whose husband is a professional chef was visiting from out-of-town, and she had previously mentioned this restaurant after reading about it in NYT.

First of all, the ambiance and service are top-notch. You truly feel very special and valued, and the attention to detail for a positive experience is exceptional. Our server was very knowledgeable about wine recommendations based on our orders, and we thoroughly enjoyed the bottle he recommended. As far as presentation goes, this restaurant soars.

That said, regarding taste, most of the food was all a bit lackluster. The chicory salad was quite salty/bitter, I think due to the fact that anchovies were present in both physical form and in the bagna càuda. My friend ordered the sturgeon, which was cooked to the point that it was tough, chewy, and leathery. I ordered the mussels and clams - being a native Louisianian myself, I was tickled to see they used Zatarain's. Sadly, the broth was ultimately pretty bland. And, unfortunately, a few bites in, I got a mouthful of sand. I thought I could avoid any more sand by steering clear of broth from the bottom of the bowl, but ended up also getting potatoes coated in sand, as well as bok choy with sand in between the leaves. I had to give up on the dish, which was sad because mussels in broth is one of my absolute favorite dishes. I can't speak to the duck entrée my partner had as I'm pescatarian, but he described it as "pretty good."

However, the desserts were all fantastic! The orange cake was absolutely scrumptious. The earl grey/shortbread ice cream was divine. And the blueberry sorbet with white chocolate was sinfully good! While the dinner itself was a bit underwhelming, the service, ambiance, and desserts were very lovely and memorable. Maybe their next seasonal menu will intrigue me enough to give dinner...

What an absolutely delightful experience! I was so bummed when the previous restaurant at this location (Willow) closed. It was one of my favorites of all time and a big part of that was the atmosphere that this quaint little space afforded it.

So when I heard about L'Orange, I knew I had to give it a try.

Having them in the space takes away my longing for Willow. It's not particularly similar, but it just feeds the same craving that I have sometimes for really honest but expertly crafted food paired with interesting wines and served in a friendly quaint and warm environment. L'Orange knocked it out of the park!

I'm a little ashamed to admit that I can't remember exactly what we ate because I was just a little too busy drinking in the emotion of the experience. But I can tell you that the food was very good and flawlessly prepared.

One of my biggest annoyances about trendy dining in Portland right now is that almost all the wine lists are going full-on "natural wine." I'm not a big fan of the genre. Not because I don't like things natural but because a lot of times natural wine is just code for "tastes like kombucha." This restaurant definitely fits the mold for the type of restaurant that is opting for these types of wines but I'm happy to report that such was NOT the case.

Every wine we had was clean, crafted with precision, and free of overt flaws such as VA, mercaptans or Brettanomyces. Such a refreshing break from current trends!

You really feel like family here - or at least a good friend. I give a standing ovation to the whole staff crew here as well as those responsible for the conceptualization and execution of this establishment! It has immediately become one of my new favorites in town and I'll be recommending it widely and...

Portland's L'Orange has been making waves as a destination for inventive Pacific Northwest cuisine, with its focus on seasonal ingredients and bold flavors. On a recent visit, my party of four was eager to dive into the hype, but the evening left us with a mix of admiration and bewilderment.

To start, the Chicories salad delivered a crisp, bitter punch, its assertiveness tempered by a creamy dressing and crunchy hazelnuts. The Cauliflower was a triumph-charred at the edges, bathed in a velvety sauce that struck the right balance of richness and acidity. The pillowy Gnocchi, dressed with seasonal ingredients, was another highlight, its delicate chew yielding to a deeply savory broth.

However, not every plate hit the mark. The Mussels & Clams, while plentiful, were underwhelming, lacking the depth of flavor we'd hoped for. The real disappointment, though, was the Sturgeon. Described as a highlight of the menu, it arrived with an overpoweringly fishy taste that made it very unpleasant. For a restaurant that prides itself on precision, this was a surprising misstep.

The oddities extended beyond the food. Our seating arrangement in the purple room was perplexing: two round tables pushed together, leaving one member of our party awkwardly isolated, as if dining alone. When we brought this to the attention of our server, his response-that other customers hadn't complained —felt dismissive and unaccommodating.

L'Orange has moments of brilliance, but attention to detail-both in hospitality and consistency-keeps it from true greatness. For now, it remains a restaurant of highs and lows, worth a visit for its strengths but approached with cautious...