Magissa — Restaurant in Portland

I'm not saying Magissa has the cutest bathroom in all of Portland... but I'm also not not saying that. This place is lovely. The Mediterranean vibe they've created is unlike anything else in town. It's giving Greece, it's giving Turkey, it's giving Mediterranean! They've turned what's been a revolving-door space over the years into a cozy little spot that feels fresh and different, though there's definitely room for improvement.

We visited on a Saturday night and thankfully had a reservation -- I wouldn't go without one. It's a small space in a super popular area, and it fills up fast. Our hostess was great; friendly, and welcoming. Our server, on the other hand, was fine... he just seemed unamused.

The main drawback for me was the menu. I knew it was going to be limited, but it felt REALLY limited and honestly kind of generic. That said, what we did have was pretty good. We ordered the 3-mezze option, and like others have said, the portions are small -- but for $12, I wasn't mad at it. The grilled halloumi and dips were delicious, and they didn't skimp on the pita.

Price-wise, Magissa is super reasonable, which was one of my favorite things about it. Most items are under $20, with a couple of splurge-y mains. I got the Paros chicken -- the chicken was soooo good, but I didn't love the sides it came with. The rice and brussels sprouts were a bit dry. My husband got the lamb gyro and really liked it. The only exception to "the prices being reasonable" was the baklava; it was overpriced for the quality.

Another standout: the cocktails. We tried a couple, including a few from their limited-time Seaweed Week menu, and they were fantastic.

All in all, I think Magissa is a fantastic addition to Portland's food scene. It's cozy, stylish, and trendy without feeling too...Boston? I'll definitely be back -- especially...

The hostess set the tone for dinner tonight. Was excited and then we got seated in the worst spot next to the door and hostess where everyone walks in. Nothing like trying to enjoy your meal with the freezing wind coming through every few minutes.

When we sat down I asked if we could switch to the open table in the middle of the restaurant away from the door. This request was denied swiftly because she said the system would be too messed up if she were to switch us to a different table. Right, the people that have reservations after us will get their prime choice of seating. She could have just said I don’t know how to change seats but let me get my manager to see if they can help out.

Server was nice, a little more training on the menu is still necessary as some of our questions about the menu were not answered.

Finally, the gyro I had would have been great if there was more than 4 little chunks of lamb. I just felt like I was eating tzatziki and bread, very disappointing. The meat was also not your typical gyro flavor, and was a little tough to chew. That is the first gyro I’ve ever had that wasn’t tender and juicy.

I don’t know what to say. No one went above and beyond, it was very meh and unaccommodating. I could have went to Lucky Cheetah tonight or Scales if I wanted an elevated experience. I was excited for tonight and expect better since we are in...

Tonight (Saturday) was our first visit and we didn't know we needed to make reservations. Kind hostess put us on the wait list and got us in sooner than we expected (just enough time to get half pours at Bellflower!). My dirty negroni was divine! All the menu options were tempting so we got a little of everything - calamari, tzatziki, spanokopita, lamb skewer, htipiti, skordalia, and horiatiki (3 choice mezze) to share. Every single one was scrumptious! Servings sizes were perfect for the two of us - we were full and had no leftovers, with a tiny bit of room for dessert to share. Melopita with rhubarb was a perfect ending! Friendly, attentive service, fair prices, sweet views of the park from the big windows, and great energy in the space made it a true treat and we can't wait to go back! It lived up to all we'd been looking forward to, and even went beyond. A magical early...