República — Restaurant in Portland

My friend took me to Republica for my birthday. I like being surprised; so I did zero research and read nothing about Republica beforehand. I just showed up hungry. And overall, it was a delightfully atypical dining experience.

We arrived for our reservation ten minutes early and were told, rather bluntly I must say, that we’re too early and we should take a short walk and come back. My date found it rude, I figured I was just hungry and didn’t like being told to wait. Later, the staff did a few wonderful things that demonstrated they really do care about the customers and all was forgiven in my mind. But we ended up having to take 3 short walks and were seated about 15 minutes late because every time we went back, the table still wasn’t ready. We sat outside at a small Ikea table on uncomfortable Ikea chairs lit by a cheesy LED light in a dark corner.

By the time we sat down, we were absolutely starving and couldn’t wait to get started on the tasting menu. The staff went over the drinks and the mechanics of the tasting menu. My date had some dietary restrictions which we talked about with the woman who sat us. She was cool and validating while my date explained that she doesn’t eat pork. During the tasting courses, you’re waited on by about five or six different servers. No matter the course, no matter the server, they always explained what had pork and what didn’t. I was really impressed by that level of attention to detail and commitment to customer service where it counts most of all. Furthermore, every server knows an amazing amount about each dish and happily talks to you about how it relates to culture, history, etc. That made us feel very welcomed and appreciated.

After the first few courses, I realized what Republica is all about. Mexican food in America is quite formulaic. Some do the formula better than others. But nearly all Mexican food is designed to be filling, flavored for American pallets, and simply prepared to provide a great value. Republica takes every opportunity to buck that formula. The portions are achingly small and intricate. The flavors are delicate, painstakingly prepared, and perfectly presented like sushi. And, like sushi, the price is up there. Each dish is a labyrinthine showcase of ingredients and a celebration of Mesoamerican culture and cuisine. The dining experience felt like a loud proclamation that Mesoamerican cuisine isn’t just cheap tacos: it’s as delicate and beautifully complex as French cuisine, sushi, etc.

I found myself agreeing. I was delighted by the food and what it represented. Combine the food with a knowledgeable staff very proud to be a part of this culinary proclamation, and you get a wonderful, yet atypical, dining experience that I would recommend.

Okay the gripes.

I noticed a few reviewers complained that the portions were too small; and I can see that. We left feeling full. But the first few portions are so small that, if you come ravenous, like we did, it’s hard to relax for the first hour because you’re so hungry and wondering if this dinner is going to fill you up. Being that hungry also makes sharing with your anxiously hungry date a bit awkward. I see why they do it that way, bucking the formula and all, but I wish there was a bit more food at the beginning of the meal. Because we spent an hour hungry, we noticed the uncomfortable Ikea furniture and the badly lit patio. For the price, I think they should have nice chairs and real candles.

Conclusion

Overall, the dining experience was an amazing birthday present I’ll cherish for a long time. The food rocked—clearly cooked with pride by a skilled perfectionist. The staff brought it to life with their explanations. We left feeling full and glad we went. When I recommend Republica to friends, I will tell them to make their reservation for an hour before you get really hungry so you can relax and enjoy the entire experience. And bring a...

A thoroughly enjoyable and interesting meal, unfortunately a bit marred at the conclusion.

My wife and I have dined at most of the notable restaurants in Portland, and found the 10 course tasting menu at República to be among the best. The chef has done an impressive job weaving traditional ingredients into inventive and adventurous dishes that really hit the mark. I really enjoyed the intentionality behind the selections, and how artfully they integrated the narrative of the restaurant. Fantastic stuff.

The service was excellent and attentive. We really enjoyed the somm’s explanation of the wine pairing in particular. I opted for a selection of cocktails which were both inventive and delicious. The interior space is a bit sparse but well appointed, with a number of details that went beyond expectation.

Unfortunately, the billing practice of a 21% non-tip/gratuity service fee left a slight (metaphorical) bad taste in my mouth. I didn’t mind paying the total price and still left a generous tip, but it felt gauche for the dining experience we just had. I understand that it’s an increasingly popular answer to rising labor costs, but there’s no reason to keep it external from the base menu pricing other than to obfuscate the true cost to consumers.

I’ll still return to República and will recommend it to others, but it doesn't seem logically consistent to give a pass to it (or others) while we all simultaneously share a negative opinion of Ticketmaster for similar business practices.

Again though, fantastic meal and overall experience. Really talented team that's made a significant contribution to the vibrant dining scene here in PDX.

In response to the restaurant-- actually you unfortunately did not disclose the fee in the description you provided on OpenTable, which also takes over confirmation communication. In regards to expected tipping-- the fee description on the receipt is vague and doesn't state anything about gratuity or tipping. Given that tipping is usually expected in addition to service fees unless otherwise stated (especially when there's a tip line), everyone is going to think they still need to tip.

I don't have an issue with the total cost of the experience and don't need my tip refunded, but perhaps consider adding some clarity to your fee description if not your base menu pricing. Maybe add the disclosure to Open Table as well.

Again though, this was a small part of an overall stellar dining experience so I’ve probably already gotten way too into the...

I can't close out the year without giving some love to what was probably the best dining experience my husband and I had in Portland this year. Dining at Republica is truly a special experience, and if you're looking for a fine dining experience that is worth every penny, this is it!

Republica offers a 7-course tasting menu and a 10-course tasting menu; we enjoyed the latter. At $150 per person, the 10-course tasting menu is very reasonable, especially compared to other tasting menus at similar fine dining restaurants. Also you should know that gratuity is included, to allow the restaurant to offer living wages to its staff.

Before I get into the food, let's talk location and ambiance. The restaurant is right in the Pearl District, and honestly, I always find street parking right around this area, so it's never been a problem for me. The Max also stops right out front.

The restaurant is a large, mostly open space, with a wide open kitchen so you can see the chefs at work. I actually really enjoyed watching their interactions with each other throughout the dinner. Tables are well spaced apart, which is perfect for a date night out, especially if you are at one of the smaller tables closer to the open kitchen.

Now let's talk about the food: it's exquisite. Each course is presented with a short explanation of the ingredients and a little history thrown in, which I love. Many of the ingredients I had never heard of or never tried, and the combinations were exciting and interesting. They also did an amazing job making changes to the dishes based on my milk protein sensitivity.

Wine lovers will appreciate the wine list, which is well curated and focused on LGBTQ+ and women winemakers. We had two different wines which were suggested to pair well with our meal, and they both delivered.

The service here is one of the best in the city. The wonderful people who work here clearly care about the work that they do, and they deliver the dishes with such warmth, kindness, and respect. This is food as art, as history, as storytelling, as celebration - at its finest. Yet they also make it all approachable, not stuffy; it could easily be pretentious, but it's not. And I think it's because the people make the whole experience so FUN.

This might be my favorite restaurant in Portland right now. And that's saying A LOT! I'm so grateful dining experiences like this still exist, and I'm glad it's so close to home. My husband and I cannot wait...