Tipo Restaurant — Restaurant in Portland

Great ingredients, poor execution, false prices on menu.

My family came here for a casual Tuesday night dinner. The atmosphere was nice, and I liked the style of the place. I was ready for it to be a really special find. We were disappointed overall.

I had spaghetti and meatballs. Spaghetti was cooked al dente to perfection, meatballs were tasty, and then they absolutely drowned the plate in sauce. Don't get me wrong, the sauce was good. But it took over the plate. There was so much that the spaghetti was literally swimming in it and then it was over the top of it as well. Not Italian style at all (which I don't care about but some might) but it was way too much. You couldn't avoid it. To be fair, they might pull back on the sauce and then the next guy would complain that there's not enough. But man, I'm telling you it was a TON.

My wife had a very small and pricey $24 sausage pasta dish that was short on flavor (in her description) and skimped on meat. I didn't taste this dish so I won't go into it any further.

My daughter had the New Yorker pizza. Again, so close to perfect, but ruined. The crust was incredible. The cheese and marinara was perfect. And then they dumped about 3 pounds of oregano on it. I'm an oregano fan, but be warned. It absolutely overwhelmed everything else. You could taste nothing but oregano. Take a look at the picture. Waaay too much of a good thing.

Side note: This "craft soda" thing has to stop. You now pay $5 for a single 12oz drink, all in the name of a marginally better soda, nowhere worth the premium, and can't be refilled without another $5. Yes we all see what's going on here. Please stop.

Finally, to top it all off, they have raised prices on things and haven't bothered to update their menu. So they'll just casually add the extra cost to your check. If you don't notice, you'll just pay it. Menu said $6, well now it's $8 when it's time to pay. Menu said $4, and that turned to $5 at bill time. Here's a thought....if you can't bother to update the menu, I'm thinking maybe you hold off on charging the customers until they know what they are paying. Picture of this...

I’d definitely come back for the pizza, but probably not for the pasta. Tipo was lovely, but the ambiance felt a bit too casual for some of the prices they’re charging. It was our first time, and we made a reservation thinking it would be a bit more upscale based on the menu and pricing we saw online. Don’t get me wrong — the place is super cute both inside and outside (the garden seating is adorable), but it felt more like a casual dinner spot. They also pack a lot of tables into the dining room, which gave it a slightly crowded vibe.

We ordered the four-cheese pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, cavatelli, and campanelle pasta. The pizza was fantastic! We added prosciutto, and it was delicious. The pizzas definitely fit the vibe and are a good value. The pastas, however, were a bit underwhelming. The cavatelli, for instance, was over $30 and drowned in sauce, which made it too acidic and hard to taste the other ingredients. The portions are also pretty small for the price. The campanelle was decent but a little bland.

The appetizers were a highlight, though. The peach crostini with stracciatella was amazing, and both the burrata salad and arancini were solid choices, although the burrata portion was a bit skimpy.

Cocktail options were quite limited, and the cheapest bottle of red wine was over $50. The Negroni was good, but it lacked the bitterness of a traditional Negroni.

Overall, if you go to Tipo with the right expectations — knowing it’s pricey for the portions and that it’s more of a casual vibe — you’ll enjoy it. I’d definitely go back...

Their best offerings came last. Ricotta cornbread special- which should have been an appetizer- appeared when somebody remembered. And though nearly full, our table most happily scarffed it all. And the ultimate taste, vanilla Panna Cotta with pistachio lace struck a chord with our taste buds. Unfortunately, our other dishes failed to sing as harmoniously. Beef carapaccio was poised to please but ended up overwhelmed by the sweet balsamic. A garden salad ended up looking like a winter snow blanket covered in shaved parmesan, its flavor lost to the storm. We ordered two pizzas from their brick stove, wholly adequate, but robust in crust... If that's your thing. The bicycleta was our favorite cocktail perhaps warranting a longer stay at the bar.

But speaking of the bar- and a word of warning- our server explained Happy Hour wasn't honored in the dining dining area, despite our seating during its festivities. Gazing at the half full dining area, I passed this off to selfish folly. But upon exiting and a carefully look at their signage, it accrues to false advertising.

I'd give Tipo a second chance if it balanced itself a little better. For example, the clean open concept kitchen and Nowegian furnishings are confused by the license plates lining the underside of the bar. Someone in a position of authority might just want to ask simple questions like "does this...