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Categories: Latin American, Tapas Bars, Gluten-Free
Neighborhood: Pearl DistrictMon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 4:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 4:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Sun. 4:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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Andina, you've helped me with my trust and commitment issues. When the waiter recommends something I've never heard of or never tried before I can trust that it will be wonderful. So far I haven't found anything on the menu I don't like.
If you go with friends - go for the tapas so you can get a nice sampling of the menu. Even better go during happy hour when the tapas plates are 1/2 off.
The wines have been selected specifically to pair with the menu-ask your waiter what will go best with your order. The specialty drinks are also amazing.
This is one of the few restaurants that I can commit to going to over and over.
The food was bomb, but just a little on the expensive side. For $40 plus tip, we got:
two cocktails
one octopus tentacle
one scallop
one stuffed pepper
TONS of free bread and dipping sauce
Also this was at happy hour. Everything was delicious, though, especially the quinoa stuffed pepper. My friend who has been before was disappointed that we didn't get the empanadas, so they must be even more outstanding. Also the Fuerte de Tamarindo cocktail is FUERTE! Yes.
The one thing I really like is that the waiters are really knowledgeable about the food; they go through and explain every single ingredient to you when they set the plate down. This is useful for when I want to make quinoa stuffed peppers or molasses/soy butter at home for like $5.
Dear Andina,
We had our first date two weeks ago and I can't stop thinking about you. You distract me at work, you float in my dreams, and your scent still tickles my nose. You are with me every step of my day. I have fallen in love with your menu, your atmosphere, your live music, and your wait staff. You are a cozy, open air sexy place and I must have more of you. The only problem is that I live in Seattle and I don't do long distance relationships. Alas, what is a girl to do?
When we were together, I drank the sacsayhuaman. I was nervous at first, worried that you wouldn't be gentle with me b/c this oh so special drink is made with habanero pepper infused vodka and passion fruit puree. I like it spicy, but unfortunately cannot handle too much spice. But you took good care of me and this drink was perfection. Your empanadas were delicious and I must come back and have more. Although I was full at the end of the evening, you treated me to an espresso mousse with chocolate and an espresso cookie. When I told you how much I loved your cookie, you gave me more. I saved those cookies until the next morning and thought of you as they soaked up my most unfortunate hangover.
Oh, Andina. You will always be with me. Forever. And ever and ever. I will visit you again. Until then, think of me fondly. That's all I ask of you.
Yours forever,
Kathleen M.
What else can I say that hasn't already been said? The food and service here are STELLAR! Yes, it's a bit pricey, but it's worth every penny. Just go, you will not be disappointed.
Andina was the fourth and final stop Kathleen and I made on our tour of the Pearl district's cuisine. We had actually come by earlier, but were deterred by the enormous crowd of people waiting. If you've got a date planned here be sure to make a reservation. We decided to come back later to top off our evening. After 10pm we had no problem getting a seat.
There were several delicious-sounding cocktails I wanted to try, but I'd already had four this evening and didn't want to push it. The margarita del sol is what I chose, and it was a fruity concoction made with hibiscus and mango nectar. My friend picked the sacsayhuaman, which is made with habanero pepper infused vodka and passion fruit puree. It was very tasty and had a spicy kick to it, but if my friend can handle it I think anyone can.
To eat we chose the empanadas caseras de carne--quite possibly the most delicious empanadas I've ever had. The flaky crust was perfect and they were filled with a mixture of spiced savory beef, raisins and olives. We also ordered the tuna nikkei, which was good but a bit bland compared to our other selection.
After four restaurants we were pretty stuffed, but the dessert menu at Andina was simply too tempting to pass up. Kathleen and I split the mousse de valle y selva--a rich parfait of lucuma and espresso mousses with chocolate and a tasty espresso cookie (baked in house). It was deliciously decadent. As a bonus, when Kathleen raved about the cookie to our server he brought us a to-go box with two more cookies! There's nothing like an espresso cookie to cure a grumpy woman's hangover!
Andina gets high marks all around for excellent service, a fun atmosphere, delicious food and cocktails. It looks like a great place to bring a group of people too. I look forward to returning someday soon.
Wow. What can you say about a place like this?
We were there for a rehearsal dinner for a wedding and we had a very small menu, but everything on it sounded fantastic, and everything I tried made me want to never leave.
First of all, they have a very unique cocktail menu. And unlike many bars, they make their sour mixes and everything from fresh ingredients. No mixes! I had a Saucy Lady (I think thats what it was called) and it had a habanero infused vodka in a mango-ish tasting smoothie... it blew my mind. I wanted to drink only them (but the thought of drinking too many of them, and getting habanero vodka in my nose put a stop to that... if you catch my drift).
Secondly, my appetizer was the ceviche made from hawaiian ono. it was the best ceviche EVER.
For the main dish I had the new york strip steak. It was really good, but I haven't had a steak in so long that a part of me thought it was too tough, but the flavor was incredible. The GF got the lamb... and all I can say is GET THE LAMB if you can... Jesus H. Christ it was amazing.
For dessert I had a goat cheese flan. This was totally interesting and new to me. I love flan, but I've never had one like this. Super rich, super creamy, a consistency not like flan. Really really nice though.
Thank you Andina for blowing my mind!
$30 dinner, TOTAL BLISS !!!! :D
The bread came with three different types of Peruvian sauce (hot chile verde, a spicy mango and peanuty one), it was very interesting to eat bread paired this way and I enjoyed the chile sauce the most, probably dipped it dry :P
we shared four tapa plates,
ANTICUCHO DE PULPO ($4, happy hour price) - grilled octopus kebob with rocoto and caper chimichurri
ANTICUCHO DE CORAZON ($4, happy hour price) - marinated beef heart kebobs, served with huacatay-peanut sauce
JAMÓN SERRANO ($8, tapa plate) - plate of Serrano ham, aged 12 months (Casa Redondo Iglesias)
PALTA RELLENA DE CANGREJO Y LANGOSTINOS ($8, tapa plate) - avocado stuffed with crab and prawns
Everything was absolutely fresh and fantastic! I especially enjoyed the stuffed avocado and the octopus kebob!
service was just pleasant, we asked for a cup of hot water and the waiter brought us a TEAPOT of hot water and served us in the tea fashion! :) it wasn't really necessary but it was neat and much appreciated!
The atmosphere was cozy and intimate, highly recommended for dates ;)
Entries can be pricey, but why not come in for tapas? you'd fall in love with Andina like I just did! :) Overall, a 5-star experience
tapas + drinks here are delicious!!
I like the tapas here more than the dinner. The dinner is good but not fantastic like the tapas. The cebiche is also very good - the pieces of fish are fresh, firm and perfectly seasoned. OYSTERS oh my!! The very fresh oysters come with lime or lemon, and three different types of relish/salsa. My go to drink is the Sacsayhuaman.
I'm not about to be intimidated by all the five star reviews for this eatery. Sure, the interior decor is aesthetically pleasing, but the food was just average, with the exception of the duck, a notable standout.
The bar area is crowded. It has way too many tables wedged into too small a space. And the acoustics give Andina the ambience of a Greyhound bus station, with lots and lots of noise.
Our waitress was patient enough with me to take the time to consult with the chefs to find out what dishes did not contain cilantro or could be at least prepared without cilantro. As it turns out there are only about three out of a couple dozen dishes that do not have cilantro.
For appetizers we ordered the pulpo (octopus) and ricotta cheese-filled yucca. Ignoring the cilantro mashed potatoes that came with this appetizer, I found the octopus cooked to a nice doneness with a tad of crispiness, but was bland.
The cheese yucca reminded me of those breaded cheese sticks you can get in a pub. No real flavor except for all the salt. The dipping sauce was salty and bland too.
For entrees we ordered the duck and the rack of lamb. The duck itself was excellent. It had a nice barbecued flavor and crispity skin. However, the cilantro rice and vegetables side dish was gross, really greasy.
The rack of lamb dish was a disappointment. The entrée came with two slices of lamb that had only skimpy bits of meat. Yet, I would say the flavor of, what little lamb was there, to be good, especially the red pepper glaze that was kind of but not exactly like a mole. I liked the salad greens that came with this dish. They were cleverly wrapped in a little crispy cracker that had the texture of a fortune cookie. But I absolutely did not care for the circular potato & cheese thingies that came with the lamb. They had a tough skin, and other than the heavy salt, not a lot of flavor.
However, someone very near me keeps insisting the ceviches are excellent. It may require a return visit to verify that rumor.
Um yes. Again, an amazing experience. Portland, take note, this is how you do it. Impeccable service, food was perfect and came out in a timely manner, and the hostess actually took note of my special requests. I needed a little more space at the table since I'm uber pregnant now, and it was my husband's birthday, and they acknowledged it, and offered a free dessert (even though we were too full to actually accept it). Can't recommend this place enough, they even had live music Saturday night!
I am in love. Food that was as beautiful to look at as it was to eat. Fabulous service, wonderful… Read more »
The food is great! It seemed like there were more employees than patrons, and the place was packed on a Friday night. Great helpful waitstaff. The ambiance was so cozy, but not cramped. The yuca rellena should be called yummy rellena! Those were our favorite tapas. Price matched quality. Try the tortuga cocktail and take a bite of the 'drunken cucumber.'
I drove by this place often, (once or twice a week), and they are PACKED every night. So one fine Sat, I decided to give it a try, and unfortunately I just don't get it.
We had some bread and 3 different type of dipping sauce, while creative, and tasty, it was not anything super special for me. We had the octupus appetizer, it was literally like chewing rubber with no seasoning. We then had the lamb shank dinner, it was bland, chewy, and unimpressive. We ended up $135 for 2 people with 2 beers and 2 cocktails, one lamb shank, the octupus appetizer, a shrimp appetizer which was edible. So I have to say for $135 I would want more. The service was pleasant, but our impression of their food will stop us from coming back. Good for all of you that love and pack the place. Just not for us.
There is a good reason Andina has 200+ reviews. I don't frequent places like this except maybe for happy hour so I have only been twice now. Once was for an event where I think I tried (or tried to try) every cocktail on the menu. The SACSAYHUAMAN (habernaro vodka passionfruit) was my fav hands down. The GUANABANA.. DO DOO... DO DOO DO (banana rum almond milk) was my favorite to order by name and while good is a heavier rice milk cocktail that needs to be nursed more slowly to appreciate and only slowed down my drinking frenzy. The RON-YKI-ON is also quite good (ginger rum grapefruit ). At $9 each they are a small investment to say the least. They only have three beers (imported), none of which are very stellar and I suggest you invest in a cocktail. Our table for 5 was about 20 minutes late but since we were in the bar an hour beforehand it wasn't really a problem. We ordered 2 bottles of wine, at around $35 each was reasonable (so I hear). I am not wine connoisseur obviously but it did make my glass of 2 buck chuck the following night taste terrible. The bread and dipping sauces were good as well and its nice to get free apps in such an expensive venue. Veg-heads, don't forget they have a special veg and gf menu, you have to ask for it. I had the HONGOS SALTADOS: wild mountain mushrooms wok-fried with onions, tomatoes, soy sauce, garlic, and ají, served with Yukon Gold "papas fritas" and garlic rice $19. It was really good as expected from a place of this class. Despite the stature of this place it is a family run restaurant with an emphasis on service and it shows. Total damage was $60 for my share including a cocktail, beer, the shared wine, entree and tip. Way too much for an ordinary night out for me but with friends for a special evening it wasn't as hard to swallow and is a fair compromise between omnivores and vegans. Now if I had my choice I'd rather plunk down $60 at BL or Portobello but you might find yourself eating alone (or looking for new friends).
This place just keeps getting better & better. Perhaps it was the company on my last venture ... The food was divine, the ceviche (any of them) just order that! ;). The wine! ( I once had a Peruvian wine that just kept dancing in my mouth!)
Tip: be sure to make a reservation...even on a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Tuesday this pace is hoppin'. The service used to be super slow, but those days are long gone. Knowledgeable, friendly, professional, perceptive, confident, & attentive is how I'd describe their staff (a far cry from 3 years ago). Bravo!
Decent grub, but you can practically buy a plane ticket to Lima for the cost of a dinner at Andina.
I don't know much about Peruvian food, but the food at Andina is awesome! Definitely make reservations to go here because it gets crowded (and for good reason). Their menu features tapas of different sizes (you can order any in small, medium, or large) and then entrees. There's even a separate vegetarian menu, if you ask for it. How cool is that?
The food is so good. I highly recommend the quinoa salad, which comes looking not like a salad but like a quinoa mixture formed perfectly on the plate (like an upside down ramekin) and topped with tomato, red onion, and avocado. It is seriously phenomenal. This is a place where you could go with friends and order a number of these appetizers and fill up on those alone.
The bread comes with different sauces, a mild, medium, and hot one, and the atmosphere is nice but laid back. Even the waiter we had was great! Nice, friendly, and not at all pushy. What's not to love about that? Everything tasted so fresh, and we all raved about the meal for a long time afterward.
Perfection (Andean-style).
Every once in a while one comes across the perfect dining experience: excellent food, best company, bangin' drinks, otherworldly flavors, killer ambiance, sweet music, and a "most excellent adventure".
We had this at Andina. This is wholly Yelp-recommended. Julie B. from Seattle recommended it, and then Mr. Don B (the "man" in PDX) gave us another recommendation earlier in the day (this was many beers into the International Beer Fest---Yelp Koozies in hand). I'm a sucker for Latin food. I've not traveled everywhere I wanted, but I scout out my next destinations by trying their food. Unfortunately, I didn't see guinea pig on the menu, but we made out regardless.
**THE DRINKS**
First off the drinks--my first was (of course) a Pisco Sour. I'm a PS newbie, but this one is up there--Viva Peru! To stay on South
America's ba-dunk-a-dunk, I went Brazilian and had not just a caipirinha, I had an Acai-pirinha. Yee-yah! I can make a mean caipirinha, but I love tasting it from the pros, and this one was nice. Props to me for hitting outta the park cocktail-wise.
Half of our table ordered a sangria, and I snagged a few sips, and it was mighty fine, too.
**THE BREAD**
Before our entrees, we were given, at our round table, bread and plates of three types of sauce. Lemme just say this, the spicy mango sauce? Ummm...I'd like to take that intravenously: STAT! I say god d*mn, god d*mn!!
**ENTREES**
For entrees, I thought I'd go all Spain up in here, and order a couple of tapas instead of limiting myself to one entree (the entrees looked good, and I'm not good with deciding sometimes anyways).
I went with a CHICHARRÓN DE POLLO---this was decent. The chicken were chicken nugget-ish, but the peanut sauce and quinoa ascended them.
My choice for the night, MANGO VERDE Y LANGOSTINOS (ceviche). There are rare times when you have a flavor which makes you close your eyes and look skyward. I had a moment with this ceviche. Of course I'm all about fruitiness with entrees, so they had me with the "green mango and passion fruit with my prawns". But wow. This was some orgasmic food.
There was some mooching, and it was at my brothere's expense. My brother had a nicely marinated steak---he always manages to pick good steak wherever we go. I had a bite, and it was nice (a possible entree choice for next time).
**DESSERT**
After being surrounded by fellow patrons ordering desserts, we had to be all conformist...and well, conform. For the (6) of us, we ordered three desserts:
1) TORTA DE CHOCOLATE
You know if it was called torta, I was all over it!
2) MOUSSE DE VALLE Y SELVA
This is an eye-catching concoction, and was definitely my favorite.
3) AUTHENTIC PERUVIAN TRUFFLES
This was nice, dark, and tasty (how I like my women--I joke!).
**SERVICE**
Our server was very informative, not in-your-face, there whenever we needed her, and a excellent host for the evening.
**ATMOSPHERE**
It's very stylishly done in here--in spades. When you walk in, you know you are in for a posh trip to Peru. I was on a cloud as soon as I heard the bossa nova music playing from the band in the bar. There were just good vibes felt throughout.
This was a a little bit of a pricey endeavor, but it was WELL worth it. My tickets to Peru are on the way, and I'm ready for my next "novoandina" cuisine experience--pronto!
During a visit to Portland we ended up here for dinner and no one was disappointed. Everything was totally delicious, wonderfully presented, and mostly unlike anything we'd had anywhere else. The service was also spectacular. We felt very welcome and well taken care of. The only caveat is the price, but it was well worth it.
What a fun place! The services was very good, and fast. We were seated right away, even on a busy Friday night. My boyfriend and I had a lot of fun trying different tapas. They had small, medium & large plates, so we could try a little of everything - well, a little of several dishes, they had quite a large menu!
I'd like to tell you the names of the dishes we had, but I can't remember them. We had an avocado stuffed with crab, it was very good, probably my favorite. The Quinoa crusted shrimp was very good, and the sashimi style tuna was excellent, although they doused it with a little too much of their sauce, so if you get that, just wipe some off.
Andina is definitely worth checking out!
Calling all bride- and grooms-to be, business and event coordinators, Andina has an outstanding private dining and private party space. If would be a waste not to have a look.
We would highly recommend Andina for anyone hosting a private party. Their private dining room, Tupai, is sleek, modern and warm. The natural light and eucalyptus wood floors provided ample warmth throughout against the frosted glass and glossy white walls. The room lent itself well to live music, as we enjoyed the sample of Peruvian music during the event.
Besides location, do not underestimate Andina's servers and bartenders; they are the cream de la creme of service people. The food and drinks are fabulous. The food was amazing and will please lots of palates. We left wanting more. Completely, worth it.
I think I'm addicted to the sacsayhuaman! I can drink that yummy cocktail day and night. I wish I could have a sacsayhuaman IV line. Seriously, when I order it I call it the "sexy human" because I swear I have an outer body experience when I drink that spicy concoction! It's simply amazing. Promise.
The tapas items--all is fabulous. I especially love their ceviche, grilled asparagus, grilled octopus...the list goes on!
I think dining in the bar for tapas and drinks is truly perfection. However, having a full dinner there I haven't been too impressed. I think the tapas is in a league of it's own, but the dinner menu umm... a little expensive and not impressive.
Words cannot sum up my experience here...so all i'll say is: yummy!
when you go you must have the Mixta Nikkei Causa!
I need to go again and not just for the cheviche but for a meal. Everything looks delicious & the layout is so cool. I just wanted to hang out there all night.
Do not leave without trying the pisco drinks. I have never experienced something so wonderful.
What can I say, I AM A FAN! I've liked most of the plates this place has put out. My favorite: the scallops and the Mixta Nikkei Causa. The cocktails are very impressive! If you get there for happy hour, the cocktails are only $5 each.
My favorite cocktails: Tortuga, Granada de amor, Mojito de Pina, Atardecer Porteno (this drink is life changing!!!) Not only are these cocktails delicious, but they are beautifully presented as well!!!
SEXY..
SASSY..
ROMANTIC..
Makes me want to wear super high heels and do the Marinera Nortena! (Yes, I googled "Peruvian Dance." I was really thinking of The Salsa...umm, different region)
And the food is amazing! Yes, I know there are just as many reviews for Andina as Voodoo Doughnuts, but this is one of my favorite restaurants in Portland.
I took my best friend here for his birthday last year and he LOVED it as well.
Our server was amazing and so helpful. He assisted us in picking out some great choices... We wanted to sample a little bit of everything so we opted for medium/small plates of tapas (you get 2 pieces on each plate for the small size)
Yuca rellena - YUM. I will get this again next time. It's yuca stuffed with cheese, but the cheese wasn't too heavy.
Empanadas Caseras de Carnes - OMG SO GOOD!!! I thought raisins+slow cooked beef + olives would be a weird combo, but I'm glad I took our waiter's suggestion... It was my favorite!
Anticucho De Pulpo - Grilled octopus... It was OK. Kind of tough.
Del Pescado Ceviche - I know this is the traditional dish of Peru, but I didn't really like it... I couldn't taste anything other than vinegar. Maybe they should have brought this out first.
Ostras - Oysters. I LOVE oysters. I chose the west coast oysters (opposed to east coast). I asked the waiter what the difference was, and he didn't really know either. I chose west because I assumed it would be fresher.
It was good!
Paired good food with good wine. We also got the creme brulee trio on the house with birthday candles - that was really nice of them!
You'd think that you wouldn't get full from appetizers, but it was filling.
The place is huge with an upstairs/downstairs. The bar area is usually pretty loud with a band playing, but the dining area is quieter, yet still festive & comfortable - I love the ambiance here!
WOohoo for Andina!
Yum! Three little letters that say so much for this great spot.
Yum for the food always fresh and wonderful, Cheviche I can dream of right now (granted its like 106 outside and ice cold cheviche sounds like heaven to me right now) but even so their's is fantastic. Every item I have ordered on my at least 10 visits over the past few years has been just excellent.
Yum for the drinks, oh those drinks, pretty damn perfect cocktails, if I was going to be having a magarita it would be here, and an excellent wine list too.
Yum for the desserts, should you actually have room order your own, if you only have a little room share something but they are just as well done as the rest of the food.
and lastly Yum for the service and atmosphere. Authentic and gracious servers, who really care about you having a great experience.
Ok I think I just convinced myself, that I am not cooking tonight but going to try to get in to Andina....and that is my last word... Reservations are a good idea here.
Visited this place with family we are visiting in Portland. Definitely very good. The tapas we had were outstanding. My entree was very good but not excellent and that makes the difference between 4 and 5 stars. The tuna itself could have been better quality. That said, I'm spoiled in LA eating the best sashimi grade tuna almost every week. The service at Andina was excellent. Really, really great. Each server we spoke with was professional, knowledgeable, and friendly and they paid close attention to finished plates, timing of courses, water glasses, etc. Excellent service.
On to the food...I copied what we had from the online menu.
TABULE DE CEREALES ANDINOS quinoa salad served with queso fresco, avocados and olives - We got this for free. Another table didn't want it and server didn't want to waste it or something. It was excellent. Presentation was great, taste and texture were very very good.
EMPANADAS CASERAS DE CARNE flaky pastry filled with slow-cooked beef, raisins, and Botija olives - these were quite good. freshly prepared and tasty. the beef was seasoned just right and the empenadas were cooked perfectly. everyone enjoyed them.
Causa is a traditional preparation of freshly mashed potatoes, infused with key lime juice and pressed into a cake with assorted fillings. We had: Causa MIXTA NIKKEI spicy tuna, crab salad, and crispy shrimp - It was awesome. Served cold. So tasty and so unusual. Flavors were perfect. I cannot say enough good things about this dish. Never had it before So I have nothing to compare it to but it was GREAT.
Everyone else at the table had an Australian Ribeye special which they said was good. I didn't try it. Looked good although my wife's looked like it was cooked medium and she requested medium-well. Shoulda been less pink...
My entree was ATÚN CON TACU TACU Y AGUAYMANTO
seared yellowfin tuna sprinkled with black pepper and orange zest, served with lentil "tacu-tacu", orange-endive salsa criolla, and a cape gooseberry-ají Amarillo sauce. I really liked the lentil "tacu-tacu". Unusual and totally tasty. Orange endive salsa criolla criolla and the gooseberry sauce were excellent as well. The sauce was a really interesting choice for tuna because it was so heavy and sweet. it worked though. The tuna itself was meh. Seared nicely but I wish the quality of the tuna was higher. It was simply average. Big serving size was a plus. I would rather have had less but better tuna though. The tuna is the only reason Andina didn't get 5 stars from me.
I definitely recommend this place if you're in Portland. Unusual and delicious Peruvian cuisine in a warm yet upscale setting with fantastic service.
I have wanted to dine at Andina for awhile now. All I can say is that it is amazing! Possibly one of my best dining experiences in Portland! The food is absolutely amazing! Everyone should visit Andina, you will be in love too!
Was the best mean I had in Portland :)
*Worth the trip and would definitely come back
*Great fresh and sustainable food
*Excellent Wine List
*Good Ambiance, Elegant but not frou frou (wore a dress)
*Excellent and knowledgeable waitstaff
Highly recommend:
Crab w/ Avocado, Empanadas, Scallops w/ Quinoa, Lamb Shank
I love Andina. We usually sit in the bar area, as they have a FANTASTIC happy hour. The scallops were amazing, I loved the grilled asparagus, the skewers were superb, and the drinks are fantastic. It sounds odd, but the cucumber martini is great.
There is also a drink on their dessert menu... the Xocoatl (I probably misspelled it, but you get the idea and you'll recognize it when you see it on the menu...) We have gone to Andina after going somewhere else for dinner specifically for this drink... if you have ever had a Colombian hot chocolate, it is similar to that, but better due to the alcohol content!!! :)
5 stars... I wish there were more, because it doesn't take into account the service, the live music, or the atmosphere. The bar is cozy and inviting, and the downstairs area feels like an outdoor patio at night (kind of like an area of Epcot, oddly... ). Every experience is fantastic and I can't think of another restaurant that I would prefer to go to if given the chance.
Hands down the best drink I've ever had in my entire life.
YOU! YES YOU! If you live in the surrounding state, come over here and try this drink called the SACSAYHUAMÁN
What is this drink?
SACSAYHUAMÁN
habanero pepper infused vodka shaken with passion fruit puree and cane sugar, served up with a sugar rim and a cilantro leaf garnish
Do I need to say anything else? No, some come here and drink it!
The awesome mix of habanero fire with the oh so sweet passion fruit is the just pure ecstasy!
Best Peruvian food ever! The ambiance is warm and chic, but a little crowded. I would suggest no more than six people, if you want to go with others.
My boyfriend took me here for Valentine's Day. We had a delicious meal of steaks and all the side dishes on the menu, along with one too many sangrias. I think we dipped everything into the sauces and at times, begged withour puppy eyes for more. Hey, we were desperate for more of the phenomenal sauces.
Word from the wise, order the seafood dishes, stick with the meat dishes and you'll be in heaven. Also, the drinks and sauces are amazing, - I think I wrote this a couple of time. Do keep in mind that you can end up broke, but it will be worth every penny.
It's definitely on the top 5 restaurants in Portland.
The Sacsayhuaman: some heavenly creation of passionfruit juice and habanero-infused vodka was to die for.
We also sampled the cebiche, jamon serrano, cured tuna. (Yes yes, many of the ones we chose were more spanish and less peruvian, but it wasn't by design...)
If we'd had more room, I'm sure we could have easily plowed through the rest of the appetizers.
Appetizers? All they left me with was a desire to go back again and again and again...
I have been for apps and drinks several times and have had a wonderful experience each time. The service can get slow when it's really busy but overall it's a great place to go.
Andina is going to be the name of my first-born daughter. I'm dead serious. I came here for the first time with a close friend and the gloves were off when we walked in the door -- meaning, we did not hold ourselves back from trying all the tasty goodness that the extensive menu offered.
It took some time but eventually our waitress warmed up to us and offered some stellar suggestions on what kinds of wine we would most enjoy based off of the [somewhat stringent] criteria I provided her with. Well, she wound up hitting the nail on the head with two white wine varietals that were so refreshing + tasty. A definite MUST TRY on the menu are the Causas, which are essentially little stacks of mashed potatos stuffed with all sorts of goodies -- one was a purple [YES, purple!] potato stack stuffed with chicken, the other had different bits from the sea, like Ahi tuna and shrimp. They were plated so meticulously, you almost didn't want to eat them.
For my entree, I chose the Yellowtail -- and in a last minute spontaneously spontaneous decision, my date ordered the Duck. While my dish was good, his was far superior to mine in terms of overall taste and complexity. Whatever it was paired with -- we think it was some sort of risotto? -- was so flavourful, it made you want to cry.
We polished off the meal with a single delicious dulce de leche cookie + a glass of sweet Port. All in all, I'd say Andina was a wonderful experience which consisted of great company + conversation, delicious food, an attentive server, and great ambiance [which I am a complete sucker for]. Highly recommended for those of you seeking something a little different for an upper echelon Portland dining experience.
Never had Peruvian food before but Andina was my perfect initiation into this cuisine. Think spanish like dishes with a hint of mexican spice. the menu has several small and large plate options. The small plates can actually be upgraded to medium or large servings. Tried the braised scallops with fried onions (spectacular) and Golden fried chicken (Just ok). Colleague had the large plate steak option with rice and it was divine. Since I was here for biz, I didn't go wild like I normally would - but my experience was good overall. Will consider coming back the next time i'm in town.
Let me start this review by saying how jealous I am of the many people who had 4 and 5 star experiences. I wish I could have been one of them, but I'm stretching when I give Andina 3 stars. I've had Peruvian on many occasions (apparently a new thing for Portland).
Started great, the hostess was extremely sweet and accommodating so we were super excited to sit down and get to eating. Then it happened. A slightly rotund waiter approached our table with his nose pointed down and asked us what to we wanted to drink. Husband chose water (recovering hangover) and I went with the sangria. The sangria was great (A+), we also ordered:
EMPANADAS CASERAS DE CARNE: A
CHICHARRÓN DE POLLO: B+
MANGO VERDE Y LANGOSTINOS: A+++
Unfortunately the waiter's salty/rude/condescending attitude continued throughout the meal. Other tables had excellent service, and engaging waiters/waitresses so it may have just been our waiter.
For dessert we had Alfajores, which were awesome! A+
I would consider trying again, for the awesome ceviche whenever I return to town.
Few restaurants are worth 5 stars, in my opinion. Andina is. Having visited several times now, I'm impressed with the consistently outstanding quality of service and food. This place is always packed, yet the service/customer ratio is appropriate to permit exceptional and timely interaction. Drink orders are prompt (as are, usually, the drinks), servers are always pleasant, don't hurry you and and are happy to take the time to competently answer questions. While not all dishes would appeal to everyone, they are thoughtfully developed and competently prepared. I usually find myself ordering lamb, which is beautifully prepared and presented. What I enjoy most about Andina is that any time you look up all you see is a room packed with very happy people and extraordinarily competent and professional service. This place has not let success spoil it.
We came in to Andina with HIGH expectations, and it delivered. We started with mojitos then 4 smalls plates: Ono Ceviche (beautiful and fresh),Chicarones de Pollo (think the best damn chicken nuggets) Scallops (grilled to perfection) and Empanadas (perfect)
Then we had a bottle of wine recommend by the Manager (?) she broke the cork, no big deal she decanted it so problem solved. For the second round of small plates we had the Ancho Relleno (meh ...ok) steak skewers (disappointing, really TOUGH!) it wasn't as good as the first round but still great flavors.
Our server was knowledgeable and attentive, it was really good. The place was PACKED on a Monday night at 8:00, really? in this economy?!
We had a great dinner and would go again if we lived in Portland.
I think the place could be a lot better if they took out a table or two since the view from our table was ofter our servers ass resting on our table. It was expensive but it always is with small plates and drinks!
The 5th star was lost due to the "not perfect" second course, this is a place that has a reputation for perfection. Great but could have been a little bit better...
With a meal this good, I just list what we had. You decide. This was one of the best meals I had this year, so far. Started with a margarita that was as fresh and tart/sweet as any I have had. It was perfectly balanced, and I was ambivalent about which part of the sweet/salty combo I liked best.
We had a couple glasses of port during the finale that they comp'd us. We also had an amuse bouche at the beginning of the meal that was incredible, comp'd by the chef, but the two pitchers of house made Sangria firmly drove what it was, precisely, out of my head.
We did the tapas/apps only :
ENSALADA VERDE PERUANA fresh greens topped with hearts of palm and seasonal vegetables. This was generous, lively and fresh, and simply perfectly balanced with dressing and additions.
TORTILLA DE PATATA Y ALIOLI DE AJI AMARILLO Spanish-style potato fritatta with ají Amarillo aioli. This was so so, found it a bit heavy for the app portion, but it was delicious nonetheless.
The JAMÓN SERRANO plate of Serrano ham, aged 12 months (Casa Redondo Iglesias) was one of the finest cuts of ham I have ever had. Hands down. Why did I fail this night? This was some of the leftovers I staggered away from as we ambled back to our hotel. That... was a tragedy.
Being at a restaurant famous for Ceviche, we knew we had to wander there and shared the MANGO VERDE Y LANGOSTINOS green mango, passionfruit, and prawns which was delicious, if not too sweet for my tastes. While that combination was quite good, the TUNA NIKKEI tuna, ají Amarillo, soy, pickeld ginger, and Japanese cucumber was truly the best ceviche I have ever had (I used to run a lounge that served a couple, to boot.. and I have made them myself among having authentic and fine dining versions all over the place). The Tuna was ... surreal. The acids cooking it seared it perfectly, and it danced on my tongue.
We also had the PULPO A LA OLIVA tender octopus slices cupped in fresh endives with with Botija olive sauce. This was fantastic, and probably some of the fresher octopus I have had... where it was almost al dente, and gamey... rather than rubbery and tough. It was seasoned perfectly, but not enough to oust the flavours of the octopus. This was surprising to me, as I am not typically a fan.
For dessert, our server (engaged herself) could tell we are a young couple swooning in the midst of love... so beyond the aforemention port, she brought With a meal this good, I just list what we had. You decide. This was one of the best meals I had this year, so far. I started with a margarita that was as fresh and tart/sweet as any I have had. It was perfectly balanced, and I was ambivalent about which part of the sweet/salty combo I liked best.
We had a couple glasses of port during the finale that they comp'd us. We also had an amuse bouche at the beginning of the meal that was incredible that was comp'd, but the two pitchers of house made Sangria firmly drove what it was, precisely, out of my head.
We started with a couple miniplates:
ENSALADA VERDE PERUANA fresh greens topped with hearts of palm and seasonal vegetables. This was generous, lively and fresh, and simply perfectly balanced with dressing and additions.
TORTILLA DE PATATA Y ALIOLI DE AJI AMARILLO Spanish-style potato fritatta with ají Amarillo aioli. This was so so, found it a bit heavy for the app portion, but it was delicious nonetheless.
The JAMÓN SERRANO plate of Serrano ham, aged 12 months (Casa Redondo Iglesias) was one of the finest cuts of ham I have ever had. Hands down. Why did I fail this night? This was some of the leftovers I staggered away from as we ambled back to our hotel. That... was a tragedy.
Being at a restaurant famous for Ceviche, we knew we had to wander there and shared the MANGO VERDE Y LANGOSTINOS green mango, passionfruit, and prawns which was delicious, if not too sweet for my tastes. While that combination was quite good, the TUNA NIKKEI tuna, ají Amarillo, soy, pickeld ginger, and Japanese cucumber was truly the best ceviche I have ever had (I used to run a lounge that served a couple, to boot.. and I have made them myself among having authentic and fine dining versions all over the place). The Tuna was ... surreal. The acids cooking it seared it perfectly, and it danced on my tongue.
We also had the PULPO A LA OLIVA tender octopus slices cupped in fresh endives with with Botija olive sauce. This was fantastic, and probably some of the fresher octopus I have had... where it was almost al dente, and gamey... rather than rubbery and tough. It was seasoned perfectly, but not enough to oust the flavours of the octopus. This was surprising to me, as I am not typically a fan.
Albeit wantonly full, we couldn't pass up trying the authentic handmade truffles w/Peruvian flavors. We got the CUSCO - yellow hot pepper, spiced citrus peel & CAPULI - dark chocolate ganache infused with anise. The first blew my mind, the latter was a fine chocolate.
Neighborhood: Pearl District
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Northwest
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Pearl District
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Pearl District
Category: Restaurants
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