- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Aquariva
Categories: Restaurants Italian Event Planning & Services Venues & Event Spaces Italian, Venues & Event Spaces [Edit]
0470 SW Hamilton CtPortland, OR 97239
Neighborhoods: Southwest Portland, South Portland
(503) 802-5850
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 10:30 pm
Sat 3 pm - 10:30 pm
Sun 9:30 am - 10:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Valet
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Classy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Jana S. said: "Who's the biggest of 'em all in the Pac NW? The OCC, why of course!! Figured I oughta push this puppy out, as I was recently here end of last month to attend a justice conference, and was just scouting the coffee event next month…" read more »
61 reviews for Aquariva
Review Highlights
-
"Bloody mary bar is awesome." In 4 reviews -
"f) outdoor seating overlooking the river." In 27 reviews -
"and they do have a pretty delightful happy hour." In 11 reviews
Loading...
61 reviews in English
-
Review from Matthew N.
Portland, OR
4/30/2012
Like some others that have previously left reviews, my wife and I ate at this restaurant after purchasing a LivingSocial coupon for a stay at the Avalon Hotel and Spa with $50 vouchers for a meal and a pair of free drinks at the bar.
The setting and atmosphere were very pleasant. The food we ordered was quite tasty as well. Not "drop the plate and Yelp about it immediately" good, but still very enjoyable. I had the Crispy Skin Duck Breast and my wife had the Roast Alaskan Scallops. We topped things off with their Warm Apple Cake, Milk Jam, Candied Walnuts, Vanilla Bean Gelato.
I could see us coming here again if we were wanting to dine along the waterfront or come across another deal.
PS - Since they are affiliated with the hotel next door, a nice perk is being able to take your drinks with you to your room or ordering drinks/food through room service. -
Review from Valerie W.
Beaverton, OR
3/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Beautiful venue....we had our work party here and were very well taken care of. The staff was excellent.
Passed apps - the crab cakes were excellent. Perfectly crispy outsite and the seasoning/overall taste was on par.
As for the goat cheese tarts - these were OK. Nothing to write home about.
The dinner is the main reasoning for the 3 stars. We had passed salads to begin with. These were simple....good. The buffet was a bit disappointing. Both the beef and chicken were not great. The chicken was overly cooked and the beef lacked seasoning. The mashed potatoes were fine. The mushroom risoto lacked seasoning as well. The meal as a whole was OK, but was a bit surprised for the type of venue it is.
Once desert came around the chocolate mini cakes were dry and tasteless as well. I did enjoy the mini pecan pie.
I would possibly come back to give it another try but certainly is not high on my list right now. -
Review from Eva B.
Portland, OR
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
I really wanted to love the food here, but I didn't. It was just okay. My husband and I went for a work function of his a couple weeks ago. He had a shrimp pasta dish and I had a steak dish. Both were perfectly fine, but really not anything to write home and brag about. I will say, however, that the dessert which was some kind of apple & cherry crisp type thing with ice cream was phenomenal.
The service was fine. The staff was friendly enough. But the food wasn't anything special. I don't think we'll be going back. -
Review from Milos G.
Portland, OR
5/14/2012
We've given Aquariva two tries on a gift card I received. Won't bother ever trying again.
First visit was for Happy Hour in Fall 2011. Service was practically non-existent and the food was extremely bland and had no flavor whatsoever.
Fast forward to Feb 13, 2012. We decided to try a dinner seating with our remaining credit. The restaurant had 3 tables when we were seated. Service was once again slow to non-existent. The wine list was terrible and overpriced, with wines way too young to be consumed. I was amazed to even see a 2010 Bordeaux being poured in Feb 2012. My duck was cooked rare (requested medium rare) and served barely lukewarm. Evidently they expected me to use my salad/butter knife to cut it as I had to ASK for a proper knife. My wife's meal was very bland and served with black olives that were not listed on the menu ingredients. If you don't like olives, they destroy the entire flavor of the dish.
We were never checked up on the entire meal until it was far too late to salvage it. Again there were only 2 other tables in the whole place. After hearing our complaint the manager stopped by to try and fix the situation but after an hour of poor service and food, we just wanted to leave.
It's sad as I work only a block away and we frequently have business guests staying at the hotel across the street. But we now direct clients to other restaurants in the city as my coworkers also feel Aquariva has consistently poor service and lackluster food. Do yourself a favor and patronize one of the many better establishments in Portland. -
Review from Rochelle V.
Beaverton, OR
5/21/2012
Went here on Mother's Day 2012 and to also celebrate my mom's birthday. We were seated around 1pm at which time the place was pretty empty. While I sat and waited for the rest of my party I over herd two other tables where they had waited over two hours before being served their meals. This made me a little nervous so I asked to make sure they were running on time at this point in the day. The "Bloody Mary Bar" has apparently changed quiet a bit since first introduction, it is just juice and a couple of seasonings laid out AND if you want a shrimp skewer or bacon you have to walk over to the bar and ask for it like an inmate. I'd much rather have my drink well made and served to me than have to walk all over the place to make it myself. Our meals were served in a timely manner and I did enjoy my eggs Benedict. I would have liked the muffin a litter crispier but that is probably something I should have asked for specifically. It was a beautiful day but most of the outdoor seating went unused at this time since there was full sun and no shade. Probably don't use umbrellas so the view isn't blocked. I did mention it was my mom's birthday and no one offered anything special in the that regard. Overall it was okay but don't know that I'd go back any time soon. I guess if I happened to be staying at the hotel it would be convenient.
-
Review from Mitchell F.
Lynnwood, WA
12/3/2011
Attended this restaurant on a special with a coupon from LivingSocial while staying at the Avalon Hotel and Spa. By doing so, I had purchased a two night special entitling me to two $50 gift certificates totalling $100.
My girlfriend and I were celebrating our anniversary here and wanted something nice with a great atmosphere.
What sucked the most was they ran out of the rib eye speical. That was the downer!
So we ended up ordering the aged NY Steak, TWO of the gnocchi with lobster, an herbal salad, and the salted caramel dessert.
I also had a couple of drink tickets that were used wisely, however when they meant sweet drinks, there was really nothing sweet about them, despite being a martini
What really upset me was the fact that since I ordered another lobster gnocchi, they delayed the entres and i had to wait another 30 minutes for them. Though the overall quality of the food did made me forgget the extra long wait. -
Review from Laura C.
2/11/2012
Dinner club #6. Not only did our server find a way to fit 12 of us into the bar for our monthly dinner, she did it with a smile. She also let us use your Groupon for anything and she made helpful suggestions to save us money (like buying a bottle of wine versus multiple glasses). We used to go here back in the day, when the restaurant was called The Avalon. The only difference is that there isn't an upstairs bar. The view is still amazing. The happy hour food is still delicious. I got the smoked pork sandwich and fries with herbs and parmesan. The best wedding I've attended was in their upstairs banquet room. The outdoor seating area leaves nothing to be desired. Needless to say, I am a huge fan of this place and think the bartenders are the best!
-
Review from Kristen M.
Hillsboro, OR
7/17/2011 3 Check-ins Here
This review is for HH (which is daily from 3-630pm).
I came here with a couple buddies to enjoy HH near the Willamette River. Only to find out that the place only serves their HH on their front patio and you don't really get to be seated inside nor see a view of the river. (I'm not sure what they do if it rains, but I guess this is what they do during the summer).
We had wonderful service from our waiter. He was very helpful and attentive with our water and cocktails.
BUT, the food was a love-hate relationship. Some were great, some were not and some were just in-between. I guess it all depends on your taste buds. This is what my fellow grubbers and I had to feast upon:
THE GREAT: Meatballs (very meaty and came with a savory tomato sauce and garlic bread sticks!); Fried Arancini (delicious fried risotto balls! and I couldn't stop licking my plate clean with the sweet tomato sauce!)
THE SO-SO GREAT: Fries (even though it was drizzled in truffle oil, some were drizzled too much and others weren't at all, but nonetheless I am still a fan); Highland Oak Burger (delicious flavors, but I think it was too much to handle, everything fell out as I ate it); Polenta Fries (wasn't all too memorable, but wasn't dreadful either)
THE NOT-SO GREAT: Sauvie Island Green Salad (the flavor combo did not collaborate quite well); Clam Stew (I had sand while I was eating my food, I don't think they did a good job cleaning the seafood prior to cooking, just saying)
Overall, I felt that the restaurant has potential to grow, but the happy hour food fare was just mediocre in the end. I would like to try the place out for brunch. But probably not anytime soon. -
Review from Christine D.
Portland, OR
At the beginning of our experience at Aquariva, I was worried how my review would play out. I'm happy to say it had a happy ending.
We pull up to the restaurant which we discover is valet parking only (it's free) so that was ok. The attendant came up to us and asked if we were going to brunch we said yes but we weren't sure where to pull up. He said, yeah, it's not very clear. So, if I had to ask them for improvements I would say make it clear where to pull up for the valet. That minor thing conquered, we proceeded inside.
The hostess looked at us awkwardly for several moments as we looked at each other and then back at her before she utters, "What's up?" I'm thinking what kind of a greeting is that for what appears to be a really nice upscale place. I'm instantly put off. She seats us outside without a reservation on a Sunday morning which was excellent as I thought was a bonus as I imagine they are quite busy on Sundays.
She pointed to the table and said to us your server will be with you shortly and says to someone behind me you take that table. I don't see who it is but I'm confident someone will be over soon.
A bus boy brings us water. Which is nice as it comes in these great reusable glass water bottles. Let's just say we drank the entire thing and were ready to leave and still no server.
My guy asks a server passing by. Could you get someone to take our order and he was instantly ready. He said I can do that right now, what will you have.
He came back later and said it was his mistake that this table was assigned to him and he didn't realize, however, I think he was nice enough to cover for someone else's error.
When we ordered our cocktails, they have a bloody mary bar and a mimosa bar where they bring you the alcohol and you can add as little or as much stuff to your drink as you choose. P. J., that was the server's name, said in fact, because of your trouble this morning let me buy these drinks for you. That is a mark of a great server. He knows he has some ground to make up and he immediately does so.
P. J. leaves in time for the hostess to come out and seat two other people and say, Casey, that blonde girl over there will come by and help you with your drink order. Casey, apparently overheard this and came up to the folks and said, hi I'm Casey, the blonde girl. Let me just say whoever this hostess was yesterday, she needs to go. She is apparently too young for this position and cannot understand how off putting and borderline rude she comes across.
P. J., then comes by with our meals. They were fantastic, I had an omelet with mushrooms and cheese it was excellent. It came with home fries and I ordered an English muffin. The bread at this place looks home baked and tastes wonderful.
My guy ordered one more bloody mary and I must say they give a healthy pour there. So much so I ended up driving home (haha)
One final thing, I had a http://restaurant.com coupon which I forgot to present at the beginning of the meal. P. J. was again perfectly fine with that and took it off our bill. We ended up with a nice meal and a nice experience thanks to P. J.'s can do attitude.
I'll definitely be back again but lose the valley girl at the front desk.Listed in: Top Restaurants
-
Review from Sam O.
Portland, OR
1/28/2012
How can I sum up how disappointing this place is... Starting with the good, the place looks pretty cool, has a nice location on the river. The app was really small, but good. The food in general was pretty good...what I'd expect for the price. So that will earn 3-4 stars from me normally.
But the service was horrible. some of the worst I've had in Portland. Our server was very late, but apologized, fine. No biggie. Would disappear for awhile, then come back after a nice break. We'd ask for something, then ask again, and ended up having to ask the busser/assistant for it. For a small example, our little bit of extra side bread came after our dessert. I don't want to eat garlicky bread with dessert, sorry.
OK, bad service happens, the food was pretty good, I can live with it, EXCEPT, there was included gratuity!!! for a table of 4!!! It's like giving them a reason to give crappy service.
Absolutely will not be back. They get 2 stars only because the food was pretty good. -
Review from Mike K.
7/25/2011
Aquariva, home of:
a) free valet parking, which is your only parking option if you're driving.
b) an interesting hostess who looked us up and down like we were transients before asking us the age-old philosophers' query, "What's up?".
c) a tasty Sunday brunch menu.
d) a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar where they supply the vodka and ice, you decide what other stuff to put in it, and they have lots of ingredients available...quite possibly the greatest idea ever conceived.
e) a generous pour of the above-mentioned vodka for the Bloody bar.
f) outdoor seating overlooking the river...very nice.
And most importantly,
g) PJ, the greatest server of all time, who saw our hunger/thirst/general crabbiness and immediately went the extra mile to correct all three. Thanks PJ!!! -
Review from Well-Traveled I.
Sherwood, OR
8/21/2011
Goal was to try the brunch (complete with mimosa and Bloody Mary bar). They had a book signing and LUPEC (Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails) meeting, which my friend, who works PT as a bartender wanted to attend.
Never had a Bloody Mary and never been to Aquariva (although it's on one of my many running paths), I thought, why not? Kill two birds with one stone. I heard many good things about Aquariva, so...
First things first. Free valet parking. It it confusing and since the restaurant has a circular "driveway," drive slowly and wait for one of the men from the adjacent hotel to grab your keys and car.
Once inside, the space and the view of the Willamette are worth the trek inside. But, unfortunately, that's where it ends.
Hostess was very attentive and then we were seated. I'm not going to count my Bloody Mary into the review, since I mixed it myself and didn't care for it - as I'm no mixologist by any means.
OK, the food and service.
Waitress brought us the glass bottle of water and served us both. She said raisin bread would be on its way...
We waited.
And waited.
Raisin bread finally appeared. It was a nice light treat.
Waited again for our brunch. We both ordered the crab, asparagus, and herb scramble. While some other tables were served (with more people, no less), we continued to wait.
Once our scrambles arrived, it was clear these were from an Egg Beaters-type mix, so not as if the wait was due to some hand-scrambling on their part. It was OK; home fries were perfectly cooked but a little greasy, which is how I like them but friend didn't. Come to think of it, I don't remember there even being asparagus in the scramble...
Was it worth $13 for the scramble? Absolutely not.
What made this worse was the wait for our brunch. It simply took too long. Waiting more than 30 minutes was absurd. I consider myself a very patient person, but waiting that long for eggs is not something I'd do again. -
Review from Lindsay W.
Portland, OR
7/20/2011
I went to Aquariva twice in the last week because my parents were in town and stayed at the Avalon Hotel next door (which they really liked - their room had a balcony and a great view of the river). We first went there for lunch, which was surprisingly reasonably priced. The lunch menu is somewhat limited - mostly sandwiches and salads - but has a great option of getting half a sandwich for about half the price. All three of us got half sandwiches and were very full afterward. They come with a choice of side (the fries are really good) and the portion is large.
We came back the next day because we'd been sightseeing all day and wanted to go someplace quiet for dinner. It was a lovely evening and we were seated at a patio table with a gorgeous view of the river. Even the cottonwood drifting through the air (and into my dad's coffee) was pretty. The food was fantastic and there were plenty of vegetarian options for my boyfriend and me, while my mom got the salmon she was craving. For an appetizer I'd recommend the fried vegetables with basil aioli - it was big enough for four and the aioli was amazing! The soup of the day was almond onion, and it was creamy and delicious. The gnocchi, salad, and desserts were all tasty and high quality. The prices aren't too high, and the food is well worth the cost.
The ambiance, food, and service at Aquariva were perfect both times I dined there. I couldn't have asked for a better dinner experience to end my parents' visit. -
Review from Satto N.
Portland, OR
8/26/2011 1 photo
We had Sunday Brunch at Aquariva in April. It was for our anniversary. We wanted to celebrate with our family members, and at Aquariva, the private dining room was available at no extra charge. The food was great, the build-your-own Mimosa Bar was fun, the service was good, and we really had a nice, memorable brunch party.
We also went back for a dinner recently, and I really like the fact that they offer an option of half-size entrée. The appetizer (frito vegetables) I ordered was a bit too greasy, but the Tagliatelle Nero (handmade thin pasta with squid ink--half size) was perfect for me. -
Review from Joel N.
Portland, OR
4/6/2011
I went here recently and was thoroughly underwhelmed. The service was chipper (which is fine) and invasive (which is not).
I asked for my drink on the rocks instead of up and out came a glass stuffed to the hilt with ice and a tiny amount of booze at the bottom. I had to remove ice to be able to drink it without the overflowing ice spilling out. On the rocks does not mean buried beneath a pile of rubble.
The steak I got was a bit fatty. I ordered it medium (I prefer med-rare) because I was beginning to suspect it was the type of place which sells style and not food but I should have cranked it up to med-well.
Afterward, I had to go inside the hotel next door to find the valet who went through the process of moving my car just to go through the act of moving it, even though the place he moved it to was farther from where we were standing.
Chain restaurant quality service + so so food make this place entirely skip-able, particularly at their prices.
I would not recommend going here, there are too many other good options in this city that don't charge as much. There was nothing offensive and for that reason only, I gave them a second star. That hardly seems like a good reason though. Maybe I'm getting soft. -
Review from Dian K.
5/16/2011
We went for Sunday brunch since they take reservation and even if they don't, you won't have to wait for a table.
Bloody mary bar is awesome. For $4 (or $8 for premium vodka), you get a salted-rim pint glass of ice and a shot (or 2) of vodka. The rest is up to you! They have two types of tomato juice (hot and not) and a table spread full of goodies to put in your drink. Freshly shaved horse radish, BACON, shrimp skewer, pickled asparagus and the list goes on. The mimosa is also a good deal at $3 and usually a choice of 5 different fresh juices, mango is my favorite.
I would've given it 5 stars if it's only based on these drinks.
Then comes the food. It was a disappointment no matter how you cut it. I tried the benedict, where the "english muffin" is not the typical english muffin, and this one is hard and chewy. The egg was perfectly cooked, which was the only redeeming quality of the benedict. The crab omelet was bland/under-seasoned. The house fries was slightly burnt and the polenta was also bland. The rest of the table thought the same way, so it's not just 1 or 2 bad dishes. So 1 star for food.
The location, on the other hand, is very nice. It's right on the water and the patio is nice on a sunny day. It is somewhat complicated to get to though, so research before you go, even GPSs gets confused.
You have to valet your car when you get there. I'm never a fan of valet parking, the fact that theirs is free helps.
I think this place would be great for grabbing some drinks but not really for eating. I might try dinner since I've seen some good reviews for dinner. -
Review from Alexa H.
Portland, OR
6/4/2011
Went to Aquariva two nights in a row. Friday night met some girlfriends there and had a fabulous time with appetizers and drinks; a few dinners. Great food and friendly service.
Returned again and had the full meal (small plates - salad and entree). I had the chopped salad and seared scallops. Both were excellent! I highly recommend the fresh oysters, if available, scallops with cauliflower puree, and rhubarb tart.
Service is a tad slow at times, but the food more than makes up for the inconvenience. Valet parking seems unnecessary. Still a five star, underrated restaurant - best in town! -
Review from Traci M.
Medford, OR
3/20/2012
The bloody mary bar rocks! The brunch - not so much! We stayed at the Avalon and figured brunch next door would be perfect. Eggs and french toast, simply are eggs and french toast. It's difficult to mess that up. Aquariva found a way. Until Sunday, I never met a mushroom I did not like. I ordered the egg white mushroom frittata. It arrives lacking any favorable flavor and full of oil. The waiter mentioned they try to make everything as healthy as possible. If that's the case, I suggest using the whole egg and not using so much oil. I'm not sure what they did to my Mom's french toast. Again, it's french toast. It's not rocket science. Based on the flavorless (and rather oily) brunch selections, I would not go there for any type of meal. I prefer not to rate restaurants I don't enjoy, but this was too much to not review. There are so many great places to eat in Portland -- this just isn't one of them.
-
Review from sa k.
Las Vegas, NV
11/16/2011
Hmm... just had a dinner here last night. Nice ambience and great service. Price is decent but the portion here is very small and they didn't bring us the bread basket so after $100, we were still somewhat hungry. We ordered chard octopus and beans, alaskan scallop and pork chop. Octopus and beans dish was the best of three - scallops were tender and sweet, and pork chop was a bit fatty but still great.
-
Review from Andrew C.
I think I've got a new favorite restaurant.
Yeah, totally sure about that.
And I didn't even get to see the river because it was too dark. So I guess that will be like... the sixth star whenever I can come back in the daylight hours.
Aquariva is pretty much impossible to miss as it and a hotel are the only thing at the dead end of SW Hamilton Court. There is no self parking, which is a little strange but makes sense considering the amount of room they have. Thankfully, the hotel next door offers free valet parking (outside of any tip you want to give up) for people going to the restaurant. It's kind of a nice touch considering the place is a classier joint and the cost of valet is free.ninetynine.
The space is gorgeous, elegant and modern with plenty of windows throughout, high ceilings and careful attention to the interior design. The staff is professional without being stuffy and the bus boys know the menu well enough to make some suggestions as well, in a more relaxed kind of conversation than you get with your server.
We started with two glasses of wine. A Love and Squalor Riesling and a Domino IV "Spellbound" Shiraz. I believe they were priced $9 and $11 respectively, per glass. The Shiraz reminded me of a drier version of my favorite wine (Boarding Pass). Both were fantastic and quickly noted in phones for bottle searches later on.
The bus boy told us his favorite dish was the scallops (Alaskan Scallops, Cauliflower, American Caviar, Cauliflower Puree, Caper Relish) which were available in a small plate ($11) if we had our eye on entrees. So we ordered up a small plate and they were incredible. Really flavorful, not over salted. I don't think I'd order a full plate of them just because I'd still be hungry afterward but they were a great starter.
Entrees came out after a little bit of a wait which included the Pan Roasted Duck Breast with brussels sprouts, puréed pumpkin and chunks of bacon ($20) and the Anderson Ranch Lamb Sirloin, Pan Fried Rillet, Walla Walla Onions, Turnips, Potato Purée. ($22)
Good God. Those two dishes were some of the most incredible food I've eaten in awhile. I only had a few bites of the duck plate but it was definitely flavorful. My lamb dish was -perfectly- cooked at a medium rare with a pink center and was definitely a melt-in-the-mouth cut of meat. Nothing on the plate was too salty or overdone. All perfect.
From my perspective, there was absolutely nothing wrong with that meal from start to finish.
Two glasses of wine, one small plate starter and two entrees came out to $70 even. Hardly a high price for the atmosphere and how much quality food was involved.
As for a dress code, they're pretty casual about it. With the hotel next door they have to assume guests are coming over in more casual clothes than might be expected in a restaurant like this. You could totally get away with jeans and t-shirt in here, but why would you want to? Class it up a bit to meet the restaurant halfway. Turn it into a date night with cocktails afterward somewhere else. You really can't go wrong.
Dinner at Aquariva was fantastic from start to finish. I can't wait to get back to town to come back.Listed in: The Best of The Best (Over 5…, Italy in Portland
-
Review from Michelle H.
Portland, OR
10/30/2010 1 Check-in Here
Class it up. Just do it. It feels good. You could get away with a flannel (we saw it!), but why? Why not dress the part?
It felt dead when we walked in for our reservation (thanks OpenTable via the Yelp page). We eyed each other nervously, wondering what we got ourselves into. Sighs of relief abound when we were taken to the back where the rest of the diners were. I almost slipped on the hardwood floor via heels. Classy.
Such a great menu. Italian inspired is about as far as I go for this "Italian" restaurant, even though I wouldn't even bother with the title at all. Hello super marked up glasses of wine, but whatever, they tasted great. It went with the mood, the food, and I was a better woman for it. I picked it by its name (Love & Squalor) since I couldn't see the label. Every entree looked amazing--again with the fresh, rotating stuff. We decided to party with a small plate + two entrees, and there was definitely a lot of sharing going on.
My caviar cherry has been popped. I'm in love. It sat gloriously atop some fresh scallops in a sea of cauliflower.
The duck was tender, oh-so-tender. It was a great cut of meat, sliced delicately and oozing with juice. Keep in mind they like their meats on the rare side of medium. It reminded me a lot of the consistency of seared Ahi (which I love), so it was perfect. The duck was perched on some pureed pumpkin and bacon and some of the best damn brussels sprouts I've ever had the pleasure of putting in my mouth. I'm hit or miss with those things, but when they hit, they're so good.
I was almost jealous I didn't get the lamb, though. Almost.
Ridiculously satiated with a heavenly food coma. This coma didn't hurt so much as it felt like bliss.
Worth the $70 price tag? Abso-friggan-lutely. You can always go the http://Restaurant.com route, too. -
Review from Kelly T.
Phoenix, AZ
5/14/2011
I had a nice meal here (stayed next door at the Avalon for business), but I most appreciated the bar staff. We had an awesome bartender one night. He made me a fresh squeezed grapefruit martini which resulted in me having one too many! They were so good! He was even good enough to give me a glass of the fresh squeezed juice covered tightly in saran wrap to have the next morning in my hotel (somehow he knew I would need a pick up!). His name was something like Sean or some four letter word starting with S; I remember an unusual spelling. And, no pun intended.
I don't remember the meal much, but I know I started off with either a frito misto or tempura with a fun aioli. I thought it was a bit greasy, but remember thinking the rest of the food was good (but not amazing). Oh, now I remember. I had the scallops on the cauliflower puree. Good, but one of my scallops was gritty which is a shame when you only got 3 (if I remember correctly) and that felt a bit small for an entree. Other than that, that dish was good. -
Review from Clare S.
Portland, OR
Updated - 9/23/2010
Having my wedding reception at Aquariva was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The decision was based on the fact that they did absolutely everything for you. I was tired of looking at venues where you had to bring in an outside caterer (from their select list of course) or you had to bring in your own rentals, and then worry about permits on top of that. At Aquariva, we didn't have to do anything other then show up. They did all of our catering, supplied all the rentals, and even ordered the dance floor for us!
Leslie and Courtney planned out absolutely everything for us to make for a spectacular day for us. They were happy to answer any and all questions that I might have. The catering staff was professional and fun for the big day and the food was perfect. We had a cocktail style wedding and everyone that we talked to LOVED the food selections.
The venue is perfectly placed in South Waterfront along the river and has indoor and outdoor areas for your event. We were thrilled at all of the amazing photo ops there are in and around the space.
I would recommend Aquariva for anyone special event. They took care of us and gave us the ability to relax on our big day and not worry about anything falling through the cracks.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
1/27/2009
I will be honest and say that I work near Aquariva, and if you know the area, you know that they are… Read more »
-
-
Review from Haley C.
11/21/2007 1 photo
Since I live in this part of town anyway, I find myself trying to explore any and every restaurant in this general area. That being said, Aquariva is the only restaurant of its kind in John's Landing.
I did a review a little while back about Spa Chakra which is located in the Avalon Hotel. Aquariva is the third portion and is the restaurant that completes what I like to refer to as "The Holy Trinity".. Bible-thumpers - sorry about the reference, I assure you that although I'm not catholic, I'll start saying Hail Marys now and won't stop until my next review.
So, Aquariva has a tapas style menu which usually means a small amount of food for a large price tag. I was pleasantly surprised to find the prices to be relatively reasonable for the portion sizes; they range anywhere from about $8-$15 per plate. Portions and prices aside though - WOW. The food = amazing.
I got a chance to chat up the waitress who told me that Aquariva buys their ingredients from local farmers which is why the menus change on a seasonal basis. All of the food is fresh, not frozen and is local - now THAT I dig. The drinks could be made better but if you're into wine, this is the place. They have more wines by the glass than I've seen in any regular restaurant in Portland (wine bars aside).
Of course it doesn't hurt that they're right on the river (literally the side of the restaurant is made of windows and overlooks the Willamette River in SW Portland) so the views are conducive to a great experience even if the food wasn't as good as it is.
BTW, free valet parking kicks butt for this place too. Did I mention how much I hate paying for parking or trying to parallel park?
All in all, great food, great wine selection, amazing atmosphere and ambiance, mediocre martinis, stress-free parking = good times. -
Review from Jeff H.
1/28/2008
They lost a star. It fell from the sky last week. Too bad for them that I didn't write the review before my last visit.
Don't get me wrong, I'll be back. But my visit to Aquariva last week took a little sparkle out of the shine.
I have dined there 4 times now. First time was by myself at the bar, second time was a party of 4 in the dining area, third was 3 people at a table in the bar area, and this time at the bar by myself.
Lovely place with trendy decor, cool music, and one of the best restaurant views around. The bar crowd is lively for happy hour and dies off quickly after 7:15 as the locals who stopped in for a drink, a bite, a flirt, and maybe a nibble head on home. Good crowd with some people out having fun, nicely dressed, and enjoying the evening.
After the crowds leave (they stay later in warmer weather) there are a few folks still at the bar (most likely staying at the associated Avalon hotel) or the couples and groups in the dining rooms.
In warm weather the crowd stays longer, people sit outside and dine, and there is activity on the footpath between the restaurant and the rive to keep you entertained. Great location for the views, but a bit away from downtown. It is associated with the Avalon Hotel and Spa next door and I think handle the room service food there.
The restaurant dinner menu is double sided - one side are dishes that pair well with red wines, the other side for white wine. Interesting idea, but you will find yourself flipping back and forth between the sides. Both sides of the menu have a nice selection of appetizers, salads and soups, firsts, pasta, and seconds (the larger dishes).
The bar menu pretty much has the soups/salads and appetizers. But you can order off the dinner menu in the bar too. I haven't made it for Happy Hour special yet (always get there just a bit too late) but I think they have special drink prices and free antipasta.
Wine list is very good. Not too long, good variety of interesting and non-standard choices, and reasonable prices.
I really enjoy the place. Food is very good, some standard dishes and some imaginative items.
So why did they lose a star? Service on my last visit was poor. I'm sitting at the bar where a total of 4 people were. There were three people behind the bar and yet I almost had to lasso one of them to order anything.
This time I ordered (when I was able to order) the Kumomoto oysters and the grilled pizzetta. The oysters were disappointing and came with out lemon. The chile agridolce that comes with it was good, but not spectacular. No bread was offered, had to ask - twice. And they keep it right behind the bar, so it wasn't like they had to trek to the kitchen. The pizzetta was good - had it before and it was as good the second time.
The Manhattan I had when I first got there was fine - but he shook it. What high end place shakes a Manhattan? Hey bartender, you STIR the drink. So it was a little watery for my taste. Had a beer with my food, can't mess that up. Then I ordered a Basil Hayden straight up to sip and take back to my room - it was very generous pour which is what kept them from dropping to three stars.
So I will go back, but it will take a lot to earn back that fallen star.Listed in: On the road in the City of…
-
Review from Elijah C.
Portland, OR
8/6/2010
I've eaten here twice. Once with family and once with a large group from work. Both times, it was a pretty great experience.
The space itself and the views are really lovely. The river view is really nice. I've had friendly and accommodating waitstaff both times I was there.
I've had both the polenta fries and the regular french fries at Aquariva. The polenta fries are very nice and spicy, but the french fries aren't anything out of this world (you also have to request them specially if you're not seated at the bar).
Both times, I ordered the wagyu beef. It (like a lot of main courses) is available as a small plate. The small plates are a great and very affordable option for people (like me) who don't tend to eat a whole lot. Be aware that, in general, portion sizes very a lot though. If you order the chicken, you'll be staring down an entire bird, but if you order the gnocchi entree, you'll only have a few pieces of pasta on your plate.
Aquariva is a great place if you want a nice south waterfront view. It's definitely possible to get a cheap meal there and still feel like you're somewhere swanky and expensive. -
Review from Lily J.
3/25/2010 1 Check-in Here
3.5
Great Venue with a great View!
Location-wise, it is off the beaten path but worth the trip.
I came for a networking event, I had some wine as well as their happy hour.
Their Happy Hour menu was VERY limited. It was inexpensive but portions are pretty small even for the price. I had the Meat ball which was only one and tated eh... the Pork sliders which were good but you only get one slider cut into 2 peaces.... and the fries were golden brown, crispy and yummy!
This place a lot of potential and would be great if they expand their Happy Hour (drinks/food)... that may draw people here since it is out of the way. -
Review from jennifer l.
Portland, OR
1/29/2012
This is like a restaurant I would expect to see on Kitchen Nightmares. I had a 7pm reservation and I don't mind waiting a few minutes for a table, but over a half hour is ridiculous. Especially when there were open tables and when we were finally seated it wasn't because we had to wait for customers to leave. After standing there for several minutes we sat at the end of the bar and had a drink while waiting to be seated. We were actually right next to the hostess station, so we got to watch as another couple that came in long after us with 730pm reservations get seated first.
This was some of the worst service I've ever received. I'm not used to 2 hours for dinner (that was after I was seated). This place tries to present itself as more upscale and although the decor is nice, this is the worst service I have ever had for food that costs even this much. Name your restaurant and it's going to be better. We wouldn't even see out server for easily 20 minutes at a stretch, even after she'd taken my credit card for payment. When we were given the menus we were told they were out of one of the dishes (later found out that absolutely was not true). It was actually the item I had wanted and was very disappointed (I had looked at the menu online previously). I was surprised that she didn't tell us about any specials. It's typical for an upscale restaurant with a limited menu to have daily specials. Came to find out that there were 3, 2 of which I would have preferred over what I did order.
Now on to the awful food. We had to ask for bread and when it came it was served with bland "lemon" oil and flavorless white bean spread. We asked for butter and was told that there was no butter in the kitchen (also not true). My companion had to ask for salt instead. The quality of the bread was not consistent. The first batch wasn't bad, but the next was cold and soggy - clearly it had been sitting around for a while. We ordered the apple/pear/blue cheese salad to share. It wasn't presented very nice and was bland. Hardly any blue cheese to give it any flavor. My companion was a vegetarian and there was only one menu item without meat. That was not of interest and typically a server would go back to the kitchen and ask what they could come up with. She did nothing and when asked if they could make totellini with a tomato based sauce she was confounded. She kept saying everything is made to order and that was why they couldn't do it (when it's made to order you can do anything). They make a sauce like that for another dish, but typically add meat to it. She didn't get it, but fortunately the chef did and was able to make a decent pasta dish. I had the bland pork chop that sat atop really soggy vegetables. I only had like 3 bites and it was a really fatty cut of meat.
Cannot recommed eating here.
Bartender made really stiff drinks, which is nice considering the prices. Maybe they figure if you drink enough you won't notice how bad the food is. -
Review from Sabrina S.
Portland, OR
1/28/2008
A restaurant in a very pretty package. Modern, hip and elegant. The location is superb- overlooking the river in John's Landing. They offer valet parking- and also, after 5pm- there is parking available in a lot nearby- a very nice feature. The bar is located at the entrance and has a very romantic setup. As you walk past the bar...you'll find yourself entering the dining area which is very open and airy with tables overlooking the river or you can choose a booth away from the windows.
They offer small plates- but recommend that you order at least three per person. Something that we were not aware of. Two plates sufficed for me since they were average sized and I'm not a big eater in one sitting. The food was great. Unfortunately, our service was kind of slow the night that we went. My date and I spent two hours in the restaurant- a bit longer than we wanted to spend at dinner- but that was alright since it was the first time we've both tried the restaurant and didn't know what to expect.
The restaurant, in my opinion, seems like a great place to bring a group of friends for great conversation and dining. Also a great place for a business lunch or dinner. -
Review from Michael W.
New York, NY
9/8/2008
Stayed at the hotel next door, so I decided to give this place a try for dinner one night. It's situated right next to the lake so its a great place to sit on the patio and enjoy the scenery. As far as the food goes, its all in small platters, allowing you to try multiple things.
I decided to have the calamari, which I thought was ok, but the taste could be improved a little. It was mostly onions with a hint of calamari and the sauce provided was similar to vinegar. After that I had the potatoes which were alright. The savior was the steak sliced into thin pieces topped off with some fresh greens.
It's a decent place to go to for the scenery, but to be honest, I've had better. -
Review from Peter T.
4/12/2010 1 photo
Mrs. BDB wanted to go out for drinks tonight, OK, she wants to every night, but I usually manage to keep her corralled. It was one of those few balmy Spring days that we have in Portland (well, balmy compared to Frostbite Falls, Minnesota.)
So we racked my brain to think of a place we could sit outside, have a few drinks, maybe some appys, and enjoy the "Spring-like" weather.
We chose Aquariva, adjacent to the Avalon Hotel and Spa, overlooking the river. (No, I don't know what river, some big ass river that runs through Portland!).
Although it isn't really all that far from our house, we punched the address in the Tom Tom to have it tell us there was no such street. (I know note, looking at their website, they have a box at the bottom of the page, that suggests an alternate address for GPS users!)
We managed to find it, and pulled up to the free valet parking in front of the hotel, and walked into a totally deserted restaurant (it was 4:30 though, happy hour begins for us whenever we say it does!)
We opted to sit outside and watch the boats on the river. A guy came out and fiddle with one of those 'heater lamps' next to our table, and it ran for maybe 15 minutes before giving up the ghost, so he got the adjacent one going and we moved to the next table.
A server promptly appeared and offered us the happy hour menu, which had a couple dozen small plates and special cocktails. Mrs BDB chose a lemon drop, and I went with a lite beer, and we started our grazing with a half dozen oysters, and tempura vegetables with a truffle aioli.
There was a slight mix up in communications in the back of the house, our server came and told us - the kitchen hadn't picked up on the order, so they were comping us our first round of drinks. This wasn't necessarily, but it was a really nice gesture.
After the oysters and vegetables, we ordered another plate - mussels in a nice broth, and then moved on to deep fried risotto cheese balls. Mrs. BDB had another cocktail, and I had a coffee.
This food was really, really good, and service was attentive without being overbearing. -
Review from Marie B.
3/8/2010
Aquariva deserves a 3.5 stars. I wanted to like it more, because the venue itself is chic (albeit a lil poorly lit), and our server was excellent, but it just fell short. Good food, but something was off.
My companion ordered two small plates for her meal. The sweet braised pork cheek was SALTY!! We both took one bite, and she had to send it back. The beets were decent...but not super dynamic. Well cooked, and the mint and ricotta was a nice twist (a break from the usual pungent goat cheese). The pappardelle with bolognese sauce (companion's replacement dish) was lovely. Light and not extremely creamy. Nice that they offer half orders. Lasagna with short rib, and oxtail was delish! I'm soooo glad I ordered it! I mean what's not to love? Pasta and marinara--gooood! Short rib and oxtail--double gooood! I think there was vegetables, something green, but the meat was so succulent and tasty, it MADE the dish!
Our server was excellent; he gave us great suggestions, complimented us on our drink orders, super attentive, took a kick ass photo of me and my companion (will likely post on Yelp),and best of all, gave us a bunch of various nightlife suggestions.
Despite all the positives, still the venue and the food (minus my lasagna) were a bit off...not quite San Francisco, perhaps.Listed in: Vacay Musts
-
Review from Juli L.
Troutdale, OR
9/11/2011
The location is fantastic. The pastry chef must be new because they are Divine!! Scrumptious. Worth waiting for. Worth having dessert first!
-
Review from San J.
Los Gatos, CA
1/29/2008
This restaurant rocks. The bar serves great drinks and has friendly staff that isn't intrusive. The dinner menu is considered small plates, but frankly the serving sizes were perfectly normal unless you're from Texas. I had a warm green bean salad w/ parmesian and a fried egg on top which was delicious, and an entree of cod w/ crispy skin. Absolutely delicious and perfectly cooked. my friend had an entree of lamb shank which was really good. The service was great, friendly and sincere, and best of all the meal didn't break the bank.
i'm moving up to Portland and consider myself lucky to have this restaurant to take friends and family coming to visit to. -
Review from Andrea M.
Portland, OR
8/3/2011
Disappointing happy hour. With so much wonderful food in Portland I had high hopes that were dashed by the watery special cocktail and overly fried and greasy vegetables. For the price it was no where near the quality it should be. I was slightly embarrassed to have suggested it and will not be returning. If you are searching for a nice happy hour with river ambiance I would suggest looking elsewhere.
-
Review from Kelly L.
Lake Oswego, OR
5/18/2010
Great happy hour with a VIEW!
The sun was shining, and the waterfront was calling for us, but we didn't want to drive back to downtown....... So, thanks to YELP..this place fit our needs for HAPPY HOUR!
Food was great, upscale happy hour food, yet very affordable. Beverages such as wine, beer and cocktails were also offered and completed a perfect outing. We also had great service, and really loved sitting outside watching the boats cruise by.
Highly recommend for HH!! -
Review from William A.
Healdsburg, CA
3/9/2009
Sorry, maybe I was having a bad night, or maybe I just expect more from Portland, but this place doesn't cut it.
It has lots of potential, but fails to excel in anything. Its very shiny, but a glass bauble, a faux gem, not a true diamond.
It's modern flair would have been better at 1/3 the size...it looks like a place that wants to be intimate and hip, but is spread across something more the size and layout of a giant club.
Dinner was so so, the server was cheesy/tad sleazy, which eventually was the overall vibe I came away with. Meal and wine list was nothing noteworthy.
Good for happy hour, perhaps. There aren't many places in this part of the river front, and the massive venue makes this place look bad even with a fair # of people. Someone told me this spot has already killed a few restaurants....seems like this one is next. Pack it up and move it to Vegas, would fit in better. -
Review from Drew J.
Portland, OR
6/2/2010
was looking for someplace new to try and settled here for dinner, the fact we had a gift card weighed in on the decision.
Overall impression of aquariva is that this place very much wants to play with the cool kids but it is just can't quite pull it off almost like a Rolland Miller - Can't Buy Me Love plot.
We had some cocktails which were quite tasty, nothing really groundbreaking though, but nothing to complain about, the ginger infused vodka was most satisfying in fact.
Then the food started to arrive:
red-hawk cheese with tangerine marmalade and crositini
mixed green and salumi salad
fava-bean tortellini with crab and morels
pork osso-buco with pasole and corona beans
dessert:
gelato and a strawberry rhubarb tart a la mode
Everthing about the place came up one step short, the menu seems good, but everything is blown by missing one key element of quality ingredients or execution.
The crostini accompanying the cheese was bad and the cheese too cold, the salad was way overdressed, the pasta was positively drenched in butter (which tasted good as long as you like butter but of course lacked any balance and was because of the all the butter too salty) and the pork was so overcooked the fat was dry (this very nearly knocked them down to 2 stars). The dessert was okay, though the pastry on the tart was overly "bready"
There were elements of every dish that were very good but not a single one was pulled off completely, if there were just a miss or two, maybe you'd have four stars, but if you miss on every one, 3 is the best you'll do and watch that scorched earth pork - it would have been sent back if I wasn't paying with a gift card which always makes me feel like a cheap-ass anyway. Also out waitress forgot to bring us bread.
even the decor is a bit off, trying to be edgy and hip but having some weird elements like bad hotel carpeting and some booths that don't fit the style. The location is also a bit out of the way for most folks
The saving grace of this place is a large patio overlooking the river that would be a nice spot to be in the summer. This and the fact that none of the food was offensively bad, so it could be conceivable I would end up returning for some outdoor cocktails and nosh, but I think it unlikely. -
Review from Cole P.
San Francisco, CA
8/30/2010
Delicious brunch! I'd actually rate Aquariva 4-1/2 Stars.
We really enjoyed our food- complementary banana bread was delicious and I had the corn and avocado scones with poached eggs and delightful grilled spiced peaches. My boyfriend had the avocado, tomato, bacon scramble and said it was awesome. You get a choice of homefries, salad, or fruit- though the homefries were tasty, definitely go for the fruit- is was incredibly fresh and delicious (sweet grilled figs, passion fruit, crisp green apples, cherries, and juicy ripe honey dew melon.)
All and all, portions were large and very yummy. Waitstaff was friendly and helpful- we sat on the patio on the river and proceeded to be attacked by bees but they came to our rescue quickly and moved us inside. So be forewarned about sitting outside, though the view is lovely. Located a little off the beaten path but peaceful and very nice atmosphere as well. -
Review from Natasha K.
Portland, OR
5/24/2011
I enjoy going to Aquariva for lunch. I find it a great place to have my business meetings. The atmosphere is relaxing and the view of the river is gorgeous. Since I mainly eat an anti-inflammatory diet (no gluten, dairy, soy, etc), finding a meal can sometimes be difficult for me. However, the service is excellent, and they always accommodate my food sensitivities/health requests with a friendly smile. Their prices are also very reasonable.
