Isa Bistro

Isa Bistro turned out to be more than a little off the beaten path, but we had such an outstanding dining experience that I'm really glad I let Yelp point the way here :-)

The service was outstanding, and the ambiance was warm and homey. We began our meal by sharing a Caesar salad, then we shared the eggplant lasagna and the crab linguine. The lasagna was excellent, and the linguine was wonderful, with plentiful chunks of crab and a subtlety delicious flavor.

We finished the meal by sharing a piece of blueberry cheesecake for dessert; it was the perfect ending to a wonderful meal!

Absolutely rockstar meal. Cute, homey space. Fast and helpful service.

Starters:
Grilled octopus (8/10) Succulent octopus, bright and fresh flavors. My only critique is the balance of oil -- I could have done with less.
Duck tostada (10/10) Completely addictive. The acid / fat balance was so refreshing, while still punching with the umami flavor.

Drinks:
Whisky despair (10/10) Amazing pear flavor!
Night owl (10/10) The best fall cocktail I've ever had. Knockout drink choice for cinnamon lovers!
Also, nice wine selection -- we had a lovely red with our entrees.

Entrees:
Pork chop (9/10) Perfectly cooked chop with a gorgeous sauce. The mushrooms were the perfect pairing -- with a slight curried aftertaste. My only critique was that the polenta could have been more flavorful!
Short rib pasta (10/10) My favorite of the night. Nice Al Dente pasta with a fatty yet balanced sauce. A big bowl of comfort!
Focaccia (8/10) No frills, just nice bread.

Dessert:
Coconut cream pie (10/10): Very generous slice. The chocolate ganache was a lovely addition to a classic pie. Well toasted coconut topping to bring that added texture.

Isa was a dream. This was not the first time I've been, but the first time in a year or so and I was delighted to return. They have a relatively new outdoor seating area which is beautiful, gated in and decorated with warm string lights, it felt like an escape from the city.

I started my meal with a delicious Blueberry Lemonade - so good! They have a good selection of mocktails which was awesome.

The appetizer portion of the menu was so enticing that we ordered 3 appetizers, split a salad, and split an entree. Oh and dessert! it was a total treat!

For appetizers we had the delicious lobster tostada, the corn dish, and a mackerel special that day. My favorite (closely followed by the mackerel) was the lobster tostada. Brown butter lobster with avocado - fresh and unique. You try a lot of lobster apps/new ways to do lobster here in Portland, and this one was a success.

We split a Caesar salad with a delicious house made Caesar dressing and spiced croutons - it was really nice!

The entree was the best part for me, you may not know this, but very few Portland restaurants do a vodka sauce (no idea why, but it's hard to find!) vodka sauce is one of my FAVORITE Italian meals - this was homemade linguine, housemade vodka sauce that was creamy and multi-layered in flavor, fresh burrata (!!!) and an awesome touch was the bread crumbs. I've been dreaming about this dish ever since.

Our waiter was so kind. We talked for a while about our favorite fish entrees and he showed excitement in explaining the menu. Patient and understanding.

And you HAVE to top off the night with their Marscapone cheesecake. Another absolute dream. I miss this cheesecake. One of (maybe THE) best cheesecake I've ever had. I had it with a nice cup of Nellie's tea (a local brand). What an amazing night, quiet and relaxing, with incredible flavors.

Reserve ahead of time as place is small and very popular. Several of my friends consider it among their favorites. Service is excellent. Ingredients sourced locally, so menu changes.

Cute little bistro with a nice vibe and decor. The service was very friendly and attentive. The cocktails were perfect (Sidecar and Old Fashion). Appetizers of Burrata and Caesar Salad were tasty. The main courses were shrimp over linguini (soooo tasty, nice kick) and Tagliatelle and meat sauce (yum). Ended the meal with sorbets, perfect finish. The restaurant isn't too loud and tables were spaced out nicely. The neighborhood isn't the best. If you're sitting by the windows you get views of the homeless people and addicts walking around (but hey, the view is free!). Overall, we loved Isa's.

ISA--Great Find
Spent a few days in Maine and were fortunate to discover a great family run neighborhood bistro called Isa. The food and service were truly amazing, so we ate there two nights in a row on our trip.

The Lobster Tostada and Crispy Potato Taquitos were fun appetizers, for our meal we enjoyed the Seared Duck, Short-rib Pasta and the amazing Eggplant Lasagna.

A true find, hope that you wil enjoy it as much as our family did.

Came here on the recommendation of our lyft driver and he got it right! Service quick and professional, with the fun flourishes of fine dining. We came with our luggage direct from travel, and they were able to accommodate us very well. Good food as well! My spouse has already reflected upon the pork chop a few times in great positivity. Eggplant lasagna has great pasta layers and just right amount of cheesiness. Cheesecake for dessert was tasty and good to split too.

Wanted one fine dining experience while in Portland and decided Isa would be the call. Love the intimate environment and the care that the employees put into all aspects of the restaurant. Had a couple of cocktails that were both amazing. Halibut tacos were amazing. The beer batter was light and crispy, I could not recommend enough.

Best meal I've had in Portland in the past 40 years! Outstanding service and the flavors in every dish we had were unique and delicious.

Service was excellent, but more importantly the food was so delicious!! (That is why we go to restaurants,eh?). I had eggplant lasagna, 2 in my party had lamb special, and salad special. Jack had an appetizer of octopus (reportedly excellent). It's a small place but has a casual feel. Highly recommend