Holdfast Dining

Had high hopes but while the tasting was previously plated it tended to lack any exceptional flavor. The overall set failed to tell a cohesive story. Wine and non-alcoholic pairings were great accents and well thought out. Wait staff was a bit stilted and descriptions of courses and food were a bit stiff. Had high hopes and perhaps caught the team on an off night but in a competitive Portland dining environment they need to step up their game.

Outstanding food, presentation, and dining experience

Outstanding food

It’s been about a year between visits to Holdfast and they are every bit as great and spectacular as they’ve ever been. Amazing hospitality. Unique and beautiful plated dishes paired exquisitely with wine selections. Holdfast remains one of the very best dining experiences in Portland, or anyplace.

Nice restaurant

Phenomenal food and amazing atmosphere! A little on the spendy side so will be for special occasions only, but SO worth it!!

Excellent service and excellent food. They truly care about what they do and it shows.

Imaginative food, expertly served in courses paired with wines. Most seating is at a wrap-around counter, with individual attention as appropriate. Highly recommended, especially for special occasions.

Food was outstanding in taste and presentation, the wine pairings were well thought out. We left delightfully full! If you get a chance to check them out, take it!

Always so amazing and creative

Delicious! Thoughtfully and elegantly presented dishes. Innovative.

I have eaten here now multiple times. Worth every penny and in fact I feel the overall cost for the artistry and taste of the food provided is quite a value. Eat here!

Amazing. Every course brought unique, mouth-watering taste combinations and pairings.

This is the first restaurant I experienced which is like a speakeasy for a bar. The food has been delicious and beautifully plated. The non-alcoholic pairing is both creative and delicious. I liked the little surprise at the end which I don’t want to spoil here.

Lovely. The food excellent and I loved watching the prep.

This was the best dining experience I have ever had. The food was amazing and the staff was fabulous. Can't wait to go back.

Wow! We had one of the best dinners of our lives at Holdfast. So fun sitting in an intimate setting watching the chefs do their magic. The entire team is very knowledgeable and treated us like royalty. The food was beautifully selected, prepared, and presented. The wine pairing was phenomenal. Great way to try new foods that you would never order otherwise. Highly recommend and we'll be back soon, hopefully!

As repeat customers it was as amazing and wonderful as past dinners!! Highly recommended!

I love the idea of innovative tasting menus in intimate spaces . Holdfast has a really cool atmosphere, great service and good food. But for a place that describes its cuisine as clean and primitive, the dishes seemed overly complicated with a lot of tortured ingredients. And while the wine pairings were good, the pours were tiny... not enough to last through 2 courses.

Once again, Holdfast was a delightful meal. The stand out was the "coconut curry" over soft shelled crab. The celery root tacos with trout row was also great. The beef Tartar and Beef Belly were amazingly rich and right at the line of overwhelming but I am so glad I got to experience both dishes.

STRONGLY recommend to anyone who is looking to do something a little different. We like to get 1 wine paring and 1 juice paring. The beet-cherry is juice was delicious.

Holdfast experience was as I hoped. Each dish was exceptional and varied. The wine pairings and non-alcohol versions complemented the dishes well. Staff presented and shared insights on the dishes in a kind manner. A truly memorable experience.

If you have a special night coming up, put Holdfast on your calendar.

You will have a great interaction with the chef, sous chef, and sommelier and have a fantastic experience!

I just took my fiancee there for her birthday, and we had a fantastic time!

One of our very favorite spots to go for a special occasion! We are always incredibly impressed with the innovative and delicious menu the Holdfast team comes up with every time, awesome wines to pair with it and amazing service. They always make us feel at home and we can't wait to go back again soon. Also, if you don't drink wine their non-alcoholic pairing is also really, really good and they have been really accommodating anytime we bring someone in with dietary restrictions. I really couldn't recommend Holdfast enough!

Amazing service and food. The tasting menu really had some unique flavors. Excellent wine pairings. Would definitely go again!

We loved every bite! Great experience! It was my birthday celebration, could not wish for a better birthday dinne.

This place over-complicates food to the point that it no longer tastes good. They take quality high end ingredients, and insist on transforming them into unappetizing purees, chips, and foams. Food is not actually cooked to order, but plates are created around the chefs counter and some items are merely warmed up. We found this place to be extremely disappointing and overpriced.

One of our favorite restaurants in Portland! Always creative, always delicious.

Just an all around amazing experience from start to finish. Every single bite was superb. At the end of the meal they added a few small touches that were special and unique. Truly enjoyed this experience.

One of the best meals I’ve ever had. Each course was on point. Service was warm, friendly and informative. Wine pairings were interesting, delicious and well matched. Amount of food was perfect, but I wanted to eat everything again! Bravo!!!

It was one of the most unique dining experience we have enjoyed in a very long time.

Our second experience here was just as great as our first. Although we first visited Holdfast at their "winery" location, their new location is just as nice and offers the intimate, thoughtful, and masterfully prepared courses we love. The wine parings offered unique, sometimes obscure, but always delicious accompaniments to the fine and delicate dishes. A wonderful experience that is pricy, but worth it. Love the prix fixe offering as it removes all decision making from the guest. Shed your inhibitions and go where the chefs want to take you and enjoy it as though it was a hike in the forrest or stroll on a secluded stretch of beach.

The food was super-interesting and tasty. The drink pairings were great. It was a really fun experience.

An absolutely fantastic dinner. The food was amazing and staff excellent!!

Inventive cuisine expertly prepared and beautifully plated. Perfect wine pairings with each course. Approachable, affable chef/owners who are glad to share their insights as they assemble the dishes. Pricey, but well worth it!

The best dining experiences I have ever had and nothing comes close.

Superb service, incredible food with regard to preparation, flavors, and presentation. A memorable dining experience!

We were amazed at the food and the wine pairing, the presentation, and wonderful flavors. The staff were just fabulous explaining things, answering questions, and seemed to truly enjoy their work and the great atmosphere themselves. A terrific go-to place for birthdays, anniversaries or other special occasions. We'll be back!

Wanted to take daughter and son-in-layout for a unique dinner in Portland. Found Holdfast, and it turned out to be everything we expected. Unique concept and service. Three sittings of eight, 5:30, 7:00, and 8:30. Small, gourmet plates with wine pairing. Friendly and attentive service. Each course, explained. Unique flavors. This is really a spot for serious foodies. Loved the place setting drawer in front of each seat. Use all the knives and forks you need. Wines well paired with foods.

Do it. Just go. Its really good and I love the bar style seating. Watching the prep is half the fun.

We enjoyed the total experience. We will be back often.