Alma

Name: Alma
Address: 5237 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR, United States, 97211
Telephone: (971) 313-9730
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.8

4.8 (14)

$31 to $50

Balkan style

5237 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97211

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 24, 2025

10:30 PM

Booked 10 times today

About this restaurant

Vegetarian-friendly
Innovative
Good for groups

A veteran of the Portland food scene, Chef Vedran Jordan blends traditional Balkan recipes with contemporary flavors in his first restaurant.
Alma is a celebration of contrasts: traditional Balkan dishes meet hyperlocal ingredients, reimagined through a contemporary lens. Guests will enjoy dishes like Tomato Čorba, a light, bright Turkish soup with vermicelli, thickened with ariz—dehydrated yogurt and wheat—topped with freshly grated garlic and a dollop of yogurt sauce. Offal kebabs of lamb heart, liver, and neck are cooked over Thaan Charcoal and glazed in sticky pomegranate sauce. Imam Bayıldı is an Ottoman classic of roasted eggplant stuffed with stewed tomato, chilis, and aromatics, garnished with fried oyster mushrooms, toum yogurt, and ezme, a spicy “Ottoman salsa.” For those who imbibe, Alma will serve a Rakia flight of three flavors served with pickles and ferments, as well as local and Balkan wines and a menu of fun cocktails and yogurt liqueur.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Balkan style, Turkish, Mediterranean
Hours of operation
Dinner Mon, Thu–Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(971) 313-9730
Website
https://www.almapdx.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Vedran Jordan

Location
5237 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97211
Neighborhood
Northeast Portland
Cross street
On west side of NE Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard & NE Roselawn Street
Parking details
Public Lot
Public transit
NE Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard & NE Alberta Street
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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Kanpachi Crudo*$23.00
Dry aged kanpachi from Aji Fish Butchery, pomegranate tomato water, ginger, housemade citrus kosho, chili, Black Moroccan salt
Mtuma$13.00
Smashed fried marble potatoes, scallions, chili crisp yogurt, Shiso leaves, peanut, crispy anchovies, sunchoke chips
Fried Vegeta Chicken Wings$18.00
Kefir marinated wings, habanero pomegranate sauce
Balkan Fish & Chips$18.00
Fried smelt, anchovies, pickled peppers & shoe string fries, curry leaf, toum, citrus aioli
Charred Cabbage Salata$16.00
Wild mushrooms, lamb neck jus, crispy krill, goat's cheese, citrus, candied lemon zest
Mama Alma’s Squid Salata$21.00
Braised chard & leeks, potatoes, grape vinegar, sweet onions, crispy tentacles, dill
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salata$17.00
Warm white beans, tomato, chicory, jicama, citrus dressing, dukkah
Grilled Octopus$24.00
Hazelnut & walnut muhammara, shepherd’s salata, feta, sorghum, herbs
Mussels ‘Buzara’ Style$21.00
Garlic, tomatoes, shallots, saffron, herbs, tandoori bread
Imam Biyaldi$17.00
Half roasted eggplant, tomato, chilis, toum yogurt, zhoug, fried oyster mushrooms, tandoori bread
Lamb Shank & Baba Ganoush$28.00
Tender braised lamb, baba ganoush, pomegranate molasses, green zhoug, herbs, pickled yellow chili, tandoori bread
Whole Roasted Branzino$48.00
Turkish seafood sauce, zhoug, herbs, tandoori bread

Sides

Tandoori Bread$4.00
Pickle Plate$5.00
Balkan Cabbage Salata$5.00
Tabbouleh (the Alma way)$6.00
Baba Ganoush & Tandoori Bread$8.00
Yogurt Eggplant Dip & Tandoori Bread$8.00

What 14 people are saying

Alma reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.8Service
4.6Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Alma offers a delightful journey through Balkan-inspired cuisine, with dishes that are "flavorful," "outstanding," and "well presented." The restaurant features a "small but carefully curated menu" with exceptional service and a vibrant atmosphere. Highlights include the "octopus," "potatoes," and "lamb." A must-visit for adventurous food lovers!

14 Reviews

OT
OpenTable Diner
Phoenix / Arizona1 review
4.0
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
After several recent restaurant experiences in Portland, where the noise level was extreme and the seating was uncomfortable, Alma was a welcome change. Would have appreciated more fish in the fish and chips, but otherwise all good. Definitely recommend!!
AlmaResponded 4 days ago
Thank you! We always appreciate feedback and look forward to hosting you again!
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B
Brendan
Portland / Oregon2 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 13, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
An assortment of amazing Balkan inspired dishes. Every dish we ordered for the table was thoroughly enjoyed. For those not familiar with the cuisine of the Balkans then I strongly encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and sample these flavorful dishes. The dishes are heavy on garlic so perhaps be mindful of that if you are on a first date!
AlmaResponded 7 days ago
We are very proud of our garlic levels here! :) So glad to hear you enjoyed your evening with is Brendan.
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S
Sylvan
Portland / Oregon1 review
5.0
Dined on July 8, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Everything we ordered was very tasty, highlights were the Mtuma (potatoes) and Kanpachi crudo.
AlmaResponded on July 11, 2025
That Kanpachi is sooo special! Be sure to check out Aji Fish Butchery.
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R
Ross
Portland / Oregon1 review
5.0
Dined on July 4, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had a wonderful dinner for my friend birthday. The service and food were impeccable. I would highly recommend Alma to any of my friends. Get out there and support this amazing restaurant.
AlmaResponded on July 6, 2025
Thank you for coming in Ross! We look forward to seeing you again and again neighbor!
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S
Sherri VIP
Portland / Oregon5 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 4, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I shared 5 smaller dishes with a friend, each and everyone was delicious!
AlmaResponded on July 6, 2025
We will be patiently awaiting your return so you can try another 5! :)
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C
Chase
Wisconsin1 review
5.0
Dined on June 29, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food and service were amazing. Ordered almost the entire menu and was not disappointed in anything we had. Will definitely go back soon!
AlmaResponded on June 30, 2025
We love that you sampled the whole menu and are delighted to hear you were satisfied. See you real soon, don't be a stranger!
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S
Sara
Portland / Oregon3 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 24, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Overall, we really enjoyed our meal and will plan to return in the future. There were a few components of our evening that gave the impression the restaurant is still getting started. The mussel dish is quite spicy and nowhere is this mentioned - while I loved this my partner really couldn’t eat the mussels. The baklava is probably priced too high in general - this was all the more vexing that it was small, dry and neither sweet nor flavorful enough. For the rest though, each dish was refined, tasty, and well presented. The beverages were enjoyable too.
AlmaResponded on June 28, 2025
Sara, thank you so much for your constructive feedback and for joining us so early into our journey. It's so helpful to have all of the details in order for us to grow. We can't wait for you to visit again soon.
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S
Serpil
Washington, D.C. Area2 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 20, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Small but carefully curated menu, excellent food, good wine, friendly service. You should go!
AlmaResponded on June 28, 2025
We are so proud of our exclusively Balkan & PNW curated wine list, we are so glad you enjoyed it as well. Come and see us again real soon Serpil.
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J
Jody
San Francisco Bay Area6 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 20, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
The staff was friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The food was outstanding. We particularly liked tgemushroom salamander, the fish and chips, the potatoes, the lamb — well everything we tried was so good. We will be back!
AlmaResponded on June 28, 2025
Thank you for the kind words Jody! We can't wait to see you again.
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R
Robert
Tahoe / Reno Area1 review
5.0
Dined on June 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing Turkish and Dalmatian influenced food. Highly recommend the octopus.
AlmaResponded on June 22, 2025
Thanks Robert! We will have the octopus dish ready for you when we see you next.
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FAQs

Alma is rated 4.8 stars by 14 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 24, 2025

10:30 PM

Booked 10 times today

5237 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97211

Additional information

Cross street
On west side of NE Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard & NE Roselawn Street
Neighborhood
Northeast Portland
Hours of operation
Dinner Mon, Thu–Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Balkan style, Turkish, Mediterranean
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Public Lot
Public transit
NE Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard & NE Alberta Street
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Vedran Jordan
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://www.almapdx.com/
Phone number
(971) 313-9730

Alma

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Kabops

Lamb Heart$9.00

Lamb Neck$9.00

Eggplant & Mushroom Kofte$8.00

Çorba

Tomato Çorba$7.00

Beys Çorba$9.00

Plates

Kanpachi Crudo*$23.00

Mtuma$13.00

Fried Vegeta Chicken Wings$18.00

Balkan Fish & Chips$18.00

Charred Cabbage Salata$16.00

Mama Alma’s Squid Salata$21.00

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salata$17.00

Grilled Octopus$24.00

Mussels ‘Buzara’ Style$21.00

Imam Biyaldi$17.00

Lamb Shank & Baba Ganoush$28.00

Whole Roasted Branzino$48.00

Sides

Tandoori Bread$4.00

Pickle Plate$5.00

Balkan Cabbage Salata$5.00

Tabbouleh (the Alma way)$6.00

Baba Ganoush & Tandoori Bread$8.00

Yogurt Eggplant Dip & Tandoori Bread$8.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

How is Alma restaurant rated?

Is Alma currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information