Great ambiance, food was okay, a bit pricey for the small portion you get. Both meals I ordered key ingredients were puréed rather than mixed in, for example scallops were puréed. But, I’d go back again, just would ask more questions on the menu.

The server acted as though we had Leprocy. She kept backing stay and barely reaching to hand us food and the bill. She had a mask on and I get Covid is no fun but to treat customers like they are contagious is. Or a comfortable feeling. We wouldn’t be at the restaurant if we had been exposed or feeling sick. Not a pleasant experience.

If you are looking to dine comfortably outdoors in Portland, then this is the spot

For covid times it is very good. The food comes warm and the heaters work. We enjoyed our meal!

Cafe Nell has been my "go to" place for outside dining over the past several months. I have no complaints except the last two times I made reservations via Open Table, and received a confirmation, the restaurant had no reservation for me. There seems to be a "glitch" in the system somewhere.

They’ve done a great job reinventing their space during a Covid reality. However, the good is just fair, and is too expensive given the quality, and portion size(s). The service, which is usually good (especially during this tent service time) was quite poor.

We were the only patrons at the restaurant. Even still the waitresses could not be less attentive to our table. They should just stay home at let other people try to work. That alone would be okay; however the food was cafeteria quality terrible yet they charged $19 for simple breakfast entries. This place is going to achieve a self fulfilling prophecy and go bankrupt if they do not improve their service and quality of food. We understand Covid has changed everything; however bad food and bad service will not keep your doors open Nell.

Our favorite place.

My husband and I went out on a very rare date night. We found Cafe Nell to be intimate, COVID-safe, delicious and lovely. We really enjoyed our time out of the house and were so happy that we spent our evening at Cafe Nell!

I ordered the pear and cranberry crisp for dessert. It came with apples and blackberries. I don’t care for blackberries. I was disappointed the waiter didn’t offer to bring a different dessert or take it off the bill. Poor service for an upscale restaurant.

Cafe Nell has done an amazing job handling dining during Covid. The outdoor area is plenty warm and tables are spaced well. Menus are fresh and service is excellent as usual. Love visiting!

We loved the ambience under the tent in the Oasis(?) room. Food was very tasty. Cocktails were excellent. We will definitely be going there again.

Our service was slow this time around and the food seems to have slipped a bit. It took almost 20 minutes before we were able to place our food order. The crab salad at $22 was overpriced for its size and amount of crab; it was maybe two tablespoons worth. Not much else besides romaine lettuce. The Parisian scramble and huevos rancheros were great.

Overall the experience at Cafe Nell was quite good. They are managing socially distant dining and service quite well. The food was good. The one small glitch was a failure to bring a coffee while the rest of the party had dessert. Overall, a very good experience and recommended.

Best outside dining set up in Portland thats COVID friendly. I cant stop raving about this place!!

Had a reservation and was seated right away. Outdoor seating was warmed (pandemic times). The food was excellent (monte cristo) but was a bit on the pricey side. Worth it and would eat here again.

Cafe Nell has done an outstanding job of transforming the parking lot into a lovely outdoor covered dining area. Nice ambiance and super warm with the heaters. The food was excellent: great eggs Benedict and burger. Could go lighter on the salad dressing (or ask for it on the side). Lovely brunch!

Wonderful brunch, small menu but good food. Outdoor seating with plenty of heat lamps.

Given covid, the temporary outdoor dining area is exceptional. Large, heated, decor and lighting all great. Food and service are excellent. Only criticism is limited appetizer menu. Would like to see easier sharing options like calamari and fries. Our group of 4 spent a lot on drinks (very profitable for any restaurant) and would have enjoyed better apps to have with them

Awesome as usual!!

The outdoor seating experience is wornderful. Definitely a grand experience.

Very friendly service and very good food

Amazing outdoor ambiance and heating. One of the only places on V day and they took very good care of us!

We love this place! We had our first date at Cafe Nell, and have been celebrating every year here, as well as several dates in between! Great food and service and we are proud to support them. They have gone above and beyond to make sure their customers are safe and have a great experience.

Very impressed with how Cafe Nell has intelligently utilized space to create a cozy and classy outdoor seating area. The neighboring parking lot has been converted into a heated tent with a central bar area. I actually hope they keep this even when the weather turns warm and the COVID-19 pandemic subsides! The one comment I would make it that it did get a bit cold despite the dedicated heater unit for our table. Granted, it was an unusually cold day (upper 30s F). It might help to have more than one heating unit per table on particularly cold days?

Food is amazing, loved the muscles and frites, arugula salad and scallop "pillows".

We really enjoyed our anniversary dinner there. Good overall especially in these covid times

The food was outstanding, the drinks were delicious and the service was friendly and attentive. The heaters were an absolute bonus to an already beautifully finished outdoor dining experience!

Best brunch ever.

The heaters and outside dining is wonderful. I felt very safe as well. The service was very slow and I didn't get many items I had requested. One was brought to me very late, but I wasn't charged for it in the end. I do enjoy going to Cafe Nell. I also understand the challenges due to Covid.
Keep up the good work!

Always great.

They are well set up for Covid safety precautions. The food is fresh and plated beautifully. They are known for their cocktails for a reason, as they had a unique assortment. The pear cranberry cobbler is a lovely, not too sweet dessert. We’ll be back as there were so many other dishes and cocktails we’d like to try.

Candayse was an amazing server, in fact I have had her wait on me twice now. Very attentive and very nice. Food was great!

It was a beautiful space and by far the nicest COVID-safe eating experience in NW Portland.

We had a wonderful time. The service and food were great. The restaurant has put a lot of work into making our “new normal” a pleasant dining experience.

We will definitely be back!!

Everything was lovely!! Thank you.

They have gone to such great lengths to build an outdoor venue that is inviting, safe, WARM (heaters at every table) and large enough to keep tables a great distant apart. Very impressive!

The food was poor and cold. The people were crabby and unfriendly. I doubt we go again.

Lovely cafe, offering COVID safe dining and heating. Food is varied and tasty, they focus on crowd pleasing dishes—such as muscles or steak frites. Be sure to check out the bar selection, it’s not on the menu, but bartender can make a mean margarita!

Absolutely fabulous! Gorgeous outdoor space. Delicious food and cocktails. I'll be back!

Amazing outdoor ambiance