Cafe Nell

The food was great. I got the chicken breast; it was moist and juicy and quite delicious. It came with mashed potatoes and spinach, which were also delicious. My guest got the Vegetables Bourguignon, which was equally delicious. The only thing I would have wished for was larger portions. The vegetable dish cost 2 dollars more than the chicken dish, and both meals could really have been larger. The huge bowl used to serve the Bourguignon only made it look smaller. My meal really could have had more of the side vegetable (spinach... yum!), and the crispy moist breast was very small.
This is a great restaurant, but order sides and appetizers if you want to fill up.

The food and service are always top notch at Cafe Nell! Love the cozy interior and it was nice to be there on a quiet night and enjoy great conversation.

Best happy hour in Portland

Always love Cafe Nell. Great service, nice place where you can still converse with your table mates without shouting. Wonderful cocktails
And excellent food. This is our go-to place in NW Portland.

Stellar! It’s was our first time at Cafe Nell (Party of 8) and they were more than accommodating. The food was delicious and the drinks far exceeded our expectations. We will definitely be brunching there again.

We chose this restaurant based on reviews and proximity to our friends’ hotel. It is much more charming in person than the website shows. It has a French cafe vibe which we really liked. The service was excellent and they all seemed to really care that we enjoyed ourselves. The manager came by and asked some questions after the meal which was nice. The food was excellent and well priced for the area. The place was completely full and we were able to carry on a conversation without distraction from other tables. We will definitely go back again.

I had a friend visiting from our of town. I knew I could count on Cafe Nell for an excellent lunch. Of course, my friend loved the place. As always, food and service were the best. Christopher, our server, could not have been better.

Party of 8 was crammed into very small space with two separate tables who really could not visit with each other.

We were here with a large group. All of our food was delicious, accurate, and prompt. Everyone cleaned their plates! The wait staff was very courteous. They gave us a bit too much space - We would have happily ordered dessert and another couple bottles of wine. I will absolutely be recommending Cafe Nell and be back!

The location is lovely, nestled amongst the trees. It has a parking lot!! That a lot gets this place lots of extra points. Food is yummy, but what makes this place special is the people. Ritchie our server is my favorite. He makes sure you have a fun and memorable experience while catering to your every need.

As always the food at Cafe Nell was not disappointing. The server (we've had him before) was a hoot in addition to knowing enough about the items on the menu to explain the ingredients, preparation, etc. and he had the knack of being able to show up at just the right time when we had a question or needed a refill. We didn't have to ask for a thing as he anticipated what we would like and need. Cafe Nell is always a treat.

Great food, great service. Uncomfortable chairs, but overall a good experience.

We had a most pleasant happy hour, chatting with friends at an outside table. The food was great and our server was exceptional.

Classic neighborhood joint. Consistently excellent. Will be back soon.

Just all around super. Love this place.

My husband and I had a date night at Cafe Nell and it was wonderful. We had been there for brunch in the past (highly recommended) but this was our first time for dinner. Our server was fantastic, with great recommendations for cheese, wine and dessert. My steak frites were perfect and my husband enjoyed the lamb. Looking forward to the next dinner at Cafe Nell.

Always a treat. My friend’s birthday lunch was great. As all my visits.

Great food and great service!
Cozy atmosphere. I will definitely go back.

Great place for a quiet dinner with friends fromFlorida.

The Cafe was pretty empty for the first 30 minutes of our reservation. Our server was kind though seemed very busy with prepping for something else. We discovered 30 minutes into our meal a large table next to us was to hold a large party. The party ended up being far too many people than the restaurant had set up for, so we ended up dealing with scowls from the patrons, who seemed to be glaring at us to leave to make room for the extra room in their party. The restaurant is rather small but the front desk/host should have been a bit better about letting the large group wander the restaurant and glare at the patrons.

Food and cocktails were great, always seems like high quality ingredients are used. Overall, will definitely come back.

I invited my “empty nesters” to dinner. We really enjoyed sitting outside. The food was delicious and the service was great! The big hit was the Mac and Cheese and Nell Burger.

No matter the season or occasion, Cafe Nell is always the perfect choice.

Charming venue with excellent food. We're happy to find places that aren't big, noisy barns. This suits us perfectly. Good food and service, lovely ambiance -- and you can actually have a conversation with the people you're dining with because the noise level is tolerable.

We both stared with the potato soup, which was delicious. We also shared the mac & cheese + French dip. Both were really delicious, though we didn't save room for dessert. The service is also very good.

Good brunch and quick service

A True Neighbor Gem. Cafe Nell has got it right and captured the essence of PDX. Spectacular ambiance, Fantastic Service. Thank you Mary for taking care of us with your hospitality. Cafe Nell will be my ‘go to spot’ for showing off PDX to my visiting/ out of town family and friends.

I had been to Cafe Nell about 17 years ago and even tho live close by, have just not had it on my radar screen. But it will be now as everything was great.

We had a late 8:45 dinner on a Saturday night. Place was still busy and full. We started with oysters, then shared a salad and I had the vegan option and my husband had the lamb steak.. everything was delicious and the service was very attentive. We had been here for brunch and lunch but not dinner and we would definitely return.

Small portions for the price. Slow and forgetful service. Wouldn’t come back anytime soon.

The food was good enough...by spoiled by the poor service. 20mins after sitting down, waiter came to table with water. Gave him
complete order then. Salad came before drink order, dinner much later. We were one of the first tables to be seated. Read reviews the next day. The service is the biggest complaint. Why aren’t owners doing something about this? Won’t go back.

Always good food and service at a reasonable price. Not the cheapest place but you get what you pay for.

This place is very consistent. Importantly, many of the the servers are consistent, indicating a solid establishment. We both had the Gazpacho, which was delicious. We also enjoyed the stuffed avocado and the huevos rancheros. The service was very good.

Great food and excellent service

Yes but the server we had was way over her head. Took 15 to just get to the table. Didn't come back to check if we needed more drinks - had to flag her down and then she brought the wrong ones. She was really checked out - stressed? We were there twice as long as we should have been due to delays

The server was WOW! Food delish and we sat outside. The server made the experience special. Handsome gentleman. Very knowledgeable.

My husband and I went to a Sunday brunch. I was pleased to see they had a vegan option. It was not only colorful and eye appealing it was very tasty. I will go back for it again.

We found this great place after a long travel day from Texas to Portland. We sat outside at a small table close to the street. It reminded us of a sidewak cafe in Europe.
The Mac and Cheese is a must for a starter or as part of a meal. 3 of us shared one order.
For entrees, we had the salmon, the baked chicken and the steak. All were very tasty.
Service was not rushed, but neither were we. Our waiter was very personableand gave us good recommendations.

Nice ambiance, menu variety, well prepared and excellent food. Just wish they offered a gluten free bun for the burger.

I love Cafe Nell. It reminds me of being in a little Paris cafe. All of the waiters are attentive and very nice. The food is well prepared and delicious. I have only had brunch or lunch , but I would love to have dinner here or come for Happy Hour.

We celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary here. We sat outside. Great food, great service. Great for a special occasion. We loved everything we ordered. Will definitely return.