Isa Bistro - Portland

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1. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   New England

   36 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   36 reviews

   Dined today

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   We have patronized Isa for more than seven years; and, like the fine wines on its menu, the dining experience at Isa has only improved with age. What more can be said?

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2. C

   Carnivore

   Yorkshire

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Elegant evening. We dined on the patio and enjoyed a lovely meal of braised haddock with baby zucchini and sautéed mushrooms. We finished with a chocolate ganache pie. The perfect meal!

   Report
3. f

   foodiescorpio

   New England

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Isa is the best and most consistent restaurant in Portland, hidden away from the busy old Port area. Love the way the place is run and how well the food is done everytime. It's fine dining workout being pretentious !!

   Report
4. GM

   GilaMonster

   San Francisco

   18 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   18 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Nice food, good service, laid back but professional. Deft hand with cooking seafood.

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5. M

   Mainetravelers

   New England

   9 reviews

   5.0

   9 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Wonderful food and friendly attentive service!

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6. PC

   PamC

   New England

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined 6 days ago

   overall4food4service4ambience4

   Mixed reviews for our party of 3. Char and halibut entrees were delicious. However, steak entree was a disappointment. The portion sizes for the appetizers and salads were somewhat disappointing as well. Though the side dish of carrots was good. Drinks were very good and the coconut pie was a hit. We also enjoyed our waiter. Lastly, the location of the restaurant is in a less desirable area of Portland though.

   Report
7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   New England

   37 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   37 reviews

   Dined on June 23, 2022

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Our go-to restaurant in Portland, especially for a night out with good friends. A varied menu, delicious dishes, and a warm, inviting atmosphere. What could be better?

   Report
8. PP

   PaulP

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on June 20, 2022

   overall4food4service4ambience4

   Food was great, ambience was too - not too large so easy to hear. The menu is carefully chosen to a very manageable number of selections.

   Report
9. D

   Diner

   E. Tennessee

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined on June 20, 2022

   overall1food1service2ambience2

   Service was just OK. Our server refilled our water glasses regularly, but she had no personality and was nit welcoming. Not what one would expect from a fine dining establishment. Our table orderer 5 entrées- 4 were boring and bland - even just some salt would have helped some. 1 was horrible- the meat had the texture of really poorly cooked potroast. Even the French fries were undercooked. We have never had such a poor experience at such an expensive and allegedly highly rated restaurant. We relied on the positive reviews when we chose Isa. The positive reviews were wrong. We would not go there again. We would definitely not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

   Isa Bistro - PortlandResponded on June 22, 2022Hello Diner. My sincerest apologies your experience was subpar during your recent visit. What you described is not a reflection of what we do here and I would be happy to offer you a gift certificate for a return visit. We hope you will allow us to make it right. Cheers. Suzie

   Report
10. LF

    LizF

    Montreal

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 19, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Love this place for the times we don't feel like going into the big city (haha). Always so welcoming, cozy and consistently delicious. Their seasonal cocktails are always a treat and I can't speak to broadly to the menu because I can't seam to move beyond the Bolognese. So good! However my hubby thinks they have the best pork chop in Portland. Bonus: cute outdoor seating. You will love it!

    Report
11. JF

    JosephF

    New England

    21 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    21 reviews

    Dined on June 18, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Great food and service, recommend driving to restaurant and not walking.

    Report
12. j

    joycew

    New York Area

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 17, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Excellent. We were on the patio which was quiet and lovely

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13. HB

    HollyB

    New England

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 17, 2022

    overall4food5service5ambience4

    Isa is consistently good. As a Portland native, it is a go-to spot for us.

    Report
14. JP

    JessiePowers

    New England

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 17, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    My first experience at ISA was amazing! I can’t wait to go back and enjoy another fresh meal!

    Report
15. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    3 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on June 17, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Isa was a bit of a walk from downtown Portland but worth it! Good food for a good price! We enjoyed our dinner! My husband had the pork chop and I had the pasta. Both were great!

    Report
16. HY

    HarveyY

    Las Vegas

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 13, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Wonderful restaurant with a limited menu (and high quality food). Service was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable.

    Report
17. S

    Susan

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 13, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We held 3 dinners at Isa for out-of-town job candidates. The food and service was excellent on all 3 occasions.

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18. J

    Janelle

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 12, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Excellent atmosphere. Good service. Excellent food.

    Report
19. RB

    RickB

    New England

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 12, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great venue with great food and service! The outdoor patio was fantastic.

    Report
20. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Chicago

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 12, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Our first time, celebrated a birthday. Really nice ambiance, excellent food and service. It will be on our regular rotation in the future.

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21. DW

    DebW

    New England

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 11, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Isa Bistro was perfect for dinner during our visit to Portland. Smaller and quiet, it was nice to be able to have a conversation with someone we had not seen for a number of years. Service was excellent, attentive but not hovering! The food was wonderful, everything we ordered was fresh and cooked perfectly. Signature cocktail was great as were the wine suggestions. Definitely will return!

    Report
22. TR

    ThomasR

    New England

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on June 11, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    What an awesome dinner!!! The best meatballs and sauce appetizer I’ve had. Bolognese was awesome with homemade pasta.

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23. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Nashville

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 11, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Portland has been hyped unlike no other - I was so excited for our first meal. We just left Boston, and decided to spend a couple days here. It was good. I won’t say great - I had the Bolognese and it was no worse or better than what I can make. Drinks were great. Service was good. This was a good place.. that’s what I can say.

    Report
24. C

    Carlislefoodie

    New England

    24 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    24 reviews

    Dined on June 11, 2022

    overall5food4service5ambience5

    Wonderful gem off the main path and bustle of Commercial street . Beautiful outdoor patio with excellent farm to table dishes. Fun cocktails.

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25. a

    amyeli

    Chicago

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on June 11, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Food, drinks and service were all fantastic. It was our first time at Isa, but it will not be part of our restaurant rotation when we visit Portland.

    Report
26. RE

    RandE

    New England

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 10, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Isa is our go to spot when we are in Portland. The food is always outstanding. They have curated an impressive and reasonably priced wine list. The staff are attentive and knowledgeable. We plan to be back soon!

    Report
27. W

    William

    New England

    2 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on June 10, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Amazing in every way. The food is so consistently incredible, the drinks were amazing, and our service at the bar was perfect. Bravo!

    Report
28. T

    Tony

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 9, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Always good consistently prepared meals. Happy to walk in the door and know I will not be disappointed.

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29. L

    Ladywholunches

    New England

    14 reviews

    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on June 9, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    We had never been to Isa, but we planned to visit Portland for the day for my husband's birthday. He wanted something on the cozy side, but unique and not too exorbitant (but with a good bar!) Isa hit all the marks. The menu is small but eclectic and interesting. It leans on the Italian side, but with other hints of other cuisines. The staff were uniformly pleasant and efficient. The only downside is that because it is small and clearly popular, we were only able to get a 4:30 seating, but we went with it, and it worked out well. Very good choice, given that we found it only through an internet search.

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30. C

    Connie

    Denver

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on June 6, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    My husband and I dine at Isa Bistro often and always enjoy it.

    Report
31. n

    ninac

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 5, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Loved everything. Excellent food and service. Love the easy parking

    Report
32. SF

    SuzanneF

    Orlando

    14 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on June 4, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Picked this restaurant because it was number two on Trip Advisor and was not disappointed. Service was impeccable, food was amazing and the value could no be beat. Fine dining vibe but not stuffy at all. Super relaxed. Had the special appetizer, the bolognese and the eggplant lasagna. All so good. Cocktails were on point and the tres leches cake for dessert. Will be back!

    Report
33. R

    Ridgetop

    New York Area

    8 reviews

    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on June 3, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience3

    Limited menu but great food.

    Report
34. KC

    KrisC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 3, 2022

    overall5food5service4ambience5

    The staff is kind and attentive. The food is excellent. Ended the meal with a coconut cream pie that was delightful.

    Report
35. SL

    SusanL

    Baltimore

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 2, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience3

    Excellent food but noise level made table conversation difficult.

    Report
36. A

    Andrea

    New York Area

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on June 2, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    One of the best meals we have had in Portland in 30 years of visiting! Superb service too!!

    Report
37. CW

    CameronW

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 30, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    This restaurant is amazing! Food was fresh and delicious. Best octopus we have ever had outside of Spain. We are already planning our next dinner at Isa! <3

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38. JT

    JenTo

    Seattle

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 30, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Found this accidentally when looking for a spot for dinner while on vacation in Portland. Cannot say enough good things. The food was delightful with new and unexpected flavor combinations. Service and front of house management was tight and seemed to flow well from my vantage point. What a gem of a restaurant. Just wish we lived closer to go back regularly.

    Report
39. o

    oldmanandyoungladyeatout

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 29, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Isa staff are always very attentive whether it be to seat you, take your order or answer questions about menu items. I enjoy their unusual bar/drink creations. Latest one I tried was the hisbiscus margarita...with jalapeno! My husband & I always look forward to the kitchen's unique dishes.

    Report
40. EB

    EugeneB

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 29, 2022

    overall4food5service5ambience4

    Food was very good and reasonably priced. The double chocolate cake is definitely something not to pass up.

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