Isa Bistro - Portland

Fantastic dinner for two on a Friday night. Service was impeccable and our waitress was friendly and attentive. We had beet salad for starter, lobster linguine and lamb bolognese for mains and chocolate tart for dessert. Highly recommend Isa Bistro!

Lovely restaurant! Great service, drinks, and wonderful food. The eggplant lasagna is a must try! The restaurant is located in a historic building in the heart of Portland's West End neighborhood. The interior is warm and inviting, with exposed brick walls, tile floors, and tin ceilings. The dining room is small and intimate, with only about 20 tables. There is also a small outdoor patio that is perfect for dining al fresco on a warm day. Overall, Isa Bistro is a great restaurant that I would highly recommend. The food is delicious, the service is excellent, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. If you're looking for a special place to enjoy a meal in Portland, Isa Bistro is the perfect choice.

Review Amazing experience!!! From beginning to end everything was on point. Started with drinks, a cosmo and a cucumber tequila with elderflower and lime (refresh) - perfect summertime libation. Next came our appetizers. A crab cake with arugula and the lobster tostada. The lobster tostada was an unexpected flavor explosion, nothing like it! For dinner we had the seared halibut and blackened bluefish. Both were delicious. The halibut was soft with a pearly translucence served on a bed of mashed rhubarb and asparagus Bluefish was succulent and zesty (not spicy) with a tomato bisque base on top of corn and zucchini bits. We paired both of the dishes with a white Bordeaux. We finished the evening with the gluten free caramel drizzled triple chocolate decadence. It was heaven. Staff was engaging, service was outstanding. We will return again!

We had a good meal at Isa Bistro. The food was delicious & reasonably priced. Portions were small. Nice selection of Wines, Cocktails and beer. The ambiance is cozy yet refined. Excellent customer service!!

Some restaurants serve up meals, while other restaurants offer experiences. Guess which Isa provides? This cozy spot is terrific. Our appetizers and dinner were creative, perfectly cooked, and frankly, delicious. Check out the beautiful drink our server, Joy, whipped up. Did I mention her efforts and style were perfection?

A Must-Visit Spot! I had the best beet salad and an incredible bolognese. The flavors were fresh and came together beautifully. I only took one photo because I dug in right away! My server, Brian, was so kind and made the experience even better. I'm from out of state, but I’d come back here in a heartbeat.

Spent a few days in Maine and were fortunate to discover a great family run neighborhood bistro called Isa. The food and service were truly amazing, so we ate there two nights in a row on our trip. The Lobster Tostada and Crispy Potato Taquitos were fun appetizers, for our meal we enjoyed the Seared Duck, Short-rib Pasta and the amazing Eggplant Lasagna. A true find, hope that you wil enjoy it as much as our family did.

What a delightful experience was to dine at Isa Bistro! My boyfriend and I picked Isa Bistro for his birthday dinner and it was just a great experience top to bottom. As starters, we ordered the house made focaccia and the citrus and burrata salad, these two were absolutely phenomenal. As drinks, we ordered the hibiscus margarita and the coconut Paloma (added tequila, since it’s originally a non-alcohol drink in their menu) and the flavors were truly amazing. For our mains we ordered the marinated steak and the pork schnitzel and, I’m telling you, I will be dreaming about that schnitzel for days, it was just bomb! And lastly, as dessert we had the tres leches cake that was —also— a delicacy. They went above and beyond and added a candle on top! Our server was Justin and shoutout to him, he provided a terrific service! The ambiance was also great, the music was just the perfect volume, the rest of the staff were super friendly and the bathrooms were extremely clean. We couldn’t have picked a better place for my boyfriend’s birthday, we’re extremely satisfied and we cannot wait to go back to Isa Bistro!

We had an excellent experience at Isa Bistro. Great wine list with many unique varietals. The real stand out was the Mexican Style Branzino served with homemade corn tortillas.

Wow, what a wonderful dinner at isa, we had a great dinner. I was drinking some margarita and had some nice tostada as a starter and the halibut as main dish- that was really great, the portions wasn’t to large and looking like an artwork. As a dessert I got a blueberry cheesecake. As well you should definitely make a reservation. Only four stars on the Ambiente because it was very loud and sometimes I had to scream at my friends but anyways I would definitely recommend this! Great team and hope to get a place there soon again.

We LOVED eating here. The patio was perfect, food was absolutely delicious, service was great. Would definitely go back! We had a hard time deciding on what to order so we shared everything. Chef's kiss!

Great little place with such good food. I rendezvoused with my family at Isa - Our wait person was friendly and suggested some of the dishes we ordered. Great addition to Portland cuisine!! (some samples: Burrata with citrus and pistachios, Octopus with chickpeas & Halibut in a fish broth with corn - so good!)

This is a fairly small restaurant with seating for mostly a group of 2/4. If you have a party, plan ahead! I overheard from another bigger party, they don't accept reservations. We ended up waiting for an hour, but it was worth it. The service was great. The food was even better. They have a limited menu, but food arrived pretty quickly. My group decided to try everything on the menu. I ordered the pork chop and it was amazing. Very tender and juicy, and to my recollection, i've never had pork that good! Their fries are simple, but fried to perfection, and includes a garlic butter dip. Everything else on the menu was great. Steak was good, but not as tender as the pork. Pasta and gnocchi dishes were flavorful. I did not try to fish because I don't like fish. Note: The neighborhood is not the best. We decided to walk from downtown, but thinking back, should've just driven.

Awesome food and wonderful service. Small but very different and eclectic menu. Must try octopus with chimichurri. There breakfast stuffs are really nice, like rabbit hash. I just came across this restaurant while visiting Portland.

Sat at the bar, enjoyed the family run vibe. The Caesar, pork chop & eggplant lasagna were excellent. Sketchy neighborhood though, my wife was uncomfortable while we were walking there so we took an Uber back to the hotel.

Our experience at Isa was beyond what even expected! (And we were really excited to try this place!) The salads were to die for! We had the fennel salad and citrus beet salad both of this world with beautiful presentations! The crostini was a pleasant surprise of two pieces, avocado pesto and ricotta honey with fennel! For our main we split the special, cod loin, which was equally delicious...but the salads and crostini...we are still talking about and craving more! Can't wait to come back when we are in town! What a great find! Sadly we dug into our salads and crostini before I could snag photos!

Celebrated my wife’s birthday here on Saturday and had an excellent time. The Sea Dogs game became a double header and they accommodated a change in reservation time without issue. We sat and the bar and felt very welcome with the bartender. He was knowledgeable about the menu and answered all of our questions. We ordered both of the specials on offer (including homemade pasta) and I had the steak. The pasta and meat were cooked perfectly and had complex flavors. The wine menu is OK, but I was happy to see Finger Lakes Riesling. We had a Sangiovese that was good but not great. For dessert, the Black Forest cake was great and having ice wine on the dessert menu is always appreciated. All around great experience and we will return soon!

Lucked out finding this place, we had tried like 3 other places for brunch all with ridiculous lines and then we saw this unassuming spot and stuck our heads in. Very happy we did, we got seated immediately. Great food, lots of locally sourced produce, I had the hash special which was made with rabbit and was excellent, the meat wasn't gamey at all and was tender with hints of red wine. They also had homemade biscuits with jam/marmalade that I still dream about. Interior decor is also fitting of a bistro atmosphere along with the Bloody Mary's and great selection of food. Next time we are in Portland this spot will be revisited to see what the new hash of the day is!

Excellent food. We did not get a reservation for our preferred time and was later than we wanted. But aren’t we glad we decided to wait! If they have the peach salad on the specials GET IT! Octopus was great and so were the croquettes. We got a seafood main which was also yum! Dessert was anti climactic by the super high standards of the rest of the meal, but still very good. The one cocktail I got was good. Recommend making reservations. PS:don’t make your decision based on these photos

The food was amazing. This was my first experience at Isa. I came based on a recommendation from a coworker who liked Isa better than Scales. The only downside wasn't anything they could control, and that is the neighborhood is a bit sketchy after dark. We really appreciate that they have their own parking!!

I'm usually reluctant to give a five star review to a restaurant after just one visit but our experience here was awesome. We came for Sunday morning brunch after the place we were originally were going to had a wait. The service was second to none with very friendly and helpful staff and the food was excellent. I had the lobster tacos which were delicious, along with the tres leches cake for dessert and the mezcal margarita cocktail. This place also has a great atmosphere with the exposed brick and tin ceilings. We definitely want to return for dinner the next time we're in Portland.

Went to Isa's for dessert and drinks. Absolutely blown away. Don't let the sketchy area deter you. Super chill vibe, great menu and great service. We had the Tres leche and Mango Marscopone cheesecake with a Bay Manhattan and Hibiscus Margarita, all excellent. If you haven't been, check it out.

The food is proper drool worthy. The staff are always friendly and attentive. I have yet to eat anything “bad” at Isa. It’s on the pricey side but worth it for a nice meal.

I don't usually write review, but Isa Bistro hit the right note on all dimensions: great food, attentive (but not smothering) service and nice ambience (comfortable but not stuffy). We were there for Friday brunch and shared the Salt Cod Fritters, the Savory Mushroom Crepe and the Short Rib Hash with Eggs. All of them were delicious and prepared just right.

Small, cozy spot with phenomenal food (the short rib special and the gnocchi were amazing), the staff are all so friendly, knowledgable and polite, and the liquor, wine, and beer selection is small, but an extremely well curated selection for the cuisine. I've seen reviews about the atmosphere being noisy, but as a tiny space serving food and drinks, with a semi-open kitchen, that comes with the territory and it is absurd to think it would be any different.

The hubs and I went here for our anniversary. Started with a blueberry champagne cocktail, had the burrata appetizer with pesto and rhubarb chutney, fennel and apple salad, ratatouille and eggplant lasagna. Everything was absolutely delicious and our server Justin was excellent! Highly recommend Isa-go try it!

The rating for Isa Bistro is well deserved. This was one of the best meals we've had. We ordered the grilled octopus, lobster and crab pasta, branzino and sides of ratatouille. Every dish was excellent and we honestly couldn't decide which one was the best. We've had octopus served in many ways around the world and we've never had octopus that almost melts in your mouth like it did at Isa Bistro. The ratatouille was more than a side dish with its vibrant flavors and we happily finished every bit of both our entrees. We capped off the meal with a deliciously light blueberry marscapone cheesecake. We will definitely reserve again the next time we return to Portland.

We came early for our reservation and the staff was very accommodating. Our waiter was incredibly helpful at answering all our questions and concerns. The food was sooo good. I want the ratatouille recipe, it was such a great take on the dish.

I love Isa. The food is so good. The vibe is relaxed. Its where I go when I have a fantastic meal in mind . Eggplant lasagna and Caesar salad for the home run !

We chose this bistro because it was open on Monday night. Wow so glad we did! My husband had the halibut special that he said was the best he has had. I had the squid ink pasta with crab and lobster which was delicious. There are some parking places which also is great. We wish the owners well.

Wow. Every item we ordered for my wife’s birthday dinner was exquisite. This focaccia bread is like a smoked cloud of wonder. Grilled octopus, tender and balanced. The fries punch above their weight, I thought they were fried in tallow or duck fat but nay. The mains were inspired, with a delicate crunch to offset the rich smoothness of gnocchi or ragu. Pleasant service and atmosphere, unpretentious but refined, really a gem that reminds of what it means to be a restaurant. A superb experience.

I love food, and have spent many years exploring culinary greatness across major food meccas, including years spent living in New York and LA, and travels across Rome, Copenhagen, Paris, London, Melbourne, and the US, trying many different meals along the way, and was grateful to have one of the best meals of my life at this spot in Portland (not my first time in the city, but my first time here). I ordered an excellently seasoned pork chop, and my dinner companion had the tagliatelle. Don't skip dessert, they clearly know what they're doing on that side of things as well. Perfect textures and flavors, with nothing overdone. I can't wait to come back.

Food was good. Very noisy, difficult to have a conversation. 3 entrees served then we waited a solid 3-5 minutes for final entree. The side dish of summer seasonal vegetables was really good. Would of loved to see an entree involving this side.

We recently dined at this restaurant. Overall, it was a positive experience. Appetizer and the dishes were enjoyable. Albeit triple chocolate cake was rather sweet.

Small little spot that changes menu often! It does have a small parking lot nearby which is convenient because the surrounding area is not the greatest with rundown buildings and interesting characters. Food was good but the price is definitely high for small portions so be warned! Service was good but the overall vibes are a bit stuffy

Excellent little spot with decent service and food. The crab cake was delicious and very light, which was nice on an otherwise hot day. The burrata, beet salad, branzino, and eggplant lasagna were also good but not super memorable. Everything was very reasonably priced, and they had an excellent bar with a lot of options and some interesting finds as well. If you are in the area, i definitely recommend

They have soulfood for breakfast. Me and my friends loved this place. I am vegetarian, so I ordered their baked eggs with parmesan and it was really good. They also have amazing breakfast cocktails including mimosa, bloody Mary. We enjoyed the ambience. They have nice seating outside and it's perfect when the weather is pleasant.

The food was very tasty. The cod fritters, the seared branzino and the coconut cream pie were delicious! The service was efficient but not very warm. While we were getting settled with our baby, the host repeatedly asked us to fold our stroller, which made us feel somewhat unwelcome as a family with two young children. Will not return with kids.

Everything was so delicious that I went back the next night to try the Caeser salad. Good quality but disappointing because the menu lists “shaved Parmesan” and they do grated Parmesan. Big difference in the texture and thickness but they should make it as listed on the menu, right anybody?!!?

We visited Isa for Valentine’s Day. Atmosphere was underwhelming, staff was very friendly, and food was good, but we weren’t “wowed”. The menu was prefixed and there was a decent variety of choices, but they ran out of one of one of the appetizers that we wanted. Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal, but when you have a prefixed menu, options are already limited so we were disappointed. Service overall good. Might return but would try other places first.