De Noche

By far, my favorite restaurant in Portland! The tasting menu (entire menu for 2) offers every single item on the menu. Every course was delicious and beautifully presented. Love the balance and variety of flavors, textures and colors of the dishes. The staff's explanations made the dining experience even more interesting. Our server Ernesto explained the origins of the dishes in Mexico and how the chef transformed them. Great learning experience about Mexican cuisine each time I visit De Noche. All the staff are very friendly and fun. They have a great Mexican wine list, and their mezcal-based cocktails are top-notch. While I love their sister restaurant, Republica, De Noche has a livelier, more casual and comfortable vibe, which I prefer.

The food continues to be innovative and delicious. The snap peas were our favorite dish. The crema, crunchy chili sauce, and perfect peas made this dish rich with texture and flavors. The quesadilla filled with asparagus, mushrooms, and cheese was earthy in flavor and worked perfectly with the pureed beans. The chef changes her mole recipe every week and this version did not disappoint. The halibut was cooked perfectly and the mole was exceptional. I highly recommend!

We really enjoyed our meal at De Noche and it reminded us of the delicious food we had recently in Mexico City. Everything was spot on although I wish the Elote soup was a smidge warmer. The birria was great!

Restaurant team went out of their way to make my group birthday dinner extra special. We felt like pampered queens from start to finish. The chef's menu allowed us to try everything they offer and we added on a mezcal flight as well. Highly recommend!

Our first time here and we just loved it. The atmosphere, the service and food were excellent. We opted for the tasting menu for two and enjoyed the ingenuity, the favors and quality of ingredients. I also felt the price was extremely reasonable. I have not had this level of Mexican cuisine since dining at Rick Bayless' restaurant in Chicago. I can't begin to name the dishes we had, but the sauces were extraordinary. We will definitely be returning!

Overall, 10/10 out of this world food. I love Mexican food and have tried several variations. We were super impressed with the Pacific Northwest twist. Appreciate the quality of the ingredients and the thought behind the flavors. Now we will be dreaming of this food going back to Arizona.

This review is for DeNoche. What a hidden gem of a restaurant. I would have preferred to have an online menu, but Yelp helped get an idea of what we were in for. The $145 prix fixe for two people seemed steep, but honestly getting as many courses as you do, we were full and still took food home. We started off with a sopa - not shared. It was a hit and really set the tone for the rest of the dishes. Next was the ensalata, which I'm going to be dreaming about for some time. It was a prohibition time caesar dressing with kalettes and hit your palette like a grand symphony. We also had short rib birria, which were not as tender as I was expecting, but still flavors were all there. Followed by a butternut squash sope, then raw fish crudette, salmon mole, and then a delectable dessert of fried banana donuts and caramel. Service was great, ambiance was cozy and quiet, and the mocktails were delicious. I got a pineapple, ginger beer, and bitters which was tart, sweet, and complimented the food well.

Update from previous review. We decided to give them another shot. Yesterday I walked in upon opening just hoping they would have availability and was laughed at. Tried the next day and they said they could fit us in but upon looking at their menu it had shrunk allot and while they can make the few items they make vegetarian they sounded awful. Sadly we left.

It was too bad we had been eating our way through Oregon for a few days, and didn't arrive super hungry. Everything was precious and perfectly executed, if very expensive. It's art, that goes in your mouth! I've attached a menu. If the prices look good to you (these are small plates), then I highly recommend. Bring a friend or two so you can try more things.

If I could give it more than 5 stars I would. Best authentic, creative, flavorful meal I've had in a while. Margaritas were outstanding. Crew, Chef-all brilliant: welcoming, warm and excellent service. Be back soon and thanks.