Expatriate

We have been ordering the diplomatic and we tell them our flavor preferences. They hit the bullseye! They tasted fruity, citrusy, strong rum flavor and creamy. So good! We love their record player. Great time, great waitress, and amazing drinks!

It took me awhile, but I finally stepped inside. Diggin' it. We only ordered a few items as we waited for our dinner reservation across the street.The Sidewinder - the only rum cocktail on the menu - was potent and satisfying. I couldn't resist the simple James Beard signature sandwich, yum.Service was accommodating and friendly. Drink price points are higher than average, but gauging by the packed interior, nobody seems to care.

Vibe ~ awesome decor, music, cozee cool. Perfectly dimmed. If you sit at the bar unwind your mind watching your bartender craft your cocktail. They are delicious. Or chillax in one of the secluded spots. Food amazing for such a small intimate bar. Pomeroy!Late nite at its best.

Can you say PRE-TEN-TIOUS?! Well then you know how I feel about Expatriate. They're pretentious. From the moment we arrived and the VERY tightly wound server/hostess in the very tight bun, told us she didn't have a 4 top. She said the booth that was open was for 5. So that began my hmmmm they want to wait instead of seating a group that's HERE. Four cleared from the bar area but we didn't want to sit NEXT to each other, we wanted to be able to engage in conversation. Which also read difficult because it's not an intimate bar. It's really loud. The employees, ALL but one who was the tallest and she had long hair and glasses, had a ticked off look. Like they didn't want to serve customers and that everyone was just an inconvenience. The girl with the glasses and long hair was VERY nice. Hence the star. Otherwise I'd have given 1. She was great. Oh and the 5 top... The male bartender joined them when he finished. Ironically... So did they just "KNOW" Someone and get in quick?? Anyway. Pretentious. The drinks were good. I tried the Clipper and our was fine but I found out the next day that I cannot stand Maraschino Liquor. Lol so not the best choice for me. But then I got The Transmission. Which was very good (queue star 2,) but I find the drinks overly complex just to be different. There are a LOT of great cocktail bars in PDX so the attitude that was served at Expatriate will cause me to choose elsewhere. Maybe it was an off night, but the staff left a bitter taste in my mouth. And I don't need to u time at a place that thinks it's too good for me.

Dropped by the other night for a drink. I hadn't been here in years so I was happy to see the dark, moody ambiance was still in effect, with the tables all full and the bar fairly packed. Love the back bar wood frame in this place. Cocktail program is still strong with interesting ingredients and combos, but I won't be getting the Avalon again:If I'd have known a tall glass of crushed ice would cost 18 bucks, I would have passed. I'd felt less burned if all the complexity the ingredient list promised wasn't just completely drowned in this giant slushie. Next time I'll get a beer. 5 stars for ambience and service, 1 star for value.

Great atmosphere, small but concise menu, ample drink options, quick and attentive service. We ordered the tea leaf salad. I've never found this in the Northwest since first trying it in the Bay Area. 10/10 would recommend. Next we got the wonton nachos. It was ample in size to share, loaded with cheese, meat and some salsa. I would give these a 9/10 because I think the wontons made them pretty heavy, but very good none the less.

I don't have the words to do this place justice. But I will try again!I am a big cocktail fan and I greatly appreciate the many excellent cocktail bars throughout Portland. But Expatriate is, by far, my most favorite of them all. I love this place!They do everything, everything, with Excellence. Their drinks are complex, creative, extremely well-crafted, and unique. And I love the back-story that their menu provides for each drink. When I opened my mind to go beyond my traditional favorites, I discovered that I enjoy their entire menu of cocktails. And after I discovered that and their menu changed, I discovered I enjoyed their new menu just as much! Of the many, many things I appreciate about Expatriate, perhaps the most is how they take the risk and they challenge themselves to reinvent their cocktail menu every three months or so. That is striking! That is striving for excellence. They've actually challenged me to open my mind to new flavors and to try again flavors I used to shun. And when I did, I discovered I like them!It's not obvious but they also have an excellent selection of Amari that are utterly delightful, truly an adventure for the senses. What I also love about this place is the atmosphere. It is stunning. It is electric. It is an adventure. Nobody does candles like Expatriate. Nobody! The bar stools are the most comfortable of anywhere I've been. Most of all, the vibe is super chill, even on busy nights. This place is unashamedly low tech. There's no phone to distract and disturb the music. There's not even any digital POS devices to ruin the candlelight. Love that!The food is just as exceptional as the drinks. I've had it all. Again the creativity and level of excellence is amazing. You think you know Nachos? You ain't seen nothing 'till you've had Expatriate Nachos. Butter and Onion sandwich? Yes! Trust James! And The American Standard is utter decadence. Truly worthy of your Last Meal on Earth! And you cannot leave Portland without having the Hot & Sour Indian Spiced Fries. The flavors are amazing and perfectly balanced. Finally, there's the music. It's played on Vinyl. Proof that, sometimes, The Old Ways Are Best. And it's backed by a professional sound system. When asked if vinyl sounds better I found myself saying this: I FEEL IT MORE. So, yeah, it sounds better! They've exposed me to music I would have never discovered on my own. I swear it's worth coming here just for the music! And it changes throughout the night. The last hour and a half of the night is golden hour for me. Wish I had a Time Machine to take me back to the glory days of German Techno ;)The service is also top-notch. Even when they are slammed, they remain calm and attentive. They are knowledgeable of their drink and food menu and always able to answer questions and give great recommendations. I especially appreciate how, as they've come to know me, they look out for me. I just read the past reviews from the Expatriate website. See the link for "Old Newspapers". It was stunning to see that what those reviewers raved about ten years ago is still just as true today! (And I sure hope they can still do the No. 8 - I'll have to ask!)So that's why I say that my every trip to Expatriate is an adventure! Can't wait to go back!

Came back again just for the tea leaf salad and it was even better than I remembered. Also got the wonton nachos this time which were good. Cocktails are expensive but well made.

This place is perfect for winter, it's so cozy and warm inside. It wasn't too crowded and the staff seated us at the bar. We were able to try a few cocktails which were all rich and delicious. We had some fries and the fried chicken sandwich, which were also really good. I'm looking forward to trying the other things on the menu.

Friends and I were visiting Portland for a couple days and we're so glad to find this spot. Cocktails were a good balance of freshness with the right amount of liquor. The food was surprisingly elevated. We really enjoyed our crab and corn noodles and shrimp toast. The service was superb. When we arrived there was a bit of a wait so we stood outside for a table to free up. The staff came out a couple times to give us an update, which we really appreciated!!