Grand Amari

The service was attentive and the server helped explain certain parts of the menu like the portion sizing. It is a small area for dining but I was in a large group and the restaurant was fairly empty. We almost had the whole place to ourselves. I enjoyed the food, I ordered the steak and tried the orecchiette ragú with sausage. I asked for my steak medium and they were able to accommodate it. It was my first time here, I really liked the decorations and the lobby area.

Came here for a dinner date night and end up eating somewhere else :( the ambiance was great - a good balance of dim lighting and big open windows. Service was okay, the server was very nice but he appeared to be the only one. The old fashioned was very good!The menu was a little underwhelming so we decided to start with dessert first. The dessert menu looked impressive and we ended up going with the chocolate torte per the servers recommendation. It was horrible... the "torte" tasted like a store bought brownie. The marscapone cream was not good unless you got the little sprinkles of caramel on top. Feeling like that was a sign for an already underwhelming dinner menu we decided to go somewhere else.I give it a 3 because I can't actually speak to the main menu.

I wanted to like this place, but unfortunately I don't.I'll start with the good:- Great ambience, and love the interior decor;- The bar area looks cool;- The branzino dish is amazing, and the fennel salad that came with it is top notch;- Yummy focaccia and it's only $4 per order.Here is what completely SUCKED ASS:- Squid ink pasta is AWFUL - first off, the squid ink is not infused in the pasta. For some reason, it was in the form of a sauce. Secondly, the noodles were OVERCOOKED and the texture was weird. Might as well call it a 'dead squid pasta';- The crusted ribeye wasn't crusted enough and it needed to be seared more - it's like they also didn't timely take the steak out of the sous vide (it's not that hard);- Arancini is overly DENSE and DRY - I don't eat this variation of risotto much, but honestly I won't be eating this going forward for sure.Sorry, Portland, you can't have it all (insert shrug)

Came here on a Saturday evening with some friends after hearing about the grand opening on social media. We were greatly disappointed at the quality of food. The service was amazing, however the food was not up to standard. We started off the night by ordering the Arancini which was bland. The focaccia bread was pretty good when paired with the olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. We then got the crusted ribeye which was sous vied but not seared enough on either side so it had a very interesting chewy texture. The squid ink pasta was also lacklustre and flavourless; the pasta was limp and over cooked, and you could not taste any reminiscent of the squid ink in the sauce. The grilled branzino was very tasty and well cooked, this was the highlight of our meal! It was served with a parsley and fennel salad on the size which paired well and brightened up the dish as a whole!We also noticed there were many unfinished plates of pasta from other tables left over, which could have been an omen. The service was great and the waiter was very friendly and attentive. However we ultimately had an incredibly disappointing meal and were left feeling dissatisfied and hungry. For the price and quality this place is not worth the hype. Parking: Paid street parking, or valet from hotel

Food is hit or miss, which is a shame because we really enjoyed the service and atmosphere. Alcohol selection also impressive. Perhaps some of it is just working out the kinks to being a newly opened restaurant. We enjoyed the bread, marinated olives and arancini.The pasta was lacking in flavor/depth. And Fritto misto was fried in a fashion that I wasn't used to seeing for Italian. Perhaps just a unique bend but while the ingredients were fresh the fry style seemed to take away from it.Will give it some more time before returning to reassess.

Finally got to visit last night and they did not disappoint! Everything was cooked perfect and had impeccable flavor. My husband and I visited on a Friday with 5:30pm reservations and it was perfect timing. We were sat at our table and really got to take a look around. Love the open kitchen and the wine displayed. Good lighting, not too dark or light. We ordered the scallop, artichoke and spicy greens to start. Then moved to tortelli stuffed with a lemon garlic ricotta. That ricotta was light and creamy, melt in your mouth!!! So good!! We also got the pork Milanese and the porcini crusted ribeye with a side of the lemon potatoes. Then for dessert we had the tiramisu and a dark chocolate cake with cherry in the middle. It even had little gold flakes. So tasty!! I usually will have at least one negative, but I'm telling you these were all cooked to perfection. Absolutely delicious. We will be back again and I will say I would not come back without having the pork, potatoes and the tortelli. Don't be intimidated by the pork sauce being thick, spread it alllll over!! Everywhere. It was amazing and so flavorful. Those were my favorite of what we had. In the photos you will also see the bottles of bubbles and wine we had with dinner. Our waiter recommended each, and was on the money there as well!

A new restaurant. I really wanted it to be good - this is a finer dining restaurant. Not opulent but amazing wine list, cozy settings, and a solid menu. The run down: Service. Five stars. Our server was wonderful. She was knowledgeable, helpful and had a sense of humor. Without her the review would probably be three stars. Cocktails/alcohol - five stars. A great wine list and the martinis were perfect. Desert- four stars. Panna cotta and tiramisu. Very good. Main course. This is where it's spotty. - three stars. I had the pork - what you get is a cutlet that has been pounded and breaded. Usually this means super tender. Mine was over cooked- the underside was almost burnt. The pasta dishes were solid, but not super flavorful. The Cacio e Pepe was a little weird given the past was long tubes(not typical). Appetizers. Five stars. The focaccia is the bomb and other choices excellent. Great setting. Great service. Great drinks. Main course needs some work, but this place is worth a visit as it price points are reasonable and I suspect they will get better over time.

Our first try after reading the article about spin off of Olympia Provision.I would give 3.75 if the service was a bit faster. Also seating was in the middle of the operation (behind the host and cash register), and it was hard to talk. If you can sit by the windows or corner space, it would be better. I think it would be better to go to the bar section (inside the hotel) and order food from the restaurant. Food was good portion and I have no complains. The fish dish was awesome. I would come back for it. Cocktails were cute and good Italian wine selection. We were too full to try dessert but we can come back for them next time or spend some time at cafe.

This place wasn't amazing when it opened but OH MY GOD, whatever they did to make it better it's the best refined "fancy" Italian food in Portland by far. I would eat here every week if I could. And the service? Literally the kindest and most attentive.

PROS* Server was friendly and helpful.* Pasta dish was good. * Affogato was good.* Music was soft and did not overwhelm the dining experience.CONS* Only one server, with no fewer than 20 people in restaurant so service was slow.* Duck breast was not sliced properly and over cooked.* Restaurant in painted in grey colors with low lighting.* Not a great area. Walked by what appeared to be a drug deal, 2 people sleeping on the street and people sitting outside an establishment south of the restaurant smoking cigarettes.