Higgins Restaurant

Excellent dinner! We just left and had a truly delicious meal. Sorry no pictures but everything was presented beautifully and the flavors did not disappoint. The dishes were thoughtfully balanced and well executed made from local ingredients. We had:- mushroom bruschetta: the sherry vinaigrette had just enough sweet and tang to complement the saltiness of the prosciutto and the frisée provided a nice fresh and slightly herbaceous touch - burrata special: the sofrito added just enough saltiness and the tomatoes gave it just enough acidity - Tuscan style Ribollita (pork stew): rustic and savory with a great broth and fantastic tender loin, pork confit and flavorful fennel sausage - Kakavia (seafood stew): my absolute favorite! The broth was outstanding and exceptional with a bright dill flavorful that wasn't too citrusy or wine forward. All the seafood was tender but the salmon was buttery and just melts in your mouth. Highly recommend. - cardamom Muhalebbi: think a looser pana cotta texture with an almost jammy apricot topping and spiced with cardamom and saffron. The perfect end to a flavorful dinner, light and tasty. Our server Shackleton was great, a real professional that was knowledgeable, friendly and offered a seamless experience. The restaurant is a mix of modern and old school steakhouse with cute and comfy seating and an open kitchen. Very clean! Looking forward to coming back.

Popped in for lunch. Felt like a business power lunch type of place with wonderful lighting, butcher paper type with a pig outlined to emphasize perhaps the farm to table vibe. Being vegetarian, I had the cucumbers, Job's Tears, spring onions and pistachios with a preserved lemon mint vinaigrette as a starter and the Cretan zucchini cakes, tzatziki, tahini spinach salad with marinated red onions and basmati rice. Nice combination of flavors, especially the latter with the salad having a bit of a spice to it. I would have it all again, though the price point is a bit high (2 people for $110 for lunch), but that may be the norm in Portland as I am visiting.

My friend and I had a great time at Higgins. We arrived at the bar between lunch and dinner service after seeing the "Monet to Matisse: French Moderns" exhibit at the Portland Art Museum. (If you live nearby, you really should see it -- it runs through September 2024.) My friend had the roasted beets & ricotta with aged balsamic vinegar and the herb roasted fingerling potatoes with a spicy rouille sauce. The beets were the best I've ever tasted. They seemed to be marinated in spices (maybe cloves?) before being roasted. The potatoes were crispy and the rouille sauce was divine.I had the warm Alsatian onion tart with a radish and radicchio salad. The onions were thinly sliced and the crust was crunchy -- no soggy bottoms!For drinks, I had two vodka martinis and my friend had an old fashioned. Both cocktails were exceptional.For dessert, we shared the strawberry shortcake. It included a cream biscuit (made with buttermilk), macerated strawberries, crystallized ginger, and a sprinkling of an herb (I'm not sure what -- maybe tarragon?). Just wow.Both of our servers were charming and attentive. Higgins totally exceeded my expectations!(Oh, and the lighting in the bathroom made me look 10 years younger -- and I hadn't even sipped my martini yet -- so that's an extra plus.)

Cozy neighborhood restaurants and bars are a dying breed. Higgins has remained a loyal and local spot for Portlanders for now what must be close to 30 years. A James Beard award winner as Best Chef Northwest, you will not find better nor more interesting dishes than my favorite restaurant in Portland. Exceptional food and service. Farm to table, everything is fresh. My go to here is always Halibut when it's on the menu. Add the garden salad with blue cheese crumbles and that takes care of a perfect evening. This particular dish tonight was spicy but delicious. A must try if you are in the downtown area.

Higgins remains at the top of my list for maintaining a classic bar menu, seasonal and local dinner menu options, excellent service, and being centrally located near most of the things that tend to bring me downtown.Our most recent visit came after a symphony performance, and after years of coming here, it remained a perfect way to cap off an evening.Belgian beers are still prominant on the drink menu, and I have yet to find anything that they did not go well with.It's nice to see that some things have not changed.

I had a good experience at Higgins. The vibe was nice & the food was pretty good! The service was also great.I was a little disappointed in the quantity of food. I got the Dungeness crab cakes & was a little hungry afterwords. They were really delicious though!I also got a glass of the red seal cask ale. It was pretty good too.Overall, great food, good service, but I was a bit hungry after eating. I'd come back here though!

The food was interesting, not normal you will find at a restaurant. I had the special dish, fish with walnuts and apples - very creative. My friend had the pasta, he said it was also creative. The razor clams were good, nice big pieces. The dessert was so so, ice cream was the best dessert. The food portion was small compare to the price they charge. Service was great. Overall, this place has creative food that you might like or don't like it.

Best burger!About an inch thick beef patty, chargrilled crunchy outside, juicy mouthwatering delicious inside, grass fed beef, between two buns with onion, pickles, cheddar cheese and applewood bacon - you will need both hands to handle and big jaw stretch to tackle a bite. Bite by bite delish! Soup of the day spaghetti squash with some Mexican spicy pepper was amazing.I walked by the open kitchen and gave the chefs thumbs up! Higgins hits another home run. We've been eating here for 20 years - it is always a treat, convivial time and culinary delight. Servers know the menus and are "jolly ho-ho-ho" near Xmas and always ready to chit-chat at that. Casual dining room in the bar or with a twist of white linen on dining room tables.Always seasonal stuff coming on the menu - creative entrées, salads and desserts!

We have just moved back to the Portland area and one of my favorite restaurants from over 17 years ago was Higgins. Nothing has changed. It is still exceptional in its execution, food quality and service levels. This review was from a couple of weeks ago, as my daughter and I went to a show at the Schnitzer, (Paramount) and of course I thought Higgins would be the perfect pre-show meal location. I chose a bar reservation, as I was wanting something a bit more casual and low key. Our table was ready for us, and we were given an excellent booth.We started with a very tasty Pinot Noir from Hyland Estates, which I was not familiar. Oh my, the perfect Burgundian style Pinot. We then each selected the classic burger. Just incredible. Perfect seasoning, and a high quality beef and bun were utilized. The accompanying salad was also perfectly dressed and tasty.Lauren could not haven been more efficient and friendly thru our dining experience. She was extremely knowledgeable of the menu and the wine options. She truly enhanced our visit to another level.Thank you Higgins for continuing to deliver excellent dining and service for so many years.

Great food, service, and ambience. The waiter even remembers us. Certainly worth the trip to an Portland landmark.