Grolla Restaurant & Wine Bar

The experience was nothing short of exceptional! My fiancee and I shared the Chef's table with good friends last weekend. The opportunity to have the chef cook dishes especially for you, suited to your tastes and allergies is a true treat. We had five courses with wine. The owner, Chris, picked out wines to match with each course. The chef, Rudy, created a different dish for each of the four of us for each and every course. They were all amazing. It's an experience you'll not soon forget! Pros: Creative, Intimate, Chef's Taster more

Warning: Do not go to Grolla unless you want it to become your new favorite restaurant and a regular haunt!! The service was just right - attentive without overbearing - I swear that Mario was a mind reader!!. The food was excellent - flavors combined to make a truely remakable dionner, and the owner/chef Chris paired the perfect wines with each course. The ambience is perfect for a romantic evening or the perfect night out with friends. Overall one of the best restaurants I have been to in the past 25 years!!! Pros: Ambience, Service, Food more

Anniversary Dinner. The restaurant looks great We were quickly welcome and promply seated. The waiter was professional and attentive, he expalined the menu and suggested the perfect wine. The chef came out from the kitchen and discussed the preparation with me and my husband. He asked many question about our taste and likes and dislikes, allergies and preferences. The food was fantastic, the service was great, the ambience was unforgettable. The experience was great. We reccomend this small restaurant to anyone looking for a romantic relaxing dinner with a very good wine list. We will be back and we will suggest this place to all our friends. Thank you for this special monent, Chris, Chef D and Mario THANKS YOU for the special evening. Thanks. Christina and Robert Pros: romantic, cozy, good wine selection Cons: , too small for parties, small tables more

We sat at the Chef's Table and had a seven course meal with friends. This was an amazing experience. The food was wonderful and creative and the service was top-notch. This wasn't just a meal, but an experience. My husband and I agreed that this was the best meal we've had in many years. More Portland restaurants should take a cue too on the outstanding, attentive service. The owner treats you like a family member and you can tell that he TRULY wants you to have a great time. Kudos too to the Chef and Mario! Pros: Great food, Superb service, Excellent value more

Exactly what a meal should be - a long, drawn out, sit down affair with the owner and Chef taking care of our every need. The meal was hearty, the company delightful and informative, and the wine damn good. All in all, an experience good for the heart, stomach and soul. Thank you! more

My partner and I went for a special night out, and chose Grolla based on the many great reviews (including the wine list). We were bowled over by the experience! We were greeted at the door by the owners, who sat us in an intimate corner with a great view of the restaurant, and it felt like within minutes we were at home and among friends. For the meal we chose the chef's menu, and he came and spoke with us about our likes and dislikes, and then created culinary works of art from start to finish of 5 courses. I am vegetarian, but my partner is not, and the chef made flavorful and enchanting dishes for both of us. Pros: Parking, Ambience, staff more

The service was painfully slow. We waited for almost an hour for our meal. When our plates finally arrived, the flavor was bland and utterly uncreative. And the portions were miserably small. For the price, we expected to be dazzled. We were not. Pros: decor, location, seating staff Cons: , portion, price more

Four years ago I wrote a raving review for Grolla and since have been several more times. Each time we loved it and we would go more often but with two young children you do what you can.\r \r Last night was a special ocassion so we made it back and the food was wonderful. Still one of the best meals in town. If I was just rating on the food, a five would not be high enough.\r \r Where they fell completely short was on the service. I saw Chris, the owner, in the kitchen but not in the dining room. This is a mistake. His two servers could not handle six two tops. We knew we were in trouble when a bottle of water was put on our table and the server did not bother to fill the glasses before setting it down. He did pour the first glass of wine but after that we were on our own. We waited forever (15 mins or more) for our entree plates to be cleared. I am our creme brulee was warm coming out of the kitchen but it took him so long to get it to us that it was cold. Same story waiting for coffee refills, the cups sat empty for a long time. As I looked around everyone was getting the same lack of service.\r \r Now I like to linger - I just prefer to do it without looking at dirty dishes and with a full cup of coffee. Time between course is appreciated. The food rises to the occasion of a top notch place. The problem is I get better service at the local rib joint down the street. For $26 a plate you don't expect to be tempted to clear your own table. Pros: Food and wine list Cons: Lack of service more

This place is worth checking out. The owners and chef get in on the personalized service which was AMAZING. Romantic comfortable decor, but still could be kid friendly (with well behaved kid). You are addressed by name throughout the meal, and the tasting menu is a good deal, especially with wines! Chef prepares these dishes to order...for several courses my husband received one dish and I another (salads, pastas, desserts) so there's lots of opportunity for sharing and tasting. Our 2nd course grilled seafood was off, but the salads were magnificent. Pasta with figs needed something salty or smoky to balance the sweetness of the figs. Wild boar with polenta was AMAZING as was Rabbit Confit...a lovely herbal delicious dish! Put this on your MUST GO list...it's out of this world and very reasonable for all you will get. Was fun talking with the chef too! Pros: Personalized Service, Interesting Food!, Candlelight & Comfort more

I have a suspicion that we were at the same seating as the last reviewer, however, we enjoyed our meal immensely. Each course on the prix fixe menu was well prepared and paired with a perfectly chosen wine. The meal was paced very comfortably. Service was attentive without being intrusive. The salad had a very surprising dressing, a fragrant orange blossom vinagrette. A delight! The smoked tomato bisque had a great balance and depth of flavor. The scallop appetizer was sublime. The scallops had a wonderfully flavorful crust from searing in balsamic. Most definitely NOT sand! The wild boar entree was incredibly succulent. It melted in my mouth. Dessert was a positively decadent flourless chocolate cake. A perfect ending to the meal. The evening's only low point was the distraction provided by a couple who spent the whole evening arguing. Thankfully they left early with their dessert. Pros: Wonderful food, Attentive Service, Intimate more

If you are tired of restaurants that are trendy because of their patrons rather than the food, then Grolla is the place for you. My wife and I just had a terrific dinner there. We decided to go with the Chef's Taste with the Wine tasting option. Chris talked to us like we were old friends while he determined our likes and dislikes. The food was terrific. The main ingredients truly are showcased and are not hidden behind butter, cheeses, or anything else. The wine tastings were perfect and adventurous. We would have never chosen the wines had it not been for Chris. Grolla is an intimate, homey restaurant that is all about the food and your companion and less about what people are wearing and who they are with. We definitely recommend that you break out of the Pearl and head for Grollas. Pros: intimacy, personal attention, imaginative food more

Outstanding food, service and ambience in a somewhat hard-to-find location. Everyone very friendly and staff --including owner Christopher Lachmann -- takes time to explain menu items, wine choices and other little things that make an evening memorable. Locally owned and operated. This young man could give lessons to some of the big boys. This restaurant is in the Higgins', Wildwood and BlueHour category. A marvelous way to begin a seductive evening. Pros: great food, great service, interesting ambience Cons: very friendly more

Superb food, genuinely friendly staff, pleasantly rustic setting (except the restroom, which is a notch below rustic). But the place is overwhelmed when full. 40 minute (!) wait between courses. Table not cleared between courses. Two wines served during 5-course tasting menu by someone who knew nothing about them because knowledgable person was too busy. A great experience if you are prepared for delay and some rough edges. Pros: superb food, friendly, pleasant setting Cons: slow service if full more

I couldn't have been happier with the evening at Grolla. It was my wife's birthday and Chris, Peter, and the rest of staff really made us feel special. Peter, the chef, came out with a note pad and asked if we had any preferences or allergies. The whole meal was tailored to our desires. Chris and the rest of the staff stop by frequently to fill your wine and make sure you are enjoying yourself. Do the 5-course! Food and service were outstanding, not to mention the accoustic guitar player. Very nice! Pros: Personal Attention, Ambiance, Food and Drink Cons: None in my book more

After reading the reviews from this site, my boyfriend and I decided to visit this restaurant for our two year anniversary. We were not disappointed! Luckily, though, we made reservations. There wouldn't have been a table waiting for us if we hadn't. I felt very at home inside Grolla and I just loved the flawless guitar player! The owner was great, too. He even pulled a chair up to our table to chat for a few minutes. This place comes highly recommended. Pros: live music, extensive wine list, intimate Cons: tiny floor more

Unique flair, a true overseas feel. You will receive a plate of fresh fruit at the start of your meal (on the house) Pros: location, outside seating, great wines Cons: trimet bus noise more

I was very pleasantly suprised with our evening at Grolla. Both the owner and chef refquented our table and were great additions to the evening. The food was amazing, best meal I've had in a long time.... more

I lived in Italy for almost 5 years and have never found a Portland restaurant that comes this close to the authentic cusine I fell in love with. Their menu selection is wonderful and even the owner Chris was quite helpful in describing the items I was not as familiar with. Service, Food, Atmosphere, it all will bring me back again and again. Pros: Food, Service, Owners Cons: Location, no lunch more

Wow! Grolla makes me feel at like a friend's house. Chefs are very friendly and they creat dishes from your feeling on the day. Chef Peter's dishes are truly creative. If you want to order a 10-12 course meal, you may need more than 3 hours to finish. But it's worth it! They also have wonderful live music on Sat. One more thing, you need a light jacket at night because the doors are opened. Pros: very good foods, friendly atmosphere Cons: limited seating more

I don't know who dvineinters is, but they have Grolla all wrong. The food is great, the wine list is well rounded, and some of the best prices I've seen in Portland. The special menu changes every week...Chef Peter puts a lot of work and love into the menu items. I love the fact that the plates are not crowded with expensive, exotic ingredients to drive sale prices higher. The menu descriptions are straightforward and do not use all those ""froofy"" terms to throw off diners. I love Grolla! Pros: Food, Decor, Prices! Cons: Street Parking more