lolo

We've been wanting to try this place for a while and finally\r had an opportunity. For tapas we had the empanadas and the anchovie/olive/pepper sticks. We enjoyed both. And I have to admit, I've never had paella before, so if it was really good, maybe I just would rather my food have more flavor. The rice tasted like it was cooked in nothing but onion and tomato broth with a barely noticeable hint of saffron. The octopus and sea scallops on top were good, and probably are what made the dish for two so expensive at $37. But the four big shrimp were not good. My guess is that they were farmed shrimp and not wild caught. After paying $60 plus a tip for a once in a blue moon night out without the kid, I was pretty disappointed that the main dish and my first experience of paella was so flavorless. Pros: good service, cushioned seats Cons: The seafood paella was bland more

My wife and I have traveled extensively in Spain and it is truly unfair to judge an Spanish restaurant in America, expecting it to be identical to the food you get in Spain...its not. Many of the basic ingredients are not available (within reason) in this country (Jamon Pata Negra for instance), so at best a Spanish restaurant in the US is ""variations on a theme"". This being said a good US Spanish restaurant does what it can with whats available & Lolo gets this, (*as does Toro Bravo). Lolos paella was as good (or better) as any we have had in Spain. Everything across the board was better than expected. While not everything was true Spanish I say ""so what"", the food was great, the service was great and was a very nice dinning experience. The only thing I can find bad to say was finding a parking spot wasnt the easiest......boo hoo on my end really! BFD! more

I am not a fan of the tapas concept. Somehow, this didn't feel like that, we ordered 1o-12 plates, for four of us, plus cocktails (plenty) and our bill was crazy low. I was full and happy and the food was fresh and gorgeous to look at. The atmosphere is great and the people-watching was epic. You should take people you like here. Pros: tasty, great service, low-key Cons: we closed it down (on a Friday, at about 10:30pm) more

Always wanted to try this place and between a strong craving for spanish food and my last disappointing visit to toro bravo I visited lolo. The service was friendly and prompt. I noticed a few things on the menu that seemed strange to me (ex. american burger) but steered clear of them entirely. If you know anything about spanish cuisine you can find several authentic foods here. Between me and another we had a few glasses of wine, and tried eight different tapas for about $60, not bad. The seafood items were my favorite here. I will return. Pros: Spanish cuisine Cons: American cuisine more

Had a very nice meal last week just about ruined by an absurd wine list! The food was very good, the service was acceptable but I could not get over the lack of Oregon wines and micro brews on the list. Sure they had like two Oregon pinots but what about all the excellent Southern Oregon Tempranillos? The Spanish Temp my wife had by the glass was awful and $8 a glass! I had the one Oregon micro brew offered--they even had a Spanish beer on tap. What is it with these Portland restaurants bragging about Oregon salmon, lamb, breads, chicken, produce, etc. and matching them with foreign wines! Are you simply not aware that Oregon has over 400 wineries and produces over 20 varietals? When you went to Spain, did you order a California wine? Or a French or Italian wine? No, you had a LOCAL (Spanish) WINE!!! Why should we support your restaurant when you do not support our own State? My wife wants to go back but I will not until you open your eyes and start supporting your own state's wine industry Pros: Good food Cons: Awful wine and beer list more

I have been a fan of this place since it opened , we are so lucky to explore such fine dinning at Lolo's . Chef Rory habitually creates fresh incredible dishes every night ! Lolo's staff is fun & energetic always enticing us to try new things . Last night we had Marinated seasonal oranges, shallots with an Olive tapenade. Beautiful presentation , beautiful home made tagatelli with squash and chestnuts . Winter love in a bowl ! Every Wed. night happy hour all night ! Mike the bartender always has some new infused drink up his sleeve ! see you there ! Pros: walking dist. to my home & great service more

This is a great place a casual drink or snack. The variety of \r food is wonderful and the cocktail menu is fun. \r A real gem! \r i especially enjoy the spicy almonds and the olive and oranges!\r Pros: great food and services! great bartender more

pork empanada with avo and pineapple was great...nice pineapple finish... ceviche was light and tart...scallops dish was killer more

I happened into here with my dining partner and I was amazed that it was not full at all on a Friday night while Toro Bravo is inpenetrable and always crowded - but lolo is far better. I agree with the other reviewer who has been to Spain. I lived in Spain and this is no way Americanized, it is more the real thing than Toro Bravo which is good but mediocre in comparison. Ceviche was wonderful, chorico (Portuguese chorizo) great, gazpacho excellent. I recommend it highly. Delicious and authentic and reasonably priced. Pros: food, parking, service, value Cons: nothing more

I see people calling this the best tapas place around. True, but that doesn't go far enough. It's one of the best Portland restaurants of any kind -- based on the food, anyway. I've only been there once, and sat at a sidewalk table, so I can't comment on the atmosphere inside. The service was friendly and helpful, if a bit leisurely (which wouldn't normally be a problem but we were in a bit of a hurry). But everything we ordered was incredibly delicious and unusual. Even the burger is stupendous and super-gourmet! What a kitchen. Pros: fabulous and interesting food Cons: somewhat pricy more

I've been to Lolo three times now.The tapas and wine list are good, and the servers have always been competent (albeit harried). Harried is: greeting us (after fifteen min.), telling about the specials, and then hurrying off for more than 15 minutes before coming back to take drink orders. But it's the NOISE that got us. Last night there were six women at the bar, six at our table, and eight other people eating at a few tables. The general sound level was terrible. Each time a chair is moved there's a loud scraping sound; the fans have a hum; the hard sufaces (and it is all hard surfaces) throw it all back at you. Then there's the blender screaming behind the bar and MUSIC - I'm sorry, but each time we've been there it sounds tinny and irrelevant - it's just more reason to have to yell to be heard! You have to pay for bread and oil ($3) - OK, but if we order, PLEASE bring it sooner than in 20 minutes! Soup was served; the soup spoons arrived five or so minutes later. Our server was sweet but clearly she had no time to really see to our table. My party of six left with a total of four headaches and I actually felt bad for having subjected out of town guests to such an unpleasant experience. more

My wife and I went to lolo last weekend and were pleasantly surprised. The space is warm, friendly and fun. All the food that we ate was great. Empanadas, croquettes, a salad but let me tell you the octopus was fantastic. Unlike anything we have had before. You just got yourselves another regular customer. Thanks Lolo Pros: Dianamite tapas Cons: aspen tree prints more

I had dinner at LoLo a few weeks ago and had a terrific experience. Not that I'm condoning my actions, but my friend and I arrived shortly before closing, which I usually try to avoid. The server was a doll and did not make us feel uncomfortable or unwelcome or rushed. She recommended a great wine without breaking the bank, and was very knowledgeable about the menu. We tried some different things that normally I would be wary of and loved every dish! The anchovy, olive bites are amazing!! Great, casually nice atmosphere and fun sharing small plates made for a great evening. Pros: Great food/service! Cons: None yet! more

My review is purely based on the drinks I've had at Lolo's. My party and I did not sample any of the food. I was pleasantly surprised when I tried the Hibiscus margarita (o Jamaica en Espa?ol). It was strong and on the rocks. The service was wonderful and I enjoyed the friendliness of our bartender. I might go back and try the food (despite the bad reviews elsewhere), but the prices scare me away. If I want to pay 9 dollars for a 8 oz rita, I will make my own. more

I have enjoyed at least five meals at Lolo's, for a variety of occasions with large and small parties, and every time the service, the environment and the food have been terrific. Giorgio and Michael, his General Manager, have created a dining experience that is a nice contrast to the current list of restaurants in Portland that can't find a balance between an innovative meal, a relaxed environment and service that is warm, but appropriate. This restaurant takes risks with their menu and I appreciate that. The squid appetizer is delicious and we always order the chips. You can't go wrong with the chicken and warm potato salad and I think their unique version of Bread Pudding gives Papa Hyden a run for their money. \r \r We will keep going back. Pros: The environment, warm staff and innovative food. Cons: None. more

I just spent a year over in Spain studying the food and the wine. I went to Lolo a few weeks back and thought the food was wonderful: very flavorful and authentic. The service was wonderful as well: smart and pleasant. I just read the review about Lolo that was featured in today's Oregonian. I would have to disagree on many of the statements made by the writers. Have they lived in Spain? Have they ever been to Spain? Well, I have and the food served is VERY AUTHENTIC! Thus, to everyone who read that article, please give Lolo a chance. I had a wonderful experience and am sure you will too. Pros: The cocktails, the service, and the food! Cons: I'm married and the wait staff is gorgeous. more

We stopped in for our first visit to Lola and loved it. Every single dish was filled with so much flavor and was cooked to perfection. It was a little spendy but I'd expect that from the quality of food. more

- acoustics were so unbearably annoying, our ears rang (and the space had no ambience to offset the noise)
\r \r + server DID apologize for the noise and sympathized with us, but the din continued...\r \r - the potatoes in one entree tasted like a sub-par jo-jo (you know, the potatoes served at convenience stores along with corn dogs)-- an unfortunate first bite of a meal\r \r + the green salad that I had to order specially SAVED the meal-- I dumped the salad onto the main dish plate and dipped the bland little spuds in the tasty lemon vinaigrette \r \r - after disassembling the stack of beige rectangles on my plate, I discovered matching pork and potatoes. In the process, I tasted a bit of the bright orange sauce on the pork-- it tasted like nothing but a ""hint"" of chili powder-- had to ask myself, ""is this sauce added just for color or to ad viscosity to the meal?""-- the verdict is still undecided\r \r + the six slices of pork (exact dimensions: 1/8"" thick and rectangular 1/2"" inch x 1.5"") ere tender and juicy, but tasted like nothing aside from the piggy itself (oink oink) \r \r - the lamb served in another entree was broiled into oblivion-- the few edible portions were tasty, but the rest resembled charcoal... the potato/arugula complex was cold at first bite and less than flavorful.\r \r + the cocktails were tasty.\r \r overall review: Were we in Sweden or Spain? This was the blandest food and sub-par dining experience we have had in Portland so far... more

50 minutes after walking in and being told it was a 15 minute wait, we were seated. The host had gotten us a complimentary tapa of potato chips, and these were good, but they were also essentially just fried potatos-good but definitely not creative. The menu was reflective of standard Spanish tapas, but was limited in size, and not very different than what I can get at a lot of other restuarants (Spanish inspired or not) around here. We had the croquettes which were unique in their presentation, but tastewise were bland, and didn't hold a candle to any of the croquettes I had in Spain. For a main course I had the Farro stew. It was served much too hot, and required twenty minutes more of waiting before it was edible. When I did eat it, it tasted like cardboard, and to boot, the side bread was stale. My girlfriend had the same complaint regarding the squid with eggplant. When we asked for salt and pepper (which wasn't on the table) the server looked at us like we had ordered a side of veal to be tortured tableside. However, the bathrooms were nice. Because of all the great reviews I read, I was really expecting an amazing experience, but it did not measure up. Pros: The potato chips Cons: see above more

We weren't expceting too much but were craving Tapas so decided to try it out. We were suprise! They have perfectly cooked chips. Not too greasy, nice flavor. The calamari was not fishy and came with a sweet dip that complimented it perfectly. I had a pomagranate cosmo that was excellent! (even for $10.) Overall 3 of us ate had 2 cocktails and a coffee and it still came in under $75. We will definitely return. Pros: Good value, creative cocktails and menu Cons: Will only sit a full party. more