The Painted Lady

This was our second visit in the past few years. If anything, the restaurant has improved. We brought our son and fiancé for a celebration. Perfect food and service.
Come with an empty stomach and don’t have too much wine before. Be prepared to be a little confused by the menu — but they explain it quickly.
A unique high end dining experience for most people, I would think.

It’s been a few years since we dined there. They have really upped their game as of late. It’s such a great thing to experience a chef who’s still refining and trying new things, believing his best days are still ahead of him. We went all in with the Chef’s Omikasse meal. It did not disappoint. Foie two ways, Dungeness crab with miso custard, duck and lamb courses were especially memorable.

We enjoy fine dining so for this years wedding anniversary we stayed local.
It is a little gem in a pile of coal and you would not give it a second look or possibly a look at all if you drove by. Even though this city block is just one away from the main street which is full of gift shops, wine tasting, and other restaurants, many homes in the area of the Painted Lady are quite run down.
The interior of this two story home was remolded with old charm of yesteryear. Imagine a horse and buggy bringing you to such a restaurant accompanied by other high society patrons. When men wore top hats and ladies carried umbrellas to shade from the sun. The interior will bring you to this period.
We knew what to expect during our dining experience… and this is how it went… Our first tasting was literally two ounces of soup on/​in a 14 inch plate. That was not a good first impression. Understanding this was a ‘tasting menu’ but two tablespoons was not enough to fully taste and distinguish flavors. All I found was it to be bland. The following courses were better portions where I could distinguish flavors and textures. Everything after the soup was delightful. My husband and I had the opposite of what was offered that evening so we were able to taste more of the selections. If you leave your table, there is always someone to offer your chair. My husband waved the gentleman away because he was not going to have a guy pull out his chair and seat him like a gentleman seating a lady. I just smiled.
Getting to the end of dinner I felt overwhelmed with sweets. Before dessert we had a dish that would of been a wonderful dessert in it’s self. Just a hint of sweetness, wonderful textures and flavors… but then came Chocolate Peanut-​butter layered cake, more like a heavy mousse, among other chocolate flavors. I enjoyed this with their house coffee and it couldn’t get better then this. I should of ended my meal right there but… I wanted to try everything to experience everything. I was getting nauseous. It was a nice ending to dinner two plates ago… thought we were finished… another plate was brought out with different bite size confections. I had a taste of two. Not a good idea for me. My husband on the other hand finished most of them. The two wrapped salted caramels we offer to a little girl at the next table.
From the meal, experience, service, and the bill, the evening was what we expected except the overwhelming servings of sweets. There are many aspects to each plate, and service topnotch, In comparison to other award wining restaurants in Portland I feel the Painted Lady is on the very high end of the price scale.
It is nice to see a local business that is on the ‘map’, doing so well and recognized by Forbes.

Painted Lady has grown up while I wasn’t looking. Serious food and drink, serious prices, ambience nice but lagging a bit behind (I mean, it’s just a nicely renovated Victorian in Newburg…). I think it may be the best restaurant in Oregon. Certainly the chef seems to see himself playing on the national stage. No a la carte menu, just a choice of 7 or 9 course tasting menus. And a wine pairing of extraordinary, eye-​opening wines, spendy but highly recommended.
From a luscious and interesting trio of amuse bouchée, a clever but underwhelming sous vide egg yolk on crisp crackers, through heavenly sweet breads with gnocchi, to butter poached black cod, and on to cheeses and deserts. The combo of cheese, sorbet, desert and filled chocolate with the check was a little heavy in toto, but overall this was a meal to remember. And of the wines, several were truly amazing.

Arriving at the restaurant we were greeting warmly by the maitre d’, who personalized our visit, the celebration of our anniversary. He spent some time interacting, making the evening start as a very special experience. Our server arrived and was also being friendly, helping us with the menu, telling us about the restaurant. That continued until we decided not to order wine. At that point he seemed to shut off, deciding we weren’t worth his time or attention, no longer being a big ticket item. How do I know this? I have ten years as a fine dining server. But you decide: He returned to take our order and was pushy and rushed us. He stopped by one time during our seven course meal for a perfunctory check-​in. Meanwhile, the couple next to us received lots of his attention — schmoozing, humor, making sure their dining experience was wonderful — and, of course, they ordered wine. I thought maybe it’s just me, my high standards as a server, but my sweetheart remarked she felt the same way. And that’s the sad part. She was really looking forward to a special night and his greedy mind and bad attitude left her feeling like she didn’t matter. As we left the restaurant he said a fake and polite «Thank you» while the server assistant held the door for us, a young man who wished us a thoughtful «Happy anniversary». Dear Painted Lady management, you have great food and some wonderful staff, but it is not enough to make up for the disrespect we received throughout our meal from this server. I will not come back.
David Jacob

This is definitely a «fine dining» experience. Beautifully paced and expertly served meal with truly great flavors and presentations. Foodies will find subtle flavors in every bite worthy of discussion. The method of delivery, as some have mentioned, is not the best part of the meal — it lacks texture, or, the textures are weirdly out of balance with flavors and presentation. The portions are small, but if its about the flavors for you, you’ll be quite happy. If you need Steak House sized plates of food, go elsewhere. The atmosphere is more formal than norm for the region but as a person who appreciates the formalities I felt perfectly at home.

This is Willamette Valley fine dining.
We had a unique opportunity to dine on a Wednesday evening while they were offering their Experimental Dinner Series. No options on the menu. We were fully in their hands for this dining experience. They totally delivered.
The staff is very aware of the details. My spouse and I arrived separately for dinner but they were already aware of both of us. They called us earlier in the week to discuss dietary restrictions.
I will focus on the highlights or this review could go on forever. The service touched and interacted with our table in just the right way. We were never wondering where the staff was but we never felt like anyone was hovering near our table.
When the asparagus hit the table I knew we were in for a treat. Did they arrange the asparagus so each spear was pointing a different direction? Yes they did. Was the asparagus crunchy but cooked and fresh and presented on a plate that looked like it was designed for asparagus? Yes it did.
Spring time rabbit two ways? Yes, please. They just nailed this dish. Words can’t properly capture the texture/​flavor of a unique Willamette valley spring-​time dish like this one.
And I would like my dessert shaped like an easter basket please. I want sorbet and cheesecake for the easter eggs, in a waffle cone basket, with a chocolate handle.
Yes, they delivered on that dessert.
For me, this is a special occasion type restaurant. They are only open for dinner. I didn’t know how excellent this experience was until I saw it for myself.

This is where kings and queens go to dine. It is where you have the elite of elite service, exceptional food, and atmosphere. The evening is a delight to your senses and is entertainment in itself– lasting at least 3 hours.
Since this fabulous service and artistic food is so carefully and mindfully created for each guest, it does come with a hefty price tag. Anticipate on spending anywhere from $ 240 – 450 on dinner for two. The higher end would include the chefs experience menu and wine parings for each course.
Each point of contact with the painted lady you are treated with the best care as a customer: when booking they ask if you are celebrating anything, and will mention it again when you arrive. They greet you by your last name, «Hello Mr. And Mr. Hansen, happy anniversary». There is a server as well as another individual who brings the food, a bartender, another who pours water. New silverware is brought between each course and there is not rushed by many means.
Both times I have gone we have done the chefs experience, which is the chefs menu that is not written down and can be a bit of an adventure! The food is sourced locally, and the servers name the farms where the food was harvested from. They use organic and the freshest and finest ingredients. Typically there is three appetizers, two main courses, and two dessert courses. The portions are small and are little masterpieces. You will not leave hungry.
If you are looking for a memorable evening and want to impress, do not hesitate and go to the painted lady. You will not be disappointed.

Reminiscent of 90’s «fine dining». Staff wearing suit and ties and 10 course tasting menu finished with a chocolate soufflé. Chef was heavy-​handed with salt and the progression was confusing. Pretentious and boring — fortunately the staff was fantastic. Skip The Painted Lady and dine at Jory instead.

So… you’re in Oregon’s wine country — the sloping hills of Yamhill and the Chehalem valleys surround you. You are seeking a top notch dinner after you have played sommelier for the day. You have already indulged at Thomas Keller’s French Laundry restaurant in another popular wine destination and are having a difficult time finding a fine dining experience in Pinot country. Look no further than The Painted Lady. The dining experience and wait staff are equally incredible. The food is delicious, memorable, multifaceted, and exquisite. I would greatly recommend the wine pairing to go with the tasting menu. The wines are well thought out and pair with the courses to perfection.
For a special occasion or if you can splurge on a $ 200 per person meal, without hesitation I would recommend this spot.
You will be glad you did.

Walking into The Painted Lady is like entering a time machine. You are transported back to the 1930’s, with the ambience, music and service that you imagine existed in those bygone days. Then there is the food: I felt like licking each Christoff Hotel plate (& they also made the same sterling silver utensils) before it was taken away. This was an eight course meal with wine pairings, delivered with exquisite service by very personable staff. Each dish was a surprise of new flavors and evidence of the chef’s creativity. The wine was good and it was cool to compare so many different varieties at the same meal. Towards the end, just when you think the courses are done, we were not disappointed when another arrived. The Painted Lady is expensive, but well worth it for the experience she delivers.
In my honest opinion, we don’t go to restaurants like this all the time., The last time I remember having a 5 star service, was probably while we’re cruising in large oceans, and in some parts of our European trips, during the last 3 years.
You want to propose to your GF, bring her here! You both will be pampered!

We had a fabulous experience at The Painted Lady. The chef’s selection menu, and the wine pairing, were sensational. As good as I’ve experienced anywhere in the world, including similar level restaurants in London, Paris, Milan, Sydney, Perth and Copenhagen. The kitchen is clearly passionate about its food, and knows how to develop the best out of the well chosen ingredients. The quality and variety of the paired wines is also stunning. The staff were excellent too — attentive, but not intrusive or overbearing. Chef Donald in the kitchen, and Matt, the sommelier, deserve special mention. Truly fabulous food.

I took my parents here for dinner early spring 2015. It has always been my favorite restaurant, this particular dining experience was better than ever before. It was a «chef’s choice» evening of unexpected plates and pairings. At least 10 courses (I lost count at some point) were perfectly paired with impeccable service, amazing hand crafted unique cocktails, and beautiful wines. Thank you Allen, Jessica and TPL team for such an amazing experience!

Really top notch fine dining experience. I made reservations thru Open Table about 6 weeks in advance for our 9 year anniversary on a Wednesday.
It’s a short walk from our house so we wandered over and arrived right at 5. It is in a pretty Victorian home. Our server, Matthew who is also the sommelier was fabulous. The service in general was excellent and seamless. We had the tasting menu– it was $ 85/​pp and took a perfect 2 hours. The star for me was the corn and shrimp bisque– but everything was great.
Overall it was a lovely experience and we will be back for another special occasion.

This was our fifth time at the Painted Lady. There is a reason we always return. We took our dear friend there for his birthday and had the chefs tasting menu with wine pairing. What a treat. Every dish was a work of art. There was so much food that we couldn’t eat the second part of the dessert, so they insisted on packing it to go.
This is clearly the best restaurant in the wine country.

Known as the best (most expensive) eating in the area and it lives up to the reputation on all accounts. The tasting menu is wonderful. The cheese and then the pallet cleanser were outstanding. Really worth the trip alone. Not that the rest was shabby, all courses were very very good.
The service was (I have to say it) outstanding. Almost too much but it did not cross the line. Our waiter was always around and very well informed but there were lots of other helpers coming and going. Water always full.
Wine pairing was very nice.
The serving sizes seemed small but by the time we were done we all were very full. But we had been wine tastings all day. We did hear one customer (a farmer from North Dakota) feel there was not enough food so plan accordingly.
2011 Argile sparkling

I have had the pleasure of dining at The Painted Lady twice in the past 6 months and the restaurant really has proved how classic dining can still be.
A venue to relax and allow the kitchen to send your table a set 9 course menu including Beef, Oysters, Caviar, Soufflé and Foie Gras… A bit ‘1990s Paris’
It deserves ample time (2 – 3 hours), an eye for rich food and classic wine (wine stewards/​servers are well versed on the Willamette Valley offerings). Fairly priced bottles and by the glass wines plus cocktails offered before dinner. I considered these two meals good value at around $ 200 per person all inclusive each visit.
The Painted Lady reminded me of some quaint country house restaurant in rural Europe. Nicely executed experience all round.

Celebrated our 3^rd year anniversary here… we had the 7course dinner with wine pairing. It was amazing and wonderful experience. Great food and service!

This restaurant is highly recommended. Hats off to the chef. The food is spectacular and the service is great. I highly recommend going with the Chef’s tasting menu for $ 125. It varies by day but some examples of what the chef’s menu included on the evening I dined here (in addition to the rest of the regular menu items) were oysters, salmon tartare, seared and mousse foie gras, wagyu beef, and chocolate soufflé. Definitely all worth it. Give yourself about 3.5 hours if you go with the chef’s menu. Give yourself about 3 hours with the regular menu. The standout item for me was the Dungeness crab on miso custard with dashi broth. It is so craveworthy and typically remains on the menu. Many vineyards and tasting rooms in the area close around 5PM so when you make your reservations here, take that into account if that is part of your day. I will definitely be back.

Finally got the chance to go to Newberg and try this highly recommended restaurant, and it lives up to the recommendations. Love the space — beautifully renovated home. We were set in the Private dining room upstairs — the brown color of the walls was nice, but seemed to make the room a little dark. I highly recommend using the large bathroom upstairs — cool space.
The service was impeccable and very curious. I love staff that are intimate with the food preparation and what the influence of the chef staff have on the menu. We were there for Valentine’s Day and the prix fixe menu was superb. Some of the stand outs in my mind were the tortellini and rabbit, the pistachio encrusted smoked filet mignon. The meal was perfect.
I recommend trying the pimento ginger beer Moscow mule cocktail — very nice. We will definitely be returning for another memorable night out.