Giorgio’s Restaurant

Delicious fare — from appetizers, to main course, to desserts — in a charming environment. Attentive, friendly service; very informative in explaining the unique dishes. Bustling but quiet atmosphere, in a great location (NW Hoyt and 12^th). We had a party of four, including two vegetarians, and all of the dishes were sumptuous. This was our first visit, but we will absolutely be regulars in the future. (PS… I find the reviews calling the owner/​waiters rude highly suspicious; we were welcomed and treated like family. We even spoke with the owner after dinner, and he was positively charming and gracious.)

Delicious, authentic Italian cuisine. Seasonal fare. Homemade pasta was superb. Comfortable setting. Excellent personal service by owner. Worth the price. Will definitely return.

My partner and I met some friends here for dinner and found it to be a very charming place! Great for a small group of friends. We had the wild boar pasta, delicious mushroom soup and the pasta with prosciutto that was very good and unique. I think our waiter was the owner, and he gave us complimentary dessert and extraordinarily kind service. I recommend this spot. Also, a large party was there this evening and it looked like a great spot to host an event.

A very limited menu, surly staff, and food so terrible it almost defies description. I had the butternut squash ravioli. The ravioli were tough and leathery; the edges of the ravioli were almost sharp. Way beyond chewy. The squash filling was grainy, watery, and totally unseasoned. Inedible. Husband had the fish special, served lukewarm with flabby fatty skin and not a drop of sauce or seasoning. He also had the appetizer portion of chestnut pasta with duck meatball. Both were just horrible. The duck meatball was cold in the center because it was uncooked — bright pink. The pasta was a globby, flavorless, tasteless mess. The meal was over $ 100 and we stopped and bought a frozen Stouffers mac ‘n’ cheese and heated that up in our hotel room as soon as we got back from the restaurant. Far and away, with no real competition, this was the single worst meal I have ever been served in a restaurant — anywhere, any year. Saturday night and only two tables occupied — we should have realized there was a reason.

Everything was simply delicious! The wild boar Ragu and fish of the day special were both amazing!

Looking for a lovely place for dinner to catch up with old friends. This charming spot knocked it out of the park! Our East Coast living guest said that the scallops were the best he’d ever had. My pasta was delicate and the wait service was superb. This place should’ve busier & have the best ratings!

Admittedly we went with a groupon, which was 42 $ for a «60 $ value.» Result: bad service, too salty inedible porkchop (no replacement offered), we went away hungry. Hors d’oeuvres was two pieces of bread. The gnocchi were really good though!

Extremely tasty evening with coworkers here. We had a range on entrees that all had really nice flavor profiles and depth. We also had a few crostini which hit the spot as well. Definitely recommend the pappardelle with wild boar and the gnocchi with Dungeness crab.
The service was also superb. Our waiter was very attentive, helped with options for guests that had special requests and our meals were served with no delay.
I also enjoyed the ambience and feeling of a neighborhood place that was just fun and comfortable.
We’ll definitely go back.

An enigma. I think the location/​façade has truly masked this gem. Externally, Giorgio’s is non-​desript but once you get beyond that this is simply one of the best restaurants in Portland. I simply do not understand why this place doesn’t have an hour and a half wait.

Wonderful service. Courteous staff from beginning to end of meal. Delicious food, paired with excellent wine selections. Such a nice way to unwind in this relaxing and intimate atmosphere. Highly recommend the Cod Cakes. They will literally melt in your mouth!

If it was possible to give a restaurant no stars I would! WORST ITALIAN PLACE EVER!!! First of all the place is only open for 5 hours so you have to be there quick. When I walked in there I had to wait 29 minutes before I was seated even through there was literally no one in the restaurant. Second of all those people have no idea how to prepare the simplest of Italian cuisine. I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs and every thing about it was terrible the cheese was stale, the noodles were undercooked, the meatballs were raw and had a weird texture, and the sauce tasted like ketchup form a packet mixed with spit. Lastly is was so obvious that place was more well known for wine and beer rather than food since the wine list was longer that menu by 3 pages (the food menu was one page and was one sided). So if you like drinking more than eating then this is the place for you.

Nice quiet corner restaurant situated perfectly in The Pearl. Caught an early dinner before a PCS production.
Had the fresh parpedelle with beef ragu. Delicious.
Added pancetta with figs for a pre-​dinner appetizer.
I will be back.

I bought a Groupon when this place first started to use them and had access to the real and full menu. I remember how delicious their meal was with wonderful attention paid to very subtle flavors and very fine ingredients. So, I bought another Groupon later and when we returned, was disappointed to get a special menu just for Groupon customers. I ordered a pea soup for an appetizer and received a pea consommé, or pea flavored water. I ordered gnocchi which was hand made, but the portion was small. I think I counted 12 or 14 pieces max. Needless to say, we did not feel well fed when we left and felt jipped by the Groupon. My spouse is not interested in returning. This sparse meal was not worth $ 80 as stated on the Groupon!

Excellent food! The menu is definitely limited, but it’s okay. Food was terrific, service was great, and the limited wine selection was top notch.
I’m giving four stars ONLY because of the limited menu. I’d highly recommend this place!

First time to Giorgio’s last night, riskily celebrating my wife’s birthday at an unknown establishment near home. The rating should give you a sense of how it went. Briefly:
Nice ambience, very low-​key and dimly-​lit. The room is fairly large, but only a few tables were occupied when we arrived at 18:30. The place seems comfortable in a well-​worn kind of way, with visible dings and scuffs on the table surface and chairs in a shade of pale green that whispers «grandma.» A silver-​haired businessman sat alone nearby, carrying on a long, all-​to-​hear conversation with an associate on his iphone.
We ordered a couple glasses on the Friulano (I love Friulano) and explored the menu. We ordered the bay scallops (special that day) and kale caesar salad to start and they were both great. (I uploaded photos, but not sure how to link them here…) After that came the foie gras terrine (wow) and a bottle of Vino Nobile di Montepulchiano (Boscarelli, 2003) which was fantastic. (Recommended by Giorgio, $ 68, worth every cent and more.)
Next we we ordered the wild boar pappardelle, which was supposed to be a half order but came as a full divided into two portions. It was fantastic, though the large portion did sort of put us over the edge appetite-​wise. Last we had duck breast, which came with a succulent side of duck confit and seasonal vegetables. It was divine.
I have to say the food was really exceptional. Far better than some of these pretentious places nearby in the Pearl (like the Irving St. Kitchen) where you can easily drop a couple hundred bucks for a dinner that should by any reasonable estimation cost half that. The chef at Giorgio’s has been there 11 years, Giorgio told me, and I hope he isn’t leaving any time soon, because I am ready so back and sample more of his work. Cost performance overall is good (our dinner for two was $ 185) and the wine prices are quite reasonable.
In a word: check it out!

My dashing boyfriend got me this Groupon as a romantic gesture for my birthday a few months ago and we decided to finally use it today. I honestly don’t know why a reservation needed to be made as this place was empty.
Upon arriving, we were rudely seated with the owner (?) or host (?) on the phone without acknowledgement or welcoming words. The lighting made me feel like I was having dinner with light bulbs that were about to go out at any moment. Candles at the tables would’ve emitted a more romantic tone.
The Groupon was very misleading. There is apparently a separate menu of only three appetizers and three entrées to choose from. Even with that, I didn’t know what the dishes were. It would be helpful to have a description of the pasta and sauce types. Luckily the waiter was knowledgeable (reason for first star). My boyfriend with large biceps (he wants to have a funny and memorable presence in this review) and I decided on the Crab Cod with Lemon Aioli appetizer and the fettuccine entrée.
The Crab Cod was actually quite delectable. Tender and breaded well with the nice tart complement of the aioli sauce (reason for second star). THAT WAS THE ONLY DELICIOUS THING TO STATE FROM THIS VISIT. When the fettuccine dish came around, my initial thought was, «I bet I could eat this in five bites.» It was actually four, but that’s how small of a dish it was. Having it on a large dish didn’t help either. I was not thrilled about the taste of the «fettuccine» pasta. It’s in quotes because in reality, it tasted like Asian egg noodles. Not even joking.
That was all for the price of the $ 40 Groupon voucher. I felt bad for my man candy because it was a waste. The only additional item he ordered was a can of Sprite to drink alongside his meal and when it came time to pay, the total was $ 45. That’s right, folks! That one can of Sprite cost five smackaroos! That blows my mind and not in the awesome way.
I hear it’s all you can eat pasta at the Olive Garden. Go there and you can still spend less than what we had today.

This is a tough one. I think that Giorgio’s may have good food; but being I used a Groupon coupon, my review has to be based on that. Basically, Giorgio is ripping off his Groupon customers. He says it is an $ 80 value for $ 40. If you have a Groupon coupon, you have a «pre-​fixed menu.» It has a choice of 3 entrees & 3 starters.
I ordered the salad for my starter. It had a small amount of lettuce & cherry tomatoes. Taste was fine– but my own homemade salad would be better, and I am not a chef. The main entrée was a penne type pasta, with a cheese type sauce. Wasn’t my favorite, but then I grew up with my mom’s Italian family. The amount was about what you would expect for some of the high end restaurants, just not the quality. My daughter had the same main entrée & a different starter. Her starter was good, I forget the name of it, but it was basically deep fried mozzarella balls.
Off the regular menu, you could get entrees from about $ 15 to $ 25. However, for some reason you can’t use your $ 80 Groupon credit towards regular menu items… unless you took a deep cut on your groupon. A $ 14 item would cost you $ 10, in addition to your coupon. What??? My other daughter already paid $ 40 for this. I would like to at least get the $ 40 worth of food (supposedly $ 80 value).
In addition to our «pre-​fixed» dinner, I ordered an appetizer off the regular menu, for $ 13. It was crostini with figs & prosciutto. It was quite good, although only 2 small pieces. I had a lemon drop drink, for $ 10– also very good.
The waiter gave us our bill, and the total was $ 103, & with the $ 80 discount from the groupon, I owed $ 23. I was supposedly to tip on the $ 103. Now, I almost always tip 20%, but I refuse to tip on a value NOT equal to the food served. I would have done better if instead of buying the groupon, my daughter just gave us the cash for this restaurant. When I asked the waiter if dessert was included, he said, «It should be, for this price.» It totally was not personal for the waiter, but if I had tipped on the $ 103 total– I would have left him $ 20. When I add that to the amount I already paid– I would have come out cheaper just not using the darn groupon. I left the waiter $ 13. I based it on a $ 63 dinner (the amount my daughter paid for the groupon & the total of my other food/​drinks).
I believe Giorgio is making a profit off the groupons. Totally unethical. For that reason, he will not get my repeat business. Giorgio’s might have good food off the regular menu– just don’t ever use a Groupon for this restaurant– he is not being honest.

A nice little spot in the Pearl for an Italian delight. This spot was a quiet little place on a Wednesday night for a bite with friends. Not too far from the street car we opted to leave the car at home (read no one wanted to drive in 5PM traffic).
We arrived at our destination around 7PM, Giorgio himself is there to greet you at the door and is your server for the evening.
The meal was delightful and they had a variety of wines to try. Also, a full bar if you desire. I had the salmon special and it was done just right with just the right amount of spices. It seemed to have been pan fried and then baked to perfection.
The wine I had was a nice Merlot from Italy that paired well with the meal. There was no shortage of good food and drink choices here.
A intimate dining room which has a bar that extends just of to the other side of the entrance. While this place is compact they make the most of it and it adds to it’s charm.
I marveled at the neat and organized kitchen. (See photo).
They offer Living Social Deals from time to time. I think there is one out there now.
A nice relaxing place. I would definitely check it out again.

I have to admit that I was kind of wary about coming in with my Living Social deal after reading some of the reviews. However, from the moment we stepped through the door we had nothing but positive experiences.
We were greeted immediately. The waiter had our table set with menus already placed at our seats. We ordered a bottle of Soave to share since it was a warm day so a crisp cool white sounded refreshing. He brought over a bread basket, and we weren’t charged for it as some people had mentioned.
We had a choice of soup or salad, and three entrees. We both chose the romaine and butter lettuce salad with Caesar dressing which was very good. We both also decided on the spaghetti with chicken and ricotta meatballs. Since I don’t eat red meat it’s not often I get to enjoy meatballs. I have to say they were THE BEST meatballs I have ever had. Seriously. They weren’t overly dense and crumbly the way they can be sometimes. I think the ricotta lightened the texture and kept them moist and tender. I think they had fresh basil along with other herbs. Whatever they did, they were seasoned perfectly. Five stars for them for sure! The sauce was also very good. It was a classic marinara with nice slices of fresh garlic. I normally take part of my dinner home, but this time I couldn’t stop eating. I was so full that I was ready to burst! I was glad I wore a stretchy dress.
Our waiter couldn’t have been more pleasant. There was only one other 4 top while we were there. He kept an eye on us the whole time, and checked with us after we had a chance to taste each course to make sure they were to our liking. Our water glasses were never empty. He didn’t try to upsell us on anything. We wished that we had room to sample their desserts. Maybe next time. We didn’t have a gratuity tacked on either, just the bill for our bottle of wine. We left a great tip of course since everything was wonderful. I agree that some type of music would add to the atmosphere, but oh well.
The chicken meatballs are on their happy hour menu for $ 7. We will definitely be back for them. They were all Oscar and I could talk about the rest of the night!

I don’t know where to start! I was a little worried about going to Giorgio’s because I’d read about so many issues on Unilocal with people and using their Groupon. We walked in and were graciously welcomed in and sat. Our waiter, Dustin, brought over the menu and then brought some fresh bread for our table. I immediately asked if it was the $ 4 bread I read about on Unilocal.He assured me it was complimentary and asked if I was a Groupon user. I admitted I was and that I already knew about the 20% gratuity tacked on for Groupon users. He said that that wasn’t true either. A very patient waiter. 5 star service!!!
The food was amazing! My friend and I got the beat, apple, and Gorgonzola cheese salad which was very refreshing and beautiful. Reminded me of the changing colors of the leaves outside :) For the main course I got the Pappardelle Pasta, Wild Boar Ragu, Moscato, Pecorino Toscano. It was amazing!!! Beautifully prepared and was more then enough!!! We then ordered the freshly made cinnamon doughnuts with a coffee ice cream and the Buttermilk Panna Cotta with raspberry topping. Both were delicious! The inside of the doughnuts were so hot and yummy and the outsides were nice crisp! The Panna Cotta was so good and refreshing too.
I really give this whole experience a 5 star review because the waiter was more then helpful, he knew all about the dishes, he was patient, the food the prepared not only beautifully but tasted delicious. The food came in a timely fashion and as we finished one the next came at the perfect time. I will definitely be going back again so I can try the short ribs!!! Yum!