Le Pigeon

Kinda stumbled into an amazing restaurant. Small confines makes for a cozy environment. If you’re not looking for an intimate experience, saddle up to the bar and watch the open kitchen at work.
Started with orecchiette and had pigeon for main course. The orecchiette was phenomenal — it is the definition of bowl scraper so order extra bread. This was my first time trying pigeon — again, they hit the nail on the head. The roasted yams provided a sweetness that blended well with the bird.
Service was also great — our server provided great insights and was quite helpful. If you’re in Portland give this place a try — you’ll be glad you did.

This is another one of those situations where my review doesn’t add much because the many, many, many five star reviews that are all accurate. The meal my boyfriend and I had at Le Pigeon was best and most memorable meal we had in Portland. And it seems that those who’ve tried many more PDX restaurants than I have also agree that Le Pigeon is the best Portland restaurant. I’ll just throw my two cents in…
We showed up on a Sunday night at 7:30 pm without a reservation knowing we would have to be willing to wait a long time. (Bad Nikki did her restaurant research a little too late in the game and wasn’t able to book ahead of time.) We put our name in and only ended up waiting about an hour and a half. (Shorter than our wait at Tasty n Adler and much, much more worth it.)
The restaurant has that typical cool Portland vibe and the space has great energy. It’s tiny! Just before our table was ready, the hostess took our drink orders so they were ready when we sat down: a wonderful, crisp rose for the lady and a malbec for the gentleman.
We were seated at the chef’s counter, which I was hoping for. We were tired after a long day of sight-​seeing and beer tasting. The kitchen show perked us right up. We went with the chef’s tasting menu — a real treat that I rarely do.
For $ 80, you get five courses. Based on the superb quality of the food, this is a huge steal by LA standards. Here’s what we had (summary: everything was phenomenal)…
Spring salmon poke — there was some amazing flavor combinations going on in this dish. Unlike any other poke I’ve ever had, obviously. I believe it was topped with a curry aioli.
Grilled rabbit chorizo and octopus — everything about this dish was tender. It came with a green gazpacho and was so refreshing.
Pekin duck breast — seared with spring onions, peas, and duck bacon. This dish was rich and satisfying.
Halibut with pancetta — this was served in a morel cream sauce. I could drink the sauce it was served in. I love halibut and this dish was a true star.
Foie gras profiteroles — topped with caramel sauce and sea salt, this is the restaurant’s signature dessert. Because we were doing the tasting menu, it was accompanied by a coffee granita. I’m a bit surprised that that my first experience with foie gras came in the form of dessert, but it was so rich and truly spectacular.
Overall, an outstanding experience.

Fantastic meal at Le Pigeon — I was surprised that it wasn’t more crowded at 7pm on a Tuesday. Ordered the wagyu beef brisket with smoked strawberry, strawberry-​rhubarb ketchup, cashew-​cilantro-​cabbage slaw, and scallions. This dish was complex, surprising, an delicious. The sweet-​acidic strawberry was reminiscent of great BBQ sauce and the salad was a perfect crunchy, refreshing, slightly spicy foil for the richness of the wagyu. Loved this combination.
Service was casual and friendly yet elegant, and watching the chefs at work from the bar was an extra treat!

Le Pigeon was our dinner spot for our third and final night in Portland, and this really turned into a winner. The front of the restaurant does not seem like much, but when you step inside, you’re transported into a really cozy spot that has an open kitchen with a bar around it, with the rest of the seating next to the large windows that undoubtedly let in a good amount of light if you arrive for an earlier dinner. We got here at 8:30 PM, which was probably on the later side (by the time we left, the restaurant was mostly empty). Seating was easy, and even though we were at a communal table that could fit 8, they left a pair of seats empty between us — a nice gesture (in NYC, those seats would definitely have been filled), Our waiter was really nice; I wasn’t sure what I wanted, so I told him to surprise me between the brisket and the beef cheek. I was definitely surprised — in a good way!
We ended up ordering a la carte, although there are tasting menu options if one so desires. I had portions of the salmon poke and the foie gras, and both were immensely delicious. I think the great thing about Le Pigeon is that it’s not afraid to use a lot of ingredients or flavors in its topping and sauces, but the food comes out tasting incredible — and you can taste virtually everything in each dish. A lot of places that throw a lot of things into one dish end up making a muddle out of it, but Le Pigeon executed it with such precision and excellence. The banana miso was quite unique, but with the foie, it put a very unique, Asian fusion-​esque spin on a French classic that was extremely decadent yet even more savory. The salmon poke was filled with fresh ingredients, although the salmon wasn’t the absolute freshest I’ve had — but mixing it in with the egg and other veggies made for a very edible, rustic version of a Hawaiian favorite. For my entrée — I ended up with the beef cheek bourguignon, and wow — mind was absolutely blown away. The beef was exquisitely cooked, with plenty of succulence in each bite matching the rich red wine-​based marinade (I think). The potatoes and carrots are a nice addition to what’s a heavy entrée, but the juiciness of each bite was still quite memorable, despite being several drinks in at this point. My wife went with the duck with fava beans, and that was a winning combo for her — she loved it. To finish off, we split both of the seasonal desserts. My favorite was by far the strawberry shortcake ice cream bar; I’m a big fan of strawberry shortcake generally, but making it fit into a bar really concentrates all of the deliciousness (and eliminates the guilt of the shortcake!). I remember the chocolate whoopie pie less distinctly, but everyone else actually liked it quite more. Making the center a matcha-​based mint chip ice cream really gave it an interesting clash of bold (mint) that was embedded in the soothing taste of green tea. The pistachios added a nice little nutty twist as well.
Whenever I make my way back to town, I’m definitely coming back here, as dinner was absolutely delicious across all aspects. Great service, good wine, and delicious top-​notch food — it’s hard to finish off a trip with a better meal. Hope I can get a seat at the kitchen counter next time!

Food here was all great. No complaints there. We had the foie gras appetizer and the profiteroles (yes, we like foie); I had the beef cheek bourguignon and husband had the brisket as mains.
Execution-​wise, some hiccups. They kept taking our plates away, ostensibly to replace them with fresh ones, and then did not give us any plates to replace the ones they took. This happened twice. We got powdered sugar all over the table because we had no plates for dessert. Multiple servers walked by and no one thought, «hmm, this couple is getting their dessert everywhere.» Mystifying.
Also, boo on the communal tables. I loathe those. Even when the restaurant is as small as my living room.
But still, the food made it all worthwhile. Yum.

I don’t understand some of the reviews– if you do not like communal seating, perhaps check where you are going or inquire when you make your reservations?
Anyhow, had a great dinner here! great service, great food, well paced. I really wanted a meaty burger and I was not at all disappointed! Quite possibly the best tasting burger I have ever had!
After the first bite, I’m fairly sure angels began singing!
I know there are plenty of things worth trying here but do try the burger when you get a chance!

So underwhelmed with this place. Made a reservation, and when we arrived, the server apologized and asked us to wait around 20 minutes to be seated. The tables are communal, so you really don’t have privacy. Aside from that, the restaurant itself is pretty darn small. Sitting at the bar, you’re able to see about three chefs making your food– it’s a cool experience to see your meal being made first hand, but again, you’re cramped af at the bar too.
My friend and I opted for the five course meal for $ 80. Honestly, every single dish was so disappointing to me. The flavors were so basic, and I found the pigeon dish to be much too salty and gamey for my liking. I ended up leaving much of my plates a little less than ½ empty :(so disappointing…
From a three time James Beard award winning restaurant, I’d expect more. WHAT HAPPENED?!
With a glass of red wine, the total came out to be $ 120… Way too much. I probably would have paid $ 60 at most for the meal.

Wow! Amazing food and amazing services for what you pay (relative to the other Bay Area ‘fine dining’ establishments).
We decided to go with the Chef’s Five Course Tasting menu:
1) Crispy Goat Salad: ³⁄₅ my least favorite of the 5
2) Beef Cheek Bourguignon with a Pinot Noir reduction over a Potato Latke: 3.5÷5 this was just OK – very typical and can be found in many French/​American restaurants
3) Baked Sole with a ham and carrot topping over a split pea and cream sauce: ⁴⁄₅ this was very light and refreshing – my taste buds were very happy
4)Foie Gras, Uni and Sour Cream over a Wild Rice Pancake with soy maple: ⁵⁄₅ HANDS DOWN, this was my absolute favorite dish of the night – LOVE LOVE LOVE this!
5) Foie Gras Profitrole: ³⁄₅ OMG… this would be foie gras heaven for someone who LOVES foie gras; It was a bit too rich for my liking.
Would love to come back and order the foie gras, uni dish as my main entrée – SO SO GOOD!

Le Pigeon is a delightful French restaurant. Dishes are rich and innovative. Seating is communal, so be prepared to share your table. Service is fantastic. When we returned on a second night, the waitstaff actually remembered us.
Here is a list of what we had:
* Pasta Shells, Sardines, Smoked Ham Hock, and Bread Crumbs in Garlic Chili Butter
* Grilled Pigeon, Dirty Couscous, Fried Cauliflower Purée, Pine Nuts, and Onion Raisin Relish
* Seared Scallops, Octopus, Tomatoes, Green Garlic, and Squash Purée
* Foie Gras Profiteroles with Caramel Sauce, Sea Salt, and Foie Gras Powdered Sugar
The Foie Gras Profiteroles is a dessert — make no mistake about it. This is probably one of the most innovative desserts I have had. I would have never imagined to have foie gras in a dessert, but it went really well with the caramel sauce.
Chef Gabriel Rucker even signed our cookbook and took us on a mini-​tour of the open kitchen. How fun is that?!

Saved the best for last. I probably made a mistake by not reserving ahead of time BUT luckily I found an open seating at the bar for one! I got lucky!
Le Pigeon serves freshly made food right from their open kitchen. Their cooks are top of the line and work together so beautifully. One is plating and handling dessert, the other two are fully cooking everything. They are not only quick but they are careful, smooth, precise, and efficient.
They have great technique and skill. I can see the passion from them when they cook. It’s honestly a great sight to see from the customers stand point.
I ordered the grilled pigeon which is marinated and grilled to perfection. The meat was moist and tender with lots of flavor. The dirty couscous & onion relish was sweet and had a cherry taste. The couscous and pine nuts gave some texture and wasn’t overwhelming. Everything came together for sure. This plate cost me $ 31 and was worth it!
For dessert I had their famous Foi Gras Profiteroles which were three cream puff-​like pastries with Foi gras ice cream. Don’t ask me how they did that. It’s unbelievable. I can seriously taste the Foi gras within the ice cream and is just enough in flavor. It was perfect with the caramel sauce and sea salt. For $ 12 this was legit! A must try!
Special thanks to Henry and his team for preparing me one of the best meals I’ve ever had.

In all honesty, Le Pigeon was not my first choice. Unfortunately, calling 6+ months ahead at many of my top restaurants was a little too late. Once I called Le Pigeon, I lucked out and scored dinner reservations. As months passed, I started doing my research on the restaurant and saw all the notable accolades both the chef and restaurant have received thus far. You can only imagine my excitement leading up to the dinner.
Rip City Stir Fry — Pork heart, squid, hazelnut, chili, sweet Maui onions topped with Rosemary crumbs. Incredibly light and flavorful with the crunchy sweet Maui onions and savory chili. Easily one of the best dishes of the night.
Beef Cheek Bourguignon ‘2016’ — Extremely rich in flavor. Definitely not fit for the faint-​hearted. The stewed red wine provided so much depth in flavor and the beef cheek fell apart the second I picked at it.
Crème Brulee — A perfect ending to the flavor-​packed meal. The top layer of hardened caramel was thick but easily cracked at first tap. The contrasting flavor of the custard was simply the perfect combination. Probably one of the best Crème Brulee’s I’ve had thus far.
Le Pigeon was no doubt a wonderful culinary experience. Gabriel Rucker clearly knows his away around the kitchen and at this rate, if he hasn’t already, will win the hearts of all.

Made reservations on a Monday night 5:45pm to do the 7 course tasting menu!
Bay Scallop crudo
— flavored ice, the granny Apple chunks, jalapeño slices gave it such nice flavor! Not bad to start off our dinner.
Cedar planked trout
— this was so beautifully plated. The trout was cooked just right, but slightly lacked a little flavor. The morels were the absolute highlight of this dish for sure!
Foie gras and uni
Paired with beurer ’14
— this was by far the best dish of the night. The seared foie gras just melted on my mouth like butter and the uni was sweet and fresh! The soy maple sauce complemented it really well, and the wild rice pancake gave it some great texture. Unfortunately, the portion sizes were not similar to that of my dates’. However, Highly recommended!
Grilled pigeon
— plating is spot on. Pigeon was cooked perfectly and had great flavor to it. The dirty couscous was a bit whatever. Fried cauliflower purée was delicious and the onion raisin relish was tasty as well.
Beef cheek bourguignon
— meat cooked perfectly. The onion marmalade was good as well. Nothing bad but nothing too amazing to say about this dish.
Triple cheese cow milk and Marion berry Danish
Paired with Coteaux du layon ’10
— loved the taste of this. But that foie gras dessert is just that much better!
Butterscotch pudding and foie gras profiteroles
— this was ultimate goodness. Highly recommended. I think it might also be obvious I’m super biased with anything foie gras haha!
Overall it was a great experience, and the dishes were delicious. Portions weren’t the same though for each plate but other than that it was still amazing !!

I was blown away by our whole experience at Le Pigeon. The food, the atmosphere. just everything was perfect.
This is the first restaurant where I’d recommend NOT making a reservation. Why?
At the bar, you’ll have a perfect view of everything going on in the kitchen. I was in awe watching all the chefs prepare our meals. They’re the best seats in the house.
Bar seating is first come, first serve. We came a little after 5 and missed the first seating. Sure, we had to wait a few hours, but it was so worth it. It’s not as bad as it seems! They called us multiple times to give us updates, which we really appreciated.
Another thing we (more like I) really, really appreciated. we decided to go with the 5 course tasting menu and they were able to prepare a pescetarian friendly version for me, while preparing a regular tasting menu for Shawn C. I’m glad they were able to do this, because I would have felt so awful if he wasn’t able to enjoy any meat because of me. As DJ Khaled would say, «I appreciate you.» Yes, you, Le Pigeon.
Now on to the tasting menu! For $ 80, it was definitely worth it. We sampled a wide variety of dishes on the menu that night:
+ Bay Scallop Crudo
+ Foie Gras and Uni (Cod and Uni for me)
+ Fish (daily preparation that day was fried sole)
+ Beef Cheek Bourguignon ‘2016’ for meat eater and Truffle Parmesan Risotto for non meat eater
+ Foie Gras Profiteroles and the prettiest tart with flowers for me. I wish I remembered everything we had for dessert, since it was all so good, but they don’t seem to have it listed on their current menu. :(We also had another dessert that was coffee ice cream, flavored ice, and foam on top. I really wish I knew what it was called because my description does not do it any justice. It was AMAZING.
THEEE best meal in Portland, hands down. And probably one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in my life.

Our dinner at Le Pigeon was lovely, romantic, and relaxed. Any minute in, I thought my dining partner was going to get on his knees and ask for my hand in marriage. Ok, that, he didn’t, but I have a feeling Le Pigeon is just the place many such acts happen. The cozy and intimate Le Pigeon is fine dining with 80’s Synth pop of Depeche Mode overheard. We dined across from each other on a wide communal table with strangers to the left and right. You will compromise some of your privacy, but once the food starts rolling in, you will remember that you came for the food, and not the hush hush conversation.
We chose perfect beers to go with our 5 Course Chef’s Choice Dinner. We tried to get our waiter to slip and give us hints of things to come, but he was all mum. Our service was exceptional and graceful at Le Pigeon. We felt well taken care of. The open kitchen has the rock star cooks and chef/​owner in full view and front and center.
Our 5 course dinner included ingredients like Lamb Tongue, Ceder Planked Trout, and Beef Cheeks. The combination of ingredients were artfully and skillfully combined. Our favorites were the Foie Gras with Uni and the Morel salad with Trout Roe Vinaigarette. The 5^th course of Crème Brulee with honey sour cream pot de cream even outshined their famous Foie Gras Profiteroles. I felt loved.

Must. Write. Review.
As I will myself into writing this, I worry over how much busier Le Pigeon will get thanks to all these amazing commendations.
On one hand, I want their ambiance to stay the same: low-​key, intimate, customer-​oriented… and how can that be if they become swamped like some of PDX’s other «hot spots»? (sorry, but I can’t make reservations in advance? And no, I will not wait 3 hours for a table)
But on the other hand, I remind myself: Le Pigeon is NOT a small Portland secret. For many, many years it has been awarded one of the top spots to dine. Whether it’s me (or a hundred others), people will keep talking about how fantastic their experience was coming here.
And anyway, the restaurant (and strict reservations) is set up to ensure they keep that vibe; they obviously pride themselves in delivering that top-​notch 1:1 experience for anyone who walks through the door. I was blown away by how knowledgeable their staff was.
Everything, from the space (which is small but perfect), to the service, to the food was five stars. We had the steak and pork belly, which was well-​portioned and beautifully flavored. You’re definitely getting what you pay for.
Now I’m thinking:
Must. Go. Back.

Le Pigeon is definitely one of the most memorable meals of my life. Every dish we had from the 7 course chef menu was so savory and well prepared! I’d definitely eat here when I visit Portland again.
Me and two other friends didn’t make reservations, however, we arrived right when they opened and we were seated at the bar right away. It’s a quaint little space with a communal table. I’m glad we were seated at the bar so we could see all the action!
Our set menu included foie gras, tuna, pork and beef cheek. I’m upset I didn’t write down the names of each dish because everything was so unique in itself. It went from ceviche-​like tuna, buttery foie gras, curry based pork to the beef cheek bourginon. It was an extremely hearty meal but it definitely made my stomach so happy! I still salivate at the thought of the foie gras profiterole. So rich, decadent and creative. I would’ve never thought foie gras in ice cream form would ever work!
Thank you, Le Pigeon for making my taste buds and stomach sooo happy!

I don’t — and never did — like the concept the restaurant communal table. With people you know it’s cozy, intimate and warming. With strangers It’s uncomfortable, it’s a tight squeeze and invasive. Especially for those of us whose conversations can steer in any direction, often taking sharp turns into the bizarre. I feel like the concept forces people to talk to each other, because it’d be even more weird to not. But, to me, that’s just being cordial… which is being fake… which is wasting time.
Once you bite into their food… all is forgiven.
Shrimp crusted fish and asparagus. Tastes like shrimp toast! Golden, brown and delicious shrimp paste on top of succulent and moist fish. The paste protects the fish underneath from getting overcooked. Lots of textural diversity. And a beautiful dish that looked exactly how Spring feels; green, vibrant, grassy.
Foie Gras Profiteroles | I’m ambivalent about foie. But, foie gras had just been banned from California and this was our big middle finger to our home state. Holy shit! Whenever someone asks me what my idea of decadence is, I describe these profiteroles. Foie already having a creamy and unctuous consistency, churning it into ice cream seems like the obvious preparation, right? Then why the hell hadn’t I had this before?! Sat into crispy choux shells and doused in salted caramel. I have stolen this recipe and recreated it. Sorry, Le Pigeon. Don’t make things so damn delicious.
Seis Leches Cake | Had a wild huckleberry compote, crème chantilly and fennel pollen. Cake had the usual texture of a tres leches cake; wet and soaked pillow. Sweet and mostly tart huckleberry sauce with large bits of berry, it stained the top of the cake a purple color. Very beautiful. The most exciting thing about the dessert was the fennel pollen. It was definitely an eyebrow raising experience; exciting. No textural differences on the dessert, which made it kind of mush on mush.
Why? Why is Portland’s food scene so underrated? I don’t know, but it’s ok. At least we can have it all to ourselves for now.

AMAZINGGGGG!!! This place is a must! $ 80 for 5 courses but lucky for us we ended with an extra entrée and dessert. Service was phenomenal and every single dish was amazing. I have to say this is now one of my top favorite restaurants!
Food:
Bay Scallop Crudo — was so refreshing and such a great dish to start the meal
Foie gras and uni pancake — seared foie gras was the best i’ve ever had. Very flavorful
Special Trout — Amazing flavors and cooked to perfection
Pork Belly and Octopus — Getting full already but so tasty! Especially the pork belly
Pana Cotta — This was the perfect dessert… light and refreshing. Left me wanting more
Foie Gras Profiteroles — least favorite of the night.
Ended with a piece of chocolate
Overall best meal ever in Portland! Left satisfied and very full. Do not leave portland without trying this place. you won’t regret it.

Dessert only review:
We came on a Saturday night just for dessert. We arrived right at opening time without a reservation and they were able to seat the two of us. We were a bit worried that they would be annoyed that we didn’t want to dine with them and only wanted dessert but they were extremely gracious to serve us. We got the foie gras profiteroles which I have been dreaming about since my last visit, and a slice of pumpkin pie. Both were very delicious and the profiteroles were as amazing as I last remembered. If I could only eat one dessert for the rest of my life, it would have to be the profiteroles!

Prob the best place I ate at in Portland during my short trip. I made reservations prob a month or so out and was able to get a 9 (or 9:30) seating for two. The restaurant is seriously small, and we sat at the communal table. I’m not into communal dining with strangers — the couple next to us were talking so loudly I could hear their whole lame conversation. Anyway, aside from that, the food was fantastic! The presentation is not fancy nor is the location fancy, but the food is just really good.
We ordered:
–Beef Tartare & Salt and Pepper Squid ($ 18) — Sounds like a dish you might get at a Chinese restaurant but way better! Squid was tender and loved the beef tartare
–Fried Gnocchi — At least I think it was fried (my memory is a little fuzzy since I dined here a month ago). It was really good — that’s all I can say about it.
–Beef Cheek Bourguignon ($ 28) — Really tender with a deep gravy flavor. Great risotto, too.
–Fish of the Day — Got some kind of fish (white and flaky) — I think it black cod. It was sooo good and a sizeable portion. It had a light sweet sauce (miso?).
–Crème Brulee ($ 10) — Came with a little apple flavored pot de crème. It was like getting two desserts in one!
Prices were also not crazy considering the tastiness of the food! Portions are good and we even had some leftover to take back with us. At the end of the meal we each got a free chocolate. Yum!