Downtown Restaurants

Duck Experience is always highlight of dining year. Everybody we refer to it are amazed and very appreciative. Even the usual non-duck eaters will like it due to the perfect preparation and presentation. Service always charming and efficient, and Jessica this time was no exception. Wish they had it more than once a year!

First time at PCG. A former Portlandian recommended it. We didn’t ask about a window table but our booth was very comfortable. Our main server was Shane and he was excellent. My wife and I took our adult son there. We had the Spicy Yellow Fin Tuna Roll, Clam Chowder, shared the chop salad, all of us had scallops and shrimp. Sorbet and crème brûlée for dessert. Three different cocktails and all delicious. Shane validated the convenient parking downstairs. Although the dining area was bustling we could converse with each other and hear the live musical entertainment from the bar.

It was an amazing luxury dining experience! Certainly not inexpensive, but it is the Ritz-Carlton after all. The service certainly lives up to the name and price level. The staff were amazing. Our server Nichole guided us through a tasting experience with confidence and cheerful professionalism. Though there are a couple grand entrees, it's mostly a tasting menu. We chose 8 dishes we wanted to try, and working with the sommelier, Nichole created an exquisite flavor journey with wine pairings. Service in the bar was just as good. We made a point to arrive early for a cocktail, and the bar didn't disappoint. The specialty cocktails were superb. Every server we encountered asked and remembered our names, and everyone was very welcoming. I do have a couple complaints. The public (non-guest) wifi wasn't working, and the staff indicated that it hadn't been working for some time, if at all, and management hasn't fixed it or provided a workaround, such as setting up a fake room number and guest room to use the guest wifi. We had no cell reception in the restaurant, even at a window table, so working wifi is a must. The place also gets uncomfortably loud when it's full. I don't want a completely silent dining experience, but we couldn't even hear our server at one point. You have to be a lip reader. I give the ambience only 3 stars because of this major issue, in spite of the gorgeous decor and view. The room is a fishbowl of hard surfaces and is screaming for some basic sound dampening. This is a minor complaint, but the type on the menus was ridiculously small. I have great vision with progressive lens glasses but almost had to pull out my phone to read the menu. I'm not much of a luxury diner, but I'd definitely return when I feel like treating myself, if management does something about the noise levels. When indicating the noise level in the OpenTable review, there should be an option for "painfully lound."

It was extremely busy. We didn’t have to wait long after our reserved time slot to get seated. Food was great and our server was fantastic!

Jake’s is classic Portland. Old wood columns, aged tile floor, crisply uniformed staff, and a full breakfast that would make a lumberjack happy. Will return. Again.