CTRK

Review of Grüner Restaurant

Nov 2019 -- Update to original review:

Nov 2019 -- Update to original review:
We went in with reservations and were offered a table right in the traffic zone from the door. When declined we were offered a table at the far end in the traffic zone from the kitchen. Finally we were seated one table over from the one by the kitchen traffic. No-one else was seated at that table during the time we were there, suggesting it is no-one's favorite.

Food was generally good; not exceptional, and perhaps more expensive than last year. I ordered a salad and the quenelle appetizer. The quenelle dish included two quenelles in a lot of very heavy lobster sauce. A few more quenelles and a lot less sauce would have been much nicer. I would not order the quenelles again. The baguette served with our meal was notably exceptional; chewy and fresh, served with good butter.

Bistro Agnes is still offering only drip coffee. No espresso offerings. Good to know. It would be nice if a cappuccino or latte were available at the end of a meal.

Service was polite, but not warm or friendly.

There are too many great restaurants in Portland to keep this one on our favorite list after this experience.

Original review from Nov 2018 or so (5-stars)
A very nice French restaurant. This is one of our current favorites. A good variety of menu items to choose from, and reasonable prices. We ordered a beer, a vermouth, chicken liver pate, a salad, a soup, the mussels entree, and coffee and our bill was $75 before the tip.

The tables are rather close together and the restaurant is small. So no private conversations here. Overall the ambiance is cozy and comfortable. Currently they do not have an espresso maker, but they say they are working on it. With luck we will be able to order a cappuccino soon.

Of special note, this is one of the few restaurants in Portland that has Punt e Mes, an Italian vermouth you will either love or hate. Try it!