Elenis Philoxenia

We had a nice dinner last night but had a problem with the parking lot across the street. We were told parking was free because of Veteran's Day, but got a parking ticket anyway. The owner of Eleni's said she would pay it. I think that was absolutely stellar customer service and she is a classy lady to do this. I will make a point to go back to her restaurant. The ambiance, food and wine were all very good. more

Good Food Pros: Good Food more

I love Elenis. The food is fresh and authentic. I am a loyal customer and found through my observation that due to these tough economic times that the restaurant seems to be possibly experiencing some difficulties in finding a loyal staff that wants more than these times can provide. I just know this place has soo much potential and a good intention. Their are so many good restaurants in Pdx and this is one of them but also alot of competition. Try it out with an open heart and you will not be dissapointed. Pros: Great food and intention Cons: Tough times more

Read the post on shameless restaurants dot com on eleni's where employees discuss some of the food recycling practices at this restaurant. Look in the portland section and read away. more

My fiance and I have been twice. Absolutely loved it both times. The first time I ordered a pork dish, which unfortunately, was over salted, BUT WAIT!! The ""horrible"" staff apologized and even gave us a complimentary mousse dessert and I did not get charged for one of the glasses of wine. I can't complain a bit. I think they have somewhere around 30 appetizers or so and I find it very fun to try different ones when we go. The last time we went I ordered the Saganaki appetizer (Kefalograviera cheese dredged in flour pan-fried in olive oil and served in flaming Cognac; extinguished with fresh lemon). That a was a fun dish. Any way. Great experience. very memorable and great low lit environment to bring a pretty girl on a date. Pros: Food, wine, atmosphere, staff, appetizers, lamb and veggie pasta Cons: hard chairs more

First off I must say I was very impressed with the customer service. I had a friend coming from out of town and needed a reservation fast. It was 5:30 on a Friday night and the hostess was able to squeeze us in for 7:30-so cool! We got there and made an entire meal out of 4 appetizers, a couple of cosmos and the dessert! All of it was wonderful, my personal favorite was the Feta Filo (Greek cheeses wrapped in filo dough, drizzled with honey). Also, the mousse is highly recommended. I'll definitley be back again. Pros: Food, service, decor Cons: pricey, but worth it! more

Played a gig here once. The staff were just like any Greek restaurant--sweet, confident, and warm. Gig was for a private event, so there were some ""specialties"". I'd just stick with the Greek food we all know and enjoy. Wouldn't go for the shrimp martinis or the quasi-escargot smothered kalamarakia. Not even sure if this stuff is on the menu, they might have just had it for the night. Anyway, editor's review is spot on about the wine. I tried about 5 or 6 different classic Greek wines, including retsina. Not sure which one they have there but it's the best one I've had in the US. I don't know how expensive this place is as everything was on the house for me, but I suspect I'd pay just about any reasonable dining price to hang here once every few months. Pros: Really great alcohol Cons: Only French are supposed to have gourmet. Stick with the Greek food that has soul more

My daughter chose this place for her birthday because she wanted Greek food and this got a nice write up in the paper. Overall it was a very pleasant experience. They have a wonderful menu with many options and they all have good descriptions of how they are prepared and the ingredients so you don't have to know all about the food to make a good choice. We had 5 appetizers, all with different flavors and they come with a never ending supply of bread of good texture and taste. Our water glasses never got below half full and the waitress was pleasant and attentive, she explained the evening specials enthusiastically and in a manner that sounded like she knew what she was describing and could recommend them. I had a Salmon dish from the main menu that was described as line caught and it was fresh and tasty and the pasta and sauce accompanying it were delicious and perfectly prepared. My wife and daughter in-law had a beef dish that they both enjoyed and my son really liked his chicken dish. Sorry I don?t remember the names of the dishes but we had many different things from the menu and they were all good so I am sure you would enjoy whatever you try. For the quality and quantity of food the prices were more than reasonable besides the appetizers we had 6 glasses of wine and 6 entrees and the bill was well under $200. The owner/chef was there and she came out to see how we were doing and thanked us for coming in which was a nice touch. Overall the place has a nice look and feel but I suppose if I had to register any complaint it would be that the chairs were hard and uncomfortable and the table was too small for the six of us and all of those big plates of food. We will definitely go back. Pros: Big menu with lots of tasty options, you could make a meal of the appetizers but don't Cons: Hard chairs, parking more

I think the food is fantastic. I think the decor is fantastic. And I love the location. What I don't love is the service, which has often been borderline snotty or just plain slow, as so many other reviewers have stated. The bad service doesn't going to stop me from going--I REALLY love the food--but I sure wish Eleni's would get a better staff. Pros: great ambiance, interesting flavors Cons: bad staff more

Okay, this is not Greece, at all. Is this chef delusional? The wines by the glass were lackluster, the appetizer of beets flavorless, the lamb dry and misrepresented (clueless?) and the kitchen noisy and rude. The past served with the entree is again, clueless, almost Italian, hu? No wonder the place was almost empty on a Thursday night. Pros: Great Location Cons: Clueless menu and chef more

My girlfriend and I went to Eleni's last week. They were not open yet for dinner, so we visited the boutique next door. The gal who owned the store said nothing but great things about the restaurant. Well, she was right! From the moment we sat down, we had great service. The food was some of the best in Portland, and we dine out alot. I know good food when I taste it. This was of the best quality and freshest produce. The grilled fish was excellent, the lima bean dish very unusual in a good way. We could'nt have been happier. Five plates and sparkling water for under $50.00, what a bargain. So I don't know what people are talking about when they say the service is bad, we were very pleased. Can't wait to go back. P.S. The boutique next door is wonderful and the owner is very personable. Pros: everything Cons: we live in the burbs more

My husband and I took 7 members of our family to dinner to celebrate a birthday. Half of the dinners we ordered were salads and appetizers as entrees. Everyone was in such a good mood that no one noticed that 1/2 an hour went by and most of us had run out of water long before that. We had also run out of the small basket of bread and olive paste (the paste was delicious, but the bread was plain). After having to ASK the waitress to bring us water we noticed the bread and had to ask for more as well. 45 minutes later the waitress came and told us that the food would soon be ""plated"" and we were surprised since there were perhaps 2 or threee tables that were occupied with small groups in the whole place (which is small since it was empty~but could be too small if it were full). After AN HOUR one of the party members had to GO ASK the waitress, which was no where to be seen for the most part, still we were running out of water and bread. The waitress started showing our family member the order, no apologies, and said that the appetizers usually take longer to make..UM...really?!?! The APPETIZERS take LONGER to make?!?! We were likewise puzzled. Another waitress, or manager, came over to tell us that she didn't know WE WERE IN A RUSH~ at the end, after seeing she messed up in saying that, she apologized for the wait, but not without adding the whole ""appetizers take longer"" routine. So we waited a few more minutes, at this time everyone was irritated...and finally randomly our plates came out. In the next 5 minutes everyone had their entree, EXCEPT the birthday girl. Which should've been a consideration, since we told them it was her birthday at the beginning! The food was well done and the flavors were savory. I didn't think the food was worth all the irritation and WASTE OF TIME. Dining is about an experience to us, and although I enjoyed my choices, they are easily found in other Greek Restaurants. It was definitely not worth the $33 gratuity that was added. Pros: Beautiful place~High Ceilings, Romantic lighting Cons: Terrible unattentive waitresses, tiny place, hard chairs more

Although the food was good (we ordered a bunch of appetizers & shared with the table), the service was terrible. We sat for more than 10 minutes while waitstaff walked by & looked at us, but no one stopped to get our order. The service thereafter continued to be poor, in addition to a general atmosphere of unfriendliness by the staff. In addiiton, it was too loud to carry a conversation with our group (only 4 people) and the tables are jam-packed - people had trouble getting by our table & the one packed next to us - we were continually interrupted by passer-bys. Disappointing - will not go again. Pros: good food Cons: poor service; loud - difficult to have a conversation with only 4 people at table; crowded more

Before I went to Eleni's, I read every single review on the restaurant, noting the positives and negatives. I went here on Valentine's Day, February, 2007. And I can honestly say there was nothing bad to say about the place. more

We made a reservation for 6:30 on a Thursday evening for 3. When we arrived Cons: slow cannot, get orders right more

I was w/ a group of 4, we called and made reservations the day before for 7:00. We arrived at 6:50 on Sat night left at 10:30. Not because we were having a great time enjoying food and wine, but because it took until 9:45 to get bowls of pasta to us. We ordered 2 bottles of wine, and appetizers...waited, and waited. No one came to check on us, and after 2 hours, the waiter brought us a small bowl of olives, free, for waiting so long...geez thanks, it's the cheapest thing on the menu. Our pasta came at all different times over the course of 15 minutes, and it was cold. Then as we were leaving, we saw our waiter outside the door smoking. Maybe that is why it took so long for the food to arrive. (Not to mention, gross! he could atleast have hid behind the building) more

In brief, I felt that Eleni's was overpriced. The fish in the evening's special was dry, and the phyllo-wrapped cheese was good but at $9 for a small plate seemed spendy. We had wines by the glass and relied on the advice of the bar server -- his description of the wines was pretty far off once we tasted them. Also we were given a wine list that was out of date. Our waitress was pleasant, enthusiastic and accommodating which added to the experience. With a dinner, 3 small plates and 3 glasses of wine, we emerged with a tab of $74 plus tip -- for that money I simply expected more. more

I and a close friend have combed the west coast for great Greek restaurants, including multiple visits to both Kokkari (San Francisco) and Evvia (Palo Alto). NOTHING compares to the amazing Crete food of Eleni's Philoxenia and its companion spot, Eleni's Estiatorio. This chic, high-style restaurant with reasonable prices redefines many basic dishes, starting with their to-die-for tzadziki. Start with the appetizer sampler (amazing variety & amount for the price) and then add other appetizers or entrees to your liking. For the best dining experience, make reservations, bring fabulous friends, order a couple of bottles of Megas Oenos and a ton of appetizers for sharing, and enjoy! Pros: Oh, the food..., Wine selection, Great atmosphere Cons: Airfare to Portland more

Just like it's sister restaurant in Sellwood, Philoxenia offers great wine and food. We love this spot as well and like the little bar they have set up. I also send all my single buddies here as they do have their fair share of good looking ladies working there. Pros: food, wine more

This was a great find hidden a couple blocks away from the bustle of the Pearl. We made a great meal of 5 wonderful appetizers, which was a great suggestion; thanks citysearch. We went on a Wednesday evening and there was no wait. It was a quiet, relaxed atmosphere and our server was very knowlegable about all of the menu selections and specials. The house red wine is great too! :-) more