Andina

One of Portland?s great spots. The bar area is the place to sit, you will be entertained by some festive music and find several comfortable places to sit. Whether you prefer the bar where you can watch the excellent bartenders making many crazy, fruity drinks or at one of the nice tables or booths. After 6 visits to Andina over the past couple years, sometimes with just two, sometimes with large groups, Andina is a great spot for entertaining. The food is for sharing and is delicious. Highly recommend the cebiches, all four that are offered, a very traditional taste of lime and spice. The constant favorites with each visit are the cheese stuffed piquillo peppers and the smoked trout causa. The wine list is excellent, especially the wines offered by the glass, which allows for much tasting. \r \r Rated from 1-10: \r Taste ? 9\r Presentation ? 8\r Vibe ? 9\r Service ? 8\r Wine Selection ? 8\r Likelihood to go again ? 10 \r \r Its a fun spot where you just cannot go wrong. I look forward to the next time. \r \r more

We were in town from Atlanta on the last leg of our wedding/vacation tour of Oregon. We stayed at the Embassy Suites downtown which was really nice. The hotel made the reservation for us and I am glad they did. We had great service, great food, and they made our 2nd yr. anniv. very nice. I think they did a great job from beginning to end and everyone shuould try it! Pros: Good service Cons: A little loud but stay home if you don't want to hear anyone besides yourself more

A couple of my friends invited me out to Andinas on Friday night, it was my first time there. We started off by ordering several tapas mine being the Chicarron de Pollo which had no flavor at all, so I figured the dipping sauce that it came with would help...guess what no flavor either. When it was time to order dinner I went for the Marinated ribeye steak also known as Bistec A La Peruana Con Humita Verde and asked for it to be cooked medium. A short time later while enjoying my Mojito which I gotta say was awesome, our dinner's arrived it all looked really good and both my friends made a comment saying mine especially looked good. Presentaion was nice, but as I took a bite of my dinner it definitely was over cooked and flavorless. It said on their menu it was stuffed with fresh corn puree it was not it also said it was marinated it definitely was not it was also a thin piece of meat about 3/4 of inch thick that doesn't sound like ribeye to me. I gave a piece to each of my friends that were there and they both agreed it had no flavor and was not worth the $30. The vegetables it came with which I forgot about due to the fact it was hidden under the steak had more flavor the ribeye itself. I had only 2 bites of my dinner and could no longer eat it because it was over cooked, tough, and flavorless, but thank god we had left over tapas to atleast make up for what I thought I was ordering. The drinks and the service sort of made up for what I was hoping would be a wonderful first time out at Andina. Pros: drinks Cons: Food was ordinary more

I was looking for an excellent romantic restaurant to go on a long-deserved night out with my boyfriend. I had heard great things about the food at Andina and City Search rating gave it 4 1/2 stars in the romance category. I love latin american food and thought this a sure shot! It was awful! Don't get me wrong. I loooved the food! It was exceptional and unique and what i would have hoped for (warning! don't get the scallops though... they were super funky). The traditional dishes were both educational and delicious. But despite all of this, the evening was painful and out and out sucked!. Never have I been in a louder, more obnoxious setting except for the occasional visit to the primates area of the zoo. It was SO LOUD! Not cool loud. Not ""hip and happening"" frenzy loud. OUT OF HAND! Even the waiters couldn't hear me (jamming their faces into mine just to make out the word ""water"") much less my boyfriend. Drunken fools could be heard across the room as though they had megaphones in hand. The tables are so closely linked together that my boyfriend and I became much more intimately familiar with the going-ons of the couple next to us than our own state of being. Of course, hopefully we're more interesting than discussing the difference between the battering qualities of fried food (which went on for at least 10 minutes). Every conversation could be heard except our own. IT WAS NOT ROMANTIC in the slightest. Unless, I suppose, you are a worn out married couple and the best way to get along is to not hear what the other has to say, EVER. I will not go back there. Which is a shame because I love the concept and it works theoretically. The acoustic malfunctions of the space completely destroy this. If you want to experience Andina, I suggest you order it take out and set up a picnic at the zoo. Pros: Good food Cons: AMBIENCE, Not romantic or inducive to any kind of conversation (even monosyllabic ones) more

My family went to Andina for Mother's Day, and although quite busy, we received great service. Based on some recommendations, we tried adventuresome options. If you're a fan of spicy, you simply must try the Sacsayhuaman - amazing! This sweet cocktail finishes wih some serious heat. The Atardecer Porteno is also wonderful for a less spicy option. All of our food was fabulous, as we tried the ceviche, venison, pork, and steak. We were lucky enough to speak to the owner for a few minutes as well, who was gracious and took the time to explain her restaurant's methods. Finished off with a key lime cookie (the perfect cookie, in my opinion), which made for the perfect evening. more

My boyfriend and I visited this place last week, 5:30 on a weekday. The service was amazing, our waiter came by to ask if we needed the menu explained, and did a wonderful job at doing so. the food was amazing, everything was great!!! The Sangria was amazing as well. Three waiters assisted us throughout our meal: filling our glasses, bringning out food, etc. We ordered five tapas, sagria (pitcher) and 2 dessert, the bill was $70. The bread in the begining was perfect, the crab salad was the best! My boyfriend said the chorizo was amazing as well. The dessert was the perfect ending to the meal, I had a alfajores, which was perfectly authentic as well as the creme brulee plate (3 different flavors-the mango was my favorite.) I am Peruvian and my boyfriend is from Spain and the food was a perfect balance of both of those regions. The flavors were similar to both of us. The location is great, close to everything and the place was decorated well. The colors were warm, matching napkins, the furniture, clay pieces, we even comented on how lovely the pitcher was! I can not express enough how amazing it was! We are looking foward to not only going back there, but possibilities for our upcoming wedding rehersal dinner. Pros: Ambience, Staff, Sangria, Alfajores more

We were a group of five and made reservations on a Saturday night at 6pm. Traffic was bad and we didn't show up until 6:30pm. Even showing up late, we still had our table waiting for us. Not many places will hold a table that long for you. We sat down and starting looking at the menu. Now we were a family born in Kansas, so the menu was not easy to understand. Our server did a great job explaning some wonderful dishes and knew every little detail about the dishes. We ordered a starter appetizer and then went onto our Entrees. We were completely full and then came desert. We ordered 3 different types to share. The dinner was one of the best I have experienced in town. Not to mention the owner was a very sweet lady and made sure everything was perfect. It was. Highly recommend you trying this place. Pros: Wonder Ambience, Great Service, Excellent Food Cons: Parking can be tight on busy nights more

I have been to Andina several times in the past and always loved the food although I thought it was a little stuffy. Recently I had to meet up with friends and we decided to try the car area. It was a great mix of lively atomosphere and awesome food that made for a wonderful evening. Pros: food! Cons: can get crowded more

This has been one of my favorite places for years. The food is amazing and very inventive. You don't have to know anything about this type of wonderful cuisine before going. They will walk you through everything. I typically save Andina for birthdays or special occasions, so I don't go often, but when I do I am always impressed. The service has done nothing but get better of the years... more

This is SUCH a tremendous restaurant. It was so busy, my buddy and I took a seat at the bar, and there was in no way any difference in dining experience; in fact, it may have been even more fun. We ordered Peruvian specials not on the regular menu, and the chef/owner came out just to thank us for experiencing them. Not only that, but she gave us a 20 minute history lesson on the dishes. Our waiter couldn't have been friendlier, our cocktails were not just elaborate, but a singular experience in themselves, and this place is beyond lovely. A perfect restaurant. Go here. As often as you possibly can! Pros: ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING!!!! Cons: Only the fact that I can't just eat here for three meals every day! more

Last night, on a whim my boyfriend and I popped in without reservations. After an inventive cocktail in the bar, the very accommodating hostess seated us. Neither of us are overly familiar with Peruvian cuisine and therefore didn't know how several of the ingredients would taste or work together, the menu had us salivating anyway. To start we opted to try their yucca stuffed with ricotta, along with a crab and tuna causa. The yucca was unexpectedly rich and melted in your mouth, while the attractive cold stack of seafood and avocado was fresh tasting and delicious. The fried shrimp on top of the causa seemed a bit pedestrian compared to the sophistication of the rest of the dish, but I'm not complaining. Though we wanted to be adventurous, we both tend to gravitate towards our favorites ? for entrees, he had the rib eye, I, the pork loin. He thought his rib eye was a tad too fatty (I think all rib eyes are, but alas, he's the expert) though it was well seasoned and perfectly prepared. The accompaniments were flavorful and well executed. My pork loin was FANTASTIC. The pork was so tender, smothered in a red sauce atop sweet potato ravioli and doused in crisp apples. They took a familiar flavor profile and made it special, which I always admire. Finally, his chocolate torte was attractive and fine, but somehow forgettable. Though extremely rich, my chocolate mousse with an espresso cookie was among the best desserts we've tasted in ages. Our server was knowledgeable, friendly and made terrific recommendations. She seemed very busy, however, she did check on us after each course was delivered. Overall, they seem to work well as a team, we had several different people tending our table. Though our dirty dishware and glassware sat on the table a little long, it certainly didn't detract from our experience. To top it off - an EXTREMELY reasonable tab of $107 for three courses each with a bottle of wine! I think we've found a new local favorite. Pros: Amazing flavors, unique offerings, terrific value Cons: If you're looking for a quiet environment, look elsewhere (not an issue for me, but perhaps for others) more

1). we ordered an Inca Kola and our waiter brought us a can that had syrupy gunk along the rim, along with small particles\r 2). the Chicha Morada was incredible\r 3). the fried yucca tapa was awesome\r 4). there were two of us in our party, but our incompetent, arrogant waiter only brought us one menu. i had to ask him for a 2nd menu\r 5). after he brought our tapas and took our order, our waiter ""disappeared"", and our food was then brought out ONE HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER by someone else. i asked this person, ""did our waiter die?"" and i explained how we hadn't seen him in quite some time. this server said he would try to go find him.\r 6). in the meantime, i had to flag down the very amicable busboy in order to get our drinks refilled - TWICE\r 7). the parties at the two tables on either side of us arrived later than we did, but got their food way before we got ours, adding fuel to the situation...\r 8). when our food was finally brought out (i had the Lomo Saltado), the orange decorative sauce on the side of the plate (peppered with black sesame seeds) had already dried and hardened, indicating that the plate had been left sitting out for some time. the fried yucca was very dry and not warm, and my lomo saltado was also just barely warm\r \r i was so disgusted by the whole experience that i requested to speak with a manager. i normally am not the type of person who does such things, but at $20 a plate, i wasn't about to leave the restaurant without letting him know the things that they need to do better. the manager was very professional and polite, apologizing for the poor service. it seemed like this wasn't the first time he had dealt with such a situation. he asked if we would be getting dessert - i told him no. he then offered to buy us dessert to make up for the poor service - but i refused politely. in the end, he was kind enough to deduct $20 from our total. \r \r i'll never return. i truly have more enjoyable experiences at hot dog carts. more

We've dined here on 5 different occasions and this place just keeps getting better! Everything from beginning to end is fabulous. It's turned out to be a jewell in the Portland scene and a favorite restaurant for my husband and I. Pros: too numerous to count Cons: As always...parking in the Pearl more

I was looking for a special dining experience to surprise my husband on Valentines Day... Andina was PERFECT! I can't begin to say what a wonderful evening we had! Not only was the food exceptional (I had the scallops, my husband had the leg of lamb), but it was a beautiful presentation... almost a work of art! Our Valentine meal special included 2 appetizers each (the scallops with baked parmesan was to die-for!), breads served with 3 salsas (one passionfruit one that was wonderful a combination of sweet and hot!), our main dinners, and beautifully designed and tasteful desserts! Their wine menu is extensive too... with a wine connoisseur on hand if you need an expert opinion. Not only was the food outstanding, but the service was top-notch... really! We must have had 6-8 different people attending to our table, very attentive and accomodating. They had a full house (reservations only for V.day), but it wasn't a bit noisy. And the accomodations were tastefully decorated... I loved the art, stucco wine shelving, big windows... it was just perfect. And they had an excellent Andes type band in the bar area... added a nice touch. While the cost of our dinner was up there, it was well worth it for a special evening. I've already recommended it to several of my colleagues here at work! Give it a try... you won't be disappointed! Pros: Incredible, artful & delicious meals; excellent service; wonderful ambience Cons: not a thing... more

The food was quite good, although servings were small (even for tapas) and expensive. Service was fine - waiter was congenial, a little flippant, attentive. The best part, however, was the selection of cocktails. Sacsayhuaman is amazing - habanero infused vodka with passionfruit. I was surprised at how loud it was, but we were in the bar area. I'd consider this a 'splurge' for an evening out. more

This was our fourth visit to Andina in two years (not my choice). As always, the food was variable--great grilled meats and seafood, otherwise mediocre. The greeters are very professional. The wait service was friendly, but inattentive and disorganized. We had two or there wait staff rotating to our table, none of whom communicated with the others. Our leftover food was ""lost"", so no doggie bag with half of our very expensive meal. \r \r The worst thing was the noise. We could barely hear each other--there are a lot of large talbes (8 people) and those people shouted a lot. \r \r This is a great place if you want a loud buzz, don't care about good service and don't mind paying A-plus dollars for A-minus food. Here are some alternatives. For A-minus food with better service, all good scenes but not as loud: Nostrana, Lauro, Vindalho. A-plus food with quieter atmosphere, for the same price: Fenouil, Higgins, Tabla, Navarre, Fife. Best service in town, and outrageously good (and priced accordingly) : Olea (sp?) Pros: Good meat and seafood. Loud buzz. Cons: Bad service, high prices, food good but not extraordinary. VERY loud buzz. more

The atmosphere at this place is great, live music, good service, great and unusual cocktails (sachsayhuaman my favorite), great tapas food to share. Go there for the Pearl's First Thursday after checking out the galleries! Pros: ""tapas"" food, cocktails, live music more

I actually oredered a pina colada the night before leaving for Hawaii. We stayed at 5 star hotels and ate great food in Hawaii and not one place touched the magnificant colada I had at Andina. I can say that the same goes for many of their other drinks (surprisingly I haven't tried them all ;0)). The food is equally as fabulous and I would highly recommend Andina to nearly everyone. more

love the taupas style menu, baked scallops with parmesan are the best thing on the menu. great drink menu, must try the pineapple mojito. Pros: ambience Cons: service more

I went out to Andina last night for my soon-to-be-mother-in-law's birthday, and the food blew me away, in one word, wow. I had the lamb and it was falling off the bone, the tapas were done to perfection, and I had the best mojito I've had since the last time I was in the Carribean. The only problem was the service. We were seated and then ignored for a while, then we ordered, and most of our tapas came out, then half a hour later the last one came out, and then (over a full hour and a half since we ordered) our main course came out. All-in-all our server seemed incredibly put off by our being there. So if you want good food (it's more stylized than authentic, but still absolutely delicious), try it, but don't expect the level of service that should come with the price. more