Fratelli Ristorante & Bar

Wow! Fratelli's is everything you could want in an authentic Italian restaurant. We recently dined there with a couple of friends and were delighted with absolutely everything that came to our table. Each of our meals was distinctly different and full of flavor. They use fresh and locally sourced ingredients. The Chef (Paul) has been there for 12 years and is really talented. We recently moved back to Portland after being away for 10 years and remembered this place being good....but it is even better than we remembered. We can't wait to go back. Specifically recommend: Weppler greens, marinated olives, Steak, Ravioli,and the Chicken wrapped in Prosciutto. The Prix Fix menu is delightful. Our server Topher was wonderful and fun to talk to. For dessert: Panna cotta, affogato and the chocolates were amazing Pros: Delicious food, attentive & knowledgeable staff, fair prices Cons: Ummm...None!! more

I am a very good cook. I only eat at places where the food is vastly superior to what I can produce. Enter Fratelli. Their happy hour (4:30 - 6 PM EVERYDAY!) is the best in Portland. They have numerous $5 plates and drinks that are excellent. They also produce the best pizzas (and the most authentic) in all of Portland, and during happy hour, they are only $5. Check out their menu! Also, if you are pregnant or can't drink, ask the bartender to make you a juice concoction. With their juice press and creative bartenders, you will get something VERY tasty. Their cocktails are excellent.. The "Cello Drop" is $5 and has their house made limoncella with Gray Goose Vodka. Their regular menu has several things of note: Wild Boar. Steak. Ravioli. Authentic Italian pizzas. Their house marinated olives are fantastic! Pros: Food, drinks, happy hour, desert! Cons: They recognize me at the bar now. more

The decor and ambiance is just right: not too casual but not trying to put on any undue airs. The food is outstanding: fresh, expertly prepared and wonderfully balanced, offering a lot of options towards creating a wonderful, satisfying 3 or 4 course meal. Their fish special is almost always worth a try. Awesome pasta dishes, and their unique take on lasagna is a delight. Great desserts, a very accomplished bar and a comprehensive wine list just add to the pleasure. We're frequent Fratelli patrons (at least twice per month over the course of 2009) and have enjoyed every single visit. Highest recommendation. Pros: food, service, drinks Cons: none more

This restaurant used to be one of my favorites, but my husband and I dined here recently and it was terrible. First, it took over an hour for the main course to be served even though there were only about 4 other tables occupied in the whole place (now I know why). My fettucine w/scallops was lukewarm, the fettucine was undercooked, the scallops overcooked (all 2 of them), and the sauce tasted like it came from a can. The roasted vegetable side was 75% onion. My husband had the sausage dish and said it tasted like a Costco hot dog. For dessert I had a chocolate hazlenut torta that was obviously a frozen food service item (if it wasn't, it sure tasted like it). My husband had ice cream which was freezer burnt. Finally, it was my birthday so when my husband called for reservations he asked if they could bring out my dessert with a candle. Didn't happen. We're both wondering if the restaurant is under new ownership because it's nothing like the place we'd been enjoying great meals at for many years. more

I recently took my girlfriend to Fratelli for her birthday and we couldn't have left happier. Starting in the bar, we had tasty whiskey cocktails while conversing with the animated bartender and other patrons. When we finished those, the staff brought us to our table in the dining room and transferred the tab for us. All together we had gnocchi, ravioli, sausage, and braised lamb with a recommended bottle of wine by our server who was fun, knowledgeable and there when we needed him but pleasantly not when we didn't. Deciding to have a night cap instead of desert, we retired back to the bar. The staff transferred our tab once more. Thanks! We left very full, a little tipsy and very happy; the sausage being our favorite food. If I'm forced to make a complaint, it would be that we found a very small piece of bone in the lamb dish. Regardless, the service, ambiance and quality of fare was more than expected for how little the bill was. We'll be back very soon. Pros: Fun, knowledgeable staff, inviting ambiance, great food/value, extensive wine list Cons: No French or local wines (all Italian list) more

I go to Fratelli often, sometimes just with my husband, and sometimes to meet friends, and have found the atmosphere is conducive to both! We love sitting in the bar (Bar Due). The food is really amazing, and one of the best happy hours that I've had (and I've been to a lot!). The pizzas are creative, but still have that Italian flare. The small plates menu is my favorite...I love their lasagna. Instead of a regular tomato-sauce, they use a bechamel that is completely to die for. Last time we were there, my husband ordered the meatballs and they were so good too! The atmosphere is great too. Some places in the Pearl feel a little pretentious, and this one feels like it's my own hidden gem. We love to sit at the bar, cause their bartenders are super friendly and I've never had a drink I didn't like. It always seems to be really clean, the lights are low, and it's just a fun, laid-back (yet special) place to go. I would highly reccomend it! Pros: Great service, Great bar, Unique & Delicious menu, decent prices Cons: Parking more

I agree that it was crowded on valentine's day, but isn't that expected? We thought the staff did a good job adjusting to the high expectations of the fanciful holiday. Valentine's was not our first time here, it is one of a handful we love (hence my husband taking me there for the occasion) and we thought the food and service met the high standards they have on any other night. We enjoyed the custom menu, something new and different for the holiday. As far as romance, we get that from each other, and didn't find the other diners distracting, but perhaps the chaos of trying to meet unrealistic standards of tightwad boyfriends who are already bitter for having to take out their ladies, caused some unhappy exchanges. We however were quite pleased, the only reason I score 4 not 5 is I couldn't have my favorite Panna Cotta, oh well - we will just have to go back I guess. more

I've gone to Fratelli on multiple occasions, for both happy hour and dinner. I can't say enough about the food there. Every entree I've had has been delicious, and I absolutely love their small plates menu! The bruschette and pizzas are amazing! Their dishes are inventive, but never just for the sake of being inventive...(for example, I had a pizza with green grapes on it and thought, "where have you been all my life??") Even if it weren't for the food being terrific, the service and friendly staff would keep me coming back. The bartenders are engaging, funny, and always make me feel welcome. They make amazing drinks too! The servers are so friendly and knowledgeable. I love going to the bar after work for happy hour - it's chill and unpretentious, while still having the feeling of a special/hip place in the Pearl. I would absolutely recommend Fratelli for dinner, drinks, snacks, or all three at once! Pros: Great people, exceptionally delicious drinks, awesome happy hour selection Cons: Can't think of one! more

We love Fratelli! We have always had a great time. The Brushetta with shaved beef is our place to start the meal. I love the salads and vegetables or Risotto. My husband goes for the meat dishes. Wonderful use of seasonal local produce too. Super wine list and of course house made gelato! Fratelli makes northern Italian cuisine a fun experience. Try it! Pros: great food and service Cons: none more

Unfortunately I couldn't agree more with gzucker's Valentine's Day review (I even saw him get up and get the fork for his wife, unless the same thing happened to someone else). I was looking for some place really special for Valentine's Day and my wife loves Italian. I thought what better place than the #2 Romantic Date Spot for 2008. Whatever got it on that list was completely missing in our experience! There's nothing romantic about being crammed 4 rows wide in that narrow dining room and trying not to listen to the conversations on either side of you, as you were trying to have your own. Fratelli totally sold itself out to make some extra $$. And it would have been nice to be informed when I made my reservations that they would be deciding what I would be having for dinner that night. Sure I had 3 choices for my entree, but I would not have chosen any one of those if I had a full menu in front of me. I chose the lesser of 3 "evils". The same goes for my appetizers and dessert, but I didn't have a choice on those. So basically we paid over $100 for a meal we would not have picked on our own. And the beef short ribs over garlic mash was just like something I could have gotten at any American restaurant. Same goes for my wife's fish. But no complaints about our server, she was very nice. I would like to give Fratelli another chance, if I could see a full menu first, but it's going to be awhile before I do that. And I don't think we're the only ones feeling that way. As my wife said, "No one in here looks happy..." more

Fratelli = mediocre What a huge disappointment for a Valentines Day dinner. Here is the breakdown... Service = D Food = Bland as heck, are you kidding me? Environment = packed like sardines Basically, we were seated and fed in a manner that felt like we were part of a circuit. There was no intimacy as they must have packed xtra tables in for more $ales. Our server never engaged us for any reason beyond simple questions My 2nd glass of wine took over 10 minutes to be served as my entree sat there cooling off. I even had to retrieve a fork for my wife after they served our entrees because I could not get anyones attention who worked there. And another annoying thing, our server spent time at a close by table chatting up some regulars while blowing everyone else she was serving off. BTW, she would ask us a question and literally start to leave before we could respond. But let me back up.... When we arrived, they were extremely unorganized and we waited 20 minutes past our reservation which is no big deal except no one asked us if we wanted a glass of wine and the bartender never as much looked our way while standing right at the bar. I ordered the short-ribs over parmesan mashed potatoes. It was so bland I basically felt like everything i was eating was mixed down with water. My wife thought her ravioli was ok but for 100+ dollars and as we live 1.5 blocks from ROUX, let me say this, this place was a total disappointment for everything that they claim on their site which states: Valentine's Day is one of the most romantic dates on the calendar and over the years Fratelli has been honored with a long list of awards including most romantic. This is totally not true. I am so bummed out this placed turned out to be so average. Sorry guys, in a bad economy, you better step it up. I might suggest Justa Pasta for half the price and five times the flavor. If you are going to drop 100-150, try Iolio, ROUX, Porta Terra or Higgens. Pros: none Cons: absolutely below average more

My husband and I went to Fratelli on Sunday to celebrate our Valentine's Day. We chose to order the same menu as on Saturday. I had the fish, my husband had the ribs, as well as the cake. Everything was excellent! We shared our plates. The cake was very moist and a perfect size. To complement this, a bottle of wine. The restaurant and bar was busy but that didn't seem to make a difference with our service. Our server did mention how they swapped out the tables for 2 seaters on Valentine's Day to accommodate the couples. She did say that overall there were less seats in the restaurant. We had a great time! Thank you. more

I was walking around the NW with my fiancee last Monday and stumbled on a dark, romantic Italian restaurant called Fratelli. We had never noticed it before (it's around the corner from the flashy Oba) but it was cold out and we were lured in by the warm atmosphere we saw through the windows. If you want a cozy, romantic dinner or even a chill spot to go with friends and family, this is it. Besides, how can you go wrong with Italian? Of course, you're not going to get a big fat bowl of spaghetti and meatballs or chicken parmesan--if you want that, you would need to head on over to Pastini--but if you want a more sophisticated and authentically Italian meal, this is the place to go. The menu includes hearty examples of northern Italian cuisine (we had a couple delicious bruschetti as appetizers and the pan-seared rockfish and a fabulous lasagna for entrees. To finish, the panna cotta was delightful!). For anyone who craves a bit of cozy, romantic dining, I highly recommend Ristorante Fratelli (Also, you may want to beat the weekend crowds and aim for Mondays or Tuesdays). Pros: Ambience, food Cons: none more

Had dinner here with two couples and honestly have to say the food was nice, but that was it. The dining room is long and narrow, and you have to walk through the bar to get to the restaurant. There doesn't seem to be a reservation counter - you just stand in the doorway and hope someone sees you. It was hard to get our waitress's attention just to order beverages and the prices are probably higher than most people expect to pay. If this is considered a "romantic" restaurant in Portland, you need to get outside of the city. Pros: A few nice selections on the menu - especially pizza Cons: Not romantic, over priced, seating only along narrow walls more

Several friends and I just went to the bar section (Bar Due) for a birthday celebration , conciously making a date for the happy hour. Things were fine until we got the bill and saw that most of our drinks were full price...$8-$9 each!! Even though the server knew we were there for happy hour she made no reference to our drinks not qualifiying for happy hour prices. I had ordered a mai tai, to which she even came back saying they didn't have coconut rum and I said all I really want is rum and a fruit juice...so after that I surely would never have expected full price! Especially since the menu specifically says $4.00 drinks and add $1.00 for juice. I questioned the bill and actually got a lecture from 2 different servers that in the future I needed to know the difference between a well drink and regular drink!!! Yeah well, this isn't my first day and NONE OF US WILL BE BACK!! more

Fratelli has always been one of my favorite restaurants in the Pearl, with quality food, local, and a great atmosphere. I probably go there every couple of months or so to eat in the dining room and it is always consistent. Lately, we go more often for happy hour in Bar Due. My favorites include: chicken liver mousse crostini, lasagna, polenta with prociutto, organic veggie salads and the pizzas. It is so affordable here. Cons: parking more

My girlfriends and I went here to celebrate a birthday. The setting is beautiful very romantic and enough space between tables for an intimate feel. The waiter spilled a bottle of vinegar right next to our table so all night long we were subject to that smell and then the Clorox bleach that they used on the concrete floor. No apologies from the wait staff as we tried to enjoy our food over that intoxicating smell. I had a house salad and the garlic mashed potatoes it was good but nothing special. Out of our whole group no one thought the food was outstanding..... The best part about this place is the location and atmosphere. For great Italian food good somewhere else, overpriced for a so so plate. Pros: nice looking place Cons: food not worth the price for what you get more

arby's? seriously? there used to be restaurant in town, whose name unfortunately i forget, that would present an implacable guest with a laminated map showing how to get from one's current location to the nearest denny's. it wasn't fratelli, of course, but it reminded me of a different time in portland, when a lack of public civility was met with a bit more than a forced smile. but then, i digress. i have been to fratelli many times over the years and have always had wonderful experiences. the food is solid, the staff courteous and efficient and the prices will make you forget the oyster district location and the apparently inherent tourist traffic that comes with it. give this place a try. more

Today, I was very disappointed in the meal we received at Fratelli. While we have eaten here twice before, this experience has made me vow we will not return. Our party of 7 was promptly sat at our reservation time and everyone ordered and the appetizers came out with no problems. I ordered the Hanger Stake to be cooked medium-well, which our waiter told me it was suggested to be cooked medium-rare. Well being 8 months pregnant, I was not about to eat any red meat. I told the waiter I wanted it cooked medium-well. When our meals came, the hanger steak was way undercooked. I sent it back and the waiter agreed it was undercooked. After the other 6 people at my table had finished their meals, the waiter finally returned with my meal. I was very disappointed that they did not offer me a free appetizer or salad to eat while everyone around me was eating. I was not about to eat after everyone at my table was done. We left and I wound up stopping at Arbys to get something to eat 2.5 hours after our reservation. more

My husband and I ate at Fratelli for the first time tonight (Monday, June 2nd). We own a restaurant and have worked in the business for, well it's all I've ever done. I try not to be very critical or over think my restaurant experiences very much, as it's most important to just have a good time. I have to say though, this was one of the top dining experiences that I've had in Portland in the eight years that I've lived here. We were greeted warmly when we arrived (the last time I experienced this in Portland was when Allison Blythe worked at Roux when it first opened), our server was extremely knowledgeable and professional yet had personality as well (pretty woman with curly hair & white glasses). The support staff checked in with us regularly as well. Now, the food... I'm usually put off by restaurants that don't offer salt & pepper on the the table as I've never eaten in a place like that where I didn't wish that I had some salt & pepper. I have to say though that nothing needed additional seasoning as everything was perfectly seasoned. We had a couple of courses and in all tried about six things including dessert and there was nothing that I was disappointed with. In fact, I feel that whoever cooked our food must possess one of the best palates in Portland as I felt the flavors and pairings of ingredients were masterful in design and extremely well executed- from gnocchi to braised pork to chocolate torte. I was thoroughly impressed, enough to write a review (which I've never done before), but I had to give this feedback as our experience truly could not have been better. Thank you to everyone at Fratelli and we will be back. more