Little Bird Bistro
| Address: | 215 SW 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97204, USA |
| Phone: | +1 503-688-5952 |
| Site: | littlebirdbistro.com |
| Rating: | 4.6 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM 5PM–12AM 5PM–12AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
PE
Pechluck Laskey
It was sometime during the summer this year that I saw an Eater article with Little Birds Erik Van Kley about chicken frying trout, and the photo essay made me hungry. The trout is fried in buttermilk for its Southern influences, but then has Thai influences in that it is served in lettuce cups to wrap and eat. It wasnt until last week though that I finally tried it- and it was a warm hug to my tummy to prepare me for the winter air. It was delicious, crisp and flaky but delicate and silky smooth inside. There was the clean brightness of the lettuce cups that envelope it, countering the mayo-like gribache sauce. There was a grassiness from a mixture of generous chives and dill rained upon the large fish that are now and then contrasted with wiggles of dijon mustard, some crunch via shreds of pickled carrots, deep fried capers, and beautiful thin slices of radish. I dined at a table and thought the service was smooth and fast without feeling rushed, and seemed warmer, friendlier, more a balance of casual yet sophisticated than my previous experiences. I look forward to coming back for another lunch soon.
AL
Alyssa Carter
I have now been here for lunch twice, and am really excited to come back for dinner. My problem is I do this thing when restaurants are reviewed really highly or Ive heard great things. I have unreasonably large expectations and always end up being a little let down. I was worried this would happen at Little Birds sister restaurant, Le Pigeon, but despite high expectations I had one of the best dining experiences of my LIFE! At Little Bird, I didnt quite get the same punch as I did at Le Pigeon, but everything was still very tasty. There was only a slight ping of shouldnt there be more? Over the course of my two lunches Ive tried a pasta special of the day (yummy, but didnt blow my mind); the Le Pigeon Burger (an 8.5 on the burger scale - sorry, Noble Rot still has the keys to my burger heart!); a variety of cocktails (Im really more of a wine girl, but these were well crafted); mushrooms sauteed in deliciousness (the best thing Ive eaten here). Overall, this place is really good but might be a little expensive for what you get. If I had the choice, youd find me a le pigeon.
A
A Private User
Little Bird is a place where butter substitutes for seasoning and flavor. Wed heard so much hype about how great the place was; well it certainly didnt appear on our tiny, bland plates of food. My deconstructed pot pie included gummy, uncrisp pastry and little flavor. My friends steak was chewy and bland (but butter covered!) and my wife sea bass was very "eh". We hoped dessert might save the day, but the coconut cake ( a very hard thing to ruin) was mediocre and the ice cream sandwich was equal to what one might pull out of a frozen bin at a 7-11. Little bird has beautiful decor, comfortable seating, a nice staff, and very over-priced, under-seasoned and over buttered food. Do yourself a favor and go instead to have a nice flavorful pad thai or a delicious mexican mole somewhere else for 1/3 the price. Portland has too many great restaurants to bother with this insult to real french cooking. Disappointing enough to want my money back.
MA
Mary Palmer
French Bistro with daily specials, worth the wait. We sat and wait to be seated at dinner for almost 30 min even with a reservation, but the staff is kind and friendly. I happen to have a cough so they offered me a cup of hot lemon water to sip on while we were waiting. 3 of us for dinner and when we finally were seated it was served in a timely manner. I chose the Chicken Fried Trout with pickled carrots, fines herbes, radishes, dijon, gribiche*....Wonderful! served along with leaves of fresh butter lettuce, the idea is to roll the trout into the lettuce and eat it as a wrap. Very fresh. The vegetables were still crisp, the fish was crispy and not oily (even though deep fried), and the dish highly recommended. Love all the fresh dill on it. I would definitely come back again multiple time in order to try all the innovative dishes on the menus.
DO
Don V
Great restaurant with surprising good sized portions. This is a sister restaurant to Le Pigeon located in the Pearl district. Coming into the restaurant, it has the antique hipster vibe you come to love at restaurants in PDX. Food: Foie Gras with Apricot. I was excited to order this. However it was cold, I guess I like it seared a lot more. Sheep cheese Gnocchi appetizer. That was delicious, as was the mushrooms that came with it. Chicken Fried Fish - Like a chicken fried steak, but fish. Served with butter lettuce cups to eat. Had a nice lemongrass taste to it, pretty addicting when youre eating it. Rabbit: Very tender and well prepared. Some other items that are good here: Le Pigeon Burger (cult following), and bone marrow. Overall would definitely come back. This is a good option if you feel like a more casual version of Le Pigeon.
BA
Barry Frangipane
Very classic French food. Had the Moules Frites and the Duck Confit. The mussels were fresh, and the sauce was spot on. A few of the largest mussels (and they were very large) were a slight bit undercooked, but overall an excellent representation of a classic dish. Even the flavor profile of the sauce mayonnaise was perfectly done. The duck confit was a slight bit overcooked, but once again had a perfect classic flavor profile, executed better than in most restaurants in Paris. The berry tart and Ile Flottante were very well executed desserts. In sum, if you want classic French cuisine such as you will find at Chez Georges in Paris, this is your place. If you want stuffy French waiters or pomp and circumstance, go somewhere else.
A
A Private User
I went to Little Bird today for lunch and loved every moment. For such a new restaurant, the service was notably fantastic and smooth, but this makes sense given the carry-over from Le Pigeon. Speaking of carry-over, the quality of the food seems to benefit in the same way. Everyone at the table loved their food, and my potted duck livers starter and coq au vin w/chicken liver toast were both delicious. The trout and soup were also very well-liked. Little Bird is a great Westside lunch and dinner option for Le Pigeon-quality food, and its particularly good for those who might not be as open to the less "well-known" or "traditional" ingredient lists of a typical Le Pigeon dish.
YV
Yvette Ngo
Little Bird is the more affordable version of Le Pigeon. I had the soup du jour, the roasted eggplant with a crostini and house made tomato jam; delicious and very thick. The sheep cheese gnocchi appetizer (with pea purée and black garlic butter sauce) was to die for. It was so delicious! I had the chicken fried trout as a main fish; topped with carrots, radishes, and dill, served with butter lettuce wraps. It was light and crispy and good, but I dislike mustard and there was a mustard taste to it. The cocktails are good too; La Vie en Rose (pisco) was my favorite and the Vesper (gin and vodka) was too strong for me.
PH
Philthy An
Ive yet to have a dinner here, but have come several times for happy hour and their late night happy hour. While their burger has gone thru a few revisions their current burger is slid and a steal at $5 on the HH menu. It is one of my favorite HH dishes in town and sadly it had to replace their previous burger which I enjoyed much more. Their Mac and cheese is a cant miss. The ambiance and service here are great however the long waits can be a bit discouraging especially without a large enough bar to accommodate guests waiting for a table. The foie gras has been delicious when Im up for it as well
