This has been one of my favorite restaurants in the city for a very long time. I helped Paola when he was doing some renovation where he was living. Ever since then I've been a continuing customer. I've recommended Cafe Allora to many friends who have now become regulars. (But I've yet to receive a free meal. It's Carbonara for me).Continue to sever great food & ambiance, Paola‼ read more

Good service and good food but would've preferred a bigger portion of food for the price. Place was super vibey and would definitely be good for a date! read more

Allora - Gnocchi ai Quattro Formaggi - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Wow wow wow! This place is incredible! The ambience is amazing. I felt like I was back in Italy on a rainy night. It's small and very dark, but it works for the mood. The service is great and the restaurant was extremely clean. The food itself was bursting with flavor. From the bruschetta to the wine to the pasta, it was all fantastic! I savored every bite. Their pasta dishes are put together very uniquely, and all of the flavors go great together. They have a great deal of sauce, which I loved. You've got to try this place ASAP! read more

Allora - Bruschetta - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Waited over an hour for this ! And this was our serving ! $69 total ! Flavor wasn't even anything special read more

Allora - Don't recommend! $69 for this and waited over an hour - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We went in mid-june 2021. Truly the worst pasta dish I've ever had. Unfortunate! The atmosphere is lovely, the drinks were great and we enjoyed the antipasto. Our server asked if it was an allergy because otherwise they will reuse the regular (gluten) pasta water. Points to her for asking. However, the pasta dishes themselves were absolutely terrible. Not inedible, just...pathetic. I had a puttanesca and feel confident it was just tomato purée with anchovies, olives and capers added in. It had no flavor, body, or spice. My partner, who is not gluten free, got the pasta del mare. We believe after talking later they also gave him gluten free spaghetti. It was overcooked and he said there was not enough sauce to cover the pasta, noting that he also thought it tasted like plain tomato purée. He is not a negative person or a complainer so when he does complain I listen. High prices should equal quality. This was the worst pasta I've ever had in a restaurant. Too bad because the ambiance was lovely. read more

Every dish we order is delicious. Every time I visit the PDX I go here for the fresh made in house Italian pasta. Best in town.

Got the cheese plate and it was by far the saddest thing I've ever seen. 3 tiny portions of cheese, a dab of honey and literally 4 blueberries and a couple walnuts. Entree noodles were undercooked/hard and the dish was bland. read more

More than a year ago we happened to be in the neighborhood and dropped in for hors'deuvres and wine. It was so nice and loved the atmosphere. read more

Was pretty surprised at how good it was. We thought it would be a pretty normal Italian place but the food felt handmade and wondered if we had accidentally walked into a Michelin guide restaurant. Some nicer restaurants have chefs that tend to a specific flavor profile that permeatss every dish. At Allora, they definitely prefer subtle spicy that slowly creeps up on you. Only issue was with a lack of wait staff. Like another comment stated, there was a single girl running around up and down the stairs. Had to wait for a decent amount of time to get started and end the dinner. She had no problem with getting the food to the table though and even though she almost delivered wrong plates to us, she self corrected before it even touched the table. read more

I want to give Allora more stars because we had a lovely cozy dinner there. The atmosphere is homey and comfy, the little loft above with tiny string lights is alluring. The service was wonderful and I loved my halibut with capers but there were some short comings that do not befit such a cute and welcoming spot that's been around for a while. My husbands beef stew on polenta was good but it looked so ugly on the Plate. I mean at the end of the day we come for the taste and not the look but it looked so unappealing. The polenta was completely hidden and there was watery stew kind of running off the plate. It was good, not great but man it sure looked nasty. The bread was cold and stale. How can you mess that up? Italian bistros always have good bread. We wanted an amarone and there was only one on the menu. It was excellent but wish there was another choice so we didn't have to pay $100. We ordered a pasta to go. Was supposed to be tagliatelle but when we got home, we noticed it was just spaghetti. It was over cooked and mushy and the sauce was uninspiring. An Italian restaurant must minimally do pasta well. We finished with two lovely glasses of limoncello and it was excellent. The place is so cute and intimate, they have mouth watering specials so we will give it another try. Maybe it was an off night. To be continued.... read more

Allora - Loving the loft a lot. - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

It's been a while since I've gone to a Italian restaurant, and Allora was a place I've had my eyes on this year.... local family owned home made style tends to be hidden gems that's easily overlooked. Arrived around 1:30 pm with a friend, so large groups were leaving. Ambience is contemporary romantic setting, and we were placed by the window. Little cramped but it's ok, I like natural lighting. Started out with espresso ($2.50) and skipped bread and olives because I didn't want to get too full. It was very bitter but welcoming tinge, as I've had too much sweets and pumpkin as of late... Since carbonara is easily found everywhere, I went for penne pomodoro e proscuitto ($15). Tomato cream sauce was mild and not too heavy, and I had what appeared to be a tuna which wasn't mentioned on the description - flavored just melted in my mouth. I let out a happy "Mmmm!!" :D Stole some zuppa de giorno soup which was invitingly warm and spicy, almost made me wish I got the bread... but cutting back on carbs. Service was prompt and courteous, prices were reasonable, food presentation was decent. Buratta wasn't on menu - turns out that's dinner only. Well well well.... when to come back next? ;) read more

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Cute and romantic restaurant. Friendly staff, and amazing food. The beet salad was awesome and fresh, the halibut had an amazing flavor but was a tiny bit dry although the veggies underneath made up for it! The panna cotta was slightly sweet, which I loved! What a nice spot for dinner! read more

Allora - Panna Cotta - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Northern italian food. Sauce was thin and unflavorful. Bresaola in southern italy is cooked thin meat. Here it was like a thickerprocuitto. Cute intimate spot with outside seating. read more

I am raised in a culinary household of Michelin star chefs so I'm a bit fussy. I Started with bread and olives...I've never been to a restaurant that charges for bread. It was only 3 dollars, but the serving consisted of 4 slices of bread...REALLY! I could buy an entire loaf of bread for three dollars. I ordered a Cesar salad that took an eternity to make...at least 20 minutes...it was mediocre at best. For my main course I had the spaghetti de Mare...the sauce was good the pasta was okay, the clams, muscles, scallops and fish were quite delicious. The place was not busy so that is not the excuse for poor service. The owner seemed more interested in flirting with a couple women than attending to all the clients. Oh and the women he was flirting with received outstanding service and a mountain of bread...not just 4 measly pieces. It is way over priced for the quality and quantity! I will never return to this establishment!!! read more

The food was spectacular! Service was grand, we went on a Monday right when they opened. Good time to go!

used to love this place ciopinno oiley and could not eat rubbery calamari. Horrible meal with cold bread brought at end of meal. maybe covid stress resulted in a 35$ bowl of soup that was 100% amateur. read more

Let's face it - for those of us who are foodies, Covid is a depressing time. We see our favorite places struggling, the experience of dining out just isn't what it used to be, and everything feels tentative and strange. Menus are limited, everyone's on edge. It's rough. Allora, however, has emerged from my top 20 and edged up to my top 5 in the last six months because they have taken all of this in stride, and continue to provide excellent service, outstanding food, and delicious cocktails. I feel that I didn't properly and fully appreciate this place in the before times, and I have been grateful for it in the during. Many many thanks to the entire team at Allora for being a bright shiny spot in a gray summer/fall of dining. read more

My boss suggested me to come to this restaurant when she knew I was visiting friends in Portland and I'm sure glad that I did! I got the Pasta Carbonara and it was delicious, my 3 other friends all got different dishes (that I have now forgotten the names) and loved them as well. My only complain is that you have to pay for bread (who charges for bread?) and we only decided to get bread because we saw the other table having focaccia but when our bread arrived, it was cold sourdough. Imagine my disappointment. read more

This is our third time at Allora. The food never disappoints! We ordered the fresh Sturgeon, and it was wonderfully delicious. The service was very good and friendly. We had never sat in the adjoining room before- great atmosphere! We'll be back! read more

Food was outstanding! Great ambience, feels quite quaint ! Cocktails served along with Italian beer and lots of wine offerings. We had the pleasure of having Desi serve us . She was amazing!! Very kind, courteous and attentive . Thank you Desiree! I would definitely recommend! read more

Make a reservation, it a popular spot because the food it that good! Homemade pasta cooked to perfection. Wait staff and hostess were so nice and efficient. We had the Spaghetti Vongole, fresh and delicious! read more

Shay was AMAZING throughout the night. Ambiance was cute and quiet. The crème brûlée was INCREDIBLE. Weird they didn't have desert menus but overall great experience! read more

Ciao! Quaint, convivial eve dining at this Italian cafe with a bar and upstairs loft. A fan spins a soft comfy breeze over our table. There are a handful tables along the sidewalk under trees with a string of mood lights with that 9th Ave Pearly summer breeze! There were 6 seasonal items including crab and salmon on tonite's menu. I went for the red bell pepper stuffed with meat and Ricotta. My wife went spaghetti carbonara with Reggiano Parmesan and pancetta. Very delicious! We started with an antipasto of Italian meats, cheese, olives, beans and spicy peppers. Meet up, eat up! Chow! read more

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Great service! Really good food :) clean and very attentive staff. Food is pretty good too.

Shay made for an incredible evening! The fried burrata and the crème brûlée was spectacular! Will definitely be back soon.

Delicious house red wine, amazing fresh pasta, service was ok on a Saturday night, warm intimate atmosphere

Raw and authentic. Allora really knows how to incorporate seafood with fine Italian dining. Allora is like most places in Portland utilizing a small space. For a restaurant this means they can control and limit dining however they need to, not o YL does this work for a pandemic, but it gives an experience for the patron that is just a little mor special. The food was something to write home about, literally for me. As a food writing traveling through the area I definitely texted back home about this spot. Meatballs were tasty and authentically made, the menu simple but passionate. All things you want for a romantic Italian meal. When in Portland it's a must! @burchieshotdogreviews www.burchieshotdogs.reviews read more

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Wonderful restaurant close to the train station. We were stuck on a train at Portland's train station for 8 hours. We never knew when the train would be given the ok to continue. Fortunately, the lovely folks at Allora expedited a to go order for us, so we could eat their wonderful food on the train. We had the Quattro formaggi gnocchi and the butternut ravioli in brown butter sage sauce. Both were fantastic and everybody else on the train was jealously eyeing and smelling our fantastic meal! read more

Great food and vibe. Really like this restaurant. Hidden gem. Great Negroni. We had a very tasty dinner.

The food was wonderful and the space beautiful. Its a nice place for a date dinner! Had the cheese plate, cheese raviolli, nice 1/2 bottle of wine and my fave; tiramisu. My big complaint was to find we have to use the QR code for the menu. Please please just print up a menu! The wait staff come to take your order anyway so I do not see the point of the QR code menu... It's not a pub. read more

Came in on Saturday night. They sat us in their extra dining room which was very cute and quieter than the main. The food was good. The service was less than great. Our server seemed very overwhelmed. She had about 3 tables at this point. I asked about the menu items and she acted annoyed by that question. She also forgot one of our items, but we never said anything since she already seemed annoyed with us. Maybe it was her first day serving- I don't know. I don't usually write reviews, but this was such an awkward dinner experience. I definitely will not going back. read more

This place is OK. Unfortunately wasn't amazed by the food, and felt that the flavors or plates could have been elevated to be more creative or original. However, overall it was still good Italian cuisine, but wish it packed a little more punch in the flavor department. Nonetheless, the wine selection was good, and our service was very friendly and prompt. I would consider returning to give it another shot if I were close by. read more

I haven't had a bad meal here yet. Granted, I've gone twice and I think I had the same thing each time, but it was delicious each time, so there! Went for a business lunch both times and service was gracious and attentive. I had the Penne Pomodoro e Prosciutto - creamy and tender and enough prosciutto to add a little smoky flavor. Very nice. Salads are fresh and delicious, and not too tiny. The space is small - I've only been seated downstairs, where there are only a few tables, but there is an upstairs. It feels like a little cafe in Italy, except it's in the Pearl District. Anyway, it's a sweet little cafe with authentic food and not outrageously priced. Totally worth a visit. Two forks up. read more

Did takeout of mushroom ravioli and spaghetti and meatballs. The ravioli was delicious but for the price I kind of expected some bread or at least some parm to go with it. I was still hungry. And the spaghetti and meatballs was just one tiny meatball. The staff was rather passive aggressive when I picked up, so I dont know if I offended them by doing takeout or what... read more

We tried this restaurant based on photos people posted in their reviews. We made a reservation for three. When we arrived, we got seated in front of the entrance door that was propped open all night. We saw an empty table for four in the corner tucked away from the wind, when we asked to switch the server said the table was reserved for four people. Not long, we saw only three people seated. I get it, the wait staff have no control. So beware, It is a small restaurant, seating can be tricky and the acoustic can be overwhelming. The plus, spaghetti was fresh and meatballs were well seasoned. The beets and arugula salads are delicious. The minus, white sauce gnocchi was bland, spaghetti Vongole was a big disappointment. I only managed a few bites and didn't want to take it home because it was way too salty. I thought it was me, but my husband agreed. I let our server know, he apologized but didn't offer to see if I wanted to order something else from the menu. In short, we will not return. For the price this restaurant charge, I know of other authentic Italian restaurants serving better food. read more

Please do yourself a favor and order the gnocchi... and everything else on the menu You CANNOT go wrong with any of their dishes. Plus, service was exceptional. Glad to see them open up for in-person dining again. read more

Allora - Upstairs area, olive and bread small plates - Italian Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Portions were very small. Food tasted great. They do not give you complementary bread. The building was so hot we were all sweating. There was tons of dust under the stairs going up to the bathroom. Service took a while. read more

Gorgeous restaurant with very nice ambiance. Very kind and knowledgable staff. Food was delicious.

What a gem! Every meal I have ever had has been superb! This is a an authentic Italian restaurant in a Portland, one of the few. Food is freshly prepared and consistently delicious. Rarely do I order Carbonara - it's very rich and if not prepared correctly, can be a disaster. Caffe Allora makes the Best. Carbonara. Ever. So good that it's challenging for me to go there and try other entrees! Last week I decided to have one of their nightly specials, penne with crab, since it's dungenous crab season in Portland. It was superb! Penne cooked perfectly al dente, of course, and the red sauce rich with a touch of cream, flavorful while perfectly highlighting the sweet crab meat. I wish I was eating this at my Nana's house so I could have had another bowl! My friend had the same dinner but with gluten free pasta and she loved it equally. Great to know there are gluten free pasta options that are stellar. We had the warm kale salad with bacon and the roasted beet salad with goat cheese as starters, both wonderful. I especially liked the warm likable salad which gave off a bit of creaminess. A crisp cannoli was the perfect ending to a delightful meal. The restaurant is small, intimate, perfect for date night or an evening with friends. You can host bigger groups in the upstairs loft. Lots of street parking and a few tiny tables out front when weather is nice. It's a charming place with existing food. Carbonara, I will be back for you next time! read more

Best Italian food I've ever had, wonderful customer service and reasonable prices. The cheese ravioli was to die for and the Tagiatelli Nico was amazing as well. Recommend as a date spot for sure, make sure to get a reservation as it's a small spot! read more