I'm a huge fan of this place. Been going there for years... that said, I was shocked at the prices FOR LUNCH... ordered the risotto with a piece of grilled salmon .. cost:$ 24.00. Salmon was a piece from the tail end.. maybe 3oz.. risotto was tasty but very small portion. Okay it's Covid still and prices have gone up BUT I've been to similar places and paid a few $$ more and have not been cheated with portion sizes because I'm paying more!! The chef came out and was polite.. tried to rationalize it with the rise in costa etc... not convinced ... adding another 14.00 for a glass of wine it was not worth half of what I was charged ... I'm so sad but c'mon !!! I'll give them another chance perhaps for happy hour ... read more

We had a reservation at their place. We arrived 30 minutes earlier and inquired if we can be seated earlier. We said we have no trouble coming back later. But the hostess was rude, dismissive and unwelcoming. She even didn't bother checking if we can be seated earlier. So we took our business elsewhere happily. Lots of other good options in the area. Won't recommend it because of unprofessional staff. read more

Oy...as an ex service industry person I hate to leave a bad review but WOW this was a spectacular fail. -Waited 30 min to be seated in spite of a reservation and multiple open tables visible. -Asked for the outdoor fans to be turned off since it was pouring rain/chilly and we were told they were for "circulation"...at the sidewalk open sided seating area...other tables were offered propane heaters but we were not. -$26 for a Benedict and some potatoes!! $20 for a tiny avocado stuffed with shrimp. Alcohol prices are quite high as well. -Service was pretty painfully slow. It was obvious the server was doing his best but had way too many tables to cover. -For a party of 3 our bill, before tip, came to $170. For subpar brunch. That's a hell no. There's a dozen places within 5 miles that we can get phenomenal food for far less. The only reason we came was the allure of being able to make a reservation but obviously that didn't even help since we waited just as long as parties with no reservation. -1 star added for the server comping our second round of drinks for us after we asked for our check. Not sure if he knew we were irritated or if he knew how bad the experience was but he was a really nice kid. read more

Sad. Was super excited to see this on Postmates - the menu is great. Unfortunately it's a sham. Ordered the barbacoa benedict and brûlée. They sent me a ham Benedict...and it was terrible or I would have just accepted the mistake. The biscuit was soggy, the ham was cheap and flavorless, and wtf is up with that hollandaise? Yellow water. The brulee....dear god. Photo attached. A goo pile with a small black-burnt rock of sugar mmm They hadnt even placed my order when my driver showed up to pick it up. I waited an hour and a half for dog food. read more

Cafe Nell - Brûlée? Is that you? - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We came here for Father's Day brunch. When we arrived there was a line of people who also had reservations who had been waiting for a table for 15 min. We were finally seated and put in our orders. Drinks took about 30 min to get to us, food about 1 hour. I was told that I couldn't make adjustments to my meal even though I have a dairy allergy; they eventually accommodated this. My wife ordered the crab benedict which she said was amazing (it should be for $35). My Huevos Rancheros were some of the most mediocre I've ever had. At $20 I would expect something a little more impressive. I've had better at food stalls. My daughter got pancakes that were supposed to come with blueberries and whipped cream, but showed up with neither. We were told they had run out. I understand it was a busy day for them but you know that its going to be that ahead of time and prepare for it. As it was I can't really recommend the brunch. We have been here for dinner in the past and it was great, but I'd recommend skipping the brunch. read more

I ate at Cafe Nell last fall and it was just ok. With all the controversy over getting permits in a seemingly underhanded way and the total disregard for neighbors, I will not be back. I have friends coming to town this weekend and it would have been a nice venue but I am boycotting because of the lack of civility and civic-mindedness. What a shame! read more

Yes yes yes -"it's Covid" -- but if you're not ready to open, then don't. We're thankful you're open but perhaps consider adjusting your menu or prices if you can't deliver a consistent and tasty experience. Came here with a party of 5 and it was a swing and a spectacular flop with both the food and service. We were seated right on time by a lovely host and was very pleased with the ambiance. After we got settled in, we started looking for our server. They showed up and took our drinks order, which took almost 20 mins to arrive despite us sitting outside right next to the bar. Then they left. Approximately 15 mins later we ordered our food. About when we were getting antsy at the amount of time for our food, our server appeared to tell us they were out of the roast chicken. So my companion ordered a replacement chicken Caesar salad, which then arrived way before the rest of the entrees by a solid 15 mins. My meal was rough - steak was very dry and cold to the touch -- it also looked like it had some kind of sauce on it but it had already absorbed into the meat--, along with the fries (how do you mess up fries?) bernaise sauce had a thick "soup skin" on top of it and looked nasssty. Other dishes the party ordered were also huge letdowns. Fries were cold and hard across the board, crab cakes (very tiny and spendy) contained very little protein and were somehow chewy though they were fried? Very expensive cocktails were mostly mixer and juice -- very little alcohol used despite a high price. We wanted to like this place but the verdict was unanimous with our family on this night: something was off. Hard pass for a return visit. read more

This is a classy cafe - the food is really great. So are the cocktails. And to top it off - the service is very, very good.

I can't tell you how wonderful Cafe Nell is. This is the ONLY restaurant we feel safe at during this Covid. They Pay attention to every detail. All seating is disinfected after the previous patron leaves. OH....FYI....THE FOOD IS STUPENDOUS! Cheers to you and thank you! read more

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Must have been an off night. We brought guests. Coffee was cold, server did not take our order for close to an hour even though it was early and the restaurant was near empty, didn't check our table throughout the evening. Food was meh...I've been to Cafe Nell previously and enjoyed, but after this experience, I don't think I'll be returning. read more

Just don't... Unless you have money to burn and nothing better to do on a Saturday. Service was terrible, food was awful and overpriced. I asked if the crab was fresh for the crab salad and told it was indeed fresh not canned. When the salad arrived, the smell made it obvious the crab was from a can. Also, nice the waitress could have ice in her water but the table was served room temp tap water. Is the menu supposed to stick to the table? Eat at your own risk and be sure to bring plenty of money.... And more money to pick up some good food on the way home because the portions are so small and you will still be hungry. read more

I understand things are difficult during the pandemic, but with advance reservations, I don't expect to be kept waiting for 30-45 minutes, without drink service or anything else. It's just rude. I won't be going back. By all accounts right now, the food is good but the service is awful. read more

So we walk into this place and it looks like it's gonna be really good, so we were excited. It was a cute little place that looked like an old school diner. We got sat and were in a really weird and crammed location, but we were cool with it if the food was good and the overall experience was fine. Our server was cool and seemed attentive and let us know some specials, everything seemed super good. We ordered the cinnamon roll that came out looking like it was cooked 20 minutes longer than it needed to be 3 days ago, it was awful. Then our food came and everything was either tiny, cooked wrong or burnt. After receiving the bill that was priced like a decent dinner restaurant I can honestly say that there wasn't one good thing about the food in this entire restaurant. I really want to give this place a 1, but the atmosphere is pretty cool, other than that this is a no-go for me folks. read more

This place used to be good (like when Sam was the bartender), but not so much anymore. The main issue is the staff; unnecessarily rude. My wife and I used to be regulars there but in the past two times we've been there, the staff was really rude to us for no reason. EXAMPLE: we showed up there at 5:30 and asked for a table for 5. Many, many empty tables. The girl at the podium says they don't have any tables ALL night. We go on OpenTable and get a table right away. We then tell them we have a 'reserved table' but they won't seat all of us at one table (despite there being many six top tables that filled up that night), they split us up with 3 at one table and 2 at another table on the other side of the restaurant. WTF?. 30 mins later, they say we can combine the tables. Again, huh? Did you do that to f with us? At the end of the night, they throw a 20% tip fee on us without telling us. Their policy is 20% on parties of 8 or more. Horrible service and overcharged. Update: Vanessa refunded 10% of the 20% tip, which is what I asked for. Thank you. Next, she has to fire that girl hostess (Mrs I Hate All Customers) and the smack the rest of the servers into shape. Then she'll have the cool spot it used to be. read more

Pretty bad brunch spot. The quality of food is disaster. We got Bloody Mary which had the weirdest mix along with old garnish. Who would put shrimp out of fridge fold like DAYS?!! Then we had Turkey burger with salad. For sure salad belonged to two nights ago and the bun was for last week. Let's not talk about the quality for Turkey. We also got fries which I'm sure was left over of their couple nights ago. Their ambiance is cute but price is pretty expensive for super awful food they offer read more

A restaurant gets one shot in my book. Was looking forward to Cafe Nell. Seemed a good bet. Made the reservation online. It was an afternoon booking. Showed up on time and THEY didn't honor it. We had a 2:45p reservation and they wanted to close before 3p. They blamed it on "Technical Reasons" dealing with their affiliated booking websites. Sorry guys, that's Human Error. You don't have YOUR act together. "We called you." Found out they did... less than a half hour before our reservation time. We were enroute. "Sorry" doesn't cut it. Total fail on their part. We'll never return but we will mention this experience to others. Often. read more

If a restaurant has meh food and excellent service then I can overlook the meh food. If the restaurant has great food and horrible service, I won't go back. Service is everything. I recently had brunch here with three other friends. It took about twenty minutes before my drink order was taken, and that's only because we told someone we were ready to order. Then it took another five to ten minutes to receive my bloody mary. Which was beautiful by the way. But if a bloody mary is going to cost me $15.00 it needs to be served with a side of prime rib. Seriously. A server began to bring out our food and put it down in front of us and the removed it saying it was the wrong order and then brought it all back out again. One of the members of our party asked a server for some hot sauce and the server snapped back "I'll tell your server." But the best part was when we were told we needed to leave because they had another reservation for that table. We had been there an hour and a half which might seem like enough time, however, keep in mind that we were there twenty minutes before someone even took our order. This is definitely a place I won't try again. read more

Cafe Nell - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Lunch: Attentive, friendly wait staff. Lovely burger with large turkey pattie, goat cheese and avocado, and deliciously dressed green salad. The restaurant to take your favorite diners. read more

Build your own Bloody Mary! Great brunch spot and good for groups. There were great vegetarian options on the menu as well. read more

Cafe Nell - Bloody Mary - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Wow I haven't been to Cathy Nehl since before COV ID and have to say they have transformed their parking lot into Narnia. It's like a maze of beauty and delight. Not only did I feel safe well cared for but the curiosity was such a fun event. The food is always solid and the service is attentive. For a wonderful experience don't hesitate to go. read more

i'm very disappointed with our server Mary! I made a reservation for me and my friend days in advance we got there on time we were seated 20 minutes after our reservation no one came to our table for 35 minutes to take our drink order no one checked in on us no one offered us a heat lamp, it was freezing the food was absolutely disgraceful the salmon was wet and slimy it was cafeteria food I am so disappointed this is not worth the cost of this place at all. We had to flag someone down multiple times to get any service. It was not very busy, I felt not like a guest what so ever. This is the last time I ever come back here! Brunch is also not worth it. Cute atmosphere but awful service and food! read more

Bye bye to the old neighborhood favorite. Clabe is no Mary! Ive been to Nell 30-40 times at least! We have come here about monthly getting consistently good food and excellent service by Mary. I guess she is only working weekends now... our misfortune! Took some friends out and had the WORST service! I sent my food back and didn't get asked why or brought anything else. (Cold 2-3 ounces of steak covered in over cooked dry fries!) Fortunately my friends liked their dishes well enough but they agreed that the service sucked. We walked down to a place on nw 23rd to get desserts and continue drinking. Nell lost out on a heafty check plus tip and I'm sure they didn't fill out six top at 8:30. Boo. You guys are lame. I remember an awesome kitchen and Mary (the best service in PDX)... moving on now. This was the last straw! read more

Cafe Nell - Jerk waiter! - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

What a fun stop to get brunch with the gals. Kyle was by far the best server we've ever had. He truly made the experience one of a kind!

Only on Sunday's you get the full menu. I would say it's very overpriced food and drinks. When ordering a special bloody marry it tastes like a tall glass of an oyster shooter with no seafood or toppings. Asking why it's not as described on the menu to be told it's only on sundays, also the eggs Benedict and other menu items are only offered on sundays ether through the menu doesn't specify SUNDAY ONLY. read more

Good selection of sheep and goat cheese from the United States, Spain and France. Bar tender Sam and other staff are friendly and attentive. Restaurant is very nicely designed with red velvet, curtains and beautiful lighting. Near the NS line, convenient to get to from the Pearl. read more

Cafe Nell - Cheeseplate - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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This restaurant is more expensive than most. If you want an upscale dining experience, decent size servings and quality food, then Café Nell is not for you. Ambiance - We sat outdoors and they did a good job with seating and tents. Service - Our server was good. Not to the standard of the prices, but good. Servers should not leave used glasses on the table, there was no bowl provided for the mussel shells, and only a tiny plate for an entrée that was split. Kitchen - Slow service from the kitchen. If you are hungry order as soon as you sit down. At least order an appetizer to tide you over while you wait for your entrée. Food - The steak was perfectly cooked at medium rare. Fries were a little soft. Salads and mussels were good. The Hemmingway daiquiri tasted odd, as if they did not use fresh lime juice. The wine glasses were what one would expect in a bar, not a higher end restaurant. And the cheese plate was a shock. Three tiny bits of cheese, a few pieces of toast and accompaniments. The four of us acted as though we were stranded on a deserted island as we carefully dissected the bits of cheese so everyone had a taste. Do not order the cheese plate. One eats here due to convenience. You pay for the ambiance, for being in NW Portland, and the fact that better restaurants are currently closed. read more

Cafe Nell is a Portland gem! Incredible food, extensive wine list, and beautiful surroundings. The oasis will take you away to a different place. read more

Yum yum yum! And oh, so cute! I can't believe I've brunched at every place I'm Portland besides Cafe Nell. I may have found a new Portland fave! And it's been here all along... read more

Cafe Nell has always been ones of my favorite go to brunch places! Victoria is amazing and describes everything with a lot of detail. The monte Cristi sandwich with raspberry jam is heavenly. The BLT A and E salad has such a light and fresh honey lemon vinaigrette. The drinks are a perfect balance of sweet and sour. Overall one of the best brunch restaurants in Portland! read more

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So perfect a little slice of Heaven during the Pandemic. Feels like a French boutique restaurant. glamourous and casual at the same time. Food is great. Perfect date spot or Business lunch. read more

Little French bistro ambiance, adorable outdoor seated area in the heart of NW Portland. The food, holy smokes. The steak frites are the best I've ever had, and we have tried a lot in the Portland area. This is an amazing well kept secret. Amazing wine selection, with affordable prices. The charcuterie board was insanely delicious and the Osso Bucco was to die for. Our new favorite date spot in pdx. My mouth is watering thinking about our experience last we read more

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The outside dining space is really well done. There are tables out front on the street and the back. The service was slow. Food was OK but way over priced. We ordered the kale and cranberry bruschetta thinking we could share as an appetizer. There were only two thin slices of baguette with toppings and it cost $16. We won't be returning due to the price compared to the quality and portions. It's too bad because the restaurant is in a great location. The staff was friendly and there were many patrons. read more

The food was delicious and the outdoor seating was beautiful. Heads up for parents, there is no changing table in the restrooms.

We felt so safe at Cafe Nell's new outdoor space. It's huge (in their former parking lot to the north of the restaurant) ... and allows for ideal "social distancing." There is also new outdoor space to the west along the street for more "intimate" dining (not so many people). Most of the tables were occupied when we went on Wednesday. Our friends said it's packed on the weekend so if you want to go, make a reservation. I loved my pasta dish with manila clams, chorizo and kale. The waiter we had was attentive and fun (great personality). I can't wait to go back while the weather is perfect. read more

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The outdoor seating is amazing! They also have the best drink selection. The food was good, a bit on the small side. I'm won't recommending getting the crab salad, unless you want to leave hungry. Besides that everything else was great. read more

steak and fries were cold AF and seemed like they were reheated. Not good. I'm surprised a steak could get this messed up.

We had optimistic expectations. The menu looked good and ratings were strong. Sadly we ended up very disappointed and underwhelmed. Super slow service and all four of our separate dinner selections were not good and borderline terrible. Furthermore, it was expensive. Thus the value was incredibly poor. For example...the crab cake appetizer was actually two crab cakes the size of a half dollar coin and nearly as thin for $28. Quite possibly the worst value I have ever incurred. We left shaking ours heads...what just happened!! Nothing, nothing good. Never again. read more

Love this spot! Really spacious between tables with high ceilings and even makes a 4 top feel more intimate. Especially with those of you like me who are still Covid dramatic. I always make reservations and the servers/service is accomplished and the food is delicious. For someone who likes some lunch items on a brunch menu it's a super good mix. My son who is 8 is the epitome of picky drools over their pancakes. Absolutely a repeat even with the flush of good restaurants in Portland. You won't be disappointed. read more

This place is not the same great place portlanders have been going to for years. I have no idea when it changed and would love to know if it's still the same owners from back in the good old days. Went today and it was the WORST experience ever! Didn't even make it to the food like so many other reviewers. Hostess had a major attitude problem, server indifferent. Had a reservation so that doesn't matter. Finally Got up and left. Why should I spend $ supporting this place? Owners wake up I'm old portland and very few of us left and you are biting the hand that feeds you. I will be sure and let everyone I know how far down this place has gone and never come back here again! Best wishes read more

Loved the food! Mac and cheese is made with gruyere cheese and bacon- an absolute must try!!! Looks like it's on the happy hour bar menu if you can come in Between 3-6. We came at 5 with our two kids on a Wednesday and there were plenty of tables and no wait. read more

Cafe Nell - New American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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