What a bust. When I first visited Portland, I came to Higgins and had a great experience so I decided to stop in for Portland Dining Month 2020. I made reservations for 2 so we were sat pretty quickly upon arrival. Our table was arranged with us sitting on the same side which I thought was a bit odd since we did not ask for that but I realized it was due to the table next to us being extra full so they wanted to allow space for both of us. I still think it was a bit odd but whatever, it worked so we could people watch together. Our server greeted us quickly and was super friendly and a little goofy. He got me excited to begin the dining experience but unfortunately that took a turn once we stated we were there for dining month or at least I believe that's why service went downhill. Once we stated we were there for dining month, we ordered all 3 of our courses at once which is pretty normal in my experience. The drinks and first course came out very quickly along with the rest of the meal, it was timed perfectly. Throughout the meal, we saw our server multiple times assisting other customers but did not come by once to ask if we were enjoying our food or if we needed drink refills which I did. I'm not one to wave my hand to get someones attention but I will say I tried (without the hand waving) to get his attention for another drink but did not happen. Even after our dessert and we were clearly done, he just brought the check :( He did not ask if we wanted any after dinner drinks or how our meal was, this just brought the whole experience down so many notches unfortunately. As for the food, it was pretty mediocre. First course Salad of roasted beets and chicories with lemon olive vinaigrette and garlic crumbs: All you could taste was beet. Don't get me wrong, I love beets but I couldn't taste any lemon or garlic which was unfortunate. Tosini prosciutto with Ayers Creek fruit mostarda, endive and extra virgin olive oil: The boyfriend thought this was delicious. He doesn't typically like endive but it fit in with this dish pretty well. Second course Grilled lamb merguez sausage with couscous, harissa and roasted root vegetables: It was a sausage link, I guess a lamb sausage link but much different than we were expecting. The couscous was great but the rest was not something to write home about. Acquerello risotto with leeks, carrots, preserved lemons with provolone piccante: The presentation was on point! However, I was super disappointed :( The carrot overpowered the whole dish and I had no lemon taste whatsoever. I think the risotto was tasty but again, all I could taste was carrot. It was much more tasty than the lamb link. Third course: Pave of dark chocolate with Oregon honeycomb: Hands down the best part of the whole experience. I want it again, right now. It was so dense, moist, flavorful. Amazing. I want to come back again because my first experience was great but to be honest, I'm super bummed about this last visit. I honestly believe we were treated differently because we were there for Portland Dining month and we were not over 45 years old since the vibe changed instantly after we announced that. We still tipped well though :) read more

See all

Pro tip: there is a charcuterie on their menu, but you can also ask for a cheese board to accompany it. Very worth it. Excellent cheeses and meats, plus the accouterments were plentiful. The drink menu is quite good here. They were out of the bottle we ordered (a pinot) so we ended up doing a red blend that was really good! Food wise, we ordered a cross the board - my friends did a steak and a hummus plate, and my boyfriend and I did the shirt rub special and a pork pasta. Everything was great, but definitely a heavier meal. And a bit greasy. So be prepared for that. The highlight of our meal, however, was our waiter (I think his name was Will?). He was so personable and took time to talk with us. We told him about how we were in town visiting and he recommended a few bars, which we went to and which were awesome! He even drew a map for us on the table paper! Plus, we were never waiting for anything. He was attentive, but not overbearing. 10/10, would go back just to see him! What a great guy! read more

We had a fantastic Dinner tonight! We started with a Charcuterie Board followed by splitting of their Vintner Salad also known as a 'picnic salad' and a cup of French tomato bread soup. I had duck 2 ways - Saute duck breast and duck leg confit. My wife had a Vegetable Risotto. My brother had grilled salmon on a bed of polenta. Our guest had a bowl of Steamed mussels with a wine and sausage broth. At the end, we shared 2 desserts a Lemon Tart and a Blueberry Cobbler. All 4 of us had either a glass of wine or a cocktail. The total bill came to $244, not including tip and there is no sales tax in Oregon. I thought this was a very good value considering the high quality of the food, service and ambiance. BTW, I should mention that the place has a beautiful interior. There are 3 dining rooms plus a separate lounge area. All are very nicely furnished in warm wood walls, carpeted floors and the old fashioned tin ceiling. And the noise level wasn't all that bad. We could carry on a conversation without shouting and we could hear my brother (Parkinson's patients have difficulty speaking up). The food was absolutely outstanding. The service was just as good as the food. But the best part came at the very end due to some unusual circumstances. My brother is 95 years old and suffers from Parkinson's. We used a Van taxi equipped to handle wheelchairs.The pick up and delivery to the restaurant was just fine. We had scheduled a taxi to pick him up at 7:30 p.m.. We were having such a good time at dinner we called the cab company to delay it until 8:00 p.m.. Well, as it turns out they didn't come and at 8:20 I called the cab company only to learn that they only had 3 taxis equipped for handicapped passengers and they were all in use. They suggested that we call another Cab company and even gave us the phone number for Broadway cab. Broadway thought they could get somebody to us fairly quickly but it turned out they, too, had trouble getting their units to come at a reasonable time period so, as a last resort, we put my handicapped brother into our Subaru outback. We would not have been able to do it without the help of Dillon, the manager on duty. He was terrific. I can't say enough for him because not only did he help us get my brother in the car, he also called a 3rd cap company and even looked into using Uber or Lyft. As far as we are concerned, Dillon was the star for the night. The bottom line is - adding to the high quality of the food and service, it was very evident that they care about their customers! Everyone was so very helpful. Dillon was so kind and helpful in getting my infirmed brother into the car. Our server assisted in various ways besides doing a great job of giving us excellent information about the food and menu. The bus boys and girls were so very attentive, etc. In my, this is one of the top restaurants in Portland! Jim read more

See all

We used to meet friends at Higgins after they first opened in the mid-90s several times a year & continued to do so for decades. We hadn't been there since before Covid & decided to go with friends before a show last night. Fortunately, 2 of our party of 5 couldn't make it. Had they come, there's no way we would have all fit at the table downstairs that was set up for us. As it was with 3, there was barely room for all the bread & appetizer plates, utensils, water & drink glasses & the appetizer & bread. Previously, we always have an upstairs booth with groups of 4 or more in the past. I remembered Higgins as pouring epic mixed drinks. Not last night. My Manhattan (my daily drink) had way too much vermouth. The 2 other drinks were also pretty much meh. Disappointingly, the food ingredients & prep have taken a noticeable downhill turn too. For example, a $70 filet ordered medium rare came out well done & was sent back. The mussels had several punky ones & an unopened one presented - something that never would have gotten by both the kitchen & service staff before. The sides were good, but no longer standouts by any measure. In all, it was definitely not the Higgins that earned such great reviews & a following in days past. None of us felt the kitchen was what we recalled or expected for the prices - especially when one of us had to watch the others eat while waiting for their order to be re-prepared correctly. The service was also noticeably not up to what one expects from a pricier establishment. The staff are still friendly & helpful, but disorganized. For example, the shell bowl for the mussels was delivered when there were only 1-2 mussels left. An order for a different table was brought to ours, etc. Last, was a billing error. The replacement filet was described by 2 different staff as being on the house given the kitchen's error; but, it was never subtracted on our bill, something I didn't realize until we'd left. The deduction was noted, but not subtracted from the amount owed. If we return to Huggins - a big if - it'll only be for a beer in the bar & maybe a bite from the bar menu. It's sad, but it sure seems the post-Covid Higgins food, drinks & service are but a shadow of its former self & definitely not worth what one pays. read more

I went with a kielbasa dish with beans in broth. There was nothing particularly special about the sausage and the broth served no purpose; it was just bland and watery. Empty calories. read more

See all

Classic quality product. Old world chef practices. It's like going into Lyon Paul Bocuse level fine dining. Simply the best. Support this business! Keep it open! Tip well! It's the only reason I come back to Portland. Flying in for the Cassoulet specifically! Greg Higgins is a national TREASURE! read more

Great service - helpful at just the right moments. Ate at the bar but easy to get reservations. Food was good but for the price I was hoping for great! I had the duck and my partner had the salmon special. Salmon was cooked perfectly. Duck confit was the best of the platter of roasted duck (skin not crisp and little flavor), confit and sausage. read more

Higgins is one of the original locally-sourced, farm-to-table, seasonal restaurants in the area, opening 24 years ago and Greg Higgins is a James Beard award winner. I eat lunch in their bar a few times a year, but hadn't been back to the main dining room for a long time. My wife and I had a date dinner here; to be truthful we had a late lunch so did not explore the menu very deeply. My wife had a vegan leek & potato chowder that was very good, and a spinach salad for entree. I had a green salad with toasted hazelnuts & blue cheese and a New York strip steak. The salads were excellent with very fresh ingredients. My steak was fine but not great considering the price; there was a lot of gristle in it I had to cut out. The gratis bread was very good. I brought my own special wine which was properly served. Higgins has many veteran servers as there is not much turnover there and it shows in the quality and consistency of service. As an architect I would say the dining rooms (there are two connected) could use a little spiffing up; they're fairly classic but I don't think they've changed since the opening. read more

See all

Last weekend we celebrated my father's 85th birthday at Higgins. We hadn't been there since my mom died a few years ago. The vibe never changes - it is both comfortable and elegant. The food was delicious as always (the Andalusian tart, steak, and risotto where a few highlights), and the service is potentially the best in the city. The whole evening couldn't have been better, and then it got better. When we tried to pay our bill, our server told us that it had already been taken care of. Some anonymous, amazing person had paid our bill. We still don't know who it was (though I suspect my mother was behind it!), and we wish we could thank them. It made my dad's birthday that much more magical. Even without the added magic, Higgins is highly recommended! read more

Good food and good service. The cheese and charcuterie appetizers were particularly good. Also loved that they had a buckwheat crepe (not easy to find crepes made with buckwheat). They also had good wine. A great place for lunch! read more

After going to see the early Mean Girls, my wife made a reservation at Higgins for five in the evening. I got on line to check out the menu. Just returned from weeks of eating like pigs in Croatia. I have been on a diet and really wanted something I just eat the protein from leaving the carbs on the plate. The only available seats were in the bar. At the bar, I ordered the pastrami sandwich. Having lived in New York for 20 years, I never had pastrami cut with the grain, not against the grain. Probably the toughest pastrami I have ever had. The waiter was in a rush, that was okay. The beer was really good. My wife's salad seemed fine for her. The pastrami the way they cut it sucked. Maybe they go to google and learn how to cut pastrami. BZ read more

I wanted to have a special event including dessert & drinks with my teen. Since Higgins doesn't allow reservations with children at their bar, I reserved a table in the restaurant. Our server was clearly displeased that we were only ordering dessert & drinks and barely waited on us. It was really disappointing and made us feel really bad. I will not be returning. read more

Higgins Restaurant - French Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Had the special tonight which was the 12oz rib eye with mashed potatoes and beets. Went with a group from work while in the area. Didn't know what to expect, but I can say that they picked a good place. Would definitely recommend to try while visiting downtown Portland. read more

Higgins Restaurant - 12oz rib eye, mashed potatoes and beets - French Near Me - Portland, Oregon

So... we had an extraordinarily mixed experience here. My significant other and I came here a few weeks ago for a nice date before hopping over to the Harry Potter symphony, and we left very confused. For starters, the atmosphere is lovely and the service is perfect. From the hosts to the servers, everyone is polite and professional. The restaurant is beautiful and cleanly maintained, and tables are spaced adequately. My partner had the Brazilian seafood soup, and it was quite pleasant. Here is where the problem starts. I ordered the rib special with a side of pumpkin gnocchi. First off, our food didn't come out at the same time. My partner's came out first, and I had to press him to begin eating and not wait for me as I snacked on bread. When my ribs did came out, they were presented nicely, but they were dry and flavourless. The first two were at least edible, which was good because we didn't have time to reorder something else due to the aforementioned symphony. However, they were incredibly bland, and we were both surprised at how uninteresting they were when his soup was so nice. They also forgot my gnocchi at first, and when they brought it out later, it was a bit cold. That was when I started on the last rib. I took two bites, poked around at it, and gave up and sent it back. It was like eating twigs. Completely hard and tasteless. My partner is more tolerant of tough meat than I am, so he gave it a try as well, and he was also shocked at how inedible it was. Given that it wasn't a cheap meal, it was incredibly disappointing, and if we'd had more time, I would have sent it back with a complaint. For a restaurant that seems to at least present well and cook its regular items all right, I was blown away by how absolutely awful my dish was. I left hungry, filled primarily on bread and wine and cold gnocchi. For the price, there are so, so, so many other restaurants around Portland that consistently make everything well that this felt like a complete rip-off and lowered the overall quality of the evening by quite a bit. I'd been so looking forward to finally trying Higgins after walking past it so often for the last twelve years, and the let-down was a shock. I'm sorry to report that I will definitely not be coming back here again. read more

Higgins Restaurant - Terrible, dry, flavorless rib special on the left and very pleasant Brazilian fishermen's stew on the right. - French Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Excellent Service - attentive but not too much. Great food - we had 4 diners, 3 appetizers, 3 different main dishes (2 people ordered the same dish), and 2 deserts. All were consistently excellent and everyone came away very satisfied. The prices were very high, but given the past few years, I don't mind paying a little more right now when/while I can. But these prices would make this a once a year place rather than a once a quarter choice. read more

The service was good, the food was tasty. The entire food experience at Higgins was truly enjoyable for entire family (older people to teenagers). It was obvious that the chef cared about the precision of the food. In all the dishes, we could appreciate the freshness and the flavors of the ingredients. read more

The staff are friendly and professional. They support local farmers and are organic and sustainable. I must say this was one of the best Salads I've had. Very light and refreshing! I'll be back for more! Flowers, fresh greens, asparagus, beans to name a few. read more

Higgins Restaurant - French Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Not what I expected or hoped for, this review is for the dinner side, not the bar side. With the history behind this classic Portland restaurant, I was really bummed out. Everything was a two, three star experience. I was left feeling empty and cold inside. I'm just kidding and trying to be funny. But, It wasn't great and will survive. I had the rigatoni pasta with tomatoes & greek olives. I thought it was to salty, with the olives already adding to the sodium levels, it was just way to much. I thought it was on the expensive side too. I usually don't bring up price, its just not my style to do that, but it was at tourist rates. I don't mind paying top dollar for dinner but this was not worth the quality I received, at least on this night. The service was understaffed, nice, but slow. The food took a long time to come out of the kitchen, a little to long in my opinion. I could tell, I wasn't alone with this complaint. The most disappointing thing for me was the desert. I had the apple pie, it was really dry, I took like two bites and left the rest. My friends agreed. All and All, a very disappointing restaurant for the price range. With so many choices in this city, this one is a miss. read more

I had great expectations for Higgin's as many of the expert reviewers in multiple publications touted this restaurant as "upscale" and quintessential Portland. We decided to dine at the bar, which disappointed me immediately. I imagined a clubby, mature space, in a supper club type of way. It was non descript and, if anything, grungy looking. The older bartender was a good sign, but he was more fake friendly than genuine. Our drinks were weak and in spite of our discomfort, being very hungry, we ordered food. Everything was lousy from the phyllo dough cheese dish to the touted hamburger. Most of our meal went uneaten. Higgin's was one of those joints you wanted to get that bill paid fast so you could get out of there. We left with a sigh of relief, looking for another place to eat. read more

The service was friendly and done well. The location is downtown not far from The Portland Art Museum. The food is farm to table and tasty. The restaurant cozy and you could hear a conversation. Nice bar too read more

This restaurant is fantastic and I've enjoyed everything I've tried here. That said, the thing that keeps me coming back every time I'm in the PDX is the Higgins burger of Carman Ranch grass-fed beef on a toasted hearth-baked roll. Throw a slice of white cheddar on it and you're in for a treat. The burger is plump and juicy with a rich full flavor when combined with the fresh tomato and onion. Hands-down the BEST burger I've ever had. A house salad on the the side will leave you perfectly satisfied. read more

Higgins Restaurant - French Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Higgins' menu uses fresh and seasonal ingredients from the Northwest coupled with international complements such as Aji Dolce pepper and Sauce Matelote which showcases Greg Higgins' knowledge of diverse cuisines. I had the herb crusted Petrale Sole on a bed of olive oil smashed potatoes. The potatoes were firm and were a nice support to the fish but the dish seemed out of balance as the Sole portion was too small to be the star of the dish and it was slightly overcooked ( Recognizing that Dover Sole yields a very thin filet) which did not impress. Perhaps, a Herbed Parmesan crust on such a thin fillet was a bit aggressive. With their reputation and prices, I did not expect any preparation or balance issues. Overall, the dish was nice with good presentation but I was expecting a gently crusted, moist and flavorful piece of Sole enhanced by the other components of the dish, (which, granted, were all well prepared). Service was fine but seemed a little rushed at the onset as we made our lunch choices. It would be nice if the waitress could slow down her presentation as I and many other diners like to mentally compose and taste a dish as it is described. I called in advance and requested a nice quiet table out of the traffic pattern (I happened to speak with Paul Mallory-Co-Owner) and they seated me and my friend at a nice table adjacent to the front window but in a small quiet enclave. (I very much appreciated this...thanks Paul). Overall, Higgins has all the attributes of a fine and inventive restaurant, but the Seafood preparation and balance issues in my lunch reduced the rating of my lunch down from what I hoped would have been a a 5 to a 4. Overall though, a very good meal and I will return to dine again. P.S. The Yelp system posted my portrait at the end of my review. I am in the process of having it removed as it is clearly inappropriate. read more

Higgins Restaurant - French Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I had to update this review to add another star (I think its up to about 7 now). Had a $9.75 lunch there today, and it consisted of a house-poached salmon salad sandwich (no mayo, just salmon, herbs, lemon, and onions), a big bowl of vichyssoise, and a pile of house pickled carrots, green beans, and onions. OMG, amazing. The service, as always, was right on point. I also have to throw some more support behind the notion that the food at Higgins is obviously what so many other restaurants in town (cough cough, Lauro, cough cough) try to emulate and fail. Local, fresh ingredients, made into fantastic concoctions from scratch. Amazing depth of flavor and complex, balanced use of a wide array of spices. It is obvious that much care goes into each meal. After having branched out to so many other "gourmet" restaurants in Portland, each time paying an arm and a leg for bland, off-balance, and over pretentious food, I am more and more convinced that Higgins deserves top billing. Yes, it is pricey for dinner, but you get what you pay for. Plus, a gourmet sandwich and gourmet soup for $9.75 downtown when Kenny and Zukes is trying to sell me a reuben and fries for $13?!?! Yeah, that's what I thought. read more

Higgins Restaurant - Chocolate torte with orange and white chocolate mousse. - French Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The service is on point with refilling water I want to start with saying that. The reason behind this restaurant losing 2 stars is because I ordered the steak. It was super dry and wayyyy under. I asked for medium rare. Any regular restaurant knows how to cook a medium. Even my husband who is not a chief can cook better steak. The waiter apologized for the steak but came back with the sides of the steak cooked more the inside was still raw. Then when he asked how it was, he knew I wasn't happy and had the decency to say that the steak was medium rare. It's still dang bloody. My husband took it to go since he knows to make the steak better. I did love mashed potatoes but the greens were over cooked since it was black!! Honestly never again! If your going to come here again order the duck. My husband ate all of his duck and said it was juicy. Now I will say that they did comp the steak. Which is why my original review was 3 out of 5 but I gave them an extra star back due to them doing what's right and not charging for steak. read more

See all

The food at Higgins was good, but I have to say this was still one of the biggest disappointments of my day in Portland. I can't pinpoint what exactly was lacking here, but I'm just going to have to chalk it up to the food simply not making me go wow, in a city where there are plenty of "wows" to be had. The restaurant is fashionably classic (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/4326221423/), with a few touches of charm near the open air (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/4326982562/) kitchen, but the lower dining room had somewhat of a cigar bar mixed with an antique shop feeling, without the nice trinkets, due to all the wood paneling and glass display style windows. As a quick aside before I talk about the food, I wanted to note that the beer list here is very good for a higher end restaurant, which normally only feature nice wines. They pour Hair of the Dog and Avery on draft along with a few other options, and have a fantastic bottle list with some great picks like Alesmith Speedway Stout, Deschutes "The Abyss", Russian River "Pliny the Elder", and several offerings of Jolly Pumpkin and Nogne O to match an impressive Belgium list that even features a few Cantillon items. The best thing about their list though is that they are all at very near beer store prices, with only a very minimal restaurant mark-up, awesome! Now let's move on to the food, which is the actual reason I chose Higgins as my dinner destination. The head chef and owner of Higgins, Greg Higgins, believes heavily in sourcing from local Northwestern farms who practice heavily in producing sustainable crops. I think this is great, and I felt like you could definitely taste not only the quality but the freshness of the ingredients as well. The real problem was that the seasoning failed to stand up to the main proteins, making the dishes just seem a little basic despite how grandiose they may have sounded. The first course I went with was the Dungeness crab cocktail with avocado, aji dulci coulis, cabbage and cilantro. The presentation (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/4326973680/) was pretty stunning, but not exactly practical. Due to the sheer size of the dish I wound up dumping all the ingredients out of the martini glass and onto the plate below, which made it much easier to blend all the flavors together. This was actually my favorite of the two dishes I had, although it definitely seemed out of season, as it would be a fantastic cool and refreshing summer dish. The quality of the crab was outstanding and the meat was plentiful, but I really expected more flavor from the aji and the cilantro, both traditionally strong additions. My second dish was by far the most delicious sounding, and easily most expensive, item on the menu, the magret and confit of duck w/ kumquat marmalade, braised greens, and cheddar polenta. The portion was again quite generous (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/4326976744/), and had the flavors been on par it would have been heavenly to have so much great duck, but sadly it fell flat. As far as the cooking preparation goes it was at least cooked to the perfect rareness, but all the accompanying elements lacked greatly. The kumquat flavor was entirely too overpowering and persistent in every bite, completely dwarfing the polenta and even the strong natural flavors of the duck. The greens might as well have not been there, which in fact they barely were anyway. This dish sounds great in concept, but perhaps I hyped it too much in my mind so it was destined to fail. The place was surprisingly empty for a 7pm dinner, so I got a rather nice treat to sit by the Higgins family rock (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/4326243861/), although what significance this has to the restaurant was never explained to me (my waitress kind of sucked, an older lady with tragic highlights who seemed overdue for a smoke break). In hindsight I really wish I had ordered the Tuscan "whole pig" plate, since I saw one of the chefs preparing (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/4326253577/) it, and it looked pretty outstanding. At $10 cheaper it would have done a nice job too of making the $65 total bill for two dishes become more reasonable, especially considering the overall delivered product. read more

See all

Took my girl out on our first day and it was nothing short of amazing, I service was great, they waiter was friendly and recommend the best wine even though I'm not a wine drinker I throughly enjoyed it. The dessert was amazing too. We had the chocolate mousse read more

I can only comment on the drinks at Higgins....but thems is good! The bar area is small and cozy....lots of wood and somewhat dim lighting. The restaurant portion is definitely old Portland. Old ceiling tiles, staff in white shirts and ties. Prices for food (although none was ordered) seemed a bit on the high side except for Happy Hour...which looked pretty good. My Spanish Coffee was definitely smooth and on par. Lots of great beers on tap that are written up on the chalk board. They even have a TV in the bar if you'd like to catch the game. Staff here is excellent. I will certainly be back at some point for some eats! read more

I wonder if Portlanders take Higgins for granted. We went there last night after the Portland marathon. The four of us plus a 4 month old infant and rather than look at the baby askance, like some fine dining restaurants might, our very friendly waitress cooed over our baby. Love those friendly Portland wait staffers! This is fine dining without the stuffiness that makes me hate fine dining. I had a bay shrimp salad that had a creamy thousand-islandish-dressing on top (I'm not afraid to admit to a secret, embarrassing love for thousand island dressing) and a spicy chili dressing underneath--brilliant. Then pig 4 ways which included a stellar sausage and some pork belly which is what bacon aspires to be. Other diners had steaks, risottos, salads which were superlative, and I treated myself to a cheesecake after that was excellent--3000 calories I'd guess but hey I'd just run a marathon! When I am in Portland on my own, the Higgins bar is my go-to fine food alone place--I don't like being at a table by myself, but I love to sit at the Higgins bar and get a glass of good Pinot and have a green salad with Hazelnuts and local blue cheese, and a bowl of mussels. Excellent. Don't take Higgins for granted, this is one of the places that started us all back to appreciating good, local food... read more

We placed reservations for a very special night; my son's high school graduation. Upon arrival we were told to present our proof of vaccination. We were absolutely not told ahead of time that we needed this and this information is not even on their website or posted anywhere we could see. We are all vaccinated but because we didn't happen to have our cards with us and couldn't pull up appointment confirmations on our email for 2 of our party we were denied entry. I do understand the importance of their policy but I was APPALLED by how matter-of-fact the the employee's attitude was and how COMPLETELY unapologetic he was about THEIR screw up which ruined an important evening. You are very lucky we were able to actually walk in to a nearby restaurant who actually valued our business or I would be absolutely livid. I will never come to Higgins again. A place that I had a wonderful time at for a night out with my wife before the pandemic and had great food will never again have my business. Not to mention their warm cozy decor they used to have feels like a "noodle's and company" now in their interior, so not impressed with the generic remodel which brought a place of character and class down to franchise chain restaurant level. read more

On one of our last trips to Portland, our concierge suggested we try this place before our event at the Schnitzer. We walked up the street from the hotel and waited for a table. There was a mix-up with our reservation and they sat us in the bar area. It was straightened out eventually and we were moved to the quieter front with the full menu. There was nothing wrong with the Bistro menu but we wanted a more sit down, quieter meal. Our meal was amazing. We ordered: - Their charcuterie plate with house-made pickles. I didn't get to photograph this because we wolfed it down too quickly! - Gathered summer greens, toasted hazelnuts, bleu cheese tossed lightly with an herb vinaigrette (x 2). - Magret + confit of Liberty duck with red and green peppercorn compote over a crispy flint corn polenta cake. The duck was topped with Meyer Lemon relish and served with braised greens. - Slow-simmered cut of beef with roasted Cipollini onions and turnips served over a soft buttery polenta. The food was well prepared and the courses were timed perfectly. I could have made a meal out of the buttery polenta alone. Never has the word mouthgasm made more sense than after a few bites of that savoury pudding. And the beef was so tender, it fell apart with each forkful. I was having fun building the perfect bite on the fork with a sliver of beef, a bit of onion and a dab of the polenta. Mmm good! And don't worry, the duck was succulent and offset beautifully with that Meyer Lemon relish. Had we more time, we would have surely had dessert but we didn't wish to be late for our show. And the short walk back was a nice way to digest some of the food afterward. I'd like to go back and see if they can earn a fifth star. read more

See all

On a trip down to Portland to visit some family members we went out to Higgins for dinner hoping to be in for a treat. Boy were we wrong. I will start with the few good things about Higgins. The service we received was good and they have a fantastic wine list. Everything else was atrocious. I ordered the Salmon and it was quite possibly the worst dish I have ever received at a restaurant, especially one of this caliber. It was dry, flavorless, and just all around bad. I was so disappointed in this dish, especially being in the Northwest where salmon is suppose to be incredible! Salmon is also not even that hard to cook well. I honestly think the chef had to TRY to ruin this dish. I know that every time I cook my own salmon it is 1000x better and I'm not even a good cook. Ok... done with my ranting about salmon. Unfortunately, two of my fellow diners were also sick later that night and following morning from something they ate while at Higgins. Finally, the desserts were okay, but very small and too expensive. As you can probably guess, I have no intentions of returning to Higgins any time soon and I'd suggest others try out a different restaurant since Portland has great places. read more

We really enjoyed our dinner here. The service was very good, the atmosphere and the decor was cozy and intimate. The food was excellent. We got the charcuterie plate, the duck, and the (French) cioppino. A Portland gem. read more

See all

The food was so expensive. I ordered a salad and it was freakin around $20. I thought to myself, "It better be a freakin awesome salad to cost this much." The food came out, and I was so confused. The salad looked like you find the whole lettuce in a grocery store and they just cut it vertically in half., put the sauce, and some shrimp on it. I had to cut the salad pretending I'm eating steak or something. It tasted okay but it was not worth it. The service was pretty nice. However the restaurant was so cold. I was sitting under the air vent for the whole entire night, and I was sick the next day. I would not comeback because of the price and food. read more

Higgins! I've had a love affair with Higgins for years. Great for dates, for special evenings, taking the rents to, hanging with friends, people from out of town, business meetings. It's perfect. The atmosphere is nice, upscale. The servers are knowledgeable and polite. The wine list is fabulous and the cocktails are great. But the food - so amazing. Local, seasonal, organic. What more could you want? Great flavors and combinations. I'm pretty sure that every time I've gone to Higgins I have to ask them to explain to me at least 1 or more items. Truly a wonderful restaurant that I have frequented for years and will continue to do so. read more

Higgins Restaurant - French Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I'm going to have to go with the solid 3. Three because the food was good. The service okay, and the price not so good. When you spend this much money on food - you want great. You want absolutely delicious food and impeccable service. I've had better service in a lot of cheaper places. Name one? Okay. I will. There are hundreds... okay, one = Nuestra Cocina. How about 2? Okay - Trudy's in Austin. Great service lots of times... and the food isn't really even that good. But they pride themselves on service. The service at Higgin's was okay... good even, but not great. We ordered some omnivore dinners, and had a hazelnut salad that didn't have any hazelnuts on it. What do you even get a salad for if not for the stuff that's on it? We finally told our waiter about it... but by the time we were able to tell him about it, the salad was already gone. So, again, the service was just not up to par for a place like this. There was nothing all that outstanding about my dinner. Overall, I was unimpressed enough to say that I would probably not need to go back. I would rather go to Le Pigeon if I'm gonna spend some cash on dinner. Absolutely everything I had a Le Pigeon was fantastic, and the service was equally average. Actually, I'd probably go to Simpatica if I wanted really good food AND service for that kind of money. They were fantastic. Go there. read more

We made mid-week reservations. We arrived a little early but were greeted cheerfully and shown our table. My BF had been to Higgin's for business lunches years ago, but it wasn't until we learned that they would have Pliney the Younger (a limited release beer from Russian River Brewing in Ca) on tap that we made reservations. The beer was to be released at 8pm, so we had reservations for 8. Our waiter came to our table promply and explained the menu and answered all of our questions. We did let him know that we wanted a glass each of the beer and he understood and made sure we got it. In the mean time we ordered the House made Charcuterie plate. It was very good and our long sought after beer paired delightfully with the plate. We also had the Soup of the day, a Posole, it was very good. We had coffe and the dessert special. We wrestled with having the Olive Oil cake but our waiter as well as the bus boys all said the special was better. A very nice and satisfying evening. read more

See all

Most of my disappointment in this experience at Higgins stems from the service. This was a pre-show dinner for the Schnitzer one block away and we arrived even a bit early for our reservation that should have had us done in ample time for the show. Wolfing down our $50 entrees to rush out the door to just make it on time shouldn't happen, especially given the caliber of this establishment and that this must be a significant portion of their first seating business. I appreciate the efforts they make to use seasonal ingredients, but at times, as this one, it does seem to significantly limit the menu to the point of some of our party being hard-pressed to find something interesting to order. Chowder was watery, though admittedly loaded with protein and veg. On the plus side, the wine list is affordable, the cocktails were well made, and the cassoulet was loaded with protein. Still, maybe a bit too eclectic and slow for a return visit any time soon. read more

Came around 9pm and because we already ate dinner, we just wanted glass of wine. Sat at the bar and the atmosphere was just perfect. Decided to split the charcuterie plate and WOW, let me tell you, it was just out of this world. All the pieces were made in the house so the quality was outstanding and everything tasted fantastic. Will be definitely back for dinner. There is seating for casual crowd and seating at the bar, but there is also third category - very elegant area for those who want to have high end experience. This place just has it all! P.S.: The bartender was very friendly and knowledgable. Despite the fact that the bar was full, he found time to tell us about the place, the chef and other facts. read more

Came here as a last resort because there was a mix up with our Portland City Grill reservation. My cousins and I are pretty open to new foods, and we knew it would be pricey. Before you come here, please note the fact that it is not very kid friendly.. or very friendly at all to anyone under the age of 30. The menu has about 5 entrees, and there is not much to select from. Please do not come here if you are picky, or maybe prefer simpler dishes. I gave 3 stars because I'm sure it would be good for people who have a lot of money to blow on food that doesn't taste very good. Presentation was good, wine was good. We tasted 3 dishes and we didn't like anything. We paid our bill, tipped 20%, but we will not be returning. read more

Just a warning - don't accept a bar table reservation for dinner! We booked online 5 days in advance for a 5:15 timeslot and were given a bar table as no tables were left in the dining room per the reservation. We noticed the restaurant was near empty when we arrived but were still seated in the crowded bar. It was the loudest bar ever! We were with another couple - we couldn't hear each other, or the waiter. For a higher end dining experience, entrees $40+ and drinks $15-$20, Higgins was a real disappointment. The food was okay, not great, but I don't know if it was because we simply could not enjoy the meal with all the noise, or the food was just average. Very disappointing for what we expected to be a fine dining experience. read more