Benjamin S.

Came here for dinner by myself and ate at the bar, which is held for walk-ins. Otherwise you should make reservations because word is getting out that the chef (who joined the restaurant the last few months) is killing it in the kitchen. The restaurant itself, like the name, has a very neighborly feel, with a tiny market at the entrance. Nothing pretentious about the interiors. The menu is the type that just list ingredients so it's hard to really figure out what you're going to get, but overall the approach is very Pacific Northwest with quality ingredients. But what's enticing is really the plating, that comes out very high-end. I also should note that I came early, so it wasn't super crowded, which helps because the food came out quickly and hot from the kitchen. I think that helped. It's nice they have happy hour oysters, which is getting harder and harder to fine these days. (They're at $2 an oyster for HH). For the food, I tried the Oregon albacore with new potatoes, zucchini, and salmoriglio. This was a meaty dish that was like a terrine with the tuna and potatoes turned into a cylindrical tower and then topped with the slices of zucchini in a pattern. It was comforting and filling. You could almost get this and a salad, but I wanted to also try the nettle and ricotta gnocchi with mushrooms. This was also a beautifully plated dish that felt like mushroom foraging in the forest. The nettle made the gnocchi green and overall this was my favorite dish for the creativity and flavor. There were only two dessert items, and one was sorbet, so I didn't get any. But overall it was a really creative and delicious plates in a relaxed, casual environment in Belmont.

Charlie T.

We recently came here for lunch as it was a new place for the both of us. I remember it being completely different before. The space is nice and feels inviting. There is a small shop in the front for you to buy little snacks. I had the Italian sandwich, and my friend had the chicken pot pie. We also got some fries to share. The sandwich was nice and simple. I think the Calabrian chile aoli gave it that extra flavor. The fries were pretty good, and I would recommend ordering it.

Ambiance : clean and airy, spacious , comfortable and quiet but not stuffy ! A+ Service : friendly & Professional, Personable and welcoming even tho we just walked in looking for the OYSTERS A+ Food : WOWZA ! Pacific shucked oysters , fries with sauces, beer and wine A+ Timothy the CHEF came out and sat by us for a few, discussed how the restaurant came to be, and how they source the oysters and BOY OH BOY - did not disappoint !! Wowza again Rachel from NYC

Was here a few years ago, and loved the ambiance and the service but wasn't impressed by the food. That has certainly changed! The Meyer lemon aioli for the fries is amazing and now the fries themselves are also delicious! We really enjoyed the cauliflower dish! The duck was well cooked but the bean flavor was strong. My husband liked it but it wasn't my fav. Overall I'd say still amazing service and ambience with a marked improvement in the food! Will have to come back sooner!

Tyler M.

Old pal has unique dishes that really hit home! I love seeing new spins on a burger that aren't gimmicky, and the peppercorn aioli with Gouda was the perfect pairing. The gnocchi was light and flavorful and the salad had nice big leaves with incredibly fresh lettuce. Everything felt simple yet perfectly prepared. The space feels fresh and modern and the staff were all welcoming, fast, and friendly!

Cynthia L.

Spacious restaurant with modern interiors/vibe tucked away on a busy intersection of Belmont. No reservations but we walked in without issue on a Sunday night. While the pasta selection is limited, everything from apps to salad and the mussels were flavorful and done right. The fries (massive portion for two people) were decent but nothing to write home about. Would suggest getting a salad or other more interesting app instead (unless you just like fries, which is also understandable). Overall, a welcome addition to this stretch of Belmont.

Keizzel C.

I'm surprised there aren't more reviews for Old Pal! I was curious after walking around the area and saw the new space open. Peeking in I was intrigued by the beautiful decor and art pieces hanging on their walls. I checked in case reservations were crazy but had no issues walking in during their happy hour from 4-6 pm. During happy hour they have $2 off their cocktails and $2 oysters for their half/full dozen. Overall really beautiful space and I really loved the colors used and their bar counter area. We ended up seating at a booth this visit but from the moment we entered we were greeted by the friendly staff. Looking at the menu they seem to be more vegan/vegetarian friendly with the protein items being more focused on seafood. I liked some of the unique flavor combinations I saw and this visit I definitely ordered more than I could eat in one sitting. The meal consisted of + Dozen oysters - they had two varieties in the dozen and both were delicious. Sweet but still a little brine. They had a nice mignonette sauce paired with horseradish. + Gougers - Must try! Super airy and a great warm way to start your meal. They pair it with beer jam which was unique on it's own but was a surprising flaovr combination. + Malt & Vinegar Potatoes - I love salt & vinegar chips so I HAD to try this. It did not disappoint. The potatoes were cooked well and the seasoning was on point. I just wished it was slightly crispier. I enjoyed their yogurt dipping sauce too because it also consisted of herb oil and fish eggs which I have never seen paired with potatoes before! + Ricotta Gnocchi - I ordered this because 1) love bolognese 2) love mushrooms 3) last time I ordered ricotta gnocchi was in Chicago and it was super soft. All in all I thought the sauce was super decadent without having meat. The gnocchi was denser here than what I was expecting but it absorbed the sauce well. + Deep fried squid + lemon - Not the most unique item on the menu but I do love my calamari. The coating here was super light and the squid was cooked well. Just slightly salty for my liking but the fresh lemon helped. Food comes as it is ready and the gnocchi took the longest but we didn't go too long in between items before our next one was ready. As for drinks since it was happy hour I got a mix of the pear martinez, milano, and oaxacan negroni. My favorite was the pear martinez and the staff said was a popular drink recently too. Drinks here are made well and strong. It's a great date night place or if you want to get something a little fancy. It is a little more pricier so it's worth coming when you want to splurge or come with a group to try more items together At the end of your meal you can pay by QR code which was nice. Come show them some love!

Joy G.

Came for drinks, ended up getting some snacks. All were good. Service was great. Music was good. Decor was cute.

Jon O.

This place is awesome! I'd kinda put off coming here cause every time I looked at their changing menu, it didn't seem like there were enough entree options, then there was a lukewarm news review, but I'm so glad my wife finally brought us here. The space is really nice, save for some awkwardly positioned tables in the front area. The long winding bar looked comfortable, and the rest of the tables nicely spaced out, with views of the green neighborhood rather than busy Belmont. We started with some tide point oysters (conveniently $2 each on HH, which is all day Mondays), which were some of the best I've had. Smaller size, perfectly shucked, and super tasty. The Egg (Oeuf) was small but really interesting- spicy, savory, sweet, soft, crunchy all-in-one. The salad was generously sized for the price, and simple fresh butter lettuce with a great dressing and hazelnuts. The burrata came with a nice purée I wasn't familiar with, but added a small bit of fruity sweetness, but thankfully not too much. Asparagus was another winner, perfectly grilled and cooked, with a flavorful sauce to accompany. Lastly the potatoes were another interesting portion, though I felt they could use more salt and vinegar, since that was in the name. The dipping sauce that came with was unique, but maybe a bit too smoky for me. To end our feast we had the risotto and ricotta gnocchi entrees. The risotto was kind of an upscale take on rice and beans, and while simple, was very good. The gnocchi was also delicious, with a mushroom bolognese full of umami. I feel the need to also mention that we had some of the best service I've ever had in Portland. The restaurant was full by 7 on a Monday night, and our server was on top of everything, made great recommendations, and even let us know if we were ordering too much. Can't say how much I appreciate that she grabbed our water glasses by the very bottom to move them or fill them. I see so many clueless servers putting their fingers all around the tops of glasses where you drink from these days it makes me wonder what other gross stuff they do. I felt the prices were fair (even more so on Happy Hour) for most of the dishes. However I still wish they'd add another chicken/fish/steak entree option or two in the $25-35 range. Can't wait to go back, and if I lived closer I'd definitely be a regular.