OK y'all, this place is amazing! The food was outstanding: so delicious, rich and varied... Service was spectacular. Can't say enough about how wonderful our brunch experience was. We plan on heading back soon to check out dinner and drinks. read more

Really good locally-owned small plates restaurant on a side street in downtown Matthews, NC. Excellent selection of salads (we had the roasted cauliflower salad w/ arugula & buttered almonds). The gnocchi on the day we came were very light in a great tomato sauce and for meat/fish we ordered the fish of the day w/ rice & field peas as well as the beef tenderloin. They also have a great selection of house cocktails that are ~$10 & a good wine list w/ wine flight selections available. A really cool under-the-radar locally-owned place. read more

Amazing!!! Dining experience was great! Not going a lot of places these days, so this will definitely be my new "treat yourself spot"!! read more

See all

My new favorite place! Great cocktails, welcoming atmosphere and food never disappoints!

What a hidden treasure! Went there for my first time today and before i left I made reservations for three more days. St. Patrick's Day, Easter Brunch and dinner for another evening. I love that their staff is cordial and very attentive. LOVE THIS PLACE!! read more

The food is impeccable. Drinks awesome. Try the dinner for 4. A sample of a lot of good food.

Brunch time!!! Stop in for some brunch and alcoholic beverages on a Sunday morning and loved it. Food was really good and the whiskey was tasty. Staff is really friendly and you feel welcomed as soon as you sit down. We will definitely be back. read more

Good date night spot in Matthews, service and atmosphere were great, most of the food was really good. We enjoyed the small plates because it allows you to try multiple things. Will definitely be back! read more

Love this place! Matthews has a hidden jewel and it's awesome! Whether you like wine, beer or cocktails they have it all! Both Zakk and Micayla are the best bartenders and so knowledgeable! Try this place and check out their weekly specials!! (Check Out the awesome ceilings!) read more

Visited The Portrait Gallery for the first time last night. Wonderful food and atmosphere. This is not a vegan restaurant but they did an outstanding job veganizing many of their small plates. Real food, real fresh, prepared to perfection. We enjoyed Braised fingerlings, Roasted kale and grapefruit dressed with black garlic vinaigrette, Grilled asparagus , Medley of field mushrooms, and Orzo salad served with olives, cherry tomatoes and roasted peppers. I am thrilled to have such a restaurant in the heart of Matthews. read more

The food was just beautiful. We had a pork dish that looked like art. Speaking of art we enjoyed the decor which includes various portraits on the ceiling. The layout of the restaurant is interesting with a couple rooms and a small patio. Very much looking forward to returning soon. read more

My husband and I ate dinner here on opening night and we loved every small plate we had. The servers are friendly, the atmosphere is inviting, and the decor holds true to the original Portrait Gallery. We look forward to becoming regular patrons!! read more

Completely agree with Andrea. Just wonderful spot and portions are what they are supposed to be at a restaurant experience of this caliber. You can always head to Golden Corral if you are concerned about the volume of food you are consuming. So glad to have this in our neighborhood read more

Love this new spot in Downtown Matthews. All the food we ordered was delicious and the cocktails are tasty too.

Horrible service. Some of our party waited over an hour to get drinks. Waitress disappeared. Never got water refills. Had to go to bar to get check. Food was so so. Steak and chicken was very good but calamari was terrible( portion was so small it literally was not even a bite). read more

Phenomenally fresh food! Unbelievably attentive service! Wonderful gastronome atmosphere! Matthews is so lucky to have this hidden gem!

This little Gem in Matthews is a MUST! The hidden porch out back and unique craft cocktail menu is an incredible addition to Downtown Matthews!!! read more

Stopped in with a friend visiting from NH. Had never been there before then. Atmosphere was relaxing with a beautiful array of glasses behind the bar. Bellies up to the bar and a friendly bartender help us navigate the expansive specialty cocktails. Shared a few plates of fantastic food and a yummy dessert. Thank you. read more

Everything was great! They accommodated our large group wonderfully even though we were a loud group of New Yorkers out the night before a family wedding! We sampled all of the small plates until we were uniformly stuffed and enjoyed everything immensely! read more

One of my new fave spots and I will be returning soon! The patio is lovely--Quiet and intimate for a date or for time with your best girlfriends. Felt a bit like I was in Europe! Great ambiance and great service! read more

Portrait Gallery Restaurant - Charcuterie Board - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Matthews, North Carolina

See all

We were in the mood for some unique cocktails so we ventured in on a Thursday evening (cocktail specials). This experience was the flip of before - the food was no longer micro portions, but I couldn't find a cocktail that excited me. I enjoy the lavender tea latte at Royal Creperie, so I thought I'd like a lavender cocktail. I wanted to try the Italian lady, but they were out of the lavender honey. Even though the At the Beach was made with muddled lavender, somehow it tasted like drinking essential oil in a cocktail. However, their unique take on the Old Fashioned (The Illusion) was one of the best we've had with a unique combo of peach bitters and a creme de cacao. We learned that we need to ordered each tapa separately with just 2 people because they all came out together - we had to rush to eat them before they got cold! They were delicious though, so it wasn't too much of a problem. The brussels had a great flavor and were well cooked - just a little oily though. The chicken sliders were DELICIOUS. The salmon was fantastic - when I got some of the raspberry, the flavor really exploded. I would tweak that dish - less swimming in a sea of the mustard sauce (while good) and more of the raspberry sauce! Now that the food portions are improved AND so tasty, we will definitely be back! read more

You know when you order a second plate of kale because it's literally the best kale you've ever had, that it's a great restaurant. Great ambience, wonderful service and literally every single bite and sip was remarkable. I have Celiac disease and could eat 90% of the menu because it was gluten free. Great vegan options too. If I lived nearby I'd be a regular. Our server, Diamond, was fabulous and recommended a fantastic wine that we will absolutely order again. read more

We had dinner here this past Wednesday. As new arrivals to the area, PG will definitely be one of our go to restaurants...not only for us, but when entertaining out of town guests. Service was excellent...comfortable atmosphere...no pressure to order. The food, presentation and portions were above expectations. The owner came over and introduced himself and made sure that we looked in the back room and the patio...can't wait for the weather to break. Highly recommend...make sure you try the Duck Confit and the Fried Rice balls. read more

Had dinner here over the weekend. All of the food was fantastic but a bit pricey. Maybe I do not know how small plates work but delivery of food to the table was weird. Plates came one at a time as in one person got a plate and everyone watched them eat- LOL. I may be a little sour because my chicken was the last plate to show up after everyone else had finished. I was still hungry but we had a play to catch and could not hang out any longer. read more

Went to dinner here last night and had a fantastic time. The meal was delicious, the atmosphere was awesome, and everyone was very attentive and friendly. They mentioned they serve brunch on Saturdays & Sundays, so we stopped by today. Again, we had another great meal. I'd previously read the portion sizes were small, but for both meals that was definitely not an issue. I was especially appreciative our waitress went out of her way to have the chefs make me a dipping sauce, although it wasn't something they had. Highly recommend if you haven't been! read more

A group of four of us go every week, the food is amazing every week. The espresso cocktail is the best in Charlotte and the owners are friendly and always accommodating! They remember our favorite drinks and are always welcoming. We love the portrait gallery! read more

Shrimp and polenta cake is absolutely amazing, the caprese salad was light and flavorful. The staff is always friendly and informative. Great restaurant! read more

This pains me to rate this so low. I've debated it for weeks. My wife and I have been to TPG four times now. Three of the four times we've ordered food and drinks. The fourth was just for drinks. We enjoy getting small plates and drinks around uptown, Southend and NoDa and were excited to have a small plate restaurant right around the corner from our house. We were even more excited about the ownership. The main investor has become a friend of ours and is also behind Seaboard in Matthews (among others). He's an awesome guy who loves this town and has a great vision for it. THE GOOD: The food is fantastic. Everything we've had (about 8 different plates) have been beautiful and delicious. The place/vibe is classy and cool. The small patio is great and will be a favorite for brunches in the spring/summer months. The owner/operator who runs the place has a strong passion for food. He stops at nothing to make sure every plate is served up with the best/freshest ingredients and that it looks fantastic. THE BAD: To call this place a "small plate" restaurant is a stretch. It's more of a micro plate restaurant. We go to tapas places all the time and have never experienced portion sizes this small. Along with the smaller plates are much higher prices. I think the problem here is that the GM of the place is a culinary arts professor at Johnston and Whales. He sees this as an art and we are paying for art more than food. Our last experience there was ordering a squid ink ravioli. The plate came with 3 very small ravioli. It cost $14. After ordering that plate, two cocktails and tipping we were in for over $60. We were extremely excited about this place and a new concept coming to town. As much as I like this place and the ownership, I feel like they will need to reconsider what they are doing to stay in order to stay in business. Having to cancel their $100 NYE menu was probably the first indicator. I hope they can adapt to the wants/needs of their customers. This could be a great long term dining option for our town. read more

Excellent service and quality ingredients! The food and drinks never disappoint. You can tell the owners and chef take pride in their work. Best restaurant in Matthews! read more

Love to support local businesses, and this is a neat small plate approach, but was disappointed and surprised when the restaurant listed Round Pond Cabernet on the wine list, but delivered a lower priced wine from an affiliated winery - which we noticed and raised immediately. Turns out they do not actually have Round Pond Cabernet and ultimately said they would correct the wine list going forward but not our check. read more

Matthews is so fortunate to welcome The Portrait Gallery to its list of new restaurants. Went there last night and can honestly say, the food rivals some of the best restaurants in Charlotte. They offer small plates and each of us raved about every single one.They have a very creative and delicious drink menu as well. The owners and servers were so friendly and helped to complete the experience . We have found our new favorite restaurant!! read more

9-8-19 8:00pn Man this place is pretty cool and quaint. Smaller healthy plates that you don't feel like u over ate. Cerys is very friendly awesome customer service. This food is noticeably different. Will come again. Sundays are very peaceful. Thank you. read more

Hidden gem. If you don't know it go there for brunch first. After that dinner will call you. Reasonable prices. Consistently good drinks and wine and excellent food. Servers and bartenders are charming and you will not regret a visit here. You'll likely want to go back and we do. read more

Great find - an excellent tapas restaurant. They have a diverse menu and wine selection on par with the best in Charlotte. We tried salmon, beef, and Brussels sprouts that were outstanding. A nice change from the usual fare - recommended! read more

I'm happy to see who's involved in this place. While the food was good...it wasnt great. Seems over priced for Matthew's. They do have a happy hour...but it's only for 1 hour and no drink specials during that hour. For the craft cocktails...again good...but not great. And for a $17 unmixed drink, dont use a jigger, use a long count. It's new, i get it but the city is not that far for better value as of right now. read more

Definitely not what we imagined. Great location in Matthews with beautiful decor. The menu options sounded delightful when we requested our meals they asked if we wanted anything else. It wasn't until the tiny tiny main course arrived that we realized our mistake. The servings were more of a tapas choice, but at a full service price. While the food was food, to have a full meal you needed to order an entre separate salad and separate vegetable. The $10 drink prices as well. Explains why on a Friday night in Matthew the Portrait Gallery was almost empty. Perhaps the small plates which were not mentioned or identified was not the restaurants biggest problem. We had 3 different servers, had to ask for refills, and needed to ask for our check after a long long wait. Great company and great fun, but definitely not what we had imagined. read more

Great hidden gem in Matthews! We enjoyed every dish we ordered! Cozy dining room and bar with creative, healthy and delicious small plates.

Great place great food great drinks. Sort of hidden gem in Matthews but an awesome place. The chef even gives small plates free sometimes just to see if customers like so they can determine add or not to add to menu. The bathrooms are so cute and clean. Must try. read more

So my wife and I were headed across the street for some well deserved mom and dad time away from the teenage kids and she wanted to check out the old photography place that took our kids pictures years and years ago that she heard was a restaurant now. Was met at the door and felt like a regular. What a great place off the beaten path. Had a couple drinks on the cozy patio with no pressure at all to order food or extras. Will definitely be back for more with some friends especially when the weather cools off. Btw the Bloody Mary is off the chain. read more

First visit and it was excellent! The brunch was delicious and the service was perfect. The restaurant was decorated very pretty- loved the chairs in the bar dining area. Can not wait to come back and sit on the patio. read more