Le Pigeon Reviews

What a fantastic meal, again. It has been awhile since we last visited--and I wonder why! Excellent service, fun atmosphere, nice wine list. Food is king, queen and princess here. Wow. Started with a butter lettuce salad, delicate, great dressing and shaved radish. So tasty. The beek cheeks were so tender and flavorful. They fell apart. The coq & belly was SO amazing. Two pieces of chicken and a nice slab of pork belly. Cooked perfectly. The green beans were a nice pairing. Dessert was lovely, Foie gras profiteroles--super yummy-- They no longer accept tips here so the bill is the bill Will be back much sooner this time.

Wife and I came here to celebrate our 5-year anniversary. We have read and heard about Le Pigeon and have gone to the sister restaurant, Little Bird. Service was friendly and attentive. Our server made great recommendations. All of the dishes were delicious with creative combinations such as the grill chicken with roasted bone marrow, foie gras soup (chicken & tripe coconut milk soup), and wagyu brisket with kimchi cornmeal pancakes! Foie gras profiteroles were fantastic! We would definitely come back to try other dishes.

Terrible experience tonight at Le Pigeon because of horrible vibrations coming from the above concert venue. A very smart waitress told me that it was part of the ambiance!!! Make sure to ask if there is a concert that night before to book a table.

Fun, casual atmosphere. Some of the plates were fine, but a few others were muddy and heavy. Pricey for this level of food.

Dining at Le Pigeon was a wonderful experience. My fiancé and I made reservations for a Thursday night at 7:30pm a few weeks prior (The restaurant was completely booked for Friday night and the weekend). I ordered the Foie Gras Teriyaki, Crispy Peppered Lamb Shoulder, and Foie Gras Profiteroles. The Foie Gras Teriyaki was a delicious appetizer. The Foie Gras was creamy and complimented perfectly with crispy duck and matcha fried rice. The teriyaki sauce added a light sweet flavor to the dish. The lamb was perfectly cooked and so tender it literally cut like soft butter. Finally the Foie Gras Profiteroles are arguably Le Pigeon’s signature dish. The dessert was unlike anything I have ever eaten. The Foie Gras Ice Cream was creamy, sweet, lightly salty, flavorful, sandwiched between flakey pastries and topped with a sweet caramel sauce and powdered sugar. Be aware the restaurant is completely made up of community seating so you will likely be sitting next to strangers. Le Pigeon is a must visit when in Portland.

The food was average at best. We had the pigeon, gnocchi, vichyssoise and short ribs. Remarkably they all tasted virtually the same. Ambiance is terrible. We were sat at a communal table between 20-somethings having a party and a couple in the middle of an argument. The restaurant made up for this by keeping the music at a high volume, thereby ensuring we could not converse across the table. Service was lackluster. Hopefully, Portland can do much better.

It’s a French restaurant, but with a farm to table. The restaurant is small and intimate. There are a few shared tables. It’s not a problem. If you sit by some nice people, you share a nice conversation. If it’s a couple on a romantic date – leave them alone. Had the seven-course tasting and the premium wine pairing. The wines went great with the meal. They are definitely wines I would have picked or wines I would know about. Some pretty obscure wines and drinks from corners of the world – like a wine that is not barreled in wood, but fermented in ceramic casks in Italy. They push the envelope and is a great experience.

Having read the reviews of Le Pigeon before our reservation, we decided to follow the advice of others and opted for the tasting menu. We are so glad we did! The chef's creations were masterfully perpared and ones we normally would not choose if we were to dine ala carte. In particular the foie gras profiterole was a delightful melding of flavours but a dessert we would not normally order. It was superb! Service was very attentive without being obtrusive and a reservation is a must! Be sure to try this restaurant when in Portland!

Visited the restaurant with my husband and another couple. The restaurant is a small, cozy space. You definitely need a reservation. For dinner, we chose to do the 5 course tasting menu. Myself and the other female are pregnant. The staff was so gracious to work the courses around our pregnancies (I.e. No raw, undercooked meat...). The food was amazing. Every course was absolutely delicious, all the way down to dessert. The wait staff were very attentive and at the end of the meal actually gifted us with the sweetest onesie for our upcoming babies. We highly recommend this restaurant and would absolutely visit again should we be back in Portland in the future.

We were a family of 4 and were glad we were able to experience this restaurant. It is tiny so if you are early, there is no place to stand and wait on a rainy night so we were sent a few doors down to the Doug Fir Lounge which was a fun place to hae a drink and rate. Our dinner at Le Pigeon was great fun with lovely service. For starters we had prawn and proscuitto benedict, fois gras teriyaki, and fois gras profiterole. For dinners, we had wasabi fried chicken, beef cheek bourguignon, halibut which was the special fish of the day, and crispy peppered lamb shoulder. Everything was wonderful. We split the grasshopper pie for desert. The wine list was great and we loved the Sancerre. We had 8:30 reservations and the restaurant was busy the whole time. It was fun, delicious. It is not inexpensive but worth it.

We went there last week with our 2 children. Staf is very helpful. The menu is interesting. The seared foie gras is a fantastic starter. The four different entrees we tasted were excellent. Also the profiterolles as a desert were very tasteful. Conclusion: we had a very nice dining experience.

Excellent restaurant in Portland. Good service, nice atmosphere. Order the little hamburgers. Be early or they are gone.

Dining for two on a Wednesday. Husband had beef cheeks. We shared a butter lettuce salad at servers suggestion. I had king salmon, which was not special. They do not have cocktails, so I had a tasteless dry rhubarb soda and husband had wine. Dessert was creme Brulee and corn pudding. Creme brulee was very good. Note that all tables are communal.

Dined here with 6 and sat at the table in front of the window. Very cold against the glass and the air conditioning could not be tired down. Great looking restaurant so the view was nice but they also had a live band playing upstairs which was extremely loud and the base could be felt. Plating was beautiful and all the flavors were spot on. So many delicious dishes. Stand out is the foie gras profiteriles! Excellent service from Autumn and all plates were presented at the same time with a description of the course. Would definitely recommend this restaurant just ask for a table away from the window - the bar with the chefs cooking in front of you would be a great option.

Le Pigeon by super chef Gabriel Rucker I honestly don’t know where to start. Perhaps with this... went to a 3 star Michelin restaurant in London last summer and Le Pigeon BLEW it away with the food. Other reviewers used words like “transcendent” or “magical.” I think those words describe it perfectly. Let me just say that the menu does not do the meals justice. Ask the server to describe them all. The details they provide make your mouth water even more. First up were the starters: I couldn’t decide between 2 so got them both 1. octopus & bone marrow. Strange combo if you ask me. And beets? I would never order something with them unless it was at a place like this. The visual appeal on this dish was something to behold. And the taste was outstanding 2. Foie gras & king crab. Yet another strange combo. I had to order it if for no other reason than it is illegal in California....just like about everything else, including straws. But I digress. I told the waiter it was illegal and he insisted I order it. The foie gras was so smooth and buttery and had king crab gently placed inside the foie gras along with pieces of apricot. What a unique flavor combo. It also came with a brioche bun stuffed with avocado paste. Kind of reminded me of char siu bao pork buns. Main courses: I couldn’t decide between 3 of the meals but ended up choosing the daily fish course of halibut over a potato has and some leeks and other veggies. It was succulent and perfectly cooked Janet had a burger. Yes, you heard right a burger by a James Beard award winning chef. I had some of it and the seasoning, caramelized onions, and blue cheese slaw which accompanied it was indescribable. But soooo mouth watering So the server then placed dessert menus in front of us. There were only 4 choices. We decided on 2: a shortbread dish and the chocolate lime gateau. I mentioned that I really wanted the foie gras profiteroles dipped in sea salt caramel but since I just had foie gras for a starter I would pass. Even though I read reviews that this was the one dessert to try for certain, I passed on it. The waiter brought our 2 choices and also brought out on the house the foie gras dessert because “you must try it, and since you cannot get it in California.” Think of it as a cream puff pastry with the foie gras instead of the cream. It was like a mousse. Let me just say, I would hands down come back just to eat all of the desserts. And that foie gras dessert pastry.....stop asking “should I” and do it without hesitation. Other observations: Super casual attire (yes I saw baseball hat in there and jeans) Very close tables Very loud Make your reservation now

We arrived and found out that we had mixed up our reservation and had no table for that evening. Still, staff was very helpful and found us some place. The food is good and the wine list a very decent one. Only hiccup was the pigeon, which I supposed was the flagship fish, which was served nearly raw. I mean, too raw. I like a rose pigeon but this one was excessively rose and therefore very tough. Waiters did not ask why I did not touched it and brought back the place full to the kitchen. This was not what I expected...

My daughter and I just dined at Le Pigeon and were so impressed with the food - it was exquisite and creative. Each dish had a unique mix of textures and flavors. We sat at the counter which was a treat: we got to see how each dish was prepared and the attention placed on the details. In addition to the five dishes in the Chef’s Tasting Menu, we ordered the supplemental foie gras flambé which was delicious! The dessert was an unexpected two-part, both very tasty; the most surprising: foie gras profiterole. Who would have thought of foie gras for dessert? It was incredibly flavorful with just the right amount of sweetness. Overall, service and food were excellent! Truly deserving of a Michelin star!

We had the brisket, burger and finished with the creme brulee. The staff was inviting and extremely attentive, and the head chef was very personable while cooking fantastic meals for a full house. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a great meal in Portland!

Tiny restaurant,great value,open kitchen,simple dicore but food is unbeatable we were four and all finish the food and left the dish’s shiny and clean, even the desert was delicious,they very filxable to meet clients desire for their satisfaction,Services are attentive. It’s deficult to book it. There is god food nook for the restaurant.

We have dined at Le PIgeon many many times and it is still the most amazing food scene you could ever ask for and I have dined in some of the best restaurants around the world. Gabriel Rucker has a genius palate and keeps creating dishes that harmonize so many complicated and deep flavors. I take a bit of his food and literally do a happy dance in my seat. The best way to experience is to get there early and sit at the bar and watch the theatre of the chefs cooking together. I also highly recommend putting yourself in their hands and do the tasting menu. I don't eat red meat and they are always accommodating of any special requests. This is theeee not to miss restaurant in Portland.

Lots of great reviews but our experience was super lame. The atmosphere was super stiff, food was not impressive couldn’t even finish the fish. The server never checked on us or asked if we wanted another drink. We had to request our bill so we could leave as soon as possible. We left and had better food in a much better environment.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Portland. I'd normally give it a 5 but last time we were there a concert or party with an overwhelming bass sound was playing so close it spoiled the ambience

Le Pigeon was everything that I have heard about it,,,, and more (the more is the bad part and I will get to that later). The food was creative, cooked with great ingredients and care. We were a party of 4 and everyone ordered differently. Accolades all around! The place is also very attractive, bistro like and with an open kitchen. The server wasn’t great, but not bad either. The problem, and it was a BIG problem, is that Le Pigeon is downstairs from a ballroom venue. We were there on a Saturday and the music boomed. It was shockingly loud. When we asked the waiter, he said that it may become quieter. We opted not to take the risk and went for desert elsewhere. The waiter suggested that we avoid weekends and check the website of the ballroom to see what the act was. Yikes!

I'd have to say that to date this is one of the best dining experiences I have had. The food is exceptional and my dish, the quail, was perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. Staff and atmosphere are relaxed (shared tables), but their service and attention were of the highest quality. A true Portland gem!

The ample butter lettuce salad was tasty and the sauces on both the pork and the halibut were truly delicious. But I have to agree with another reviewer that the beef and the lamb entrees were almost to the burnt level. The house Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley was uneventful. Very good service.

Came early to get a seat at the counter kitchen viewing table which was well worth it The three chefs though working hard took time to explain the preparation of their craft and the ingredients of the innovative and complex dishes. All preparation was there for open viewing. Everything was super delicious and complex in taste Foie Gras a must as is the lobster stuffed chicken Don't skip the butter lettuce salad either Wait staff very patient and helpful Overall a very good experience not only just in taste but in ambiance and education Without a reservation you must go early.

Got a reservation on a Tuesday night and sat at the bar overlooking into the kitchen. It was one of the best dining experiences I’ve had. The service was great and getting to see your food being made was extra special. The dishes were great. We got the seared foie gras, grilled octopus and the lamb shoulder. The lamb shoulder dish was so delicious. Would 100% come back, however they do have a sister restaurant right next door called Canard we will try next time.

We took my in-laws for dinner this past week who were visiting from out of town. The food was ok but very limited menu selection. Two of us ordered the pigeon, one fish special (salmon) and one burger. The food was good but nothing extraordinary. The problem I had was with our waiter who was not friendly at all, in fact he seemed arrogant. I know this restaurant is consistently rated as one of the very tops in Portland but considering their prices, there are a lot of other restaurants in PDX with excellent cuisine that are much easier to get reservations, better ambiance and waiter/waitress staff without attitude.

We were in town for business and were told that reservations usually fill up two weeks in advance as the place is quite small. The exception is if you arrive when the restaurant opens and ask to sit at the chef's table (which is basically the seats at the bar with a direct view of the food being cooked and prepared). There were 3 of us and we ordered the Chef's tasting menu (5 courses) for $85. One person in our group was a vegetarian and they were able to accommodate him. Well worth the price as every plate was exceptional. Also, be sure to try the foie gras profiteroles for dessert!

We are foodies from Chicagoland and we were very excited to dine at LePigeon tonight. I do not enjoy writing negative review, but what we experienced tonight I feel it necessary. I need to begin with saying that the service was excellent, but the food was not. We started with two Starter Dishes - The Jamaican Jerk Foie Gras and Pork Trotter Croquettes. Both dishes were over spiced and boarder line inedible. My main courses was the evening special, Black Cod with chorizo, squid and squid ink rice cake. The fish was fresh, but the sides ruined the entire dish. My wife, who happen to be an award executive chef, order Pigeon Breast. The seasoning completely over powered the plate. She took three bites and did not take another. Our guest order the Beef Cheeks. That was the Biggest Disappointment. It was absolute terrible. I would not recommend this restaurant.

I have been trying to get reservations for the four of us for about a year. Le Pigeon seems to be always booked up. It was baffling to me until we actually had the pleasure of eating there. Now I understand totally and have already made my next reservation for a few months from now. My husband and I, along with our two teenage sons had the seven course tasting menu. We elected not to do the wine paring since we were driving, however, our very gracious server was kind enough to recommend two different wines, a white and a red, that would get us pleasantly through the seven courses. We had a half a glass of each and he was spot on with his recommendation. I could go in to all the details of each of the seven courses, but that would take forever. Suffice to say that our taste buds were in heaven. Our teenagers included! They even thought the Foie Gras Profiteroles were "totally insane"!!! They could not imagine loving a dessert made with foie gras. Neither could I, but it was "insanely delicious"! Le Pigeon is small, quaint, and the seating is communal. So if you're a snob who has an issue with someone else you don't know you can either not go to Le Pigeon, or get over it and treat yourself to an amazing experience. While the bill for the evening did exceed $500 for the four of us, with modest wine consumption and the seven course tasting menu, I would not hesitate to do it again, and again, and again. Just save us a few time slots throughout the year!

My wife and I went here to celebrate valentines day. The service was impecable and the food some of the best i have had (which includes michelin star experience). I cannot have wheat or sugar and indicated that with my reservation. They called me the day before to clarify what i could and could not have and then the chef came out before the meal started to clarify again. They were very thorough and attentive to my needs and adopted the menu in such a way that i did not miss out on flavor or experience. Thank you so much.

Excellent food and sevice. No privacy, as it is tiny and everyone is sitting on top of everyone. Also, go early and be out of there by 8:30, if you want the entire experience to be as good as the food, because the bar two doors down starts cranking then. The subwoofers ( new in the past few weeks) jar ones brains, rattle bones, and you can't even talk to the person sitting across the tiny table from you. It ruined what was an otherwise beautiful dinner for me. I will wait to revisit until they move.

Self appointed “foodies” from LA come to Portland in search of the Holy Grail.... not disappointed. In an area off the beaten path (for now), my honey, her sister and BF, and I had a joyous meal in this tiny storefront restaurant. After minimal wait outside on a comfortable bench we were granted a nice table near the front. The space is tiny but I didn’t feel cramped at 6’2” and too much girth from foodieism. The wines were nicely priced and a good selection was present. The appetizers were delicious. We had the octopus and marrow and the fois gras and crab. Sounds weird but go for it. Talking about weird... I hadn’t planned on ordering pidgeon but got talked into it. No, not nyc and even portland city pidgeons! Nicely raised happy birds (used to be happy) from a farm in South Carolina. Delicious. (Sorry). Dessert was also a must. We had the fois gras profiteroles and the chocolate mousse with toasted hay ice cream. Of course i had coffee! I was in heaven. Yes, i would say it was grand. I will be back.

I have traveled extensively and eaten at some great restaurants, but this was a treat !! Dined by myself at the bar where you can watch the magic in their very small kitchen, the wait staff was attentive, informative and very upbeat, the "wine guy" was very knowledgeable and provided great recommendations. These people run a small restaurant with big flavor and incredible technique, a must for well versed dinners.

We recently traveled to PDX. We were told this restaurant put PDX on the foodie map. We had read some negative reviews by recent diners. We also expected that we should be wowed by the experience. The restaurant is small but cozy. We dined on a Monday night and the restaurant was not completely full. Our waiter, Kevin S, was very good at giving us a run down on the menu and providing us with some of his recommendations. We started with the buffalo sweetbreads. It was light but crunchy with a smokey flavor. The dish utilized a habanado pepper, a habanero without the heat which had a great flavor without intense heat. In fact, we ordered some seeds tp plant this spring. For the entrees, we ordered the quail and the duck. Both were very generous portions with great taste and flavors. We enjoyed the quail and shrimp over the duck. The duck had lots of cherries which made the dish a little on the sweet side. Overall, we had a very pleasant dining experience. We can't say it was the best we ever had in PDX, but will be in the top 5 for sure. Be adventurous and try the sweetbreads if you go. Thanks to Kevin S fron Lubbock for making our exoerience a great one.

Don't let the common tables be off-putting. The restaurant is relaxed, warm, fun, totally a great experience. Staff is super knowledgeable. You leave wondering how they do what they do in such a small place.

Ok, we recently got back from France and ate a lot of semi-cooked pigeon so I was not expecting this to be my favorite Restsurant of our vacation but it was. Our server, Roman, made perfect wine pairing suggestions and the food was to die for. Be sure to make reservations because the restaurant only has 32 seats. As we were finishing dinner, a nearby table received a beautiful hamburger, and I love hamburgers, do my brother-in-laws and I ordered a hamburger for dessert. Perfect!

I highly recommend this restaurant. Excellent food and service! My friend and I had so much fun sitting at the bar and watching the chef cook our tasty meal.

Hard to talk about Le Pigeon. We had reservations with friends for a Friday night. We go there on time and were seated right away. The four of us split a long table with another couple near the front door. The place is tiny with nothing about it saying nice restaurant. The chairs don't match, the silverware/plates are all things maybe found at a garage sale. Our server was very friendly and helpful with my nut allergy with a menu with nuts highlighted. We ordered a bottle of wine from a decent, but expensive wine list. Our Syrah was a good start to the meal as we caught up with our friends. Our table ordered the Beef cheek...which was good and flavorful, the torellini dish that had 45 or so big torellinis, a new item-a very garlicy chicken/pasta dish and a fish special that won the table...it was very flavorful and well prepared. Our second bottle of wine, a bordeaux was also good with big fruits to enjoy with the meal. We ended with some coffee, a creme brule and an odd foie gras tort kind of dessert. Overall, it was a good experience. Not so sure about restaurant of the year, but typical Portland with a good food menu and shabby decor and atmosphere.

We were lucky to get a reservation at Le Pigeon and the restaurant more than lived up to what we had read about it. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, the service was excellent. We had the fish special which was Alaskan halibut on ‘potato salad’ with escargot; I can’t describe how wonderful it was - and I didn’t think I liked escargot. I chose a Sauvignon Blanc which was different - I had a taste first - and beautiful. The piece de resistance was the shared dessert which was something one would wonder about before ordering... fois gras profiteroles. Hmmmm. We learned from the server this is their signature dessert and the fois gras is used as part of the butter/fat of both the pastry and the ice cream. It was fantastic. We both highly recommend this restaurant!

These folks have fine cooking down to an art. Very innovative creations, excellent use of spices and very friendly and knowledgeable staff made it again a great dining experience. We went with the 5 course tasting menu and it was fabulous. Cannot wait to go there again.

Despite - with hindsight - ordering far from the best things the kitchen was turning out, I did enjoy the food. The chefs are clearly talented and the menu is short (a good thing in my book). Portland is a friendly city and my neighbours were open to chatting....something about an election, can't remember if it was important or not. They have good sherry here - unusual for The US. The foie gras profiteroles were great. I actually only had one as I was stuffed but it was as delicious as was sold to me. My only tip would be to choose the meat options over the fish. If visting or you're already a resident in Portland, I would totally recommend going. If I didn't live nearly 5,000 miles away, I would go more often!

We don't live in Portland and haven't been able to try Le Pigeon on previous visits. It's a small venue and seems to fill up instantly each night. We booked a spot at the chef's bar/counter, the wait was only a little over an hour. Worth the wait!!! Good wine/drink list, though I'd like more local wines to choose from. The food was amazing and watching the kitchen added to the experience. We had the chicken, tuna tartar, pork belly, beef bourguignon, pigeon and veg lasagna. I'd rate them in that order, the chicken was stunning!

I'm pretty sure I can safely say this is one of the best restaurants I've ever been to anywhere in the world. We enjoyed the tasting at the chef's table. It was a combination of fine art cooking and brilliant flavor parings. I think almost as good as the food was the energy in the restaurant. It was a rare feeling of festiveness in the presence of amazingly great food. I can put into words how fantastic the food and the overall experience was. No wonder it's so difficult to get a table at this place!

They have been knocking it out of the park for years and we have been loyal customers since shortly after they opened. It is a cute small restaurant and it can be tough to get reservations. It's close to downtown which is nice if you are visiting. It is well known to be one of Portland's best restaurants so plan ahead if you want a table. If it is only going to be two of you, our trick is to go right when they open. They allow walk-in's for the chef's bar and keep those stools open from reservations. I actually prefer to sit there so I can watch the chefs do their magic. The menu is switched up regularly and is seasonal and extremely thoughtfully prepared. Everything I have ever had here is magnificent so you really can't go wrong. A good bet would be the tasting menu if you want to try a wide variety of their skill set. It's not cheap by any means, so come prepared to spend a few bucks. Their sommelier is excellent and will send you in the right direction for wine. Take his advice as he knows what is great and what will compliment your meal. If you do the tasting menu, there is a matching wine option as well. This is a special place for a special occasion but it is not snooty or pretentious. I often eat here in jeans but there are typically people much more dressed up as well. All are welcome and I have never felt out of place (one time I even went in a t-shirt). The staff is welcoming and knowledgeable. The tip is included in the meal so you don't have to worry about that. Oh, and no matter what else you do, order the profiteroles for dessert! Trust me on that one. Absolutely amazing.

Small place, be sure to make a reservation. Great inventive menu and mash-ups. I had short ribs with harissa. My wife had he pigeon breast. The foie gras profiteroles are amazing. They brought us a glass of sauternes to go with them on the house. Service was great and the food was fantastic. Sit at the counter and you can watch the small open area in action. Definitely worth a visit.

We had one night in Portland and chose this restaurant based on reviews and ratings. We also chose the five course tasting menu based on the same. The food was well prepared and consisted of unique combinations but contained ingredients so rich that by the end I did not enjoy it at all. I would recommend only getting the tasting menu if you have not eaten all day. The menu consisted of courses of foie gras, sausage and beef short ribs. Two of our party actually did not feel well later in the evening due to the richness of the food. I would recommend the a la carte menu unless things are lightened up a bit.

Our 1st (& final) splurge @ this well-respected restaurant. Just NOT a "Fit" for our palate. Our waiter was friendly & obviously a pro who enjoys people. He's the ONLY reason I rated this spot 3 stars. Otherwise, it would have been 2. We had 2 dishes; the 2nd (our entree) was very good but not good enough to overcome the following: 1) high prices, 2) tiny tables squeezed far to close for a enjoyable dining conversation, 3) music that echoed off the ceiling & again, didn't reflect a "French dining experience" we were anticipating, and 4) menu items that were far too fussy for our palate. The first dish we had was 'smoked trout' in some kind of sauce that was an odd greenish tinge & some tasty beets (not a good fit for us). Our main entree - fresh caught Alaskan halibut with veggies was very good; nice & hot and relatable. Our desserts were "OK" but again, too 'odd' for us. Been there, done that, and now we're "done."

You sit at community tables and I was uncomfortable at first but couples on both sides were friendly and interesting. Ordered the tasting menu and it was awesome. $90 for five courses but tip is included and no restaurant tax in Oregon. Every course was great but the halibut in mushroom cream was fabulous. Well done!

We were in Portland for just two nights and had made Le Pigeon reservations weeks in advance. We met friends there and had good meals, nice drinks, and great service. One in the party did have the pigeon and said it was fantastic. I had the Wagyu brisket and I cannot imagine anyone's dinner was better! I did not hear anyone complain about anything. This place lives up to the hype.

it's small: 20 reservable covers at communal tables, + 10 walk in counter. It's casual. But it's great ..not just another great restaurant, but one whose dishes are memorable. The Foie Gras Egss & Bacon starter and the the Foie Gras Profiterole dessert will have you wishing you lived in Portland. Beef cheek Bourguignon, a classic carried to perfection. Unfotunately, no halibut tonight. Prices are moderate (ordering ala carte), wine list is extensive and reasonable. Service is superb .Kevin was attentive, fun, and has good taste. Can't wait to return

We would rate Le Pigeon as average (fair) based on the quality of the food served for the premium price paid. Our frame of reference is dining in European Michelin one-star restaurants at similar prices that are far superior in offering excellent culinary experience. We found the food to lack the refinement and finesse expected. Le Pigeon serves two set prix-fixe menus including one vegetarian. We chose the regular menu that started with an overly sweet amuse-bouche. Usually, you do not start a meal with a sweet taste. Afterward, the waiter served a Dungeness crab appetizer. The texture of the crab seemed tough and rubbery, and the accompaniments unfortunately did not work. After this course came the least enjoyable part of the meal: the truffle pot pie. I love sweet breads prepared properly which these were not. The meat used was not appetizing and the pastry shell was tough. The next course was the blackened grouper with lobster creamed spinach. While the spinach base was quite nice, the fish was left under the broiler too long and had carbonized pieces. The duck l’orange was our favorite course with the orange essence taste well done. The chocolate creameux dessert was pleasing. It came with a foie gras profiterole which seems strange in that foie gras is not usually associated with dessert. Our preference for profiteroles is to have them smothered in rich chocolate. I asked for an expresso to finish off the meal to cut the sweet taste and was told that I had to accept a large American cup of coffee which is not desirable at 9 PM. We ordered the regular (not premium) wine pairing option that included five pours of three ounces at $60. This was a mistake in that none of the wines selected other than the Port at the end were enjoyable. The second pour of a German white was so bad we sent it back. For the basic pairing, we expected decent (not grand crus) and were disappointed. The wait staff was catch as catch can in terms of serving with a different server each time. The description of each dish was perfunctory and not particularly knowledgeable or caring. This approach is not fine dining where the server develops a connection with the diner. The restaurant itself is very small with the tables crowded together. Nothing here in any way suggested elegance or premium. And that would be okay if the food overall were noteworthy, which it was not. There was not really one dish that we recall being outstanding. In slang, a "pigeon" often means someone easily fooled, a dupe, or a victim. It is unfair to consider ourselves such, but the thought did occur. The experience regrettably did not live up to the two hundred dollars a person cost.

We are serious foodies and we were not disappointed with the ambiance or the food or the service. We had the Ahi Tartare with Pork Ribs with a Foie Gras ice cream for dessert. The flavor in the pork ribs was intense but well balanced. All of the items on the plate complemented the ribs so that every time you took a bit of the ribs it was as refreshing as the first. The wine we selected again complemented this dish. It has been a long time since I had this kind of eating experience which reminds me of a local bistro in France. After the meal we ordered the hamburger and it was the best I ever had. We had such a great experience I asked to speak with the Chef to complement him for the food and service. I would go back to Portland just to eat their again.

I had high expectations after reading the reviews. My wife and I arrived at 9:15 pm and the restaurant that seats around 30 people was full but not packed. The bar next door had live music and the bass and drums shook the building and filled it with the sound of a passing train. But hey, nobody comes to this restaurant for the ambiance but for the food provided by a great chef. I ordered the Beef Cheek Bourguignon root vegetable gratin, bacon apple butter, blue cheese and fried shallot for $36. What I got was an overcooked chunk of roast beef covered with an excessively bitter/sweet sauce. I could not have been more disappointed. Maybe the beef would have been better earlier in the day but I don't think the sauce would have been. I left disappointed.

We heard great things about this place and the food definitely lived up to our expectations. The albacore tuna crudo, sage roasted chicken and beef cheek bourguignon are must tries! The foie gras profiteroles are creative and delicious but I would recommend sharing as they are quite heavy. Unfortunately the service was incredibly slow - not sure if the server forgot to enter our orders. But good thing the food made up for it. Early reservations are a must!

Review of The Pigeon Restaurant: My experience at The Pigeon restaurant was quite disappointing overall. Despite its reputation as an expensive establishment, I found the unfriendly reservation policy to be off-putting. The fact that they required prepayment without providing sufficient details about the menu was a major drawback. When it came to the food, I was thoroughly disappointed with the taste. The dishes served lacked flavor and failed to impress my taste buds. Despite the restaurant's reputation as an expensive establishment, the taste of the food did not live up to my expectations. Another issue I encountered was the pricing of the wine. Not only was it expensive, but it was also not included in the overall cost of the meal. This made the dining experience even more costly, and I felt that it was an unnecessary expense. It would have been more reasonable to include a wine selection within the fixed price, given the high prices already associated with the restaurant. Considering the overall experience, I cannot recommend The Pigeon restaurant. The combination of an unfriendly reservation policy, poor-tasting food, and expensive wine that was not included in the meal cost left me feeling dissatisfied. There are many other restaurants in the area that offer better value for money and a more enjoyable dining experience.

We had a great experience at Le Pigeon. We had the five course tasting menu, which was amazing. The salmon was exquisite, as was the beef bourguignon. Multiple amazing tastes and textures throughout. The foie gras based dessert was great with sweet and salty tastes. Service was excellent as well. We enjoyed ourselves very much, and will be back

If this is supposed to be one of Portland's finest restaurants then it's a comment on Portland's standards. The food was excellent - creative dishes with wonderful combinations of flavors and seasonings. Our waiter was engaging and helpful. But don't put it on your list if you're looking for a fine dining experience. The restaurant is very small and tables are packed together. There is no linen on the tables. The hostess who greeted us had a "take it or leave it" attitude when we indicated that despite having made a reservation weeks ahead time a table less than a foot from the front door was unacceptable. Would I go there again? No. Would I hope that restaurant moves to a better location? Yes. Would I recommend the hostess enrolls in a professional hospitality course? Yes.

I visit Portland each summer and the trip is never complete without a dinner at Le Pigeon...Simply superb....and consistent, year after year!

Superb. My husband thought it might even be the best meal of his life. We shared everything. We started with the foie gras w/ octopus - it was amazing. We also had the crudo with cucumber mint and over crunchy cous cous- also amazing. For entrees, we had the brisket - incredible - and a special - king salmon crusted with some type of corn & a light and delicious dressing - also incredible. My husband refused to get the foie gras ice cream profiteroles that I badly wanted to try, but the dessert we got was delicious: corn cake with grilled peaches and ice cream. This is a small, low-key restaurant. No need to dress up. Someone on here wrote that the dress could be thought of as "clean." I'd say that's pretty accurate. My husband wore sneakers which was totally fine. Highly recommended.

Great intimate restuarant with great bites. Great pairings with the food. Place is quite buzzing and the action is right in front of you. It's so cool especially from someone in the industry.

The food was exceptional ~ our waitress was less then that…she set down the menu - talked to fast and then left. When she came back- since we were not from Portland and traveled from Iowa, we asked for her to explain. Her response “this is like any normal restaurant”. We paid $300 for poor human experience…really too bad since the ambience and food was above average.

Deserves a Michelin star. At the moment this is the best in town, especially when the chef owner is in the kitchen. Order by the throw of a dart, as you can not miss. I wish I could eat here every night. Portland should enshrine this place as historically important and essential to Portland being Portland.

Le Pigeon has grown over the last two decades into a deceptively modest looking restaurant with 2 star Michelin quality cooking talent standing in the kitchen just a few feet from where you are dining turning out remarkably complex dishes with apparent ease. It has evolved from its earlier days when it produced plates of refined Northwest essence--local fish, poultry, meats, mushrooms and fruits, not all that dissimilar from Higgin's and Paley's, contemporary restaurants emerging from the 90's when Portland came into its own and was becoming recognized as a serious North American restaurant destination. This was an era when the West Coast was coming into its own and the early Chez Panisse fueled liberation and promotion of initially Mediterranean inspired cooking made chefs in LA, San Francisco, Portland and Vancouver, BC, start to look into their backyards and appreciate the "product," as ingredients are referred to in the restaurant field, and simultaneously upped their kitchen skills and freed their imaginations to take advantage of the bounty around them. A meal at Le Pigeon to today, particularly if one selects the seven course tasting menu, is a stunningly complex experience with a remarkable list of ingredients appearing on each plate, layers of food, a variety of textures and a full palette of colors. A sea scallop is paired with a portion of beef short rib, purées of vegetables bring them together and they are topped with flavorful seeds, spices, dehydrations of truffle essence and the list goes on. The tasting menu currently includes a remarkably delicious small portion of black cod arranged amongst several delicious complementary vegetables and reductions. This is perhaps the most satisfying of the seven courses and the "lightest." Without a notebook or a photo of each course it is hard to remember what we ate, because each had so many elements and in honesty, seemed just a bit overworked on the plate that they all left the same impression--highly skilled kitchen renderings of great primary ingredients perhaps resulting in overly complex food. This may be just one consumer's impression and another might say, "Bring it on." One final critique, foie gras appears twice on the menu, first early in the evening, deliciously seared, and then at the end as the primary ingredient of an ice cream. For me that was too much. My advice is have the five course meal or order ala carte. The restaurant is great and every serious food lover visiting Portland should dine here.

Went here with a friend while visiting Portland . We had no reservations (it is very popular and fairly small) so we waited at the door for 5 o'clock opening - and sat at the bar facing the chefs creating their magic. SO much fun! We started out sharing an appetizer of Albacore tuna tartare - with mango-mint tabbouleh and vadouvan curry aioli, soft-boiled egg. Yummy. I am glad we did mot order more appetizers because , unlike other so-called gourmet restaurants, they don't stint om the amount of food they give you. I had an incredible salmon - with crunchy and delicately fried skin - perfectly moist interior, wild mushrooms, grain accompaniment. My friend had beef cheek bourguignon w bacon and morel farro, fried broccoli, smoked honey garlic. So tender, so delicious! We were so stuffed we had to pass on dessert - but the foie gras profliteroles with caramel sauce and the pear sticky bun w cashew brittle and vanilla-rosemary ice cream looked divine! Next time! The staff was very helpful with the wine choosing as well. Very reasonable - we ended up spending less than $50 per person and had to box our leftovers to go!

Charming and unique restaurant, best food we had in town! Amazing and unexpected flavors when it comes to French cuisine, not a single predictable plate. Highly reccomend it

We had read that this was an amazing place to go...we love fine dining and were very excited to try this place out. We found the service to be friendly, but found it rushed...we arrived for a 715 booking and were out after having 3 courses by 830. My partner loved his glass of Pinot but I didn't like my glass of cab franc, I can't remember the exact name but I know it had the word I think "fiefs" in it. My partner agreed after tasting it. We had the duck and the foie gras for starter which we both enjoyed and then the brisket for main. I found the brisket to be tender and tasty but had a large section of pure fat and the sauce SO rich, it was difficult to finish. I was disappointed because I could over hear the servers saying how it was their favourite dish. We had the creme brûlée for dessert which was delicious. Overall a good night but not the absolutely amazing food experience we were hoping for.

Our last Friday night chef’s tasting counter dinner at Portland’s Le Pigeon was a revelation worthy of at least one Michelin star, indeed. Absolutely spectacular courses with equally impressive reserve wine pairings. Truly sublime. Service was so friendly and casual, and the causal atmosphere really made us feel at home. It was so Portland, indeed — taken to a stratospheric culinary levels. Can’t wait to get back for a second try sometime.

We were taken to Le Pigeon by our son and his wife for my birthday and what a special birthday it was. To begin with, the seating was comfortable and the atmosphere not formal, just food-focused where nearly everyone working or eating there looked enthusiastic and "into it". Of course, everyone in Portland knows that the chef/owner of Le Pigeon is a culinary rock star and his whole team likewise gifted, so expectations were high. It was frankly hard to choose from the entrees so we made sure none of us got the same thing. I had the lobster stuffed fried chicken (a little light on the lobster flavor) with delicious Emmenthaler mashed potatoes, my husband got the halibut fish of the night, our daughter-in-law the Boeuf Bourguignon with parsnip risotto, my granddaughter the burger with an utterly fresh butter lettuce salad and blue cheese dressing (she scorned the salad, as kids do, but I devoured it) and our son the corned lamb shoulder with pearl couscous, chevre and lovage (a great touch). As appetizers, we chose the lamb crudo with spiced yogurt-- which surprised me as raw lamb would not have been something I gravitated towards. (It was not just raw, but rather seared and sliced thinly with the middle part raw). We also had the octopus and bone marrow borscht with horseradish creme fraiche. I love bone marrow, but I did find the roundels of marrow a bit much-- too dense-creamy or something and they would have benefitted (for my palate) with a bit more horseradish. But the very best of what we all had was my husband's halibut: completely fresh and flaky with a delicate crust and high-quality butter, no false notes. Very special. I'm not a dessert person, so I can't comment on the dessert ordered by the others. What is really "French" about LePigeon is the attitude about the food that permeates the whole place: for the French, no detail about food and eating is too trivial to pay detailed attention to. If you have ever been out with French friends you will know that they can discuss what to eat and where to go endlessly before deciding, as befits an important decision. In their home towns, they will know which places are good for what and who is best for fish, who for wine, who for dessert. The other "best thing" about the dinner was our server Danny. The four of us run a business ourselves and are aware that the "front of office folks" who interact directly with customers are essential to conveying the team's mission. Danny was friendly and interested-seeming and very knowledgable about the food. He made every choice seem brilliant and could answer even the most detailed questions about the food and its preparation. He was made aware of my daughter-in-law's egg allergy and went to huge effort to sort out which entrees might have egg in them, darting back to "the kitchen" to confirm. He made this seem as if he actually cared about her safety and pleasure and was not annoyed by having to make this extra effort. Now, this is a tiny place, folks, and could come off as chaotic and hectic. It took me a while to realize that the chefs behind the bar, but a few feet away from us were actually cooking everything right there, as they seemed unhurried, focused and calm. Next time I will definitely sit at the bar and watch them work. What an honor that would be! As we live in the Oregon wine country and our son is very interested in wine, we were careful in our choice of wine with so many different entrees. We chose a Domaine de la Bouissiere Gigondas 2015 and enjoyed it, but in our deconstruction discussion afterward, felt it was a B+ or A- to the strong A of the food and A+ of the experience overall. It was a little bland. Finally, my son and daughter-in-law gave me a copy of the cookbook Le Pigeon written by Gabriel Rucker (chef/owner), Andrew Fortgang (wine expert) and Lauren Fortgang (pastry chef). What a delight! I have now read it cover-to-cover and recommend it not only for its somewhat daunting recipes but for all the food procurement advice, wine advice, and fascinating glimpse into our very own Portland food and foodie scene. It is a very fun read.

Nice small restaurant. Excellent service. Excellent food, but tends to be very rich, they feature a lot of foie Gras, appetizers to desert. Good wine list.

I have celiac disease and the chef was amazing. He was able to tailor any of the dishes to my needs when asked. The quail was amazing! Out of all my travels this place was in my top 10.

Definitely one of Portland basic places. We've been going for a long time and every single time is better than the last. This place lives up to its name and fame. We had —as always— the tasting menu and it is totally worth it. I have problems everytime I go, as everytime I find a new different favorite for me.

I had a good dinner here. They are pricey, but portions is a good amount. I had the larger prix fixe menu. Left full, could not eat another bite. I liked most of the dishes. They had this foie gras puff pastry at the end. It was good, but not great. The puff pastry could have been better.

We had one of the best meals we have ever had. We sat at the chefs counter. We loved watching the chefs, they were amazing. The chefs crafted each meal like a piece of art. The food was delicately flavoured and spiced to perfection. There was a sort of comradery at the counter. We all chatted and discussed the food. We had a wonderful evening, thank you.

I had expectations for what I heard about this restaurant. It is very loud inside the restaurant, you can barely hear yourself. The seating condition is not the best... Food was very disappointed to me, I wouldn’t call it a French restaurant at all... and the portions are very small for the prices. I would not come back.

Agree with the worst of the other reviews...food wasn’t good and the restaurant was shaking from a concert above. We were very disappointed because we were visiting from out of town and celebrating our anniversary. Also the tables were waaaay too close together. We heard literally every part of the neighboring diners’ conversations. The hostess was lovely though and apologetic about the food and the noise/shaking.

My wife and son came to Portland on a foodie binge. Le Pigeon did not disappoint! The French bistro had a limited but superbly crafted and unique menu with combination of ingredients you would not expect. We didn’t do the 5 or 7 course menu and decided instead to select dishes starting with the jerk foie gras which is a Jamaican take on foie gras. Not your typical dish so be prepared to be surprised. The banana kumquat relish gave this appetizer a very unique finish in your palate Individual dishes we shared include the black cod daily special, pork spareribs, and wagyu brisket. The pork chop was not dry and served with a bacon and cheese pierogi with glazed radish sauce was fantastic. Wagyu brisket was served medium rare and celery root purée with roasted hedgehog mushrooms and grapefruit sauce was also a hit! Our fried apple pie was also uniquely prepared but the foie gras profiteroles was a dish you either liked or hate. The fat from the foie gras is used to make the ice cream used to fill the profiteroles, never had it before but definitely different. Kevin was our server in this very small restaurant and he was fantastic because He patiently fielded our many on how each dish was prepared. The setting is rustic so come casual but give yourself plenty of travel time if you are staying in downtown Portland as traffic was awful and parking is a challenge as well. We were able to get next day reservations but this will likely change because Le Pigeon was just awarded a James Beard award, a deserved award. Bon appetite!

This place is for foodies who appreciate a young staff line up and fun foods. We sat at the counter for a 9:30 reservation on Sunday night. That was the only time we could book it but when we got to the restaurant there were tables open for walk-ins. The food was fantastic and it was a great dinning experience to sit at the counter. We ordered gnocchi, a burger, short ribs and even had a pigeon churro (pigeon leg doused in cinnamon). Everything was prepared wonderfully and it tasted great. The value for that experience is well worth it. My husband and I were celebrating our wedding anniversary and so we got a few drinks (champs and dessert wine) on the house. A little thing to make us feel special. It was really nice.

They say Portland is the best place for food but there all like this place. Hipsters who add a small amount of some expensive meats or truffle call it a masterpiece and pair it with a terrible micro stank beer . Left hungry and and went to super deluxe to get a hearty burger for 60% less. Don’t bother eating here just cause some cooking celebrities have stop by.

Going into our reservation, I was excited. Generally, when you're hyped up for something, it's a let down because it just can't match or beat your expectations. Pigeon however... Took my expectations, wrapped them in duck liver, deep fried them, stuffed them in a canon, and shot them across the gorge. The tasting menu was sized perfectly. Sometimes you get too large of portions and can't make it to dessert. Sometimes they're too small and you have to stop and get a burger before you go home. Pigeon nailed it. The space is small, and most of the seating options are at a few large community tables. If you don't like sitting next to strangers, this isn't your spot. The music is, to my apparently grandpa sensibilities, not to my liking, and more importantly, way too loud. That's honestly the only negative thing I had to say about the place. Service - quick, polite, well versed in the menu, ready to answer any questions. While this isn't fine dining per se, it's right up there. The atmosphere makes it much more relaxed, but the service is at the highest level. Silver is replaced without asking, dirty dishes are cleared before new dishes come, waters stay full, as do drinks. 5/5 Drinks - Awesome wine list, a little on the small side, but the restaurant is small, so you can't really fault them for that. They do not serve liquor here, so no cocktails, which I thought was kind of strange, but that's just extra licensing, space, etc. They do offer a fair amount of amaro's that they make apertifs with, so if you need something like a cocktail, they've got you covered. You just won't be getting any scotch for dessert. Food - Thoughtful, creative, perfectly prepared and presented. Every course sang a song, and there was nothing that seemed over done in terms of either plating, execution, or flavor. Dishes ranged from fresh vegetables and proteins, to salt cured fish and pickled vegetables, all the way to foie foie foie dessert. The menu is constantly changing based on what's available and in season, so expect something new every time you go. Pigeon is amazing, and you'd be remiss if you didn't treat yourself to a tasting menu at least once. Do it up, experience the culinary creativity that most restaurants can't maintain, and be satisfied knowing that you're eating at one of the best restaurants this side of the Mississippi. This is fine cuisine, in a much more laid back environment, but don't be fooled by the loud music, lack of table clothes, and small space. This place is top tier no doubt about it.

We had anticipated this date for a while and it met every expectation. The restaurant is very small and very "lively" but the dining experience was first rate We had the 7 course tasting menu and it was an adventure!! Certain things wowed (braised beef cheeks) and others were less a rave but not without great thought and imagination. Overall, we had a great experience with a great wine list and great service Well worth the wait to make reservations

Quite an unexpected pleasure. Food was creatively made and served quite. Properly. We tried the special dinner with 4-5 courses. It was a bit too much but very nice. Their wine selection was quite nice but a bit pricey. Still one if the best in town.

The is a lot to like about Le Pigeon. Service is excellent and the wine list is superb. On the other hand, to me, the food is adventuresome (good!) but often over-complicated. IE the core ingredients (like quail or lamb) get lost in the preparations - which frequently have layer upon layer of flavor components. For example, the a recent quail dish had the quail buried in a sweet and spicy glaze like Korean barbecue. The lamb dish was over complicated in a similar way. I question if I’ll go back.

I was taken here for my birthday. We got the lamb shoulder and the beef cheek plus the cheapest bottle of red wine on the list, fogiarin bulfon for a total of $106.00. The place is teeny but the servers make it work and are extremely professional. The beef was perfectly done but the 'crispy' lamb was smothered in too much sauce and overly fancy for my taste ... And I love lamb. The fellow next to me ordered halibut and he pronounced it wonderful. This is a true Portland experience, if you can afford it.

This was my most highly anticipated meal in Portland and it did not disappoint! We got the 5 course tasting menu. I was so pleased that they accommodated my one dietary restriction (no pork) and still I got to taste the pigeon dish. The presentation is lovely. The staff are friendly and make great suggestions for anything. The first course fish dish and the dessert (a foie gras lovers favorite dessert) really stood out for me. Although it’s hard to pick a favorite since everything was so good. The skate was cooked to perfection.

Bustling atmosphere with family style tables. Food is absolutely delicious. Great wine list. Knowledgeable wait staff. Make a reservation well in advance.

I have eaten at great restaurants around the world and I have eaten at really bad ones. It's usually easy to tell the difference. But then there are places like Le Pigeon that I quite frankly do not begin to understand. I do not understand why this place scores so highly with Portland food writers. With no exaggeration, everything on my plate was either ruined or tasteless. Foie Gras, which should be delicate and delicious came not seared but burned. It was crusty and black on the outside and raw in the center. It was mounted on some weird cheese on toast creation and scattered with tasteless diced vegetables and some pieces of nondescript fruit. An abomination at the price. My wife had the crab and pork belly starter which was equally confused as a dish. The crab was barely present and the pork belly was rubbery and amateurishly prepared. For main courses we had the Beef Cheek Bourguignon and the supposed signature dish the Pigeon. My beef would have been rather nice had it not again be burned on the outside, as were the mushrooms. It came for reasons I can only put down to that infamous "creativity" with a chunk of cold lasagne that featured some tasteless meat the menu said was beef tongue stroganoff. Really? The lasting taste in my mouth after this meal was carbon. My wife's pigeon was another plate of weirdness, astronomically over priced for the rather sad looking pieces of meat - not a single breast as their web site photos would suggest. All this lukewarm, poorly prepared, waste of decent ingredients was presented with the flourish and pointless details of the finest dining establishments. But it was all just words introducing dishes that never once lived up to them. We did not risk dessert. If for some reason this type of overkill and overcooking still appeals to you, do not go on a night when the space upstairs (some kind of club or performance space) blasts music so loud you'll think it's in the restaurant. The reverberating bass was painful to the point where we could not wait to leave. Without doubt the biggest disappointment we have had since moving here to Portland a few years ago. I fully accept that we all have different tastes but how anyone could rate this expensive experience as excellent leads me to the inescapable conclusion that they have never had these classic ingredients prepared the way they should be. Without the need to bury them with unnecessary accompaniments just to make the menu sound like it justifies the price. $230 wasted.

Nice food classic french food. Baguette bread was pretty good. small space you can feel on top of each other. Open kitchen I would go back.

What a lovely, small, intimate restaurant. We had the pigeon and the beef bourguignon along with the salad of butter lettuce, radishes with Roquefort dressing. My goodness was it delicious. I’m not a big fan of Roquefort dressing and I could have bathed in this dressing. It was obviously not out of a bottle from the local grocery. Just excellent food, wine and service. We made reservations three weeks from our visit and could only get very early or after 8:30. For us the early time was perfect, however be sure you make a reservation. An exciting Portland restaurant. Thank you so much!

Dinner at Le Pigeon is "always magnificent!" The best seat in the house is at the short end of the kitchen counter where you are entertained watching the three chefs in the open kitchen. They seamlessly synchronize their roles in creating each dish served. I have enjoyed many dinners at Le Pigeon and am planning my next visit to order the sweetbreads. I always order a seared fois gras dish for which they are renowned. On our most recent visit, I also enjoyed the butter lettuce salad and my husband devoured the delicious burger. The service is consistently first rate and the wine list is impressive. Gabriel Rucker is a James Beard award winning chef and Le Pigeon is a world famous restaurant. Despite the earned fame, Gabriel, Andy and their staff welcome you warmly to their small neighborhood eatery and embrace the opportunity to serve you. You feel like the most important person in the room. This feeling and the food will bring you back to Le Pigeon over and over again.

Had a great experience at this tasting menu restaurant! The food was absolutely delicious—each course was creative, well-executed, and full of flavor. You can really tell the chef puts a lot of thought into the presentation and pairings. The space itself is on the smaller side, which gave it an intimate feel, but it did get a bit loud at times. Still, the quality of the food made it well worth the visit!

What a night. No resies and we waited and waited to get in but so worth it. Chef was cooking and we sat at the bar. Not only was he personable, but he was accommodating by changing the chef's tasting menu to appeal to some of our food issues. This meal was seriously, up there with the best of my experiences. It is a must if you visit Portland but try to make reservations. I would prefer the counter again when I come back.

We came here for my birthday dinner while on a trip to Portland. We knew about the communal table so we requested to sit at the bar for our 9:45 pm reservation. We arrive and are promptly shown to the middle of the the communal table. At least the people on the end left soon so we moved, and that was better. Dinner was outstanding - great food for every course. Standouts were the foie gras bacon and eggs, chicken with truffles (I know, sounds ridiculous, but it was great) and beef cheek bourgignon. And for the finale -- foie gras profiteroles! Mmmmmm. We had some nice wines too, and it was a memorable dinner. We lucked out in that the people next to us were very nice once someone asked a question about a dish and broke the ice, but this could have been a disaster if we had been stuck next to jerks. Please, ownership, I implore you to change this! Food this good deserves a better experience.

Surprise continues from starter to dolche. Beautiful and delicious food, warmful atmosphere, and smile everywhere. Wish come back near future.

We went here based on all the reviews I had read about it on TA. I was not impressed at all. First of all, the place is so tiny - it only seats about 30 people, including the bar. Some of the tables are communal which we knew going in. I thought the menu was fairly limited so we opted to do the 5-course tasting menu with wine-pairings. My mistake but we failed to ask what the tasting menu consisted of - I just assumed the chef chose 5 different things that were not on the menu. Wrong! It was 5 things on the menu, just his choice. Well, I would never have done that had I known because there was only 1 entrée I would have even considered ordering. Unfortunately, that was not one of his selections; therefore, I ended up with courses I did not like at all. For example, I detest Salmon and that was one of the items. In hindsight, I should have just ordered the one entrée I thought I would like, and my experience might have been different. I just advise you to ask if you consider the tasting menu. I have been to many, many 5 star restaurants all over the world and this just didn't compare for me.

You're going to need a reservation because this place is packed all the time. You can go to the restaurant and ask for a seat and then run around town while a seat is being freed. The food is really good, and a small menu so you don't get confused. The servers run around like headless chickens, so don't expect fast service. It's basically a get in enjoy and eat food and get out type of restaurant.

Six of the seven of us had the 5 course tasting menu. Even though the menu says the whole table had to participate, they had no problem letting one of us (a light eater) order off the menu. We elected to do our own wine pairing as most of us were wine geeks. The wine list had some very interesting bottles so we dived in. The food was excellent, some of the best I have ever had. We had a wonderful table at the front by the windows. We got to see the eclectic population strolling by as we noshed.

We had the privilege to get into this hot spot of a restaurant while visiting family in Portland. The drinks were stellar but the food.... Can you say mouth watering, jaw dropping, taste bud teasing, mind altering experience, with out even speaking? That is exactly what you get when you eat here. The chiefs are funny and magical as they dance around the hot burners and turn ingredients into art. It was a magical night and the staff and ambiance made this magical. I highly recommend parring the wines with the meal! Say hi to Brock and the rest of the hard working staff while you are there!

Unlike some other places, Le Pigeon is creative but do not forget the cooking...good choice of ingredient combine with good kitchen create interesting new tastes. Brisket is much recomended. So is the Fua gra pate.

We started the evening with Happy Hour at Canard next door (same owner). Tasty and interesting cocktails and fresh oysters. We had an early dinner booked because I booked online at the last minute and so 5:30pm was the latest booking available. Dinner was fantastic! Fresh ingredients and wonderful flavors. The wine menu is massive and extremely expensive! We had a French white wine which almost broke the bank, but it was great. An enjoyable and memorable evening. Definitely a “must-visit” if you’re in Portland. You can sit at the counter and watch the open kitchen if you’re alone or just two people, and haven’t booked, or book a table. Fantastic!!

Went here for lunch. We shared a pate appetizer that was delicious. I ordered the chicken-fried trout. The flavors were fantastic, They also provide lettuce leaves to eat it as a wrap.

One of my best dining experiences in recent memory. The tasting menu combined with wine pairings was new and just about perfect. It is a small and joyful restaurant with a chefs bar that gives a perfect view of the imaginative preparation. Definitely worth my long journey. I will be back.

This is the restaurant that comes to mind if I were to be asked what my favorite restaurant is. This place not only has delicious food, but quite a unique menu. We did a 5 course menu that we were allowed to choose and were not disappointed in anything. The sweetbreads were unbelievable, and so were the beef cheeks and octopus. The only part we did not order and allowed the chefs to serve us blindly was dessert. Foie gras ice cream. It was unreal. We still talk about this restaurant 4 months after visiting. If you're in Portland, do yourself a favor and eat here.

It's really one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. I thought it was spectacular. Restaurant people waiters and chefs with unbeatable service! food: creative and spectacular The only thing I didn't like about it all was that they add a 12-dl charge for "staff welfare" If it's an expensive restaurant in itself, I think it's an unnecessary charge.

For a recent trip to Portland, I spent a lot of time researching restaurants in the area and wanted to try some of the best food that Portland has to offer. Time and time again as I conducted my research, Le Pigeon came up as one of the best restaurants in the city, and an absolute must-do for people who appreciate great food. It sounded right up our alley, and I was grateful to be able to get one of their limited indoor dining reservations on a Saturday night. I didn’t love that the restaurant required full prepayment for the required chef’s tasting menu (which I believe was optional prior to the pandemic). However, we were excited about the dinner and I was very much looking forward to it. Unfortunately, this meal just fell flat for us. I feel bad writing a negative review while restaurants have been struggling during the pandemic. However, I think it’s just the style of Le Pigeon’s food that wasn’t to our liking, so I think it’s still helpful to share, so others can determine if it’s the right restaurant for them. Service was extremely attentive throughout the meal, but the food itself was just not to our taste. My wife and I really love a good tasting menu with wine pairings, so the concept that was being offered at Le Pigeon was definitely something we like, but the execution ultimately didn’t work for us. The restaurant is very tiny and casual, with an eclectic décor. For a dinner that is $115 per person, plus $50 if you want to add basic wine pairings, the overall ambiance and experience weren’t quite up to the price level. Most comparably priced restaurants we’ve been to are simply a bit nicer. This wasn’t the problem for us, but I could see others wanting the restaurant itself to feel a little higher end for the cost. I called a few days ahead to let the restaurant know of a mushroom allergy that my wife has, as well as to ask if she could have the first course off of the vegetarian menu (glazed pineapple), rather than the first course on the regular menu (venison tartare), since she prefers not to eat raw red meat. The staff was happy to accommodate this request, and when we arrived for dinner, they also let us know that they would be modifying the main course for her too (grilled pigeon), since it included mushrooms. I appreciated the willingness to accommodate dietary restrictions and preferences so easily. As the meal got going, one thing I noticed from the very beginning was just how overly complex each course was, but not in a good way. As the servers brought each course out, the description of each one went on and on with ingredients that the servers listed. I was impressed that they had memorized such long descriptions, but I essentially had no idea what I was eating, since it was impossible to remember it all. There were just so many competing flavors that I found myself unable to really appreciate anything. There were often just too many spices and textures. Everything was plated and served very nicely, but the style was just not to our liking. In addition, some of the courses just ended up being a miss when they sounded great from the description. For example, the chicken chestnut tortellini with truffle alfredo sounded interesting and crowd-pleasing based on its listing on the menu. However, it turned out to be a miss, with the stuffing of the pasta being a way too heavy and tasteless chicken liver mousse that I wasn’t expecting, which didn’t go well with the heavy cream-based sauce and fresh truffles shaved on top. All I wanted was an enjoyable, well-executed pasta course, but it felt like it was made much more complex than it had to be without actually tasting that great. Similarly, the tamarind glazed salmon course actually featured very tasty, well prepared salmon, but I couldn’t appreciate it because of the mess of oysters, salmon meatballs, and bok choy that were also on the plate. The chefs here definitely employ a kitchen sink mentality when preparing the courses, while I much prefer simpler preparations of food that showcase the ingredients and thoughtful pairing of flavors. When it came to the main course that the server specified would be modified for my wife’s allergy, we were disappointed to find that instead of just making the grilled pigeon for her without mushrooms, they gave her one of the earlier courses from the vegetarian menu with an odd modification. They brought out the beet and blue cheese galette from the vegetarian menu, which looked good, but they then added more of the chicken liver mousse from the pasta course onto the plate, which just didn’t go well at all with the galette, and was especially not welcome after we hadn’t enjoyed the chicken liver in the pasta. I appreciated that the staff was willing to accommodate the allergy and prepare an alternate course, but we definitely would have preferred to be consulted on what that course would be before it was brought out. I also didn’t love the wine pairings. They weren’t bad, but not a single one was memorable or felt like it went that well with the food. For example, they paired a red with the salmon, which is not a typical pairing, but can work. However, in reality they should have just stuck with a white wine with the fish because it wasn’t a particularly good match. With so many competing flavors in each course, I think it would be very difficult to find great wine pairings anyway, since each bite just had so much going on. I’d recommend skipping the pairings and just ordering wine separately. By the end of the meal, we were tired and full, but not happy with what we had eaten. It was an exhausting array of courses, that it seems many people love, but we just didn’t like. The final sweet potato custard for dessert was actually very good (it was honestly the course I enjoyed the most), and was simple, yet interesting enough to be what I expected on a tasting menu like this. The signature foie gras profiterole that also came with dessert seemed like it would be weird, but I actually thought it tasted very good, and was exactly the type of creative, interesting dish that I thought would be the entirety of our experience here. All in all, it was very clear to me that Le Pigeon is just not for us, which is a shame, because I was hoping to love it. Service was very attentive and friendly and up to the standard of what we were expecting from this restaurant, so I have no complaints about the staff or the experience they were trying to create. My problem is simply that we didn’t like the food. With so many overly complex courses with competing flavors, my taste buds definitely are not looking to have any more of this type of food in the future. However, if that doesn’t deter you, definitely feel free to try this restaurant see if it will work for you. Most people seem to love it, although there are reviews here and there that an experience similar to ours, so I know we’re not the only ones who feel this way about Le Pigeon.

This was one of the most extraordinary diners of my life, blame it on the wine paring, on the 5 beautiful curse diner or maybe the Foie Gras Profiterole. I actually cancel 2 other reservations the rest of my days in the US because I knew my trip and palate where ruin after this experience. Can't wait to go back, or maybe start to beg them to ship that profiterole internationally? Reserve ahead of time and sit at the bar!

We had dinner tonight. It is hard to get into, but my cousin made an early reservation for 5:15. The four of us felt pretty rushed to order and eat. If you are looking for a relaxing dinner this is probably not the place to go to. Although the food was good the service sadly made the overall experience not a great one.

We went to dinner during the week. The food options change, so what you see online may be different then what's on the menu. The restaurant is small, so you're able to talk to the chef about the dishes. The waiter will help with your drink selection. The shrimp and pork belly salad was delicious. I had the beef cheek and my husband had the pork. They offered the foie gras profiteroles for dessert with sea salt and caramel sauce. I couldn't imagine how duck liver would taste in a dessert. I was pleasantly surprised that it was really good.

PHENOMINAL! And I am a critic. Fabulous ballet work in the small kitchen before your eyes, seemlessly preparing amazing dishes in a tiny space, plating, smoothing, topping, dotting their works of art, arms over and under and around, for a fabulously unexpected meal. Also, hats off to the server sharing the wine pairing with utmost detail of soil and region etc of each pour (and as I winemaker, I was happily shocked). Well done to this incredible, yet small team. Including the grace of the Mairtred. Can wait for next visit!

French inspired cuisine - exquisite food, each dish brimming with tasty flavors, and nicely presented. Make sure to make reservations, it's a small restaurant and fills up in advance. Fabulous foie gras, fresh, colorful salads, creative soups and main courses. Excellent service and a very good wine list too.

I don’t want to write a bad review because people depend on their livelihood for customers but there is no way to avoid how awful the food here was. If somehow you like ingredient after ingredient thrown into a dish in the hope that somehow an odd combination of far too many flavours will come together as modern this might be for you. Otherwise basic ingredients were drowned in a cacophony of over creation. Tuna couldn’t be tasted for seven other relishes, vegetables were indeterminate from gallons of sauce. Over and over it was just ... wrong. And I’m really sorry because I didn’t like even one dish. The wine pairing was really good - full credit on that, but the food itself was so horrific I spent the rest of the night at home throwing up. One of the people in my party give it a 3/5. The rest of it 1, or 2.

We did the full 6 courses along with the wine paring. There are no words to describe how wonderful amazing the food and wine tasted. However they either need new neighbors or a new location. The music from next door was so loud and thumping it ruined our enjoyment of such exquisitely prepared food. We could not hear our waiter describe the food and wine that they paired with each course. Le Pigeon should be an experience for all the talent and care they put into the food and wine they serve. It's very disappointing the rude neighbors ruined it for us. If you are looking for a great meal you wont easily forget and don't mind loud thumping music this place should not be passed over. Otherwise try for an early reservation maybe the bar next door won't be opened.

I came to this restaurant because of the name. I love pigeon and I had the dish. Amazing food with a good vibe. The foie gras profiteroles were amazing. I will come back again when I visit Portland.

What can I say. A late dinner for 5 all of which chose the tasting menu. Including a veggie for whom the menu was tweaked substantially. I will be back...

I came here with my friend who I haven't seen for years. We decided to meet in Portland and came here for our first reuniting dinner. We started with the pork belly. It was quite nice. The combined flavor of the pork belly and sauce was quite good, and I appreciated our waiter for this appetizer explaining the dish. The pork belly wasn't as fatty as I thought, which was a pleasant surprise. The taste made both of us looking forward to our entrees. For my entree, I ordered the special of the day, fish. The dish looked pretty and complicated, but the waiter of this dish never explained the entree like the previous waiter. It was a bit disappointing, but it didn't bother me too much. As for the dish itself, I found the fish quite boring. There were two fish chunks that had absolutely no flavor. I'm not talking about seasoned flavor but the fish natural taste. The sauce didn't rescue the fish in any way. I liked the wonton/dumpling. The wrapping skin was chewy and I liked it. But I failed to see how the wonton was complimentary/complementary to the fish. Because the stuffing flavor was being neutralized by the wrapping skin. It was whole by itself. I actually liked the wonton/dumpling even though the flavor wasn't wow! I do wish they could put in one or two more. Overall, the whole entree wasn't harmonized and was not impressive in any way. I ordered their seasonal cake for dessert. Without any surprise, it was brought out by another waiter. The dessert looked way nicer than how it tasted. The bitterness from the edelweiss overpowered the whole thing and created an odd combination taste with the champagne sorbet. This experience as a whole was a bit below average. I'm not sure if it's the culture of this restaurant....I don't understand why we didn't have one assigned waiter/waitress. The dishes were brought out by different people, and they weren't the friendliest people in the world. My water wasn't constantly refilled, but our conservation did get consistent interruptions by different waiters inquiring about the food. I liked that their kitchen is outside so we could see how they made the food, and their dish presentations were good. As for food tastes and service, I was really not satisfied.

Surprised at the really small size of this bistro-style eatery, something that I never encountered while living in France. So many working in close quarters to make this restaurant function seemed skin to pulling rabbits out of a hat. The ambiance was terrible with music attempting to compete with louder musical sounds from next door. This, coupled with the usual restaurant din made conversation difficult. The service was efficient even if unsmiling. The food was good but one member of our party suffered an upset stomach later. A diverse wine list with comparable prices to match. No espresso machine likely because there is no space. Reviews show Le Pigeon's success but I maintain it could be so much better in a larger venue. Mais, a chacun son gout.

If you are lucky, you will find yourself at the chef’s counter, on your 30th anniversary, and you will enjoy the most scrumptious meal. With excellent service, wonderful wine pairings, and truly… truly.. delicious food, Le Pigeon is not to be missed.

I guess I wasn't as impressed with Le Pigeon as everyone else. In fact I was torn between 3 and 4 stars, but the service was so good that I had to round it up to 4 stars. Especially the hostess that was working on Sunday night, thank you for trying to fit us in best you could! Husband and I did the 5 course tasting menu, and I found the courses to be too heavy with seasoning and too much going on to appreciate all the flavors that were on the plate. Their second and third courses were especially too salty for me, I could only eat about half of the dish, which was a bummer. I was disappointed since it was my idea to come here on the last day of our wonderful Portland trip. The last course was dessert, which was foie gras profiterole and avocado/lime semifreddo. Very interesting! Profiterole had foie gras caramel, foie gras sugar, and foie gras ice cream (!). I liked the semifreddo better since it was lighter, but again, it's personal preference since the people next to us loved the profiterole and were literally licking their plates. I thought the price was very good for what you get, it's amazing to dine with such fine ingredients for the price... especially considering tip is already included. And no sales tax! I love Portland :)

Amazing food for the ultimate foodie. Lobster stuffed fried chicken with lobster bacon sauce was beyond description. Pates and sauces are unique and exquisite. A superlative dining experience.

My husband raved about this chef and his two JB's awards, we had to go experience his food. Although the staff was experienced, there was a good wine selection for pairing with the meal, the food was a disappointment: overthought, busy combinations not pleasant for the pallet. I was looking forward to eat prawns with prosciutto Benedict. The plating was sloppy, so much going on in the plate that you forget the eggs were good. The prosciutto was wet, soggy, from the sauce combination and the prawns had no taste, absorbed on the juices of the plate. What a waste of a good combination and perfect cooked egg!! Too much. My halibut with chorizo was also anticipated. Unfortunately, again, too much going on the plating, which was far from elegant, made the great halibut-chorizo combination lost in the conception. There were so many other combinations in the plate that made me wonder what the chef wanted to accomplish. The couple next to us ordered the burger and the prawns. Even though they loved the burger, the prawn/prosciutto combination got lost on the palate and they had a hard time eating it too. Raves for the burger (But if I want a burger I go to 5 guys). I left the restaurant thinking that I will not be back. I wondered which plates were eaten to give the chef his latest JB award. I wondered why they called themselves French bistrô. I went home hungry.

Each and every bite was absolutley fantastic. Both myself and my wife thoroughly enjoyed our meal. You can tell the chef is extremely talented as you could taste so many flavors and textures in each bite. Both my wife and myself have dined at multiple michelin star (including 3 stars) and this was on par with the best. Highly recommended. My only complaint to the meal was the wine pouring - we ordered the reserve wine pairings and you could tell the server/sommelier was purposefully pouring smallest portions absolutely possible... well below average... felt a bit ripped off... oh well, life goes on..

One of the top 5 best meals of my life. Everything was amazing and we tried a lot of food! Words don’t do it justice. Just go, And be adventurous. You can’t go wrong anywhere. My new favorite restaurant anywhere.

The worst food we have had in Portland! Unidentifiable incongruous ingredients. Who is in the kitchen? Please taste and you will see something has gone terribly wrong here!!!

One cannot help but be surprised the first time you visit, as the space is definitely small. It becomes quite obvious why it can be difficult to often get a table and why many people walk in and hope to have a shot at eating at the bar. All the courses we had were very good---we had to have the Pigeon because of where we were, and yes it was enjoyable. The Salmon was obviously very fresh, and the Albacore was engulfed quickly. However, for me, the homerun of the night was the Escargot Bolognese---the sauce was extraordinary. The wine list has some wonderful choices and I should not forget to mention the Chocolate Popcorn Pie--ingenuous. Fun night.

We shared the sweetbreads as an starter, the enjoyed the famous Le Pigeon Hamburger and the Beef Cheek Bourguignon. All the dishes were very good, but surprisingly the best was the butter lettuce salad that came with the burger.

My husband and I went for dinner after having participated in a few wine tastings in the Willamette Valley. As a result, our pallets were a little shot so we came only for food and passed on drinking (although we were tempted by the wine list). The food and setting are spectacular. We loved the smaller, more intimate space and the casual vibe. We had the pistachio glazed tortellini and seared foie gras starters, the pork tenderloin and fish dish of the day (halibut) for entrees, and foie gras profiteroles dessert. We were full but not uncomfortably so and enjoyed a nice stroll around Portland to walk it off.

Definitely make a reservation if you want to go, the space is meant to be more intimate so there aren't very many tables. We got two dishes, the truffled chicken and the beef cheek. The chicken was really special - it was a pun on 'popcorn' chicken and they incorporated popcorn into little parts of the dish. Very cool. The beef cheek was too salty in my opinion, and I couldn't finish it. Service didn't hit the same mark as the food, felt like they were a little aloof. Overall, glad we tried.

Delicious, inventive food, impeccable service, friendly but intimate atmosphere. A truly excellent experience. I recommend sitting at the chef's counter and watching the team work.

One of the best meals I've ever enjoyed. Service is excellent. Food is outstanding. Le Pigeon is a "don't miss it" when visiting Portland.

Wonderful experience, great food... innovative and totally French in preparation and ambiance. Will definitely dine here again. My starter was a shrimp pine nut salad with a citrus granita that was wonderfully refreshing and light! The entire meal was perfect.

Much hotter than expected. Food was served in a pile, not separately as in a la cart so it was difficult to assess what was even in the dish, let alone taste it due to the high level of added spices. Not only was the flavor of spices overwhelming but it was hard to tell if there was good food present in the entree. Afterwards was up during the night with nausea and had GI symptoms for 24 hours+. Would not recommend. I would never go there again. Price for 3 was almost $200 with tip and only one person had alcohol which was a beer and a glass of wine. Very disappointed. Was supposed to be a special event. It was certainly memorable.

Small place, cozy atmosphere. We made a reservation online about a month prior and got a table on the earlier side. Food is great. Best chicken I’ve ever had. We also tried beef cheeks, which was very hearty. Highly recommend. Great wine list.

Went in with the family for a highly anticipated dinner at Le Pegeon. We all ordered the 5 course chef tasting meal - we couldn't have had better service - Chris was helpful, very knowledgeable and friendly - excellent communicator. We had the wine pairing as well and Chris knew his wines too. All of the dishes were very good and presented beautifully. Only complaint is the music from next door (above) was really loud and took away from the meal

Le Pigeon is one of my favorite restaurants and never disappoints. I went with the Beef Cheek Bourguignon and it was very delicious. Lots of flavor, beef was tender. It was a very satisfying meal. My husband went with the pork-rib eye and he enjoyed it very much.

We were unable to get a reservation - two weeks in advance! - so we got there when then restaurant opened at 5 pm and were lucky enough to get a spot at a table. It's an extremely busy and popular spot, so diners share longer tables, in European style. We had the five course tasting menu and the paired reserve wines. They were outstanding. The flavours were inventive and perfectly married. Worth every penny. If you are going to Portland, reserve far in advance and put this at the top of your foodie tour.

Only tasting menu options. One classic and one vegetarian. 5 courses for $135 per person plus one additional course upon request for supplementary charge of $25. Upon booking the table, your credit card will be charged plus 20% tip. Wine pairing. Two options: regular one for $45 and a reserve wine for $85, and include 5 glasses 3-4 ounces each. If you order the sixth course with the supplement course, then you can order a sixth glass of one to pair with it and the charge is $17. Yes all adds up and ends with a bill of $650 for two The place is very small, can accommodate 22 persons plus 6-8 on the high seats they call the chef’s table. Service: excellent , very attentive , very knowledgeable and friendly. Food: it is a nice creative and innovative menu to please the palate. Some dishes are better than others and all different. Few lack the WoW factor, but overall it is very creative menu. Ambience: this is not a fine dining place, no dress code. More of a dress down done up. Unless you are celebrating an occasion, then the dress is for you and not for the establishment. Value: Ok for the quality and creativity Recommendation: hmmmm although we liked this restaurant and the food, yet we were not truly impressed with some dishes as lacking the WoW factor, but overall good experience (not necessarily memorable).

Le Pigeon was recommended to us by a friend so for our 1 night in Portland we gave it a try. My wife and I are "adventuresome" eaters so the menu appealed to us. The food is somewhat eclectic and fusion style. We were very impressed. I had the fish of the day special which was a large piece of wild salmon cooked perfectly with all sorts of other things combines (green onions, celery hearts, corn a yummy sauce, etc) It was a dish I would reorder in a heart beat. My wife had, what else, but the pigeon with huckleberry borscht and beef tongue, which was also delicious. For dessert we had a piece of grasshopper ice cream pie and one of the servers gave us a taste of one of the foie gras profiteroles, their signature dessert which was outstanding. If you are a basic meat and potatoes person this is NOT the place for you. if you want something exciting, go here!

We had a wonderful experience in the petit Le Pigeon. The setting was romantic and quiet. We enjoyed the Albacore Crudo, Snake River Farms Wagyu Brisket, and the salmon special. Definitely worth of the title of "Portland's Best Restaurant"!!

Food was fantastic and service the same. Had the reserve wine pairing. Nice selection. Each course was great. The pigeon and dessert were amazing. It was crowded and hot but we were there for the food.

Everything about this place was excellent. We arrived exactly at 5:00 to get a spot at the bar since we didn't have a reservation, and we luckily got a seat (they had just enough spots for all who were waiting). The dinner bar is the best place to eat because you can interact with the chefs. We had the tasting menu sans wine pairing and every course was incredible. From the rabbit pie to the fois gras profiteroles dessert, everything was excellent. Highly recommend.

Felt that the chef just tries too hard. Too many different things on the plate that just didn't seem to go together.

Best meal and service, not to mention fantastic ambiance. Halibut special amazing tonight, along with everything else we ordered. Just go!

This meal was truly astonishing. A feast for the senses. I had the beef cheek bourguignon as my main entree and the Foie Gras Profiteroles for dessert. Amazing! I sat at the chefs counter and got to watch them work their magic up close. It was a fantastic experience. Very highly recommended.

We went to dinner with my son and daughter-in-law as they recently moved to Portland. They said it is the best restaurant in the city. I was surprised at how small it is and heads up many tables are set "community" style. We were ok that there was another couple seated next to us. In fact, we got a sneak peak at much of the food. We did not do either tasting menu as we had had a late lunch. Instead we shared 2 appetizers and the pasta vegetarian main which was a crepe lasagna that was out of this world! The mains were also very good. I had the beef cheeks that were like butter. My husband had the fish that was magnificent. All in all, the food was delicious. We wanted dessert because it looked so good but we were all too full. The wine list was very reasonably priced and we enjoyed a bottle of local Pinot Noir that was really nice with the food. But as a note, they have wines from all over and don't push the local wines. We noticed the couple next to us enjoying the flight with their meal and they travelled the world during the flight. The food is very high quality but it is served in a casual unpretentious setting.

My, My, My this place just made my top ten of all time places to eat. We sat at the chef's bar so we could watch the show. Every single dish was superb. Beautifully prepared, lovely to look at and oh, la, la to taste. There is not one item that is not perfect. Coo, coo, coo, so now you just have to GO! DJ

Fine dining with a twist in a casual atmosphere. My favorite is the Foie Gras Profiteroles with a salted caramel. Best seat is at the bar so you can watch the kitchen performance. LOVE!

I love that this place is very inventive with its dishes but at the same time you feel like you got your traditional French fix. It's in their ingredients: foie gras, truffles, escargot...all the good, rich stuff. We had the chef's tasting menu and were served the albacore tuna, pigeon pie, sturgeon with escargot, Wagyu brisket, chocolate cake and foie gras profiteroles. Stars of the night were the pigeon pie and foie gras profiteroles. The pigeon was served with smoked poblano ice cream, fried sage, apple butter and pigeon relish. All these in one bite was plain heaven. The foie gras profiteroles were so creamy. I will come back and have more. Service was warm and adequate. Our server really knows his wine (and they have a good selection of French wine). He recommended a Burgundy and we were delighted with his suggestion. There was a bit of a wait in between some dishes. I made reservations a few weeks in advance - very much needed, as it gets pretty busy. I wish they had a waiting area because it got crowded at one point while we were waiting for our table and we had to step outside. The place is small but I still like the feel of it - very casual, unassuming. Highly recommended!

So I really didn't want to eat meat for dinner. I had a big burger for lunch and was now looking at a menu that had meat in EVERY dish.......the staff was so accommodating, the chef was thrilled and happily rose to the challenge. OMG the flavors were exquisite, the service excellent, and the chef was sooooo very accommodating, and the FOOD some of the most delicious I have ever eaten....WOW! 5 stars. I travel extensively for business and have dined in some of the best restaurants in Japan, London, Paris, Rome and Amsterdam on my expense account. Eating at Le Pigeon was one of the best meals EVER!!!

We did the 5 course tasting and it was ok. This place is super hyped and so we thought we'd give it a shot. It's really hard to pick places to eat in Portland when there are so many good options to pick from. For the 5 course tastings, they customize it for each table based on your preference, which was very cool so it's not a fixed menu for all. Our tasting included the Lamb Crudo, Peking Foie Gras GG, Za'atar Crusted Quail, Pork Double Trouble, Foie Gras Profiteroles and some other funky tasting ice cream/beet cake dessert. The first two were smaller portions, the next two were bigger portions. I'm glad we tried the 5 course tasting menu and especially liked the quail and pork plates, but not enough to go back and have them again. I guess if you really like foie gras and are from CA, this would be a good place to visit, not on my list of places to return. The place is quite small and it was really cold the weekend we were in town, so every time somebody entered or left the restaurant, the whole place felt the draft from the door opening and closing.

We were a group of 5 friends and all got different entrees and shared them. We ended up getting all but 2 or 3 of the entree items which were all fantastic. Favorite was the special: Fish Special- Halibut on Potato Cake with Caviar Cream Sauce, Zucchini Slaw with Pea Sprouts. And for dessert Foie Gras Profiteroles with caramel sauce. Surprisingly good! The wine selection was very nice as well. All around great dining experience.

We have been going to Le pigeon for 10 years now. We've never had a meal that disappointed. The food is always good, the service is fantastic, and Gabriel Rucker's food can't be beat. While we are so glad for Gabriel Rucker's success, we miss the days that we could just come in and get a table at this lovely restaurant without waiting through endless dates for reservations. If you are a true foodie, you can't miss this restaurant. Waiting through dates for reservations is well worth the wait.

We enjoyed our experience at Le Pigeon. Interesting menu and attentive staff. Great burger with blue cheese salad and nice array of appetizers and desserts

This is my 2nd visit to this place . Astonished when I visited first time, decided to give a second visit . 2018 and 2019 summer. Experience was definitely better first time. chef back then was interactive with people sitting at bar which is not the case now. I can say for sure it’s not the same chef. But still food taste was good. Definitely tried different dishes this time. First time tried the pigeon. This time tried octopus and lamb, halibut. If you are looking for awesome French cuisine, hit this place. Place has limited seating. So be ware.

After reading good things about this restaurant we were significantly disappointed. We chose the 5 course tasting menu with matched wines ... how to describe the experience? 1. We were in and out of the restaurant in barely short of an hour! 2. The request for a pre-dinner drink was scoffed at and rejected. 3. The restaurant felt grubby. 4. The service was perfunctory and we were left feeling like we were filling the space reserved for someone more important. 5. Some of the food was inspired - foie gras ice-cream profiterole - others bizarre, over complicated and a weird mix of flavours and textures. Would we return? Not if our life depended on it.

We were visiting Portland from New York and have been to many of New York's finest restaurants, as well as some amazing restaurants in France. Our meal and experience at Le Pigeon was among the best we've ever had! We had the 5 course tasting menu along with the reserve wine pairing. We were fortunate to be seated at the counter so we watched as the head chef, along with his two sous chefs, prepared and plated the dishes. Each course was perfection! Gourmet at its finest. Each wine also complemented the course with which it was served. And le Pigeon was void of the pretentious environment that you find at so many renowned restaurants. In fact, Gabriel Rucker, owner and head chef, came over and chatted with us at the end of the meal. He is friendly and down to earth. He is also an incredible chef! Should we pass through Portland again, we will no doubt visit this restaurant and I encourage everyone else to do the same. In the meantime, we will look out for chef Rucker in New York, as he told us that he sometimes makes a guest appearance in our hometown.

Everything we had was primo. We just let the chef decide what was best - and it was. Wine pairings too. Very good. And good price point for that quality, too.

After a long week of family vacation obligations, my husband and I were looking for a great place for a date. We had seen Le Pigeon pop up on review sites, but it wasn't until we took a walk past it and saw how charming it was that we made a reservation. The place is tiny, but well-planned. There is no stuffiness, no overly-decorated kitschiness, it's just nice. We were early for our reservation, so sat at the counter, which was lovely. You can see the chefs working, which for us, people who love cooking, was really fun. The service is not like your average French restaurant. The servers are friendly, work as an entire team, lean on chairs a little, make jokes; it's super comfortable. They were playing 90's-early 2000's hip hop, which was unexpected and cool. The fried chicken was amazing. I hate cantaloupe, but when mixed with grilled avocado, tobiko, crab and fried chicken, it was absolutely amazing. We also had some sort of short rib or something that I know was good, but I'm not remembering it as well as the chicken. The real standout for me though, was our starter: the pigeon spaghetti. Omg. I still dream about this dish. I could have eaten two more of these and been happy. It hit every note perfectly. It was rich and decadent with meat and pasta and cheese and a thick sauce, but had an amazing acidity that was surprising. Every part of this dish was outstanding and freakishly balanced. This meal was definitely in the top 3 of my life so far. I have recommended it to everyone I know who lives in or travels to Portland. Tipping is not a thing at Le Pigeon, which is weird, but sort of nice. For $160, we had a $60 bottle of wine, a starter, two mains and a dessert. So, while definitely more than a regular weekday dinner, it's not out of line for a nice night out.

The best thing on the menu was the butter lettuce salad, which was excellent. The halibut special and the vegetarian pie were cream sauce heavy and lacking in distinct flavors. The red wine list by the glass was undrinkable. They had good wine by the bottle, but like everything here, it was expensive.

I had the pheasant, Bib lettuce salad with Blue cheese dressing, and the dessert was a baba- a rum soaked cake with passion fruit sorbet. I tasted the roast duck. The food was cooked to perfection and well seasoned. The wine list offered a nice variety, and the pinot noir I had was excellent. Service was prompt and warm. We felt that we were welcomed, and not rushed. It was an excellent dining experience.

We love to eat and were looking forward to trying Le Pigeon on our first visit to Portland. It exceeded all expectations. I would return to the city just to eat at Le Pigeon again! Since we were on vacation, we brought our 2 tween daughters. Yet I saw several other far younger kids there, too. The vibe and decor are relaxed/casual, so I didn't feel awkward having them in a fine dining establishment. Yet the food is anything but relaxed/casual. It was refined, bold, and truly dazzling! We ordered the sweetbreads, foie gras, and tortellini for starters. We adored all three. The sauces were bright, complex, and so tasty that we actually asked for more bread to sop up the sauce. I thought it might be tacky, but the waiter jokingly encouraged me so we went for it! The execution of every dish was impressive--perfectly cooked, beautifully presented, and so irresistible they left me wanting more. For main courses, we had the fish of the day (a halibut that my 12 year old loved so much that she finished the entire plate and it was a generous portion!), lamb shoulder, pigeon, and the house burger (9 year old's choice). Again, just like the starters, these were mindblowingly good! We polished off all the food (including the veggies!) and had no room for dessert. Service was warm, attentive, and not fussy at all. We also enjoyed a great local beer and felt so relaxed and comfortable. If we lived in Portland, I would love to come monthly! I think it is a cant't miss destination restaurant on par with the incredible 3 star restaurants we have enjoyed elsewhere (Meadowood, French Laundry, Jean-Georges, Daniel, etc.). It's not as fussy and formal as the other restaurants, but Le Pigeon's cuisine is truly a peer!

In an old shop, little renovated with funky decor. A noisy, tiny room with communal tables and bar seating at an open kitchen. It all works because the food and service is excellent. Innovative, well combined tastes and textures. Would seem like a shoestring operation except for the high quality of the ingredients and excellent preparation and plating. Very much enjoyed talking with our young table mates. A benefit of the communal table concept. Knowledgable staff obviously enjoying food and wine and service. Recommended if desirous of unusual taste combinations and preparation methods.

A lovely small restaurant in a charming area of Portland. Dinner for six was amazing. Our server, Ronan, was so knowledgeable about wine and or pairings it made it simple to have the perfect meal. The foie gras profiteroles were life changing. In a word...fantastic!

If you're lucky enough to get a table or reservation at this spot in East Burnside Portland, you're guaranteed a great dining experience. Definitely worthy of their James Beard award, Le Pigeon is an unpretentious restaurant serving up New World, inventive French cuisine using locally-sourced ingredients. If you decided on the 5-course Chef's Tasting menu, the chefs will curate the dishes depending on the vibe of the table. What really stood out to me was definitely their foie-gras profiterole with caramel sauce dessert. Who would've thunk?! So good though. I recommend sitting at the chef's table so you get to really see the three chefs in action. Great experience overall.

Overall experience at Le Pigeon was superb!!! The food was amazing. I got the beef cheek which was really tender and flavorful. It went nicely with the corn mixed in the dish. The dessert was of course the foie gras profiteroles which was so decadent and delicious! The ice cream, caramel and powder all had some sort of foie gras inserted into the ingredient. It was fantastic and a must get. The service was wonderful from the hostess to my server. I shared with my server that I was pregnant and had some limited diet restrictions. At the end of the meal, a nice little present was given which was so unexpected and the nicest gesture. Thank you Le Pigeon!!!!!!!!