Republica Reviews

varied flavors, colors, textures invite contemplative, savoring of memorable, inventive tasting menu in comfortable setting....

My wife treated me to this chefs tasting. I enjoyed it immensely! Out of 10 tasting I only disliked one! Each dish was a story. Loved the experience. My only poor review was some items were a bit to salty. Worth the experience.

Highly inspired, creative fare with some top-notch offerings. Even better was the service experience here. Each of the seven people who helped me this evening offered sincere kindness and a gentle, dedicated concern for the experience of all diners. The stories told of each dish were recounted well and sparingly, with enough substance to carry the message, but sufficient brevity to make them a pleasant addition to the experience. Many thanks to the kind staff here. I do suggest!

Our party of four shared two chef's tasting menus, and every course was a delight. Beautifully prepared and presented, very tasty, and the wine parings were excellent. Staff was informative, friendly and efficient. Highly recommended.

Absolutely amazing! Stunning food and pairings. The moles were all phenomenal Moles. The short rib was a compete experience. Service was wonderful and friendly.

The tasting menu was an amazing experience from the pacing of the dishes to the thoughtful descriptions and respect for the history of the food to the exquisite tastes. All the staff are kind and attentive. Mexican food as you’ve never tasted , I’m so glads to have found it!

Let's start at the end. Four of us had the dinner with paired wines and paid over $800 for what we expected would be a fascinating and satisfying dinner. Instead, we ended up disappointed, hungry and at the Hot Lips Pizza place next door to sate our continued hunger. Yes, Republica staff stated that we could have more food "for an additional fee,"but after 5 mini-courses with portions each a fraction of what one would expect in a typical appetizer, we simply refused to pay more for tiny plates. Was the food good? Yes, there were interesting flavors and ingredients. Was it worth what we paid? I'm afraid not!

Pros and cons. Considering this is one of the most expensive meals in the city of Portland you would think that you be ‘satisfied’. Most of the dishes were tasty and beautifully presented with a great variety. HOWEVER, come on guys seriously how can one still be hungry after 10 plates? I think it was the 3rd course with octopus (tiny) the rice was maybe 2 tablespoons. Most of your cost is labor how can it hurt your bottom line at $150 pp to increase the portions? Many friends have asked about our experience and if you go Eat something before you go! I guess the experience is to only “taste” NOT to eat. We arrived hungry and the timing of the dishes is great 5-10 min in between but when you get just a couple bites it’s almost torture when you are hungry. Almost gave a 4 star but because of half of our party were still hungry only 3.

Dinner at Republica is not only a meal…it is an experience. We did the “Chef’s Tasting Dinner”. Highly recommend. Each course that was brought to our table was accompanied with a story and background info. The history of Mexico, the culture, and the food is so diverse and layered, it was a treat to have knowledgeable staff explain background of the dishes. Overall, the service exceeded our expectations. I would definitely recommend Republica to friends and family.

Today evening my wife and myself had an excellent, innovative and memorable dinner at “República” in Portland (Oregon). An amazing fact is that this is NOT the typical French or other European cuisine. We had a dinner that featured a 10 course menu. We have to admit that every single course tasted excellent and they were creative, each dish had a story behind it and were very tasty. If we lived closer to Portland (Oregon) we will definitely go back to República. BTW, this is not a promotion but our personal experience. BTW, this simply is our opinion.

I reserved for the 10-course meal. I was warmly greeted and seated at my table. I had a nice view of the open kitchen. I did not know what to expect with this dining experience. I had never had a Mexican influence multiple course meal before. Each dish was beautifully presented along with a description and history of the dish. I wish there was a souvenir menu because I do not recall any names of the dishes. Some of the dishes were a bit spicy for my liking. But I enjoyed them.

10+ Stars! República…A “Mexico Forward” Chef's 10 Course Tasting Experience, By Executive Chef Jose "Lalo" Camarena When Chef Jose “Lalo” Camarena dreams up a plate, he does it understanding the intentionality of the restaurant. República aims to create original dishes and present them with historical roots in an etymology which oftentimes has very little to do with what we now call Mexico. That is a lot to ask of a Chef. But the all the chefs and all the staff bring it home! Or actually, they bring it to the table! There are rules that each course offering must pay respect to the food from the country that is now Mexico. They as themselves: Is there a meaningful historical connection between this dish and the culture? Are the components of the dish currently in season? Can they sourced locally? Is it beautiful when plated? Does the taste match the beautiful aesthetics of the plating? They made us feel like family and that they were celebrating with us! The food was beautiful, well thought out and amazing! And we extend special thanks to wait staff extraordinaire: Mia - who gracefully glides around the tables offering tasty tidbits of knowledge on what we are eating, ensuring all is perfect. Andres - in charge of our beverage pairings for each course, excellent at knowing his audience, making you feel at ease, while pouring our drinks and educating us on the significance of each winery and offering delectable descriptions of what we are about to drink. Lizz & Juan - Both a wealth of knowledge not only about the restaurant & the food, but also the cultural heritage of each course. From the expert team of chef's rallying in the viewable kitchen, to the dishwasher who must have been frantically cleaning each plate, glass and all 2,300 pieces of silverware just our table alone used - we couldn't have celebrated without them!!! We booked this 4 months ago to celebrate 2 birthdays and a half-birthday! República did not disappoint! A must do experience!

Forget the media raves, Republica is not what it once was. Servers’ explanations were hurried, unclear, and occasionally incorrect. Tiny portions tasted good, but without a menu we were unable to make sense of them. Four meals, 3 cocktails, 2 corkage fees, mandatory 21% add on = $700

From start to finish, this was one of the best dining experiences I have had in years. The space is light and sophisticated, the tables not crowded together. The staff was attentive without being intrusive, extremely knowledgeable, and very friendly. We had the tasting menu, which was one delicious, creative, impressive dish after another—I don’t think we left a crumb on a plate! (Spice was never too overwhelming, more of a hint than a slap in the face, if there was any.) Portions were not too large and pacing was perfect. The wine pairing was extremely thoughtful and educational, with many outstanding wines from an underappreciated region. The prices were surprisingly low to me, though I am accustomed to east coast pricing. From start to finish this restaurant matched or surpassed some Michelin star restaurants I’ve eaten at. Do not miss this superlative restaurant.