The Hottest New Restaurants and Food Carts in Portland, November 2024
"A visit to Dolly Olive’s sleek, next-door companion bar works equally well whether it’s the destination for the night or a waiting room to grab pre-dinner drinks before space at the main restaurant opens up. The bar’s menu encompasses smaller drinking snacks like marinated olives, as well as pasta dishes and large plates that include Sicilian eggplant parmigiana and grilled prawns with almond romesco. Beverage-wise, Dolly’s focus is on Mediterranean wines by the glass and spritzes like one splashed with bright, homemade limoncello." - Eater Staff
Portland New Restaurant, Bar, and Food Cart Openings, July 2024 - Eater Portland
"The Sesame Collective restaurant group has transformed its cocktail bar Icarus into Bar Dolly, a companion bar to next door restaurant Dolly Olive. The bar serves spritzes, Mediterranean wines, and Italian dishes like burrata of the day and bucatini pomodoro." - Janey Wong
A Sleek, Mediterranean Wine Bar Will Replace the Maximalist Icarus Downtown - Eater Portland
"Bar Dolly, replacing the former Icarus space in mid-July, will feature an extensive Mediterranean wine list, classic cocktails, and a shared food menu with Dolly Olive. The bar aims for a sleek, timeless aesthetic with walnut wood touches and offers a casual yet refined service experience." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
Very nice experience at Bar Dolly! We tried a walk-in at Dolly Olive but they were booked out for the evening. They were still able to accommodate us at their next door location: Bar Dolly. They have the same food menu (+ a few bar Dolly extra food items) and everything we tried was very good. Not your average “bar food”.
We ordered the focaccia of the day, braised short rib arancini, tagliatelle al burro, potato cavatelli and meatballs. Our highlights here were the Arancini and the Meatballs. For Dessert, we ordered the Olive cake and Tiramisu. They were both delicious but the Olive Cake was extra special, my first time trying an Olive cake, and a must for me.
For two people our total came out to $120.
We were sat at a counter by the window and door and people would wait for their tables right by us which at times felt a bit crowded but didn’t bother us too much.
John Deodato
Google
Arrived a bit early for our reservations at Dolly Olive, so thought we'd check out the newly open bar that replaced Icarus. Bar Dolly is a comfortable space, with a perfect bar menu thanks to their restaurant next door. Great service and a nice selection of wine & spirits and some creative cocktails too.
Chris Clark
Google
Super cute, intimate spot. We just had drinks, which were all great! The food menu looks good too. Excited to come back!
Dulce Torres
Google
Bar dolly was small, but cozy. However, I ordered the Tagliatelle and it was overcooked, very chewy. My partner ordered the Bucatini Pasta Pomodoro and it was also over cooked. I expected better given the price we paid.
Shannon Wilson
Google
Everything we ate was really delicious, and the service was friendly and on point. A lovely spot to meet a friend for cocktails and dinner downtown!
Melissa Graves
Google
We had tiramisu and the olive oil cake. Olive oil cake was delicious! Tiramisu was good.
Jered “Sasquatch” McGrath
Google
We love every dish we've had here.
Olga G
Google
Amazing service , food and drinks!!
Heather S.
Yelp
We had tickets for a show downtown and were disappointed that Dolly Olive was fully booked. Bar Dolly to the rescue! Same menu, right next door, and lots of open availability.
Our meal was so good! We really enjoyed the seasonal items. This time, the pumpkin brulee was the star.
Tiva F.
Yelp
Cute new option for downtown drinks and food. You can get the same food they offer at Dolly Olive but served up faster and in a more casual fashion.
My party of 3 sat at the bar so we could check out everything behind it. I really like how they've transformed the space to be more inviting and bright.
Great cocktails!
Monica M.
Yelp
We walked into Dolly Olive but it was pretty full, so the host graciously offered to walk us around the corner to Bar Dolly while she explained that we can order from the full menu if we desired. We were seated quickly inside this not-too-small cozy space and shared the farm greens salad, shortrib arancini, and the sweet corn Triangoli. Everything tasted fresh and herb-y, making for some great comfort food after a day walking around the convention center. The Triangoli was much lighter than expected, which we appreciated. Note that there is a 3% charge on your bill total before tax and tip. We hope to return again soon and try the restaurant next!
Mandy P.
Yelp
We were lucky enough to stumble across Bar Dolly on their second day open and our last day in Portland!
The space is adorable, clean, and bright. The staff were super friendly and just attentive enough. Everything we tried, from the cocktails to the food, was so good and really thoughtfully prepared and presented.
We thought the shortrib arancini was a tad sweet, but still tasty. The focaccia, Caesar, and prawns were incredible - don't miss them!
Courtney C.
Yelp
Got this recommendation from the employees at Woodlark Hotel and they did not lead us astray! Ordered the crudo, meatballs, and tagliatelle. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente but the flavor was a little underwhelming. The vanilla latte was so good we went back specifically for them, but were told they only serve them if you're dining in. The main restaurant Dolly Olive ended up seating us at the bar with our lattes which was so sweet and appreciated!! Our server, Camryn, was amazing and so friendly. Love love love this little spot.
Marcia W.
Yelp
I am so glad that we had a reservation for 5:00 because by the time we left, it was impossible to have a conversation. There is no sound proofing and you had to basically scream to the person just across the table from you.
While the food was good, it was ridiculous that when we asked for another piece of bread we were brought 2 small (maybe 5 inches) pieces of focaccia and were charged $3.00. Come on!
Dolly Olive, with many of the same food items, plus others and the same prices, provides a much more enjoyable dining experience.