Eleni's Philoxenia

My niece out in CA said she had met a Greek couple and that they had mentioned that Eleni's Philoxenia served the best Mediterranian food, so my friend & I had decided to give it a try after an all day hike. We walked in, aplogizing how we were dressed and the person seating us, who happened to wait on us as well, made us feel very comfortable and said not to be concerned about how we were dressed, We sat down, warm pita bread was served with some kind of dip, olive oil and tomatoes I think...Very delicious! We had questions about the menu and it was explained nicely to us. I ordered the grilled calamari as an appetizer...it was the BEST tasting, soaked in lemon, olive oil, I think butter...it had a smoky grilled flavor to it...phenonmenal...MUST TRY! Next I had a philo dough with lamb. The philo had a nice crunch, the lamb meat was slightly sweet, it was good. I also placed an order for seafood spaghetti to bring home, but had a taste of it. Delish! My friend liked the chiken special spaghetti. I will be going back for the calamari again and I believe I will try the lamb shank or lamb on a bed of veggies.

Probably the best Greek food I’ve ever had. Greek fine dining style

Food is ok, not a lot of options. The pita bread is cold, even though it’s free, it could have been better.

A very special place. Above all, the food is outstanding. Fresh, high quality ingredients treated with care and harmoniously balanced flavors. We had several dishes and every single one was omigod-good. Flawless service in a beautiful, low key setting. Brilliant wines to complement the dishes. Seriously, no notes!!

Food was delicious, service was attentive, helpful, knowledgeable and lovely to interact with! They expertly handled my food restrictions (gluten free and no starches/substitute veggies). We ordered the Greek salad and each had the special, which was a filet of branzino with potatoes and roasted veggies (mine was a huge pile of perfectly sautéed spinach with onions and almonds, topped with roasted mixed veggies) in a lemon caper sauce. We live in the San Francisco Bay Area where we have access to delicious food and this was one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time. I will be back the next time I’m in Portland. So delicious!

WOW WOW WOW!! I went to this Elini’s to celebrate my partner’s birthday and I was so amazed. They are very cosy and intimate setting and it’s a full fine dining experience. The food is very flavourful and delicious, loved the lamb pasta as well as the mushroom appetizer special. The server was super sweet and helped us choose from the menu. It was a little empty for a Friday night so not sure why they aren’t filled up when they’re so good. Show them some love!! ♥️♥️

Service was great. Our waiter was attentive & accommodating along with the host staff & food runners. Atmosphere was subpar, color theme felt dingey & the tables are very claustrophobic with no more than one person at a time able to pass between tables throughout the restaurant. Comparative to other Mediterranean/Greek food options in the area, you are better off going to a place like Mediterranean Exploration Company in the Pearl District for better food for about the same price. Was very underwhelmed by the meals, drinks, appetizers, deserts & we had ordered a healthy assortment of options on the menu & all were less than desirable. The crowd was the finance type so many most likely go for the expensive wine & food the sake of "Keeping Up With The Joneses" but lack the palate to distinguish between authentic/great tasting Mediterranean food. Hoping this location refines it's menu but will unfortunately not be returning until I have heard otherwise. 2/5

Eleni’s is an amazing place. My partner and I come here for celebrations and anniversaries. Their food is spectacular. The ambiance is romantic and intimate. The servers are excellent and attentive. I would highly suggest coming here for a date night, or even in a group.

We came in to celebrate my partners birthday as a party of 4. Everything- every bite of food, the ambiance, our servers helpful, knowledgeable unassuming style- was just outstanding. The calamari appetizer was so perfectly cooked, the shrimp pasta I had was rich and creamy but very well balanced, the lamb ragout was delicious and the orzo it was served on was so flavorful. I cant say enough good things. Highly recommend!!

We wanted to try something different for Friday dinner and visited this place. To my surprise, they were amazing. Tried their mushroom appetizer and moussaka as main course. The food was really good and flavorful. I would definitely recommend this place. Staff were very friendly and courteous. The chef said hi to us and wanted to know about the food. Amazing experience, food and service. The ambiance is good too!!

Last night was our first visit to this gem of a restaurant! Love the open kitchen and the cozy ambiance! Most importantly the food was very delicious and their service was top notch from the two ladies graciously waiting on us. Dishes we enjoyed: Portobello appetizer w spinach, raisins, slivered almonds Branzino special w mixed amazing vegetables Orzo Me arni kokonisto Rice Pudding spiced w cinnamon & a blueberry sauce Drinks we enjoyed: Old Fashioned Cucumber w Elderflower spritz (delightful!!) A dry Greek red wine

Had a super delicious meal with excellent service at Eleni's. I just wish I were in Portland more often so that I could frequent this gem of a restaurant! Ordered all my greek comfort foods and I would order it all again. The moussaka and arni me filo were great, all the dips and salad were also very tastey. The moussaka had just the right amount of bechamel to veggie balance so that you could still taste all the scrumptious veggie layers. Really how can you go wrong with warm pita bread baked to order upon arrival? Recommend for a night out that feels like a home cooked meal.

We visit Eleni's at least once a month because we love it! The food is excellent whether it's the branzino or salad and calamari. Scratch made spanakopita is ridiculous! My wife loves spaghetti and they have a few versions that are delicious! The service is the perfect balance between upscale and friendly and welcoming. It's not large or over lit so it's cozy but you can have great conversations like you are all alone! After last night, we can't wait to get back to Eleni's!

A wonderful meal in a restaurant with beautiful ambience. The calamari was excellently prepared. The filo wrapped feta was a delight! Highly recommend. Service was very good, as well.

The food is delicious but not the most amazing Greek I have tasted. . I feel the price and portion is also very good. the ambiance was nice however the restaurant was not busy

Food was very basic, my fiancé's food came out cold. We ordered quite a few dishes and nothing was memorable. Will not be returning.

I was really looking forward to a revisit of Eleni's place. And the appetizer (meatballs Soutzoukakia) did not disappoint. Also, the dip platter with hummus, tzatziki, and whipped feta was as good as I remembered, the pita bread was freshly grilled and not only had the grooves marks, but also a little bit off that special grill taste. It was really delicious. We ended up even ordering more tzatziki on the side site. Hi by decided for the catch of the day a wonderful grilled Bronzino filet without any fish bones it was perfectly grilled and seasoned. The sides have been a fresh Medley of pan-fried vegetables. Yummm And then my main came and I ordered red wine braised lamb on orzo noodles. And I was so so disappointed. Don't get me wrong the meat was juicy, not gamy, and absolutely tender. I could taste a little bit of the red vine reduction, the orzo Wert cooked to perfection with just a little bit of bite, and there have been a few veggies that were cooked within. But it still was not up to par there was a missing link to bring it all together. Something fresh like a tomato, some more spices, or more sauce. I was even thinking of ordering two sides of tzatziki to mix in since the garlic and yogurt would have elevated the dish and would have brought it together. It was not bad, but just not outstanding like Eleni's normally is. For that I will take away one star since I left craving something flavorful. It was definitely filling and I wasn't hungry (mostly based on the orzo) but as said I was craving a perfect bite! I ended with ordering a rice pudding and a cappuccino. Service was as always on point and made well recommendations. And you can't beat the nice atmosphere and ambiance in the fine dining style they offer. We will be back, I will try other items and I'll hope this was just an episode of me being to critic on flavor.

Excellent m/rare rack of lamb, tasty appetizer w/ feta, olives, pita and special watermelon salad. We finished with two satisfying desserts- poached pears and chocolate mousse. Great service too.

Fabulous food and service. Will absolutely be back. Lamb was excellent. Spanakopita was really good.

Came here for a celebration with my wife and some friends. We were a party of 6. Pro's: 1. The food is very good 2. The staff being helpful given our tables dietary restrictions was top notch. Con's: 1. Soda was not refillable. Paid $5 for a glass of coke and got 3 refills for a total of $15. Glass was 60% ice. Staff did not mention it was not refillable when asking for another soda. I'd have drank water if that were the case. (-1 star) 2. When it came time for the check, it was handwritten which means trying to decipher it to split for our party was impossible. When asking the server to split it, she did so but her demeanor was less than acceptable. (-1 star) Overall. Food was good. Service staff was good but experience and value were underwhelming.

A very good Greek restaurant. Actually Cretan cuisine so it's a bit different than the usual Greek restaurant. Food was very good, the branzino special was extremely good. Good wine list with many Greek wines. Service was very good, friendly and helpful. Good gluten free options available. Decor is OK, a bit industrial.

Enjoyed my birthday dinner at Eleni's with friends last night. My family comes from this part of Greece, and I was eager to have some comfort food. We were greeted by the hostess and were seated quickly. She was attentive to our needs all evening. For starters we had the Dips - all of which were amazing, and the Horiatiki salata was perfect - with enough juices for dipping the pita. We then ordered mains of Vegetable Mousaka and Macaronia me Mizithra - both exceptional. The space itself was beautiful - replica paintings from the Minoan civilization and beautiful booths - great place for a date.

We're visiting here from Los Angeles. This is a great restaurant with some of the best Greek food we've ever eaten. Service was also excellent, and they were so accommodating for my dietary restrictions. We especially loved the grilled calamari and the stuffed eggplant. It was so good that we plan on coming back before returning home.

Lovely Greek restaurant!!!! Loved the Saganaki, flaming cheese, Manitaria over Greek risotto and the Arni me Filo,, braised lamb wrapped in filo followed amazing Cretan baklava!!! We ate everything, no leftovers. Highly recommend!!!!

We were looking for a place near the Armory for dinner before a play and found this little gem. And what a find it was! The service was attentive and great, the wine a generous pour and complementary pita wedges and olive oil with tomato for the table. We shared a Greek salad. Tasty and enough for two. My friend had wild prawn with pasta and I had the braised lamb with orzo. Both were delicious and perfectly seasoned. Whether you are seeing a show at the Armory or just out for the evening, give this place a try.

Came here for a work dinner. The place was barely seated and it took an hour before our appetizers even came out and when they did they looked like they bought some sad ass veggie sticks and hummus from the grocery store and put it fancy bowls to serve us with. While my braised lamb shank did indeed fall off the bone it was completely flavorless and was accompanied by a sad sack of vegetables that were half cooked and also completely flavorless.

Amazing foood!!! I'll give it a 100000% We went with family and loved everything we ordered. Amazing service!! Alex the waiter was really nice and helpful with food choices. Very welcome environment.

This place is so consistently terrific. The Greek paella-like dish with mussels, calamari, shrimp, and clams had a slight smoky flavor--so good. The gigantes beans are tasty. Great wine list. Super-friendly staff. Always good.

We had our original wedding reception here almost 2 decades ago, and Eleni was so kind to us, not to mention the food was fantastic. When I was planning a surprise vow renewal for my wife after our moderately disastrous first wedding, it was important for me to get everything right. My immediate thought was going back to Eleni's. I had an email exchange with Tanya, and then a call or two as she helped me plan this surprise. Tanya worked with me on all of the details, let me deliver the wedding cake the day before and made sure all of the details would be perfect. The food was just as delicious as the first time, the staff was all so attentive and gracious, and we had such a wonderful time. The only piece missing this time was Eleni herself. Thank you Tanya and Moses for making our event incredible. We will see you soon, but with less people .

Great food, friendly staff with great recommendations, very accommodating. Beautiful place settings and a warm romantic atmosphere.

We had a recent dinner here on an early Saturday evening. Service: Our table service was outstanding from beginning to end! Our server was a true pro. He was attentive, courses were well-paced, and food was served in a timely manner. He checked back with us several times and someone else walked around filling water glasses. We never had to ask for a thing. Food: We enjoyed the pita bread apps both with the complimentary pepper spread as well as the whipped feta dip we ordered in addition. We also enjoyed the Greek salad which was loaded with fresh cucumber, ripe tomatoes and dressed without the over-powering, herb-infused vinegar you sometimes see with this type of salad. It's large (as the price-point reflects) and there's plenty for 2 people to split. We both ordered the meat moussaka and I cannot rate this well. We've eaten this dish throughout Greece as well as in many fine Greek restaurants in the US. I also prepare it at home from traditional recipes. It is, in essence, a deeply baked, meat/eggplant casserole, containing a flavorful, cinnamon, nutmeg-infused sauce, pre-roasted eggplant, and topped with an egg/bechamel custard. The chef, obviously, put together some half-cooked veggies, ground meat chunks, a quick tomato sauce and a gooey topping made with I'm not sure what. This lazy interpretation of a beloved classic did not go over well with us. To add insult to injury, the dish arrived barely warm. In, no way, did this dish resemble moussaka in the traditional sense. The place was pleasant, comfortable and there were many items on the menu that looked appealing. So we won't give up but we'll definitely try something else next time...

We have eaten dinner at Eleni's twice in the last month and both experiences were exceptional. The service was excellent, the restaurant has a nice vibe with an open kitchen and the food was delicious. The ingredients were really fresh and the flavors were better than anything we have had in a while. The other part that I like is that both times I felt really good after eating the food, both that night and in the morning. Sometimes restaurant food is so rich that I have trouble sleeping, etc. and that is definitely not the case here, really high quality food with a style of cooking that brings out the flavor of the quality ingredients. Eleni's is a gem and still one of the best restaurants in Portland (and beyond). Also, I traveled to Greece a while back and it was a wonderful trip, however Eleni's is better than anything we had in Greece.

Good service, food, cocktails, and music. We'll definitely be going back again and again.

I appreciate this Greek restaurant. It's quaint, hidden, and in a cool tucked away location. The ambiance is comfortable and quiet, the food is great, portion sizes are large, and I appreciated how knowledgable the servers were on Green Cuisine. It's kind of expensive, but it's a sit down restaurant with nice portions and has the ability to be "fancy", so it's kind of a shame that I can't go as often as I'd like and try new foods.

Great waiter, who led us thru the interesting menu. Nice ambiance - not loud and a good mix of booths and tables. We'll be back

Great food, ambiance and service. Reasonably priced for the quality of food and service.

Great food, great service and excellent atmosphere for dining out! The wonderful dining experience has not lost quality over the 10 years I've dined there. Well worth the reservation!

First let me state that I am 100% Greek with my grandparents from Athens, Kos, Lemnos and (what is now) Smyrna. That's Greek! And I was looking for a real Greek restaurant to bring YaYa my 97 year old mother. I don't usually give 2 stars bur daughter insisted. You'll see why! First let's start with the complementary dip. Tasteless. Quote from my daughter "I'd like to know how they took the flavor out of roasted red pepper?" In reference to this dip provided with the complimentary pita. The hummus we ordered, because we needed something else to start, was watery like baby food and was in desperate need of garlic and lemon. Another reviewer said the size was laughable- wish I saw that 1st! My daughter got the Saganaki and to their credit the servers did a wonderful job presenting; however, they forgot to bring pita with it to sop up all the good stuff so daughter had to steal hubby's pita! The souzoukakia were not souzoukakia - they were meatballs, plain and simple. Souzoukakia have mint and are cooked in sherry. Nope! The two stars come from the excellent lamb in filo (arni me filo) my husband totally enjoyed and the lamb and orzo (orzo me arni) that I had that was extremely tender. Very good. For the cost I will cook my own YaYa's recipies at home, thank you.

It's a quaint little place, nestled between other businesses. Low lighting, feels romantic. Staff was helpful in figuring out what to order. We got the sea bass special. The dolmas were excellent. Everything was great! Highly recommend for a date night.

The ambiance was awesome and the food is spectacular. Highly recommended. Will return soon.

We truly enjoyed our wedding anniversary dinner at Eleni's this evening. 25 years ago we honeymooned in Greece so it was a perfect setting to relive many wonderful memories. The food was outstanding! We shared a variety of small plates and one entree. Our hands down favorite was the grilled squid. Amazing! Our only big disappointment was that we went wanting to eat the Saganaki but we were told that it had just sold out. We'll be back!

Really enjoyed my experience at Eleni's. This is a relatively small unassuming place but the food is really good. We started off with the grape leaves and they didn't last too long. So quickly that I wasn't able to get a picture. For my main I had the lamb shank and it had great flavor. Meat fell right off of the bone. I savored every bite. Service was really good our waitress was efficient and had really good banter. I would return when I am in the area

This is easily one of the best restaurants in Portland! Everything is extraordinary right down to the Tzatziki. The flavors are complex and the food is cooked to fresh perfection. The sautéed spinach and baked feta in filo with honey are not to be missed, but I would say that about the entire menu! Everyone I've sent here has been blown away by how amazing the food was. They have a great Happy Hour as well. The Owner/Chef is so friendly and clearly takes pride in every dish that leaves the kitchen. The atmosphere is cozy/romantic and the service is wonderful! Love, love, love Eleni's! Opa!!!

Food was delicious! Restaurant Ambiance is classy this is some of the best Greek food I've ever had and they are very consistent. The Italian coffee they serve is deep rich and out of this world don't miss it

Had a wonderful dinner here last week. Our server was very attentive and helped me find a wine I liked. The meatballs over risotto and lamb in filo dough were both fantastic. We'll definitely be back

Their food is soooo DELICIOUS! Their pasta is to die for! Their Rosé is is since too! I highly recommend this place. The people who work their are friendly and welcoming. It's a cozy pretty fancy atmosphere inside.

Its an easy place to miss, but once you get inside -its amazing. We had lamb shanks and moussaka - the food was delicious and the portions were huge - not that expensive for what you get. We took half home. Also wine pours are ample, too. The service was great, and we sampled a few wine choices before choosing one. It is really a special place

We found this atmospheric Greek place for dinner when we were in town for a work seminar. The place is dark and could be romantic but it is slightly too noisy for that. The pasta with calamari, mussels and shrimp had a wonderful sauce that was creamy and tomato-ey . The Greek salad had thick wedges of tomato but had green olives instead of the dark purple Kalamata olives which are typical.

WOW! Came here out of desperation for dinner after poor planning and being turned away by an overly priced steak house up the street. SO glad we ended up here. Totally unexpected. Excellent food for very average prices. Perhaps their air conditioning was broken that day, but something compelled us to request a seat outside after inhaling the stuffy air inside. It was the start of many greatness that evening. The hostess seated us a nice seat outside, which made us feel like we were eating somewhere in Europe, underneath a fig tree of some sort. The air was cool and there was minimal traffic because everyone left to go see the eclipse. We then proceeded to try the most recommended item on the menu which was the GRILLED CALAMARI - squid. It was amazing. Don't be startled by the tentacles, the sauce and perfectly crispy fresh meat was like what I had tasted in Santorini. Definitely became a favorite. And then we tried like almost everything.... DIP SAMPLER: MELITZANES - eggplant, very closely resembles babaganoush so good! TZATZIKI - good, well made, but also very normal so my tastebuds weren't too excited REVITHIA (HUMMUS) - wow! this was incredible, there was an added spice (not the hot kind) and it made it so flavorful. KTIPITI - whipped feta, with a spice, this was so pleasant! Was a tad bit salty. Of the above, the Melitzanes was my favorite DOLMATHAKIA - homemade grapeleaves stuffed with rice, and tzatzkiki sauce. I've had better, on the sour side (but i think that's how it's intended) FETA FILO - Filo dough stuffed with feta cheese, and then honey poured on top. Light and delicious. Made for a good appetizer. I dont usually like sweets, so this was just right SPAGHETTI WITH YOUR CHOICE OF: ME KIMA - ground beef. WOWOWOWOw, can i have another?? I dont know how they made something so simple like spaghetti taste so good!!! SPANACORIZO - I love sautéed vegetables. This was wonderful!!!! It was over a bed of risotto and some feta cheese. STEAMED CLAMS in OUZO - with capers. The sauce was what made this - I can't describe it well, but seemed like it was tomato base, with a hint of white wine, garlic and butter. THe clams were also fresh. No fishy smell here!. WILD PRAWNS with basil, ouzo, garlic. You had other choices, but we wanted this. YUMMYY - again fresh prawns. I wanted seconds. MUSHROOMS over RISOTTO - they made this special for us since they ran out of the prawn version of this. Or not sure why we ordered this but i adored it. And last but not least.. BAKLAVA - i dont like sweets but everyone else at the table loved it so must be good. was too sweet for me. I know we tried a lot and you're wondering about portion size. It's decent. Definitely smaller than a standard American size but on par with what they would give you in Europe. I'd say 1.5dish will fill You up if you're not in the sharing mood. SO sad to be leaving Portland, I would be a regular here otherwise.

Open with inside dining. This place is awesome!! The quality of food and service is top notch. But it's the food that will warm your soul. This is a different style of Greek food, so get ready for light very flavorful items. I would recommend the calamari for sure. The lamb shank is best around

$16 for a prawns entree that only had 4 small pranks and fit in a small takeaway box. $10 for micro dolmates. Super salty pasta. I could go on but the gist is below average food at high prices.

We made a reservation for 8 people at 7:15pm, and they told us we can't be seated because they didn't actually save a table for us. It's over an hour later and we're standing around begging another restaurant to let us eat in the bar. Really disappointing.

Stopped by for Mother's Day dinner since my mum was craving Greek food and we all really enjoyed it! Definitely worth a visit for a special occasion. I particularly loved all of the appetizers but especially the calamari and grape leaves. I got braised lamb with orzo for my main and it was lovely.

We hadn't been there since they switched hands. We were excited to go check it out. They did not disappoint. Kept most of the original menu, but with a new twist. Very pleased. Service was also excellent from the guy seating us outside to our server. Forgot her name, but she did a good job taking care of us. We will definitely go back.

I would give this 10 stars if I could. Our first time here and all 4 of us raved for days about the freshness, the quality, the preparation, and overall deliciousness of everything we ate. The appetizers, the greek salad, and all entrees were AMAZING! The service was personal, attentive, patient, informative, and the best it could be! We cannot wait to go back!!

If you want delicious authentic Greek food, this is the place to go. Eleni's has been my choice for my birthday celebration ever since I discovered them about 10 years ago. Their moussaka is to die for.

It's a nice restaurant with a decent ambience. The food quality and taste was very good. Highly recommend it for a nice gathering with good food. The serving size was a bit small but in the end it was very filling. A nice place to for a celebration.