Grand Amari

The Grand Amari Italian restaurant is located at the Grand Stark Hotel. They have an extensive list of liquor, wines, and Amari. Our server was friendly and attentive. My husband and I shared the Focaccia bread with whipped anchovy butter, which was delicious. The albacore crudo with pistachio was just okay, but the Panzanella con burrata with spring vegetables and walnuts was tasty. For dinner, my husband loved the rib eye steak with arugula and smashed roasted potatoes. I didn't like my spaghetti with clams and anchovies; the clams were a bit salty and the dish was too fishy for me. They have a fun wine list, and we ordered the Abraham from Northern Italy. I didn't try the Amari flight since we had so much wine, but the Cardamaro I ordered was light and sweet.

What a memorable meal! Everything was incredible, it reminded us of so many beautiful flavours we had tasted while visiting Italy last year. Evan was a wonderful host for the evening. Also, the Negroni here was one of the best we've ever had, and the white Negroni was so fun to try.

My friend and I had been wanting to try Grand Amari for some time now and our only regret is that we didn’t get there sooner. If you’re serious about pasta, do yourself a favor and make reservations immediately. The service is top notch and the food is truly delightful. Michael took care of us and recommended perfect drink pairings for our meal. Our favorites include the focaccia, bolognese, and affogato. Oh and if you can, give yourself some time to hit Little Bitter Bar in the hotel lobby for a pre-dinner drink or two!

One of the best new restaurants in Portland, nestled in a hip new hotel. The Italian restaurant by the founders of Olympia Provisions delivers with a well-trained and experienced team serving up fresh tasty dishes. Every detail has been thought through, including the vintage silverware. A required stop for any foodie, just be sure to make time for the entire dining experience.

The food that was served was great, the amount of "missing" food was apparent. The portions were very, very small. The proteins were missing veggies and/or a starch. To get a good well balanced meal you have to order multiple dishes and share family style because the protein portions are large. Steak was missing seasoning and/or char. It was moist, but missing flavor from seasoning, cooking method, or fat. Pasta dishes were tiny but very good. Great dishes with a few kinks in understanding pairing dishes for a more complete meal, an awkward dining experience from my point of view. Great service and a comfortable atmosphere.

Service was a bit slow but otherwise very friendly and helpful. The hanger steak was cooked perfectly and greens were seasoned well. They have a great bar inside too!

Food is hit or miss, which is a shame because we really enjoyed the service and atmosphere. Alcohol selection also really good and impressive. Perhaps some of it is just working out the kinks to being a newly opened restaurant. We enjoyed the bread, marinated olives and arancini. The pasta was lacking in flavor/depth. And Fritto misto was fried in a fashion that I wasn’t used to seeing for Italian. Perhaps just a unique bend but while the ingredients were fresh the fry style seemed to take away from it. Will give it some more time before returning to reassess.

Highly recommend! We ordered a variety from the menu because everything sounded so tasty. So here goes: Started the night with the Arancini. Amazing flavor and the dynamic textures made this a very memorable starter. Perfectly crunchy outside, and soft buttery inside that melted in your mouth. Next was fried anchovies, lemon and sage. The delicate batter compliments all three, just the right amount to enhance without masking the flavors of the anchovy, lemon and sage. We also enjoyed the scallops, sliced paper thin and laid in an olive oil and lemon juice. The acidity really made this dish shine… I now like scallops 😃. Entree time: we had the squid ink bucatini and the grilled branzini. The squid ink bucatini was so savory and the whipped ricotta was both a visual pop to the dish while adding a refreshing creamy aspect. The grilled branzini came out looking stunning. Loved the presentation. Flavors lived up to it, perfectly cooked fish, and the accompaniments complimented the fish with crunch and acidity. This was a table favorite for sure. Sides included the lemon potatoes and the polenta parmigiano. Both were amazing and suggested by the server, so thank you! Then it was dessert time, and I won’t give away spoilers, so just make sure you save room for the tiramisu and/or (we did the “and”) amaretto chocolate gold-leafed dome. This went perfectly with a dessert espresso. Top tier dining experience from arrival to departure. Made our Saturday night extra special. Hats off to the team and highest compliments to Chef Katie Roe.

Had a business dinner at Grand Amari last night and it was FANTASTIC! We did the "family style" menu where the chef chooses and courses the menu out for the table. It was amazing- appetizers, veggies, pasta, meats, sea food, desert-- pasta was freshly made and herbs and aromatics were plentiful in every dish. Our server was also the wine som-- she made perfect recommendations. It was a business dinner where we all left as friends and the restaurant and the staff really made the difference! And the price was very reasonable! Wish I had taken pictures!

I wanted to like this place, but unfortunately I don't. I'll start with the good: - Great ambience, and love the interior decor; - The bar area looks cool; - The branzino dish is amazing, and the fennel salad that came with it is top notch; - Yummy focaccia and it's only $4 per order. Here is what completely SUCKED ASS: - Squid ink pasta is AWFUL - first off, the squid ink is not infused in the pasta. For some reason, it was in the form of a sauce. Secondly, the noodles were OVERCOOKED and the texture was weird. Might as well call it a 'dead squid pasta'; - The crusted ribeye wasn't crusted enough and it needed to be seared more - it's like they also didn't timely take the steak out of the sous vide (it's not that hard); - Arancini is overly DENSE and DRY - I don't eat this variation of risotto much, but honestly I won't be eating this going forward for sure. Sorry, Portland, you can't have it all (insert shrug)

Came here on a Saturday evening with some friends after hearing about the grand opening on social media. We were greatly disappointed at the quality of food. The service was amazing, however the food was not up to standard. We started off the night by ordering the Arancini which was bland. The focaccia bread was pretty good when paired with the olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. We then got the crusted ribeye which was sous vied but not seared enough on either side so it had a very interesting chewy texture. The squid ink pasta was also lacklustre and flavourless; the pasta was limp and over cooked, and you could not taste any reminiscent of the squid ink in the sauce. The grilled branzino was very tasty and well cooked, this was the highlight of our meal! It was served with a parsley and fennel salad on the size which paired well and brightened up the dish as a whole! We also noticed there were many unfinished plates of pasta from other tables left over, which could have been an omen. The service was great and the waiter was very friendly and attentive. However we ultimately had an incredibly disappointing meal and were left feeling dissatisfied and hungry. For the price and quality this place is not worth the hype. Parking: Paid street parking, or valet from hotel

Food is hit or miss, which is a shame because we really enjoyed the service and atmosphere. Alcohol selection also impressive. Perhaps some of it is just working out the kinks to being a newly opened restaurant. We enjoyed the bread, marinated olives and arancini. The pasta was lacking in flavor/depth. And Fritto misto was fried in a fashion that I wasn't used to seeing for Italian. Perhaps just a unique bend but while the ingredients were fresh the fry style seemed to take away from it. Will give it some more time before returning to reassess.

Finally got to visit last night and they did not disappoint! Everything was cooked perfect and had impeccable flavor. My husband and I visited on a Friday with 5:30pm reservations and it was perfect timing. We were sat at our table and really got to take a look around. Love the open kitchen and the wine displayed. Good lighting, not too dark or light. We ordered the scallop, artichoke and spicy greens to start. Then moved to tortelli stuffed with a lemon garlic ricotta. That ricotta was light and creamy, melt in your mouth!!! So good!! We also got the pork Milanese and the porcini crusted ribeye with a side of the lemon potatoes. Then for dessert we had the tiramisu and a dark chocolate cake with cherry in the middle. It even had little gold flakes. So tasty!! I usually will have at least one negative, but I'm telling you these were all cooked to perfection. Absolutely delicious. We will be back again and I will say I would not come back without having the pork, potatoes and the tortelli. Don't be intimidated by the pork sauce being thick, spread it alllll over!! Everywhere. It was amazing and so flavorful. Those were my favorite of what we had. In the photos you will also see the bottles of bubbles and wine we had with dinner. Our waiter recommended each, and was on the money there as well!

A new restaurant. I really wanted it to be good - this is a finer dining restaurant. Not opulent but amazing wine list, cozy settings, and a solid menu. The run down: Service. Five stars. Our server was wonderful. She was knowledgeable, helpful and had a sense of humor. Without her the review would probably be three stars. Cocktails/alcohol - five stars. A great wine list and the martinis were perfect. Desert- four stars. Panna cotta and tiramisu. Very good. Main course. This is where it's spotty. - three stars. I had the pork - what you get is a cutlet that has been pounded and breaded. Usually this means super tender. Mine was over cooked- the underside was almost burnt. The pasta dishes were solid, but not super flavorful. The Cacio e Pepe was a little weird given the past was long tubes(not typical). Appetizers. Five stars. The focaccia is the bomb and other choices excellent. Great setting. Great service. Great drinks. Main course needs some work, but this place is worth a visit as it price points are reasonable and I suspect they will get better over time.

Our first try after reading the article about spin off of Olympia Provision. I would give 3.75 if the service was a bit faster. Also seating was in the middle of the operation (behind the host and cash register), and it was hard to talk. If you can sit by the windows or corner space, it would be better. I think it would be better to go to the bar section (inside the hotel) and order food from the restaurant. Food was good portion and I have no complains. The fish dish was awesome. I would come back for it. Cocktails were cute and good Italian wine selection. We were too full to try dessert but we can come back for them next time or spend some time at cafe.

Amazing food, great service, cozy, comfortable & classy ambiance. We always have high quality meals & service whenever we come.

Yes, I was one of the many people ~influenced~ by others on social media to give Grand Amari a visit. So was my dad who, in an attempt to divert from his usual suburban food spots, made reservations for an early Father's Day dinner. I swear, every single "foodie" in Portland has sung this place's praises since its grand opening, so naturally I had very high expectations going in. And once again I found myself at the end of the meal wishing I could give half star reviews, because I cannot decide if this place deserves 3 or 4 stars. But, I forgo my usual niceness and round down this time. The highlights: Grand Amari is housed within the Grand Stark Hotel, which I find has one of the most aesthetically-pleasing lobbies in Portland. The same level of decor carries over into the restaurant; the interior is quite lovely. Our server (Miles? Hi, Miles) deserves a raise. I have to commend when a server can balance attentiveness and knowing when to leave a table in peace. The wine list is impressive, as well as their amari menu. You know its good when an Italian (aka my father's friend who joined us) gives a little nod of approval. And now, for the dishes that made me give a little nod - first, the cacio e pepe candele looks kind of like Jamie Lee Curtis' noodle hands in Everything Everywhere All at Once, but it made for a delightful and decadent pasta plate. The grilled branzino arrives whole, so you'll need to de-bone the thing yourself in order to enjoy this fish, and it is worth it. And my mother's aperol bombe, a sort of miniature baked alcoholic Alaska, was a wonderful combination of temperatures, textures, and flavors. I also longingly watched their amari cart roll by, en route to someone who could indulge an after-dinner liquor and didn't have to work a hospital night shift after dinner :( The improveables: Now I can say it; overall, the dishes we had were fine. I didn't have an oh-my-God-sigh-with-pleasure influencer moment with most of what we ordered. Like a sucker, I ordered the tortelli because I saw a video on how fabulous it was. I would not use fabulous to describe this dish. It wasn't that it was inedible, it just didn't blow my little mind. I moved on to the scallop crudo, which had the same phenomenon of being decent, but missing the mark on something. Perhaps it was how cellophane thin the scallop was shaved, or the heavy pour of olive oil on top. The squid ink bucatini didn't disgust me like it seems to have disgusted other reviewers here, but it had a similar flavor and texture to jjajangmyeon, a Korean/Chinese-style black bean noodle dish that you can easily find elsewhere for half the price of the bucatini. The shocker of the meal was perhaps the bone-in Porterhouse. To its credit, it was seasoned very well and cooked to medium rare, so the actual eating experience was not horrid. The UNpleasant part was finding out at the end of the meal that it came with a $150 pricetag (!!!). Looking at comparable steaks at other local steakhouses such as Ringside, Morton's, and Ruth's Chris, $150 is kind of middle ground for a steak of that heft. But be mindful of that if you decide the Porterhouse is for you. Keeping in mind that Grand Amari is new to the Portland dining scene, I think that they are doing several things right so far. The servers hustle, and I have to highlight them as the stars of the whole show. But speaking generally, I hope that the flavors of the food continue to be tweaked in order to justify what their prices are. Again, this is not a bad restaurant. I just think that this is a lesson in not immediately falling for hype. Most people I know have heard of this place because of food influencers, who often give pretty nondescript and unhelpful evaluations of meals, and equate a cute interior and/or newness to a 5-star dining experience.

Very impressed with this new Italian joint from the fine folks at Olympia Provisions! Came here for dinner last night with two of my girlfriends. We had a late reservation, were seated promptly, and the service was excellent throughout. Extensive wine list, although it's definitely on the pricier side. We didn't see any bottles under $40. Since there were three of us, we chose to split a bottle of Sangiovese from Chianti, although we really should have started with a white for all the seafood starters! Scallop crudo and tuna belly were both excellent, melt-in-your-mouth tender with delicate flavor that was dialed in, allowing the ingredients to shine. We wanted the artichoke as well, but they were out, so we went with the bagna cauda. Presentation was great - cut vegetables on a big bowl of ice - and it tasted awesome, but I thought the dish was overpriced for a bundle of veggies and a small bowl of dip. We opted to try a bunch of pastas instead of a secondi. The agnolotti was the standout of the bunch for me by far - toothsome pasta outer and pillowy, airy mousse-like filling, salty reduced brodo, just such a fun combination of flavors and textures. I thought the squid ink bucatini was just okay, the flavor was a bit one-note and, again, overpriced for the portion and ingredients. The cacio e pepe candele was better, creamy and rich and a more generous serving. I'd love to see their take on a carbonara someday! For dessert we split the tiramisu - airy, creamy, and not too sweet, although I only had a couple of bites as I'm not a big dessert person. They also have an amari cart, which is great fun - the server rolls the whole bar cart over and you get to choose your amaro from a wide selection of varieties. A coupe of amaro with dessert was the perfect way to end the meal. The space is pretty, and the bathrooms are quite glam - I love a well thought-out bathroom! No major hiccups, which is impressive only a few weeks from opening, and I would definitely return.

If you want a classic classic Italian dining experience, then ironically you can find it in this "new" restaurant from the people behind Olympia Provisions. I went for a weeknight dinner on the early side without reservations, and it was quiet. The decor is what people call "handsome" with a very club room feel (a bit on the dark side). The menu have many classic Italian dishes like crudo, arancini, pork milanese, etc. I started with the burrata with pickled tomatoes and it was fresh and creamy. I also got another starter, the wax beans with grilled squid, and everything was so fresh. The pappardelle I had was very familiar flavors of sugo, but the pasta was incredible thin and light. I didn't get a second dish because I was by myself and was pretty full, but I had to order the tiramisu, another classic Italian dessert and the flavors were spot on. All the flavors of the dishes will remind you of classic Italian flavors with quality ingredients, but it's not experimental or amazingly unique. It just feels very, well, classic.

Grand Amari was a surprise. 4.5 for sure. Location is not our typical destination. But - We will be back. Not all items were perfect. Service (Mike) was beyond excellent. This place should be way busier on a Saturday night. That's a Portland problem, not a GA issue. Highlights: arancini, spaghetti pomodoro, Cacio e Pepe, tasting flight of amaros.... panzanella salad, tiramisu, affogato and the starter focaccia...were all amazing.. Lowlights: restaurant temp was CHILLY! Scallops, were great, our table felt they could have been more fresh. We will be back - thank you all!

Location shady-too many homeless lurking around corners, parking non-existent; food not very memorable yet good selection of wine; service hit and miss; We love Italian food & had high expectations for this new restaurant but dishes were either too salty & underwhelming. Altho the bathrooms were clean and nice !!

My wife and I visited GA yesterday evening for the first time. It absolutely will not be our last. From, literally, the moment we walked through the front door to the moment we walked back out the service was impeccable, sincere, and pleasant. The staff work together expertly as an oiled machine. The wine offerings are almost limitless and the cocktail choices are stellar. The men sipped an Old Fashioned each and the ladies enjoyed French 75s, all were marvelous. Then we get to the meal. Our waiter, very courteously and patiently, explained the offerings and thoughtfully suggested portions and amounts. We had a difficult time deciding what to try on our first visit. We settled on an array of provisions and those were promptly served. The aranci and tuna belly were lovely. The pork Milanese was terrific, the ribeye was ridiculous, and the polenta was exceptional. We finished with tiramisu and dark chocolate with cherry and begrudgingly had to call it a day. Simply summarized this restaurant is well worth the time. It's inviting decor, the delightful staff, and the astonishing cuisine will reward your investment. We eagerly await our next opportunity to dine.

Service and ambiance are really nice but the food is pretty mediocre overall. We had the focaccia bread, arancini, squid ink pasta, porcini crusted ribeye, and grilled branzino. I'll start with the positive - the focaccia had a great crust and was light and fluffy and the branzino was well cooked and flavorful. The other items were pretty lacking - the arancini was really dense, the squid ink pasta had zero flavor and just tasted like lemon juice, and the ribeye was medium rare but was not fully seared so the crust left much to be desired. I wouldn't really recommend this place as the price point is pretty high for food that isn't that great.

It was oddly empty the night we came in (it was a weekday to be fair) but the food and service were amazing. The steak we ordered was cooked and seasoned beautifully. Both the scallop and tuna crudos were to die for. The pasta was tasty though the truffle we added to it was very faint. We were too full for dessert but since it was my husband's birthday the server offered us an amaro tasting, which was perfect. Would definitely come back!

We had a great time at Grand Amari last night. The food and drinks were delicious and the service was excellent as well. Our server had mind-blowing knowledge about Amari. The Burrata with Pickled Tomatoes was soo good! We'll be back soon!

The branzino was one of the most delicious menu items I've had in Portland. It was served with some kind of green olive tapenade and some aioli. I split it, and I wish I had gotten it by myself. Also good were the polenta, garlic broccoli, chewy salty focaccia in olive oil. Our table also got the ribeye, burrata and fried fresh anchovies (maybe more anchovies and fewer fried lemons would have been nice). The Americanos were really good. One thing I really appreciated was the extra dessert that came with the check.

i took my wife to GA for impromptu date night and had an amazing meal. The food was really good, the service was impeccable and friendly and the ambience was perfect for our date. Highly recommend GA for date night, or just a great meal with friends.

Came here because a friend wanted to. I've worked in fine dining in Portland before & have also been a server, so I was happy that the ambiance and service was great! Very pretty and probably a perfect vibe for date night. The wine was tasty and so was the focaccia. However, when it came down to having dinner, the food was lacking and a reason I would probably not recommend or go again. I ordered the hay smoked pollo, and I do love to cook so I was hoping this chicken would be better if not the same as a meal and wine at home. Unfortunately it was undercooked on both of the leg quarters. The skin looked seasoned well but wasn't very crunchy or flavorful. Just a lot of rosemary. And there was no sauce but it needed it. It came with just a small side of roasted tomatoes that seemed semi cold. I did try and dip it in the tomato sauce to add something but it was overall somehow undercooked and lacking at the same time. And I should've glanced better at the menu, because I was asked what side I wanted and assumed it came with one, but paid $9 for a small amount of broccoli. It was good but nothing special.

Excellent food and service. Had the panzella, the polenta, the pork, the cacio e pepe, and the focacio. Delicious food, large portions. Great intimate atmosphere. Extensive wine list.

I'm a huge fan of cacio e pepe, and was thrilled to find a place offering it. The food was all excellent: quality, quantity and presentation. The decor inside is lovely and unique, without being overly trendy (although I would suggest better music curation--the pop music soundtrack didn't fit the vibe. Not saying they need an Olive Garden-esque Dean Martin mix, but there are definitely some better sound design options out there). The service was some of the best in the city, between attentiveness, knowledge of their products and friendliness. And the Amari cart! So awesome. Definitely going back and highly recommend that my fellow Italian food lovers make a point of getting there.

Came here with 3 friends and we loved it. It feels like you are no longer in Portland. The ribeye was our favorite and we loved the caccio de pepe. The service was off the charts- we didn't know that much about Amaros and the waiter took his time to bring over the cart and let us try a bunch and was so knowledgeable. We ended up going to their bar after and they had great cocktails and ambiance.

Best Italian in Portland! Service and food was phenomenal. I will definitely be back.

Overall, this was a very good experience, especially given it's been open for 2 weeks. Biggest issue was the wait between courses. Exceeded 15 minutes. Spot prawn special - perfectly cooked but could have come out sooner and been hotter and needed more salt. Arrancini -delicious but needed more salt. Roasted artichoke - over steamed/boiled and absolutely not roasted at all. It was flabby and needed salt to balance out the lemon. Would not order again. It was not great. Mortadella Agnolotti - absolutely delicious. First dish that was salted properly, but likely due to the brodo being slightly over reduced. Either way, the saltiness was a welcome change. Pork Milanese - delicious but the verde paste? seemed like a last minute addition. It was thick and we weren't quite sure it's intended use. Our waiter seemed to light up when discussing the wines. Clearly has a passion for wine. Overall, it was a solid meal. The two big takeaways were the lack of salt on all but one dish, and the timing of the dishes. I k ow the service will speed up as they get their sea legs, and I hope the seasoning on the dishes improves.

Went out for anniversary dinner at this new place, it was great! Food was delicious, service was great. Can't wait to try the Cafe Amari next door for coffee and pastries some morning!

We went there for dinner with my wife and two boys age 10 and 12. The food was spot on. I was very impressed since it is only been opened for two weeks. We ordered a lot since we were all very hungry. The focaccia bread, Salumi platter, Artichoke, Fritto Misto were all spot on. We ordered the Cacho e Pepe and tortelli. Both had great flavor and were cooked to el dente. The pork Milanese was fantastic. My 10 year old loved it. The ribeye was done very well. It was cooked to a medium rare and had great flavor. I would give this place five stars. it's only been open for two weeks, and we wouldn't have noticed that it was so new. Everything was flawless. The manager at the end also gave us some complementary pastries. We will definitely be back. Sorry we should've taken some pictures of the food, but we were so hungry we ate everything up before we had a chance to snap photos.

Letting the ingredients speak for themselves is the theme at Grand Amari. Service was attentive but not overbearing. Spaghettini Pomodoro with fresh basil and San Marzano tomatoes was bright and fresh tasting. The scallop crudo (which is currently replaced with tuna belly) let the sweetness of the scallops come through. The ribeye was melt on your mouth. This isn't a lasagne, or huge mound of spaghetti and meatballs with the Shaker of parmesan on the table. It's about fresh, quality ingredients. It is a brand new restaurant, so they are finding their way, but I like the direction they are headed!

The crusted ribeye was perfectly seared and cooked. The focaccia's texture was mind-blowing. Excited to come back, and try more! Overall solid spot.

Really unique experience and amazing food. The pasta and steak was really good. The after dinner amaro was a great tightner. We retired in the bar next door after dinner and the manager was on point to make it an all around great night. I highly recommend trying this place.

We had heard a lot of great things about the authentic food and experience at this restaurant. Since there's so much on the menu we wanted to try, we brought friends to share. We were not disappointed in the least. From the moment we walked in, it felt warm and inviting. We were struck immediately by the beautiful atmosphere. To start, the wait staff took time to know what we kind of cocktails we all liked and custom tailored our delicious drinks from the Little Bitter Bar next door. We also were recommended a beautiful red for dinner by the sommelier. We started with the focaccia, arancini, panzanella and beef carpaccio which came out very quickly after our order. All was done to perfection. We then ordered the burrata and roasted eggplant, both prepared with a very creative touch and delicious flavor combinations. For our main course(s) to share, we ordered the spaghettini pomodoro, the squid ink bucatini, the pappardelle, the mandilli de sea al pesto, the agnolotti and the porcin-rubbed ribeye. Absolutely delicious and so special that we could all share these amazing dishes. I would order all of these dishes again and if I had a favorite, I'd say it was the squid ink bucantini. We saved a little room for dessert and the tiramisu and espresso martini were to die for. 5 star service, drinks, food and atmosphere!!! This is a must try special place that takes the dining experience very seriously.