Headwaters Restaurant Portland

Went for the Russian tea experience. Compared to other options in Portland, the food bites are definitely more flavorful and hearty, though there were a couple misses. Otherwise the tea, service, and ambiance pail in comparison to, for example, Hotel deLuxe. It's very distracting having the seating be in a shared space, and a ton of people kept coming through with their children to take photos in front of the Christmas tree. The wait staff seemed to make minimal effort to keep the noise down and not bang plates, silverware, and teapots together. We also had to ask for hot water every single time we needed more.

Happy hour is a great time to come here for appetizers. My wife and I ate here late after catching the Portland Opera. Some of the food was pricey but sharing two appetizers on happy hour prices was great. Interesting food combinations that you just don’t find everywhere and the ambiance of the place was just what we where looking for.

With an attractive dining room, deliciously described menu items, and very friendly service, this trip began with a Bloody Mary - moderately decorated with a delicious pickle, shrimp, cheese cube, olive and pleasant spice level. My Biscuit & Gravy (& fried chicken) was not bad, but just kinda uniquely okay. The gravy had some meaty chunks, yet little flavor or spice. The biscuit, just ONE biscuit to be clear, not actually Biscuit(s) & Gravy, was crumbly and perhaps just an old one reheated...although my girlfriend's was similarly described. She ordered the Headwater Benedict with salmon and enjoyed its flavor, boasting a hefty portion of salmon surprisingly. The baked goods sounded so savory, yet our Pistachio Banana Bread with smoked honey butter arrived rather dry and with limited flavor. Our waitress was great and made the best of the visit. Thanks, unlikely to revisit, but glad we tried. Best, ~S

Chef Paley is, without a doubt, one of the most influential chefs in Portland’s culinary landscape. While Paley’s Place and Imperial are well established reference points in PDX, Headwaters seems to have trouble maintaining both focus and consistency in terms of their food and service. My anticipation and expectations were very high when the doors of Headwaters opened, but after 6+ visits, the restaurant has not secured a continuous place among the top seafood establishments in the city. This is a very generous 4-star rating, but we sincerely hope Headwaters will one day achieve the consistency and quality that Chef Paley typically delivers. B-/B

Been here solely for the Russian Tea and it is fantastic. The dining room looks lovely, especially during the holiday season when the tea is offered. Set price gets you tea and a lovely tray of finger foods and desserts.

The reasons this review is not a one star are as follows, in order of importance. 1. The wait staff. The singular waiter was personable, accommodating, and checked back with us as regularly as possible, given that it wasn't peak hours and they were alone. Their service exceeded expectations without the snobbery one might expect from an establishment like Headwaters. This was the main saving grace of the outing. 2. The tea, food, and arrangement thereof. While my main complaint is the ridiculous lack of food which is NOT worth the $42 a head. There wasn't enough to even halfway fill the stomachs of two quite small women with gastrointestinal issues. We already are denied the luxury of overeating, but even our meagre needs were not met by this misnomer. It would have been delightful, for half the price. The chef and bakery responsible should be congratulated. Beautiful food, great presentation, almost all of the savory and sweets were a hit. I cannot stress enough that issue is not with the quality of the food, but more with the lack of it. I have had both English and Russian tea, and in both instances there are bites enough to mostly fill the stomach between meals. In some cases tea is a FULL meal, and this should be said at the outset as we were expect a real full tea, not this tiny approximation. The tea. While the teas we purchased were wonderful, it was unconscionable that they charge even more for more than one tea and do not offer a sampler so you can make your decision for the tiny meal. Again, at $42 a head this is impossible to understand. 3. The atmosphere. A quiet 2:30 pm was the chosen time, and thank goodness because it was beautiful and quiet. The greatest thing, aside from the tasty -but teasingly small- food and teas, was the quiet, peaceful atmosphere free of the endless roaring hubbub that is so in fashion these days. For autistic, anxious, or post-tramatic stress sufferers this is an ideal environment. No rushing, feeling unwelcome, or excessive snobbery on the part of the sample of the one waiter on a Saturday to take queue from. That would, almost, be worth the price on it's own... were it marketed that way. If you need a nice quiet spot to have a singular pot of tea and small snacks before a dinner and a show, I would highly recommend this place. Perhaps it would also do as an afternoon wind-down from a particularly energetic brunch. But, if you are hoping for more than just a very brief taste of the exotic... This is not where I would choose to go.

This place is FANCY! But luckily there is a bar and it’s pretty casual. We came here for dumpling week and this was our favorite batch of dumplings! It had a delicious curry sauce with spicy rockfish dumplings! Mhmmm so amazingly good!! We also got some bread to go with it and we even dipped it in the broth. Cool ambiance and even better dumplings!

The crab omelette was stuffed with crab and perfectly seasoned. The host who sat us, Carymiga, was exceptional! He even continued to check on us throughout our meal and recommended the Bloody Mary (which was "bomb" just as he said!) We thoroughly enjoyed our visit for Sunday brunch.