Irving Street Tapas
Tapas restaurant · Pearl ·
Small plates from around the world in a trendy spot
Small plates from around the world in a trendy spot
"Drawing on decades of international experience—having cooked in Michelin-starred kitchens in France, hotels in the Caribbean, homes in Bangalore, and restaurants in Mumbai—Ajay Narayan and Paresh Warke opened a Pearl District small-plates spot to capture “the tapa for any culture.” I learned they spent the pandemic workshopping an eclectic menu of mostly $4–$8 items (all under $10) that mixes Spanish classics like tortilla española, gazpacho, and patatas bravas with dishes such as grilled ahi, calamari in harissa aioli, peri‑peri chicken, samosas, steak in chimichurri or wasabi butter, and Greek yemista. The menu also reflects their Indian background in varied ways: Narayan describes the Indian food as “really westernized” with “lots of cream,” even as many items reportedly stray from heavy dairy and lean on South Indian flavors—think peppery stir‑fried mushrooms and minty pudina chicken—and include playful crossovers like sambusas with brava sauce and panna cotta infused with Thai tea. They’ve been incorporating staff feedback, will serve beer, wine, sangria and a handful of signature cocktails from a full bar, and plan to introduce larger plates like paella; indoor and outdoor dining is slated to open July 1 in the former Irving Street Kitchen space." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
"When I moved here seven years ago, this was one of the first places I went to — its chill vibe and comforting food made me feel glad I'd relocated to the Portland area." - Eater Staff
"I observed that Irving Street Kitchen has closed, a closure cited alongside others as underscoring the urgent need for business survival strategies in the Pearl District." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
"After ten years in the Pearl District, this sprawling industrial restaurant that focused on casual Southern food and community events has permanently closed during the coronavirus pandemic. In an emailed statement chef Sarah Schafer and partner Anna Caporael attributed the closure to both the pandemic and an impasse with their landlord, saying discussions reached an impasse and COVID-19 made the restaurant no longer viable. Irving Street Kitchen opened in 2010 modeled on the Pearl’s fine-dining style with multi-course dinners and cocktail and wine programs, then restructured in 2019 toward more casual dining—focusing on fried-chicken bucket dinners and events like pop-ups and kitchen takeovers. It closed in March 2020 under the governor’s orders and the partners opted against takeout or delivery; after more than two months they decided reopening wasn’t feasible. The statement was largely positive, expressing pride in a ten-year run serving the community and hope that the fried chicken might reappear in a new form elsewhere, while confirming the butterscotch pudding will appear at their forthcoming Cooperativa even though the fried chicken will not." - Alex Frane
"I saw this Pearl District Southern restaurant follow MacLarty’s model by opening the restaurant from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to hand out pints of prepared food for restaurant workers and those in need on an honor system." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
