Trattoria Gallo Nero

Legitimately one of the best Italian restaurants I have ever experienced in the US. I have lived in Italy and my husband is Italian and we thoroughly enjoyed everything about our dinner. The wine selection is varied and thoughtfully curated. We enjoyed a bottle of Sardinian Carignano which is a rare find in the states. The prices are more than reasonable. We had a lovely locally sourced steak that melted in the mouth for $32. Bread is homemade fresh TWICE daily and the meat and cheeses were top quality. If you’re looking for AUTHENTIC Italian in Portland, look no further. Nero Gallo has it all; great food, prices, staff, atmosphere and we will most definitely be back. *some photos I took after I already started eating!

Very romantic atmosphere in the restaurant. Waiting staff speaks Italian, for those who may need. The food was very yummy. The wine recommendations/ pairing was spot on perfect. I enjoyed my meal here and speaking with the staff I look forward to visiting again with my husband ♥️ started the meal off right with an incredible caprese salad. The mozzarella and balsamic are top notch. Nice fresh tomatoes. Pasta tasted authentic. Tiramisu was good but the neighboring gelato looked really good too. I will have to come back. 🌻

Our first visit and we were astonished. For all the publicity a close-by Italian trattoria gets, how does this (in our opinion) superior restaurant get overlooked? Our table of six ordered Verza and Caprese salads, Mushroom Bruschetta, Gnocchi, Ravioli, and Baked Cod. We also shared lemon desserts and Tiramisu. The service was excellent, food beautiful, refined, and delicious. Restaurant decor is restrained and the atmosphere a low buzz. This means we could hear one another which made our dinner together particularly enjoyable. We look forward to returning.

Living here many years always past by, glad we tried yall out. Great experience from walking in to sitting down and whole dining experience , host, bartender , serviceman, 😉😊👍 (** not a complaint just saying, its too quite inside hearing everyone conversation, music UP, just a little would be a nicer ambiance) 😉😊 THANKS for making our date night amazing! 🎉🥳 FOOD was over the top grand! 😋👏

This is one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants. Great food & great service from very nice people. They do an exceptional job of serving my wife beautiful gluten-free Italian dishes with care to prevent cross contamination. She has celiac but has never had a negative reaction. Highly recommend!

We reserved for dinner, having never been and on vacation with our young daughter. Having been to other restaurants where kids are looked down upon, this was different. The food was excellent, the wine recommendations and service was amazing, but how they all said hi to our 1.5 year old welcoming her in, making sure she got full service, checking in on just her to make sure she was doing great, she was included every step if the way and she loved dining out. PS - She loved the veal, please put that on regular rotation.

My friends and I were celebrating an art opening with friends who came into Portland specifically for the event and had made reservations to eat here. We were very happy to see each other and were in a clearly celebratory mood yet somehow the waiter decided we were drunk (though none of us had more than one glass of wine before or during our meal) and decided to refuse any more wine service to any of us. I was shocked. It was humiliating and by far the worst experience I have ever had which says a lot as I have lived in Portland since 1978 and was, myself, a restaurant owner and restaurant reviewer for the Willamette Week. NEVER have i witnessed such unprofessional behavior and a serious misjudge of a group that were trying to celebrate a lovely evening and opening. SHAME on them. I suggest they go into another line of business because there was nothing hospitable about this venue.

I went there tonight with a European friend. The waitress was very young. She apparently took offense about my friend's inquiry about substituting Brussel sprouts for potato and his mentioning his temperature request for the steak. The manager and owner came to us and told us not to be impolite to the waitress. We were not. My friend was insulted by the statement he was impolite (he was not) and the boldness of the manager berating him. We left, and I will never return there. This was an unimaginable, horrible experience. The manager insulted the customer in an attempt to assuage the feelings of his sensitive, inexperienced waitress. My previous review of Gallo Nero was positive. I removed that one and write this one.

First time here. Food specials were great and fair pricing. I had a beef dish with truffles and veggies and we tried the brodo ( ravioli soup) and prosciutto and burrata salad. Everything was very good. Great selection of wines by the glass as well as bottles. Try the Cigliuti Barbaresco.

Soooo - my dearest friends have been talking about Gallo Nero forEVER. I've been on several occasions while home visiting family and was excited for our dinner this evening. Unfortunately it was not great, indeed with only 2 out of 4 plates decent, it's a strain to say it was even good. Plate #1: Halibut Special - edible but undercooked and bland; Plate #2 Pici - so salty as to be barely edible; #3 Strozzapreti, Prosciutto E Rucola: good; #4 Beef Medallions: super chewy/super not great. The Problem: waiter came over to ask how our food was. My friend with the beef mentioned that the meat was really chewy and asked what could be done. Waiter said smugly: I don't think there's anything .... And left the plate on the table. My friend with the salty pasta said nothing. Bill came - of course the uneaten beef was on the bill (even while the plate sat on the end of the table). When we spoke the to owner (??) he suggested that the beef was fine - maybe she just "couldn't chew it." Begrudgingly he removed from the check. Here's what - everything that comes out of the kitchen may not be perfect. What makes a great restaurant is the response to it. Here, the response was shite. Sadly, I will not be back. In the end, Gallo Nero is Gallo Nero Flaccido

Not for the faint of heart. The food is potent! It was an absolute privilege to dine here last weekend. My friends had been bragging about this place so much I simply had to see what the fuss was about. Classy ambience, excellent service, and like most good Italian restaurants, a subtle, yet obvious sense of pride carried by the staff. They KNOW they're good, but don't need to brag about it. The focus of this review will be on the pasta we tried, because on this evening, nothing else mattered.... although I have to give a small shoutout to their selection of burrata for the caprese- Exquisite!! First, the ravioli with truffle was absolutely potent. I have never been hit with such a strong truffle essence in all my years of dining. They matched the dish with a stalk of rosemary, which added a very interesting dimension to the palate, but was a tad bit over powering. Still, I was amazed! Next, the lasagna was a dish for the gods. The bechamel sauce was a powerful partner to the meat sauce, and is extremely rich. I don't recommend this for light diners. Highly recommend a red wine to pair with this dish, otherwise your palate may be overwhelmed. My absolute favorite dish was the sophisticatedly simple Strozzapreti, prosciutto e rucola. This fresh pasta was the star of the night. We had to order several servings of this as it simply wasn't enough. If there is one MUST TRY dish, THIS WAS IT! I highly recommend you order your pasta dishes to share. Each is distinctly diabolical, and may prove too much, almost like having the world's greatest lover kiss a virgin for the first time. All the desserts were good, but there was just something about their tiramisu that made the dinner perfect. It could have been caused by the potent pasta, or simply because their tiramisu is fantastic in its own right. Whatever the case, highly recommend you finish with this. High marks and I'll definitely be back here again, and again, and.... yes... again.

Had a great meal here last night. Heartily recommend: Lasagna - I just got back from a trip to Northern Italy and honestly the two lasagnas I had there were inferior to the one I had here A drink called something like "Brooklyn Drink," basically a manhattan The tiramisu Everyone in my party loved everything they ordered. Service people were all great. Next time hoping to go in a smaller party so we can sit on the patio (4 tops max).

Our experience here was nothing short of phenomenal! The vibe is swanky, without being pretentious. Their wine selection and recommendations were perfect, and the service was impeccable! The Tuscan cuisine was incredibly delicious, and the dessert finished our evening perfectly. I will definitely be back, and I'm already recommending it to friends!

Finally had a Friday night off and was able to try out Gallo Nero. Made reservations for 8pm, no problem. We arrived right on time and were seated in the back. My boyfriend and I were both surprised at the size of the restaurant; for years I thought it was just the front area. We both ordered delicious cocktails (Grappa Margarita and Brooklyn) and a bruschette (Salsiccia E Stracchino). Both of our beverages were fantastic. I've never had Grappa before, but I've wanted to try it since watching Archer (yeah, you know that episode when he had a pint of Grappa). I would TOTALLY order both drinks again. I do want to try Grappa on it's on now. The brushette was dank AF. I do wish it had tomato and basil on it, in addition to the sausage and the cheese, though. Maybe I'll ask for it next time. My boyfriend ordered the risotto and I got the Strozzapreti, Prosciutto, E Rucola... which was apparently a popular dish. WOW!!! Just WOW!!! The portions were perfect. The risotto was rich and creamy. The porcini mushrooms were just buttery AF. So good. Real risotto. My strozzapreti was... ugh... so good. (As I write this hours later, I wish I hadn't eaten it all.) So, we found strozzapreti to be meaty like gnocchi, but in long cavatelli pasta form. I really like it. They DID NOT skimp on the prosciutto. And the dish was so good, even if they did skimp on the prosciutto I wouldn't be mad. (I probably shouldn't have admitted that.) We shared a special as secondi: Tagliata Al Tartufo (Painted Hills beef tenderloin cooked medium rare with garlic, fresh truffle and rosemary in a light cognac sauce, sliced and served on roasted potatoes and broccolini). Guys, there was legit shaved black truffle on this dish. I couldn't stand it... in a good way... I just kinda stared in awe for awhile (even after reading an article the other day about how BS truffles are... look it up, it was great). Our server suggested a bottle of delicious Chianti to accompany this dish: it was fabulous. Overall, I would totally go back to Gallo Nero tomorrow. The only thing I will say is, I feel like we weren't attended to as much as other 2 tops seated near us and close to the same time. My drink sat in the well for quite some time after it was made, and after my boyfriend had already received his. Regardless, the service did continue to improve through the night and we will return. I WANT SOME MORE OF THAT PASTA!!!

This place is AMAZING !! Love the food which is fresh, yummy and very Italian. The Onweres do a fab job bringing some Italy to Portland,

Such a cozy ambiance! Went here for date night on a Friday night. Felt very local in the best way. The food and service was incredible. We tried the Bruschetta American, Lasagna, and Cacciucco. All were absolutely amazing. Portions were on the smaller side. We would've added a salad to our order. My husband is already talking about wanting to go back!

I love this place. My husband and I come here every Sunday and we look forward to it every week. The food is amazing, staff is very friendly, and the it's a nice place for a quiet romantic dinner. Highly recommend!

In Italy now, haven't found anything here that measures up to Gallo Nero! Hands down the best Italian cuisine in the NW.

It is what it says a typical Trattoria - but once you sit at the table its more than that. Yes it has the personality in the service and the owner is around and greets everyone but then there is the food.... FLASHBACK... sitting in a trattoria in Itally, just on the passenger walkway on a small table.. getting the best spaghetti ever, mamma made them... mamma comes out and refills the plate, even when you do not ask about that ... FLASHBACK Well mamma does not cook this food and she will as well not come out and bring more - but the food is as good as mamma would make it. Great service, delicious food and the deserts (tiramisu and gelato (the hazelnut gelato is just like a frozen hazelnut from the tree)) bringing back good times. We can only recommend the trattoria and will come back often to sit on the sidewalk.. (wait was that MAMMA? behind the curtain....)

It was our first time here. Quite, cozy place. The food was delicious and the dirty martinis were so good! Our waitress was very kind and answered all our questions. Everyone was really nice, would recommend forsure.

This place was awesommmmeeeeeeee. Best Italian food I had on my entire trip to Portland, and the staff was very friendly. I enjoyed the aesthetic appeal of the restaurant as well. Definitely recommend!

Celebrated with a nice dinner here. Mitch, our server was a delight. Loved that there were Italians eating there too. You know it's going to be good! And it was! One of the best Italian meals I've ever had.

read the reviews and had high hopes but food was a let down service was great and friendly staff flavor just not there but Very SMALL portions we had a pasta sampler bruschetta salmon and a daily special of scallops won't be going back unfortunately

Small spot, minimal seating, not so comfy chairs, a bit loud, and pretty expensive. AND...outstanding service, outstanding wine selection, beyond superior food; quality, quantity, creative, fresh, fabulous ingredients. If you're looking for a special occasion - go! If you're looking to entertain friends/family/customers or co-workers, go! If you're looking to WOW someone or just treat yourself-go!! It'll be pricey, but you'll leaving looking for a reason(s) to come back as soon as possible!!

Had dinner here three nights ago. Everything was wonderful, except the beef in the special... tough, chewy. I had to ask for a steak knife. That said, I will be back! Great wine, cocktails, pasta and desserts.

Came here for dinner on a Friday night. We were told we had a strict 2 hour seating time; not a problem at all. The seating areas are split into distinct sections, so it felt like a smaller restaurant than it actually was. Feels a bit upscale but also approachable. Ideal for a date night/classier dinner. We ordered the Gorgonzola bruschetta, the special pasta for the night (cannot remember the name), and the lasagna. It was all great. My partner is Italian and has visited the homeland a couple of times, and he raved about how authentic all the dishes were. He said it was the best lasagna he'd ever had. We ended with an adffogato--the sweet cream ice cream was perfect. The service was good and very attentive. Overall, no complaints and great food. We'd definitely be back again when we're in the mood for authentic Italian.

Wonderful little gem of a place. The spritz cocktail was really refreshing. I also had the mushroom risotto-soo good. The flourless chocolate cake was dry for some reason even with the gelato on top. Wouldn't order that again. The service was great Except for the cake it was a wonderful evening.

I've been here twice, once for dinner and once for lunch. For dinner I had their 4 course dinner menu. Everything was good, but the star was the steak with a puff pastry style crust. It was amazing, top 10 steak I've ever had. More recently I came here for lunch and got the lunch combination. $25 for two spectacular dishes. First was a salad with Dungeness crab, avocado, and mango. Arguably my three favorite foods. After scarfing that down, the main course was steak bites with black truffle on asparagus. The ingredients went perfectly together and the remaining juice was so tasty that our table ordered bread to soak it all up. For dessert I ordered their tiramisu. I've only had tiramisu a few times in my life, but this was probably the best.

Came here for dinner last night They have 6 seating spaces with two fire pits for post Covid outdoor dining in a pretty well enclosed tent that was very warm (and it was rain snowing last night but we were able to dine without jackets) We ordered their premium pours of wine, their special of the day (the most amazing fresh sole) & a leek potato purée soup, Gorgonzola and asparagus salad & caprese salad & ended with cafe Umbria espresso, & tiramisu (could have been a bit more moist) Everything was done very nicely & service was great.

A flat out embarrassment, literally no other description will suffice. From the waiter who defined absent, to the owner that loves to now make snide comments. It literally pains me to write this review as I was so looking forward to coming back in as I've missed dining at Gallo Nero something fierce. This was my go to place in Portland, and I've recommended this spot to all of my friends and even strangers, it was that good. After this experience, I will never return and I so wish it wasn't the case.

4.5 Burrata salad was super good! Salmon dinner was very good too. Rosemary gin tonic was super good. The not so good: Prices seemed higher than they should be

Let me be clear: The food was excellent... clean and fresh. Compliments to the chef and our waiter. However, the hostess and sommelier were smug, dismissive, and both dressed down in jeans. I've lived in PDX for 2 decades and am grossed out by stuck up newbies in this town. We were talked down to and dismissed by both of them. I get the impression this had to do with my race (I'm not white) because tables of white folks seemed to have different service. Even though the food was great, I won't be bringing visiting artists, filmmakers, or chefs there again anytime soon.

Great Italian menu. Nice ambiance in a cozy dining room that could be anywhere in Tuscany. Friendly, Italian-savvy staff. Highly recommend.

This restaurant exceeded all expectations. Went in for a snack and wine and ended up staying for a couple bottles, snacks, dinner and dessert. It is pure authentic Italian. Started with the cheese plate, meat plate and bruschetta with chicken liver and anchovy spread. All were fantastic. We followed up with the Spaghetti Al Frutti Di Mare (with seafood, white wine and cherry tomatoes) and Garganelli Al Pomoodoro (garlic, basil and tomato sauce with chili flakes). These two dishes were as authentic as any I have had in Italy. Truly special. Also - huge kudos to our server Andrew who made our day complete with the right amount of service and entertainment!! I will be back to this wonderful little gem over and over again in the future. Just a wonderful find in Portland.

We have enjoyed their food and wine for many years. Recently we went there to celebrate our daughter's anniversary and thoroughly enjoyed our snapper and beef dishes as well as a feast bottle of wine finishing off with desserts and coffees (Amiricanos and cappuccino). But one thing nags at me, when we arrived a little after 5pm, we were told that our table was needed at 7:30pm. Then when my daughter and her husband arrived at 5:30pm, they weee told the same thing. As a result, we did not go there when our friends returned from outside the country and we wanted to hear about their experiences and travels. As it turned out we were ready to leave well before 7:30 but our friends and we spent two plus hours at another restaurant. Keep that in mind. I am glad we did!

I have been in Portland for over 5 days and even ventured to Seattle. I made many stops to eat and this by far is my absolute favorite. The service was beyond amazing the drinks were amazing poured with a heavy hand (in a good way) and the food OMG ! Melted in my mouth ! This place is a absolute GEM!!

An unassuming but oh-so-good Italian restaurant. Casual service with authentic food that's delicious and reasonably priced. The lasagna in particular is ridiculously good, as is the bruschetta fegatini (Italian liver pate). Go!

Our party had a mixed experience. Most opted for the fair value prix fixe for $35. Someone offered me bite of their ravioli, but that would mean I'd consume about 1/3 of the portion, i.e., they are small. Bread - nothing special and definitely not hot. Maybe it's only the French that serve it that way and not the Italians. Polenta - somewhat tasteless, but the blue-cheese type spread that accompanied it was delicious. Funghi Bruschetta - a hit with the table, good portion too. Buffalo Mozzarella (serving one of the prix fixe option), better than average. Minestrone (prix fixe) - meh. The serving bowl is unappetizing, resembled something at a chain restaurant. Ribollita (stew) - I enjoyed it, a good option for the healthy route. Ample. Strozzapreti - apparently the most popular pasta dish. I'm not an al dente fan (give me stick to the fork pasta anyday), but it works here. The arugula complemented the excellent prosciutto nicely. Steak (prix fixe) - Table liked it, but I didn't find as tender as others did. Good garnishment though. Fair portion. Fish (prix fixe) - I think they used Skate. A very generous portion. Good flavor, I'd order again. Desserts - the table consensus is The I Dolci is a near fail. Nothing of our five or six variety order was memorable. The lemon custard thing had very little lemon flavor. The flourless chocolate cake was far from moist. Skip dessert and go elsewhere. The espresso - good, and I especially enjoyed the cute little cup. Ambiance - quaint, not too big or noisy. The menu could use an upgrade, very low-end. Service - pleasant, polite and efficient, but far from friendly. Absolutely, nothing beyond taking the order. This seems to be an issue here based on other reviews. Go back? - nope.

Visited here last week and had high expectations from food. The folks are very hospitable and make you feel welcomed. However food didn't meet our expectations. Ordered a bunch of bruschetta and several dishes. The best was Lemon Chicken and Eggplant salad. Rest of the food was average. Bruschetta was not up to the mark and the Tiramisu was well below average. Overall hospitable place but don't expect to be wowed on food.

Celebrated my birthday here last night with 4 girlfriends; it was absolutely perfect. We had a resi for an indoor table; we were greeted immediately by our server Andrew who was completely charming. After a round of cocktails (Negroni on point!) we started with the antipasto plate. Absolutely delicious. There was some sort of horseradish pear sauce that was a marvelous surprise, and gorgeous meats and cheeses. My fave was the pecorino. I literally wanted to eat EVERYTHING on the menu, so my gals and I decided to go for family style sharing. Overhearing this, Andrew asked if he could just surprise us. Yes! He brought 2 salads: grilled shrimp and greens, and a burrata caprese. Divine. Then he gave us two bowls of pasta, and some lemon chicken and roast potatoes. One of the pasta dishes was with Gorgonzola, salami(?) and arugula and we loved it. But the table favorite was pappardelle with actual truffles. OMG. We had a bottle of Prosecco and when it was time for dessert, we chose a trio: Torta della Nonna, which was a delightful reminder of my Cajun grandmother's Chess Pie; flourless chocolate cake, and the BEST Tiramisu I've ever had in my life! ... and all the while, the staff conversed in Italian- it's legit. What a gem. We will all definitely be back.

My friend met the owner during a shift at work and he suggested that she come to his restaurant, so that we did! Located in the Pearl district, this is a smaller sized Italian restaurant with a truly authentic feel. So please don't come here with Olive Garden type expectations in mind. Notes-- *Low-lighting; great for romance. *Nearly all of their very extensive drink menu is in Italian, so it may get very confusing. Ordered: Pelligrino($3)-- The flavors were in Italian, so I did not know that "pompelmo" meant "grapefruit". It was still good, I just wasn't expecting it. Americana($9)-- Appetizer consisting of 5 pieces of bruschetta with chopped tomatoes. Came a bit burnt, but was still pretty decent overall. Scappolina($14)-- A simple dish consisting of a decent amount of chicken, which was dressed in a very delicious sauce. The chicken itself has a very refined taste to it, having been almost perfectly cooked. Tasted very fresh. Though it came with no sides, I found myself surprisingly satisfied. Moscato($6)-- I don't remember the name, but it was the only moscato on the list. Very, very sweet, with barely a hint of alcohol being detected. This worked out for me, since I'm sensitive to alcohol. Apple Torte($8)-- An Italian cake with apples baked into it. Came with sweet cream flavored gelato and sliced apples. Service: Excellent. From the owner to the waiter (a dark haired Italian fellow), to the hostess who occasionally helped the waiter with the table. They were very welcoming, and the waiter even suggested a wine that ended up being very delicious. Wait time: 10 minutes for the bruschetta and 15-20 minutes for the entrees. Bill: $$$

We were a party of six and because the place was so small the only place they could seat us was by the deli counter. There were more outside tables but we chose to eat inside because it was hot. The portions were not large, and they were out of a few things by the time we had dinner at 7 PM. The service was OK, but they got our wine order wrong. It's not your classic Italian but the food was well prepared.

Food presentation was beautiful and delicious. Our waiter Garrett was funny, informative & attentive! We loved every part of our experience!!!! Highly recommend & will return!

Owner is extremely rude!! Looked online and wasn't easy to tell what could be made vegan so I called to ask. He said "look online at the menu It's self explanatory" when I proceeded to let him know that I had just looked he started to talk over me and wouldn't let me speak. Ass hole!

Took my bride here for Valentines dinner and once again, loved every aspect of the experience. Smiles everywhere, great food and an unforgettable evening. We had the lemon chicken and the house favorite strozzapreti homemade pasta. Great selection of rosso vinos by the glass. The premium pour Barolo was our favorite. Nice teamwork from the staff. Cin-cin!

Best Negroni in Portland. Super friendly owner and staff were okay with me taking a table and just having drinks while I waited for my daughter at the salon next door...will come back for dinner some day. Nice way to spend an hour or two sitting outside.

Pretty impressed with the food and service. I visited with my mom, and the server was very attentive and helpful. The wine selection was good! The food was delicious! I think the only thing that wasn't as amazing was the lasagna. Really hoping for more Tuscan food options in the future (wild boar?).

I have eaten there a few times. I had 2 nice experiences with a server that was quirky, funny and obviously very experienced. The food was good enough that I went back. I prefer Nostrana, but fun to mix it up sometimes. The 3rd time they were in a new dining room and were obviously training staff. The owner was also waiting on tables and training them at the same time. The new people were doing their best and obviously quite nervous. The owner was a pompous @#$. Very arrogant and rude. I'm sure he was stressed out by having so many more tables than in the past and new help, but his behavior was unforgivable. He was so rude to my friend who is almost deaf and a very kind man that it was embarrassing. He accused him of cursing at him when he got the bill, which is ridiculous. We had a guest and was very shocking to see how this played out. We had asked them to split the bill when we ordered and the new person forgot, so the owner came over and told us just to figure it out. My friend handed it back to him and said it would be better if you fix it. That is when he blew up saying he didn't need to be cursed at in his own restaurant and went on a rant. I couldn't decide if the guy was drunk or unhinged. He made such a scene as we left shouting to never come back. Crazytown.........I made eye contact with the waiter from the past and said is this guy really the OWNER? He seemed very embarrassed and nodded yes. You can try it but be prepared to get attacked if you ask to split the bill and avoid having the owner as your waiter. The food is not THAT good. Plenty of other places to eat.

This is my sister's boyfriend's place he co owns it . This place is amazing ! Not just cause my sister and her boyfriend works there ha . The food and customer service is the best ! Highly recommend it !

The perfect place for a lunch date, Gallo Nero boasts simple, fresh ingredients, as well as a well thought-out menu and food made with love. Our waiter was very attentive and seemed genuinely excited to discuss ingredients with us. The Salumi/Formaggi plate was as no-frills as it gets -no crackers, olive oil, not even pepper. This is how Italian fare should be. The flavors of the meats, cheeses, olives, and fruits speak for themselves. The food is light, but generous. Let's not forget about the bread...good Lord, the BREAD! The flavors are nuanced and complex, yet simple at the same time. The Degustazione Pasta is a combo offering of two pastas for $20. We ordered the Strozzapreti, Prosciutto e Rucola, and the Tagliatelle al Sugo. Fantastic! I can find zero faults with Gallo Nero. Eating here, you get the sense that everything is done with purpose, and well worth the money. I recommend Gallo Nero for an authentic Italian eating experience.

Overall the food here was fairly good, though it seemed hit or miss with the flavors. We started with the FUNGHI, which really had no flavor. Lots of salt and oil helped it along though. The RAVIOLI AL TARTUFO followed, which was delicious. We had their GARGANELLI AL POMOODORO, which was not super exciting. Lots of salt, cheese, and chili helped it along but it was pretty acidic and not well balanced. Our main was the FILETTO ALLA CHIANTIGIANA, which was absolutely delicious and cooked perfectly. We finished with tiramisu, which again was wonderful and certainly could taste the booze.

Legit Italian fare, not over-sauced Recommended from my Italian friends that are from Italy, who have said to me, "this place tastes like home". It took me awhile to finally get here, but, boy was it worth it. On this brisk winter night, it was just what the doctor ordered. To me, this was a easy peasy five star experience. I tasted a bunch of lovely dishes, such as; *The Swordfish - this just melted in my mouth, so flavorful and perfectly cooked. *Linguine with shaved truffles- probably one of the best pasta dishes I've had in 10 years. This was just perfecto ! al dente, not over-sauced with house made pasta. *Tagliatella al sugo- meat sauce was outstanding, it was savory, perfectly prepared and comforting. *Polenta- in my opinion, the most under utilized food in Portland. When grilled with parmigiana and a marinara sauce on top, it's simply perfect. Come on Portland chefs...get this on your menus ! Though this one did not have the parmesan, it was good not great. *Torta della nonna- I tried 3 desserts, this one was really, really good. *Expresso- smokey, earthy & creamy, must have. All & All I really enjoyed my visit here, service was authentic, knowledgeable and professional. This Italian food is spot on to what Italian food tastes like and is prepared. Smaller dishes...ya I know but its about the flavor, you want big portions, try portofino. This is a dining experience, don't be in a hurry, you'll enjoy it much better. Buon Appetito ! Ciao

So happy to find this little gem. Took my mom here for dinner. The service was absolutely amazing, our waiter was such a fun delight. Cocktails were great, we had the bruschetta fegatini as an appetizer. OMG I would come back just to order that and have wine, so amazing. I had pasta with prosciutto, arugula, and mascarpone and holy hell was it delicious. I don't think I've ever had pasta so perfectly cooked. It was so nice to go out for a meal during Covid and feel like it's a normal night out. They have an outdoor covered tent with a few tables, a beautiful fire pit, and lights strung across the top. Will be coming back very soon. Thank you so much for a lovely evening out!

Overall great experience and the staff were pretty welcoming and humorous! Seafood was fresh and yummy

It was a big surprise for us to find such a wonderful Italian restaurant in the Pearl. Daily specials are amazing. The wine cart has over 300 different Italian wines, carefully selected by a sommelier Rebecca. The ambiance is 5 stars. We will come back soon.

This place is such a unique find. My husband and I stumbled upon it during lunch time. There were only 2 other tables taken, so it was quiet. The staff was friendly and the feel of it actually reminded us of being in Italy. We ordered 3 different dishes and they were all authentic style Italian dishes. The quality and flavors were all 4-5/5. The strozapretti prosciutto and Medaglioni al Pepe verde were so delicious. Having been in Italy before, these dishes were as close to that as I have found.

The best meal that I have had since COVID-19. Don't get me wrong I've been to lots of places since COVID-19 began because I live in Arizona where the rules are quite lax and the food is very good. We have been in Portland for about a week and have eaten at both of Jake's restaurants, but this one is far superior. We had the shrimp salad and the eggplant. Don't miss the eggplant it was absolutely fantastic! Excellent cafe Americano and service by Andrew.

This was perhaps the greatest meal I' ve ever had. Everything from food to service was five plus star on the evening we went. Incredible bruschetta w blue cheese and almonds, a fabulous salad w tomato jam on mozzarella, the spaghetti with wonderful mussels, artfully presented shrimp, clams rave rave rave on. My wife's risotto incredible, fab desserts for $100. Just incredible taste, ambiance, flavors