The Gilt Club

I was planning a birthday part for my wife and 12 friends. Jamie (the owner) could not have been more accommodating in helping plan a great menu, select wine in my price range, and create a special birthday cake. He even offered to print custom menus with photos provided by me. When we got there, everything was as promised and our server, Josh, was great. Friendly, attentive, and always one step ahead of our needs. All in all, a fantastic experience and we will definitely go back. I recommend The Gilt Club to anyone looking for creative cocktails, a cool dinner spot, or getting together with a group of friends.

Pros: Outstanding service, great food, creative drinks

Cons: None

Posted 09/27/09

i love the mood of this restaurant. it feels like an old 1920's speak easy or something. very romantic is a period-film way. they have a great menu that they serve all night, and they give restaurant industry people a late night discount!

Pros: moody/ classy lounge like atmosphere

Posted 05/22/09

I had my wife's 30th Birthday dinner here for 18 of us and it was incredible. The owner had planned everything out with me ahead of time including a special menu and we walked in and just enjoyed ourselves. With a very creative food and drink menu Gilt Club is a must if you live in or are visiting Portland.

Pros: Service and great tasting, unique food and drink menu.

Cons: Food delivery a little slow for 1/2 of our group of 18.

Posted 04/15/09

Best Iced Spanish Coffees! Enough said. Food is good as well and great atmosphere inside and sitting outside during the summer is great.

Pros: Good Food, Drinks, atmosphere & staff

Cons: none

Posted 03/20/09

I host a monthy artist networking group and the Gilt Club was suggested as a great venue to use. Well, I was IMpressed. Love the location! As I am from the NY/NJ area, we always love gems in off-the-beaten path areas. Anyone every been to that great diner-style highbrow on Gansevoort St. in the West Village!? Jamie, the proprietor was extremely welcoming and accomodating. The decor is lovely elegance with a fun loungey flair! All the things I look for when I want to hang out! The menu was very resonable and the Staff was down-to-earth and ontop of their game! And we unexpectedly completely packed the house! They handled it gracefully. It was a great time and I can't wait to visit again! If you have out-of-town guest, this is a great unassuming place to impress them with lil' ole' Portland! Or just for a fun night with friends. I think Jamie definitely (thankfully) brought some EC with him. Late night eats too! Total Bonus!

Posted 02/17/09

Love this place! My husband and I have been there 5 times now, just us and with friends. Food is always good and consistent. Service is great and we love the owner Jaime. They have very unique cocktails that I haven't seen anywhere, love them! They have a giant TV behind the mirrored bar, so you can watch some old movies, really cool.

Posted 02/12/09

Simply put, your experience at the Gilt Club will be excellent. From the appetizers to the main entrees, everything has wonderful flavor and texture, and the house drinks are excellent. The restaurant has a very cozy and romantic feel, and the wait staff is prompt without being overbearing. This is the perfect place for adults to go out for dinner and get away from the stress of the day.

Posted 01/14/09

My wife and i were impressed with the reviews and the website with its video tour. I will start by saying that the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable of the food and wines. The atmosphere is very pleasant and the decor is very soothing. The French cheese plate was very nice and enjoyable as an appetizer but when it came to my main course that was the incredible part , the medium rare flat iron steak with olive oil was unbelievable , its an incredible feeling when it hits your mouth and you actually have to pause and sit back to appreciate what you are eating. My wifes pan seared willapa sturgeon was wonderfully presented and she as well was very pleased with her meal. You can imagine what the dessert was like. We have been to other restaurants downtown but this one is now number one on our list to enjoy. We will definitely be back and do try The Gilt Club for yourself.

Posted 01/11/09

I have been to Gilt on several occasions and I have yet to be disappointed. The food is always very creative, well prepared and beautifully presented. I had the sturgeon on my last visit and was really pleased. Yum! The playfulness and skill of the chef is apparent in the menu, I think, as there's often amusing revisions of dishes and little modernist twists on classics. It makes for delicious fun, at any rate, because the execution is there as well. That and the servers are all very enjoyable and the bartenders are top-notch. I would highly recommend a visit.

Posted 12/22/08

Based on all the positive reviews, my husband and I decided to try this place out. We were seated at a nice booth towards the back. The server was attentive and helpful. Those are the positives. Now for the cons - it was so dark it made it very difficult to read the menu let alone see our food. We shared the pear and apple salad which consisted of some apple and pear slices, some pistachios with some frisee greens and very little dressing. Pretty much a deconstructed salad. The potato souffle and the rabbit dish were both dry and bland. The rabbit was a strange combination with chorizo. But the strangest was the dessert - the sour cream blini with persimmon and foie gras mousse - it has to win the prize for the worst tasting dessert. We had to go get a spanish coffee to get rid of the terrible taste in our mouths. All in all, the food is disappointing/bland food for quite a bit of $$$. We won't be back.

Posted 12/20/08

I was part of a party of six, and were seated when we showed up. The food was excellent and fresh, the cocktails were tasty and the wine list offered moderately priced bottles of wine. The atmosphere was really warm and not pretentious. Our server was knowledgeable and friendly. She took great care of us and was good about making sure we had enough water, etc, without being bothersome. When the food showed up, the portions look like they might be on the smaller side, but they are not, its just in the presentation. But we are smaller people who don't eat huge amounts of food. All in all it was a good experience. The only thing that was a bit cheeky is that they put 19% gratuity on our check. I would have tipped more than that, but since that's what they put on the bill that is all our server got. I would go back there for sure and also recommend it for others.

Pros: Food, service, atmosphere, drinks, wine.......everything

Cons: Can't think of any.

Posted 10/19/08

A consistent, fresh, and wonderful place to dine. The waitstaff shakes up cocktails at your table: they have people skills are very nice. Was just there tonight with my girlfriend - it was her birthday - the waitstaff brought out a complementary candy plate.. super classy - uber NYC/LA caliber.. like I said classy !!

The lamb was perfect - the duck was perfect - the starters were amazing.. I really love the people there and the food.. really I could have hung out all night. I'm a retired chef from San Francisco/Los Angeles and can't say enough great things about this place.. go go go and have a cocktail you'll leave happy!!

Pros: many

Cons: not so far.. keep up the good work people :)

Posted 06/05/08

We went as a party of 8 with reservations. We were seated right on time. The decor of the restaurant was felt very classy with a modern feel. Our server really knew his stuff and was GREAT all night. We all downed quite a few of their fresh cocktails and I must admit, all were tasty. Although my favorite was the cucumber infused "Tracey's First Love"!!! The lamb tar tar was excellent, it didn't have the heavy lamb flavor I thought it would. Out of all the entrees, we came down to a unianimous decision that my husband's pork chop was the REAL Winner!!! All the food was great and our server kept the drinks flowing! We will definitely be back!!!

Pros: Food, service, cocktails

Cons: loud

Posted 05/29/08

My fiance and I often stop by The Gilt, whether it is for a special dinner or a few cocktails. The food is incredible and you will find things you never thought would go together, like chocolate done three ways with vanilla sea salt and olive oil.... which is heaven on a plate. The cocktails are just as divine. But most importantly the staff at The Gilt Club is friendly, professional, and attentive without being overbearing. We always recommend The Gilt Club to anyone looking for something new.

Posted 03/24/08

MY HUSBAND SOME DEAR FRIENDS AND MYSELF CAME ALL THE WAY FROM UTAH TO WINE TASTE AND DINE FOR VALENTINES DAY. I FOUND THIS LITTLE JEWEL ON THE INTERNET AND WAS NOT DISAPOINTED. SOME OF US ARE VEGETARIAN AND WE FOUND THE VALENTINES DAY MENU OFFERED A NICE SELECTION. THE NON-VEGETARIANS WERE JUST AS DELIGHTED. THE AMBIENCE WAS GREAT, SERVICE WONDERFUL (EVEN ON A BUSY NITE) AND THE FOOD WAS DELECTABLE. WE ENJOYED CRAB CAKES WITH AVOCADO ,MANCHECO STUFFED EGGPLANT,PARSNIP SOUP WITH SEA SCALLOPS. I COULD GO ON AND ON . SUFICE IT TO SAY WE HAD A WONDERFUL EVENING. THANK YOU TO THE OWNER AND STAFF OF THE GILT CLUB. YOU REALLY HAVE A GILT- EDGED JEWEL ON YOUR HANDS.

Pros: AMBIENCE

Cons: PARKING

Posted 02/17/08

I have been a regular on and off at The Gilt Club. I am embarrassed to say that since they have been open it has taken be 2 years to sit down and write the guys a review.

First off... the staff at Gilt are amazing, fun and friendly. It is one of the most friendly places I have ever frequented. The food is always over the top; large portions and very original recipes. Did I mention the cocktails? Their selection on infused vodkas and bourbons are amazing. I dare say they have the best Manhattan in town.

I would suggest highly that you check Gilt out... but then again if you do it might get crowded and I may lose my favorite seat at the bar. What the heck... go... and go now. Maybe I will see you there.

Pros: Amazing Infusions and Awesome Food!

Cons: None really...

Posted 11/18/07

I've been comming here for a few months now and have always found the food and service to be top notch. This is probably one of the best looking places in Portland and after 4 or 5 visits I have always been more than satisfied. I would suggest the moscow mule (served in a copper cup) and the pork with grilled peaches. If you call ahead they will save you a booth.

Posted 08/15/07

We recently went to the gilt and had cocktails and apps,the drinks and appetizers were all excellent. The foie was magical. The service was polite and friendly.

Posted 08/15/07

First of all I will say that the place is really nice inside and the staff was very nice. The cocktails were great and the cheese plate was really tasty and well balanced. The actual food however was pretty bad. I ordered a ceasar salad and my companions ordered the risotto, one veggie style, one with the crab. All three of us hated our food! The risotto was undercooked, waaaay too salty by everyones tastes, and basically tasted like mashed peas! The salad consisted of poorly chosen romain, salty salty dressing, and oily "croutons" that were so hard they cut your mouth! We were all pretty shocked that the food was so poor considering the price range of their menu. We spent $90 (including a couple drinks) for three of us and none of us finished our plates nor did we want to take them home. Ive truly had better food at bars for $5 a plate! It really seemed to us that they spent all their time on presentation and atmosphere and put very little time into making sure the food was good.

Pros: Great atmosphere

Cons: Poor food for the price

Posted 08/14/07

The staff at the Gilt Club was very friendly and attentive. The drinks were very tasty and the atmosphere nice, though I found the food to be ok but fairly average for this type of restaurant around town. The crab chickpea fritters were on the dry side and it was hard to find the crab meat in them, the cheese plate was nice, with a good variety of cheese, nuts and fruit, though smallish portions. A salad with dried apricots was overpowered by too much dressing. The dishes served with french fries were heavy on the fries and light on the actual dinner itself.

All in all it was an ok dining experience, I would only go back if others I was dining with wanted to go, it would not be at the top of my list to try again when there are many other fabulous places nearby.

Pros: Lovely and tasty drinks, Helpful friendly staff

Cons: Mediocre food

Posted 08/13/07

After doing some research on Citysearch I decided that The Gilt Club would be the perfect date night for my boyfriend and I last Friday. I was floored by my martini "Tracy's First Love" a cucumber and basil cocktail that was amazingly refreshing. We started with the Salmon Tartar, and had the Kobe beef, Seared Scallops on wild mushroom risotto for our main course. Every dish seemed to have such a great and amazing balance of flavor and subtlety. In the end we could name what our favorite dish was, they were all equally perfect. We will be back.

We had 3 cocktails, 1 glass of wine, 1 appetizer, 2 main courses, 1 dessert, and 1 coffee. With a healthy tip it was $110.

It was a bargain for a perfect evening.

Pros: All around great food, service and drinks

Cons: street parking can be limited

Posted 05/07/07

My office is near by and I have previously only been here for their happy hour. (Good selection of food and drinks). Last weekend my wife and I went for dinner and had a fantastic experience. It was a special occasion so we asked for a good table with our reservation and when we arrived were promptly seated in a corner booth. We ordered lots of food and when we got there the atmosphere was relaxed and subdued. However by the end of our meal it was starting to get lively and fun. The food was well prepared and ingredients were obviously high quality. Our server was attentive and friendly and the bartender even delivered our drinks once shaking my martini at the table! We probably could have spent more time exploring the cocktail menu but driving home afterwards would have been a challenge. This place is definitely on my radar to go to again.

Posted 05/03/07

Been going here a while now and I've always found the food to be well prepared and flavorful. The drinks are deceptively strong and the atmosphere is great. I would advise going later at night or during the weekdays since this tiny place gets packed on weekends and the servers seem a little overwhelmed. Still when they bring you your table its cocktails in separate shakers they are always friendly.

Pros: Ambience, Parking, Service

Cons: B & T crowd on weekends

Posted 03/25/07

The place looks nice, sans the brown lazily placed curtains that loom around the diner. Everything else top to bottom was a disappointment. The service was aloof at best. I nearly went to the restroom to fill my water glass. Our meals were mediocre and overpriced. The glass wine list was dud after dud. The stella in the bottle was about the best thing this swank waste of time and money had to offer. I'd rather dine in a place with no atmosphere with good food and considerate service any day.

Posted 03/25/07

I have been to the gilt club several times with varying numbers of people, times of day, and days of the week and across the board have been treated like gold by everyone there! I am a server in town at another resturant and go out often and I am consistantly wowed by the care for detail and casual elegance that the staff gives off at gilt club- best I have seen around. You know what else? I have brought other industry folks in and they say the same thing! We are all so so happy that our after work dining experience can include an extensive menu until 2am!
The food and driniks are fantastic as well, I have never been let down here. I just cannot say enough great things about gilt club.
Oh, and to those who may have felt ignored here, or at any restaurant for that matter- SAY SOMETHING to one of the many passing staff you say you saw, like "Excuse me, could you have our server come over please?". We all make the occasional mistake and think that someone else is helping out a table when in fact it's ours! I am sure that no server has ever intentionally ingnored a table. Given the chace to correct our mistakes we all try our best to do so.
Oh, and no I do not personally know anyone and I was not paid to write this or anything crazy- I just think it is top notch dining and I have waited too long to say so.

Pros: Service, food, drinks, ambience, menu, everything really

Cons: I don't get there often enough

Posted 03/06/07

Amazing bar and restaurant! I moved to Portland recently from San Fran and I've been looking for a place with good cocktails and food. The staff is friendly and prompt, and the drinks are incredible. You can tell that all ingredients are fresh. The Idillic is a must have. I had scallops and risotto which were excellent. The decor is very hip and the background music was a nice mix of trip hop and electronica. Highly recommended!

Pros: Food, drinks, ambience

Cons: None

Posted 03/04/07

I have been wanting to visit this place for some time now. So, I met two friends there last night. They were served drinks at the bar and, since there was no room at the bar we asked for a table for dinner when I arrived. We were promptly seated in a comfortable corner and left there by our lonesomes for 25 minutes. There were two servers, one host, one bartender and one guy (don't know what he was doing). If you've been to this place, you know that that's a plenty of waitstaff for such a tiny place.
It wasn't busy. The bar, which seats about eight people, was full, but the dining area was practically empty. We went to the bar and asked for our tab. We explained that we had been sitting there for 25 minutes and no one had even come to see if we needed a water refill. One of the servers said that sometimes, when people move from the bar to the dining room, there is a miscommunication. Sorry - don't buy that one. I have never been to a restaurant and been forgotten about when moved from the bar to the dining room and certainly never in a place to intimate. You can have a normal conversation with someone across the room!
No excuse for being forgotten. No excuse for no apology either. Won't go back.

Pros: Ambiance is great, walking distance from everyone my friends and I live and work

Cons: service, service...NO service.

Posted 03/03/07

The Gilt Club's atmosphere is amazing. The staff treats each and every patron with the utmost respect. This is a great place for first dates and long term anniversaries. The Gilt Club is the place to go for anyone on any budget. Ask for an Iced Spanish Coffee and you will get on the bandwagon for the best drink this side of the Mississippi River Ask for Jamie and he will treat you like family. The Gilt Club is the one place to go while in Portland, whether it be your first bar or for a night cap for the evening.

Pros: The staff, and everything else

Cons: there are none

Posted 02/09/07

I took a friend to celebrate her birthday. We were seated even before our reservation time. The service was exceptional as well as colorful. The decor is beautiful and the food was very good only to be out done by the service. I'm looking forward to many great meals at Gilt.

Pros: Service, Decor, Food

Cons: none

Posted 01/15/07

I've been to Gilt a couple of times and have never been disappointed. This place keeps getting better.

Posted 01/14/07

On the positive side, the food was mostly very good (some exceptions).

At a place like this, however, you come with high expectations. My Manhattan was a watered down mess. I suspect the reason for this is that they insist on shaking the cocktails at the table and I bet mine had been sitting around way too long before the precious shake. I should have sent it back but the staff was so busy that I would have had to wait another 10 minutes or so for my drink. This place needs a tune up.

Pros: Mostly good food

Cons: Staff is slammed

Posted 01/14/07

2 dunce caps - slow service and a lack of attention was punctuated by some very encouraging appetizers (mussels and a grilled goat cheese with pears) and a pleasant apple tartlette for desert. The entrees when they eventually arrived were mixed - the duck was good, however the short ribs and scallops did not merit more than an ok. The monkfish was just bland and very dissappointing. The valiant effort of the server could not overcome the overall dissapointment - not a location I will revisit.

Posted 01/13/07

I have never had food this good. I went with my sister and a friend and we had three appetizers, five drinks, three entrees and two desserts for $103 plus a $20 tip. The service was excellant, we were seated right away and we weren't bothered to much but we were never left wanting anything. The ambience was amazing. Very intimate and soothing. I had the duck and it was very good. Really understating things when I say I've never had food that good. The goat cheese appetizer was to die for. I had a great belgian beer that was fantastic. I loved the small intimate feel. I will be returning again.

Pros: Food, Service, Ambience, Price, and Food

Cons: None

Posted 12/10/06

My sister and a friend of mine when there on Saturday night, it was great! We got there 15 Minutes early so we could try a cocktail and our luck was perfect, the table we had a reservation for had just emptied and we got to sit right away. Sister had the goat cheese starter and the duck and RAVED the whole time about both of them, she was practicly mewing over the duck, and I had the parsnip and potatoe soup with the Venison chops, absolutly amazing! Our server was super helpful, it's kind of a so so thing when eating in trendy restaurants. 5 stars to these guys!

Pros: Great place

Cons: Just a little loud

Posted 11/12/06

We went with a very large (and unruly) group. The staff was sooooooo patient and gracious. It's gorgeous inside and the food was excellent.

Posted 10/13/06

best customer service from bar-staff-guy jaime (or jamie?). either way, he went above and beyond and i've never been so impressed in all my years behind and infront (and sometimes on top) of the bar. thanks again for making the night last way longer than it would have otherwise - atleast for one of us. keep up the good work, i'm sure our troop will make another appearance sooner than later. ps, i agree with the post below about this place not being TOO known, it's so nice that way. makes me feel like i know something that most people should, but don't.

Pros: decor, location, music that made you delightfully giggle.

Cons: nothing so far!

Posted 09/25/06

I personally am quite pleased the Gilt Club isn't so well known -- it's such a great place -- amazing atmosphere, fantastic drinks, great food, excellent service. It's really a treasure.

PS: Rumor has it -- after 10 p.m., 50% discounts for service industry folks.

Pros: Delightfully Undiscovered (so far!)

Posted 08/30/06

Was pleasantly surprised to find that this was as good as the other reviews said it would be. Had a fabulous dinner and the service was exceptional.

Posted 08/18/06

After hearing about the Gilt Club for quite some time, my girlfriend and I decided to check it out last friday. Not only was the place amazing, but the service and food reflected the decor. We will certainly be back and have highly recommended you to all our friends.

Thanks again for a great evening Gilt Club!

G. Woods

Pros: Excellent Food!

Posted 06/20/06

After hearing good things about the Gilt Club from a friend, I made reservations for me and 3 other friends to dine at this restaraunt. From the moment we walked through the door the staff was eager to please us. Very fun atmosphere along with great food and excellent service made for a very pleasent evening. I will definatly dine at gilt again!

Pros: atmosphere, friendly staff, great food and drinks

Posted 06/12/06

I've been here a couple of times now and have never been disappointed. The food has always exceeded my expectations and the service is phenomenal. Drinks and decor set a high bar for the neighborhood. Have an "Idillic". Best part is they offer the same menu at 2am that they have at 7pm. Weekends can be a little crazy but weekdays seem pretty mellow. Outside tables are nice but the local crazies aren't the most romantic back drop. I suggest sitting inside if you are trying to impress.

Pros: food, service, drinks

Posted 05/17/06

The food was way too salty, I think the chef overdid it. The prices were high for what we got and I could barely taste the truffles in my dish. No thanks!

Pros: Ambiance, Television

Cons: Food

Posted 05/15/06

our party of four was looked after extremely well last friday night. attentive, unrushed service; good value for food quality. Everyone was happy with their meails - many locally inspired dishes. recommend caesar salad, goat cheese appetizer; steak and pasta entrees also very good. quantity sizes very appropriate (not too large/small). Would like to see the dessert menu expanded. We hope to return soon.

Pros: ease of parking, intimate setting

Posted 04/03/06

Last part of town you'd expect a good restaurant in, but still . . .
Very sexy interior. Oh and the TV in the bar was showing "Barbarella". Right on.
The cocktails were the best! Fresh squeezed juices, interesting flavors. Very well done.
The food was great. We had their beef tartare--great flavor and seasoning, and the seared scallop is a nice touch. The mussels smelled wonderful as they arrived, and proved delicious. For entrees we had the penne with boar ragu and the fish special, which was sole with brown butter sauce and celery root. Both very tasty. Perfectly cooked pasta and nice hearty sauce. The fish was very good, with a nice lemony, brown butter sauce with capers.
The dining room is small and got quite noisy when full. All in all, though, it's a perfect place for a romantic evening.

Pros: food, cocktails, atmoshpere

Cons: kinda noisy, dark

Posted 02/21/06

I've driven by this place and wondered what its story was until this weekend. I got invited to a Bday party and met my group for a fantastic dinner. From the moment you step inside you just feel comfortable. The food, drinks, service and decor are all fantastic! This place is sexy w/out bring pretentious.

Pros: service, atmosphere, drinks

Cons: small

Posted 02/20/06

My boyfriend and I went to Gilt club for our Valentine's day dinner. At a price of $75 a couple you would think their service would have been better. We were seated right away but after we sat down, nothing happened. No water, no "I will be with you in a minute" nothing. We sat and watched as all the waiters and waitresses around us helped everyone else. Only not us. After waiting 30 minutes no one had still helped us and we ended up walking out.

I have never been treated so rude and I will never give this place my business.
I

Cons: bad service

Posted 02/15/06

We were surprised this place was not more full on a friday evening. The ambiance is hip, the service top-notch, and the food was surprisingly adventurous. We strted with the special soup, a Garbanzo Bean soup drizzled with infused oil - it was out of this world. For our entrees we tried the Penne Rigatti with Wild Boar Ragu and the Cod with Celery Root Hash and King Trumpet Mushrooms - both were very good. The limited but adequate wine list is reasonably priced. Great cocktails & interesting wines by the glass.

Pros: Reasonable Prices, Service

Cons: Background Music

Posted 02/12/06

Dark, hip, great food and drinks and the friendliest staff I've ever met.

Posted 01/14/06

Excellent food til 2am. Good Happy hour early. Super comfortable atmosphere. Phenomenal service. Great drinks.

Posted 01/13/06