Reviews of Isa (Restaurant)

Anuja Puranik

They have soulfood for breakfast. Me and my friends loved this place. I am vegetarian, so I ordered their baked eggs with parmesan and it was really good. They also have amazing breakfast cocktails including mimosa, bloody Mary. We enjoyed the ambience. They have nice seating outside and it's perfect when the weather is pleasant.

Paul Jensen

This restaurant won't disappoint! We picked this place due to location. The waiter was awesome and the food was great. Had lobster chowder, lobster tacos and fennel salad. Cant wait to come back again.

Joseph Calabrese

Amazing food everytime I go in. Nice upscale atmosphere and great service. The menu changes but I haven't had a bad meal yet. I'd describe the menu as American dishes with a slight twist. There is parking behind the restaurant, a treasure in Portland.

Amanda Spiller

Service is great!! Food depends on what you order. I got the lamb sandwich and Mexican chocolate cake, both were very satisfying. My friend got the lobster tacos and they were small and chewy and the tres leches cake was not the best.

Alex Weinstein

Our meal was SO delicious- every dish we ordered was exceptional, and the patio atmosphere was relaxing and lovely. Our server Juleah gave the best reccommendations- heavenly!

Jeff Anderson

Fantastic food. Coconut carrot soup was mind blowing. Esquites was sublime. Service was impeccable. I had braise rabbit over polenta, my wife had a scratch made tagliatelle. Food was GREAT!!!

Mitch Weiss

Every aspect from start to finish was amazing! They were even open for Easter Sun which was one of the few spots we found open. Our 1st time there and expect many more visits bring our friends.

Jason Trease

Excellent!!!

Zachary Robertson

Food was great, coffee was awesome, service was a little slow, but extremely nice and friendly.

Laurel Milos

Inadequate to say it’s my new favorite go-to dinner spot in Portland. Rabbit and halibut entrees were astounding. Balanced, perfectly seasoned and cooked.

Grace Popple

Delicious bluefish. Best meal I've had in many months. Lovely friendly service too!

Ben Kenney

Food was good. However, we felt unwelcomed by the staff. We had our young daughter who was well behaved, but it seemed like she was non existent their. Maybe not the best place as a family eatery.

mango p

great friendly staff high quality service and food everything is clean and it's a wonderful restaurant food smells amazing

Ricky Long

This is a fairly small restaurant with seating for mostly a group of 2/4. If you have a party, plan ahead! I overheard from another bigger party, they don't accept reservations. We ended up waiting for an hour, but it was worth it. The service was great. The food was even better. They have a limited menu, but food arrived pretty quickly. My group decided to try everything on the menu. I ordered the pork chop and it was amazing. Very tender and juicy, and to my recollection, i've never had pork that good! Their fries are simple, but fried to perfection, and includes a garlic butter dip. Everything else on the menu was great. Steak was good, but not as tender as the pork. Pasta and gnocchi dishes were flavorful. I did not try to fish because I don't like fish. Note: The neighborhood is not the best. We decided to walk from downtown, but thinking back, should've just driven.

Daniel Smith

A quaint place with delicious food

Elodie Chevet

Super diner Le prix justifie la qualité Service parfait et personnel aux petits soins N'ayant plus le plat souhaitée car la dernière portion venait d'être vendu, une version miniature nous a été apporté en guise d'entrée afin de s'excuser de la gêne occasionnée

Gary Antigiovanni

Great little spot tucked away in Portland. Great food and service!!

Nick Berg

Great food and service very upscale

Jeanette Glidden

Nice atmosphere, servers, outdoor seating area. Food was good but definitely not worth the price. Likely won't be back for a 2nd visit.

Kat Smith

Excellent food and service. Every summer we come back to this restaurant. The food is delicious and the service is excellent. It's one of the few restaurants that is consistent year after year.

Cherny Darling

Two months ago I enjoyed my lunch at Isa but yesterday was awful. The lobster was tasteless (in Maine!) and the taco was soaked through with a bland sauce that caused everything to fall apart. Around 1 pm on a Thursday, there was only one other couple, but it took way too long for the lobster taco and a simple salad to arrive even though there were two cooks in the open kitchen. The restaurant doesn't serve bread or other starter to keep you going so you're left to sip your wine on an empty stomach. It was a waste of $25 (with only a half glass of wine).

Jan Keiper

Three of us had dinner outside on the patio. Everything was wonderful from the wait staff, the ambience and the extraordinary meal. I ordered the blue fish which melted in my mouth. All the vegetables that came with it were cooked to perfection and had a delicious complimentary taste. My partner ordered the steak and it was cooked to perfection. And we shared a coconut cream pie slice that was the best I'd ever eaten. The pie was not overly sweet and the coconut crust was delicious!

Kevin McNulty

Always good

Mark Roy

Best Fish & Chip in Portland; amazing staff! Wonderful food experience!! Short of amazing - owners are always working!!

Robyn Violette

Great food. Great service (Chris).

Victoria Bartolome

Great food and service. Had the eggs benedict with lobster which was delicious. The lobster had a distinct lemon buttery taste to it and the accompanying potatoes, salad, and bacon were all tasty as well. I noticed the lobster pieces were mostly tail instead of claw pieces which made it meatier but also chewier. This didn't bother me since I love all parts of the lobster but may be important for others. All in all a great brunch experience in Portland!

Eric Phillips

$135. Excellent food and service. $100 and this place would be amazing

Samuel Leask

Great good, friendly staff, highly recommend

Nicholas Cilfone

Awesome food and solid cocktails. A bit out of downtown so it had a little less traffic on a holiday weekend. Would come back again in a heartbeat!

Stephen Hawkes

Each course was absolutely perfect! This is the first 5 star rating that I've ever given. I can't wait to go back.

Thomas Muniz

Limited menu but everything my wife and I ate was fantastic. She had the squash apple soup and grilled cheese with apple butter. I had the beef osso bucco stew. Eat here. Just, eat here.

alan w lovell

Care and attention for every plate.

Katrina M

Great great food! I had the steak, excellent fries. My mom had the Bolognese pasta. That was the best dish we had during our visit to Maine. You can taste the love in that handmade pasta. So delicious. We also got the quesadilla which was so simple and good! Handmade corn tortilla shell, dude that's love

Jon Berkowitz

Love this place. Consistent and delicious. Great spot for a date night or dinner with the in-laws. Knowledgeable and friendly staff, place can get expensive fast.

Olivia Gugliemotto

Enjoyed our stop here for a meal! We tried many dishes and all of them were outstanding. Service was excellent. We especially liked the bolognese, salads, and chocolate silk pie. Yum yum yum all around.

Monica Capellan

Very good food! Second meal in Maine, Portland. We came for brunch and ordered the lobster tacos and baked eggs. WOW! Both dishes were fantastic!!!! The lobster tacos were simple and very tasty! The baked eggs were served over a bed of eggplant, kale and a marinara sauce and grilled bread that just blend to perfection all the flavors together. Good service! Highly recommend it!

Keith Orr

Went for lunch. Great small dishes. Perfect for lunch

Joshua White

It was nice. Everything was in order. Small but tasteful menu, and the caesar salad was very good. Nothing exciting, but the waitress did refill my water glass at least four times. For that I give them the fourth star.

Brad Knowles

Our go to place for a great meal and great people. Love to take company there. Always a hit.

Simon Bentley

Lovely food, and wonderful service

Oliver Dueck

I'm usually reluctant to give a five star review to a restaurant after just one visit but our experience here was awesome. We came for Sunday morning brunch after the place we were originally were going to had a wait. The service was second to none with very friendly and helpful staff and the food was excellent. I had the lobster tacos which were delicious, along with the tres leches cake for dessert and the mezcal margarita cocktail. This place also has a great atmosphere with the exposed brick and tin ceilings. We definitely want to return for dinner the next time we're in Portland.

debraj ghosal

Awesome food and wonderful service. Small but very different and eclectic menu. Must try octopus with chimichurri. There breakfast stuffs are really nice, like rabbit hash. I just came across this restaurant while visiting Portland.

Samantha Dobra

Octopus and Cod Fritters were amazing! Everything that my husband and I ordered were delicious and plated beautifully. For dessert: dulce de leche : )

Mat Yerkes

Isa is my favorite brunch place in town. The serving sizes are perfect for some of the heavier breakfast foods, and the twists to comfort breakfasts are wonderful. I typically get the pancakes, coffee and a mimosa. What better way to start a Saturday or Sunday?

Sandra Michael

Intimate place, knowledgeable wait staff, and personal because the owner was helping to serve the food. The food was excellent!

Christine Foley

We went here for lunch and got the rabbit hash and beef stew. Delicious!

Corey Laplante

Lobster tacos

hrishikesh munj

Cozy place with absolutely outstanding food!

C. William Genest

Went for lunch and loved everything about it. Shared a fennel salad that was original and delicious. Had an eggplant lasagna that was fabulous and a gluten free coconut cream pie. Great decor, lovely service. For us it’s a top Portland pick and would be a regular haunt for us.

Psycho Chef

Isa bistro has the essential 3 legs a great restaurant needs to stand on ; Interesting and flavorful food arranged beautifuly, excellent service from the moment you walk in the door, and comfortable, inviting atmosphere. This year old establishment has already made its mark as one of Portland"s finest. Chef Isaul Perez's offers up something for ever pallette, while co owner Suzie St. Pierre ensures your experience will be stellar. With plenty of free parking, new outdoor dining patio, spacious yet intimate ambience (sound levels and table spacing just right for conversation), good portion sizes with reasonable prices, full wine list and bar service , Isa bistro has everything I want in a resturaunt.

E K

Great dinner on the small patio.

Steven Senko

Simply delicious

Gordon Riese

Great service. Great food. Lovely atmosphere

Karl Maria Fattig

Amazing grilled octopus starter. And the duck liver mousse was equally delicious. I enjoyed the Luberon red and the tawny port to start. The outdoor seating is comfortable and a nice and quiet refuge. It was my first visit to Isa, but it won't be my last.

James Wilson

Great food. But noisy.

henry richardson

The positive: Three items ordered, three 5 stars. The pasta was perfect, that is extremely rare in my experience. Both salads were creative without excess. Service from initial contact to final bill was genuine, flowing perfectly from orders to drinks to final coffees. A gem for two diners from NoHo. The negative-: Wish we had this one down the street from our apartment.

Johann Sabbath

Great watermellon salad. Better burger than Caiola's. Great cocktails.

J C

Totally rocked my wife's birthday dinner. She couldn't have been happier with her meal or the service. (Oh, yeah - mine was just fine, too!)

Carol St Pierre

Tops in Portland. My favorite place!

Nathan Patwardhan

My wife and I went last night and thoroughly enjoyed it (she had been there before and had enjoyed it then as well). One of these months we'll enjoy it again when we can sit outside as well. Food was nicely done and we quite enjoyed our wine selection as well. Staff were friendly and knowledgeable and service was really good as well.

John Etnier

A wonderful addition to Portland's restaurant scene. Really superlative food, skilled unpretentious presentation and warm atmosphere. Prices are reasonable and lots of PARKING!

Nick Bilotta

Best eggs benny

Nicole Navarro

Their bistro steak was AMAZING!! Delicious experience all around

Vincent Dickhaut

Delicious from appetizers and salads to dinner and desserts. Great atmosphere!

thomas patterson

Service was great but $10.00 for 1 slice of bread in an order of French Toast. At least it was tasty

Bri Gross

Enjoyed a really good lunch! Its totally a gorgeous hidden gem in Portland, squirreled away from the main drag. Staff was very kind, food was delicious and a quality menu. If I'm being a little critical, my meal did take longer than it probably should. A 1 person table taking well over 20 minutes for my lunch to arrive isn't ideal with a work schedule. But once my food and drink arrived, they were excellent. Do check it out

Frank Torres

Food was excellent as was decor and staff...salads and steaks were awesome

Amir Armani

In spite of the high reviews, we didn't find anything special about the place!

Michael Mozill

Great service. Try the octopus!

Norman Hutchins

Great food and drinks. Warm atmosphere.

Julie H

Excellent. We drove here to get away from the hordes down by the wharf and had a quiet, delicious lunch. We were fortunate that there was no wait.

Christine Mayo

Went there for a birthday dinner. Absolutely wonderful in all regards. Josh was an impeccable server!

J Vander Schaaf

Liked it! Classy bistro with tasty, good selections and great service. Would go again.

Cyndal Young

This place was amazing! Lobster tacos were perfect! Defiantly will come back.

Rosalie Flynn

Great meal! Ordered the eggs benedict with bacon and lobster. Would highly recommend!

Becca Cassady

Best food I have ever had

Steve Van Wasshenova

Hands down, best place in Portland

Tom Shoemaker

Isa is our go to restaurant in Portland. each and every time we go to Portland we must indulge in Isa. the menu is comfortable and enough variety to be interesting each time we go. great cocktails, great wine and excellent food and service. parking is easy as it is on sight unlike most of Portland. always are favorite.

Patrick Guthrie

fantastic meal, flavors were so well balanced we remarked on them for days afterwards

Christopher Pagli

Dining at isa was by far my most pleasurable experience in Portland so far. It's located in the challenged Bayside neighborhood which brings me back to NYC. It's not about the location but the ray of sunshine their food brings to the neighborhood. Having met in Brooklyn NY, the owners, Isaul and Suzie decided to bring their prowess and vision to Portland Maine, how appropriate! Isaul is classical trained in French and Italian cooking, that alone is a recipe for success. This is the exactly the type of restaurant you would find in an up and coming Brooklyn neighborhood. They do take reservations for parties of 6 or more ONLY and I suggest making one because they start to fill up around 6:30. Upon walking in you'll find simple, classic decor that stays true to the character and charm of the original building. The colors are warm and layered lighting compliments the lengthy bar and dining area. On the wall by the door they display the purveyors that supply the restaurant with it's fine ingredients, I love that. This practice really connects the diner to the dining experience and I've noticed this trend throughout Portland. The staff is friendly and look like they take their job very seriously, a sort of calm, reserved look is the best way to describe it. Our server was Joshua and he displayed great energy as he told us about the specials and took drink orders. Since we are Pescetarian my reviews will unfortunately, be limited. I can tell you what I heard from other guests over my shoulder though. I ordered the shaved Fennel salad with grapefruit, pecorino, and mint. Mint is like lemon for me; I like it occasionally, depends on the dish. The presentation is beautiful and when I took the first bite, WOW! The mint is so robust and compliments the other ingredients so well. My experience went like this, bite, "wow is that the mint?", mmm mmm, bite, "whoa that is the mint", absolutely incredible! The pecorino and grapefruit add textural contrast from the crunch of the fennel along with a touch of acid. My fiancé had the Burrata Crostini which arrived with a delicate layer of Heirloom tomatoes and vibrant fresh basil. If you have never had Burrata and love cheese, then you must try it. Burrata is made from Mozzarella and cream, done right, it should be creamy yet still hold together. We both ordered the Eggplant Lasagne which is the farthest thing from your local pizzeria. This is fine dining quality my friends. If you don't know how to prepare eggplant it can be bitter, mostly due to the seeds, just like a tomato. The layers of homemade pasta, sauce, ricotta, and tarragon in this dish are perfectly balanced, making each bite more enjoyable then the next. You will find yourself eating it quickly and thinking that you can eat this every day, we did! For dessert we shared the warm apple tart which was good but I wished there was a little more crust to balance the amount of apple. It was still excellent, I'm just a picky boy. We will be back to this restaurant often and look forward to trying other seasonal dishes. Thank you for a delicious experience!

Kendall Brune

Lobster Chowder was excellent-!

Heather Day

The food was unique, fresh, and delicious! Would go back in a heart beat!

Tiffany Tran

My friends and I are all from the Midwest and visited Portland for a weekend. Isa came highly recommended by the concierge at the hotel, and we totally understand why! The portions and prices were fair for the quality we got. I got a scramble, and it was unique in the sense that I am used to more potatoes in a scramble but instead I got a mix of potatoes and salad. I was surprised but loved it! The service was great - we were able to make a reservation the day before for our larger party (7) and it was ready when we got there. They also called to confirm the day of. The waitress came around multiple times to fill our water and coffee - overall, the service was efficient but we didn't feel rushed.

Peter Flanders

Each time seems to have just the perfect amount of variety. The staff is lovely. The cocktails and wine are solid. The place has a fantastic neighborhood feel. The food is creative and yummy. It's outstanding and we will be back.

Sarah Arthur

I had the lamb tostada and rabbit, both dishes were a 10/10 for me! Perfect portion and well balanced. Love this place, wish I lived closer!

Dustin Bonk

Great spot for brunch!

Daisie Warner

Amazing cocktails, incredible food, not pretentious, and super cozy.

Rachel Hochman

My husband and I went to Isa on our anniversary weekend in Portland. The first thing was the waitress asked if there were any food allergies, which I do have. I am allergic to dairy. They made sure that the food we ordered was dairy free in every way. The wait staff and chefs were amazing and very accommodating. We shared the salted cod and octopus as our starters and for dinner I ordered the rabbit dish and my husband got the steak. All the food was so tasty and wonderful. I would highly recommend this place.

Piner Markovchick

A good oddly placed restaurant that keeps the menu small but does it well... service assists with making menu choices and the ingredients say fresh and local... The flavor leads you to believe that the ingredients came from right down the road...

Alan Platner

It doesn't get more cozy and pleasant than this. Wonderful atmosphere and great food. Get some small plates and sit at the bar or grab a table with some friends. Simple without being plain, interesting without being strange.

Esau Crosby

Always excellent.

Joyce

The food was original and delicious; cooked beautifully with excellent service. (And they have a lovely little outside seating area)

Bill Swoboda

The best!

Rebecca Chan

Eggs benny with lobster was perfect! The biscuit was tasty as was the side salad.

Wilson Chen

Excellent Rabbit Pasta. The food bursts with flavor, yet remains simple. The waitress is cordial too

Brad Sass

Excellent food and atmosphere.

Patricia Swiatek

Absolutely fabulous! Great menu that is seasonal and local.

Cody Hussey

Incredible food, outdoor patio, extenaive wine list. Prices are reasonable for the vibe. Coming back time and time again.

Taylor Simpson

Food was amazing, ambiance was wonderful, service was great. Highly recommend this place. I had the Eggplant Lasagna and absolutely loved it! It was incredibly flavorful and quite rich. Plated beautifully. We also started with the Lamb Meatballs in Green Sauce. Meatballs were tender and juicy and the green sauce was incredible, truly unique flavor. I could have eaten it by the spoonful.

Philip Hardebeck

Delicious, innovative food in a beautiful setting outside. Convenient location not too far from downtown. We had a wonderful brunch.

Charity Woolverton

We hit Isa's around 1120am on a Sunday, and decided to sit outside on the patio with mimosas and bloody Mary's, which in Portland on a nice Sunday morning turned out to be a magical spot. We had brunch, I chose the Croque Madam, which was a delightful blend of sandwich and breakfast. I hope to have another chance to eat here before returning home! TIP There is a small parking lot behind Isa just for its patrons.

Laura Poland

If anyone is ever in Portland, Maine, the restaurant Isa is worth checking out!! I ate an entire meal that was ketogenic/sugar-free friendly and I didn't even have to order OFF the menu or ask for substitutions!!! I got to feel like a totally normal person just ordering food. It was an amazing feeling. I started with the Brussels sprouts that were sauteed with bacon in a white wine butter sauce - it was amazing!! My main course was one of the specials for the day, which was duck breast with asparagus and creamed cauliflower!! It was delicious and it's just amazing for me that it didn't come with starchy veggies, it was just keto AS IS. On top of that my server Juleah, was incredible, kind and informative. They really go above and beyond, as I left the restaurant my phone died and was left unable to navigate back to my AirBnB. Well the amazing friendly staff at Isa had me covered and they looked up and wrote down directions for me. I would absolutely eat here again!! Upscale, yet warm and inviting at the same time, just such a wonderful atmosphere with delicious food!

Mike Burns

Great food, service. Everything was spot on. Definitely would go back.

Russ Rowe

Comfortable, and pleasant dinner at the bar. Great craft cocktails, apps and entrees very tasty and reasonably priced.

Nick Lotfey

Great food, great service. The back patio is perfect for a nice Maine summer night!

Cheri Bonawitz

Excellent!!

Edward Naughton

Locally sourced food, exquisitely prepared.

Jay Leslie

Great food. Better service would knock it up to five stars.

Christian Cornielles

Isa is that perfect brunch place for you and your frienda to go on a Sunday! Reasonably priced and the restaurant will make you feel you are in a very fancy french place! Try it out.

Luca Ripamonti

(Translated by Google) Excellent! (Original) Eccellente!

Dale Harris

Excellent food and service. Farm fresh. Lemonade with ginger

J A

Not very impressed for the price. Our seats were cramped and it was extremely loud. Nothing to dampen the noise, and it wasn't even that busy. The music added to the noise because it was too loud. I felt that the service was a little awkward. The table was so small, and I had to move things around multiple times to make room. The cheese plate was ok; I enjoyed it. The main courses that we got for dinner and the dessert were plain, bland, and uninspired. We spent almost $100 and left thinking that we had wasted our money and wished we had gone elsewhere. It's not that the place is awful, it's just not worth it for the money and a slightly uncomfortable experience. Based on my experience, it doesn't nearly deserve to be one of the highest rated restaurants in Portland.

Ralph Valente

Can't wait to go back.

Randy Bognatz

Wow! The food was excellent. Staff was extremely nice and more than accommodating.

John Bryant

Very delicious restaurant.

Laura Macfadzen

Amazing experience overall. Eggs benedict were really good and the desserts were all scrumptious. Excellent service and flow. We will be back next time we are in Portland for sure.

Christopher

Great food and wonderful staff. A highlight of my trip. I will visit them again.

Robert Ross

Lucked out finding this place, we had tried like 3 other places for brunch all with ridiculous lines and then we saw this unassuming spot and stuck our heads in. Very happy we did, we got seated immediately. Great food, lots of locally sourced produce, I had the hash special which was made with rabbit and was excellent, the meat wasn't gamey at all and was tender with hints of red wine. They also had homemade biscuits with jam/marmalade that I still dream about. Interior decor is also fitting of a bistro atmosphere along with the Bloody Mary's and great selection of food. Next time we are in Portland this spot will be revisited to see what the new hash of the day is!

Arthur Veinberg

Very good food. Great service. I ordered the steak. Only downside is the wait to be seated and no reservations taken.

Liz Sayre

Another lace we will return to again and again

Dan B Doodles

Everything here is great. The service is friendly and the food is fantastic; everything I've had here is delicious. I've also found it to be surprisingly easy to find a parking spot in the area.

DLOK Calendar

Wow. Best meal I've had in years!

John Dinyari

Exceptional lunch. Wait staff was very accommodating to my GF and dairy allergy requirements

Nemo In TN

Lobster Eggs Benedict was delicious!! The staff was not the best & the table was the worst! The table bases are so large there's nowhere to put your legs & feet. I kept having to sit sideways so it was rather uncomfortable.

Billju Tighe

Great, fresh food and good service are an unbeatable combination

James Kocher

Great meal!!

Elaine Montgomery

Great food!

Tim Hofmann

Great pasta and drinks. Great people.

Will Silton

Amazing octopus chimichurri appetizer, good entrees and a great wine list! Also, where else can you get a rabbit ragu in Portland?

Sally Heinze

Great bistro! It offers a terrific menu, a cozy atmosphere and wonderful service. It's a local favorite.

Jack St. Pierre

Superb!

Justine West

So delicious! From cocktails to dessert, all amazing. Especially the cheesecake, which might be the best I've ever had.

Andy Martin

I really enjoy this place. The food has been excellent each time, prices are very reasonable, and service is tremendous. It's a trifecta of success! I always leave feeling better than when I went in. There is a very disciplined menu that is executed perfectly, and a wine list that compliments all taste.

Julie C

Went for brunch and the menu is small but everything that came out of the kitchen looked really good, the staff was friendly and accommodating. The place is intimate and has a nice atmosphere. My only complaint is that the drinks are expensive (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic).