Departure Restaurant and Lounge

Review summary

1. J

   Jayson

   Portland

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   It has been my first time back in almost 8 years! I took my best friend here for her birthday as a night cap, and everyone from the front of house to the patio staff were super welcoming, friendly, and accommodating. The food and drinks were great, as it always has been what I expected from so long ago. And thank you for helping make her birthday extra special! I'll be sure not to wait that long to visit again!
   

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2. J

   Jeremy

   Philadelphia

   466 reviews

   5.0

   466 reviews

   Dined on February 25, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Unique decor, good food and good service. Good cocktails and excellent views.
   

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3. K

   Kimberly

   VIP

   Tampa

   7 reviews

   5.0

   7 reviews

   Dined on February 23, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent variety, I would return next time I’m In Portland
   

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4. J

   Jocelyn

   Portland

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on February 23, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Jason was a fabulous server and all staff were friendly and helpful
   

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5. J

   Joyce

   Portland

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 23, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   The food was good, service could be better given the caliber of restaurant and dining experience that they aim for. FOH staff like runners and bussers were amazing. Server disappeared a couple of times, and time between ordering drinks and ordering food was far too long. For the amount of money that was spent, I could go elsewhere. One thing to note; there is an undisclosed 8% fee even for small parties, complete surprise. In conclusion, I was underwhelmed.
   

   Departure Restaurant and LoungeResponded on February 26, 2025

   Dear Joyce, Thank you for sharing your feedback. I’m sorry to hear that your experience didn’t meet expectations, especially regarding service timing. While I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the food and found our runners and bussers to be amazing, I understand that every part of the experience should reflect the standard we aim for. I do want to clarify that we do not have an 8% charge for any parties, large or small. If you were mistakenly charged, that is absolutely something we would want to correct. Please feel free to reach out with your check details, and we’d be happy to look into it and make it right. We appreciate your visit and your honest feedback. We hope you’ll consider giving us another try in the future! Best, Departure Manager
   

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6. R

   Rick

   Portland

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on February 22, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The service was great and everything was delicious
   

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7. g

   goldie

   San Joaquin

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 16, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   The online menu had the Valentine’s Day special menu as $55 a person which is why my husband & I booked dinner there. But when we got there our waitress said that the online pricing is old and that it’s actually $70 a person. I would have thought they would at least honor it since it’s on them that it’s not updated. I wouldn’t have booked a reservation had I known the price difference. It also took 45 mins just to come back after getting our drinks to get our actual order. We ended up ordering off the regular menu and the portions were extremely small for the price. Also the seating situation is not ideal there are no private 2 person tables.
   

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8. E

   Eva

   Miami

   2 reviews

   2.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on February 15, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   We went for valentines day 2025. Since 2021, we have visited the restaurant every year and always loved the ambience and food, specially the large selection of vegan options. However we were very disappointed in this visit and doubt if we would come back. -Service: Portland as a whole has a lower quality of service compared to other states, so given this I would say the service is still good. Staff is very friendly, however at all our visits they have forgotten or taken very long in bringing some drinks/dishes. This time they forgot one of our drinks. -Food: This was the biggest disappointment! First we noticed a change in the menu, where vegan choices were reduced. I'm not sure if there was a change in the chef, but overall taste/quality is down. I'm not sure who thinks putting a huge chunk of boiled/unseasoned beet in a sushi roll is a good idea. The Tom Kha soup had around 3 pieces of vegetables, and then the broth is poured at the table from a glass pitcher (I know its an effort for better presentation, but did not translate. The broth was room temperature and the arrangement in the plate was not attractive enough for this choice). -Ambiance: The restaurant is beautiful, specially with the views of the city. However, lighting in some tables is very annoying (lights are pointed directly to your eyes) and tables are too close to each other. We could definitely hear everything the two tables beside us were talking about which wasn't very romantic for valentines day. Given these points, the price point - quality ratio is just not worth it anymore.
   

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9. L

   Leslie

   Los Angeles

   2 reviews

   2.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on February 15, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   Service was not bad. Food started good with crunchy crab roll, then went down progressively as the kimchi fried rice was sent out, then the steak and cod. 5/10
   

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10. A

    Andrea

    VIP

    Washington DC

    19 reviews

    4.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on February 8, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5

    I always make it a point to revisit this restaurant whenever I'm in Portland. This marks my third visit, and the food quality and variety have never disappointed me. While the service could be quicker, it remains courteous and attentive. Given the restaurant's popularity and the weekend crowds, it seems to be a bit understaffed. Nonetheless, the overall experience is consistently enjoyable and well worth the visit.
    

    Departure Restaurant and LoungeResponded on February 21, 2025

    Thanks for visiting us, Andrea! We're delighted to hear that Departure Restaurant and Lounge has become a favorite spot of yours during your visits to Portland. It's fantastic to know that you've consistently enjoyed our food quality and variety. We appreciate your understanding about our staffing situation during peak hours and we're working on improving that aspect. We're glad you've consistently had a great experience and we look forward to serving you again soon! TO
    

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