Little Bird Restaurant Review, Portland

Reviewer: Foodnut.com Little Bird Bistro 219 SW 6th Ave Portland, OR 97204 (503) 688-5952 Little Bird Bistro Website

Why did we dine here? – Little Bird is the sister restaurant to Portland’s most popular Le Pigeon. It is cheaper and a little less formal. We felt like something more casual and decided to eat here instead. Our bencmark for French Bistro’s is Chapeau! and Absinthe in San Francisco, so we had some high bars in mind. (We’re not going to get into the real Bistro’s we have been into in France).

This restaurant is conveniently located in the downtown area, with parking fairly easy in the evening. It is dimly lit with rustic silver tiles on the roof, as well as tall mirrors on the wall.

Insider Tip – Make reservations.

Cuisine – French
Location – Downtown Portland
Opened – 2010

Service – Little Bird was solid and knowledgable. The waitress helped us navigate the menu and came by fairly often. Pacing was fine.
Verdict – Little Bird was a charming restaurant with very good food. Next time we would like to try their sister restaurant The Pigeon to see how much better it is. While not ascending to the level of San Francisco’s top French Bistro’s, this restaurant still serves up very good food at outstanding prices.

Is this restaurant worth a 5 minute drive? Yes. 30 minute? Yes. 1 Hour? Maybe.

Little Bird Signature Dishes – Cassoulet, daily fish, Moules-Frites.

Little Bird’s Menu includes a variety of French classics as well as specials that seem to be available fairly often. Limited choices for vegetarians.

Website Little Bird Menu

Little Bird Food Picks:
Mojito ($9) was very good, strong, balanced, tall, but lots of ice.

Bread was excellent here. We had to restrain ourselves! This is made by Brand Central.

Moules-Frites, chermoula, jalapeños, mint ($16) had a good bowl full of mussels in a very garlicy broth. The fries were great when dipped in the left over broth.

Foie Gras Torchon, rhubarb chutney, almond biscotti pickled green strawberry ($19) was an automatic order for us, with the California ban, all the other states are getting a ton of business. Two thick chunks of smooth foie that was above average but not great. Tart rhubarb accented the foie along with some homemade biscotti.

Daily Fish, Trout ($22) was a signature dish that we had to get. It was deep fried and resembled a fried chicken style fish. Cooked perfectly and accented with some vegetables and sauce on top, we can see why this is a favorite.
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Cassoulet of duck leg, pork belly, sausage & white beans ($28) is perfect on a cool day. Another signature dish that was super hot and liberal in size. Flavors were excellent, from the duck to the tender sausage and beans. Fans of this dish should definitely give it a try.

Sheep Cheese Gnocchi, pea purée, asparagus, morels, black garlic butter ($15) is also a signature dish. Homemade with eggs, this tender pasta hit the mark. Great for those who are looking for a lighter meal.

OK: (Order if you like this dish)
None

Pans: (We would not reorder these dishes)
None

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