Oso Market + Bar

Meticulously chosen seasonal ingredients arranged with attention. On a weekday night I had dinner and a glass of wine sitting at the bar. I had a waiter nearly to myself, he guided me through the menu skillfully. The roast carrots were warm, buttery, glazed with honey and sitting in tart yogurt. The carrots were so fresh and rich they stained the yogurt red. My niçoise salad was generous enough for dinner; the smoked trout deeply melding the best flavors of bacon, lox, and campfire.

We were out and about and searching for a late lunch and happened upon the Oso Market. Very good food and service and nice wine. Oso is also right on the streetcar line so you don’t need to find parking and can drink and streetcar to the movies or go shopping after without trying to clear the buzz first. I really liked the salads and enjoyed the chocolate chip cookies, though they taste much better if you let them cool five minutes or more before tasting

A relaxing place to grab some stellar small plates and socialize over a cocktail, beer or wine. Service was good and all our orders were served in a timely fashion. Definitely worth another visit.

Super cute wine bar! Good food, friendly staff. Will be back. Try the deviled eggs! YUMMM

The situation: So, I don’t know if I should say this or not… but no wait on a Saturday for brunch… what. Seriously. So some friends from out of town came in and they decided that 11:30am was a good time to go out for brunch. It would be a good time if it was anywhere else but Portland. Not wanting to wait for 2−3+ hours for a table of 4, we headed over to Oso Market and found a seat no problem.
The atmosphere: Cute mix of market, bar, restaurant… as the name says. They sell great local products also, which the out of town guests liked.
The service: Spot on. Water was refilled but most importantly… the coffee kept flowing.
The food: Strong. Different since they have different brunch adventures every month. Portion sizes are on the smaller end. Price wise… it is the typical brunch in Portland. They also have a baby bloody mary… which is amazing… since I can never finish a whole glass.

From beginning to end I was just incredibly impressed with the atmosphere, food, and service.
My friend and I chose Oso Market partly because it has been #1 on my places I wanted to eat in Portland, and because of their involvement in Portland Dining Month. So after 2 years of living back in Portland I was not disappointed.
My friend had called earlier in the day to make a reservation which had been confirmed for 6:30 that evening. When we arrived it was clear that they probably don’t take reservations. The hostess let us know that they actually don’t do reservations unless you are a part of 6 or more. She apologized and seated us at the back table (clearly for larger groups). She was very apologetic but my friend and I were both excited to be there, and it was really neat to have a large table in the back all to ourselves. After all, this was a special dinner to celebrate her last trip to Portland before she moved thousand of miles away.
They served us with a complimentary fish board that was INSANE. SO good. It had calamari, trout mousse w/​caviar, and little spanish anchovies. Oh my God, I could eat a whole bowl of that mousse with a giant spoon.
The PDX Dining Month menu was so delicious, I can’t even begin to describe how perfect it was.
Needless to say, everything we ate was perfect and delicious. The hostess was so kind, and our server Robert was attentive and gracious. Thank you Oso for a great experience!

Meh
We came here for the happy hour based on some good reviews we found on google searches for the best local wine bars
Had the local Pinot noir pour and chocolate chip cookie with caramel.
As much as I thought the wine was solid 4*. The service was not. The waitresses this Saturday afternoon look like they really did not want to be working.

We came in for the first time for Portland Dining Month and enjoyed every bite of each course. We had the melty lamb shoulder over lentils (so good), tomato con panne (surprisingly good), and chocolate panne cotta. Great options, casual atmosphere.

This place has a relaxing and tenebrously warm ambiance.
The girlfriend and I went here for dinner. The Lamb Meatballs are made with a great quality of meat and hold a smokey hint. The Pork Chorizo and Saffron Rice dish was excellently prepared. Note: their whiskey selection is very limited.
Staff was patient and quite helpful. Street parking is easy and convenient.

I walked in here at about 1pm on a Wednesday to finally try a cocktail and something off the menu. Glad I did staff was friendly and let us try some of the brines and vermouths they use in the cocktails. Dinner menu looked awesome as well. Can be intimate atmosphere or causal. The wine selection looked vast with variety.
*artichoke chicken salad sandwich must try
*giant steps great cocktail with in house strawberry brine
*MUST TRY SMOKED BUTTER COOKIES soft and warm made to order with caramel and sea salt

Oso is a great place for lunch — where the plates are reasonably sized and the prices are just. Oso, however, is NOT a good place for dinner — especially in the context of a family-​style dinner party.
Admittedly there was some fault on our end, but at the same time — Oso should have warned us, as good hosts do, that perhaps the rampant ordering of dishes for everyone was not the best move. Especially knowing that their portions are far too small for comfortable sharing.
Our bill was over seven hundred dollars for 18 people and I, unfortunately, had so little to eat that I had to go home and make dinner afterwards.

Went here for a Sunday brunch. It’s a cute wine bar and restaurant with a great ambience in the central east side district. There was no line for brunch (yay for that!) and the food was definitely better than some of the places with a 2 hours wait for brunch! We got the French toast, the smoked Salmon bagel, Chorizo and beans and the croissant. I wouldn’t say it blew my mind but everything was above average and the ingredients did speak fresh. The wine and beer selection was pretty good too. For a nice and relaxing brunch this place is a must try. I would like to try dinner here another time.

Absolutely loved this place! Had the pleasure of brunch and a Bloody Mary… excellent!!! I was visiting from out of town and really wasn’t impressed with the level of service at other places we had eaten at but our server was lovely and attentive. I had the duck fat, bacon hash and it was so good I literally ate every bite. The Bloody Mary was perfectly spicy and so fresh! We had to wait a while for them but they were definitely worth it. The chef also accommodated my husbands egg white request on his sandwich and it was delicious. I would love to try dinner there on my next visit and some of their wine they have beautifully displayed.

I love bottle shops. I love this bottle shop. I also love lamp. (throwback joke!)
We went during happy hour which makes the corkage free. The atmosphere was intimate and I had some fine farmhouse ales. We were too full from eating at the Cascade brewery nearby, which is regrettable because the food at Oso looks great. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable.

Visited Oso on a weeknight and happened to be their 2 year anniversary! Champagne for all :) Super delightful spot, not only for the serene ambiance (clean lines/​white/​black/​wood/​candles), piquant menu, sumptuous wine & drink menu and exceptional service. Plus, they are also a market with unique local favorites, including wine! This is a terrific choice for happy hour or an evening with the ladies where you can soak up a full evening of great food and drinks without feeling rushed at all. Literally, we spent 3 hours here chatting it up at the bar top. Also, noticed a few people there alone and would totally feel comfortable having a great drink solo, for me time. :) LOVES!

Must-​try: the dates, because they are delicious.
Would return?: yes!
Oso is a really fun place, selling wine and local goods, in a comfortable atmosphere with a good selection of small plates. Everyone eating there was having a wonderful time, and incredibly excited about the food they were eating, the wine they were drinking, and the company they were enjoying.

This is really nice spot to chill out and actually be able to talk to your friend/​company. I ordered one of their signature cocktails and the IPA. Their version of a margarita cocktail was tasty and it had a lot of interesting subtle flavors. The IPA was crisp and perfectly cold on a hot summer day. Inside, it’s all dark wood and steel making the place look modern but inviting. We also tried their special bread pudding. It was a little drier than the usual bread pudding and had a slight flavor of orange but really tasty, especially that sesame toffee? We didn’t try more of their foods but everything that passed by me looked wonderful.
Definitely would come here more often but I admit, parking is a pain. The staff, while definitely competent and efficient, not the most friendly. I know it is hard to have the illusion of being cool while smiling, but I think it’s possible! I would come here again if I’m in the area and try the food.

Cool spot! Drinks are very good, a little pricey but a very cool little spot.
They have lots of wine and beer options in their bottle shop as well as Olympic Provision meat!
Nice spot to pop in for a drink.

Brunch — Mic Drop.
That’s all you really need to know. but just for good measure I’ll expand. I’ve been for brunch a number of times and have had a delightful experience. I’ve been seated immediately and service has been with a smile. While it seems it’s been slowly picking up steam, the dreaded brunch line has not been an issue as of yet. Just pop in and sit right down to enjoy your fresh pressed coffee or mimosa! I love the sandwiches, my favorite of which is the artichoke chicken salad — available during brunch.
I organized a work client dinner here that turned out to be a total hit. I called in advance and they were able to accommodate our larger party in the back area. Staff was ready for us and created a really great experience. The intimate setting was perfect. For dinner I advise ordering a bunch of little goodies and eating tapas style.
The wine selection is wonderful. They have a bunch of bottles to purchase for at home enjoyment as well. In addition to being a lovely place to dine they have artisan food stuffs that would be great hostess gifts or as a way to treat yo’self.
I have not yet been for Happy Hour but they have it and if I was a betting lady, I’d bet it was damn good. All and all, Oso is a great little place to enjoy the finer things.

Update: added a star for a total of 5 after dinner tonight. The menu has changed from good to better. We enjoyed boar brats, polenta, lamb meatballs, tons of filberts and peaches & cream to die for. Eat all those things.
My boyfriend goes to this spot near his office for lunch all the time, and finally took me there for dinner recently. First thing I have to say — the service was EXCELLENT.
Our server, let’s just call him Brunette Bearded Guy (original in Portland, I know), was patient, knowledgeable, and attentive. When I didn’t know what I wanted he gave suggestions, offered to come back and DID, and checked on us plenty but not too much. He made perfect cocktail suggestions based on our conversation that we were very happy with. One was the house cocktail having something to do with smoked tea syrup and a negroni-​type drink with bourbon. Yum all around.
My boyfriend had his first pickle back, and this was a great place for it. They have different brine options! He ordered the fennel and the BBG gave us a sample of the pear, which was so sweet it reminded me of a drinking vinegar. We also had a glass of sherry that Russell the bartender said was one of his «favorite things ever» made of figs, but it mostly reminded me of prune juice. Very sweet and not a lot of kick.
Food was yummy, cheese/​meat plate was a respectable portion, and I was very happy with the overall experience. Of course we took some of the triple cream home, too.