Touche Restaurant & Bar

Paragon has the best beet salad in Portland. You know how I know? I hate beets and love this salad. Go figure. Warm fireplace in the back, great for meetings, free wifi, excellent service and prices are right on point for what you get. more

Cheflev here with another great dining find in Portland.\r \r Touche 1425 Glison Street \r \r An absolute must. \r \r After an afternoon at the theater, my wife and I found Touche for a wonderful dining experience.\r \r We were only seated by Tom (bartender, waiter, and genuine professional), for a few moments when we noticed a cold draft. Calling this to the attention of one of the busboys resulted in immediate attention to the heating and the owner (Frank) came by our table to introduce himself, and apologize for the temporary inconvenience. I told Frank who I was and what my background was and we struck up a friendship right away.\r \r The décor of the converted firehouse is amazing. It is beautifully appointed with great lighting, a fantastic spiral staircase leading to the second floor, comfortable seating, and an open kitchen (which I love).\r \r We ordered light fare including a very reasonably priced, substantial pour of Reisling for my wife, and an also very reasonably price pint of one of several tap brews for me. We shared an appetizer of calamari which was accompanied by a garlic aioli that was mouth watering. This was followed by a wood burning oven pizza that was as good as, in not better than any we have had in Portland so far.\r \r I can't recommend this place highly enough. My only concern is, it might be too busy for us to get in the next time if the word gets out.\r \r I give it five out of five stars is you want a comfortable place, with great service, from professional folks, and remarkable food at extremely reasonable prices.\r \r Cheflev.....retired State Certified Executive Chef / Culinary Arts Instructor and Food Production and Management Services Consultant.\r more

Food is marginal, FOA needs to be replaced (unfriendly hostess) We all smelled like the truffle fries after the family and I left. Needs some help. more

The food is good and consistent. The bar is one of the best in the city. Bob & company are some of the most innovative and knowledgeable mixmasters in the city. Whether you want a cocktail, glass of wine, or a single-malt, this is a group that can lead you to the promised land. A rare talent in today's world. more

The first thing that hit us was the smell. It was like moldy wet carpets. It was terrible. The restaurant downstairs was very cold. The servers were nice but very slow. We started with calamari which was very good. It was pan-fried with capers, crushed chili flakes, garlic, parsley and fresh lemon. I ordered the Risotto of the day which was spinach and onion. It was pretty good. My partner ordered prawns sautéed with Cognac, paprika, basil and cranberries and a touch of cream, served with arugula, feta cheese, red onions and Basmati rice. It was kind of bland I thought but she thought it was pretty good. The servings were large and she had a lot of prawns in her dish. There was nothing special and will not go back. more

From the wait staff to the architecture of the building. The place as amazing. The food was great. Our waiter had come over to say that our dinner was a hair behind and had brought us an appetizer for the inconvenience. We didn't think There was much of a wait, but even after we had eaten our dinners, the waiter and i believe the owner brought us desert on the house and many apologies. We were surprised at how much they genuinely cared about our experience that night. All in all, We didn't wait for our dinner long at all in the first place and would absolutely come back in the future. more

First time eating here, very good, quality was great, quanity as well. Wait staff was wonderful and answered all questions. Will definately be coming back..even had good free parking more

This is wonderful restaurant located in the Pearl has great food (full menu) and a great wine select. I ambiance is also very nice; however I've been severely disappointed over the past year with the service and the attitude of the employees. If you decide to visit Paragon, make sure you go early and go on a normally busy night out on the town. I've attempted to have dinner there on several occasions where, I've had to talk right back out without even having a seat. Why you might ask? The restaurant management team often closes the kitchen (for full menu dinning) at completely random times. My last trip on a Monday night, was one of these occasions. My date and I had a seat in the bar and informed the server that we would like dinner and we both ordered drinks. I noticed a buddy sitting in the dining room (full dinner items had just arrived). When the server returned with our drinks, I asked for the dinner menu when she informed me that they were no longer serving dinner. I asked what time they closed and was informed that the restaurant would close at 11pm. As I looked at my watch, I noted that it was 8:32. I couldn't believe that they would not server me dinner. Their 'bistro menu' is a joke. Further, the server didn't offer to get the manager, she basically provided me with an attitude and said, ""Well our dining room is empty so we closed the kitchen"". This this i asked, why don't they have a standard time in which they could make that call? No response. I asked, ""who runs a business like that?"" Her response was, ""I don't know sir"". She could have comp'ed my drinks and/or brought the manager over. Instead, she brought me a bill. Just terrible! I don't know how you stay in business with that attitude. I visit Paragon 1-2 times a month and I typically end up wit the same server and one would think that they would recognize me by now and maybe cook a small meal in the corner of the kitchen and simply continue cleaning the rest. Either the management team should be dismissed or a boycott may be in store. Awful. more

I have been coming to Touche for years, apparently, as I hear, one of the owners has fired a bunch of people and my last experience three nights ago was absolutely awful. I used to love the owner walking around talking to people and making such a relaxing environment. I dont know if someone new owns it now. But I think this place will closing soon, too bad. It used to be great. more

We have been going to Paragon for many years and can always count on a good experience! Love the big fireplace in the bar and the huge cozy booths in the dining area! The food is great although a little pricey. We love the grilled half chicken w/ mac & cheese and the burgers! The drinks are very tasty and the music in the bar adds to the urban vibe. They have recently painted and remodeled the bathrooms, very clean and much nicer! Would highly recommend this place! Most of their staff is great, but ""Mike"" has a bit of an attitude problem... just avoid him and you'll have a great time at Paragon! Pros: Upscale urban feel with superb food! Cons: Some wait staff can be a bit aloof. more

My boyfriend and I have frequented Paragon many times since I was first introduced to the restaurant in 2005. Every time that we have dined at Paragon both the food and service has been excellent! I even had my 21st birthday there! I would recommend this restaurant to anyone and am looking forward to many years dining at Paragon!! Pros: Wonderful Wine, Amazing Meals, Dessert to Die For! Cons: Only Located in Portland more

$2.50 coke w/ $.75 refill charges!! Oh my, what a happy hour surprise! Other than the sticker shock at the price of a coke, the food was fabulous and the service was good. Pros: Pulled Pork Sliders! Cons: Pricing more

It was awful. Our waiter, Jesse, seemed to be too busy on his cell phone to refill our water glasses or serve us our food promptly. It was overpriced for the low quality of service. Pros: Decent Food Cons: Terrible Waiter, Overpriced more

I am a resident of the Pearl District and have gone to Paragon many times. However, when I leave, I hardly ever leave satisfied. True, their drinks are amazing and I am sure they have nice waitstaff, but everytime I am there I get the rude or snotty ones. I feel like I have given the Paragon all the chances it deserves. Especially recently. The last time I was there was with a group of friends from out of town visiting me. I have never left a place feeling so looked down upon. Maybe I am sensitive, but then again, maybe I was treated rudely and inconsiderately. I certainly leave it to the reader to decide, but I certainly will not be going back there again. more

I have been to Paragon on several occasions. We usually choose the outdoor seating as it is idea for people watching. The martini's tend to be strong, which is nice and the Braised PotRoast is amazing. It literally falls off your fork. Pros: Outdoor seating, Braised PotRoast, Strong Drinks Cons: Can be busy, service can be slow. more

I have visited Paragon for several years and was there even on opening day! The establishment is a fun place to go and the food is fairly priced....over the last year, perhaps longer, things have changed though:\r \r - We used to feel like the place was clean and sanitary. For years we actually noticed how clean the place was....but about a year ago, maybe a year and half this changed. My visit a month ago will be my last. Dirty and sticky floors, restrooms completely nasty and dust everywhere! I do not feel good about eating at dirty places.\r \r - At first I thought it was just me until I had a small gathering of friends who meet me from out of town once a year. Our normal meeting place is the Paragon. Even they quietly told me about how there was a sour odor throughout the establishment, the floors beneath the bar stools has had insects still ALIVE and sticking to the floor!\r \r - One of my friends actually refused to order because she noticed the large amount of mildew and grime on the mats behind the bar. She complained the whole time, ruining my gathering...she is a little prissy and walked the entire place to find the odor....she peeked behind the bar and noticed the mats were ""gross"".\r \r - AVOID THE RESTROOMS! Nasty is an understatement! I'm not talking about walking in after someone did a #2....I am talking about lack of sanitation. The toilets had rings, the mirrors were splattered, the sink was gross and the dispeners were empty....this was at lunch right after they opened! \r \r The good news - The food is not overpriced and the service is so-so, but better than most. The cleanliness is the worst that reflects poorly on the over-all feel of this establishment....They need to have thier staff properly clean this place. Until that happens....I am scheduling our events elsewhere and my normal weekly visits will be at an place that has sanitation in mind. Pros: Good Food Cons: Not as sanitary like it used to be more

Just went to Paragon last night for the third time this week - it's my new favorite restaurant. It feels like like an old favorite sweater it's just cozy and consistently good. Nothing too fancy, not trying too hard - their tomato soup and grilled cheese panini is to die for, and nothing says comfort food like perfect mac n cheese. My server last night knew when to stay away from the table and when to come back - a qulity I can't speak highly enough. For a warm experience and consistly good food Paragon is a sure thing. more

I love this place. The servers are friendly and attentive. The open kitchen arrangement is inviting, the Chef is very hands on, the food is fresh and nicely balanced with unique flavors. I would recommend the food and dinning experience to anyone. If you are only in the mood for a steak cooked to your liking, I would suggest a steak house. Touche is the place to go to enjoy well-prepared unique and flavorful dishes as well as a friendly, warm and comfortable ambiance. My personal favorite is the calamari, seriously the best I have ever had. more

Average, average, average. Wine list mediocre and service was kind, but clueless. The server tried to suggest a ""new"" PNW wine to try (we wanted Italian) and I told him that I had several bottles of the NEW wine in my cellar, but he kept suggesting away. Anyway, we stood our ground and went for a nice Italian Barolo had this with calamari, insalata mista (menu said small, it was huge), the hubby had the lamb, I had the steak special. Dessert, can't recall: nothing rocked our socks off. Both entrees were good, but typical meat dishes, prepared to our specifications. Food is good overall. There were few people in the restaurant (Saturday night 7pm), which is always a concern. Prices were reasonable for downtown, but the whole experience felt like we were in a hotel restaurant. You know the kind, stale, pre-planned menus-few specials, cold and cookie cutter. Would we go back? If we are in the area, possibly -if nothing else jumped out at us. more

Like a previous person pointed out: In a sea of fine dining in the Pearl District of Portland, Paragon falls completely flat and should be avoided at all costs. The service is the worst of any restaurant I've been to in the last 10 years. We waited for our water, for our cocktails and we waited an hour to receive our dinner. Our waitress seemed like she was right out of the school for the dumb. This place is not even worth checking out, at all. I'd write more, but our experience was so poor that it's not worth spending another second thinking about. more