TIQA
327 Commercial St, Portland, ME, 04101
TIQA Menu
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Address :
327 Commercial St
Portland, ME, 04101 - Phone (207) 808-8840
- Website https://www.tiqa.net/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 11
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Trendy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
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Erica L.
I had high hopes from the second I walked in and smelled a mix of fragrant spices. The service was friendly, the decor inviting and modern. I love that the menu identifies where each dish comes from, and I will say, the dishes are very well presented. I'd give this spot a 4.5 star if I could! The selection of breads with olive oil and a spice mix was a great teaser. The pita was unexceptional, though fine, but the olive bread was really delicious, lightly crispy, perfect with all the accompaniments. The michoteta salad was beautiful: long, fresh, thin slices of cucumber wrapped in a circle around a bed of what looked like a Greek salad: black olives, feta, tomatoes, topped with oregano vinaigrette, and I have to say, it was one of the most fresh, balanced, and mouth-watering salads I think I've ever had. There are a number of wines, both from the usual suspects (New Zealand, California, etc.), but also some Lebanese and other more exotic wines. I enjoyed the Lebanese Cabernet-Syrah from Lebanon, though it wasn't highly memorable. The harissa lamb kebabs with pickled saffron cauliflower, red onions, spiced yoghurt, and date vinaigrette was well-seasoned and again, well-balanced, though I found the lamb kebabs very slightly dry, thin, and impossible to get off the skewers (I opted to cut them off -- they would not slide off for anything). My dining companions enjoyed the whole fried fish (sole) with a parsley pesto and greens, and the sumac roasted chicken. All in all, a wonderful meal.
(4)Brett F.
Tiqa is the new Mediterranean restaurant that opened recently adjacent to the Courtyard Marriott, just outside of the heart of the Old Port. I've been a few times now. The owner is the nicest guy you'll ever meet and really cares about his restaurant. He appreciates feedback and I expect Tiqa to improve as the months go on. After all, it is a very new restaurant. In my few visits the food has been up and down, the atmosphere is great (I like modern and hip) and service was right on. First, the space. This is perhaps the most stunning restaurant in the Old Port. It's a near-200 seat behemoth, and the interior decorating is perfect to suit all moods. There's chef table seating, bar seating, intimate 2 person tables, large party tables and even a roomy lounge with couches. Just to cover all bases, there's a banquet room that holds 85 as well. The colors are light and chic and the space feels modern and expensive. Despite the slightly out of the way location, this could (and should) become a very popular spot for weekend night drinks. The hours extend to 1 am on weekends. We sat at the bar on my first trip and the service was impeccable. Several bartenders tended to our every need and were attentive but not overbearing. During two subsequent visits in the lounge area, service was also perfect. Other reviews have mentioned slow dinner service, but I have not experienced this at all. Maybe it was a bad night? The food on my visits has been a bit uneven, but overall good. There's a dinner menu broken up into several sections and a small plate menu. The mezze plate ($16) was a fantastic sampler of hummus, ganoush, falafel, veggies and yogurt dill served on a giant pita. This vegetarian dish was huge and satisfying, leaving the two of us nearly full after. The calamari was served over what tasted like a fun twist on mashed potatoes (but was cod). The mussels were the only truly disappointing dish. I've had better in the city and the price point of $12 was high for the portion size. The hummus was good but came with pita chips when I was expecting (and would have preferred) pita bread. I thought the chicken kebob was excellent and a fair portion for the price. The drink menu has a handful of specialty mixed drinks, a solid selection of craft beers and 5-6 red and white wines by the glass. There is an extensive bottle list as well. The cocktail menu lags a little behind the competition, but the Dawa may be the best value around. For $6 you get absolut vodka (which is the house vodka!), lime, brown sugar and melted honey on a stick. It was sneakily strong and I wisely quit after 2 in order to drive. The price points are very reasonable on most drinks. Overall Tiqa is already a strong restaurant that will certainly get even better with time. It's also great knowing that a local family is in charge and passionately cares about their restaurant.
(5)Jay N.
Portland, if the dining experience here has any semblance to taste or attention we experienced during a sneak-peak, you're in luck. ...We're all in luck. We were invited here as part of the owners' New Years Eve mixer, though in the spirit of full transparency, this restaurant has not yet opened to the general public: not for about two weeks yet, and I'll reevaluate my review once it does. Even before opening, Tiqa (meaning 'kebob' I think) enters the competitive and growing Portland eatery scene as one of the largest and stylized venues in the area. Luckily for me and no doubt many others, being a t-shirt and jeans guy; it carries all the style while skipping on pretense. You'll be comfortable here, I promise. You'll feel right at home, whether you're donning the Armani you wore to that partners' meeting or just stepped off an island ferry in jeans and a plaid shirt (my own uniform of choice). The owners seem to be launching an all out assault on the senses while throwing-open wide arms, embracing everyone who walks in, like a warm Lebanese uncle or a welcoming Greek grandma would, or so I'd imagine. But it's the food.... If Tiqa is to serve-up anything close to the succulent, perfectly seasoned, grilled and cooked fare we tasted on our visit, it will be a must have many times over. The beef kebobs we had were out of this world, the lamb was the same and my partner is still going on about the chicken he had and wants to attempt to mimic at home. Not sure we'll be able to. The staff, though a skeleton crew when we visited, were all smiles, proud of the new surroundings and being a part of this long awaited kickoff. We've been curious about this place since first hearing of it and the invite for NYE was by complete chance. A new hands down a favorite of mine, even before the hard opening. It's going to be one of yours as well and I can't recommend it enough. Try one of the varieties of hummus, and definitely have the beef! ...Or lamb!
(5)Steff D.
Either the magician was missing the night we came, or the magician has done an excellent job at casting an illusion on the rest of the population... because my friends and I did not have the experience we were expecting, hoping for, or led to believe we would have when we dined here recently. - SPACE: The space is incomprehensibly enormous. We were seated so... SOOOOOOOOOO... far away from everyone else in the restaurant. At one point - and probably for a good thirty minute stretch - there wasn't a single employee in the giant room (which had it's own bar, by the way) we were seated in. That's kind of weird to me. - SERVICE: Our service was severely interruptive. I have never had to say "hold on, I'll tell you after" so many times in my life to dinner companions because of how often a server would appear, stand there, and just stare at us. + DRINKS: The Pantry (rum, apple butter, ginger beer, and a sprig of rosemary), $11: Alright, this was the highlight for me. I had something called The Pantry that was absolutely delicious, well balanced, and flavorful. I would definitely come back here for THIS. The Turkish Delight (rakis, grapefruit juice, and a salt-peppercorn rim) for $8 and the Dawa (vodka, lime, brown sugar, whipped honey stick) for $6 ALSO sounded delicious... I wish I had them instead of the... -/+ FOOD: - Broccolini Frito Misto (fried broccoli topped with mustard seed, tomato jam, and cheese), $9: Our entire table agreed that it tasted like fried clam strips. It was just limp broccolini deep fried to absolute death. HOWEVER, that tomato jam it came with was SPECTACULAR. If Tiqa served that on toast points topped with some kind of creamy cheese and charged $6 or $8, I'd be back! -/+ Olives, $6: I was annoyed that they were pitted. Is that weird? - Falafel (chickpea fritters and cucumber tahini), $6: I didn't even know what these were when they came to the table because they were so small and abundantly covered with shredded vegetables. Three pingpong ball sized falafels, and I think we ended up not even eating it all because it was just so unmemorable even as it sat in front of us. -/+ Hummus, $6: That pita? I've literally never eaten anything so hard in my life. That joke about something being "hockey puck hard"? These actually were! We really did have to ask for soft pita, because each of us were THAT concerned about chipping a tooth. Thankfully, the hummus was fine... I actually ended up making my own appetizer using the soft pita, the hummus, the tomato jam, and the olives. - Patlican (tofu kabobs with marinated eggplant, tomato, zucchini, and saffron yogurt), $12: My significant other and I usually eat everything we order, but we didn't touch the rice or the stringy vegetables that came with this. The tofu was fine (gooey, but fine), the eggplant was fine, the tomatoes were fine, the zucchini was fine, and topped with the saffron yogurt - it was all fine. But there was something neither one of us liked about the rice or the veggies. We would have mentioned something to the waiter but... she started disappearing towards the end of the meal. - Desserts: We tried almost all the desserts and they were just fine. Nothing really stood out, and it all seemed one-note across the board. I did, however, like that the coffee came with rock candy on sticks as a sweetener option, though. Very cute. Very clever. Very pan-Mediterranean? Perhaps not (neither was the very eclectic selection of soft adult rock options they were playing as house music). I'm not inspired to come back here for dinner at this point. I did like my cocktail, so maybe I'd come for one of those (especially because they're on the more reasonably priced end of the spectrum in Portland). And I know they serve brunch (SHAKSHUKA!!!), so maybe if I could tear myself away from the other places I've come to love and trust, I'd try Tiqa out for that, but as of now... I think I'm all set.
(2)Sea S.
One star, because there isn't an option for zero. My wife and I dine 50-60 times per year in the Portland area alone, and over the years we have had the good fortune to visit excellent restaurants all over the world. The food at TIQA was very pretty on the plate but fairly bland. We've both eaten at many locations all around the Mediterranean as well Morocco and France and this was a very weak representation of the cuisines from these areas, which have some of the most flavorful food in the world. The service was hands down the absolute worst we have ever experienced. When I say the worst, I mean worse than than any backwoods diner, all-night pizza joint, or airport deli. And when I say ever, I mean EVAR. In a dining room that was 30% full (which should have been a dead giveaway at 8:30 on a Saturday night in July) we waited 45 minutes for drinks, another 45 minutes for dessert, and an hour to get our check. One hour, not from the time we started eating, but from the time we asked for the bill. But wait... there's more! Did I mention that they never actually brought it? About 30 minutes after the first and second requests for our check, the manager came by our table and briefly apologized for the delay. No explanation, and no offer to comp a single thing for our party of ten. At the one hour mark we had to actually go to the front of the restaurant and tell them what we had ordered, then pay, then leave. While the interior of the restaurant was very inviting and the drinks were great, I have no idea where any of the positive review are coming from. In a city of truly exceptional dining options, save the $150 you would spend on dinner for two... you'll get better food and service at your local Olive Garden.
(1)Simone D.
Tiqa left me underwhelmed. I'll start with the negatives. The decor is really industrial. I felt like I was dining in an Ikea more than a Mediterranean restaurant. The food was kind of bland. I was expecting to be hit with a million flavors in my mouth, but it was just okay. The price for this bland food was kind of high. Also, we ordered more bread (the pita was amazing!), and it wasn't complimentary. Which is fine, but the waitress should have let us know, The positives: --the pita (and the rest of the bread plate, I guess). Really yummy. The order of pita comes with a house made cheese that was perfectly creamy and paired with the seasoning already on the pita. --The space. There is so much space for a possible event. I think it has potential to be a nice venue for a gathering of sorts.
(3)Donna P.
Great appetizers at TIQA in Portland: fried pork Bellies and warmed olives. Then moved on to lamb chops and lamb skewers, with a wonderful assortment of bread, olive oil and spices for dipping. For dessert, you MUST try the strange-sounding but absolutely FABULOUS Knafeh, made with shredded phyllo, fresh mozerella, spiced cherries and creme anglais. A must have!!!!
(5)Thomas S.
We sat at the Chef's Bar. I had the chef's tasting menu with wine pairing. My wife had the lobster paella. This was our best meal of the year while we sat and watched preparation (over and over again) of the hummus and hummus with beef. Definitely a keeper. Wonderful service and great interaction with the staff.
(5)Celeste M.
I've been searching for a great mediterranean restaurant in the portland area for awhile and I was pretty excited when one of my friends agreed to join me for a meal here. We came in on a weekday for dinner and the place was pretty empty. There were less than a handfull of tables seated with either couples or a family, but the rest of the place was available. The interior design was very cold and industrial with sleek surfaces and minimal warm color choices. Very modern. As we were seated the server brought over menus and took our drink order. We quietly perused the menu and attempted to ask our server some questions about the menu offerings. It did not seem as though she had much input to offer, but since my friend and I had both experienced the cuisine elsewhere, we ended up sticking to what we knew. We were brought a nice complimentary bread plate that came with 3 breads, olive oil and herbs for dipping. My friend and I loved the pita so we were offered another complimentary bread plate of just pita by our server...or so we thought. We ordered an appetizer of their chicharron, which is essentially thick fried pork belly cubes. This was delicious, but it's also basically bacon. For an entree I ordered the beef kabobs and was severely disappointed by the lack of flavor. When our bill arrived we noticed a charge for the complimentary pita. All we could do was laugh at the misfortune of the meal. We left feeling underwhelmed and a little hungry. I'm hoping the service and the flavors improve as this is a great location and a much needed cuisine in Portland.
(2)Jamie M.
Have dined here four times, each time I have truly enjoyed my meal. Lots of options, both meat and vegetarian. Love to sit on the patio when weather is nice. Not so loud. so you can actually hear a conversation. Great ambience.
(5)Susan L.
Went for lunch and both myself and friend had falafel sandwich. Falafel was very tasty and had nice texture, but portion was tiny, and got lost in the pita bread. I assume they just took a couple of the very small falafel balls that appear on menu as an appetizer and stuck them in a pita. This was really an appetizer portion of falafel trying to pass as a sandwich, just not substantial enough to be the main sandwich ingredient. They need to make a much larger falafel patty, not a bite size portion. On the positive note, the service and coffee (in press) were excellent, and it is great to have another option for patio dining near the Old Port.
(3)Steve W.
Beautiful and very creative interior space. The service and food were excellent and a great value. The food is a nice collection of Mediterranean dishes from many countries and everything we had was well presented and tasted fresh and flavorful. The wine collection is an interesting collection from many different countries and reasonably priced. Can't wait to return.
(5)Yelena S.
We had been wanting to take a trip to Tiqa so I when we received a gift card here we were pretty stoked! Unfortunately the excitement fizzled pretty quickly once we arrived. Our experience from best to worst: The service was wonderful, our waitress was the best! She's what probably put the most positive spin on our night. She was patient and attentive and very knowledgeable about the menu, this was super helpful in deciding what to eat since I had to Google what a lot of it was. I'm sad to say I overheard her mention that she and a fellow waitress were leaving in a week to work for another restaurant. Tiqa is new to the Portland scene so it worries me that their good staff is parting with them so soon. The food was good, nothing that really stuck out to me though. We ordered the brussel sprouts to start, they were tasty but similar to those at Pei Man, and also not as tasty. The squeeze ordered the beef kabobs, he said they were good but he was quiet for the most part about his dinner which usually means it's not a winner. I ordered the squash entree, I did really enjoy mine. One suggestion for the dish is to add more cheese, the cheese was so good and added variety to the flavor, otherwise it was just a plate of squash with a side of squash-like puree and a drizzle of something green. Still very good, but lacking in dimension a little. The cocktail menu I found odd, there are drinks ranging from $5.95 to $14.95. I asked our waitress and she explained that the costlier drinks have about double the ounces of alcohol. I guess that's kinda cool? I just can't justify $15 for one drink, I can on the other-hand justify $7-8 for a couple different drinks. I guess it's all your mindset. I opted for the dawa which is vodka, muddled lime, brown sugar and a whipped honey stick. It was VERY strong and despite the sugar and honey it was not sweet at all. I mean for $6 I'll take it, but not my favorite cocktail. The decor is just baaad in my opinion. It has that "hotel" interior feel with the over-the-top design, textures, and mood lighting. It looks like an extension of the Marriott it's attached to which I don't think allows for it to stand out on its own. They need to tone down the layout and find something that speaks Mediterranean and not "we hired seven different designers for each room in the restaurant." Speaking of rooms, there is an entire additional room on the right side that was completely empty, it even has its own full bar. You could fit another restaurant in the space alone! Tiqa seems too big for its own good. There are so many wonderful places in Portland to eat that I just don't foresee us coming back here. I've read other reviews and it seems like the majority of people either really like it here or really don't. Simply not for us is all.
(3)Courtney M.
The food is good- the chefs are terrible and inconsistent. This morning I ordered the 'berries with cheese-filled pancakes'-one of my favorites from the brunch menu and it came with no berries. When I asked the waiter what was going on, he acted like the dish was supposed to be sans berries. He went back to the kitchen and brought me back two strawberries cut in half. TWO under ripe strawberries. I basically told him that must be a joke so he went back to the kitchen again and came back with a few more Strawberries and raspberries and proceeded to tell me they're waiting on a produce delivery. Really?! So you were just going to leave off a main ingredient in my dish and hope I didn't notice?? Not cool. The first time i I got these same pancakes they were perfect- ample amount of fruit. Another time I asked for extra fruit because there was the equivalent to two strawberries on the plate they charged me for the extra fruit. Another thing that happened today- the table beside us asked for their omelette made with egg whites only and they could not accommodate her. Unbelievable. Who do these chefs think they are?!? Start putting your customers' requests first and maybe you will actually start to get some people in the door. Jeez- end rant.
(2)Anna D.
The start of this review is for "happy hour" only. I walked in to find three hometown friends behind the bar.... whaaaat? Pretty cool though, because I was confident that no matter the price of whatever I ordered, it'd be more than worth the $. And that my friends, is the feeling you want walking to a bar! On a second note, I haven't been drinking lately, but when I have, I've been making myself ruby red martinis at my house. That was what I was hoping to order, but they don't have the grapefruit vodka. THANKFULLY, like I said, the bartender knew exactly what she was doing. I told her what I wanted and she said she'd come back with something I'd love. Boy, was she right. A homemade grapefruit martini, whipped up with fresh squeeze grapefruit juice and a twist of lemon. It was amazing and JUST what I was "craving." Because that drink wasn't on the menu, I was unsure of the price. $10. Perfect for a wonderful drink, atmosphere, service, and the hr it took me to drink it. My confidence in TIQA is higher than high, so until they disappoint, which I'm praying they won't, this is my new spot!
(5)Tony W.
I DO NOT understand the popularity of this place. I've had authentic Moroccan food (in Morocco), authentic Portuguese food (in Portugal), authentic French food (in France) and authentic Italian food (in Italy/Sicily), and my one takeaway from this dining experience is that sometimes when you have 8+ ethnic influences working together, you really have none. Perhaps people are so starved for good middle eastern/mediterranean food in Portland that they got confused. We were a group of six that came in to dine on a weekend night. I don't quite get the atmosphere that they're going for - it feels like a horrible cross between an aquarium, a Skyy Vodka photo shoot, and the 80s video game Tron - all apparently set to the soundtrack of Goo Goo Dolls, Train, Jack Johnson, etc. What is that? Service was OK, although VERY slow. Server also did not have a grasp on what dishes were vegetarian. We were seated in the 'overflow' section (as I overheard one of the staff members say), and so perhaps our server was preoccupied with other customers at the other end of the expansive dining section. We had requested that our appetizers come out separately from our main dishes, however the gap between finishing our appetizers, ordering our mains and then getting our mains was about 30-45 minutes. Once we were finished with dessert, it took roughly another 30 minutes (no exaggeration) to sort out the bill situation, split about 4 different ways. And the food. I ordered: - Warmed marinated olives - good, but they're just olives. - Harissa lamb kabob - came out lukewarm. Rice was tasty, kabob was WAY overpriced. For $8-10, I've had MUCH better in Boston. - Fatturato - Good, well plated, and the ice cream flavor blended well with it I tried: -Broccolini - ok, but tasted like clam strips from the frying process - Chicharron - the highlight. Very tasty and well prepared -Falafel - Pretty average. - Bolo de Pistachie - I don't think anyone really cared for this, although myself and one other person really enjoyed the semolina pudding...very unique We arrived at 7pm and left at 10:30pm. This should have been a two hour meal, tops. Worst part is that no one walked away with few positive things to say about their meals. Perhaps ALL SIX OF US just had a one-time bad experience, but I can't say I'll be coming back to find out. I'd rather just go to one restaurant that specializes in the ONE cuisine I want to eat that night. Kudos to the green tiled bathroom design, very nice! Although I almost ran into the mirror because I thought the reflection was actually an extension of the room. Be careful in there. The bathroom design, plus the company (5 stars!) brought this review up to 2 stars.
(2)Holly F.
So here was a great surprise (and probably why I gave it 5 stars rather than 4)! We were just looking for a place to grab a quick late night something light before heading back to the hotel. And TIQA was open so we though why not. What transpired was finding a truely great place to eat in a town that is chock full of them . I have the feeling that had we not gone out to the small side patio and had eaten inside we might not feel the same. The interior is really not very welcoming, too bright, to big and kind of off-putting. But head out to the small patio on the side and all of that changes. Comfy couches and conversation areas....along with a few more traditional tables. The fire lamps (not sure what else to call them) work really well. While not as warm as the traditional kind of ugly propane heaters, they were nice to snuggle next to and made for a great atmosphere. Then out came the menus and we quickly went from ordering just a simple salad to ordering lots more...and it was all GREAT. Service was fast but not obtrusive, and every dish was interesting as well as tasty. The prices were really good....we are totally going back here and would urge you to do so as well! TIQA please think about bringing some of the cozy magic that is your outside patio inside....think you would see your business grow by leaps and bounds. Everyone sitting around us seemed to REALLY be enjoying themselves. You've got a really great restaurant here if you could just make the inside experience more like the outside.
(5)Nicole B.
I came here for lunch during Maine Restaurant Week. It wasn't very clear what the deal was, and their special menu didn't even mention restaurant week. Odd. Anyway, there were only 3 dishes advertised, so I chose the Tiqa salad and the ricotta and pear flatbread. The salad was on the salty side (not spicy, salty) without any other flavor to balance it out, and there was no consistency on the plate -- each bite was a surprise as to just how seasoned it would be. The parts that weren't over done were pretty good, but I won't be ordering this salad again. The flatbread was very tasty, but I realized halfway through my meal that it's basically Otto's ricotta, cranberries, and butternut squash pizza, with pears instead. And, well, it's not very new or inspiring when I notice I've had this dish before. The space is huge, but the way it is broken up seems to do it justice. It doesn't feel as large and empty while you dine (there were a few other lunch guests) as it looks on the outside. I am left confused by their decor though, it seems they were really into the modern thing with peacock blue and hexagons, but the wait staff's attire was a completely different color and style. Maybe Tiqa is having a little bit of an identity crisis?
(3)Elise P.
Eating at Tiqa felt like a mini vacation to New York in our own backyard of the Old Port. Our server Debbie was FANTASTIC. She was perfectly attentive, knew the menu thoroughly, and gave us excellent recommendations. Our cocktails were brought to us in very modest sized glasses. As soon as we starting drinking them we realized were STRONG. We definitely drank our money's worth of alcohol. We ordered the Sofregita and the Coda Brasto Del Libano. Both meals were, hands down, the best we've had yet in the Old Port. They were perfectly portioned, and we felt pleasantly full rather than 'I hate myself full.' My only complaint was the chicharron appetizer was $12 and only came with 3 small pieces of cured pork belly. Don't get me wrong, it was DELICIOUS, but $12 seemed a little over priced for an appetizer that was literally three bites. The venue was very modern and chic. The tables were comfortably far enough from one another which made us feel as though our conversations were still private. The owner was genuine, humble and down to earth, which gave me much more respect for the establishment. We will definitely being going here again!
(5)Sarah H.
We ate at Tiqa for Valentine's Day and had a really lovely meal. One of the other reviews talks about the "perfectly balanced and deliciously rich" flavors of the food, and it is such a good assessment. Many "Mediterranean" don't appeal to me on a regular basis, but I look forward to returning to Tiqa again! We enjoyed a fixed price menu for the holiday: a beet (the vegetable) tartare amuse bouche, and small Tiqa salad (with sunflower seeds and marinated mustard seeds - very nice), the falafel appetizer is excellent, and my wife enjoyed the oyster special. She had the hake and I had the half chicken and both were very good, and the restaurant was very good about accommodating a very bad nut allergy. The dessert was a flourless chocolate cake that was rich and divine. We chose to order the wine pairings with the fixed price dinner, but look forward to trying the specialty cocktails the next time we dine there. And, having complimentary valet parking if you spend $40 or more, is very convenient. We sat at the chef's bar overlooking the kitchen. While this was very entertaining to watch, the seats are very high and not terribly comfortable. Next time, we'll skip the "show" and sit at a regular table.
(4)Kylie D.
I really wanted to like Tiqa and after reading so many glowing reviews, I thought it would be a slam dunk. But on the night my friends and I were there, it was essentially the complete opposite. From the minute we were seated (at a table in the "overflow" section next to an untended bar) to the end of the meal 3.5 hours later, I was in a constant state of disappointment. Things didn't start off terribly - I really liked the glass of Sauvignon Blanc I ordered but once the food started to roll out, it was all downhill. Our appetizers were passable - the chicharron was flavorful and well prepared, the warm olives were nice and the hummus was tasty - but the pita that was served with the hummus was hard as a rock and inedible. I ordered the shorbat adas soup and although the flavor was okay, it was luke warm - a trend that carried through every dish I tried during our meal. My entrée, what Tiqa calls sofregita was sofregit - a Catalan stew base (sofrito in Castillian and Latin American cuisine) with clams, mussels, rings of lightly fried calamari and almonds. I couldn't taste the almonds and the sofregit was decent but not hot. Sadly none of my friends were pleased with their entrees either. We were hoping that dessert could redeem the meal so we ordered more than we really needed, almost one of everything, and again we were disappointed. On top of the bad meal, the service was slow and uneven. Our server was very nice and suffered my many questions with cheer but she was clearly out of her depth when it came to knowledge of the menu and preparations. Processing the bill took 15 minutes alone. As others have said, the restaurant is absolutely gigantic by Portland standards and the décor is modern and clean. The tile in the bathrooms is gorgeous but if that's the best part of the Tiqa experience, that's rather sad. I wish Tiqa luck and I hope they improve but I couldn't recommend them to a friend (or anyone) at this point.
(2)Jessica M.
LOVE tiqa! Beautiful and the food is just like home. :) I've recommended this place to so many which is a rarity for me! The owners are wonderful and the staff is highly education about the menu. I would highly recommend it!!
(5)Alise K.
We had a pleasant dinner here with family. Mediterranean style foods. We ordered Hummus with pita to start. Not enough pita, had to ask for more. The hummus was really good. We also ordered warm olives. Plenty for 6 people to share. I ordered the salad with bread ( the bread was actually pita chips) and added the chicken skewer with it. The salad was just ok and the chicken was pretty dry. I'm basing the 3 stars on my meal alone. Other family members were satisfied with their dishes. Also ordered at our table: the calamari appetizer. Wow, that was delicious!! I could have eaten 2 orders of it! Don't plan on sharing that dish if you order it! The staff was very attentive and the food came out in a timely manner. The decor is current and seating very comfortable. I love the bar area. Comfy couches and chairs. I will go back and try this unique spot again
(3)