Culture

Reviews

• Marian W.

  star star star star star 14 June 2026

  Best New Spot in Town
  
  This place has it all -- great food and big potential for dancing at night.
  
  I went to the Afro Experience party and for lunch and both were highlights of the summer!
  
  The Afro Experience night was amazing -- great people, great DJs @djsolo_pdx and @djnayiram.  The atmosphere was sexy and fun; I had their signature Culture cocktail and it was like a suped up mojito.  Very good.
  
  Lunch on the sunny patio was ideal!  The patio is beautiful with open walls to the inside.  I had the Benedict and combined the veggie and meat options and it was divine.  Had a virgin version of the mimosa so that was fun and fresh.  And they had Portland ketchup!  The service was amazing -- checked up on at least 10 times by various servers.
  
  10/10 recommend.

• Heather T.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 4 June 2026

  I hate to give bad reviews, but this place is just so disappointing and I wish I'd be warned away. The concept seems awesome, so I commend them on their idea, but the actuality of it leaves far too much to be desired. The layout of the space is awkward, the lighting is terrible - with the distracting color-change LED strip lights staring you right in the eye rather than being elegantly tucked behind moldings etc. Definitely more of a bar than a restaurant feel to it.
  
  We were there on a Sunday night, and the place was completely empty. Should have been a sign. The server was lovely, but didn't know much about what was in the different dishes.
  
  The food was less than OK. The 5 onion soup was fairly tasty, but still lacking in flavor. The barley in the black-barley risotto was so undercooked that we couldn't even chew it, and ended up sending it back (which I almost NEVER do). And the lamb shank looked so beautiful and I was holding out hope that it would redeem the rest, but it was surprisingly bland and unfortunately didn't redeem the meal experience at all.
  
  If your tastebuds or ambiance preferences have been influenced by the super-high-caliber places that Portland has to offer, do yourself a big favor and steer clear of this place.

• Alvaro F.

  star star star star_border star_border 30 May 2026

  Some of the food was great some of the food was really bad. Can't really figure this out. We told the server the chicken didn't taste good. Lamb dishes  were great.
  
  The ones who tried the chicken came back home sick.

• Maribeth B.

  star star star star_border star_border 17 May 2026

  Okay, imma write this while I'm still a lil' drunk. This place is ok, but not better than okay. See, if I read a bunch of 5 star reviews and "meat on a spit" I'm gonna try it (9 times out of 10). Meat on a spit! At my table! In. Honestly though, the food seemed to be mostly out of a can and/or not made in-house. Olives were canned (and not seasoned?), dolmas from a can, hummus....I'd be surprised if it were made on site. Pita from a bag. If you want to pay top dollar for some New Seasons this is your place. On the bright side, looks like HH will be good with that patio. Our meat was over seasoned but we definitely enjoyed the novelty. (Service was erratic but they are new so not counting that against them in this review).
  
  [no onion with our beef as pictured in photos, one giant tomato only]

• Kim G.

  star star star star star 16 May 2026

  Wonderful addition to the Portland food scene! Food is fresh, artfully plated yet not pretentious, and tastes delicious! Restaurant and the outdoor patio has casual tables with colors of blue, orange, green and gold creating a warm and colorful atmosphere. The outdoor patio is charming and you can see it through the open window if the restaurant. At night the party lights come in making it even more inviting.
  
  While we would have loved to try the Culture Experience (tabletop grill) we decided to wait until we had a larger group with us. We started with appetizers: olive medley, fried artichoke hearts and Marconi almonds. All satisfying. For a cocktail, I chose the Where's There's Smoke There's Fire, a perfect blend of smoke, heat and sweet.
  
  Thenwe split the beet salad - how gorgeous!  Beets, watermelon, blackberries, feta, pistachios and couscous over peppery arugula. The dish was colorful and delicious. Summer on a plate! Enough for 3 or 4.
  
  For dinner, I went with the braised lamb shank over polenta. The lamb was tender, well seasoned and melted in your mouth. Served over a creamy polenta with sautéed greens, it was comfort food at its best! It was a very large portion so I was able to enjoy it the following night as well!
  
  My friend had the lamb meatballs with a divine mint sauce and the stuffed peppers; small red and green peppers stuffed with spinach, mushrooms and leeks. I wish they added some ground lamb, that would take it over the top.
  
  For dessert we chose the chocolate layer cake and baklava. The baklava was most definitely the star! Made with pistachios and the flaky filo drenched with honey was the perfect ending! The chocolate cake was dry; we wouldn't order this again.
  
  Amber, who is a bartender, also served us since we came before the dinner crowd.  She rocks! So friendly and welcoming, telling us about the menu items, showed us the room they plan on using for private parties, and made the best cocktails! Thanks, Amber!
  
  Already plan on coming back with a small group so we can have the full Culture Experience!