Grüner is an adventure through the Alps and along the Danube River which begins in the Black Forest and ends at the Black Sea. As it passes through Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Romania, an alternate Europe emerges, with a hearty, earthier culinary tradition favoring savory, dill, caraway seeds, crème fraîche, horseradish and paprika as opposed to the more familiar southern flavors of garlic, basil, olive oil, fennel seeds and tomato. This rich variety of cuisines is woven together by seasons and mountains and rivers—much like the Pacific Northwest.
"Great dinner with good friends. The spring onion English pea soup was superb, Alsatian "pizza" just right for a light dinner, and the rhubarb ice cream was a perfect ending. My husband loved his bratwurst and saucisson dinner. Service couldn't have been better. We'll go back with more friends."
Dined on 5/20/2013
Special Features: great for lunch, special occasion
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"In spare, cleanly modern surroundings, Gruner's German-inspired nouvelle cuisine, excellent waitstaff, thoughtfully chosen beers & wines, and imaginative cocktails made our dinner perfect. Don't miss the pickled deviled eggs!"
Dined on 5/17/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, vibrant bar scene, hot spot, special occasion
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"first time with the spring menu. the dumplings from the small plates list make me want to go back right now The coq au riesling was also excellent - much less sweet than i feared, just delicate hints of wine -and the morels were perfect chicken"
Dined on 5/16/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, hot spot
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"This is not a place for people who likes more private atmosphere. I would not go for a date to this place. People are cramed into this small space and sitting basically on each others heads. I could hear all conversations of my neighbor. Not because I wanted to, but because she was so close. Plus it took long time to get what we ordered. And I can not say that the food was impressive. It definitely did not worth 27$. I am happy to pay for food that amount of money, but I expect more then just ordinary chicken with no flavore. Maybe it was not good day of chif was not in mood, or whatever but I am not going there again."
Dined on 5/16/2013
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"The service was fine and the food was ok/ good. There was nothing special about the food, especially for the price. I got the duck and it was very dry but they did not rush the service so that was a plus."
Dined on 5/08/2013
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"2 days before, the sous chef called me to discuss gluten-free options & offered to have special desserts on-hand for the night of our reservation --- VERY impressive!! This was our first time at Gruner, great wait staff with knowledge of wine list. Once food was ordered, came out in a timely fashion. Very casual crowd & laid-back atmosphere. The charcuterie plate is to die for, I'm still dreaming of their mortadella!!"
Dined on 5/03/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, hot spot
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"of regional German, Austrian, Hungarian cuisine West to East along Danube River. Excellent food, beautifully prepared, very good, friendly service. Be aware space can be tight and tables are so close in some areas of this small restaurant that you can touch your neighbors. Nevertheless a favorite spot to return to when in Portland."
Dined on 5/08/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for brunch, notable wine list, great for lunch, special occasion
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"We always enjoy dinner at Gruener. Not your hockey German schnitzel and spaetzle menu, but good quality, modern Central European food, creatively put together and the presentation is lovely. An interesting wine list goes wel with the food. I could fill up on the pretzel bread and have to restrain myself from not doing so before the food arrives. Friendly, attentive service. On the downside I always feel I am somehow sitting in a hallway. The bencHi sat on is not overly comfortable. All in all, a nice evening."
Dined on 5/04/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list
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"This was a trip to the Alsace if you like that kind of food. The tarte flambe and the Gruner salad were standouts. They were not flexible when we asked that 8 ravioli come instead of the regular 5. The choices were 1 or 2 plates."
Dined on 04/16/2013
2006
Special Features: neighborhood gem
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"We thoroughly enjoyed our evening. The food was quite unusual and well prepared with lovely presentation. The only drawback was that we had to wait 15 or 20 minutes for our reservation and there was no place to sit or stand except right in the waiters' path. Of course it was raining, so standing outside was not an option.
We will recommend Gruner to our friends and return ourselves"
Dined on 04/06/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list
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"Very nice experience. Dinner reservation was at 7, and we didn't leave until about 10:30. Never felt rushed. The food was excellent. The service was attentive but not over bearing. I would return and recommend."
Dined on 03/30/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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Review 17 for Gruner
Overall rating
(Outstanding)5/5
OpenTable Diner
Food
(Outstanding)5/5
Service
(Outstanding)5/5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)5/5
Noise Level
Moderate
"The front door is in a strange spot and looks right at a table, so it took us a second to figure out that it really was the front door. (no markings on it). Once we got inside everything was great, from the service to the food, everything was really amazing."
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, neighborhood gem
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"Great place for authentic German food. Service was attentive and pleasant. The location is excellent, and the ambiance is simple, with only moderate noise."
Dined on 03/16/2013
2007
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"My 3 dinner companions and I were pleasantly pleased with all the dishes we selected. Starting with the bread, soup and salads, all were especially tasty. The main courses were just as delicious. We were too full to try dessert, but the choices looked interesting. Also, the service was very good, but not overly intrusive."
Dined on 03/15/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, special occasion
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"Excellent service; food is top notch, although dining there multiple times and witnessing menus change it is hard to not get the tasties we had last time. A great restaurant! Love the beer & wine menus, and their homemade pretzels! Hope if they do a second place will consider Sellwood!!"
Dined on 03/13/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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"It had been awhile since I was at Gruner. Food has always been good, but service fell far behind. I'm pleased to say that the team that is there now is heaps better and finally the service rose to the level of the food."
Dined on 03/13/2013
2004
Special Features: fit for foodies
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"The whole experience exceeded the expectations we had initially assumed. Grüner is definitely a place to fine dine, relax, have a group or just come for a drink."
Dined on 03/09/2013
2013
Special Features: good for groups, late-night find, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch, hot spot
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"The food was excellent and tasted very authentic. It was hard to decide what to order because I wanted to try everything. I ended up getting the noodles with ham and cream sauce and it transported me to Austria. The only con is that it is really noisy."
Dined on 03/01/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic
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"We've been before, but this time we brought our buddies from NYC. They love Wallse there, so we knew they'd enjoy Gruner. Everything was great--the ambiance, the decor, the energy in the room. The cocktails were outstanding. All the food was just delicious. Standouts were the gnocchi and the kale salad. Top three salads lifetime for sure. Only food complaints were that the broth in the maultaschen wasn't hot enough. Maybe the bowls were cold? And the breading on the veal was a tiny bit gummy. Tiny bit though.
The comment from our NYC'ers was that maybe Kurt Guttenbruner and staff should come to Gruner to get a refresher course!"
Dined on 02/23/2013
2009
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, good for groups, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, hot spot
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"The decor is very nice and warm with lots of wood. The service was typical (drinks, take order, check back, offer dessert, bring the check). The menu is a very typical German lineup that can be found at most German restaurants. The food was overpriced for it's commonality (no entrees under $20) and the cocktails likewise (no drinks under $10). It's clear that the chef uses very fresh ingredients as the taste of the food was outstanding. Gruner is a great "once in a great while" kind of restaurant."
Dined on 02/22/2013
2012
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, special occasion, hot spot
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"Great food and service! They were able to accommodate our party of six in a nice semi-secluded area of the restaurant. Drinks were fun and innovative and the server had great food suggestions. Would highly recommend!"
Dined on 02/16/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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"The server should have told us that a 20% tip had been included on the check for our party of 6. Not knowing, we left an additional 20%, thereby tipping on the tip. We tip well, but this didn't sit well with us when we later discovered it."
Dined on 02/11/2013
2004
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list
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"Great food! The gnocchi appetizer is a fun twist & is not to be missed! The lamb was prepared well, as was the risotto; although, the risotto was slightly overdone. My husband also enjoyed his veal dish, and said it was great except he would have liked more sauce. local pinot noir rounded out a lovely meal. Nice selection of ice wine for dessert, and the chocolate hazelnut semifreddo was just the right amount of sweet. The restaurant was noisy, so if you're looking for a quiet place, this isn't it. I liked the energy level, and found it a nice change from stuffy restaurants."
Dined on 01/30/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, hot spot
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