June

I. Love. June. It’s one of those restaurants that gives you that night you remember. And your memory just feels good.

Food is ok and very eccentric. Some of the pairings are nice but some are awful (popcorn and gravy). Additionally, the service is terrible, staff is unpleasant and very entitled.

Unfortunately, this was one of our worst experiences at June. The food was great. Almost everything that we ordered was tasty and delicious. The service was another story. We literally waited 30 plus minutes for a cocktail. It was embarrassing as we had brought friends there to introduce them to what was usually a solid dining experience.
When we sat, 2 simple cocktails were ordered. Nothing that needed to be made by a mixologist or anything. A vodka soda and whiskey coke. By the time the amuse-​bouche arrived, we reminded the waiter for the drinks. He looked like he was caught in a tight spot. Stating that the bartender was very busy. It is obvious he could not help in making drinks. When dinner came, we asked him if we could just get some wine instead and he said he could get that for us. He was very helpful, but I have to admit, why didn’t he offer this earlier? If you know that the bartender does not have time or is unwilling to quickly make drinks, at least come up with an alternative for the customer. At this time one of the cocktails was cancelled. The other was still requested as we all wanted to see how long it would take to get. Mid-​way through our dinner and after the wine had been opened and served, the vodka soda showed up. I am not kidding. This took more than 30 minutes. It was almost comical how slow it was. And at the end of the meal, they informed us that the vodka soda was on the house.
Needless to say, our friends were not impressed. We felt awkward, and I tried to point out that the food was good.
We then went to Pix and had a great dessert and very prompt drink service.

I LOVED every bit of my experience at June. The service was top notch and super attentive. One of our party accidentally launched her knife to the floor. Within seconds, there was someone with fresh cutlery to replace the dropped item. It was like a waitstaff super power. We commented on his quick response, and he just smiled saying, «I’ve heard that sound before.» Nice.
The food was gorgeous and delicious! The smoked delicata squash was wonderful. A great blending of flavors. The burger was juicy, savory and accompanied by hand cut fries. The french onion soup was perfect, flavorful and not too salty. The winter vegetable gratin was yummy and a dinner-​size portion.
The menu can be a bit confusing at first. It is divided by vegetable, fish and meat. The plate sizes are mixed together. It seems, that the less expensive plates are smaller appetizer size plates and the more expensive plates tend to be a bit larger. Definitely ask the waitstaff if you are unsure when ordering. They are very helpful and knowledgeable.
This is a great date night/​romantic restaurant with low lighting/​candles and intimate tables. I look forward to returning!

This restaurant is a perfect date spot! The atmosphere and décor were… very… Portland intimate! — not too fancy shmancy… but simple, clean, with a hint of mystery and romance… and a mix of modern and rustic. I’m not sure if that’s what they were going for… but that’s my perception of it… and I’m a fan :)
We ordered the squash and arugula salad appetizers… fantastic :)
I had the beef belly which was baked and served inside an apple. It was alright, but not my favorite dish. I will order a different main course next time and am sure it will be as fantastic as the appetizers were.

Great small neighborhood gem serving freshly inventive meals.
I was a bit disappointed that with the small seasonal menu they were out of two of the items I was interested in ordering, but the food we did get was interesting and flavorful.
Atmosphere: 4 stars (perfect option if you’re looking for a quieter, more intimate place)
Food: 3 stars (points for creativity & fresh ingredients, but we had the ahi tuna sausage, which I wouldn’t get again)
Service: 4 stars (can servers be too informative?)
Value: 3 stars (a little expensive for Portland standards, but overall good value)

Wasn’t so sure about our choice to go here when the amuse-​bouche arrived — potato chip with truffle ice cream and fish roe. I’m not going to lie, those flavors never need to be in my mouth again. But then came the bread, which was a perfect combination of airy on the inside with a crispy crust, and then the wine, and suddenly things started looking up.
I ordered the rack of lamb, which delectable. In retrospect I realized they didn’t ask me how I’d like it cooked, but they did it to a perfect medium rare anyway. It came with little bits of cauliflower that were as good as candy, and was in a sauce (I don’t normally do sauces on meat) that was really perfect at tying the whole dish together.
I’d definitely go back, but just don’t try and feed me that amuse-​bouche again!

My husband and I recently dined here and I’m sorry to say that it was a pretty big disappointment. On the plus side, June has a nice ambiance and the service was good.
We shared an artichoke heart appetizer which was quite good. The artichoke heart was thinly sliced, accompanied by several types of perfectly pickled vegetables, and topped with grated egg yolk that must have been cured somehow because it tasted like a fine cheese. For better or worse, the appetizer raised my expectations fairly high.
Unfortunately, I decided to be adventurous and order the «chicken foot sausage» for my main course. Let me just say that there is a very good reason why you have never seen this dish on a menu ever in your life, and if you are more fortunate than I was, you never will. This ranks up there as one of the worst dishes I’ve ever had, and I am not a picky or squeamish eater. I always order uni in a Japanese restaurant when it is available, for example. Basically what I got was a sausage casing full of slimy, tasteless glop. The only saving grace was that it was served with some perfectly sauteed wild mushrooms.
My husband ordered cabbage stuffed with albacore tuna which while not as unpleasant as the chicken foot sausage, was equally pointless. The tuna was emulsified or some damn thing like that… basically it tasted like it had been processed in a blender and re-​thickened with gelatin. It tasted like something you would get in the cafeteria at a senior citizen’s home in Iowa.
For dessert we shared a scoop of blueberry ginger ice cream which was quite good. I was dubious about the combination but it actually worked. So at least the meal was bookended by good flavors.
I suspect that June is capable of turning out some very good food. Some unsolicited advice for the chef: stop trying to be the next Ferran Adria or Grant Achatz and focus on the honest approach to bringing out the best in local farm-​fresh ingredients that I know you are capable of.
With so many amazing restaurants in Portland, I don’t know that I will bother giving June a second chance. I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from going if they are interested in trying it, but this is one place where I would recommend sticking to the tried and true. If you’ve never even heard of something, this is not the place to go out on a limb.

While I can’t review the food, since we were just here for drinks during our very long wait to dine at the restaurant across the street, I can say that we really liked the décor — especially the artwork behind the bar. If just every restaurant had a bartender that resembles Bradley Cooper and can make a really great French 75!
I loved the warm ambiance and cool swanky décor.
The 4 in my party agreed that we should have stayed at June and tried their food rather than dine where we did.
Next time, we’ll come by for dinner… and request that the movie-​star look alike not just make our drinks, but take our food orders as well.

June was empty on a Fri night which seemed suspicious but we soon learned why.
The bf and I went in for date night, his first time, my second. The servers were extremely friendly and the menu seemed delicious on paper.
We ordered took glasses of wined to start and they set empty glasses down in front of us then took a long time to fill them with wine. That seems like a flaw since it just made us want our drinks more and notice more that they weren’t there instead of talk to each other and wait patiently.
They were accommodating with substitutions and I was extremely grateful for that, I am gluten and dairy free and they we awesome in that arena.
The starters fairly small, and we ordered the haricot verts which had salmon eggs as a garnish. WAY too many of them actually. Fish crazy flavor and too salty for sure. Not a fan.
Our entrees could not have been more disparate. The albacore tuna was TINY and only three chintzy slices with some melon balls and sauce. That dish was WAY overpriced and we wen’t happy with the portion per price comparison. Tasted bland as well.
The pork belly was clearly the best, good portion for an upscale place (read no ones takes food home ever) and the flavor was phenomenal.
No dessert for us then home. So, I probably won’t be back with places like Toro Bravo and The Woodsmen in town, but thanks for one mediocre night out.

2 stars instead of 1 because 2 of the 6 dishes we tried were DELICIOUS (although telling your server something is wonderful seems to illicit a pretty condescending smile.)
I’m not sure why exactly, but most of this food really missed the mark. It’s hard to make a $ 30 steak that’s inedible, but they somehow managed it. The flavors were downright BAD. On the other hand, the leg of lamb was incredibly good.
The service was sloooow, as noted by other reviewers, though not unfriendly.
There’s pushing the envelope, and then there’s trying too hard. June falls into the later category. There are too many fantastic places to eat in portland to justify spending so much money on utter inconsistency…
Skip June. If someone forces you to go, have the oyster mushroom, corn, watermelon & pepper thingie (which was amazing!) and the leg of lamb. And don’t bother telling your server it’s good; they don’t care.

I thought June was great! And the service was fine — as long as you aren’t in a big rush.
For dinner my husband and I shared the bean salad which was delicious. Fresh long beans (or some variation) with some sort of fish roe on top. AAAHHHHH, so so good. I was almost licking the plate. My main dish was lamb — I can’t remember the specific cut, but it was the best lamb I’ve ever had. So so good, and perfectly cooked.
The service was good. Our only complaint was that our group of six was planning on getting dessert, but our server took too long in checking in with us at the end of the meal that we eventually just ran out of time. BUT, the server was friendly and funny throughout the whole meal, so we didn’t really hold it against her.
I could see how some people could get turned off by the service — the potential for rudeness was definitely there. However, I think the food is worth giving June a shot, and, if you’re nice to the servers they likely will be nice back.

June is cooking really interesting food. I was a little anxious after I made my reservation and subsequently read Unilocal reviews slamming the rude service and mediocre food. The service, while at times a tad slow, was warm, humble and appropriate. I haven’t ever worked fine dining (unless the Hickory Pit counts, I doubt it does) so perhaps I am being presumptuous when I say the owner/​general manager isn’t fully staffing service… by that I mean the wait staff tries very hard to provide a fine dining experience but there simply aren’t enough bodies to make this happen (comparing it to Castagna, or Craft NYC where you get swamped by an army of wait staff). So, I didn’t experience a shred of pretension or arrogance, I’d say it was above average service for Portland.
The food was much more interesting than just about any restaurant in town; June is trying to push the envelope. The porcini rhubarb egg app was rich, tart, buttery and just a whole new experience to eat. excellent, if extravagant, portion for an app.
Entrees were very good; oil poached salmon was tender, melt in your mouth and subtle, not fishy or briny at all. Lamb dish was the star of the show: leg of lamb crusted with hazelnuts, squid ink and romanesco. beautifully cooked, no gristle, great portion, incredible presentation.
price wise, the most expensive entrée was $ 25, apps were in the teens… a tad high but judging by the porcini dish, worth it.
i was disappointed by the wine list; only a handful of wines by the glass, but still, a fairly extensive list of French atypical varietals (not just Bordeaux and Burgundy) and a decent collection of Oregon Pinots (handsomely marked up).
Cocktails, like a lot of restaurants in town, were good and strong but not particularly memorable.

My 6 girlfriends and I arrived at 6pm for our reserved dinner. The dinning room was empty except for one other party of two and one person at the bar. We ordered our drinks and those came in a pretty timely manner. However, it was all downhill after that. Apparently bread is given one slice at a time just like the orphanages that once held Oliver Twist. At least that’s what it felt like. I found myself asking more than a few times, «may I have some more, please?»
After begging for my last round of bread, we FINALLY get a chance to order our entrees. I ordered the last 13oz ribeye med. rare. My girlfriend orders the last 18oz ribeye med, a couple of other girls ordered 2 burgers well done. Pretty simple??? I would think so. But, to our surprise, 1 hour later, the 2 burgers came out rare. Rare as in blood on the plate rare. The 18oz steak came out under cooked as well. Thankfully the server was able to have the under cooked meats re-​cooked. My steak on the other hand was OVER cooked and since it was the last one, they couldn’t replace it. So, I paid $ 32 to eat 2 bites of a steak. Great…
At this point we were all ready to pay our check and leave. When it was presented to us, it was not itemized. Just a total amount due handwritten on the back of a menu. I understand computer systems are expensive to purchase so smaller businesses can’t afford them. However, shouldn’t you still handwrite an itemized check for your customers? Especially when its a party of 7 and there were already issues with the orders. When we asked our waitress about the check, her response was «We handwrite all our tickets cause we don’t have a computer. You didn’t ask to have your bill itemized.» Well… I didn’t know that I HAD to ask!!! Isn’t it common sense that when you have a large party with many different drinks, bottle of wine and food ordered that you would give the customer an itemized check? We didn’t understand why our waitress was so shocked that we wanted an itemized check.
At this point during our experience, our server tells us, «I was the one who booked your reservation and perhaps you’re not aesthetically compatible with our business.»
Yes, ladies and gents. She told us we weren’t AESTHETICALLY compatible with their business.
Aesthetic is defined as being concerned with beauty. Did she just tell us that we don’t LOOK compatible with their business? Wow… that’s a great way to draw in business.
We ended up paying our bill and expressing our dis-​satisfaction with out any apology in return from the establishment. Its too bad we had such a terrible customer service experience. Cause, even though some of our entrees weren’t cooked to our liking, the food that we did eat was absolutely delicious. The caliber of food paired with the price is not worth the abuse and mis-​treatment from the wait staff. I recommend that the staff at June elevate their customer service or lower their prices. At June’s current pricing, I would much rather go down the block to eat at Le Pigeon or Laurelhurst Market where the service has always been impeccable and food delicious!

I’ve been given word that my review was not clear enough that they could not tell whether I liked this restaurant or not. I will correct this now.
It was a pretty restaurant and I thought it could have potential, but I did not like it. I will not go back.
It was far too inconsistent in its service and food. Some food was very good (starters) and I was optimistic, but other food (main) was inedible (literally) and that is a deal breaker for me.
To be fair, perhaps they had an off night. I can’t attest to their overall quality as this was my first and only time dining there. But as I said before I am not giving them that chance because terrible food + a rude, cold server who makes it seem like an inconvenience to do their job (we’re a friendly bunch, we don’t make it hard on you) are complete deal breakers.
My advice: if you’re really drawn to this restaurant, try it once because like I said it could have been an off night. Or it could be a terrible restaurant in an adorable setting. Either way you could do better and I certainly will be!

A quiet place to have wonderful food.
After calling other places that had no room for two at 6PM, I remembered my last great meal at June. Of course, June. And they had room. We wanted a quiet place we could have a nice meal, which is harder to find in Portland than I would have imagined.
I like the intimate space, the relatively simple menu (not a huge number of choices, but when the food’s this good, I like fewer choices), and the nearly invisible service.
While the menu is simple, the food is complex. I like a mix of textures and flavors. With an ever-​changing menu, I don’t think it’s useful to talk about specific dishes. Instead, I’ll say that I like the way they cook at June. It’s definitely a meat-​based menu with some fish options. I feel I explore when I eat their food: familiar ingredients prepared with complexity, and served simply.

How is it possible for 3 people to dine with cocktails, wine, appies, main courses AND dessert and only pay $ 150 including tip? Portland!
My cocktail? A Saucerful of Secrets — Rum, Bourbon, Cherry Heering, Peychaud’s, Angostura
Our wine? Riesling, Teutonic Wine Co., Medici Vineyard, Chehalem 2010
Food was a mix of charcuterie, mussels, pork belly, etc but the item that blew my mind was the carpaccio of porcini mushrooms! This was the most divine, sublime food experience I’ve ever had. So simple yet seductive.
I shouldn’t have had dessert but everything was so good that I couldn’t resist and it ended up being one of those rare times that I seriously ate too much. Oh well, at least every morsel was worth it.
Our server was perfectly professional and when I had to send the first bottle of wine back as it was corked the owner came over and chatted with us as he opened the second bottle. Super cool guy.
We heard about this restaurant after visiting Patricia Green Cellars. Jim Anderson told us he’d just come back from a gastronomic adventure in California and nothing was as good as June. So glad he told us about this gem! June is the name of the owner’s mum and her lovely photo is displayed up front. Also — rad art on the walls. Go there! Now!

Precise and quiet.
If I were playing word association after my dinner at June, those would be the two that would first pop into my mind. This is a sedate, subtle space: exposed beams, sleek steel, dark wood, open air all mix together for the subdued Northwest experience that, for many of us, now feels like home whenever we slip into such a place. And like home it’s indeed meant to be: the website tucks in a small thanks to Grandma June, and her photo rests at the edge of bar near the entrance. I assume we have her, in part, to thank for the excellence of the chef Gregory Perrault.
The precision and quietness extend to the food. I’m moving into a culinary phase where I appreciate restraint more than when I was younger, and given the European and traditional inspirations for these plates, there’s a reason for it. A chilled potato and leek soup tasted only-​just, but the bright herbal swirl of borage with tender tiny pieces of beef provided the right vibrant counterpoint. An artichoke, tenderly cooked and stuffed with delightful breadcrumbs and golden raisins became the perfect vehicle, leaf by leaf, for a lightly salty anchovy mayonnaise. A leg of lamb with bright English peas and little gnocchi was lovingly cooked to perfection, with the subtlest hint of that delightful lamb-​ness of lamb… The sort of presence you only sense when you look away, as it were.
Service was truly stellar. Our quietly attentive server swept away crumbs, replaced silverware, and gave a generous wine pour (only after letting me taste it first to make sure I loved it): we had a nice conversation about old dogs and new restaurants, and her warmth livened the coolness of the space and experience. June also offers a tiny little lounge and bar area (I assume doubles as where-​you-​wait) but it’s so delightfully small yet inviting that I was tempted to linger there with another glass before we left.
There are several other spots in Portland that I know I need to visit, so it may be a while before I return to June. Which is perfect, because their menu changes every day and so, given that my favorite season has yet to arrive this year, I might have some lovely quiet root vegetables to look forward to…

June is officially on my list of places that I will always recommend to people when they go to Portland. Described to me as a hidden treasure, I couldn’t agree more, June is absolutely amazing.
For about $ 150 three of us split a lovely bottle of local white wine, the most delicate and amazing mushroom carpaccio and a lovely charcuterie plate. We each had a meal ourselves which we were warned was going to be small, but was absolutely delightful and the perfect size after such rich appetizers.
I had the tuna which was done perfectly on a bed of broccoli greens, absolutely amazing.
For dessert I had a sorbet that they had just been developing and wasn’t yet on the menu, it was the best dessert I’ve had in my life. It took me longer to eat my little bowl of sorbet than my friends to eat theirs. It. was. divine.
The atmosphere was lovely, when we arrived they had the large window open out onto the street and the place was quite busy. The staff were all very lovely and knowledgeable and recommended additional things for us to do while in Portland. All in all it I say it is an absolute must eat in Portland.

The food is great, the drinks are phenomenal, and the dessert was stupendous.
Food: 4 (Tasty, small portions (for the small stuff on top of the menu)
Drinks: 5 (I think I have a new favourite drink)
Atmosphere: 4 (Clean, fancy, wood, vintage light fixtures, open kitchen, great layout and colours)
Service: 5 (Phenomenal service. She kept the bread coming, gave me the name of the wine I liked, and gave us tastes of things before committing.)
Sustainability: 4 (They source locally, they change menus daily (seasonal produce) and they even reuse their old menus as your cheque! The space is littered with incandescent lights, though.)
Value: 3 (The food isn’t cheap, but the drinks are no more expensive than anywhere else, although they’re better than most places I’ve been.)
June is a newish restaurant that opened up by my house. The atmosphere is expansive, yet cozy. Hardwood floors, olive-​grey walls and booths with accents of stone and natural materials. The lights are dim, but not dark, and the kitchen is open to the dining area without being noisy. The music was downtempo-​type stuff; unobtrusive but not safe BS K103 nonsense.
The menu is small, changes daily, and is based on sourcing with local farms and meat vendors. They have an eye for how to do this right, and I was really impressed with how effortlessly this place seemed to flow.
I wasn’t hungry, and my wife doesn’t eat much, so we decided to try two appetisers: grilled albacore and grilled octopus (10 $ each).
The waitress started us with crusty-​but-​soft-​on-​the-​inside (local? home-​made?) bread, and kept it coming. We were served the albacore first. It sat on a delicate few fronds of a reddish, long, thin vegetable, garbanzo beans, and tiny diced bits of pork belly. The albacore was grilled on the outside and raw on the inside. On its own, it was a bit salty, and on its own, the stuff underneath was a bit oily (olive oil), but together, they made a great paring.
After that, the waitress took our plates away and re-​set the table for then next appetiser, which was a grilled octopus on a dollop of creamed cauliflower with a side of kale salad and paper-​thin watercress. The salad had a fantastic balance of texture and taste, which included salty, sour, and vegetal flavours, all with a bit of oil to round it out. The cauliflower was a stunning addition to the soft, but slightly smoky tentacle. It was positively delightful.
The drinks are on par with the best I’ve ever had. Not only were they well-​balanced, but they were extremely tasty and well-​crafted. I had a drink with rum, whiskey and a couple of other things: it was like the best thing I’ve ever had. My wife had a Calvados cocktail (the Bentley) that was delightfully bitter with apple notes underneath. Ridiculous how good these were, and well worth the 8 $.
For dessert, we couldn’t pass up the tres leches cake (7 $), a milk-​soaked cake that stood up to the soaking, topped with lemon curd and very lightly-​sweetened whipped cream. It stood upon a bed of huckleberries, and was probably the best dessert I’ve had. It was even a decent size to share.
I had an after-​dinner apertif, which was a wine that accompanied this slightly-​sweet affair. It tasted a lot like a really good sherry, and it wasn’t even all that expensive (8 $). Paired with the cake, all the sweetness was drained out of its flavour profile in lieu of the caramel, nutty, and other notes. It was a great way to explore a new dimension on this wine.
The bill was submitted to us on the back of a re-​used menu from days prior (no need to waste, them, right?). It made me smile.
June takes so much care in what it does. Everything from presentation, to service, to flavour, to sustainability, to texture is considered in every step of everything they do. And they do it without being snobby, without having a giant herd of hoity-​toity nonsense, and without a lot of hub-​bub. This, to me, is everything I love about Portland, all in one place. Great drinks, supporting local, thoughtful business, and having it all served with a classy, yet tattooed, server. It is a wonderful product of this city and the culture it embodies.
Full disclosure: It sounds like I’m friends with these people. I’m not. I have no idea who they are. They’re just awesome at what they do.