#PortlandBusiness: Mucca Osteria

Since 2011, Mucca Osteria has been bringing authentic Italian cuisine to downtown Portland. Amid a classy, upscale environment, you'll find carefully curated traditional dishes and local wines from throughout Italy delivered in a native Italian's trained and experienced hands. Learn more about what makes this Italian eatery one of Portland's finest.

Setting and Atmosphere

This bi-level gem hiding in plain sight is tucked in a narrow building smack-dab in the heart of bustling downtown Portland. There, diners enjoy authentic Italian cuisine while surrounded by exposed-brick walls beset with tall windows, decorated with ornate mirrors, and highlighted by a sepia tone map of Italy. Lighting it all, rustic chandeliers hang overhead.

Menu

The menu changes seasonally so diners can experience the best of what's freshest at any given time of year. One constant throughout it all, though, is the eatery's renowned pasta.

Find these elements combined by the owner and native Romanian Chef Simone Savaiano in authentic dishes and recipes from the Tuscan, North Italian, and Central Italian regions infused with new innovation and imagination. The menu offers vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. And, there's always a delectable array of sweet desserts to top it all off.

Wine

The establishment is equally well-known for its primo wine list, containing over 400 labels from across every region in Italy. No doubt, that comes from the refined palate of its chef, who's also a sommelier. Enjoy this array of reds, Northern and Southern whites, and sparkling wines by the bottle or half-bottle. You can even bring in your own outside wine, for a small corking fee.

The restaurant was included in Wine Spectator's 2018 list of the Pacific Northwest's dozen prime wine restaurants. In 2019, it received the same magazine's Award of Excellence.

Reception

This humble, comfort food eatery is a winner of much critical acclaim, including making the 2016 Thrillist list of Portland's best restaurants. Also in 2016, it received the number six ranking in The Oregonian's 2016 list of the city's top ten Italian restaurants and appeared in the newspaper's 2017 review of the best pasta in Portland.

The restaurant was ranked on a 2021 Eater Portland list of the best restaurants in Portland to take a date and included on a 2022 list of essential food carts and restaurants in the city.

Location, Hours, and Contact Info

Visit Mucca Osteria at 1022 SW Morrison Street. The restaurant is open for dinner Monday through Saturday between 5 pm and 10 pm, though these hours may vary subject to updated COVID regulations. Indoor dining is only available by reservation and only for parties of no greater than six. The restaurant requires proof of vaccination to dine there. You can make a reservation at Mucca Osteria online or by phone at (503) 227-5521.

You can also purchase gift cards for friends and family, visiting travelers, or even for yourself as a treat for later on.