Cinque Terre And Vignola - Portland

I was excited to visit this Italian restaurant and was seated at a corner table away from the cold drafty entrance on a chilly night in February. However, I was disappointed to find that the spacious restaurant was just as cold next to the large windows. I had to order a cup of hot water to keep warm! Our waiter seemed to ignore us whenever he looked our way and when he did come to our table, we had the unfortunate view of his backside as he served the diners next to us. Our appetizers of baked clams were cold, bland, and lacked attention to detail. Our waiter forgot to bring the complimentary breadsticks and did not check on how our appetizers were. We waited over an hour for our entrees, despite our waiter promising they would be out soon. After my boyfriend requested hot entrees, our waiter went back to the kitchen and we waited another fifteen minutes with no sign of him or our food. We decided to leave and find another place to eat in Portland before the restaurants closed for the night. The chef apologized and covered our bill, but we left hungry. The food did look good and it seemed like others were having a better time, so Vignola might deserve a second chance, but it's not a top choice for me.

Negative: Everything else was disappointing. Despite being seated promptly, by 7:25 no one had acknowledged us, filled our water glasses, offered us drinks, bread, or informed us of any menu changes. We had to get the hostess's attention to have our water glasses filled and for her to find our server. She mentioned there was a miscommunication. By 7:30, no one except the hostess had checked on us after 25 minutes at the table, prompting us to leave.

The service at this restaurant was excellent. However, we were disappointed when we asked the staff to explain the menu to our friends who were unfamiliar with Cinque Terre, only to be told that the portions were small and we should order more. Unfortunately, we were not impressed with the food as it was overcooked, rubbery, and fatty.

Ideal for drinks, apps and small tellers. entry menu limited and seems strangely mixed with pizza.

Loves the menu and the skills of the cook. I was just a little disappointed that they have no blue filled olives for my martinis. great ambiente, beautiful music, good subtle lighting. great time with friends.