First Taste: Bar Sprezzatura Portland at The Heathman Hotel

Last week I attended a media preview for the new Bar Sprezzatura Portland, which opened officially to the public for dinner last Friday, October 16 (lunch service will arrive later this month). It was an experience full of surprises, good company, delicious food and drink, and great conversation among colleagues. I could do this all in an Instagram post, but I feel freer here on a creative level, so—here we go!

Some Background Info on Bar Sprezzatura Portland

I wrote about Bar Sprezzatura Portland earlier this year, in more of an “it’s coming this fall” message, and you can read that here.

A few technical details on the operations from the PR folks:

• Bar Sprezzatura, and the entirety of the food and beverage operations at Heathman Hotel, is led by Portland Executive Chef, Justin Ramirez, a Portland local who brings an understanding of the city’s culinary community, produce, products, and vendors.
• The Mina Group now oversees all food and beverage operations at Heathman Hotel, from morning coffee to evening dining, to banquets and in-room service. The Mina Group brings a single culinary point of view to every part of the property.
• The restaurant team includes:
  • Executive Chef, Justin Ramirez.
  • General Manager, Tyler Groom.
  • Executive Pastry Chef, Gabriella Martinez.
  • Lead Bartender, Niko Smith.

The Heathman Hotel

I have learned that they are celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2027, which is certainly a major milestone. They say they are “entering into a new chapter” and that includes a property refresh, “that preserves the character of the historic landmark while evolving the guest experience for today’s traveler. ” So, I guess, they are aiming for the best of both worlds.

Here are some more details from the PR folks:

• The refresh celebrates the hotel’s original Jacobean Revival architecture, bringing historic details forward through extended eucalyptus wood paneling, enhanced lighting, renewed furnishings and window treatments, and plush velvet seating.  
• The hotel’s celebrated library has returned to its original mezzanine home, where its collection of books is complemented by expanded lounge seating and a new vinyl collection created with Portland’s Music Millennium.  
• Throughout the hotel, refreshed public spaces and new bar service create more opportunities for guests and Portland locals to gather. 

Here are some provided photos of the refresh (click to enlarge). Photo credit: Jason Quigley.

The Start of Our Evening at Bar Sprezzatura Portland

I arrived, checked in with the hosts, and was presented with a fountain flowing with a cocktail (I believe it was a Negroni, but I could be wrong). The placement of the flowers and fruit reminds me a bit of a Caravaggio painting.

I walked passed it and encountered Carlo Splendorini, mixologist at Bar Sprezzatura. He brought me an NA Garibaldi after I told him I did not drink alcohol. It is made with The Pathfinder (an amaro-style NA spirit), Amaro Falso (from St. Agrestis, another kind of NA amaro) and “fluffy orange juice.” It was delicious—not bitter, not sweet, but the perfect marriage between these two.

There were some passed items: Dungeness crab tramezzini, which was light and lovely with Meyer lemon aioli and basil; the pumpkin supplì, which was like an oblong arancini that included Prosciutto and Fontina cheese, that I enjoyed quite a bit; and a fried olive, which I did not encounter.

Our Meal at Bar Sprezzatura Portland

We were led to the dining room that was full of comfortable seating and low light (photos reflect that, ngl).

They served us a really good meal—lots of variety in ingredients, treatments, textures, and tastes. As a somewhat shy person, I really appreciate how the PR team thought about the guests and grouped us with people they thought we’d enjoy (so, assigned seating).

And they did a great job with this—I was seated with Rachel Monahan of CityCast, who also holds the the distinction of being the person who (inadvertently) gave me the inspiration for Salad Week. We also got to hang out with Alex Frane (Eater, Portland Monthly, Portland Mercury), and Janey Wong (EverOut, Eater). It was a fun group.

The meal started with this bun and a dip—the names escape me at the moment but the bun was soft and warm, and the dip had imagery of the Italian flag on it.

We then moved to the main courses.

First Course

This included a plate of chicories from Flying Coyote sitting atop La Tur Budino, thin slices of persimmon, and a burnt honey vinaigrette; Ahi Tuna sashimi with butternut squash caponatina, caper salt, and basil oil; and Brick Quail with roasted Kiyokawa apples, Sicilian almond crumble, and basmela.

Second Course

This was two dishes—gnocchi with Gorgonzola crema, charred radicchio, and walnuts; and a Revel sausage pizzette with spigarello (a leafy green in the brassica family), red onion, and Calabrian chill.

No-Cello Spritz

Part of the way though I had a their No-Cello spritz—housemade limoncello and sparkling water. I imagine it does not taste like boozy limoncello, but I liked it a lot. It was kind of mix of lemon and herbal notes, and not overly sweet. Overall, the NA cocktails I had that night I could tell were very thoughtful.

Third Course

Umpqua Valley lamb sausage with “crauti alla trentina (traditionally made with sauerkraut, smoked bacon or speck, onions, and aromatic spices), carrot purée, and kohlrabl; olive oil poached Alaskan halibut with fregola sarda (from the Sardegna region), melted leeks, and porcini zabaglione; and Chicken Milanese alla Diavola with hot pepper agrodolce, fennel, and Parmesan.

There were two vegetable sides—a roasted Fioretta caulflower, and Brussels sprouts with pomegranate.

Dessert AKA Curtain Call

A simple limone sorbetto with housemade limoncello, and “Espresso Yourself” tiramisu with Borghetti-soaked ladyfingers, Valrhona cornflake crunch, and crema dolce.

On the Way Out of Bar Sprezzatura Portland

They told us to head to the library for espresso martinis, but since I don’t drink—and try not to consume caffeine too late in the day—I decided to pass, but I did pick up one of their freshly-filled cannoli. They had a bunch of options to dip the ends in, but I chose tiny chocolate chips.

Favorites at Bar Sprezzatura Portland

It may blow your mind to know that my favorite thing of the evening was the Brussels sprouts. They were cooked and seasoned exactly the way I like them. Well-cooked, a bit crispy and with some caramelization. Loved the pomegranate addition, too. I will have to try that next time I roast Brussels sprouts.

I though the Chicken Milanese was very good—moist, tender breaded chicken with that agrodolce (sweet and sour) with nice acidity. I ate some of the arugula on top but I thought it was most effective as a visual element; if it hadn’t been there, I would not have missed it.

The second course was my favorite course, with the very soft, savory gnocchi, and the pizzette, that had a little bit of a kick from the Calabrian chilis. Both were the kinds of things I could eat an entire serving of.

The tiramisu was dessert comfort food, and it was kind of like eating a creamy tiramisu cloud. I’ve eaten a lot tiramisu in my days (because I love it), and this was so friendly and easy to eat—no dry spots, which what really bugs me about some tiramisu. This absolutely did not suffer from that.

You can find their menus on their website, both dinner and beverages at the writing of this article, and I am sure their lunch menu will make an appearance at a later date.

Many thanks to all who made this dinner possible. It was really a treat.

Bar Sprezzatura [opened October 16, 2026]
1001 SW Broadway, Portland
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