Had an amazing meal here while visiting! We ordered the crispy lamb hummus, hamachi crudo, radicchio salad, spinach and cheese boureka, spiced mushrooms and Moroccan chicken. Everything was delicious but absolute faves were the hummus and mushrooms. Least favorite was probably the chicken- it was really well made but we were more blown away by the other flavors. Service was attentive. Had the mint tea which was great with the meal. Trendy ambiance. Would return if in Portland again!

hmMmM i cannot and will not shut up about the octopus... i absolutely lov that chewy texture and the seasoning and oils made it 10/10 for me! the lamb chops were probably my second favorite; again great seasoning... the pita bread and hummus is very memorable to me very pungent taste but texture is all there ~ the onions yommy ~ the greek potatoes were delicious as well but it does get a bit filling after a while since all these dishes are on the oilier side HAHAHA so i dabbed each bite on a napkin before continuing to eat. the chicken and salad were good too but i was saur full already i was going to explode. but lovely atmosphere and friendly service; we got seated immediately which was nice :-) they also do birthday specials yippee

From the friendly smiles on entry to the heart warming goodbye, every moment I spent within this restaurant was nothing less than perfection. My reservation was placed for outside seating but once I noticed the kitchen-side bar style seating I knew I needed to get the full experience. The wait staff were very attentive while also providing an excellent wine recommendation which was wonderful. But the kitchen is what truly impressed me. A very clean and organized French brigade was on full display. I witnessed strong communication between front of house and very clear warnings to the team when it came to special events and/or food allergies. I was close enough to the action to be able to hear Sous chef Taylor's expo call outs to her team while working on the line and I once again must take a moment to appreciate this establishment. Very clear call outs to the team with all day stated if necessary, timers set for coursing, The whole 9 yards. Everything about my experience was nothing less than perfection and I cannot wait to visit again soon. Thank you. -Dru

We had been looking forward to trying Mediterranean Exploration Co. for a while now after hearing great things from friends, and we're throughly impressed with our experience! My boyfriend and I were able to get a same-day reservation for our anniversary and were surprised with complimentary champagne when we were seated, which was a lovely touch! All of the staff were so attentive and kind from start to finish. And the food! We enjoyed everything we ordered: Lamb chops, calamari, radicchio salad, and hummus with a hot, fluffy pita were all so flavorful and delicious. And the bacon wrapped dates were the star of the show for me! Just divine. For dessert we also indulged in the Tres Leches and Turkish coffee, which was the perfect end to our dining experience on a rainy Portland evening. I'd highly recommend MEC and can't wait to visit again soon!

Perfect for appetites of all sizes. The dishes are great for splitting between two people. I was a little skeptical of the non-alcoholic drinks but the price was justified. So dang good. Good outdoor seating and fast service. No matter what you get on the menu, it'll probably be some of the best Mediterranean food you've had

Wow wow wow. We ordered five plates for two people. Fennel salad, so earthy. Octopus for my friend who is not vegetarian, where as I am. Artichokes, with a nice tahini and citrus flavor. Mushrooms with nice lentils underneath. All great! 100% recommend.

Absolutely delicious Mediterranean food! Based on my experience, the vegetarian dishes are the forte here. We ordered: 1. Fennel Salad - crisp and refreshing, and the fennel gives that different anise-flavor. I also enjoyed the oranges and candied almonds for extra flavor and texture. 2. Roasted Eggplant Dip - if you're a babaganoush fan, this is for you! 3. Fasolakia Hummus - this is a *MUST*. Even the pickiest eater in our party wanted to lick the plate clean! 4. Spiced Maitake Mushrooms - another *MUST ORDER*! The mushrooms were prepared perfectly with a slight crispy char and the black garlic sauce was out of this world!! I wish I could have bought a jar of it! 5. Grilled Octopus - this was good, but I expected more from the dish than just two pieces of octopus, one of which was a bit overcooked and rubbery. 6. Adana Lamb Kebab - Pretty good and definitely not game-y I also enjoyed the Arak and a Hard Place cocktail and the Turkish coffee for dessert was very authentic and delicious. The rhubarb dessert we ordered was good too! Sit outside on a warm evening and enjoy!

I was not expecting the food to be this good - this place nails Mediterranean nibbles! Service was warm, friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. Interior and exterior are clean and modern. But it's all about the food. We kept ordering because it was so good... Drinks - my Turkish delight was terrific. But the white Negroni? Perfect for a hot summery day. Food - you wouldn't think olives would be much to write about. But these were so plump and juicy, well marinated, and since the were warm, so flavorful. The hummus was creamy with just the right amount of tahini and crispy lamb bits. The pita was warm and pillowy (we ordered another one to sop up all of the sauces). The falafel was crisp with a tender crumb, not dry like so many are. And the zhug was full of bright flavor. We had to order another one. Octopus was perfectly cooked and the oil needed to be stopped up with pita; it would have been a shame to waste it. The chicken meatballs were also crisp with a tender interior. The eggplant relish with slivered almonds was served cold/room temp, but did not deteriorate from the meatballs whatsoever. . I'll be back... you should go too!

Based off of a recommendation from a coworker, we visited the Mediterranean Exploration Company after our flight into Portland. We sat on the patio, which was much quieter than inside. The menu was split into five different sections; we chose items from three. Labneh with Fried Artichokes and Pita: the pita was fresh and soft while the labneh was creamy and acidic - both pairing nicely with the hearty flavor of the artichokes Grilled Octopus: tender and well seasoned Blistered Shishito Peppers: such a unique combination with the char from the peppers, the nuttiness with the pistachios, the spice from the chili crisp, and the acidity from the feta puree We washed it down with locally made beverages and left satisfied.

Came here with a reservation and it was pretty packed! We sat at the bar and if we wanted a table, it would've been another hour-ish wait, so make reservations if you plan on going! We loved the other restaurants of Sesame Collective, so decided to try this place out as well! As the style of this place is similar to others, it's recommended to order a bunch of different dishes and share! We started with the roasted eggplant dip and the hamachi Crudo. The dip was decent, but left a lot to be desired. It was refreshing, but I wish there was more of a taste to it. The pita was cooked well and was very airy and had a good crisp to the outside. The hamachi crudo was by far my favorite dish of the meal, light, fresh, and packed with tons of flavor. We genuinely debated ordering this dish again at the end of the meal because it was that good. The spice maitake mushrooms came out next and it had good texture and the paste was a good contrast to the lightly sweet mushrooms. Finally the beef and lamb kebab came out and it was as expected. A very good dish that had a good balance of the meaty taste but topped with nuts and a creamy paste underneath, it didn't disappoint but didn't knock me out of my seat. Overall, I would come back as the ambiance had a nice playful nature to it and wasn't too upscale but was elegant. Looked like a cool place for drinks and some food after a long day.