"L'Orange is a real charmer. Occupying the second floor of a Victorian house that has variously been a telegram office and a butcher shop over the last 100-odd years, the dining room has a homey sophistication. The menu, which the chef Joel Stocks changes with the seasons, speaks French with a Pacific Northwest accent. Nestle into a chair at the six-seat chef's counter (read: bar) for a glass from the wine list curated by Jeff Vejr, a co-owner, and a couple of plates as the afternoon light fades to early evening. An ornate ruffle of shaved tête de moine cheese or the chicken liver mousse, presented in tartlet form with a strawberry and red wine gelée, will do very nicely. But so will a buckwheat crepe, amply filled with bay shrimp, Gruyère and zinged with candied jalapeño. And with nothing on the menu more than $30, becoming a regular is a tempting prospect."

-Brian Gallagher, The New York Times

“At this modern French restaurant, servers flit from room to room on the top floor of a converted 115-year-old house delivering glasses of melon de Bourgogne and frilly rosettes of tête de moine cheese accompanied by honeyed hazelnuts. The restaurant’s stately-yet-homey rooms are the domain of chef Joel Stocks, formerly of fine dining destination Holdfast. Silky chicken liver mousse tartlets topped with raspberry saffron jam are baked in limited quantities, but make for a lovely sweet-savory open to the meal. The focal points of main dishes — light and airy pâte à choux-based Parisian gnocchi and proteins like duck confit and sturgeon — remain the same, but ingredients change on the plates seasonally, highlighting produce like chanterelles and caramelized fennel.”

— Right of the Fork Episode 373 : Gary the Foodie

— Michael Russell, The Oregonian December 20th, 2023

— Andrea Damewood - Portland Mercury, December 27th, 2023

“Here, in this home built in 1905 that was a telegram office, a butchery, and a couple of restaurants over its long history, L’Orange has set up shop, creating a space that feels cozy and well suited for a bohemian dinner party. The business is the brainchild of chef Joel Stocks (formerly of Holdfast Dining), who helms the tiny kitchen, and winemaker Jeff Vejr, of Les Caves and Les Clos. Billing itself as an “Old Portland” restaurant, L’Orange succeeds in giving people a focused, hyperseasonal, and unfussy menu that won’t break the bank.”

- Neil Ferguson, Willamette Weekly January 9th, 2024

“It’s French, it’s Pacific Northwest, it’s a little bit Mediterranean depending on the mood, and it’s probably my favorite new restaurant.

To eat at L’Orange is to l’love L’Orange.

This cozy second-floor bistro on the outskirts of Ladd’s Addition bills itself as a winery restaurant, but don’t be fooled: The wine is truly outstanding, but the plates that Chef Joel Stocks and his team turn out linger in my mind far longer than they lasted on my tongue.”


-Andrea Damewood, Portland Mercury 2/20/24

“On the second floor of a converted house, this clandestine space bumps like a supper club on a good night. It’s a newish, Frenchish project from chef Joel Stocks, formerly of mod-cuisine darling Holdfast. His cooking here fits the homey room but maintains a cheffy rigor (even more so on a Wednesday-only tasting menu). Tête de Moine, an alpine cheese shaved into rosettes that cluster like white carnations, is the perfect start or end to any meal. Onion soup bubbles under a fan of Gruyère-crusted bread pudding slices. And the confit duck leg, cleverly deboned and rolled into a neat parcel, could redeem any botched Thanksgiving. Partner Jeff Vejr (Les Caves) quietly steers a global wine list that goes as deep as you want to follow it.”
—Matthew Trueherz

We were very honored to be listed in “Hemispheres” United Airlines in flight magazine.

“The Pacific Northwest meets the Western Mediterranean at L’Orange in Portland, Oregon.”

-Gerald Tan, Hemispheres July 2024 Issue.

"These intimate new restaurants across the U.S. are cultivating a dinner-party vibe."

"Portland's L'Orange is a wine-forward restaurant that seats 28, split across three distinct rooms, an arrangement that helps amp up the coziness of each."

- Lia Picard, Travel + Leisure Magazine, September 2024