Votum Restaurant

Had an absolutely incredible experience with the chef’s tasting menu and wine pairing last night. Every single dish was beautifully presented and packed with flavor, you could tell how much thought and creativity went into each course. The wine pairings elevated everything perfectly and complemented each bite in the best way. Our waiter was outstanding, knowledgeable, attentive, and genuinely passionate about the food and wine. He walked us through every course and pairing, which made the entire experience even more memorable. From start to finish, it was an amazing evening. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a special night out!

My husband and I dined here last night for my birthday, and it was truly an amazing experience from start to finish. Nathan and Sarah were an incredible duo! Warm, attentive, and genuinely passionate. Every dish was mouth-watering and absolutely delicious. We can’t wait to return!

An Unforgettable Fine Dining Experience! My husband and I were visiting Hood River to celebrate my birthday and we had the pleasure of dining at Votum. The experience end to end exceeded all expectations. Co-owner Nathan took us in, super friendly and welcoming, the decor and ambience is so elegant, giving the Michlin level fine dining vibes. The service was impeccable—attentive without being intrusive, it made us feel genuinely welcome. Nathan was incredibly knowledgeable and helped guide us through the menu and explained each course. The food was absolutely phenomenal. Each dish was beautifully presented and bursting with flavor. Most ingredients are sourced locally, you can really taste the freshness. The head chef/co-owner Sarah definitely puts passion and artistry into every plate. Our favorites were the mushroom risotto, amberjack crudo and the lamb. Absolutely perfect After we paid, the team handed us a printed menu of each course we had along with a very personalized message. With the set menu, you will be given sweets to take home (just like at a Michlin Star restaurant). Honestly, it was one of the best fine dining experiences I have ever had, I cannot wait to come back again!

My gf and I came here for her birthday and this was hands down of the best tasting menus I’ve ever had the pleasure to participate in. I think the small staff and Intimate setting really helped with this. The food was immaculate. Please do the add on caviar service and wagyu at the end. It was hands down the best piece of meat I’ve ever eaten.

This place was absolutely wonderful! The host and chef are a remarkable team. And the food!!!!!!! OMG. My husband said this was the first time he actually tasted a potato. The salmon roe on the salad literally popped in our mouths. The ambiance is secondary to the food. The decor is rather spartan at the moment but we believe they are focusing on the food whose quality mutes the barren walls. We do not like gazpacho. We enjoyed Chef Sarah’s immensely. Someone said the amount of food for the price was not ideal. To that I add that we had the tasting menu which, by definition, is a small amount (ie “taste) but you can order a la carte. The host was very pleasant. We look forward to returning!

This restraunt exceeded all expectations from the beautiful design inside to the lighting, and the beautiful white tablecloths it could be the 1 reason to go to the gorge. Nathan was great very professional and kind. the chef Sarah cooked exceptional cuisine. It is very impressive how only the 2 are in the restraunt!! This could be a michelin star establishment! We ordered a la carte and it was delicious. First we had a smoked cod and japanese turnip soup, the smokiness of the fish with the acidity of the turnip balanced perfectly with the creaminess of the soup, delicious. We had a bread service before the soup, great bread and butter. We also had a crab pasta, the crispy crab, and the soft a pasta was a beautiful contrast of textures! Then we had lamb and madeira, one word can describe it, delicious. We also had a pork tenderloin with mole, it was full of flavor and had nice texture, the steak was cooked perfectly but it lacked flavor, more sauce would have helped but solid dish overall. We had more great bread and butter. Then dessert! The 1st was a beautiful rasbery semyfredo and 2nd was a toasted barley ice cream. The 2nd was my favorite our toddler ate it all! They even gave us each a pate de fruits and a cookie. Thank you Nathan And Sarah for delicious food and exceptional hospitality.

We discovered this restaurant from a New York Times review and made it a big part of our visit to Hood River. The location is right downtown and has an elegant design and ambiance. The playlist was spectacular. We selected the 9 courses / wine pairing. Nathan was a gracious host! We especially loved the background information on the selected ingredients and wines. The wines were wonderfully selected to pair with the dishes. The local "Dwinell Fools Gold Viognier Wild Ale" (yes a beer) was surprisingly perfect with the salad. The other pairings were perfect as well. The dishes were all excellent and flavorful. That is the fun of 9 courses as we certainly had our favorites. We appreciated the effort to use local ingredients. The sourdough bread was delicious. Sarah, the chef, is obviously very talented. We appreciate their intentional focus to curate an amazing fine dining experience in Hood River. We look forward to their evolving menu and will be back again for more!

Votum is a seafood-forward fine dining experience located in Hood River’s historic downtown. It is small outfit with Chef Sarah and Maître D-come-Server Nathan manning the service. The food was immaculately presented and super fresh. Ingredients are locally sourced and reflective of the changing seasons. My personal highlights were the Marinated Quail Egg, the Smoked Salmon Panisse, the Spring Garden with Salmon Roe, the hyper seasonal Nettle Soup, and the Huckleberry Entrements. This was a great little find for a fine dining experience in Hood River and I would definitely go back next time I am in town.