We went to The Treehouse on a recent cool autumn night. Not the ideal time to venture to a restaurant known for its amazing deck that sits beneath twinkling tree branches. Even though it was too chilly to sit outside, we found The Treehouse on Stevens Avenue in Portland to be a magical destination for any time of the year.

As you enter the restaurant, you immediately head up a flight of stairs to reach the darkened dining area which is brightened by a seemingly endless number of hanging lights, both colored and white, throughout the space.

We made the decision to head there on a whim. Even though it recently won Portland’s Best Kept Secret award at the Portland Buy Local Indie Biz Awards, I knew it wasn’t that much of a secret. It’s a much buzzed about, well reviewed destination and we’d been wanting to try it for a while. Being on the fence about our plans until only an hour or so before heading out made making reservations a non-option. As we weren’t going for dinner, just a drinks and appetizers at the bar on this trip, we were hopeful we’d get a seat.

The bar is cozy both in terms of atmosphere and size with only a few seating options. After arriving, the receptionist told us there was a wait, but they would get us seated soon. No worries at all. The receptionist and rest of the wait staff were all incredibly nice and thoughtful. We were directed to a small bench to wait at and given menus to review as well as offered drinks. It was a nice gesture, and made us feel extremely welcome.

We opted to wait to order our drinks, and instead spent the time taking in the restaurant and enjoying the vibe. While it was dark, the variety of lights strewn about the place with tree branches tucked here and there, gave it a romantic, fairy like atmosphere. Our waiting bench faced the reception stand and had views to the kitchen, where the team of chefs was busily preparing food.

There were a few different dining areas divided by the stair case we had climbed upon our arrival. Once we moved into the bar we got a glimpse of the outside deck that looked to have a large amount of seating as well. The small bar area had four seats and then a few tables to the side. There was also a lovely nook with a fireplace and comfortable chairs to relax and enjoy your cocktails.

Treehouse

We ordered a couple of drinks and then looked through the menu. While there were a few intriguing options, we ended up going with the bacon and blue cheese flatbread. So glad we made that choice! The flatbread was fantastic. The crust was crisp, the toppings rich and creamy with just the right melding of flavors. We were extremely happy with our choice.

We had a busy day and were not looking for a late night on this particular outing, so we headed out after one drink and the appetizer, but we’ll be back again soon. This is the perfect date night destination and one I look forward to exploring further.