Ataula

Ataula was a Spanish and Catalan restaurant located on Northwest 21st Avenue in Portland, Oregon's Northwest District. The restaurant opened in 2013 in a space previously occupied by Patanegra and developed a reputation for presenting traditional Iberian flavors through a contemporary, upscale-tapas format. Its cuisine drew from both Spanish and Catalan cooking, combining small plates, rice dishes, grilled and cured ingredients, and distinctive interpretations of familiar regional foods. The menu included Nuestras Bravas, Ataula's interpretation of patatas bravas; rabbit paella; Iberico pork ribs; chorizo lollipops; cod fritters; and coca bread served with olive oil and shredded tomato. Other reported dishes included octopus carpaccio, cured salmon with mascarpone yogurt and black-truffle honey, and rossejat negre, a Catalan-style noodle dish described as toasted and blackened with squid ink before being finished with roast-garlic alioli. During Portland Burger Week, the restaurant also offered a tapas-inspired beef hamburger, showing its willingness to adapt its cooking to local food events without abandoning its Spanish identity. Ataula's beverage program complemented the food with Spanish- and Mediterranean-influenced cocktails. Reported drinks included the El Greco Tonica, made with gin, and the La Moreneta, combining a mezcal bitter blend, vermouth, and flamed orange. The overall positioning was that of an ambitious neighborhood restaurant offering polished service, inventive presentations, and a modern interpretation of Spanish and Catalan cuisine rather than a strictly traditional tapas bar. The restaurant received favorable attention from Portland critics. In 2014, Willamette Week praised its service, kitchen execution, and rapid delivery of well-prepared dishes, describing the restaurant as having advanced into the ranks of Portland's elite restaurants. Chef Jose Chesa received a James Beard Foundation nomination in the Best Chef: Northwest category. Ataula was also included in several 2017 Oregonian restaurant lists, including selections of Portland's best restaurants, the best restaurants in Northwest Portland, and the city's best Spanish restaurants. USA Today included it in a 2018 list of notable places to try a Moscow mule. The restaurant additionally reached a national television audience through a visit from Guy Fieri for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Ataula's owners confirmed plans to close permanently in April 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic and the broader disruption to Portland's restaurant industry. The former restaurant site was subsequently occupied by Phuket Cafe. Ataula is therefore a defunct restaurant brand whose historical significance rests on its contribution to Portland's Spanish dining scene, its critical recognition, and its role in bringing modern Catalan and Spanish small-plate cooking to the city.

Ataula opened in 2013 on Northwest 21st Avenue in Portland's Northwest District, occupying a space that had previously housed the Spanish restaurant Patanegra. Its concept focused on Spanish and Catalan food presented in a modern, upscale setting. Rather than limiting itself to conventional tapas, the restaurant combined small plates with paella, meat and seafood preparations, Catalan dishes, desserts, and a cocktail program influenced by Spain and the broader Mediterranean region. The restaurant's menu became associated with dishes such as Nuestras Bravas, a house interpretation of patatas bravas; rabbit paella; Iberico pork ribs; chorizo lollipops; cod fritters; and coca bread with olive oil and shredded tomato. Its seafood and specialty offerings included octopus carpaccio, cured salmon with mascarpone yogurt and black-truffle honey, and rossejat negre, a toasted squid-ink noodle dish served with roast-garlic alioli. Ataula also participated in Portland's food culture beyond its regular menu, including Burger Week, for which it created a tapas-style beef hamburger. Ataula gained critical recognition as it established itself in Portland. Willamette Week's 2014 assessment highlighted the restaurant's increasingly strong reputation, praising its service, kitchen consistency, and ability to execute dishes quickly and accurately. The restaurant's chef, Jose Chesa, received a James Beard Foundation nomination for Best Chef: Northwest. That nomination placed Ataula within the wider regional conversation about the Pacific Northwest's leading restaurants. The restaurant also received broader media attention. Guy Fieri visited Ataula for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, exposing its Spanish and Catalan cooking to a national television audience. In 2017, Oregonian critic Michael Russell included Ataula in multiple city restaurant lists, covering Portland's best restaurants overall, the best restaurants in Northwest Portland, and the city's best Spanish restaurants. In 2018, USA Today selected it as one of the places worth visiting for a Moscow mule. These references reflected both culinary recognition and the restaurant's role as a destination in Portland's competitive dining market. Ataula operated through a period of substantial change in the restaurant industry. In April 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, its owners confirmed that the restaurant would close permanently. The closure ended an eight-year run. The property later became home to Phuket Cafe, a Thai restaurant. Ataula's legacy is consequently tied to the growth of Portland's Spanish dining scene, the local reception of contemporary Catalan cooking, and the pandemic-era contraction of independent restaurants.

1. 2021Permanent closure

   The owners confirm plans to close Ataula permanently during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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2. 2018Recognized by USA Today for its Moscow mule

   USA Today includes Ataula in a list of notable places to try a Moscow mule.

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3. 2017Included in multiple Oregonian restaurant lists

   The Oregonian names Ataula among Portland's best restaurants, Northwest Portland's best restaurants, and the city's best Spanish restaurants.

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4. 2014Early critical recognition

   Willamette Week praises Ataula's service and kitchen execution, describing the restaurant as entering Portland's elite restaurant tier.

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5. 2013Ataula opens in Portland

   Ataula opens on Northwest 21st Avenue in Portland's Northwest District, in a location previously occupied by Patanegra.

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An upscale Portland restaurant offering modern interpretations of Spanish and Catalan cuisine, with a menu centered on tapas, regional specialties, polished service, and inventive cocktails.

• Modern Spanish and Catalan tapasRestaurant cuisine2013

  Ataula's core offering consisted of small plates that interpreted Spanish and Catalan food in a contemporary, polished style. Examples included Nuestras Bravas, cod fritters, chorizo lollipops, and other dishes designed for sharing. The menu combined recognizable regional references with restaurant-style presentation and technique.

• Paella and rice dishesMain dishes2013

  Rice-based dishes formed an important part of Ataula's Spanish and Catalan identity. The reported menu included rabbit paella, while rossejat negre offered a distinct Catalan preparation of toasted, squid-ink-blackened noodles finished with roast-garlic alioli.

• Iberico and cured specialtiesMeat and charcuterie2013

  The restaurant served Spanish-influenced meat and cured preparations, including ribs ibérico. These dishes complemented its tapas format and emphasized ingredients and flavor traditions associated with Iberian cuisine.

• Seafood and specialty platesSeafood2013

  Reported seafood dishes included octopus carpaccio and cured salmon served with mascarpone yogurt and black-truffle honey. The offerings demonstrated Ataula's broader approach of combining Spanish references with modern flavor combinations and restaurant techniques.

• Spanish-influenced cocktailsBeverages2013

  Ataula's drink program included cocktails with Mediterranean and Iberian references. The El Greco Tonica used gin, while La Moreneta combined a mezcal bitter blend, vermouth, and flamed orange. The beverage menu was designed to support the restaurant's modern Spanish dining concept.

• Portland Burger Week participation

  United States

  Ataula participated in Portland Burger Week by offering a tapas-style beef hamburger, adapting the restaurant's Spanish small-plate identity to a prominent local dining event.

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• 2021Decision to close permanentlyOther

  After operating for approximately eight years, Ataula's owners confirmed a permanent closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period of severe disruption for restaurants in Portland and across the United States.

  What changed. The restaurant ceased operations in April 2021.

  Aftermath. The site was later occupied by the Thai restaurant Phuket Cafe. Ataula became a defunct restaurant brand.

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• 2021Ataula owners confirm permanent closure during the COVID-19 pandemic

  The owners confirmed that Ataula would close permanently in April 2021, ending the restaurant's operation in Portland's Northwest District.

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• 2018Ataula included in USA Today's 2018 places to try a Moscow mule

  USA Today listed Ataula among notable places to try a Moscow mule.

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• 2017Ataula included in The Oregonian's 2017 restaurant selections

  The Oregonian included Ataula in lists of Portland's best restaurants, the best restaurants in Northwest Portland, and the city's best Spanish restaurants.

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• Jose Chesa receives James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Northwest nomination

  Ataula chef Jose Chesa was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award in the Best Chef: Northwest category, contributing to the restaurant's regional critical profile.

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• Ataula appears on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

  Television host Guy Fieri visited Ataula for the Food Network series Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, giving the Portland restaurant national exposure.

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1. Ataula