Votum Restaurant now open

Chef Sarah Doyle, pictured above, and Maitre d’hotel Nathan Ricks have opened Votum Restaurant in downtown Hood River.

By Laurel Brown, Columbia Gorge News

HOOD RIVER — Votum Restaurant is now open and accepting reservations for their fine dining experience. Chef Sarah Doyle and Maitre d’hotel Nathan Ricks first developed the idea for Votum after meeting at Manresa, a three Michelin Star restaurant in Los Gatos, Calif., that recently closed. Together, the duo returned to Oregon in 2019 and soon after leased the ground floor of the Masonic Lodge in downtown Hood River. They built the restaurant by hand, including a modern open-kitchen that features two deck ovens for bread and pastry production as well as a saltwater live tank for their fresh seafood ingredients.

​Doyle’s cuisine showcases seasonal seafood from the Pacific Northwest and around the world; she sources locally milled flour for house made bread and procures seeds for bespoke herbs and vegetables grown by local farmers. Maintaining relationships with local fishermen, ranchers and shellfish farmers is important to her business structure, which comes together to offer a handmade and house cultured experience to residents and visitors of the Gorge.

Votum offers guests a nine-course tasting menu and a la carte options, combining traditional techniques with modern plating and sensibilities. Perennial dishes such as the forest risotto and Manhattan steak anchor the always-changing seasonal seafood offerings. The wine list highlights the best of Burgundy, German Riesling, vintage Bordeaux and a carefully curated selection of local offerings.

With white linen table cloths and servers in suits, Votum aims to transport guests to a more refined place and time with old-world experiences and cutting-edge cuisine.
Reservations can be made online votum restaurant or via phone at 541-645-3465.