Reviews for The Portofino Restaurant in Arlington, VA
Service was great! Small restaurant and we went within the first hour of opening. Soup had a great flavor. Lasagna was over... cooked and noodles were burnt and hard. Picture doesn’t show it since they put sauce on top to cover it. Special ravioli wasgood. The two shrimp dishes had no flavor and shrimp were overcooked and rubbery. Wouldn’t make this a go back again for thefood. Read more
Delicious food, great atmosphere, reasonably priced. What more can you ask for?!?! The menu was extensive. I had the... lasagna which was rich and authentic. My husband had the fettuccine Alfredo and it was incredibly creamy. All in all it was aterrific experience. Read more
The food was good, but the service is what really stood out. Our waiter was friendly, funny, and helped us out with... recommendations. I had a salad and the basil pesto pasta and it was great and a reasonable price Read more
First time here... ate with 8 other family members (all eat gluten). They gluten dishes apparently were very good. My husband... and I got gluten free versions of two dishes. The frutti de Mar and the veal saltemboca. Well, the descriptions in the menuwere WAY off on both dishes for the GF versions. I did not like the Frutti del Mar at all. Super vinegar flavor and BLANDBLAND BLAND. There wasn't enough salt and pepper to fix it. The Saltimboca was good flavor with the sauce but the veggieswere also BLAND on their own. Thankfully the sauce really did help the veggies. It was "just okay". It would have been niceto be warned that the GF versions were so different that the menu description. Read more
The reviews I read pumped up my expectations. Walking up the cute little side drive and into the cozy space was nice. But it was... all down hill from there. It was my first visit so I ordered things that were highlighted as restaurant specialties. TheCalamari Fritti was not elevated in anyway. Basic at best. The Polenta Croccante was actually a great choice but my polenta wasnot crispy as described & that really took away from the dish. The Insalata Caprese was simple but it’s described as overmixed greens but a romaine/spinach mix didn’t sit right with me and I didn’t pick up on any Italian red wine vinaigrette.But the biggest disappointment was the Risotto con Aragosta e Zafferano. Risotto is not a soup. I literally had a spoon full ofliquid. And on top of that, it was flavorless. All I tasted was fishy seafood. We didn’t even finish it. The staff & servicewas fine. We were seated next to 2 ladies who are regulars… So I assume there’s potential. But based on my firstexperience… there’s nothing I’d return for. Oh, and we got a donut like dessert that was deep fried, greasy, andflavorless. That was our cherry on top. No thank you. Read more
When I was very young I worked in an upscale restaurant that had a maitre'd who wore a tux every night and had very high... standards to which he help us all to. One in of his numerous cliches was "dining is not a meal, it is an event" not to hurrythrough but to be experience he would go on saying. Well when you go to Portofino be ready to have an experience and for god'ssake chill out, relax and enjoy "The Event"....the food was exceptional and the staff, including the self proclaimed owner werevery gracious and professional. The exterior of the building hides the charm of the interior. Looking back now at the streetfront, it is much larger internally then I perceived while I was inside.. It really is is a charming spot with a really oddentrance in the back...can anyone say Speak Easy....I would go back and will so if I every stay in Crystal City again... Read more
Came here for Restaurant Week last night. It's a very cute, cozy Italian restaurant with friendly staff and good food.... Definitely want to come back and try their other menu items. The polenta fries with gorgonzola cream sauce was my favorite. Read more
It was really busy on a Saturday night but everyone was friendly and the food was amazing! I ordered the MCM Chef's Special:... Ravioli du Zucca and the creamy sauce and perfectly made ravioli just delicious. The restaurant itself is warm and welcoming.Indoor and outdoor seating available. I really recommend it. Read more