Nice atmosphere and harbour view

We stopped for lunch here. We had seafood chowder and some scallops. Food was good, with few drinks lunch came to seventy dollars. The service was fine. I would prefer the saltwater resturant if I were to chose. The only thing there was there was no water view.

Great staff and food

My husband and I went for lunch and the food was delicious, the staff were wonderful and the atmosphere was great and the view was fantastic.

The view

It was not the best food in my life in relation to the price, but met expectations. The service was perfect. Attention to detail, yet had the east coast charm that makes you feel welcome. While not seated right at the window, the view was breathtaking. The entire harbour and a hint of the Atlantic right in front of you.... more

dissapointed

We went as a group of 8 and were seated downstairs, the view is wonderfull, overlooking the harbour. Unfortunealty this was the best bit of this visit. I have lived in St John's for over 2 years now and have always wanted to try Portobello's after hearing so many nice things about it. The service was attentive, the decor old... more

Food was excellent but it was more like a high end bar

A perfect meal was destroyed when the waitress asked me if I wanted change for A $100. It was lunch and cost $44 for two. Give me a break. She expected a $66 tip for a $30 meal before taxes? They need to brush up on staff training a WHOLE LOT

A great lunch and excellent service

We decided to take my Mother and Aunt out for a lunch. It has been a long winter and not many chances to get the ladies out.
We decided on Portobellos mainly because it was a downtown restaurant that has a parking lot. This is a big consideration for St. John's in the grip of winter!
The menu had a... more

OK restaurant

The nicest thing about this restaurant is the view. Overlooking the harbour it offers a nice atmosphere, but I feel the food doesn't match the fine dining setting.

Great Service

I had the Caesar salad, couldn't eat it all. Really creamy and tasty. My husband had the chowder he really enjoyed it. Main course for me was the Chicken Kiev really good but wasn't impressed with the butter, should have asked to have it without the butter. My husband had the Shellfish Tagliatelle. He really enjoyed it. Lots of seafood.... more

Don't go there if you are celebrating a birthday

I went there for my big 3-0 birthday. When we got there the table was set for 4 people. It look a long time to get our app and the waitress was more concerned with the business people either sitting behind us and a few tables down from us. When we were done with our apps and our mains came... more

Not worth it

My husband and I went to dinner at Portobellos and were very disappointed. It is a lovely spot with huge windows and a nice view. We were seated quickly, despite the fact that they had no record of my reservation. After we were seated we began to feel ignored. The waitresses were incredibly attentive to the tables around us but... more

Disappointing

My friends had cod..said it was very good..I had steak...BIG MISTAKE..had to be the worst steak I ever had..it was tough, cold, fatty. I don't think I will ever be going back

Very Enjoyable

Excellent food and service. Nice atmosphere and wonderful views. Have eaten here several times and it is always enjoyable. It will continue to be a regular spot in our dining out experience.

Great view and good food

Really nice restaurant - just down the hill from the Sheraton Hotel and well worth the stroll. We ate upstairs in a wonderful table right beside the window with a fabulous view of the Narrows. The food was well prepared and really nice presentation. Staff were attentive and friendly - very pleasant experience. Definitely worth checking out.

Good night out

We had a table by the window and the view of the harbour is pretty special. The waiter was helpful and cheerful, the food came promptly and was good - the Moroccan lamb, the steak and the carrot and ginger soup were all good. I asked for my lamb rare and that is what I got - and that doesn't... more

Romantic evening

Wonderful vista and views. Walked to the restaurant. Food was a little slow and not all that special but the ambiance and locale is not to be beat

A restaurant unsure of its nature

Portobello's is caught between trying to be a middle-of-the-road family type restaurant and a place for fine dining--they should make up their minds. The food is generally good and can be excellent. The service is occasionally poor with some staff clearly not well-trained. The harbour view distinguishes an otherwise fair to mediocre restaurant.

A great lunch

Our golfing group had a Christmas lunch there. The service was awesome, the view wonderful and the food good. The waitress kept all orders straight and we all had separate checks, and that its a lot of work for nine customers. Although the restaurant was busy, no one waited for food or service. Everyone one enjoyed their meal. Try their... more

A bit disappointed

Went for a family dinner and had a lovely window side table and my seafood chowder was awesome and the duck was pretty good, The server had told us that the special was salmon, which 2 of our group ordered. When the meals were brought to the table, she told us she had made a mistake and it was actually... more

Great for Groups

Portobello's service was noticeable from the time our 16 member group arrived on a Monday night, After a cocktail, the $16 seafood chowder was a generous portion with an assortment of seafood. Following the starter, we had the $35 citrus steelhead trout with 4 small sea scallops. The trout was sweet and delicate, and the vegetables finished al dente. Again,... more

Great place for lunch, awesome view

We had lunch here before heading out to the airport. We were seated right away, had a wonderful seafood filled lunch, and on our way to the airport with plenty of time. Definitely a good place not to be missed, especially if you are staying at the Courtyard by Marriott.

Exceptionally Good Food, lovely service, wonderful atmosphere

I joined 2 business colleagues for dinner at Portobello as we were all staying in St. John's awaiting flights in the morning. We had a selection of starters, I had the crab cakes and they were very good. Everyone enjoyed their starters. However, the special was a blackened cod with a spicy sauce and it was absolutely delicious!! One gent... more

Fine evening at Portobello's

Wife, daughter (age 15) and I had a fine meal at Portobello's Wednesday October 30th 2013. Friendly reception. Seated at window overlooking working wharf of St John's harbour. House whites - sauvignon blanc and chardonnay acceptable. Wine - Campo Viejo Rioja worked well - corkage about double store price. Starters included soup of the day - roasted cauliflower with smoky... more

The Food and the View

Definitely worth the experience.
The food is very good.
And the view...
You are overlooking the harbour and the "narrows".
When in downtown St John's, it would be a great place to have a great meal.

This place has it all

My sisters and I booked the private room on the second floor for our mother's 65th Birthday party on September 24th, 2013 on a recommendation from a family member... BEST decision we could have made!!!
There was about 20 of us and we ordered most of the dinner menu items including salads and appetizers and amazingly I did not hear... more

great food, great view

From the outside this restaurant didn't look like much. But inside it's quite nice. Bit of an art deco feel. There is a panoramic view over the harbor. For lunch I had a well prepared and tasty salmon with feta and tomatoes.

Nice view, good food

My husband took me here for my birthday last week. He requested a table by the window upstairs, so we had a very nice view. I had the seared sea scallops with roasted
asparagus in a tarragon cream as my appetizer and it was very good. My husband had the spicy crab cakes. I tried some of his, but I... more

Great dinner

Our first night in Newfoundland, followed advice from Trip Advisor reserved at Portobello' s. Heard from other travellers how they could not get in any where as too busy (Friday night) Food was excellent, service great. Nice view of the harbour. Expensive, but we thought it was worth it! Also a good wine selection! Had expected it to be Italian... more

Good Food

The food was very good but the atmosphere lacked. The view was excellent but the room itself did not feel very intimate. The house red wine was not good- was very harsh. The tables around us were left with dirty dishes and the air conditioner blew cold air on us from the ceiling above. The staff and service were OK.... more

I was disappointed in the food

There was 9 of us out for dinner. The greeter at the door was very pleasant. We had a table upstairs right at the window. Yes, it was a great view. My husband and I split an order of the oriental salad as our appetizer. The flavours were good but it was just a bit too oily for my taste.... more

Another Disappionting Downtown St. John's Dinner

I have reviewed other expensive downtown restaurants before!When I spend over $200.00 for dinner for two I expect really good food! Portobellos did not meet my expectations.My wife ordered the buffalo shrimp starter,she liked the shrimp but described the sauce as putrid!She told the server accordingly and he gave us a free dessert which we appreciated.I ordered the seafood chowder... more

Never Disappoints

I dine out a lot, both for business and pleasure, so I value a restaurant that delivers consistently, and Portobellos does, day in and day out.
You've got it all here, the food, the wine, good service and a great view, and no fuss parking to boot.
Although they do everything well, I'd say seafood (always fresh) is one of... more

Great view, excellent service, just OK food

The view and the service were extraordinary, your typical restaurant decor, but the food was just ok. Nice presentation, but did now wow. Flavors were a little bland. The flavors described in menu were subtle and hard to pick up. For the cost of meal, would have expected better. Not sure I would return for that price.

Nice view

We liked Portobello’s so much that during our 5 day stay in St. John’s we ate at here twice. The food and service was excellent. Had a nice view of the harbour.

Something special

Just visited tonight following a recommendation. What a place! It was busy so pre book a table. To start, a fantastic view of the harbour followed by great service and delicious food. Plentiful plates and good service. The washrooms are cool too! Only downside was the air con being too eager!

Great dining in st. John's

We took our friends to Portobello's on July 18, 2013 for an early 50th wedding anniversary celebration. We had a table upstairs overlooking St. John's harbour. Amazing view from the large window if you arrive early at 5:30. Friendly staff, good service, excellent gourmet meals for dinner. We were able to choose an appetizer (cod tongues, scallops) and for an... more

Great view and atmosphere

It was an awesome view on a beautiful. The food was very good, the service good without being over-bearing. My pan fried cod was delicious and the others in our group enjoyed their meals as well. If you are in St. John's on a sunny day, go! Although the view makes it really special, the food is worth is as... more

One of the best restaurants in St. Johns

Portobello has a small menu but the food is excellent. I had a yummy fish chowder to start followed by an amazing filet mignon with fresh sautéed vegetables and then a lemon-flavoured brulé. I ate here twice and highly recommend it.

Tasty with a view

Delicious trout, great service & and a jaw dropping view. First night in St. John's. What a start.
If you have a group of 12, I would recommend the private room. Floor to ceiling windows.

View the best thing

Professionally run, but not exciting. 'Pan fried' seemed more like deep fried (albeit without batter) but fine otherwise. Big portions, not cheap. Good wine list. Apple prosciutto salad was interesting. Good place to take parents or boss with conventional tastes. Service fine and professional.

Fantastic view and great meal

My business associates and myself went to Portobello's for our lunch break, and were thrilled with the view, and our lunch. We each ordered a different meal, and were all extremely pleased. The service was great. It is a bit expensive, however we didn't mind as the food was so great. Can't wait to visit again next year! Always make... more

Great place to eat

Although the prices here are high, the food is very tasty, and very nicely presented. The restaurant is large but isn't noisy and many of the tables have a nice view of the harbour. The manager (owner?) was very accommodating to one of our party who wanted to purchase a set of their wineglasses (very unique bowl shape).

Absolutely wonderful---one of the best meals ever

We may have been fortunate that we were there on one of their "hit" nights...but everything was delicious and perfectly cooked. We shared a "special" appetizer of a crepe with shrimp and halibut. It could have made a meal by itself; the sauce was delicious, the shrimp were cooked just right as was the halibut. My husband then had seafood... more

Fantastic view but food hit and miss

The four of us had two appetizers each and a bottle of wine. The clam chowder was excellent. Cod tongues way to salty and the ceasar salad and crab cakes average. If it wasn't for the view, would only give this restaurant an average rating.

Great harbour view and tasty food

Opens at 5:30 for dinner. Food was great and we had a nice harbour view from our table. Service was excellent. Expect to spend about $100 including tip for two (June 2013).

Great Seafood

Went to Portobello's for lunch and they seated us by the window. What a view of the narrows!!
The food was excellent and the service was just as good!
No complaints. Would definitely recommend and go back if in St John's again!

Amazing view and amazing food

Since they were very busy and we did not have a reservation, they had us sit at the bar overlooking the harbour. The wait was supposed to be long but they managed to find us a table by the window before we finished our drink at the bar. For appetizers, my husband and friend enjoyed the crab cakes and I... more

Expensive, bland, uninspired

Been here a few times for work and group functions, have consistently been disappointed. You can get better food for half the price at many other places. Priced as an elite restaurant which it isn't.

Excellent view, excellent food

Told its one of the best ones to go to.
Clam chowder excellent as were cod tounges, blackened shrimp, trout main course

Superb

This restaurant is one of the best I've ever dined in. Eight of us had a wonderful meal. The service was unsurpassed and food was pure quality.
Unlike some fine dining restaurants, the portion size was not postage stamp-sized. You will leaved feeling satisfied.
A couple small criticisms, which in no way hurt our experience: the music was too loud... more

Service was okay; waitresses were wearing some of the shortest, tightest mini-skirts I have seen… it did not look classy. Food was mediocre; I ate hardly any of my salmon, the veg was okay, but hardly any on the plate.. Cod tongues were poor. salad so-so. The steep stairs were spooky to the women who were wearing heels. I was impressed with the cleanliness of the washroom… I had to go twice.... more

great experience

Great views, great service and great food! Any of the fish dishes were fresh and tasty. Try the cod tongue - though not something I would normally eat, it was good. The servers were all so friendly and eager to help you make a dinner choice.

Totally agree, the tacky pink fountain is hideous.

I ate there last weekend and it was not that great. It IS a beautiful view but the service is lacking; from the person who greeted us and from our waitress. It just wasn’t up to par with other fine dining establishments and it does cost just as much. The food was ok, nothing spectacular and I did feel like it was salty and oily, especially the vegetables. I think the food and service has gone... more

AFter a terrible first experience (overcooked food, beginner service) my boyfriend and I decided to give this a second try. Some friends of our has pleasant experiences and figured, perhaps we just didn’t experience their “A game” the first time. It took no less than 2 minutes for the disappointment as while being taken to our table, the host / owner of the restaurant stopped to talk to another... more

I’ve eaten here twice. The first time wasn’t a wonderful experience. The view and atmosphere are lovely, the service was excellent, but the food wasn’t great. My husband and I both loved our appetizer and dessert, but our entrees were very disappointing. One was completely overcooked, the other undercooked. I had written the restaurant and praised them were I saw fit, but also said how I... more

I hate to agree with the bad reviews, but alot of this is true. The food was very tasty, that is for sure. But the service, well..First we arrived and waited in an empty foyer for about 20 mins, when the lady arrived she was not even smiling, never asked to take our coats. We walked up a creepy staircase that was open, the men at the bottom could see right up our skirts.. When seated a girl... more

Truly been hit or miss for me; food is quite good, but service is never consistent. Dined(had appetizers, entrees with a good bottle of wine and cocktails and dessert)with 6 guests over the summer and we all felt that, for the money we spent, the experience wasn’t worth it. *Also, I was surprised the only coffee option is filter-drip coffee(cheap-tasting at that…) (no espresso, cappuccino etc)... more

Excellent Seafood

Only one visit to Portobello's, but I was blown away. Great service and very friendly staff. Enjoyed the Halibut, cooked perfectly!!!

Our party of six arrived at Portobellows at 7:00 PM on a Saturday evening recently. We had made the reservation on the previous Tuesday. It was our first time there and we were walked through the main dining room to a smaller room which seemed to be at the end of the restaurant. When we entered there were 5 tables and the room was empty. We were seated at a window table and were quite pleased... more

Visited Portobello’s for the first time on a Saturday night. I had heard rave reviews and was really looking forward to my meal. Unfortunately I was disappointed in the experience. The hostess was rude when we arrived. Our waitress was friendly but somewhat inept. She couldn’t remember our orders, one of our party received the wrong side dish, and she messed up the bills in the end. The person... more

Gosh, I have read the above reviews and have to wonder if these people are really dining at the same Portobello’s that I’ve experienced! I find everything about the restaurant superb! In a total of five visits, I’ve had nothing but excellent service and have always been very impressed with the food! It is now my choice of restaurant for any special event and where I take visitors.

we’ve been to portobellos several times since they relaocated, and once prior, and each experience has been varied. The food itself is consistently good or great. Mains & specials both were well prepared and appetizers not too large. However, the service has been very inconsistent, on a single occasion the server was excellent,- helpful in menu choices, quick checks during the meal for drink... more

I have eaten here a total of 5 times and have to say,I was not overly impressed on eother visit. Why did I return so many times you might ask? I always give restauarants a second chance,sometimes a third,the other times I just could not get parking anywhere else and was in a rush. My last visit was the worst. We (a table of two) had the misfortune of sitting next to a party of 20.Big tables... more

I Love This Spot!

Great Atmosphere, Great Food and Great View! What more could you ask for. I love to go to this restaurant!

Great View, Great Food

Portobello's was one of the best dining experiences I have had in many months! Great menu selection for both food and wine - something for everyone. The server was very attentive to my food "sensitivities" and made great suggestions. The veal was excellent and the cod received several rave reviews - caught fresh that day! Great food, great service, great atmosphere, great view!

My girl friend and i eat there about 3 weeks ago,, K F C when it was there had classier staff and least they smiled ,,the food was ok but tasted much better in the city the price was a little high so i though and as one person on here i 2 felt rushed ,,think i was still chewing the steak when i payed the bill,,, Girl’s if you want to make good tips you have to give good servive if not go to... more

My wife and me have been there some days ago for lunch and have been truly satisfied. First of all, the prices for lunch are not overpriced, then the courses was fine, scallops in a fence of crusty asparagus was cooked at perfection. As entrées we choosed each one a different fish, again it was fine. A french white wine called “Ardeche” added to our delight.
Too bad that the view on the harbour... more

I have dined at this restaurant at least once a month since it opened at the old location in 2007. It is far and away the most personable and best valued restaurant in the city. The food is fantastic. The chef there only uses fresh ingredients and the service is always top notch. And the view, what can I say it doesn’t get any better.No, I agree the presetation is not the artistic plates that... more

Food was OK , not great, just Ok. Steak was undercooked and cold. The service was slow and really bad. Sat at a table in the bar area not even in the main dinning area. This area is a walkthrough for the servers and a waiting area for customers. Could not hear a word my partner said to me over the staff talking at the bar and the sounds of a busy bar. One of the waiters actually laid his rear... more

I was recently at this restaurant and was very diasppointed with the service and the food.Celebrating two special occasions we decided to try Portobellos. We waited two hours for our main course. One of the meals was filet mignon which was supposed to be medium rare however the blood was flowing out on to the plate. We were not charged for it however it did spoil the evening. We were also no... more

WOW! OVERPRICED! I have eaten at a lot of high end restaurants in this city, but this one misses the mark. No one took my coat, no one filled up my water, had to ask for a dessert menu. When you pay $100 for a meal (three course), this is unacceptable. Not to mention, decor is lacking – did not like looking into the kitchen on arrival. Food was average – tasty but lacking imagination. This... more

I went to Portobellos recently to celebrate a birthday. Decor was nice, simple albeit. We ordered two appetizers to share; the thai shrimp, and the goats cheese. The shrimp were delicious, but the goats cheese was lacking excitement, along with crostini that were stale. For my main, I ordered the Filet Mignon. Upon receiving it, it was overcooked and unappealing. I sent it back, and then waited... more

Went on a Thursday evening. Decor was nicely balanced and the view was a perfect view of St. Johns Harbour, it is not a city view so I did not expect to see one.

I went there for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. I really enjoyed what I ordered and the restaurant itself was very visually appealing. I think the service could have been a little better but overall a decent experience.

This place has finally been put to good use. I didn’t know what to expect since last time I was there, it was to buy a snack pack. The restaurant is adequately decorated but I’d like to see more interesting original local art on the walls. But I was not there to look at art. The food was very good. I had the smoked chicken penne. Good portions too. The server was a little abrupt, but did her... more

At best, Portobellos was a high-end fast food restaurant. The decor was cheap looking and had no fluidity or atmosphere. The open staircase was a conversation piece as you could see straight up the ladie’s skirts. Biancas and Atlantica far exceeded Portobellos. There simply was no comparision. Other patrons also complained the same night we were there. I would never recommend this restaurant.... more

Beautiful decor.. FABULOUS VIEW
I believe we had the best table in the place
We dined on Saturday night, the food was superb.
However the service as prompt as it was … we did feel very rushed !!!
I do not believe that someone should in any way feel rushed toward the end of their meal. It makes one feel that “hurry up …get out we have others waiting for the table”
But having said that we will be... more

best spot in town