It has been so long since we went to a restaurant where EVERYTHING was perfect. Until tonight! We loved this place. The atmosphere is enchanting and inviting. We sat outside and it was lovely. The waitstaff were all very attentive and our waiter Nicola could not have been nicer and treated us like family . But the biggest star of the night was the food. Utter perfection. Everything. We had the rucola e parmigiano salad - it was so simple and perfect it renewed my faith in the culinary arts. We had the scallop capaccio special and the scallops and olive oil dressing were a perfect 10. I had a pasta special with swordfish and eggplant and my partner had the zuppa di mare. Both were so amazing I didn't want the tastes to go away. The owner (who we randomly had met in Naples a year ago on a little side street) came by and was so gracious and gave us big hugs. We had amarone by the glass that was a perfect pairing to our meals. The chocolate cream tart had light and flaky crust and the chocolate cream light and inviting. We can't wait to come back. Robin and Peter.
Mark Davis
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February 01, 2020
We had an alumni gathering for 10 there for lunch. Setup/service: impeccable. The items on the expansive menu were universally praised by our guests. The bucata, meatballs and mushroom chicken, my dishes, were exceptionally well prepared. While small, the space is well laid-out and comfortable for groups of various sizes. There is plentiful street parking nearby and five free of charge spots directly in front of the restaurant.
Jesse Mendoza
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August 25, 2021
It's been a while since I have been here and the food is excellent. However I was disappointed by our waiter. He was rude to my daughter and made us feel uncomfortable.
I only stayed because our busser was great.
Dennis Sem
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October 20, 2024
Lovely food with a great selection of wines
Sandra Harris Ramini
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June 25, 2024
We didn’t think we’d find an authentic European restaurant in Santa Monica, but Portofino was a revelation. We enjoyed immaculate Italian cucina, all the tastes were there and beautifully presented. We shared our dishes - American portions are large - and relished every bite. We sat outside on a beautiful summer evening, celebrating our 52nd anniversary and wondered if we could possibly fit in a dessert. The restaurant made up our minds for us. Presented with a glowing candle was a perfect portion of tiramasu.
What a happy anniversary.
It has been so long since we went to a restaurant where EVERYTHING was perfect. Until tonight! We loved this place. The atmosphere is enchanting and inviting. We sat outside and it was lovely. The waitstaff were all very attentive and our waiter Nicola could not have been nicer and treated us like family . But the biggest star of the night was the food. Utter perfection. Everything. We had the rucola e parmigiano salad - it was so simple and perfect it renewed my faith in the culinary arts. We had the scallop capaccio special and the scallops and olive oil dressing were a perfect 10. I had a pasta special with swordfish and eggplant and my partner had the zuppa di mare. Both were so amazing I didn't want the tastes to go away. The owner (who we randomly had met in Naples a year ago on a little side street) came by and was so gracious and gave us big hugs. We had amarone by the glass that was a perfect pairing to our meals. The chocolate cream tart had light and flaky crust and the chocolate cream light and inviting. We can't wait to come back. Robin and Peter.
We had an alumni gathering for 10 there for lunch. Setup/service: impeccable. The items on the expansive menu were universally praised by our guests. The bucata, meatballs and mushroom chicken, my dishes, were exceptionally well prepared. While small, the space is well laid-out and comfortable for groups of various sizes. There is plentiful street parking nearby and five free of charge spots directly in front of the restaurant.
It's been a while since I have been here and the food is excellent. However I was disappointed by our waiter. He was rude to my daughter and made us feel uncomfortable. I only stayed because our busser was great.
Lovely food with a great selection of wines
We didn’t think we’d find an authentic European restaurant in Santa Monica, but Portofino was a revelation. We enjoyed immaculate Italian cucina, all the tastes were there and beautifully presented. We shared our dishes - American portions are large - and relished every bite. We sat outside on a beautiful summer evening, celebrating our 52nd anniversary and wondered if we could possibly fit in a dessert. The restaurant made up our minds for us. Presented with a glowing candle was a perfect portion of tiramasu. What a happy anniversary.