Portofino Restaurant & Events

Tables were small felt closed in . But other than that everything was greet .

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great restaurant with a lot of history! Legend has it, the ghost of the previous owner Dave Morgan is still stuck in the elevator. If you listen closely, there's a 50/50 chance you can hear him yelling at the martian in there.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We had the brunch which was wonderful
The menu has some very nice options
The chef is very accommodating and prepared our meals gluten free
The best brunch in

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We were here for work and we walked here because it was on the river. The bartender and hostess were awesome (we were early at 5pm). The bourbon selection was amazing. The calamari was incredible. I had the lamb and it was literally one of the top 3 meals I’ve had and I’ve been in Denver, LA, DC, and Miami. Exceptional food and service. It was a Thursday night and I can’t say enough about how great the food and experience was. Worth every penny. Our dinner with drinkers was about $150. I would have paid $300+

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Lamb Chops over Polenta

Okay, we didn't eat here, just pic' s for now...
Unfortunately we didn't have time to eat during this visit. ( Therefore no stars for"food and/or service")
A bit off the beaten path located down the stairs and around the back of the building with a pleasant view of the water, including some outside seating and a pretty nice atmosphere inside too!
Please let us know how your experience was.
More points to follow...
We will report back when we actually order a meal, thanks.

Atmosphere: 5

Great choices, Nikki was a fabulous waitress, all food items, cocktails and wine were top shelf. The outdoor venue near the water was fantastic. We had a great dining experience without exception!

This was our second time dining on the patio. It was very relaxing and surprisingly not buggy even sitting right on the water. The hostess and our waitress were attentive and super friendly. In fact our waitress, Jennifer, even remembered us from our last visit. Impressive! The last time I visited I had the Tuscan Lamb which was delicious, so I decided to try the Pork Osso Buco which was equally well prepared. With multiple good experiences, Portofinos has become a “go to” spot for us.

Portofino was excellent from start to finish. Creative cocktails, delicious dinner and perfect service. I have a number of food allergies and they graciously worked around them. We will definitely be back. A great date night location.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Our first time here and we will be back in a New York minute the food is phenomenal. I suggest everybody give them a try! The service was great!! I consider this one of the better restaurants in Utica, New York if you haven’t tried it, please give it a go.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Came in at 1140 on Friday for lunch. Nice view from the outdoor patio, overseeing the canal, music wasn’t too loud so we could carry the conversation. We were the only people in the entire restaurant for the first hour, both inside and outside. We had a very pleasant waitress. Ordered three drinks, took about 20 minutes to receive them. Underwhelming drinks, syrupy sweet and light on both alcohol and ice. Overpriced for the amount and taste. For the food, it took just minutes short of an hour to receive sandwiches and salads. We had no bread or anything to snack on while we waited. Most of the food was quite disappointing. The “roasted” chicken in the $25 salad was burned to the black, hard and dry, definitely cooked a while ago and slightly reheated. Same with salmon in the other salad, a small over-salted piece, absolutely dry and cold. Tasted like it was cooked at least a day ago, and not even warmed up. Sliced pita bread that came with the salad was very stale. Margherita flat bread was a bit soggy, burger was the plainest burger you can get on a sad looking bun. The only thing we all liked was fries, they were hot and crispy. This was our first and last time at Portofino, one of the lowest quality of food we have had in Utica in a while.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 3

Great atmosphere and food

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Beef Tenderloin Al Forno Oven-Roasted Filet

The special was half off riggies so I thought I'd give them a try . They were good but no sauce with it . The service was great and I had a table outside by the Erie canal and had a great view of a boat sailing by

We had a very nice meal. You definitely got more than enough food and everyone in our group were happy with their meal. Our server was absolutely awesome and made our time there so enjoyable. Thank you.

Portofino was the stain on an otherwise nice time in Utica. The two employees with whom I interacted were condescending and rude. By the time I left, I didn’t know whether I would receive a receipt or a hairshirt, based on how I was made to feel. (One star added because the back patio has a nice view of the canal.)

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 3

Service: 1

From the start the hostess was so pleasant and our server Cody was outstanding, very pleasant and attentive. The food was delicious with very generous portions. Outside seating by the water is a definite plus. Definitely will be back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Chicken Marsala