Review Portofinos Restaurant Wellington Cbd - Wellington

Staff were amazing and attentive. Food was delicious and fast. View was astounding. Love this place will be back again.

Overall, extremely impressed! Friendly and efficient service (on a very busy Mother’s Day), the wait was not too long for the food, and they accommodated us even though we were walk-in’s. Food was really tasty as well - pizza was delicious, and the fettuccine con pollo - I would go back for. The marinara was good, but had more mussels than any other seafood. This overpowered the dish, hence the loss of one star. Beautiful views and an ambience that works with young and old.

Had great food very well presented and deliciously tasty. Cocktails were also very enjoyable. Service I felt was below what's expected they weren't busy but quite slow getting drinks out.

So delighted to have a meal at this restaurant. Staff very friendly, great services , very attentive Loved my meal & others with me also enjoyed their meal Very responsible prices for the views we experienced Love to return

Lovely meal, service was a little on the slow side however server's were wonderful - taking photos for our group and engaging in banter with us. Cocktails were awesome, food was excellent. Would dine here again

Lovely Italian restaurant by the Wellington Bay. I had a working lunch here with some colleagues and we did enjoy great food and drinks. I tried the risotto and I love it. We also tried pizza, calamari, the bread, and gelato. The service is fast and the staff is friendly. It has beautiful view for sure. Parking can be a bit challenging.

Nicely presented Italian food especially their Pizzas, Veal with tasty mushroom sauce, and eye fillet steaks!! Medium-small sized portions only!! Their tiramisu desserts are beautiful 😋 😘 Our waitress was amazingly attentive. The food came out fast. But the Manager with his worried face was at times rather off putting!!🤔😒

One of the BEST Italian Restaurants in Wellington! The owner and staff are very attentive, friendly and polite. The food and dessert were delicious, price are good! Highly recommended AAA++++

We selected Portofino despite lots of options right at this same location based on the menu and wine list. Both served us well. They didn’t have great selections for kids but worked it out for us to serve as ordered for a picky 5-year-old. The wine was wonderful, as expected, and their dishes were all delicious.

I was taking here just last night for my Birthday Dinner. I / we had the best evening out in a long time. The staff were excellent, the drinks and food came in record time and was all delicious. I have let my girlfriends know we are coming here for their birthdays!! I would highly recommend going to this restaurant for a evening out.

First time visit for our son's birthday. We had pre booked a table which was good as they were busy with not many tables spare. Orders were taken quickly and drinks and entrees came out fast. Mains were good, spaghetti bolognese was nice without being too much. We had to signal a person to get a dessert menu. But once we did I would recommend the lemon sorbet, very tasty. The staff were somewhat unfriendly, no chitter chatter, no one asked how our meals were. And no mention of birthday even though I made mention on the booking.

Friendly professional waitstaff. Good gluten free options. Almost all pasta dishes can be made gf on request. The food is of consistent quality and presentation. I had the marinara pasta with pomadoro sauce. My guests had clam pasta and bacon and mushroom pasta. We thoroughly enjoyed our meals and will be back.

Real Italian restaurant that sends your tastebuds right back to good ol Europe. The spaghetti marina are to die for and the deserts are delicious. Good wine selection.

The vibe here is that of being sophisticated and accommodating with the staff working furiously in the background to ensure the deliciously fresh food and amazing drinks (cocktails) are presented well and delivered efficiently. Attention to detail was very obvious during my visit. And what a view!

Lovely place on the waterfront, lovely atmosphere too. Service was mixed due to customers coming in after our table and getting their food first, otherwise great food at a decent price.

Portofino is located on the wharf in Wellington with beautiful views excellent service and cuisine for an American Canadian opinion. Thank you for your hospitality

Listed in one of my favourite pasta restaurants!!! The lasagna is novel that served with soup-like sauce, which is pretty appetising, but the pasty is too soft soaking in the sauce. The Hawaiian pizza is good too, cheese tastes fabulous, but the pineapple and ham are too tiny to feel that I am eating them lol. Annnnnnnd there must be a LIKE for the risotto de pollo!!! Everything is perfect for this dish, I would probably try the salmon one next time, which I was afraid it would be too creamy and greasy for myself, now I look forward to it!!! Will definitely come here often~~~

19 hours ago<br/>Off flat beer. 50 minute wait for drinks despite asking twice. 2 hour wait for food. An elderly member of our party asked to get her main while the rest of us had entrees and was told no. Cold entree with chips off the mussel shells causing my partner to hurt his teeth. Uncooked pizza base. Stringy untrimmed steak for my partner with no seasoning. Another 40 minute wait for round 2 of drinks. Bartender busy minding his children instead of his job. 2/3 girls toilets blocked, one with a whole roll of toliet paper. Overpriced dessert consisting of three tiny profiteroles. A very expensive and miserable experince.

Been to Portofino 3 times now and never disappointed. <br/><br/>Favourite Spaghetti bolognese in welly, so flavorful. Service always amazing, friendly owner.

Really great service. Wait staff engaged positively with kids and adults alike. 4 out 5 meals were chock full of the flavour, the fifth one was ok.

We have beeen there with friends for birthday party staff was very nice, friendly and lovely. We all had pasta, pizza, and other things. All food was very yummy and good. We had our cake with the singing for wishing the birthday that was really very great. Will definitely go back there. Thank you for making our dinner best.

VERY Friendly staff, clean place in a prime location with long Peroni served from the tap and yum food with a wicked view. Highly recommend.

Went to Portofino with a group of friends for a birthday. We were seated upstairs which was cosy but meant that we did not have the view outside which is one of the reasons we came to Portofino.<br/>Staff were okay towards us but we did feel like they did not want to be there and some came across quite cold. Restaurant was reasonably busy so they could have just been tired.<br/>We ordered and food did take a while to arrive (again possibly because they were busy) Food looked good when it arrived but servings seemed quite small for the price. I ordered a scallop pasta. Unfortunately the dish did not have much seasoning and the scallops were like gloop.<br/>Restaurant was very loud with all the chatter going on so conversation was pretty much non existent.<br/>This may have just been a bad night for Potofino but unfortunately with the choice of restaurants in Wellington there are many other places where you can get better meals for a more reasonable price.<br/><br/>Food - 3/10<br/>Staff - 5/10<br/>Ambiance - 3/10<br/>Price - 3/10<br/><br/>Would I return - Unfortunately No.

A great restaurant if you want something along the water. Great for big groups the pasta and the pizzas are all amazing - the garlic bread is also extremely tasty

I love Portofino, great pasta, good cocktails and service is always quick! Great for before a show like WOW! If you like Italian give Portofino a try!

Went here with two of my work colleagues.. They forgot one of our dishes and also there was bit of a problem with one of our breads. When we brought this to the staffs attention they compensated is with a free drink each and a dessert for the table and didn’t charge for the bread which was really nice of them.<br/><br/>Overall the food is good and great location and views!

<br/>Amazing experience went there this weekend with big group orderd pizza and pasta. Pizza was so delicious real italian and pasta either. Surely come back.

We popped in here an hour before having to head back to our cruise ship. The staff were exceptional. So friendly and accommodating. I asked for rocket to be added on top and they did without any further charge. The meal was absolutely devine - much credit to the chef! The view of the harbor was great.

Went there with a group of friends. The food and service were both disappointing for the price you pay. To top it off they forgot my meal so I had to watch everyone else eat until mine was prepared. They compensated with giving me a free drink while I wait. Should have really given us a discount or given me a free plate. When the fettuccine arrived it was less then average. Everyone in the group were disappointed with their meals too.

Nice Italian restaurant on the waterfront. I had a Hawaiian pizza which was delicious :) I also tried some of my friends carbonara which was also really good.

Warning... controversial content follows.<br/><br/>Wined and dined with a work colleague at Portofino this evening and have to say, we had a more than decent time.<br/><br/>You are welcomed with the Maitre D opening the door for you which is a lovely touch, albeit a bit overwhelming for anyone just casually browsing the menu on the door.<br/><br/>Our waitress was lovely. Attentive and knowledgeable. She knew the specials off the top of her head and was able to give her recommendations when it came to the all important dessert choice.<br/><br/>Now, this is where the controversy comes in. I had the Vegetarian pizza on a GF base. It was loaded with different veges, olives, not too much cheese and the edge was crispy. It also comes with pineapple. Yep, pineapple on a non-Hawaiian pizza. Who'd have thunk it. I love pineapple on pizza but even this combo baffled me. However it was good! It offset the olives and veges nicely and didnt overpower the flavours.<br/><br/>My colleague loved her seafood risotto. It had four of everything and was a great size.<br/><br/>The desserts were beautiful. My Panna Cotta was light and wobbly. Her Tiramasu looked good and she said it passed the test.<br/><br/>The atmosphere is a bit strange. We were at the front of the restaurant so had a lovely view and weren't cramped with other tables however a group on the mezzanine floor were so loud it echoed throughout the space as it is a large area.<br/><br/>All in all, decent experience and I would go back... just hopefully when it's a bit quieter.

We had a wonderful time here the food was delicious and staff were some of the friendliest I have ever encountered. I can't wait to go back.

It was a Friday night and we were craving for Italian food. We ordered 2 ice teas (lemon and peach) and pesto pizza pane. Service was fast despite the restaurant being fully packed. Ice teas were below average and really disappointing. It is not that I expected too much out of it but they were just not good. But to my surprise the food was yummy and delicious. Pesto pizza pane was out of this world. Fresh, hot and truly Italian. We settled in for cannelloni pasta with ricotto for mains and it was again so good. After finishing the pasta there was no space left for anything. Will definitely go back but only for food.

After hoping to go to Slim Davey's for dinner but finding it closed my son suggested Portofino.We were meet at the door and taken to a 6 seater table by the window for the five of us. It was busy with only a few tables empty. Things were looking good, the staff looked professiona in there white dress shirts and aprons, an extensive bar selection suggested they knew how to make a Vodka Martini. When two margarita glasses appeared with black olives, straws and ice cubes floating in the glass we knew they could not! Why advertise cocktails on your menu when you can not make them? We ordered Garlic Pizza Pane and and the Anti Pasto Tuscano for entree which was well presented and tasted great - lovely Parma ham. I'm not a fan of restaurant owners/managers floating around overseeing his establishment like a stag would his herd - preferring a less visible and more constructive approach. Mains were ordered, two pizzas, fettuccine, spaghetti and Steak Fillet - the pastas and pizzas were good the steak contained gristle which for a $36.90 meal you would hope not to come across - but cooked well. We were dismayed when presented with a "Steak Knife" and were given a dented and scratched up small plastic handled serrated kitchen knife. These little things, like the little tacky plastic table numbers, inexperience of our waitress led us to believe things were not as good as things looked on the outside. On a positive note the wine selection is good as were the desserts - I recommend the Sorbetto al Limone. 5 pax = $301 (Don't read a book by its cover)

Die Location ist nice aber sonst ein Katastrophe. Der Manager war der Schlimmste Gastgeber den man sich vorstellen kann. Er ist nur auf Profit aus. <br/>Unser Essen kam nach langen warten. Ein essen wurde nicht nach meinen Wünschen gekocht. Ich wollte Pasta ohne Pilze. Ich habe das Essen zurückgehen lassen. Der Manger kam nicht an unseren Tisch um sich zu entschuldigen. Er meinte nur, ich als Gast müsste zu ihm kommen. Er hat es nicht eingesehen dass ich der Gast bin und er als Manager sich um uns kümmern muss. Er hat uns den vollen Rechnungsbetrag abgenommen. Nie wieder. NEVER EVER AGAIN  <br/>Das Essen war auch nicht Gut

Terrible food. We could not eat it. Never again. Nice location. Waiters o.k.. not really Italian food, very greasy spaghetti...actual the most greasy spaghetti I ever saw. At least a nice location. My wife felt sick afterwards. I complained but the owner couldn't care less and the waiters seemed used to it.

Found the service poor staff more focused on chatting amongst them self and not surviving customers we left after 30 minutes with out an one coming to our table after singling the staff <br/>They really killed the night

Was really nice food and ok service! Food came out very fast. Only downfall was they made us wait at the bar to pay for our meals which took about 15 minutes due to their only being one bar maid on and she was busy serving drinks

Why go to an Italian when the pizza is better in a pub in town? The service here was ok but not outstanding. My shrimp cocktail - I don't know what was going on with it but the prawns were virtually frozen and on a mountain of tomato. A MOUNTAIN. My boyfriend's passionfruit cheescake needed heavy machinery to eat because the biscuit base was clearly part concrete. All style. Not enough substance.

Great service and always an awesome steak! Mario is a gem and looks after everyone so well. Location of Queens wharf is stunning in summer. Outside seating too.

Something is not right about this place. I ate seafood pasta here then felt sick. Had diarrhea. <br/>However I was okay. When I talked to several friends they told me that perhaps seafood was not fresh. It could happen. When we eat outside we need to expect it may happen but you don't feel right. <br/><br/>Food seemed fine. Staff were quite slow. I can't pinpoint but something is not right about this place. <br/><br/>I went there 4 or 5 times and that's all. After I had diarrhea I never returned there. That is it. <br/><br/>Not recommended period.

DO NOT GIVE THIS "RESTAURANT" YOUR MONEY. Unless you cannot read the other 1 million BAD reviews, or unless you like to eat raw pasta to then be charged for this pasta PLUS the meal you have to replace this. And don't even get me started about their "cocktails". Please just walk away...

Was recomended by a few people at my work to try this place but was highly disapointed. Lacked flavour and and seasoning. Simple meals but poorly exicuted. Felt very comercial, no passion at all. Service was great from the females however was given wrong drinks by a male making the drinks and was quite obvious what drink was which. Sadly wouldnt recomend at all, such a shame.

All the components are there - it just needs some good management. <br/>We were seated by the owner, very pleasantly and then attended to by a lovely young waitress with cropped hair who had excellent knowledge of the menu and when prompted for a recommendation suggested the Pollo Fettuccini (which I ordered).<br/>The wine was cheap (not a positive), the selection wasn't where I would've expected a waterfront restaurant to be and felt like it was a contractual obligation to a distributer or investor. <br/>The food was served timely and clearly very fresh produce used. The pollo fettuccini was an excellent recommendation, full of flavour and a rich creaminess - it lacked texture and so some toasted ciabatta with this would have been ideal (a glut of truffle oil would take this dish to another level) <br/>Unfortunately we had to endure an argument between the owner and a staff member about a mistake they'd made - the argument happened literally next to our table which made us feel uncomfortable. We also ordered sorbet that we were told later had sold out and the bright lighting made the place feel very exposed.<br/>With a dimmer on the lights, some candles and a bit more team spirit this place could be great. <br/>We would return to see if it has improved. <br/>

So went there last night with family. We were given a table straight away and unfortunately that was the only highlight of the night. So this is how it unfolds.<br/><br/>1. Waiter came over (rather obnoxious) gave us the dinner menu and I had to ask for drinks menu which was in his hand. My request of asking for the drinks menu was followed by a short explaination (was not required).<br/><br/>2. Had to remind the waiter to give us water.<br/><br/>3. The waiter bought the cutlery in his hands if think as he was standing behind me.<br/><br/>4. Order went in and we could see the chef arguing with the waiter on something on our ticket (it was straight forward mains order).<br/><br/>5. Food arrived promplty however we had to ask for parmesan cheese, salt n pepper. If we wouldnt have asked they wouldnt have given it to us. Their menu says all pastas are served with parmesan and to be honest it is basics of restaurant industry to have salt n pepper on table.<br/><br/>6. No one even came to check if we were happy with the food. We quickly ate n left the place. Food was average nothing special.<br/><br/>7. While paying by card at the bar, before the bill figure came up the machine asked if I would like to TIP (WHAT A JOKE). The cashier also didnt ask how was our night.<br/><br/>I suggest not worth going, dont waste your time and money. Cheers<br/>

had lunch here on saturday, service was great, food was great but was disappointed that i found a decent sized hard plastic on my pasta. it resembled a broken glass so im not sure if its actually glass or plastic. still ate the food anyway since im not a fussy chick when it comes to food but dang after we finished eating, i politely said "i found this on my food btw, its okay i still finished my meal" all the staff did was they took my plate and they didnt even apologise. they just brushed it off like it wasnt a big deal.

The quality is not worth the price. My pasta was a tad overcooked and drenched in heavy cream sauce, the salmon was shredded in the pasta instead of served on top. They try to make it up by flambé-ing everything.

I've been to Portofino a lot of times throughout the country (Auckland, New Plymouth and Wellington) and they never fail to impress, the food is always to die for! <br/>My usual go to dish was always the spaghetti carbonara because it's simply delicious, full of flavour and comes in a huge serving that always left enough for lunch the next day. <br/>However, since becoming vegetarian I have been opting for the rigatoni portofino dish which is also exceptionally delicious and definitely my new favourite. The portion size is slightly smaller than the carbonara which is a little disappointing cause it always tastes even better when reheated for lunch the next day! <br/>My partner has had the spaghetti marinara and really enjoyed the flavours in the dish as well as the ratio of seafood to spaghetti. On our latest visit he discovered the pollo alla parmigiana which he was blown away by, the chicken was moist, tender and full of flavour. The portion was also the perfect size to fill you up to satisfaction rather than stuffed. <br/><br/>The service could do with a little work. We have been in for lunch before and noticed that when the restaurant isn't super busy and keeping the staff engaged they would rather stand and chat to each other instead of attending tables. The staff definitely act more casual/not as professional during lunch.<br/><br/>I look forward to our next meal at portofino as it is one of our favourites. Highly recommend it!

I've been to this place about 3 times now. It is my favourite italian restaurant in Wellington. Food is amazing, big portion, reasonable price, and fast service for a busy restaurant. It also has a good ambience and view!

Dined here last night, service was poor, we waited for what seemed like forever to actually order our food. The restaurant wasn't busy at all and we eventually had to call somebody over so that we could order. The waiters seemed to be avoiding our obvious eye contact. <br/>Waited awhile for the food which was very average. The seafood just tasted like a frozen mix which sauce that was as if it had come out of a jar.

Went for dinner on Anzac weekend as a group of four. The restaurant did not look overly busy when we arrived. Unfortunately thee of the mains were not great with the ravioli and risotto undercooked and eggshell in the cabonara. The service was indifferent, and when we finished eating we sat for 15 mins waiting for our plates to be cleared, eventually giving up and going to pay the bill. We passed our feedback onto the person at the till who handled it well, but when the manager appeared and asked for feedback he just wanted make excuses about how busy they were and have an argument with us. Will not go back.

Been to this restaurant 3 times now. First time nice, second time average. This time below average. Its a shame because service is great. I had penne pasta with salmon. There was not alot of salmon and lots of store brought pasta with a thin tasteless sauce. Very bland pasta needs a tasty sauce otherwise yuk. My partners steak was cooked well but everything else on his plate (veggies) bland. Absolutely no seasoning or sauces/dressings. Disappointing as quite expensive

The most enjoyable dining experience.Spent New Years in Wellington, this restaurant was definitely one of the best that stood out from many others we ate at. The food was delicious, the service was greatThe waiter went beyond expectations - we later found out he'd been working here for 8 years! We couldn't leave without giving him a tip :)Thank you! We'll be back

Visited the restaurant at a wondeful location on queens wharf, great interiors and wonderful table set up. But got disappointed with the food standard. Ordered a scotch fillet medium rare and got well done. Also the vegetables served with it, was raw and cold. Even asked for high chair for baby and it was not a proper one to feed baby.

Decided to go to Portifino on a Saturday night a few weeks back after being told the wait at crab shack was an hour and 45 mins! Places on the waterfront were generally pretty packed that night but Portifino had plenty of free tables, that should have been our first clue. Although, it is a big restaurant. This place is pretty over-priced for what you get. We ordered some bruchetta to start which did have some nice flavours. However, the bread was really soft. Normally, I prefer soft, chewy bread but for bruchetta, it’s nice to have some crunch to balance out the soft textures of the ricotta and tomato. My dining companion ordered some oysters. I managed to brave one but after tasting the fishy slime in my mouth, the only thing I was interested in was a glass of water. These oysters may have been fresh... but they were gritty. For main I had a pasta dish of cream, chilli and clams. I liked this dish and thought it had a good balance of flavours, perhaps a little heavy on the chilli. But again, the clams were gritty and hadn’t been prepared properly. We passed on dessert. We received good service and I do like the atmosphere at this place, but they really can’t justify their prices when they fall short on quality and finesse!

Great location although it doesn't get the full sun, and the pizzas are nice. Unfortunately while they have some great menu items, they don't always cook the food well. Seafood in particular is generally over cooked and drenched in sauces that completely mask the flavour of the main ingredient. I'll reserve this place for sunny drinks.

Portofino is one of my favorite restaurants in Wellington. The bench seating is our favorite place to sit but now they are ripped and tatty letting down the place a lot. <br/>Staff are very attentive, offering to make my meal differently when I was pregnant. Ive dined here over ten times and I return every time for the pasta and pizza. Family friendly and always a nice place to watch the sea while having a great lunch. Would recommend to all.

Portafino is well situated in Wellington. It sits on the waterfront where you can catch the sun setting on the water as you delve into your spaghetti marinara. Unfortunately, as a larger party we had to sit further back, craning our necks to see the view, but what can you do. We had a lovely evening, the waiters were very good and they were very accommodating for our loud family celebration. The food was good. The pasta dishes are rather large and very few of us could get through it all. Although I enjoyed my spaghetti marinara it didn't jump out as a truly memorable dish. There was almost too much pasta and rather than highlighting the seafood element the marinara sauce seemed to dull it. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their meal, although they had similar feedback to me. Overall it was a nice place to have a family dinner, with a good wine selection (can always count on the Italians for that!!).

Was alright food. Really enjoyed entree bread, and main was good, but dessert was a let down. Really big portions throughout! <br/>Was a bit annoying having the workers children run around the Resturant when it is meant to be a fine dining place.

Why would you even bother, it is pricey and food very average.  There are definitely better Italian restaurants in Wellington that tastes better and more value for money.  Even I could make a better pasta/Italian dish at home.<br/><br/>Check out my website for a more indepth review of what we ordered.

I've been to this restaurant twice. The first time the clams were not fresh, but the cannelloni was great. This time I ordered the scallops, but they weren't fresh either - the roe just disintegrated in your mouth (frozen, most likely) - and the cannelloni tasted like it has been frozen or had been in the fridge a long time.  The cheese had done that curdling thing when it has been frozen and then attempted to be re-melted. Nearly $30 for frozen Cannelloni.<br/><br/>Not good. Won't be back.

The food was great. But could work on costumer service, staffs seems a bit snobby. A great view of the ocean from where we were sitting. Portofino, Wellington.

...he spaghetti marinara with a salsa sauce. It was great, there were lots of fresh mussels in their shell and all throughout the pasta there was baby mussels, calamari and shrimp which places often skimp out on. The sauce wasn’t too heavy, it was lovely. Tyronne had the seafood risotto, which was quite similar to mine but with risotto instead of spaghetti I would say. Both were beautifully presented and the service was lovely....

Service was poor and quality of the rocket was very bad! When asked to replace it I get told that's all they have and she can't see anything wrong with the spotted leafed rocket! Very bad service!!!

My partner and I went here on Friday night 13/2 for dinner thinking we would be in for a good night with a past visit to this place but in Auckland. <br/>We arrived and were seated as I had made a booking, asked what we would like to drink and we continued to gaze over the menu.<br/>Ordered our starters and they came out nice and quick. The waiter for our table seemed to be in a hell of a rush all night, she was all over the place. With the starter, it came out and was just pretty much dumped on the table without a word from the waiter. Within 6-7mins of us still getting through the starter (still eating bread), the mains were again hiffed on the table pretty much by another waiter this time who said nothing pretty much, talk about service with a smile it was seriously lacking from this one and also the other waiter.<br/>We eat out mains and both were fine, not outstanding, just fine.<br/>Nobody came to ask how our meals were after having them arrive at the table, not one person.<br/>Desert time and we order, my desert comes very quick (sorbet) - well thats what I thought I had ordered. The raspberry one was, I have my doubts about the vanilla and as for the chocolate WELLLLLLLLLL.....It was chocolate with a marshmallow ripple through it, very similar to the Tip Top one that you buy from the supermarket which was in my own home freezer a month or so ago. Cannot fool me!!<br/>My partners desert took an extra 5 minutes to arrive following mine.<br/>Again, no service with a smile, nobody came to ask how the food was.<br/>15minutes before the desert plates were cleared then we got up to leave and pay the bill. The man behind the counter, manager probably as he was an Italian looking bloke took our money and NEVER asked how everything was tonight.<br/><br/>To sum it up, pretty slack overall...it was either really fast, really slow and nobody seemed to care about service who worked there.<br/><br/>Safe to say, we have added this venue to out BARED list.

I've been here twice. First time I had the veal masala. The sauce was awful. Sickly and processed tasting. Next time a group booking and I had lamb cutlets. Over cooked and smothered in a red sauce that tasted of canned spaghetti, as did anyone else's meal at the table who had a tomato style pasta. I would not be surprised if the sauces all came out of a can. Simply ghastly.

My partner and I dined at Portofino restaurant in October. The meal was absolutely yummy and we both thoroughly enjoyed it.<br/>The table service was great.<br/>However, we were a bit put off with the raised voices in the kitchen. Didn't understand what was being said but it came across as a disagreement of some sorts and while this was going on people were waiting to pay but were being ignored.<br/>Also when we settled our bill wasn't impressed with the person that was serving chewing gum like a cow chewing its cud. <br/>A bit off putting but will try again one day and hopefully there are no arguments etc.

I went to the restaurant for dinner with some trepidation, due to reading unflattering earlier reviews. But I had recently enjoyed a nice lunch there and I thought these reviews are months old - time moves on. So glad I did!<br/>The service was friendly and attentive without being obtrusive, and the food was excellent. I enjoyed the pesce del giorno; my friend a risotto. Delicious! The desserts also, my lemon sorbet was wonderful; and my friend enjoyed his dessert too. Complemented with a lovely bottle of chianti, and one of the best long blacks I've had for a while. I'm sure I will return. Grazie!

The service was good. Friendly &amp; courteous. Atmosphere is really good. Ordered Chicken Parmigiana. It was SO! disappointing. The Chicken was dry &amp; hard to cut. Totally over priced for what it was. Could have cooked it better at home myself :/ Was served with very stingy portion of potato &amp; vegetable. 2 Potatoes the size of a golf ball, 1/2 a carrot &amp; 1/2 a zucchini &amp; 4 small florets of broccoli. More like a garnish rather than a "serving". For an Italian Restaurant I expected ALOT better. What happened to quality control at the pass?? <br/>SO! Disappointing &amp; WAY over priced for what it was.

The owners at Portofino would always be ready to greet us, smile and mingle, however, more time could be spent on their cuisine as all the pasta(s) were excessively rich and overcooked. The taste was flavorful, it just needed a little dulling down and use less cream and milk. There were dirty napkins all over the basin in the bathroom so that needs to be checked. Otherwise the interior is nice and comfortable with a beautiful view and the drinks were marvelous which saved the night. If I had a choice I would come back to try more of the menu.

Went here for a Hens night and had the best service and the best food!! We had the top mezzanine all to ourselves and were looked after by a fantastic waiter who had a joke and a laugh with us. He kept the water glasses filled up and was extremely helpful. We had the best coffees ever. Must have a fantastic Barrister. Well done Portofino's!! 26 happy Hens!

It was extremely and excruciatingly terrible for my Christmas eve dinner. The decor was nice but the service was poor and the food was horribly presented and it tasted from plainly bland to overly seasoned and not to mentioned, raw veggies and over cooked beef. I went there because it was recommended by Wellington tourism food guide but it was a total let down.<br/><br/>Food - The entree of mussels were decent but overpriced for such poor culinary skills. The broth was lacking in flavor. The mains ordered were the eye fillet and veal. For the veal, it was bathed in so much sauce it was actually difficult to find the veal. The vegetables were baby carrots, cauliflowers and broccoli which were all under cooked and tasted funny. The baby potatoes were cooked perfectly but not seasoned. The eye fillet was ordered medium but came as well done and bathed in a mushroom and salty bacon sauce. It was still acceptable if it tasted good but it didn't. It tasted as if the chef was a first timer cook. At the end of the meal, when I asked who was the head chef, it was a CHINESE chef in an Italian restaurant. (I am not being racists here as I am a Chinese myself), just tells you how badly this restaurant can go wrong.<br/><br/>Service - Downright the worst I have seen ever. The waitress spilled my entree of mussels on the seat next to me and on our table but DID NOT bring back the dish to be re-plated or replaced. Instead, she said the f word when she spilled it and hurriedly went back to mop up the mess on the chair. (but forgot about the mess on my entree) She also forgot to bring the pepper initially. I was sitting outside the restaurant on the waterfront and had to go into the restaurant twice to order drinks and get the bill. When the waitress asked me how was my dinner and I told her it was pretty bad, she got furious and started blaming me for not telling them earlier!! Then I told her that it was alright and I just wanted the bill, not a replacement etc. and it was merely feedback about what happened in the restaurant. Guess what she said,"This is not feedback". Well, if it wasn't feedback and if I wasn't nice enough, I don't know what else could be better.<br/><br/>Don't ever dine here no matter what it takes, Spent NZD $ 50 per person on what is definitely the worst meals I have eaten in NZ for the five years I have been here. Try other waterfront restaurants.

Although the setting is good, the food and service was not! We had a waiter screaming at the top of his voice when bringing out our food, and a very sullen waitress taking our orders! I ordered a Pizza from a list of 6, of which only a few were meat; chicken and ham. I ordered the ham pizza. The crust was soggy and undercooked. The only ingredients was a layer of cheese and a few flecks of ham of which some pieces were burnt hard! The pizza was incredibly salty with nothing to counter the saltiness! A poor show, and I for one will not return!

Visiting from Auckland, and went to Portofino with 4 others Saturday night. Decor and location are great and they had some reasonable Italian wine on the list. Service was average. Others liked their pasta dishes, but pizzas were very ordinary For almost $26, you would expect the Seafood pizza to be magnificent, but it wasn't....most notable was that it didn't have much seafood on it all. There are far to many mediocre restaurants around, and this one needs to improve...as it is its very average for the price

Went to this place last night with 6 others. The layout and decor was nice, but that is about all the positive things I have to say about my dining experience here.<br/><br/>The food was a completely different story. I ordered a scallop penne pasta dish which cost about $28 which consisted of heavily creamy and sickening sauce with only three measly sized, overcooked, rubbery bullet like scallops with the horrible roe attached to it. But the tip of the ice berg was how I felt after ingesting such a horrible dish. I was literally sick to my stomach and I won't go into more detail than that.<br/><br/>Other comments from my friends was that it was bland, overly creamy, stingy portions, and way overpriced.<br/><br/>Several of us went to complain and we found the staff were rude and overly defensive, particularly when I said that the food had made me sick. They responded with a "oh well, s*** happens" attitude. <br/><br/>Do not go to this restaurant. Go and buy a jar of Domio sauce and packet pasta from your supermarket, cook up a pasta dish and you will find that your appetite and wallet will be very satisfied.

Three of us had lunch last week and it was a delightful experience. <br/>From Maitre 'd, waitresses, food, to ambiance it was excellent. Great service but not over-serviced. <br/>Food was extremely good - and for a change from city restaurants - value for money.<br/>As a former restaurateur who has dined extensively here and overseas I'm very critical but couldn't fault this.<br/><br/>Thank you very much!

I'm afraid other reviews of this place say it all ... The staff are not knowledgeable. Our Waiter repeatedly told us 'I don't eat this food' and couldn't tell us anything useful about how dishes are made/presented etc.<br/><br/> The food itself is average and not worth what you pay for it. I paid $32 for the veal and was disappointed for what I was hoping would be a great meal.... the chef obviously doesn't taste their sauces. Mine was bland and too creamy.<br/><br/>Lastly the layout of the bar and where you pay is hopeless - there is nowhere that you can stand that you're not in the way of others - bloody annoying. I won't be going back.

Solidly good Italian food with reasonable service. Pizza's authentic and tasty, using apparently genuine Italian ingredients. Generous servings. Nice location. I would give it 3.5 stars because it's definitely better than average, but not quite "very good"

Booked a table for 6 at Portofino in Wellington. When we arrived they had no record of the reservation, okay ....... They quickly pushed some tables together and we were seated quickly, menus arrived etc, we ordered, nice entree of fresh bread, then the mains arrived, well what a disappointment that was, I had the chicken parmajana (spelt wrong I know), it was a slice of chicken breast, not a breast of chicken, hammered so thin, covered in what was supposed to be Palma ham, which it was certainly not! And mozerella, which is normally white and stretches, I am sure this wasn't , although could have been a Mixture. It had some sauce, the whole thing was bland, it came with 2 carrot stiks, 2 courgette sticks, 2 tiny florets of broccoli and 1.5 tiny baby potatoes, so that was 30 bucks! My husband had eye fillet steak, thin??? Hammered again, it was no more than a centimetre thick, same amount of veg, steak was no more than 4oz, oh and I have no idea howitzer was well done at one end nd raw at the other, that was 36 bucks, our friends meals were about the same. I have been here any times but I shan't return, have they changed their chef? Italian food is supposed to be rustic, full of flavour, I have no idea what this was, but what a waste of money! Service was good, people were really nice, so I gave them a two for that. Wine was 45 bucks a bottle for the cheapest, I thought a bit over the top for the selection on offer

Despite the negative reviews, I still took my mom to Portofino for lunch. It lived up to the reviews of previous diners. We had a horrible horrible lunch. The manager was rude, racist and offensive. The service was absolutely appalling and the chef was so FULL of himself. The pizza we ordered was too salty. We asked whether we can take it back, and she said yes. When I was paying my bill, they had still charged the salty pizza onto my tab. They refused to take the pizza off my bill. The manager was very rude and was interested in offending customers. I said to him 'If you behave this way, I will never come back for lunch' and his response was 'that's your choice, I don't give a s**t'. It's a horrible horrible place. I would advise you to go somewhere else for lunch. Its not worth the risk and diner reviews are an accurate gauge of how bad this restaurant is.

Amazing food and service, this is our fourth time visiting this restaurant cor dinner and as per usual the food was great and the service 2nd to none, we were dining with friends that were put off by the previous reviews but they were happy they gave it a chance on our recommendations, i seriously dont know what the other reviewers saw but you really should try this place, very accomidating and friendly staff with great food makes this one of my favourite places to eat in Wellington

We had a horrible lunch experience at Portofinos. The food was pretty good and we loved the pasta but the service was appalling and the staff were rude. We discovered a bug in our food halfway through the meal and when we complained we didn't even get an apology and we were forced to pay for what was supposed to be a vegetarian dish. The manager was very rude and was more interested in offending us than being helpful. I will never go back and would recommend anyone to choose a different restaurant for lunch.

We had an unfortunate experience at Portafino. Terrible (slow and rude) service, very average food, cracked glasses and too many staff running around with no idea what was going on. I've never written a letter of complaint to a restaurant before, however on this occasion I feel it was needed. I've heard nothing back from Portafino regarding the letter or our bad experience with them. If you want average food, poor service and uncaring wait staff, go here!!! We wont be going again.

I took 24 staff here recently for a retirement dinner mid week and had an excellent evening. I needed to ask for more bottles of wine that I found a bit unusual for an Italian eatery!<br/><br/>Food was great, and only one moan that the medium rare stake could have been a bit more rare, but overall very good with attentive service, apart from the wine!

We went to Portofino for a work team lunch. We emailed our order ahead but unfortunately the email wasn't received for some reason. The staff quickly took our orders and our food came out within 10 to 15 minutes of our arrival. Almost all found their orders delicious, there is a wide variety on the menu and for similar prices to chain pizza and steak restaurants, Portofino has a nicer ambience and excellent and friendly service.

We went there on a Friday night around 11 pm when almost all restaurants in the city had closed down. The staff were quite welcoming and pleasant and we were in for a fantastic meal set down by the staff with a platter of delicious squid rings and prawn cutlets. The pizzas are excellent. Do not miss out the fruit punch! Had a fantastic closure to a wonderful evening, all thanks to Portofino!

had dinner out while on holiday in wellington and was VERY disappointed!<br/><br/>had 4 in our group - ordered drinks and garlic bread to start - but got a chili garlic bread instead - told the waiter we got wrong bread but he just said NO someone said chili!!!<br/><br/>meals arrived - one meal was cold inside so we sent it back - saw the head chef looking over at our table with disgust! Another meal was sent to us and this was also just warm inside - different waiter told us that was how it was supposed to be!!<br/><br/>asked to speak to the restaurant manager and was told there wasn't one - so we spoke to the head chef and he basically said no-one has ever complained in 30 years so we must be wrong!! But after reading other reviews on here that is clearly not true!! <br/><br/>Not a good experience at all! Whats happened to customer service??

We had a dinner party of 4 people on a Tuesday - so not that busy....<br/>We found a hair in one of the meals and when we pointed this out we were told "sorry" then noticed the people serving, pointing and laughing at us.<br/><br/>My meal was cold in the centre and took ages to come back out - my 3 other guests completed all their meals before my re-heated meal came back to the table.<br/><br/>We were all very disappointed and will never return!! <br/><br/>the best experience was the company at the table, the wine and the view!<br/><br/>Macdonalds would of been a better choice.

Service and food just adequate. We'd ordered garlic bread for the table while we were waiting for mains, but it never arrived. When the waitress began delivering the mains "steak?" and I queried the missing garlic bread, she just asked again "steak?" without acknowledging my question. She then returned to the servery and pointed in our direction then spoke with the waiter who took the original order. I signalled to him to forget the garlic bread - he did later come across to the table and confirm he'd removed it from our account. The menu states all pasta dishes are served with shaved parmiggiano - but they weren't and we had to ask for some (which when it arrived was the powdered variety in a shaker). The panna cotta was a real disappointment. This should be silky smooth but ours was like a tough old piece of rubber - and was sitting atop mushy berries that weren't mentioned on the menu. Never impressed when the waitperson can't be bothered noting who ordered what at a table, and has to ask with every dish they bring out.

My partner and I went there on a Sunday night, we love Italian. I had been warned by a number of work colleagues that the place was new and nice, but the food was not that great.<br/>In any case apart from my objections my partner was pretty keen to go.<br/>Was a lovely night but to cold to sit outside, and trust me there were plenty of seats to choose from.<br/>The service was above-average even though we had 4 staff tend our table. The wine list was great and we had no problems choosing wine.<br/>On average when we dine out with friends I am the one that gets the crap meal, this was the case again.<br/>We shared the Olives while we waited for our mains. My partner got the best pizza he has ever had, and trust me he has travelled extensively, I got a pasta dish with a creamy sauce with squid. The squid was tough as, the pasta was soft and didn't hold and the sauce had no taste. I mentioned this but didn't get offered any apologies.<br/>Two stars from me, only because my partner loved the pizza

I went there with 4 of my friends for a birthday celebration and it was fantastic!!<br/>I ordered the hawaiin pizza which was a little lacking in the toppings department but huge on flavour and was thoroughly enjoyable. My friends ordered different pastas which they loved! The portion size was reasonable and easily filled the gap in our stomachs.<br/>The service was great and our waitress (Stephanie) was more than happy to offer refills for our drinks and join in with singing happy birthday as well as lighting the candles on our cake =).<br/>I would definatly go to portofinos again any day! the atmosphere and food is incredible. 5/5 guys..brilliant

Had a lunch there and service was great. Food was good, and plenty of variety. Serving size is on the small side. Would go back again.

Visually the restaurant is nice, but it does not offer value for money in my opinion. I ordered Linguini con scallops assuming that the word "con" was in Italian. For $19.50, I got a plate of fairly ordinary pasta with some undistinguished creamy sauce, bits of bacon and three (yes 3) scallops. I can't imagine anyone serving fewer than six scallops even in an entree, let alone a main. I am unlikely to return.

I had a business lunch mid week at this restaurant and was really impressed. The decor is lovely however the service was a little stilted probably because it was our waitress' first day and she didn't know the menu. Nevertheless, she was attentive and friendly.<br/><br/>I have a restricted diet so can not eat carb's but found suitable dishes on the menu. Everyone at our table had an entree, main &amp; dessert and everyone was really impressed with the quality of their meals.<br/><br/>There were quite a few people dining however it was not overly noisy. A good place if you want to have private conversations over a meal without the chance of people overhearing you.<br/><br/>Overall, I really enjoyed the restaurant and will definitely be going back again.

I've seen Portofino in Parnell a number of times and have been tempted to try it, but Milano is always that wee bit closer so I have never made it across the road. But, seeing as they've opened a restaurant up in Wellington - why not give it a go.<br/><br/>First thing you need to know that it's located on the waterfront by One Red Dog and Wagamama.<br/><br/>Being a near new restaurant, the environment itself is bordering on immaculate. Though it was dark outside, I imagine the outdoor tables and waterfront view would also be pleasant.<br/><br/>The food, was generally good. It wasn't amazing, but it wasn't too bad either and it probably would rate well in terms of Italian restaurants that I have dined at - of which there have been many over the years. <br/><br/>The prices are generally pretty good (expect to pay about $40-50pp for an entree, main + drink). I would personally have given the restaurant 4 stars on the basis of the food alone - but this isn't about the food alone.<br/><br/>Service was also, generally good, although a tad slow at times. <br/><br/>My big gripe with Portofino is with the toilets (yes, another review mentioning toilets). There were no hand-towels/paper-towels in the mens. Tried to dry them on toilet paper, only to end up with loo paper fluff all over my hands.<br/><br/>I did mention the lack of paper towels to one of the staff, but nothing was done about it by the time I returned back to the loo an hour later. It seems menial but an important aspect of hand hygiene is actually the ability to dry your hands (Obsessive Compulsive much? No, in fact I'm not!). Good hand hygiene and food are a preferable combination.<br/><br/>So I would eat there again, but will be taking my own paper-towels.

Delicious pasta...so fresh and full of flavour...kids meal too was lovely...highly recommended

This restaurant is located right outside our office (Fronde) and is very handy for team lunches, lunch meetings, drinks after work etc etc. The place itself looks quite expensive and very modern. Food is pretty tasty but must say its a li'l pricey for the portions that are plated. I've been here a handful of times and found that certain dishes taste almost identical except they are different in content. E.g., Canelloni and Spagetti Bolognese or Penne Pasta all taste very similar but have different textures. It feels like they use the same sauce for all. The last visit I took Scotch Fillet and it definitely was way better than anything I've had there. The white sauce was perfect and the veges that were given along were precisely cooked. Would surely go there again but not as a first choice restaurant.

went there last night to hav the best meal with fab wine (i asked them to chose a wine for us ) with two of our girls. <br/>second time iv dinned there and the first time was my first date with my parter that was life changing and epic , second time was better. thank you very much