Portofino Ristorante in Forest Hills
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Forest Hills, Queens County, New York, US
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Site: https://www.grubhub.com/restaura...
- Monday:Closed
- Tuesday:11AM–10:30PM
- Wednesday:11AM–10:30PM
- Thursday:11AM–10:30PM
- Friday:11AM–10:30PM
- Saturday:11AM–10:30PM
- Sunday:11AM–10:30PM
Turn the other way! Made reservations and when we reached the restaurant the management kept telling us to wait. Many people were waiting as well and aggravated! The place was extremely disorganized. At one point, the workers themselves were yelling at each other. Food was being carried to tables from the kitchen which is located in the front which then made its way through crowds of people who were waiting for a table. Not pleasing to see at all.When making the reservation a few days prior, I asked if there would be live music and they said yes! Of course, there was no live music!Definitely avoid this restaurant!
They might be LGBT friendly but not African American friendly. The place is beautiful and food was good . the service was really horrible, I felt ignored and unwanted. I asked for bread wish took way to long and I requested a pasta sauce wish I never recieve. On the way out of the restaurant I said thank you to the server and he didnt even acknowledge me. I will never go to this place again. To bad in 2022 in New York City African Americans are still dealing with this type of ignorance.
Wow... where to start???? I guess at the appetizers.... fried calamari that was under cooked and without any hint of flavor... The mushroom risotto was probably the high point but I question how you make risotto in less than five minutes.... if everything is made to order like our bar tender / waiter professed when I question why our entrees were taking so long.. We dont drink so our waiters extensive time at the making drinks for other tables was very noticeable.... Lobster Rav...Chicken parm...Skirt steak (MR).... ONE HOUR?!?!?!.Had to ask food runner for the sprite for my son that our waiter forgot and then remembered 15 mins later..For the price we were very underwhelmed... very disappointed
Let’s start with the idea that the waitress staff double or triple your bar bill to get extra money. When we spoke to the owner he defended the staff then to my surprise we were double billed on my credit card. Food was average but the “fishy” business ruined everyone’s appetite.
We decided to spend the evening venturing to an iconic Italian restaurant of queens. Portofinos has has a long standing tradition in the neighborhood since they’ve been open for decades.They offer complimentary valet which is a huge plus as parking can be a bit difficult around the area. As you step in the decor offers a window to a different era of dining. The staff was very cordial and the owner displayed a familial feel to the establishment, something critical to instilling loyalty with patrons. To top it all of they have a live pianist and she takes requests!We had ventured in to have a quick bite of appetizers and finish off with lattes.We ordered a plate of calamari and squid and 2 cafe lates.The calamari was lightly breaded with a spritz of lemon it was delicious even though my palette prefers a heavily breaded calamari. The octopus was perfect, chewy on the inside yet crispy on the outside with an alluring smoky flavor which kept my fork lingering around the rim of the plate ready to grab another morsel.We finished our meals off with a cafe latte... one of the best that I’ve had.Portofinos is definitely one to cross off the list of iconic eateries especially in Queens.-7/10
The service and food are amazing. Although my husband and I havent been here close to a year, our waiter still remembered us.The owner is a nice man that comes around and converses with the patrons. When I got engaged here, the owner bought me a bouquet of long stemmed roses. Thats beyond great customer service!
I really dont eat pizza that much. However, I saw the cook making pizza from scratch at this restaurant and it made feel so hungry! I actually ordered chicken mushroom pizza and it was heavenly! You should order pizza from Portofino! By the way, the medium size pizza is enough for 1 person.
What a beautiful place to visit and have a family meal. The food was delicious, the customer service was exceptional aside from the wine issue. I was disappointed that I asked for wine and never received it. They were always around and cared about your experience. The environment was welcoming and its amazing how they celebrated birthdays with the customers. It felt family like, warm and cozy. Ill definitely love to visit again. Overall experience was amazing. However, I think that if they took an order for something then they should provide. Thank you for a memorable experience Portofino.
Loooove everything about this place as both my husband and I have been coming here since 2019...in fact, the swetest owner, Carmine helped my husband propose to me there so there is a huge weakness and amazing personal experience towards this restaurant ❤️..not to mention the food is also exceptionally tasty which is where the love started in the 1st place.
Wonderful; good food, good drinks, excellent service and with live music. You can see that the management has taken care to protect its clients in these times of pandemic, setting up a very good place in the open air to prevent the spread of the virus. CONGRATULATIONS
Very traditional restaurant in the neighborhood! The food is good but there are days that it tastes not so fresh. The outside decorations is ugly so if you are looking for a good looking outside dining experience, this is not your place. The thursdays singer sings with a bottle of beer in his hand with the microphone in the other hand, do I have to comment this?
I had the chicken rollatino which was decent, but for $32 the portion was small. The chocolate mousse was diner quality. The band performing outside was lively, but if you want to talk to someone youre better off dining indoors. Lastly, the makeshift floors for the outside dining area was not stable, which meant that the table shook every time the servers walked by. Its definitely not my first choice for Forest Hills dining.
The best part my experience was the warmth and kindness of everyone there. If people not just restaurants treat people with so much kind embrace and empathy the world would be cured of all woes. Not just because i was a patron, and if it was only that well they had me hook line and sinker. Great place.
Was just here (Saturday night) and waited an hour for food. We arrived at 6:30pm with our 4yo in tow and ordered within 10 minutes of sitting down. The fried zucchini side we ordered came out around 6:45pm and then the rest of our food didnt come out until 7:45pm. When our food finally came out, the salmon was barely warm and overcooked, our risotto was plain cold (which is particularly disgusting since its risotto), and my orrechiette was about as far from al dente as you can get and served basically in a soup getting ever mushier.I asked our server where our food was at 7:15pm and he told me to look left and right to see that nobody has food, and stated that the kitchen is backed up. Obviously, sir. The owner must be greedy and opened up more tables in the outdoor space than his kitchen can support. We are new to the neighborhood and was looking forward to a nice meal al fresco on a beautiful night but left this restaurant severely disappointed and $135 poorer. AVOID.
I’m shocked at how many good reviews this restaurant has. I ordered delivery for the first time tonight and will not be coming here again. I ordered the bruschetta, risotto primavera, and penne alla vodka. Excluding taxes and delivery fees, it was about $57 for these three things, which is kind of pricey in my opinion. But the reviews were so good, so I figured it would be worth it. It was not! My risotto is essentially just a bowl of rice with chopped vegetables in some water. There’s no flavor and it is not creamy like how a risotto should be. The penne alla vodka was okay, but not worth the roughly $20 it’s priced at. The two stars I’m giving are for the bruschetta, because it actually had a lot of flavor and was the best thing I ordered. Super disappointed in the lack of flavor or effort for the price I paid. Will not be eating here again. Really bummed I wasted my money.
50 minutes after finishing our appetizer, still hadnt received the next course (pasta). No one had bothered to check in on us. Had to go to the maitre d to ask when it would come out, received it another 15 minutes after that. When the expensive pasta and main course arrived (both at once for some reason), they were cold (except for a steaming overcooked rubbery side dish).We took that to mean the food must have been completed and sitting around for a long time without anyone bothering to bring it out to us. The food is expensive but the service was in our case so bad that, for all that cost, it was a worse experience than just not going out.
Their food was amazing, beginning to end. I asked my family how their meals were and it was really good was the response I got from everybody, even the picky eaters. The staff was kind, always nearby and ready to help. That tiramisu was pretty special too. I guess I should not have been surprised when I tasted their coffee -- very clean cup (not bitter at all) and full of flavor. I was tempted to ask them where they got their beans from or if I could buy some from them.
I have to change my review. The food quality change all the time. Sometimes is delicious sometimes is bad. Last time I ate outside this guy who was singing was completely drunk and he was very annoying. The owner is very friendly. I hope he can improve these issues mentioned above.
Whatever you do, don’t go on a Saturday night. I guess we should have know better. It took over an hour to get our food. No one said anything to us and they walked by us at least 16 times. The rice which they called risotto was hard, crunchy and bland. The special lamb shank, which was made ahead of time and reheated took over an hour? Expensive and disappointing.
Reheat food, I order a fish and steak , the amount of of smoke comming up from the food was crazy. Fish was bland. Steak over cook. And forget about the mash sweet potatoes... everything look so reheat over the microwave 🤦♀️ . And not even mentioning the octopus salad and soupNever again
I have been going to this restaurant for years and every time is a pleasant and warm experience! Carmine, the owner, and his staff are highly attentive and welcoming! The owner comes to every table and makes sure that everyone is having a positive experience. I love the Chicken Marsala! I highly recommend you giving this restaurant a try. It is definitely the best Italian restaurant in Queens, NY! They also have catering available and you should have your next event here!
The customer service here is exquisite! Not only is the owner, Carmine, really friendly and welcoming.... so is the entire team! The pizzeria also has great pizza. If you are looking to have a wonderful dining experience or just order pizza this is the best Italian Restaurant in NYC! I highly recommend them! There is also free valet parking in the evening so you dont have to worry about parking! The grilled lamb chops are amazing!
Great food, service and wonderful atmosphere. I enjoyed my birthday dinner there and it was very special. I ordered the linguine in white clams sauce with fresh clams. Wonderful flavorful pasta, as an appetizer the stuffed artichokes were wonderful!! Highly recommended. I cant wait to go back!!
The owner, Carmine, is legitimately one of the most pure hearted people I have ever had the honor and privilege of meeting. You can tell a lot of love, care, and passion were put into the place. The food isnt overpriced, and everything on the menu is a MUST TRY. I cant get enough of this place. This is the finest Italian restaurant in my opinion, and I plan on going back again and again for years to come.
We celebrated a friends birthday. All the patrons (about 20 people) join in singing Happy Birthday several wished the celebrant happy as the were leaving. The food is always well prepared and the staff is excellent and customer friendly. The have a price-fixed lunch menu at $19.95. My favorites are angel hair pasta with sausage in vodka sauce and the crab cake sandwich. The fish meals are tasty including salmon with spinach. Theres complimentary valet parking.
Portofino is the best Italian restaurant in Queens! Their customer service and attention to their customers is superb. The owner, Carmine, and his staff are very friendly and welcoming. He definitely knows how to run a restaurant. My family and I have been coming to Portofino for years and have always received the best service. Their grilled lamb chops dish is delicious and they also have an on-site pizzeria... which also has great pizza! I highly recommend them and if you are in Queens you should definitely come give them a try!
Best Italian restaurant in the area. Excellent ambiance and very attentive service. Prices are consistent for the area, and good considering the quality of the food. Terrific desserts as well. The valet parking is always quick - probably because they are long time employees.
We should have walked out before they sat us down. Stood in their doorway for a while and not one person acknowledged us. When the guy finally approached us -he already had an attitude. To top it off, we waited over an hour for our food. While we waited, not once did the waiter approach us to explain the situation. Not once were our drinks refilled (not even tap water).
The atmosphere is very welcoming with an old world vibe. Dining on a Friday night, there was music playing, and a strolling accordion player. The restaurant was full and can be a bit noisey. The menu is varied and the food is very good. The wait staff are very professional which enhances your dining experience. Im going back.
Lets just forget about the food for once, which is amazing, and lets give Carmine and his staff a well deserved 10 stars. Carmine is an amazing human being , God Bless him for his warmth and caring hospitality. I am never disappointed with the food nor the service. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
When I moved to the neighborhood I thought Portofino was only a sit down restaurant. It turned out that they serve pizza also. Ive been here now for 2 years and I love their pizza. Sometime I find the crust thickness not consistent throughout the pie but I must say the pizza taste and different varieties are excellent.
We had a lovely evening at the porto fino, outside dining wasFabulous!!. Carmine and George made us feel very welcoming and the food was delicious. Our second time there and we will certainly go back. Our friends we took were impressed with the service and the staff. Thank you.
The food was good but the service was ok and a little slow. I really think that its just a new York thing or something because none of the restaurants staff seem real friendly although they we a little better then most. All and all they did offer a lot and they had the little side pizzeria si if you didnt want to sit down and eat, wasnt dress the part, or was just in a rush that was a great option to be able to cater to both sets of people. The pasta was great as well. Definitely a place to stop at if you want some Italian and the bread was good too.
Had a nice Brunch with my wife on 8/18/2019. Price $24.00 + tax & tip. Brunch includes a Drink - Bloody Mary, Mimosa, Wine. A great selection of food, pasta, mussels, quiche, meatballs, melon, ribs, very wide selection. Service is great. Everyone working there responds to any diners requests. At the next table (seating about 10 or 12) someone had a birthday. The waiters with some skill sang Happy Birthday. Nice setting, nice food, nice people!
What a beautiful Italian restaurant located in Queens! The customer service is the most exquisite pristine attention I have ever received! This place is a gem! It is cozy and huge at the same time! I had the joy of traditional foods, accompanied by wines to please every palate... just like their menu said! Buon Appetito!
This restaurant is my preferable site. Of all restaurants I know I like it most. I never miss an opportunity to go to this restaurant. Whenever I want to go to a fair lunchon, this is the place that comes straight to my head. very good and all sorts of food and a large menu.helpful staff, and nice vibes. And very important, the bill is honest. I praise this place with pleasure.
Very nice old fashioned Italian restaurant. I attended an event there in the evening. Our side of the restaurant was packed and the waiters did an exceptional job of navigating around diners to get the food served in a timely and orderly fashion. The food was delicious the service was great and the owner was given an award for his service to the community. Highly recommend.
I have been going to this place for as long as I can remember. The manager is very welcoming and friendly. There are staff who will look out for your needs and are very friendly as well. The food is very good and there is a good drink selection to pair with your entrees. It is very hard to miss this place as it’s on queens boulevard. It is ideal to go as a group to dine here.
This is the best Italian restaurant in Queens, NY! I really enjoy the food here, but enjoy the customer service even more! When you come to the restaurant You will notice that their customer service is superb and that they treat you like family. I highly recommend them!
Been getting pizza here for a long time and while not the greatest, its been enjoyable. This changed last week. One of the worst pizzas Ive ever had. Took forever and when I got it home it was totally undercooked. Dough was almost raw. Toppings (pepperoni and mushroom) tasted only of salt. Too bad. I wont be getting pizza here anymore. Pizza here now worth 0 stars.
Our family is good friends with Carmine. However this review is in response to a recent pickup order we placed on April 18 2020z We ordered baked clams among many other items. The clams were undercooked, soggy, and from the looks of them it looks like they literally poured breadcrumbs over them. This was a part of a larger order and they said come in 20 minutes for pickup, we arrived 30 minutes past our call, and had to wait an additional 20 minutes for a total of 50 minutes from when the order was placed and 30 minutes past promised. Usually when Carmine is present we get beyond great service however when he is not there, the Spanish/Mexican staff are disrespectful, unprofessional and can barely speak English . Not only was our food not prepared properly (coming from a family who has been at portofino for years, [Bibi and family] ), but the folks at the restaurant were extremely disrespectful to my family who picked up the order. This is not something I would expect, we are regulars and Carmine knows our family for years. I am saddened to write this review.
Food was really good. The service was also spot on. It was definitely slow even for a Monday but they are always really good. This is a great neighborhood choice and I go about once a month, not the best place ever but a very good solid safe choice for food and service.
I walked by on a visit to the area and decided to walk in. Decided to try buffalo chicken pizza, it was different, sauce was a little sweet but good. And enough people spoke italian that for a moment I thought I was back In Italy. The garlic knots were really good too. They have a casual sitting area for those who order from the counter, as well as a main dine in area
Our first visit on New Years Eve. Delicious food, the drinks needed a boost but were good, desserts and cappuccino yummy. The musician was so fun, and it was definitely a memorable night. We will definitely return either for the pizzeria side or for a sit down dinner. Authentic Italian.
We had an event here and everyone was happy and commented on how nice and clean the place is..The service was excellent, they ensured that the guest had a constant fill of wine and water..There was pianist there who made the night extra special while playing her melodies..The food was presented beautifully. But as for taste it was average for me, but everything else made the night a special one.
Went last night with my sister who lives across the street. Mon-Thurs they have special for $24.95Includes soup or house or Caeser salad, pasta choice and entree choice plus glass of red or white wine. I had house salad, penne vodka, and delicious Salmon with vegetables.Food and service was great. Nice place. Friendly staff.
I had a doctor’s appointment last Saturday and I came here for a peaceful lunch, the waiter was very friendly and polite, I order a filet sole minaire and instead of the filet of sole, they gave a piece of tilapia, which weight about 4 ounces. I also order a side of rice, very small and they charged $7.50.I ate the wholeThing just because I was without eating for almost 20 hours.For $30 they gave me a piece of garbage. Never coming back.
Charming Italian restaurant catered around providing the whole family experience. As soon as you enter you are warmly greeted by the host and quickly delivered to your table. Great selection of northern italian cuisine. All dishes were quickly delivered to the table and came out hot and delicious. Dessert cart also hard to resist, but I will probably skip the cheesecake next time as Ive had better elsewhere. The strawberry mousse was yummy. Only downside came when it was time to leave as one of my friends felt their person space was violated by the male host with unwarranted touching. This kind of behaviour might fly in Italy, but please show greater respect to your customers and dont assume everyone is okay with excessive contact.
Portofino is a great upscale dining restaurant. There is also a pizzeria dining area in the restaurant. My family has been visiting for years and they never disappoint. Valet parking, piano music, Great Food, and the SERVICE is incredible. Everyone who enters is treated like VIP. They sang happy birthday with piano in the background just upon hearing us discuss amongst ourselves that it was my Mothers birthday, thats how attentive the staff is. I just want to give a special thank you to René our waiter, he truly made our dining experience incredible while working on a bridal party at the same time! The ultimate gentleman and professional!
This restaurant not only serves good food at reasonable prices but I think the owners are good community oriented citizens too. They have been at the same location for more than a decade. During the blackout in the summer of 2004, I saw the owner shine his car headlight into the store so he can continue to make pizza and I witnessed him give it out free of charge to anyone that was hungry. It was a rare sight and I still remember his good hearted deed, while some stores raised prices to take advantage of the community.
I am sadly giving 1 star as I have previously given 5 stars and would have given 10 if I could. Dont get me wrong my 1 star IS NOT for the food because as per usual the food was magnificent. The owner Carmine was super accommodating as usual. But the waiter that I had which was not any of the regulars was the ABSOLUTE RUDEST WAITER EVER. My daughter took me there for my birthday and when she received the bill which was slightly over $200 she left a tip of $20 which yes is less than the 15-20% and that was because he rude, he didnt make sure we had silverware, and was very short with us when ordering, he didnt even offer us any parmesan or fresh pepper..ITS ITALIAN FOOD FOR CHRISTS SAKE!The waiter had the nerve to tell my daughter as we were trying to walk out that she needed to give at least 3 times what she gave as a tip and then has another waitress come to repeat it again.Other than that my daughter had previously purchased a whole cake from them which was to be presented to me as they sang happy birthday and while I absolutely LOVE this fruit pie it was frozen so when it was cut I tasted more ice than anything.Overall, let me reiterate THE FOOD IS AMAZING!
They werent as attentive as we had expected them to be they got their meals mixed up there was only three shrimp in a shrimp salad and for that price thats crazy we had asked for lemon for the water and maybe four times and seemed like other people were being served before us it was a Thursday night and it was fairly empty so its not like it was crowded and they were busy so we were a little disappointed
The food is good but expensive. Try the brunch on Sunday early afternoon or the Tuesday night buffet. I went there a few nights ago for the Tuesday night buffet. I was very disappointed. On my previous visits, the food and service were really good. On this past Tuesday night, the food was dried out. The meatballs were hard, to a point of being inedible. The salmon was burnt on the bottom. The ribs tasted strange. The soup was completely gone, if not it was dried to the bottom of the pan. The mussels were good but were filled with tons on green olives. If you do not like olives, this is not the dish for you. I tried the potatoes but I could not cut them with a knife. The potatoes were inedible, as was a foccacia that looked great but was hard as a rock. Dessert was delicious. Both the tiramisu and the flan was delicious. The coffee was good. Our waiter was helpful and friendly. But he disappeared for most of our dinner. We had to wait more than 30 minutes for a check. The food off the menu is much better. I would skip the buffet.
Tasty food and great service at pizzeria cafe and the restaurant, which are housed under the same roof and entered through main entrance with the cafe being on the right and restaurant on the left. I personally didnt have pizza there but some of my family members who did said its one of the best.
I HAVE TO GIVE TO THE SERVER AND THE RESTURANT 5 STARS. EDDIE THE SERVER WAS AMAZING THE SPEGGITI WAS A LITTLE TO SALTY THE SERVER WENT TRIED A SPEGGITI OFF THE PLATE AND AGREED AND I HAVE TO SAY TO THAT IN A TIME WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON WITH COVID I CANT SAY I WOULD DO THE SAME SO THIS IS WHY I GIVE HIM THE UPMOST RESPECT. THE LOYALTY HE HAD TO US AS CUSTOMERS WAS 5 STARS AND HE CAME BACK WITH A AMAZING PLATE. THANK YOU EDDIE FOR YOUR DEDICATION!
Service was terrible to begin with. Ordered 2 apps to start our party of 6 & server kept telling us it wouldnt be enough. Sir this is why theyre called apps and not main course. Ordered another app when needed and didnt get bread on the table till 25 mins later. Orders for main course was about 35 mins later. Servers drop and run and you never see them again. Dont ever bother to check the table after meals are delivered. Thought the food was good when ate but after heading home, wanted to throwup and kept burping the food. Never again after spending all that money. Restaurant wasnt even busy so I was confused about the poor service. Place is overpriced for no reason too.
I recently booked a party for 40 people at Portofino and had a great experience from booking to leaving. I met with the owner to review the packages about 2 weeks before we wanted to have the event and he was great. He was very accommodating and helpful. Apon arriving to the restaurant on the day of the event, we were all greated by the friendly staff and seated quickly. The dinner service was perfect and the food was amazing. It was a weekend night and the restaurant was packed but the wait staff was still on top of everything. We were given the room with the piano and the entire experience was great. We will be booking all of our parties and family events there!
The service and food were very good at Portifinos. Our table shared the calimari and artichoke appetizers; both were delicious. I had the mahi mahi tuna , done rareand it was very good. The rest of the table all enjoyed their pasta entrees.Our wait staff was very attentive and the food was served hot. I recommend this place and recommend making a reservation since it does fill up at dinner time.
The food and service have gone downhill since I used to come here as a child.Pros: valet parking and across from OLQM Church. Cons: everything else.It still amazes me to see how packed it gets for their weekday specials and Sunday brunch.Skip this Italian restaurant and try out other (better) ones in the neighborhood!
The staff is very friendly and if you are italian, they will talk to you in italian and take care of you just like in italy.The food is excellent and even the owner is very friendly.This place is very easy to find from the street by day and by night, its in a corner.
AVOID DELIVERY.These guys need to learn how to manage their deliveries. I live across Queens Blvd, literally 5 minute walk from them. Every single time we ordered we had issues with delivery; is not unusual for them to take 2 hours or more.Yesterday, we placed the order using an app that quoted us 30-40 minutes delivery. After 50 minutes we called and were told that the order was on its way. Called again 20 minutes after, and was put on indefinite hold by Ray. Called again after 5 minutes, and this time George explained that it wasnt their fault, that the delay was from the Delivery company they use. How CONVENIENT to blame your mistakes to a outsourced company (a bunch of BS).These guys have a HUGE problem managing their deliveries. I would rate them negatively if I could.Food arrived an hour and 45 minutes after we placed the order. It was cold and was nothing special (not to mention it is overpriced).NEVER ORDERING FROM THEM AGAIN.
One of the best slices in queens or in the five boroughs, plus its a sit down dress up restaurant, the manager will make you feel like family, its a great place for a first date or any occasion.So if its a pie, slice, sandwich in shorts or a elegant dress your finest dinner, lunch or brunch, this is the place for you, I cant recommend enough.
Well I have the most delicious fish monk with cherry tomatoes and the most important thing is the serve Eddie and Alex barreto the fallow my instructions because I have alerts so not a problem everyone knows about the I like in as a customer I live respect in enjoying the fact that I think is a super great restaurant.
I will start by saying that I had been to this place before, but only went back because of a Groupon. I bought a Groupon for an airbrush session for my wedding. The first time I tried to use it was 3 days before my wedding which was the amount of time that was recommended to me. It happened to be raining that day and when I called up to make sure it would still be ok to come in, the woman answering the phone advised against getting airbrush when its raining because it could dry unevenly. I appreciated her honesty and decided against it, so as not to take any chances. . .Fast forward a few months and I am in my friends wedding party so I decide to cash in on the Groupon - which to my surprise was recently expired (read the fine print!). The guy behind the desk would not honor the Groupon for the airbrush session (even though it was someone who worked there who told me not to use it). After I expressed my disappointment, he insisted he was giving me a deal by only making me pay the difference. I tried explaining to him that the actual value of the Groupon never expires so I was basically paying full price, just in two installments. He kept insisting that he was giving me a deal. . . he clearly either didnt get it or was trying to fool me, but fine I let it go and agreed to pay for the service. . . The straw that broke the camels back was when he decided to try to shut me up by offering me another deal, saying that the next time I come in for airbrush he will give me a 2 for 1 deal. I appreciated the offer, accepted, and asked him to put a note in the system marking the 2 for 1 deal he offered in case he doesnt remember our conversation or someone else is working that day. . . to which he said Oh, I will remember, I will be here for at least 6 months . . .Cool.He never put in a note, which means the offer doesnt exist. He could have at least pretended to put a note on my account to restore the tiniest bit of faith in this place, but instead decided to shoot me down. . . again. What ever happened to the customer is always right? Clearly I will not be returning to redeem my fake 2 for 1 deal.All in all the customer service was horrendous, but the actual service was decent. Monica was sweet and did a good job which is the only reason I gave it two stars. I took the 3 stars off for the customer service which I think makes or breaks a place like this. . . you can get a decent tan at any salon in NYC.
My first time in Portofinos was for a friends Wedding, the food was Excellent.Next time I was there was for my sons Wedding Dinner, again Excellent!This time it was for my youngest sons Wedding Rehersal Dinner, Need I say again, EXCELLENT!All the staff were Great,Cheerful,and funny! I highly Recommend Portofinos Ristorante for any occasion or just a Great Meal and Time!
When you order your dishes you have to wait minimum 45 minutes then they cheat you would price visited with family week ago and waitress cheat you with price ... waitress said we have special $19.99 and then they give a check for $39 .99.... when I come back with a question about the price he apologized his accent and he said was misunderstanding .... ..NEVER EVER!!!
It was my first dining experience at Portofinos. So glad we went this past Saturday when the winter day was beautiful and there was little traffic on City Island. The resturant was not crowded so we really got to enjoy a view of the water, and no rush. We has the fresh mozzarella as an appetizer and then surf and turf. We really had a excellent dinner. A bottle of red wine, and a little dessert made a most enjoyable evening. I would say we prefer to go when it is not so crazy and enjoy what City Island offers! Will be back to Portofinos.
My wife and I had the Portifino Salad, Soup/ Veil saltimbocca alla romana. Food outstanding, service (Miguel) outstanding. OK, the prices are high BUT 1) You get what you pay for! (-: and 2) it is Forest Hills. If I were them I would not go higher on prices with this economy but all else is fantastic. I would like to also give due credit to man that play accordian music. That was very nice while we had dinner. Be patient with parking (thats not their fault) and make sure you re hungry! (-:
Total reviews rating 4.3
199 Reviews for Portofino Ristorante 2023:
Review №1
2021-12-16Portofino Ristorante is an institution along Queens Boulevard in Forest Hills, the place to be for that classic Sunday Lunch / Brunch with family or friends after church from Our Lady Queen of Martyrs opposite it. I have dined here for quite a few times, and the food, while always sumptuous in my experience, can be a hit or miss for some - I’ve observed some mistakes made in orders especially when it’s very busy. However, on the plus side - the place has that homey feel; sitting near the windows wistfully inside looking out at Queens Boulevard as you drink your chilled wine. I always loved their Burratta mozzarella for the appetizer and their pasta is always an Italian chef’s kiss - their delectable Butternut Squash Ravioli is perfect for an autumn day! (I just wish it was a bit more generous in serving.) While I feel they should update their desserts menu, I always have a weakness for their Tiramisu and I am glad they use Mighty Leaf as their tea of choice (the tea selection comes in this wooden box they have, a nice touch!). The waiters are always attentive and the manager owner is much beloved in the community. When I leave after a hearty meal, I always make sure I take a look at their small altar with San Giuseppe (St.Joseph) and a smattering of photos of the lovely smiling patrons of the place. It’s always nice to be part of Queens history.
Review №2
2022-01-04Food is excellent as always. Drinks are also perfect. carmine the owner always takes care of everything. Fresh food is served here. the pasta is incredible too.
Review №3
2022-05-13Excellent experience as always, from the food, to the ambiance, the drinks and of course the hospitality, delishious food, and simply our very favorite place always. Thank you Carmine.
Review №4
2022-02-11Used to go here a lot before pandemic and also a few times since. However, this time the portion is just UNACCEPTABLE for the price I’m paying. Baked clam $15.95 had 6 clams in there and a full order of penne alla vodka $20.95 was in a side order container. How much did it cost them to make the pasta because I’m paying almost $1 for each penne ! I understand that costs are up but to up-charge your customers like this is just unacceptable.
Review №5
2021-09-07I absolutely love this place, the environment is outstanding. Every time I go theres classic Italian music, which suits the place perfectly. Eating here is always a delight. I love the way they present the desserts, super cute. Very classy!!
Review №6
2022-05-20I gave this place 3 stars , would have been higher but the clams casino had no flavor my experience with the service was actually good , our entrees were also good ...
Review №7
2022-06-23$33 for this fettuccine alfredo.It is literally buttered noodles. I expected more.Garlic bread was also terrible. All salt, no garlic.It is sad day when Dominoes has a stronger Italian dish than Portofino.Biggest waste of money that I have had in a while.And this is coming from someone that pays rent in New York.
Review №8
2022-05-14Very elegant place but what I love is I came after work with my electric scooter looking bummy in my opinion, craving Italian food and to my pleasure I wasnt judged. I ask to sit outside so I could park the scooter by my table and there was no objections. The owner came out and greeted people with so much energy! Let me not forget the food which was very delicious as well! The whole experience was quite delightful 😊
Review №9
2021-10-03Amazing food & service!!!! Pre- Birthday dining out ❤🙏🥂Very nice ambience!!!! Had a wonderful time!! Thank you 🙏🥂
Review №10
2022-06-21We stopped in on Fathers Day without reservations, and were treated very well. The meal was fantastic. It was our first time here and will gladly come again.