Located in the heart of Old Québec in an historic house built in 1760, Portofino welcomes you to a warm, friendly environment where every meal is a celebration. For a romantic meal for two, business meetings, or to celebrate a special event with a group, as Old Québec’s premier Italian restaurant, Portofino is the place to be. With seating for up to 140 people, Portofino can accommodate your every need and expectation.
Portofino Brasserie Italienne provides a memorable dining experience characterized by its warm, authentic atmosphere and high-quality Italian cuisine. Many guests frequently praise the delicious pasta dishes, wood-fired pizzas, and flavorful appetizers like the burrata and bruschetta. The service is often described as professional, friendly, and attentive, with staff members going out of their way to ensure a pleasant visit, even during busy periods. While the restaurant can become quite lively and bustling, this adds to the vibrant, cozy charm that makes it a popular destination for both locals and travelers. With a wide selection of wines and consistently well-prepared meals, the restaurant remains a highly recommended stop for anyone seeking an exceptional dining experience in the heart of Old Quebec.
We had the opportunity to dine at this restaurant over the weekend, sitting at a table by the window on the right side. The service was excellent-attentive & enjoyable. The drinks were outstanding.
However, the table next to us was positioned so closely that it completely blocked our access, with their chairs nearly touching our table. This made it difficult to get up without disturbing them, which was not ideal from a logistical standpoint.
The food, unfortunately, left much to be desired & was probably the least appealing aspect of our experience. The garlic bread with cheese lacked freshness, & the cheese was hard. The salad greens were nice, but the shrimp were the tiniest we had ever encountered. Given the price, it didn't feel worth it. As for the pizza, while the dough & sauce were good, the cheese had an odd taste & there was too much of it. After one bite, we left it untouched. The pasta with meatballs had a good sauce & pasta, but the meatballs were bland & lacked flavor.
The quality of the food has certainly degraded. Ordered the steak. Came with a mountain of pasta, vegetables. The plate was very crowded. The steak was cooked well. Husband had a pizza that was raw in parts. My wine was soapy with bubbles in it. Service was ok but they seemed confused about who would be the waiter/waitress. Not going back. It's a shame. I used to like it.
The entrance host was very rude & probably racist to be honest. Told us to wait outside & will call us once there is a table for 2. Another couple went in without a reservation like us & got seated immediately. We were like'ok they are busy maybe they messed up' & got seated after another 5 min of wait.
Food was fantastic until we found a hair inside the pizza & it ruined the mood. They removed the pizza from the bill & gave us a tiramisu for the inconvenience but it was too late for the mood.
The restaurant was very loud for our liking.
The pasta was really good.
I personally never felt this much disrespect at a restaurant & felt it was because of my skin color. In hindsight we should have left the moment we felt that the host was not good. Would not go again & won't be recommending it. This place needs to realize that there are colored people & they also deserve the same respect as other.
Feb 23, 2025
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We ate at this restaurant several years ago while travelling through Quebec City with an Italian friend of mine. We really enjoyed the meal & returned last weekend while on another cycling trip. Completely happy with the entire experience. While we would always prefer lower prices, the experience was worth the price. We made reservations in advance & were seated immediately. We shared the beef carpacio appetizer since my sons had never tried it & it was a bit unusual to see. It was excellent & made for a special treat. The pasta was fresh, the sauces were very flavorful, & the service was excellent. & they had live musicians playing in the corner which added to the ambiance. The Formula 1 paraphernalia spread throughout the restaurant was also very cool. Will hopefully be back the next time we are in Quebec City.
Overall, the food was incredible, for the most part the service was great, & the food came so fast, we could not believe that we were in & out within an hour, having gotten an appetizer, main courses, & a dessert. The atmosphere & service I gave 4 stars because the restaurant was unbelievably crowded/packed in. We were placed at a table where twice we were asked to move/watch our heads so servers could get bottles of wine out of the cabinet that was beside us. We were also right outside the kitchen entrance & twice when I was moving to put my bag & coat on my chair I bumped, & was bumped by servers bringing food & dishes in & out of the kitchen. I was nervous too move too much as I didn't want to knock anything out of the hands of servers. It was also just so loud. We went thinking it was more of a finer dining experience based on reviews/photos, which I would not classify the ambience of the restaurant as. The hostess who greeted us as the front was beyond lovely. I have very rough French speaking abilities & she very quickly switched to speaking English but thanked me for my attempt at French. We were then met by a man who we originally thought was our server, he gave us the impression that it was a nuisance to be dealing with us. He brought us water, asked how we were & as we tried to respond he walked away & we did not see him again. That being said, our server was so kind & quick & asked us where we were from, if we've liked Quebec, & wished us the best for the rest of our honeymoon. She was absolutely wonderful. The food was amazing. We got the garlic bread with cheese as a starer & it came within 5 minutes, & was so hot & fresh. For our mains my husband got the house lasagne & I got the fettuccine with pesto & they were both incredible. Some of the best pasta we have ever had. For dessert we got the creme brûlée which was also just amazing. It came with some strawberries & a berry sauce on the side which complimented the dish perfectly. I would still rate the experience a 5/5, as ultimately the volume & crowded atmosphere of the restaurant did not take away from our enjoyment at all, but could have made it a more relaxed dinner had it of been a little less loud & crammed. There was also love music which was absolutely amazing. My husband got a beer & I had the espresso martini which was fantastic & for having 1 bartender, the drinks came quick quickly. We would 100% come back if we are back in Quebec City.
Very disappointed because the food didn't taste good at all. We had a marguerita pizza which was awful & the mushroom ball entree with the minestrone. Minestrone was ok but way below any Italian standard (even in North America & that says a lot). The mushroom balls were bad, just deep fried with not a lot of taste. Our daughter had pasta fettuccine & she was satisfied. It's not that difficult to make good tasting food, I don't understand how businesses charge the maximum amount of $ ($28 for a margarita) & they're not able to make it taste good. It was just full of cheese (way too much, & cheap cheese) & the dough was tough. I could have eaten a pizza at a nearby Domino & it would have been better. Step up the game if you charge the big bucks! Be proud of your work & the quality of it, not just a tourist trap. But I guess that's true for a lot of Quebec City restaurants nowadays. As a business, I'd be ashamed to sell this quality of food for this much money.
Lovely food & nice cozy atmosphere. Everything from the bread, to the mains pasta, was spot on. All was served with a smile from Maxime. I would recommend to all those visiting this vibrant city 👌
Had a great dinner here. If over a weekend, strongly advise making reservations. Atmosphere was nice, albeit a little noisy as there was a large party of 14 near us. Service was excellent & the pastas & pizzas were delicious. Would highly recommend.
