This place is now LOUD - on Fridays & Saturdays, according to our server (who was excellent). We had a 7pm Saturday reservation “away from the door”. We were escorted to a perfect corner table with a “reserved” sign on it. Wonderful. But it felt like everybody in the place was practically yelling to be be heard by their table mates. This is a post-pandemic change, as this used to be a fairly quiet place. We've eaten here many Fridays and Saturdays in the past 5 years, including since reopening, and it was never this loud. (Our server told us that Wednesday, Thursday and Sundays are much quieter.). There is also outdoor dining, and we may need to do that as the weather warms. Our server was excellent. She gave us time to look at the menu; we were not rushed. Our Pear Salad and Ribeye steak dinners were excellent, but we could not finish it as the restaurant was loud to the point of discomfort and we had to leave without having dessert & coffee. Oh - I ordered a glass of Syrah, and it was bad- almost vinegar-y. Our server gladly exchanged it for a Coppola wine, but even that did not taste of Coppola quality. Hmmm... Hopefully, the owner will get some sound-absorbent panels up soon.
SanfranciscoFoodie45
This is our 2nd visit. Food was disappointing. First visit I ordered the seafood cioppino which was good. This time I got the spaghetti with meatballs-very oily and meatballs tasted like rubber. Also the Restaurant is small (and I understand wanting to fit everyone) but we were seated so close to other tables we could hear their conversation and they could hear ours. Hopefully they will work on these issues.
cheapoYromantico
This place is now LOUD - on Fridays & Saturdays, according to our server (who was excellent). We had a 7pm Saturday reservation “away from the door”. We were escorted to a perfect corner table with a “reserved” sign on it. Wonderful. But it felt like everybody in the place was practically yelling to be be heard by their table mates. This is a post-pandemic change, as this used to be a fairly quiet place. We've eaten here many Fridays and Saturdays in the past 5 years, including since reopening, and it was never this loud. (Our server told us that Wednesday, Thursday and Sundays are much quieter.). There is also outdoor dining, and we may need to do that as the weather warms. Our server was excellent. She gave us time to look at the menu; we were not rushed. Our Pear Salad and Ribeye steak dinners were excellent, but we could not finish it as the restaurant was loud to the point of discomfort and we had to leave without having dessert & coffee. Oh - I ordered a glass of Syrah, and it was bad- almost vinegar-y. Our server gladly exchanged it for a Coppola wine, but even that did not taste of Coppola quality. Hmmm... Hopefully, the owner will get some sound-absorbent panels up soon.
SanfranciscoFoodie45
This is our 2nd visit. Food was disappointing. First visit I ordered the seafood cioppino which was good. This time I got the spaghetti with meatballs-very oily and meatballs tasted like rubber. Also the Restaurant is small (and I understand wanting to fit everyone) but we were seated so close to other tables we could hear their conversation and they could hear ours. Hopefully they will work on these issues.
Allison F.
Had the sea bass special - was really nicely cooked and the presentation was really nice. Everyone loved their meals and they had a nice wine list - bruschetta was really nice as well. Attentive service without being overbearing.
MissyP
We arrived at 5:30 and there were few people inside. Our waiter was pleasant and attentive. The server brought bread and butter and there was no separate charge. They provided glasses of water without having to request them. We split a Caesar salad and there was plenty for each of us. We each had wine, and there appears to be a full bar. My partner ordered the seabass dinner and I had pasta with frutti de mare. Each were well-seasoned. For dessert we split carrot cake. As more people arrived for their dinners the noise level rose as expected, but we still did not have to shout to hear one another. This is a nice place to have a reasonably-price good dinner out.
MissyP
We arrived at 5:30 and there were few people inside. Our waiter was pleasant and attentive. The server brought bread and butter and there was no separate charge. They provided glasses of water without having to request them. We split a Caesar salad and there was plenty for each of us. We each had wine, and there appears to be a full bar. My partner ordered the seabass dinner and I had pasta with frutti de mare. Each were well-seasoned. For dessert we split carrot cake. As more people arrived for their dinners the noise level rose as expected, but we still did not have to shout to hear one another. This is a nice place to have a reasonably-price good dinner out.
PeterR
We are always treated like family at Portobello Grill. The food is good and the service is great. Its one of our favorite places to go in Redwood City. The menu isn't as complete as pre-COVID, but it still works.
Andy Kim
Not bad, decent serving sizes, liked their seafood risotto. Bit on the pricy side for the value though.
Alice M.
Went here last minute on New Years Eve with friends. The staff was exceptionally pleasant and helpful. The food was fantastic,service was great. Deserts were really good. A really great find
Picked up my wife after work to give her dinner after working so hard in the hospital. We were promptly seated and given menus. We decided on our choices and waited and waited and waited. Kitchen guy just staring into nowhere. Bartender just standing behind the bar, busboy just stand eating pizza and hostess standing next to him chatting. Eye contact and gestures made multiple times. No one came to us, no one cared. We slowly stood up, and were observed by staff, no one cared that we were preparing to leave. We left, and the staff continued their nothingness. The staff truly was nothing. Don't bother coming here unless you just want a warm place to sit while waiting for a table at the restaurants next door.
Jo P.
Drinks and food were great. We were seated right away with no reservations. Staff was friendly and gave their recommendations for drinks and best pasta which turned out really delicious. Pomegranate drink is on the tart side as to be expected but for me paired with the pasta helped. The ahi poke had just the right amount of flavor and I did enjoy the seaweed salad that came with it.
Gozanav
Really really nice service by everyone- food is fine but could be better- typical suburban Italian place
Montana Fleming
We have lived in San Jose for 18 years and many weekends we go to nearby cities to spend the weekend. Redwood City is one of my favorites, especially Broadway. We tried many places for lunch and dinner and I wanted to try something new for our anniversary. I made my reservation for here on the Opentable application. There they asked me if it was for an event and I replied that it was our 18th anniversary. We arrived on time and I told them that I had a reservation at 7:30. There was no table with the Reserved sign but luckily there were several free tables on the terrace. We ordered fried calamari to share, my husband Chicken Piccata and I had Seafood Risotto. The bread took a long time to arrive. We do not drink alcohol so only ice water was our option. The chicken was tender but a little salty, my rice very tasty. We wanted to order more bread but our waiter was attending tables inside. =( After finishing dinner, I wanted to talk to the manager to ask him if they knew it was a special dinner. When he found out, he improvised a complementary dessert. We are not friends of sweets but we gladly accept adding a coffee and a tea with milk. When the bill came, we were quite surprised: it was close to $100 without tips.Maybe I had very high expectations of this place. I wanted it to be an unforgettable night and it was rather mediocre. I don't think we will return to this place. Is 3 stars good with extremely high prices.
Conneric Liu
Great seating and service. Food is average but ingredients are fresh. The black nero noodles were delicious with the saffron sauce, but the shrimp that came with this was cooked but under grilled. So I took it home and pan fried them and they were delicious.
This place is now LOUD - on Fridays & Saturdays, according to our server (who was excellent). We had a 7pm Saturday reservation “away from the door”. We were escorted to a perfect corner table with a “reserved” sign on it. Wonderful. But it felt like everybody in the place was practically yelling to be be heard by their table mates. This is a post-pandemic change, as this used to be a fairly quiet place. We've eaten here many Fridays and Saturdays in the past 5 years, including since reopening, and it was never this loud. (Our server told us that Wednesday, Thursday and Sundays are much quieter.). There is also outdoor dining, and we may need to do that as the weather warms. Our server was excellent. She gave us time to look at the menu; we were not rushed. Our Pear Salad and Ribeye steak dinners were excellent, but we could not finish it as the restaurant was loud to the point of discomfort and we had to leave without having dessert & coffee. Oh - I ordered a glass of Syrah, and it was bad- almost vinegar-y. Our server gladly exchanged it for a Coppola wine, but even that did not taste of Coppola quality. Hmmm... Hopefully, the owner will get some sound-absorbent panels up soon.
This is our 2nd visit. Food was disappointing. First visit I ordered the seafood cioppino which was good. This time I got the spaghetti with meatballs-very oily and meatballs tasted like rubber. Also the Restaurant is small (and I understand wanting to fit everyone) but we were seated so close to other tables we could hear their conversation and they could hear ours. Hopefully they will work on these issues.
This place is now LOUD - on Fridays & Saturdays, according to our server (who was excellent). We had a 7pm Saturday reservation “away from the door”. We were escorted to a perfect corner table with a “reserved” sign on it. Wonderful. But it felt like everybody in the place was practically yelling to be be heard by their table mates. This is a post-pandemic change, as this used to be a fairly quiet place. We've eaten here many Fridays and Saturdays in the past 5 years, including since reopening, and it was never this loud. (Our server told us that Wednesday, Thursday and Sundays are much quieter.). There is also outdoor dining, and we may need to do that as the weather warms. Our server was excellent. She gave us time to look at the menu; we were not rushed. Our Pear Salad and Ribeye steak dinners were excellent, but we could not finish it as the restaurant was loud to the point of discomfort and we had to leave without having dessert & coffee. Oh - I ordered a glass of Syrah, and it was bad- almost vinegar-y. Our server gladly exchanged it for a Coppola wine, but even that did not taste of Coppola quality. Hmmm... Hopefully, the owner will get some sound-absorbent panels up soon.
This is our 2nd visit. Food was disappointing. First visit I ordered the seafood cioppino which was good. This time I got the spaghetti with meatballs-very oily and meatballs tasted like rubber. Also the Restaurant is small (and I understand wanting to fit everyone) but we were seated so close to other tables we could hear their conversation and they could hear ours. Hopefully they will work on these issues.
Had the sea bass special - was really nicely cooked and the presentation was really nice. Everyone loved their meals and they had a nice wine list - bruschetta was really nice as well. Attentive service without being overbearing.
We arrived at 5:30 and there were few people inside. Our waiter was pleasant and attentive. The server brought bread and butter and there was no separate charge. They provided glasses of water without having to request them. We split a Caesar salad and there was plenty for each of us. We each had wine, and there appears to be a full bar. My partner ordered the seabass dinner and I had pasta with frutti de mare. Each were well-seasoned. For dessert we split carrot cake. As more people arrived for their dinners the noise level rose as expected, but we still did not have to shout to hear one another. This is a nice place to have a reasonably-price good dinner out.
We arrived at 5:30 and there were few people inside. Our waiter was pleasant and attentive. The server brought bread and butter and there was no separate charge. They provided glasses of water without having to request them. We split a Caesar salad and there was plenty for each of us. We each had wine, and there appears to be a full bar. My partner ordered the seabass dinner and I had pasta with frutti de mare. Each were well-seasoned. For dessert we split carrot cake. As more people arrived for their dinners the noise level rose as expected, but we still did not have to shout to hear one another. This is a nice place to have a reasonably-price good dinner out.
We are always treated like family at Portobello Grill. The food is good and the service is great. Its one of our favorite places to go in Redwood City. The menu isn't as complete as pre-COVID, but it still works.
Not bad, decent serving sizes, liked their seafood risotto. Bit on the pricy side for the value though.
Went here last minute on New Years Eve with friends. The staff was exceptionally pleasant and helpful. The food was fantastic,service was great. Deserts were really good. A really great find
Restaurantji Recommends
Picked up my wife after work to give her dinner after working so hard in the hospital. We were promptly seated and given menus. We decided on our choices and waited and waited and waited. Kitchen guy just staring into nowhere. Bartender just standing behind the bar, busboy just stand eating pizza and hostess standing next to him chatting. Eye contact and gestures made multiple times. No one came to us, no one cared. We slowly stood up, and were observed by staff, no one cared that we were preparing to leave. We left, and the staff continued their nothingness. The staff truly was nothing. Don't bother coming here unless you just want a warm place to sit while waiting for a table at the restaurants next door.
Drinks and food were great. We were seated right away with no reservations. Staff was friendly and gave their recommendations for drinks and best pasta which turned out really delicious. Pomegranate drink is on the tart side as to be expected but for me paired with the pasta helped. The ahi poke had just the right amount of flavor and I did enjoy the seaweed salad that came with it.
Really really nice service by everyone- food is fine but could be better- typical suburban Italian place
We have lived in San Jose for 18 years and many weekends we go to nearby cities to spend the weekend. Redwood City is one of my favorites, especially Broadway. We tried many places for lunch and dinner and I wanted to try something new for our anniversary. I made my reservation for here on the Opentable application. There they asked me if it was for an event and I replied that it was our 18th anniversary. We arrived on time and I told them that I had a reservation at 7:30. There was no table with the Reserved sign but luckily there were several free tables on the terrace. We ordered fried calamari to share, my husband Chicken Piccata and I had Seafood Risotto. The bread took a long time to arrive. We do not drink alcohol so only ice water was our option. The chicken was tender but a little salty, my rice very tasty. We wanted to order more bread but our waiter was attending tables inside. =( After finishing dinner, I wanted to talk to the manager to ask him if they knew it was a special dinner. When he found out, he improvised a complementary dessert. We are not friends of sweets but we gladly accept adding a coffee and a tea with milk. When the bill came, we were quite surprised: it was close to $100 without tips.Maybe I had very high expectations of this place. I wanted it to be an unforgettable night and it was rather mediocre. I don't think we will return to this place. Is 3 stars good with extremely high prices.
Great seating and service. Food is average but ingredients are fresh. The black nero noodles were delicious with the saffron sauce, but the shrimp that came with this was cooked but under grilled. So I took it home and pan fried them and they were delicious.