Portola Bistro

Review summary

1. a

   art

   San Francisco

   17 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   17 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Very good food, excellent service, but the noise level was deafening.
   

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2. A

   Amy

   Hawaii

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Second time testing this anchor to the Ladera scene. The pappardelle with lamb ragu is excellent —enjoy the mushrooms and the surprise olives. The pizza is outstanding. Served piping hot but not burned, this is thin-crust pizza at its best. More ingredients on top than a true Napolitan pizza but an excellent compromise between Italian sensibilities and Silicon Valley taste buds.
   

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3. K

   Kathryn

   Hawaii

   2 reviews

   3.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 17 November 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 3

   The food was very good at Portola Bistro, and had the service been better our review would have focused more on what we ate. We were seated for a long time before anyone visited our table to check on us or take our orders. The meal came relatively quickly, which was nice, but once our plates were cleared, we waited again and eventually decided against dessert. There seems to be a staffing or training issue, but weʻll likely try it again, hoping for better service to go with the food.
   

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4. C

   Catherine Giurlani

   San Francisco

   13 reviews

   vip
   3.0

   13 reviews

   Dined on 17 November 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   We were excited to try Portola Bistro as we loved the previous restaurant and looked forward to seeing something new. We were initially disappointed upon arrival in that they do not have their full bar liquor license yet, only beer and wine, which we didn't know at the time we made the reservation. We had been looking forward to relaxing and enjoying a cocktail before dinner but were told it will be *2-4 months* before they get full licensing. We started with the "roasted" beet salad which was very good, lots of great flavor however a bit disappointing as it was mainly lots of arugula (and even a little goes a long way, flavor-wise), and not much of very thinly sliced beets that only rimmed the plate. Our main course was the Quattro Stagioni pizza which was also very good, bit soggy towards the middle but the taste was good. All in all we did enjoy the restaurant, I know they have just opened so things are new. There are many things on the menu that we'd like to try so we will definitely go again in a couple of months and hopefully it will be on our go-to list of favorite restaurants!
   

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5. K

   Kevin

   Salt Lake City

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined on 13 November 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 3

   French onion soup was the worst from an awful broth and limited presence of onions to the quantity of bread and cheese that was not Gruyère. Calamari was soggy. Schiacciata Pizza had fresh ingredients and crust was fine and the sea bream just okay. The purported “Vibrant Bar Seating” must have referred to vibrant lighting since they could only serve beer and wine. Disappointing. Party of five not rushing back.
   

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6. T

   Toni

   San Francisco

   78 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   78 reviews

   Dined on 13 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   The new Portola Bistro is lovely. The remodel has made the restaurant brighter and more inviting. Chairs are comfortable and decor is understated but very nice. Menu is well balanced (fish, pasta, beef) with nice side dishes. My group had the Beef Bourguignon, Pan Seared Salmon, Double Cooked Pork Belly, Pumpkin Soup, Calamari, Beet Salad (which was really, really good) , the Market Salad and the French Onion Soup. Everyone liked their choices very much. Waitstaff was super friendly. We will definitely visit again.
   

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7. L

   Linda

   San Francisco

   4 reviews

   4.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on 12 November 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   I came with 3 guests and we enjoyed our evening there. Each of us ordered a main course and we shared the beet salad and the artichoke appetizer. The artichoke appetizer stood out as our favorite. Really delicious, well prepared and nicely paired with the small potatoes. However, my roasted chicken was bland and undercooked, still quite red at the bone. The asparagus was cooked just right but the potato puree lacked flavor. Service was just excellent! Noise level is quite high. Good food but we are not convinced it was worth the high prices. We would definitely go back for dinner again. We look forward to seeing Portola Bistro open for lunch.
   

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8. V

   Virginia

   San Francisco

   48 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   48 reviews

   Dined on 8 November 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Hoping this place kicks up the quality of food a notch. My french onion soup was tasty. Service was very friendly. Salmon dish with veggies was dry and lacked flavor. Will give it another try as it's a neighborhood restaurant and id love it to succeed.
   

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9. D

   Diane

   San Francisco

   150 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   150 reviews

   Dined on 6 November 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Really good menu with lots of choices. Great service and comfortable atmosphere. I’m so glad it is in our neighborhood and I’m sure we will frequent it.
   

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10. J

    Jill

    San Francisco

    10 reviews

    4.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 3 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4

    This was our first time and overall our experience was good and will be back. They only serve wine and I think beer and it would be nice to see a Zinfandel and a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc as an option for glasses of wine. I had Beef Bourguignon and my mom had the Lamb Ragu and both were excellent . Our waiter was very nice, but we felt a bit rushed withy he appetizer to entree. The seating on the side of the bar was a little bit cramped, and I had to ask the person behind me to move their chair so I could sit comfortably and hang my sweater. A few little tweaks would make this a restaurant we would go to weekly. It’s definitely going in the rotation.
    

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