IL Porto Italian Ristorante

🌟 “This place is amazing. Whether it’s a special occasion or just a craving for a solid, satisfying meal, we always leave happy. The atmosphere is relaxed, we never feel rushed. If outdoor seating isn’t available, grab a spot by the window, upstairs or down. It’s the next best thing.

While visiting the quaint town of Old Town Alexandria, we stumbled upon IL Porto Italian Ristorante — it was 8:30 PM and our party of 8 tried its luck without a reservation. The team was kind enough to accommodate our group into two tables — this worked out perfectly since our 4 teenage kids needed a break from the parents. Our server quickly greeted us and took our drink and appetizer order. She was attentive but lacked warmth. The wine list was expansive but the pricing was high — double what I’m used to spending for a glass of cab or malbec. For reference, price points are $17 and up per glass. I opted against having wine at dinner. Perhaps the restaurant can consider a few lower price point options in the $9-$12 range. Fresh bread and butter were brought to the table and devoured ferociously. This was a nice touch. We ordered the Burrata Alla Caprese salad and it was just okay. However, our main entrees were outstandingly delicious, flavorful and great portions — we enjoyed the lasagna, the spaghetti and meatballs and the shrimp pasta. Overall, I recommend this cozy place for a nice dinner with family or a great date place.

The restaurant was incredible. Every pasta dish was made to perfection, and the tomato sauce was excellent. It wasn’t too sweet or too acidic. It had a really balanced, flavorful taste. The free bread basket with honey butter was honestly some of the best bread I’ve ever had. The burrata caprese appetizer was fresh and full of flavor. The spaghetti with meatballs was really good, with generous portions and great texture. The spaghetti with parmesan was rich and satisfying. Everything we tried was well-prepared and tasted great. Only hiccup was that we asked for more bread several times, and it took about 15 minutes before it finally came. We needed the bread so we could eat the Burrata Caprese… The outdoor seating was lively and had a great energy. Our waiter, Yanni, was fantastic. He was kind, knowledgeable, and made the whole experience even better.

We had such a great time at Il Porto! Even though it was super busy, the service was excellent and the food was absolutely amazing, hands down the best Italian food we had on our trip. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating, and everything came out fresh and surprisingly fast. A big thank you to our server, Ali R., for being so kind and attentive, he made our experience even better! Here are my ratings: • Spaghetti with tomato sauce 8/10 • Pollo alla parmigiana 8/10 • Melanzane alla parmigiana 10/10 • Ravioli di granchio 10/10 • Caesar salad 10/10 • Fettuccine alfredo 10/10 Highly recommend if you’re looking for a delicious Italian meal!

Post Graduation dinner. My niece just got her Doctorate and wanted to go there for eons. Dinner was good. I ordered the Insalata and lasagna with my SIL and we shared. The waiter said..would u like a little chicken on the salad. I said no at first, he said it's really good on that salad. I said...OK then. Thought the prices were a bit higher than I'm used to so that's one of the reasons my SIL and I shared the 2 dishes. But the $15 salad ended up being $45 with the 'a little chicken'. $15 for the salad and $29.95 for a small piece of chicken sliced. Honestly I would've gotten a pasta dish if I'd known the chicken was twice the cost of the salad!! Now I feel compelled to mention a few other things that would've been incidental had that $15 salad turned into $45😳 I wish I'd gotten the Fettuccine....sad

The food was good. We had the pollo siciliano, fettuccine Alfredo, manicotti, and eggplant Parmesan. The pollo was fantastic—a creamy decadent tomato sauce and a delicious crispy eggplant on well cooked chicken. The noodles were obviously made in house, given their organic shape and thickness. Sane for the fettuccini. The manicotti was my least favorite. It was a bit flavorless, and though the long shape was interesting, it made for an odd ratio of filling to noodle. It was also quite dry. The eggplant Parmesan offered a much more smoky, roasted flavor than I have ever had. Overall, the food was good, but (except for the chicken) I wouldn’t say it was anything exceptional. Also, my family is a group of vegetarians. Very limited vegetarian options, which is fine of course. Just keep in mind if looking for a large variety.

I booked a reservation here after reading several Reddit reviews that the food was phenomenal and far better than some of the competition on king street. The location is perfect and atmosphere was very welcoming. The food was flavorful - some of the best Italian I’ve had while visiting Alexandria. My server Raef was attentive and ensured my order was perfect. I will be visiting again next time I’m in town. I highly recommend you make this a stop on your visit to old town Alexandria, you will not regret it.

Traditional Italian restaurant in Alexandria. Pasta was good but sauce needed salt to be tasty. Service is the main point that needs to be improved.

I've been eating at this restaurant ever since I can remember. Always outstanding. Back in the day when my brother was too young to like anything on the menu, the chef would cook him a "special" pasta dish that wasn't on the menu. We were recently here for my sons graduation dinner and we had his elderly grandparents with us. Grandma being picky with her diet was completely accommodated by our waiter Raef. He was so nice, understanding and generous. He made hers and ALL of ours dining experience wonderful. They sat us in our own little cove, as there was six of us, and the privacy was appreciated. On my next visit I'll definitely asked to be seated in Raef's section!! Of coarse all the food was outstanding but when it came time for desert I had mention I am allergic to nuts. My wife wanted something with lemon in it and it seemed like everything had some sort of nut in it. Raef took it upon himself to bring us some sort of lemon sorbet that wasn't listed on the desert menu and had no nuts in it. What a great waiter!!!!

In summary, Il Porto is just another mediocre restaurant among the many mediocre restaurants along the 100 block of King Street in Old Town (note: even though Urbano is in this block, it is the one restaurant on this row that is actually good). We met friends for dinner here yesterday. The four of us were seated at a table that was too small for two people. Service was okay but the some of the food had big issues. I was served truly the worst garlic bread ever. It was rock hard and dry. But wait, it gets even better. The kitchen dumped a bunch of some red hot spice (looked liked paprika but had the fire of chili) onto the bread. My mouth burned and burned from just one bite of the garlic bread. Downing water did little to remove the sting. I told our server about the garlic bread, but she didn't care. Hopefully they buried that disgrace out in back of the restaurant (I only took one bite). Our friend was served lasagna that was ice cold in the center. And even when he sent it back to get warmed up, it still didn't get fully heated up. Was this the haphazard result of microwaving? The Pollo Siciliano was decent. The Pollo Primavera was pretty good, but they skimped on how much gravy they topped onto the chicken. The Pollo Marsala was soupy. Squishing us into a too small table (even when we had reservations and other tables were open the entire time we were there), the cold lasagna and the horrific garlic bread prevent me from giving Il Porto more than two stars.

My humble opinion as usual: Better during cooler months when clams and oysters available. ToDay after 4th of July obviously expected and found masses of weekend tourists etc. there. Restaurant had the same specials offered as July 4th. Ambiance was fine inside. Mix of shorts and sports rather than serious diners. More about the street location, timing and place. Hot outside and crowded and not a choice in summer unless shorts etc. . Old school collection of servers. Service seemed to be with authentic well polished servers who deserved their tips. Reason for medium score was for me at least nothing original Italian although a guest from S. America gushed about it. Especially desert. It served its purpose as a place to take someone. Pictures later but my choice which I really didn't want to make was saltimbocca veal. Veal not prepared to my tastes. Cured ham too fatty and salty. Not many choices and mostly for tourists. Have had MUCH better food elsewhere. It is what it is so that is why OK. A bit expensive. Never saw a $19,95 calamari appetizer before. Finished about at $400 with tip for 3 people. Again out of country visitor loved and that was purpose of our visit and OK with us. . Me would never go again unless cold autumn on street when sparse.

We came here for a jazz night special where they offered a pre-fix menu while enjoying live jazz music. I ordered the calamari which was pretty good. Not too crunchy and not too chewy. For my main, I got the veal Parmesan which did not disappoint. I came from a work event right before and was full by the time the main course came but from the bits I had at the restaurant, it was good. The reheat value the next day was surprising! It still tasted good even after popping it in the microwave for a few minutes. Our server was really nice and waited for us to finish each course and confirmed with us before brining in the next meal. The staff was also friendly and kind. Overall, if you want some quick Italian food that's not too overpriced, this is a great spot! I wouldn't say it's the best Italian food in the area but it's still pretty good and you'll leave satisfied.

Excellent Italian food in a very cozy historic building in the heart of Old Town Alexandria. The service is great as well. They have a large wine selection but many are only available by the bottle.

We came for our anniversary around 8PM, It was definitely busy but we were able to get seated quickly at a window side table upstairs. We started with the crab mushroom appetizer which looked beautiful and had two servings, It was good but the sauce with the bread was great. I got the Pollo Siciliano and my partner got the Shrimp Fettuccini Alfredo. I loved my dish, the chicken was cooked perfectly and the sauce and noodles were great. My partner was trying to de-tail his shrimps with some trouble but liked his dish- shrimp looked smoky and well cooked! There was a mix of casual and fancy but it's a nice restaurant so no sweatpants and a hoodie haha. I'd like to be back at some point in the future but service was pretty slow the night we went so we didn't get to leave until 10:30. The food otherwise was great.

This place was great! It was probably the most authentic Italian food I've ever had since I was last in Italy. I ordered the calamari and cappelini primavera, while my partner ordered their soup of the day (a creamy tomato soup) and the manicotti. The service here was awesome! The host gave us options for where we would like to sit. That was a unique experience and I was very surprised by it. This place seemed very local to the area, and I loved the authenticity of the restaurant-- it made me feel like I actually was in Italy (not to sound tacky)!!! It was great. I absolutely would come to this place again. I highly recommend!

The Italian restaurant is located in Old Towne Alexandria. They have indoor and outdoor seating. Reservations are highly suggested after 5pm. The staff was courteous, pleasant and attentive. We ordered the chicken alfredo and the spaghetti and beef meatballs. Hot French bread is served with what tastes like real homemade butter.

Our waiter was on point with soup and garlic bread recommendation. Food was delicious and not too filling. Had a beer n water, sat by the fire place-not too warm. The sourdough bread n sweet butter was much better than the garlic bread I my opinion. Tables set up nice, warm inviting area and staff was friendly and helpful. Nice dinner out $84

Had a big planned luncheon after a memorial service at Arlington Cemetery. We had 30 or more and despite the size of the restaurant they were able to serve our party well. I can't speak to all the food but the caprese app and calamari brought to each table were very good. My penne with mushrooms and sausage was a plus as was my wife's chicken picatta. Other winners were lasagna and chicken parm. Very nice old world Italy ambiance and service was great for our group size. Would gladly return for lunch or dinner anytime. Kudos y'all and thank you!

We came here on a busy Sunday evening and the experience was underwhelming at best. The restaurant itself looks charming and our waiter was very helpful and attentive so points for good service. However the food was a complete let down. I had the lasagna which had been heated to death. It was dry and overly salty and I had to use a knife to get through the block of pasta. On the other hand the spaghetti with meatballs was very plain and under seasoned. The pasta Romana and the fettuccine Alfredo were the best dishes served but not something I'd come back for. I'm not sure if they suffer from the busyness of old town Alexandria but not somewhere I'd recommend.

It's funny to see three really good Italian restaurants on the same block, just steps from each other. This is a good choice. Friendly service. Normal Old Town parking, but this block is part of a pedestrian zone. There is a garage just around the corner. I had the beef ravioli. It was a tasty 3* option. The sauce seemed to have a unique spice in it. I'm wishing I'd asked. Two for two (people) independent guesses was something Indian. I prefer next-door Landini Brothers first and Mia's Italian Kitchen as second. Tough choices on a tough block with 3 Italian options. Try them and the other two and tell me what you think!?

Great Italian! We have been coming to Il Porto since they opened! We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and just when you want great Italian food! There is a reason to go back when food, service and ambiance are all great! We went to celebrate my birthday. I had the Gamberi alla Marinara with the olive oil and garlic sauce with no clams. The shrimp were the perfect size and just the right amount. Hubby had his fav dish - Veal Marsala and Spaghetti with meat sauce - perfectly cooked. Veal was tender and sauce was flavorful! We split the house side salad that was a good size portion for each of us. The manager surprised me with Tiramisu with a candle for my birthday. I felt like I was at home and being spoiled by family and friends. Il Porto is wonderful and never fails to deliver a memorable experience.

I ordered the chicken marsala and Fabulous B ordered the crab filled raviolis and a Cesar salad. For dessert I savored the lemon cake option and B enjoyed the chocolate raspberry cake. Our waiter was super helpful with recommendations which proved to be spot on. We attended the Holiday Jazz dinner and thoroughly enjoyed it. I recommend to the staff to extend it to more nights if possible.

Jackie provided amazing service! Food was amazing too. Will definitely return to Il Porto for more.

I can't say more good things about this spot! It's by far my favorite Italian food in the DMV. First off, it's very old school Italian, which I love. The ambience is everything you want in an Italian restaurant. The ceaser salad... sooo good, so lemony, IYKYK. I then had the eggplant pasta dish. I'm a big eggplant girly and this was one of the best in a restaurant I've ever had. Don't get me started on the bread and butter... it's sweet!!! Ugh so good, highly recommend.

Upon entry, our host greeted our party and offered to take our jackets. We sat down at this cozy dining area next to the fire place. Although the room was dimly lit, there was enough light to see the warmth of the restaurant as well as everyone's face. Our server Yanni was magnificent. Such a gentlemen! His presence and recommendations did not go unappreciated. The pasta was to die for. So creamy. I reserved a table at this place to celebrate my sister's birthday, and they did not disappoint. One of the most lovely evenings I've ever experienced. Highly recommend

I tried this place for first time when I found their promo ad on Facebook for an all-you-can-eat pasta deal running Mondays-Wednesdays for March only. The place gave off an intimate vibe. Definitely beats Olive Garden's "never ending pasta bowl" deal. Pasta was so fresh and the manager I chatted with said they were made in house. Their tiramisu was delish too. Eavesdropped on his chat with someone else and heard him mention something about their head chef is Sicilian. Kudos to Jackie who was waiting my table. She's very outgoing.

Raef was a wonderful waiter. The food is always delicious and the service impeccable. Our favorite place in Old Town Alexandria.

We so enjoyed our amazing meal at Il Porto! The ambiance of the restaurant was incredible. I wish it wasn't so hot so we could have eaten outside. But inside is so cozy and pretty! The drinks were all delicious. I had a lovely rose and the rest of our table had various custom cocktails. Everyone was excited and enjoyed their drinks. Then the food came and we all laughed after a few minutes when the table was so quiet! Our food and service was amazing!!

This is my third time here and it never disappoint especially the complimentary bread. The bread is baked to perfection...its so good. I got the basil smash which was refreshing and perfect for the summer. I ordered the penne and it was rich and came with lots of mushroom and italian sausage. Service is always quick and i love the atmosphere of the restaurant. I will be back!

Rocky did a wonderful job taking care of my friend and I. You can really tell he is very knowledgeable about the food and the restaurant itself. He is very polite and caring. I greatly appreciate having Rocky as our serve for the night (August 10, 2024 @7pm dinner). Please do not hesitate to visit and request for Rocky to serve you. We greatly enjoyed the food as well. It was good portion overall.

Food - 4/5 Ambience - 4/5 (outside but noisy) Service - 3/5 Value - 3/5 The pasta was good, flavorful and well balanced. The portions were average. Price was a little high, but I guess that's what you get in a tourist area. The bread came with butter which I thought was strange for Italian.

Hi love this place ! Truly. I've been multiple times since my neighbor recommended it to me. Her husband is the chef here and if he cooks like this in a restaurant setting I'm crossing my fingers for a dinner invitation at their house. First the tomatoe sauce is soo flavorful. Hint of sweetness and spice. The cheese wasn't overpowering. The bread, it was warm!!

I went for lunch at 12:30. My first clue should have been that it was completely empty. Ordered manicotti Florentine. The crepe was rubbery and the sauce was too acidic. The ricotta was ok but there was almost no spinach. I ate 3/4 of one and left the other. The service was average at best. With a glass of wine and tip, I was out $50.

El Porto used to be quite good, and we would go there often. However, we ate there last weekend, and it was easily the worst Italian food I have ever been served. My entre was a soggy lump of unbreaded, thinly sliced eggplant under a thin red sauce. It was tasteless and terrible. The pasta with it was limp and overcooked with the same bland sauce. My wife's pasta primavera was overcooked angel hair pasta served with severely undercooked vegetables and a watery sauce. The caprice salad was - and I am not exaggerating - a one inch chunk of mozzarella on slice of what tased like a hothouse tomato with no basil. Two entrées, two appetizers, two glasses of wine, and a coke, were $133.00. I believe I could have gotten better cuisine for much less at the 7-11. We will never go back, especially since there are at least two much better Italian restaurants within a block or two.

The restaurant was really nice, inside and out. We ordered the lasagna and Pollo Siciliano. The lasagna was ok, but the Pollo Siciliano was amazing. When it comes to the service, there is room for improvement. We were sat in a back area, which seemed nice but then noticed they were only seating large parties there. We were a table of two in what seemed to be the banquet area and made it feel like we were next to a busy street. Our server was also really slow, I had to ask for refills of my water and ask him to remove dishes off our small table.

The space is nice enough for a nice restaurant for a date night, with good busy outdoor patio seating as well. Our table of four had a reservation and were seated upstairs, indoors as we wanted. The service was a bit slower than expected both at first and as the dinner went on as we could see multiple servers standing around chatting but not coming by to refill our water, etc. Our group ordered the veal noodles, chicken Alfredo, and the crab ravioli with seafood. The veal was tender and cooked well, but all the sauces across the board felt more thin than expected and less flavorful than we desired. The chicken on the Alfredo was good, pasta was good, but there was a taste of nutmeg or other seasoning in the also thin sauce that both people who ordered did not expect and an absence of garlic or creamy/parmesan flavor. The seafood ravioli was a bit dry in the filling, the sauce a bit thin, and shrimp tasted more fishy than i preferred, which affected the sauce as well. The scallops were also small, which i was disappointed by but probably should have expected as it wasn't the main dish. We also ordered the tiramisu, Irish coffees, and an espresso. The tiramisu was enjoyable for the group, the only feedback was that we could tell it wasn't freshly made by the way the glass container was frosty and the ladyfingers on the bottom were soggy and didnt have much structure. I usually enjoy the wine flavor of the dessert but couldnt taste any. Overall, the prices were a bit too high to reflect the quality of the food that we got. Maybe we ordered the wrong dishes!

Very Very good food. Service was ok but slowish especially given the 6p dinner time. The Insalata Tritata was an amazing salad smothered in an ultra chop of tomato, Romaine and corn lathered in a blue cheese/ranch type dressing. Our dinner plates of Polo Marsala & Siciliano were top notch. On this evening we sat outside an benefited with some classic old Ratpackesque music. Real nice food folks and this is a local Italian experience vs. the Coorporate mainstream spots. Il Porto is a one of a kind experience and you will appreciate it more once inside the restaurant. It's close to $$$

The atmosphere is super cozy, perfect for a night out. I'd say their spaghetti and meatballs are the bomb! The sauce is rich and tangy, and the meatballs are juicy and flavorful. Definitely worth a try if you're craving some classic Italian food! by the way, the service is incredible.

Authentic Italian cuisine. The chef accommodated our request to modify a dish. Our server, Jackie, made our visit especially enjoyable with her attentiveness, engaging personality and thorough knowledge of the ingredients and preparation of everything on the menu. Highly recommend.

When I used to live in Alexandria my family would dine here weekly, and one of my favorite things to do on a Saturday afternoon was to buy a black raspberry ice cream from their window on Lee Street. The ice cream is now gone but after revisiting twice while in town recently I can say that the quality of food and service here are still stellar; a testament as to why Il Porto Ristorante has been on King Street for 50 years. We were welcomed as old friends and service was attentive but not overbearing. New waiter Nixon knew the menu backwards and forwards. One thing that was new to me was a nightly specials menu, and if I still lived here I'd be lobbying them to move some of these fantastic creations onto the main menu. An appetizer I can't forget featured grilled pineapple and crab meat. On another night there was a special gnocchi with shrimp, lobster, mussels, etc. in an amazing sauce. Portion sizes are generous and prices are very reasonable for King Street. I'm just making myself hungry writing this, but unfortunately I'm many miles and hours away, so I'll have to wait for future travel. If you live nearby or plan to travel to the area, do yourself a favor and make plans to dine at Il Porto Ristorante.

We felt rushed by the server, who was brusque and impatient. There were only a handful of other tables being served, so I was confused by the impatience and lack of interest in us. The food was mediocre for the price, and the veal was tough and dry. Disappointing meal with my family being together for the first time in a while.

While my mother and I were in town to visit my Brother we decided to take a stroll around the adorable Old Town Alexandria area. We worked up an appetite exploring the area, seeing the oldest cobblestone street in the country, the Spite House, and the Torpedo Factory Art Center. We agreed that Italian sounded nice and after a quick Yelp search we decided on Il Porto based upon the high reviews and the delicious pasta pics. I am happy to report that Yelp did not disappoint and led us directly to a wonderful restaurant that serves incredible Italian cuisine. There were a handful of vegetarian options on the menu but I settled for the classic Fettuccine Alfredo. The sauce was so light and creamy, it took a lot of self control to not lick the plate clean. However, the true star of the show was the pasta. Oh my god the pasta! You can tell it was made fresh and by hand because the texture was unlike anything I have ever had before. Nearly melted in my mouth along with that decadent Alfredo. They are a bit spendy but considering this was the first time we have all gotten together in nearly half a year we thought the splurge would be worth it, and it definitely was.

My wife and I just finished lunch at iL Porto. We have polarizing opinions. First off, we ordered the Mussels appetizer ($15). We thought the bread, the sauce, and the mussels worked perfectly. Our bites piled on top of our bites. The dish was superb. Next, I had the Cajun Filet Pasta ($30). This creamy pasta had a couple of tomatoes slices and a respectable amount of beef filets. All aspects of the pasta worked. We both thought the dish was incredible. Finally, here comes the point of contention. My wife ordered the broiled version of the Seafood Platter ($32). The dish had 1 sizable crab cake, two small shrimps, and 1 fish filet. All of these seafood were served on a bed of fries. I had a tiny bite of everything in this Platter and thought it was pretty good. But for some reason, my wife did not like the dish at all. My honest assessment of this dish is probably a 4/5. My wife, on the other hand, would put this dish in the category of "never again." Service: it was excellent. The waitress did everything to accommodate our needs (including the baby's needs). So I guess we'll have to go back and give it another try!

You can see from the exterior that it is a pretty classy place. Service was a little slow for a Monday afternoon, took about thirty minutes and there was only one other party in the place. They got their food before us and arrived after us too. Was it worth it, I think so, and with a larger party a little wait is to be expected. No complaints when it cones to the food. I got spaghetti an meatballs. It was hot and complete with shredded cheese on top. No sneeze about it, these meatballs were going fast and not in the table or out the door. I'll come back again anytime I'm looking for a good old traditional Italian meal.

Delicious food and fantastic service. The hardest thing about eating here is finding parking because it's in a touristy area. But if you can find parking, go. The setting is slightly upscale with very relaxing music, and very attentive staff. We started off with bruschetta which was delicious, and had pollo siciliano and saltimbucca alla Romano. Everything was so good.

We had a wonderful dinner here on Christmas. Our server was wonderful and made sure we had all we needed. The warm bread was so good and our meals (chicken parmigiana and veal Marsala was excellent. Dessert was amazing!! The profiteroles were light and airy - perfect after a heavy meal. We had a wonderful time and can't recommend it enough!!

Il Porto was my go to Italian restaurant in Old Town but the last 2 times have been very disappointing. We had a large party of 9 and had 1 waiter, seated upstairs. 3 of our dishes came out completely wrong and my manicotti was ice cold. Nothing was incredibly flavorful and describing my dish as mediocre is the best I can give. The prices have been increased at such a fast clip, I'd much rather go to a different Italian Place in old town. Il Porto doesn't have good enough food for their prices.

3.5 stars! A bit disappointed in food! Not Bad actually, but not to my expectation! Veal, seafood pasta & calamari are only average & ok! Attentive services though!

We went in for brunch today and had a pretty below average experience:- Good:- the host was very accommodating we have 10 people and a dog and they made arrangements for us very promptly. Bad:- Service:- food took over an hour to come 2. We ordered caprese, got one piece of bread with 3 slices of feta cheese for almost $20. And I had side of eggs which came out after I was done eating and paid extra $10 for it. 3. Taste, none of our friends like their food which included meatballs and pasta, my girlfriend and I hated the Caprese. Oh I forgot, they charged $7 for side of cold fries and quantity was not worth money. None of us are ever going back.

My husband, 1 year old and I dined here for Valentines Day brunch. The service was lovely, the waiters are super nice. We wanted to make sure not to disrupt anyone with our child since there were only adults. The place is small but cozy. The food was absolutely delicious. We ordered a spaghetti and meatball meal for our son, my husband ordered the ravioli (the portion was small for him) and I had a cheese and mushroom pesto plate. It was so so good. Some advice if you have a wheelchair or a stroller...this may not be an accessible place for you. You have to go a couple steps up to get to the check in desk and a few steps down to the dining area. My husband and I had to lift the stroller up and then down the steps. The bathrooms are on the upstairs level (which has additional dining space). And unless I missed it, there aren't elevators so you have to go like 20 steps up. Also mamas, no changing station available. So while they are VERY nice and won't turn families with babies away, I would not recommend you bring infants. We didn't have much of a choice that day but we made it work.

While Il Porto is a cute restaurant, our Valentine's dinner there was a huge disappointment overall. Vibe: Crowded and chaotic. Upon entering, there were 10+ people waiting around the host stand, which was in a corner. The waiting area was in the center of a bunch of tables, so waiters were attempting to move through us and the tables surrounding the waiting area were eye to eye with all of our butts. We felt bad for them. The upstairs is slightly less chaotic, but there are so many tables squeezed in that it may as well just be communal dining. Not intimate at all. Service: Slow and forgetful. Similar to another reviewer, it took a long time to get water and an even longer time to get bread. We asked for bread multiple times and ended up flagging down another waiter to get bread. It took over 30 minutes. Soon, an hour had gone by and our food was nowhere to be found. Our waitress came by to apologize for the wait and actually asked us to confirm what we ordered. She forgot to put in our order. It took another 30 mins after that point to actually get our food. Food: Frigid and forgettable. Once my pasta finally came out, it was literally cold. My rushed dish was cold. The chicken parm was a teeny tiny chicken cutlet over a bed of naked, cold spaghetti. There was not nearly enough sauce to cover it all. I hope our experience was due to it being one of the busiest nights of the year, but it was truly terrible. The manager did make things right for us by adjusting the bill, but from a restaurant with pretty good reviews, our experience just wasn't even close to acceptable.

IL Porto was underwhelming in every aspect. Despite having a reservation, we still had to wait 15 minutes to be seated. Once we were at our table, it took over 10 minutes just to get water and another 20+ minutes for bread. The Burrata was just okay, but the tomatoes were worse than what you'd find at Trader Joe's. When the entrees finally arrived, they were a complete letdown. My sausage penne in vodka sauce was unevenly warmed (clearly microwaved) where some bites were refrigerator-cold while others were warm. The chicken parm was thin, stringy, and lacked flavor. To make things worse, they didn't even bother putting sauce on the tiny portion of pasta that came with it. By far the worst dining experience I've had in the DMV. If you're looking for Italian in Old Town, do yourself a favor and go next door to Landini Brothers instead.

What an amazing restaurant and staff last night!!! We made reservations for 4 awhile ago, then the snow started - 4 inches by 5:30. They kept the restaurant open just for us! The food was as usual absolutely delicious and offered all selections. The service was outstanding and they chatted amicably...even though I'm sure they wanted to get home before the roads got worse. We could walk. So we dined by the cozy fire and had a delightful evening. Thank you very much for exceptional service! We will share this story with many. Joan and Tom Moser

Meatballs were tender and the osso buco was amazing and the chicken parm was good . Service was excellent with Raef

The best Chicken Parmigiana I've ever had! I've been walking by this place for years and was just never drawn to it. I was craving Italian food and am not a fan of Mia's across the street. The price point here was a little higher than I wanted this night, but I still went with it. The service was okay. Our waiter was not very outgoing or talkative until I made a joke about not liking my food and looking down at my completely devoured plate. He chuckled and we talked about the drinks, his previous jobs and the conversation ended pleasantly. We sat outside and I do like this option for a lot of the restaurants on King street near the water. The food was delicious, the fresh bread and butter was mouth watering and addictive and the wine options were plentiful! I will definitely be back.

Been here twice a week apart and enjoyed both experiences. The kids food came out faster than the Chick-fil-A drive through line. I was thoroughly impressed!! Seafood dishes were mouthwatering and plentiful of goodies. Lamp chops were super tender. If I had provide a negative feedback... the restaurant's tables are just crazy close together. We were literally sitting on the lap of the next table. I totally get it... good for business considering that this place packs so much history and at a popular location.

Had a great dinner at IL Porto Ristorante! We came to celebrate an anniversary and were treated immediately to friendly staff the whole night. The complimentary bread was so soft and fresh, and the butter had a slight sweetness to it that complimented well with the bread. For entrees I ordered the Pollo Siciliano and my fiancé ordered the chicken fettuccine Alfredo. Both came with fresh homemade pasta. My entree was delicious! The creamy tomato sauce mixed with the Alfredo sauce makes the perfect pasta dish. The chicken and eggplant was also cooked perfectly and the mozzarella cheese was delicious. Overall I loved my dish. I think the reason I liked my dish so much was because it had both red and white sauces. The Alfredo alone was a little bland and needed something mixed with it to taste good. It was a great date night spot and located right on king street in old town, so perfect to walk around afterwards!