Portofino

The atmosphere is fantastic and the service make you feel at home. The staff was very attentive and friendly, and for sure it was the best part of the experience here. The food however, did not deliver that much. We ordered the lobster ravioli and it missed acidity and flavors in general. It was bland. And the shrimp scampi was too acidic, and the sauce was not that flavorful. So acid and soaked in sauce that reminded us slightly of a ceviche. But both pasta were ok and fresh, it was just that it missed flavors. The portions are small as well, we left there a bit hungry.

The food here is outstanding as well as the people. We ate outside but they have heaters so it wasn’t too cold. Oyster Po Boy, mussels, clam linguini. I had the linguini and it was really one of the best pastas I’ve ever had. I think because it was the broth, packed with so much savory flavor. Tons of quality clams, the toasted garlic bread soaking up the broth was bomb. You could tell their table bread was freshly made as well. At the table next to us (i think the owner) brought out a fresh dead fish with his fingers to show his catch for the Branzino he was going to cook for them. I would go here again and again. Prices are reasonable for seafood pasta and the amount you get, quality is top notch, no frills, service was great, overall best experience I’ve had in the area.

cute seafood restaurant in north beach to stop by for lunch on a sunny day. food was pretty fresh and loved the complimentary bread (lowkey the best part). service was quick and everything reasonably priced. sardines: tasty dish but be warned of the bones. liked the garlic oil dip on the side. lobster roll with clam chowder: solid chowder but lobster roll was a little dry. well priced though

Food was very good. The workers were very nice. We met Frankie, the owner…. Very sweet kind person. I love places like this…. Very fresh authentic food and very welcoming environment…I would definitely recommend this place 💜

Really tasty food! I believe we also met the owner and he was the one who talked us in detail all the options on and off menu. He was so friendly and funny! He said he designed the crabjack sandwich so of course that is what I got. All really solid & fresh food and will want to come back and try the many other dishes. Just from eating in the restaurant for a few hours, it is clear that it’s a restaurant who cares a lot about quality, service, and experience. Highly recommend!

Scared by the huge crowd at pier 39, we decided to walk inward for 10 mins to a highly rated Italian restaurant, and glad that we did that. First of all, it was a charming little restaurant and with very friendly and patient staffs. We have to the lobster roll that came with a small cup of clam chowder, and the calamari. The lobster roll was quite different from what I have had before, as it came with much source that made the bread soggy. It was overall quite nice though the lobster was a little salty to my liking. The clam chowder was superb on the other hand. Personally i would think it was as good if not better than those found in fisherman’s wharf. The calamari was one of the best we ever eaten. Crispy and fresh, and the fried lemon and chili were a pleasant surprise. Great meal overall 👍

We walked in for dinner. We chose to be seated outside due to the hot weather. Their menu offered a great selection of seafood and Italian dishes.We ordered a few items, and some were great, while others weren't as good. The service could have been better. However, I would come back to try their sandwiches.

The fish and chips is definitely the best value on the menu. The sourdough bread they serve is so good! The fried prawns Intrigued us but I would not recommend nor order again. It was really hard to eat and the shell wouldn’t come off. The creamy garlic seafood pasta was good but could’ve used a little bit more flavor. The netting on the lemons to keep the seeds in is genius! Our waitress was really nice and was attentive to us.

So glad I discovered this place! My partner and I were originally going to eat at another spot (cotogna) but the vibes weren't it when we got there, so we switched and went to Portofino and boy are we glad we did! The gentleman who helped us with our order was so sweet and pleasant, and made sure our dishes were just what we were looking for. The sardines are a MUST try. They came out sizzling and delicious! I also ordered a pasta dish that was fantastic, and my partner had the lobster roll which she said was tasty also. The only critique I can think of is that the lobster roll would have been improved by being served in a sandwich style, as it came on almost a flat (but thick) piece of garlicky bread. We will definitely be back!

We walked in for dinner. We chose to be seated outside due to the hot weather. Their menu offered a great selection of seafood and Italian dishes.We ordered a few items, and some were great, while others weren't as good. The service could have been better. However, I would come back to try their sandwiches.

First time here with my girls and we all enjoyed it. We had the raw oyster that's really fresh, their clam chowder is good, love their seafood pasta which is a must get, Their stuff avocado is also a must get, fried combo mixto was ok, combo seafood salad is ok and they offer free butter and bread. Their service is also good and fast. Definitely an enjoyable dinner. They offer outdoor seating too. The only thing I wasn''t too happy with was the lobster roll. It's was tiny pieces that looks like over stir fried tiny shrimps than lobster. Definitely I don't recommend that but the rest is good. I will definitely go back. Until next time.

The pizza is the best in town. We love it!!! We got sausage, pepperon, and mushroom and it is so good every time

Came here on a Sunday night and it was fairly empty around dinner time. The vibe inside is very homely, and you can tell it's a small family-run business from the family members hanging out around the restaurant. The place has a lot of charm from the quirky decor inside and unfussy plating. It's a small place, so service can be a bit slow and it was hard to get any of the workers' attention at times -- they seemed a bit distracted. Our experience wasn't the best -- the door kept being left open so it was quite cold inside, which made the dinner less enjoyable because the food got cold very quickly. On top of that, some of the family members (?) in the restaurant were shouting at each other, which disrupted the otherwise peaceful environment a few times. The food was not bad, but overall flavor profile leaned towards pretty salty and greasy. They provided a ton of bread (basically each dish we ordered came with some form of bread) and all of it was very good! Especially the buttered toasted bread. But even the free bread was great. The lobster roll was yummy -- loved the flavor of the lobster especially, which went well with the buttered roll. The side of clam chowder wasn't the best I've had -- it was quite starchy rather than creamy. We also got the cioppino and crab carbonara. The carbonara had a great flavor but was quite heavy and oily, but I liked the addition of mushrooms to the dish. The cioppino had a really comforting flavor, and the calamari in it was fantastic. The crab didn't have much flavor unfortunately, which was a bit disappointing.

My boyfriend ordered the clam carbonara which was so freaking delicious I kept stealing bites. The service was friendly and they kept checking on us even though we were outside so we never had to chase them down. I ordered the spaghetti portofino and was disappointed with the shrimp. I think I would rather order something with prawns instead as it felt like something I could make with really cheap frozen shrimp. Taste was good though; just not worth. Raw oysters were delicious and not too expensive (3 bucks an oyster).

Was a very good experience and the service was good. Food nice and fresh a little bit price but, is ok.

Oh my!!! I'm very picky with my calamari and this place has some of the best I've ever had!! I was obsessed could not stop eating it. I think it could be my new go to for lobster rolls. For $25 I think the dish was fairly priced and am highly satisfied with the flavor and quantity. At other places in the city this dish could easily go for $40. It's as buttery, did not fall apart when eating, and I'm not sure what the salad dressing was but I loved it. It was tart and a good balance to the buttery roll. My cousin came to visit from out of the country and was craving Fish and chips which is the main reason we decided to try Portofino. He was very satisfied with his dish. Adding this place to my city eats list. Loved it so much. The staff were very friendly and quick to help you when requested. I really appreciated it. It's a small spot but the decor really sets the vibe for the restaurant.

MANGIA MANGIA! What a gold mine of a place with the BEST ITALIAN dishes in the city. The seafood is crazy fresh. Pasta amazing and everything comes in generous portions. Owners Frankie and Evelyn keep things real. Always authentic , always delicious using the best ingredients. No cans or processed ingredients. The owners are also REAL good people, down to earth and truly cares about their customers . They have hearts of gold. We love Portofinos! Coming here since it opened, it's one of our go-to restaurants! Shrimp scampi Linguini - 5 stars Squid Ink pasta 5 stars Branzino - 5 stars Crab carbonara- 5 stars Crab and Shrimp Louie - 5 stars Steamed Crab- 5 stars Roasted skillet seafood mix - 5 stars You gotta come! Run , don't walk to try this joint! You will not be disappointed!

Really lovely owner. Small but fun intimate interior. Fresh oysters, super reasonable prices for the city. Good variety on the menu

Really good lobster roll! It had a salad side dish as well, which was a good portion, that it was actually a meal by itself! A bit on the higher range of prices, but for the quality, i'd definitely try it again.

Before heading home from our staycation, we went to Portofino for lunch since it was recommended by my sister and her boyfriend. I'm so happy they found this hidden gem! Hands down, Portofino's lobster rolls are better than New England Lobster. They definitely aren't stingy with the amount of lobster given in each roll. Their lobster rolls are flavorful and fresh too! The bread was buttery rich and soft which paired perfectly with the diced lobsters. You can choose a side of either a small bowl of New England of Manhattan clam chowder, house salad, or fries. I got their New England clam chowder and it was delicious! I am a bit biased though since I love clam chowder. Inside, it is decorated with various colorful ornaments hanging from their ceiling. Seating was a bit cramped but it's a cute little diner that has a roll of towels and various condiments at your disposal on the side of each table for your convenience. There were two female servers and a male cook in the back on the day we were there. We were seated right away and their service was very friendly. They came and checked on us twice. They also offered a complimentary basket of bread, butter and vinegar while waiting for your order which was nice. We were very satisfied with our meal. We left with happy stomachs and smiles. Thank you for a great meal!

Def giving this place 5-stars especially because of the service! I'm surprised this place wasn't more packed! The owner himself waited our tables and was the sweetest guy. He knew every neighborhood person that walked by the restaurant! We ordered the Lobster Roll, Salmon, Mussels and Clams Steamer, Fish & Chips, NE Clam Chowder, and the Crab Carbonara. All the dishes were great, except the carbonara could've used a bit more salt/seasoning. Fries were crispy and the tartar sauce was the right amount of tangy! The dishes were plated nicely and they even added some flowers for us (': Overall, a great time and all of the waitresses were very nice! We brought our dog who was allowed to sit with us outside. Would definitely come back!

This is a San Francisco gem that we only just discovered. Wow, what an amazing experience. You want fresh fish? Go here. You want great but unobtrusive service? Go here. You want to go to North Beach but avoid the Tony's Pizza crowd (btw, we love Tony's), go here. You want a great small restaurant ambience that is totally authentic to North Beach? Go here. My wife and I were discussing what to order off the menu when the owner of the restaurant pointed out the fresh fish they just got that very day. We could not resist ordering the fresh catch (my wife got the halibut, I got the swordfish). There is nothing better than fresh fish cooked simply and this is what we got. It was, simply put, amazing. The pasta and incredible marinara sauce it was served with was itself great, but secondary to the fish. In sum, we had the most wonderful of experiences here and will come back over and over again.

Great food, great customer service. A place you have to go if you're in the area. Food was flavorful. Garlic was not overwhelming and went well with the other seasonings. Italian Coke, was refreshing and different. Must try, if you haven't. Service was timely and generous. You can eat inside or outside. We chose inside. Parking was a pain, but it is San Francisco, try planning ahead of time. Portofino was a great place to eat. The food was excellent and so was the service. I would love to see this place in a better and bigger location.

I am devastated this North Beach staple is closed. The food and ambience were both amazing. My family and I will really miss coming here.

Hey Paisan! Don't you know the more successful eateries in North Beach have had their respective followings for years? Still, I had never been to Portofino where it was apparently thriving on Columbus Avenue since 1937. Then they closed in the late '90's for well over two decades and reopened in this compact spot on Grant. I found myself here late on a Wednesday afternoon where I was the sole customer. The menu was pure seafood prepared seven ways to sundown - steamed, roasted, chilled, stuffed in tacos, mixed in pasta, and even surf n' turf. I first went with the $8 cup of New England Clam Chowder which was thick, not too creamy, and quite tasty (photo: https://bit.ly/3vFBFVu). It came with a basket of toasted sourdough slices which strangely had the middle scooped out (photo: https://bit.ly/3ZitYSE). My main dish was the $30 Combo Louie, quite a huge platter of lettuce festooned with a bounty of fresh shrimp and crabmeat accompanied by two types of olives, slices of avocado, beets, cucumber, and a hard-boiled egg. It was drizzled with their own house dressing and came with a lemon half for further freshening (photo: https://bit.ly/3jZPafW). It was quite the North Beach feast. Mangia, mangia! FOOD - 4 stars...quite a Louie AMBIANCE - 4 spots...a small seaworthy spot with decorative lures hanging from the ceiling SERVICE - 4 stars...pretty attentive considering it was just me in the house TOTAL - 4 stars.. definitely a North Beach destination when you're in a maritime mood RELATED - Exploring North Beach? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2X34Mji

We started with the fried calamari, which was absolutely excellent--crispy and flavorful! For the main course, we ordered the Cioppino. The seafood was undeniably fresh, but I found the broth a bit bland, which was disappointing given the quality of the ingredients. Unfortunately, the service did not match the quality of the food. The restaurant was nearly empty when we were seated around 6:30 PM, so it was puzzling to experience a lack of attentiveness from the staff.

An instant neighborhood favorite when they first opened. Friendly family-style service but the menu execution can be off. Cozy spot with limited seating. Only gotten takeout here. I've had the lobster roll which is a different take from the buttery classic. Unfortunately, this version eats dry. The lobster is all diced up with much seasoning spice that it's hard to enjoy the lobster flavor. Decent fish and chips. Other items like seafood salads, pastas, and mixed boils but also a decent list of daily specials. Not a destination spot per se but ok if you're in the neighborhood.

I was craving pasta, so i came to little Italy in SF. Upon arriving, i found out this restaurant is actually owned by Mexican, and they are very friendly. It appears like a family restaurant. I have been here twice. The first time i came, i ordered the seafood platter, seafood pasta and crab pasta. The seafood platter is ok. Among all their seafood, the clams are the best. It's very sweet and flavorful. I didn't like the crab pasta but my boyfriend loves it since he like the white sauce. I love their seafood pasta. Although it took a long time to come out, the flavor is so deep and tasty. That's why i came back a second time for the pasta. I can't help trying it again! I also ordered the steamed clam the second time I visited. Oh lord, it's a must order!!! The clams are so sweet and the broth is so good! I can say this is the best clams i ever had! Would definitely recommend this restaurant to any pasta and seafood lover, you won't regret it!

came here for dinner the same night as the superbowl so it was fun getting to continue watching the game on the tvs. a very cute charming place -- do need to hit up more family owned businesses in the area. seafood was very fresh but all a little too heavy/salty in my opinion crab carbonara - was alright, just too heavy to be able to eat a ton lobster roll - wasnt a big fan, lobster a bit too salty clam chowder - too starchy, pier 39 has much better clam chowders cioppino - the taste of the crab wasnt worth the effort of cracking the legs open. could have had more broth and it was a bit salty as well

The Fresh Halibut was amazing!!! Prepared to order exactly the way I requested. The Italian Bread tastes like it is straight from Brooklyn NY. Not a fantasy place but the food is excellent! Service was stellar!

A little gem in North Beach! Their cioppino and Crab Louie salad were amazing. A very generous portion and lots of great quality seafood. So tasty. We will definitely go back and try other dishes. Service was also exceptional. We were outside, but they came check on us frequently.

Came here on a Sunday night and got seated outdoors within 15 minutes or so. Complimentary warm bread and butter was provided as soon as we were seated. I got the lobster roll with a side of Manhattan clam chowder. The Manhattan clam chowder was super delicious!! The kind waiter serving us gave us complimentary New England clam chowder as our main dishes were taking quite long to arrive. New England chowder was good but the Manhattan one was definitely better, yum! When the lobster roll finally arrived, the thick bread was quite soaked in butter and was pretty soggy. The lobster didn't have much flavor nor seasoning so was slightly disappointed in that. I was not able to finish the bread portion. Probably won't order the lobster roll again but will definitely get the Manhattan clam chowder in the future!

They close early around 9pm, luckily I got there around 7pm. I was greeted with a small a promptly seated. That was followed with the menu and their bread. I ordered the seafood pasta. It had a bit of everything scallops,shrimps were the highlight though. The tomatoe sauce tasted above average good. My date had the Halibut and it came with veggies and potatoes. I stole a few bites and it was also very good ... the fish was cooked perfectly and was delicious. Most plates were around 30-40 bucks and worth it die to the freshness. I will definitely return.

Came here on 2 separate visits - the first was great and the second was okay. Overall, I can still recommend this place. The folks who run this place are friendly, and so is their staff. The seafood is either fresh or just okay though. Still happy to support this restaurant. There's indoor seating and outdoor seating, and the interior is so fun (especially the ceiling). The rest of my review will dive into the different dishes I've tried. :) SOURDOUGH BREAD: On the house and served with butter on the side! I've had this served warmed up / toasted and cold, and do prefer it as the former. This bread is tasty though! ROASTED SEAFOOD PLATTER: Served with melted butter. It looks like a decent amount but it's not that much (or maybe I just eat too much? Haha.) Comes with clams, mussels, crab, and shrimp. Some of the shrimps were questionable - mushy and not def not fresh. CIOPPINO: On the thicker/chunky side. A tad too sweet for me though. Again, some of the shrimp were not fresh. STEAMED GREEN MUSSELS: Delicious! I have never seen live green mussels so of course I had to order it when it was on their daily special. This isn't always available though but when it is, get it! SARDINES: I think these are so cute haha. Overall, it was okay. A little too fishy for me and didn't taste fresh - as if it's been in the freezer for awhile. LOBSTER ROLL: This is the lemony and buttery version. The first couple of bites were good and then I was over it. A little too lemony for me and there was sooo much butter that the roll was drenched and soggy. The bread was good, just not the soggy bits. CRAB CARBONARA: This was good but why was there soooo much asparagus?! I think the asparagus ruined the dish but if it wasn't there, the dish would have been more enjoyable.

Wagging my tail, if I had one, I always walk by here with a smile on my face. I think it's like a smile of joy when passing by and thinking about their fabulous seafood varieties being cooked up here! Sardines are my favorites! Not a lot of places serve it up and it's nicely sizzling on a pan grill when out. Baked oysters Rockefeller are also my favorite! It's named after John Rockefeller because of the dish's rich taste and Rockefeller'a rich real estate. Crab cakes could have been more packed with umph - a bit thin and not enough lump of crab meat. Octopus tacos are spot on as well as lobster ravioli. Their Cioppino is packed with a lot of seafood varieties, and the base broth is soupy versus stew-like. I admire the owner and decor on the top ceiling wall inside as well as the side patio booths outside! It's a cozy and casual spot over fresh and a wide variety of seafood selections for choosing!

Happened to stumble by this seafood restaurant and a passing local told us "it's really good" as we were reading the menu outside. Alright, good enough for us. The owner Frankie took our orders. He is passionate about seafood and is very charismatic. He'd had a couple drinks and messed up our order a little bit, but he was so nice and determined to give all his customers a good dining experience that it was hard to care. He went and bought the customers behind us pizza from a couple blocks down because they asked for pizza and he doesn't make it. What even is that kind of customer service called? The food spoke for itself. Everything was flavorful, fresh and perfectly cooked. Probably could order anything here and it's be top tier. We got the oysters, oyster po'boy and live green mussels. All 10/10. Frankie's wine rec was on point. It was the brightest, most refreshing glass of wine i've had. A vermentino he'd gotten from Sardinia last month. Overall, a special dining experience that we couldn't get anywhere else. Truly a local spot with true years of experience and passion going into making the food. As long as you're not too uptight, you'll have a great time and get to enjoy this one-of-a-kind culinary treasure.

We sat outside on a beautiful summer San Francisco day. When the table next to us left, they said 'goodbye' to our waitress by name and someone inside named "Frankie". Some other people walked by and said 'hi' to the waitress by name (Evelyn). They must be very friendly ... I don't even say hi to people at work when I walk by them! Anyway, the food was great ... we had a roasted mixed seafood, and the scallop and asparagus risotto. See the pictures ..l they tasted exactly like they looked. A little pricey at around $100 with tax and tip (no drinks or appetizers) ... butt we enjoyed our meal ...

Always a bummer when your experience doesn't align with the raving reviews but hey, it happens. Like stepping on poop...cuz San Francisco! I saw Michael L's pic of the Lobster Thermidor and was doing a scratch 'n sniff on my screen. Not many places serve this classic French dish so I made it a point to stop by Portofino when I had to do a drop off in Chinatown. Portofino is open for takeout, delivery, indoor dining, and outdoor dining. Dog friendly and heat lamps are available. Visited on a weekday around 3 pm so it was a quiet meal. Staff wore masks. Not sure if vax cards are required since we sat outside. M E N U Seafood galore - oysters, salad, soup, sandwiches, pasta, and seafood entrees. Beer and wine available. F O O D * Complimentary Acme Bread & Butter YAS, please! Nothing like fresh, crusty Acme bread with creamy buttah. We went through two baskets while waiting for our main. * New England Clam Chowder (Bowl - $9): https://bit.ly/3E92eWo Warm and comforting with a decent amount of tender clams and soft potatoes. The chowder didn't seem to have any thickeners so it was brothy. * Mixed Oysters w/ cocktail sauce, mignonette (Dozen - $33): https://bit.ly/3jwKPxD All the oysters were fresh, clean, and slightly briny. Other than the kusshi oysters, our server didn't know what other oysters were included in the mix. The oysters were served with a mignonette and cocktail sauce. No fresh horseradish. * Lobster Thermidor ($46): https://bit.ly/3LYH1kQ I came specifically for this dish and sadly, it was very disappointing. After waiting 45 minutes, I followed up with our server and she stated, "we want to make sure it's cooked through". It finally arrived 10 minutes later and as suspected, the lobster pieces were overcooked, dry, and chewy...devoid of the delicious, creamy richness one expects from this French classic. The best part of the dish were the veggies - the greens bathed in the cognac sauce, the crisp potatoes, and charbroiled tomatoes. S E R V I C E Cordial and leisurely on a quiet weekday afternoon. A M B I A N C E Old-skool, casual space. It's compact with several high tops tables and bar seating inside. There's 4-5 tables in the outdoor parklet with plastic dividers. They're located off the busy street so it felt safer. P A R K I N G Very challenging street parking. Various parking garages/lots in the area. Overall, I was disappointed that we didn't have a great experience at Portofino like others but everyone has their off days. Hope others have a better experience!

A solid, very cutely decorated and lowkey spot for seafood! This is my friend's favorite lobster roll place and I can definitely see why. The bread is pillowy soft - it's compact but able to hold a sizeable mountain of lobster (which was buttery fresh) on top. The fritto misto was a nice crunchy balance to the lobster and chowder although I am ashamed to admit that I got overly excited after mistakenly thinking that the lemon slices were sand dollars..

Portofino is one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco. Located in the heart of North Beach on Grant Ave, parking can be tough, but worth it. This small restaurant has both indoor and outdoor dining available. Outside has really nice tables for private dining available, but I really enjoyed the indoor dining at lunch, interacting with the awesome owners Frankie and Evelyn as well as their wonderful staff. Immediately the staff will bring a pitcher of water and fresh French bread to the table. After examining the menu we ordered: Clam Chowder: they make a delicious clam chowder. Very good with the French bread too. Crab cakes: the crab cakes were decent. Two deep fried, breaded Crab patties served with coleslaw and tartar sauce. Frito Misto: mix of all the fried seafood together. A nice combination but my favorite of the fried foods was the oysters and fish. Lobster Thermidor: this is a difficult entree to find these days. Most seafood restaurants these days don't serve it but Portofino does and they make an excellent version of it. I'd order this every time I come to eat here. Cioppino: one of if not the best cioppino I've had. Flavorful broth with a generous quantity of seafood. Definitely a dish that needs to be shared. Fish & Chips: excellent fried fish. As previously mentioned, the fish is one of the best fried items in the Frito Misto. Lobster Roll: I took the order to go for my wife. It's a generous portion of lobster which comes with a side of clam chowder. Tip: ask for butter on the side so it doesn't get soggy. The staff and owners are salt of the earth, hard working people. We really enjoyed talking to them and they made sure we had a pleasant dining experience. Can't wait to go back.

Portofino Seafood Company is a GEM hidden in the little Italy area of San Francisco. We all wanted to enjoy the seafood delights of little Italy and decided we would give Portofino Seafood Company a try. Upon walking in we noticed it was a nice little restaurant that had the aroma of great food.... Greeted by "Frankie" the owner he sat us and soon there after had wine ready for us to consume. His staff was great with suggestions as we had a difficult time make up our decisions. We started with the Fried Calamari which wasn't really impressive but the clincher was the Roasted Skillet Seafood Mix; an absolute must order!!!!! As it arrived at the table I was really impressed by the steam that was coming from the hot dish and then the waitress added some dry white wine to add a little more steam ........wow.....and the taste was remarkable. That was followed by an Octopus Salad which was also real good and of course another glass of wine. Owner "Frankie" kept checking in with us making sure we had everything we needed. Franky turns out to be a San Francisco "OG" and has been in the restaurant business for many years. His brother owns a Deli a few blocks away and he has great stories about little Italy and San Francisco in general if you are interested...... All in all, this little family run seafood restaurant is one that I will be going to again. I have lots of friends that would enjoy this place as it reminds me of the great neighborhood restaurants in Italy. Cioppino will be the next dish I will be enjoying at Portofino's. When you go make sure you ask for "Frankie"....he's a kick.

Get the clam chowder and the Rockefeller oysters. They're delicious. We were so hungry after hiking 13 miles at Point Reyes. We really wanted clam chowder after, but all the places around were closed. SF was on the way back for us, so we chanced upon Portofino's. We ordered like hella stuff because we were SOOOO hungry x_x Out of what we ordered, the lam chowder and the Rockefeller oysters were the best. The crab jack sandwich was also good, but the lobster roll, tacos, calamari, other stuff were not as standout. There was outside seating and the staff were extremely friendly. They gave us a free desert (lemon tart), which was really nice of them. The lemon tar was a bit too sweet for me though. It was nice being able to support a family business and we would definitely come back.

Me and my mom made a special girls trip to the city for some good food and fun. We started with the food and found that the inital place we were going to go to was closed. So, I Yelped the area and found this place. They are known for their "pink sauce" wich is red sauce with cream. We got the crab ravioli with pink sauce. They were alright, but the ravioli were a bit undercooked and there weren't that many on the plate for the price. We also shared the fried oysters. Great tartar sauce, but the cook on the oysters was a little off because they were a little over and the fries were soggy and not good. We were there right when they opened, so could be the wrong time... I'm not opposed to trying again, maybe.

We just discovered this, was so good, can't wait to go back. Be sure to talk to Frankie about your order, he's fun!

Via delivery. Not bad. I was craving seafood, specifically fried seafood. Food was still hot by the time it arrived; everything packaged safely. Slightly saltier than I wanted but it satisfied the fried seafood cravings I was having with these oysters. They also fried sliced lemons with it, so it was very flavorful. More of a fritto misto. Hubby and I shared and he mostly ate the octopus tacos which was also flavorful. Definitely will consider trying them as a dine in or outside dining in the near future.

Yes totally deserves its rating. Plus at the end they gave us complimentary Tiramisu. OMG the food was already great. Lobster roll was great. I definitely want to come back. Calamari. We left with no leftovers. Ate it all. Yum.

I had the sardines and they were amazing. The service was fast and responsive. I try to make a stop every time I'm in North Beach.

I walked in and smelled not fish, but fresh, delicious fish! The lobster roll was good and the bread was buttery! I tried the fish and chips which really give this place the fifth star. The fish had great texture and tasted so fresh! The tartar sauce was very tasty as well. I can't wait to go there again!

Amazing local Italian restaurant!! DINE-IN: Outdoor seating with fire lamp. Fast service - we had no reservation on Saturday night and got seated immediately Waiters/waitresses were so nice and attentive! We always had enough water, and we were able to try the wine before purchasing a bottle. Complementary bread served while looking at the menu. We ordered two main plates to share between 3 girls: - CIOPPINO: Giant bowl of tomato stew with clams, mussels, shrimp, fish, and crab! Sooo good and a great variety to share - I think it was around $40-50. We had plenty of soup left after devouring the seafood and were able to dip crispy toasted bread in for a nice soak. They also provide the crab tools to de-shell them. - LOBSTER RAVIOLI WITH PINK SAUCE: Also came with a side of three toasted bread. Served with plentyyy of sauce and 10 pieces of ravioli that were adequately stuffed. When choosing the ravioli you're able to pick the protein in your stuffing (crab, lobster, etc) as well as the type of sauce (pesto, marinara, pink) We were definitely full by the end of the meal and had a great time talking to the local staff!

Everything about this place was great! Service was good and they have multiple seating options outside. They give you sourdough bread with olive oil and balsamic to start. I got the lobster roll with a cup of clam chowder. This was amazing! The clam chowder was creamy and well seasoned. It was great to have the pieces of clam. The lobster roll was the star of the show. The butter and parsley went soooo well with the lobster. It was so delicious. The bun was also very buttery and soft. It was perfect! They do offer wine now I believe but I asked if it was still BYOB and I was able to drink my wine I brought (I thought I got a pinot grigio. Ugh lol). This was a fun experience. I want to try their other options.

DANK! That's all I have to say. DANK! I had the red snapper and it was delicious!!! Best fish I have ever had. My friends had other types and they loved it but I would say my snapper was the best. Highly recommend. My friend is a regular and the owner was nice while the servers were attentive and made sure we were warm. The place looks so cute, hidden treasure. I forgot to add their oyster were A1

I just love dining here, whether it's a special occasion or a quick meal before heading home. The owners take pride in the food they serve and genuinely like their customers. I'm always treated with respect and patience. My favs are the seafood grill, the cioppino, crab ravioli, grilled halibut and for dessert the tiramisu. And when I don't feel like walking or driving a few blocks to North Beach, I order for delivery.

Excellent service and food. We came to this place today (Sunday) around 5:30pm. We were the first table outside. Because of that, the owner gave each of us a complimentary clam chowder. There were New England and Manhattan styles to choose. We ordered Roccafeller as appetizers to start. It's baked oysters with butter. Very good taste. Among these main dishes we had, I highly recommend the Blackened Scallop Risotto. The scallops were so tender and the garlic rice was so delicious! Will definitely come to this place again.

Found this place on Yelp while visiting and was not disappointed. Generally, the portion sizes were a little varied, if not small. The three of us ordered crab cakes to start and there were only two. However both were moist, delicious, and fresh. Their tartar sauce is SO GOOD. We also ordered fish and chips to share and that was definitely everyone's favorite dish of the night. Super light, flakey, warm, and all around delicious!! Service was great, everyone was very kind. Definitely not the fanciest of places, but a great evening seafood spot!!

This place was highly rated in Yelp but I seriously don't understand why. Food: 3/5 Service: 4/5 Cleanliness: 5/5 The food wasn't terrible. I thought the blackened swordfish was great and very tasty. The accompanying came chowder was also really good. The very popular and highly recommened lobster roll was so.....sub par. I understand that this dish is supposed to be buttery but my roll was DOUSED in butter. So much so that the roll itself broke apart before I could even lift it up. After an hour or so, my boyfriend and I had to go home and find the bathroom because we got sick right after. It ruined our appetite for the day but we're not sure which dish it was that did it. The place overall was very clean the service was attentive. I think I was just very disappointed with the food after so many great reviews and seeing the price ($23 for the lobster roll!)

Came here on July 7, 23 for lunch. This will be my last time unfortunately. We arrived around 11:30 am. There were only us and one other party of 4. The service was poor from the younger (Hispanic?) waitress working that day. It took 30 minutes to get a bowl of clam chowder soup. When I asked her how long it would take to get our food, she was rude. The tables, indoor and outdoor are all cramped, there's not enough room to pull the seats out and be comfortable. After our food arrived, she never came back other than giving us the bill. We ordered the grilled sardines which I would never recommend. The sardines had so many tiny bones, which I try to pick out carefully, but managed to swallow a bone, which was caught in my throat all day, which was completely irritating. We ordered the fry oysters for $18, which was highly disappointing. We got only about five or six oysters, and the rest of the plates were filled with french fries. Not worth the money. We ordered the cioppino, which was OK. I ordered a side of pasta to go with the cioppino. A very small plate of pasta wasn't worth $7! A $11 glass of wine, Pinot Grigio, terrible! I hope you have a better experience eating here than I did.

We were in the city for a long weekend and I was craving for a good seafood dish. Thank heavens for Yelp coz I wouldn't have found this place. We didn't get any starters coz I wanted to save space for the good stuff. I got the blackened petrale sandwich which tasted fresh, delicate, and flavorful; the dish came with the house salad and it was yum. My hubby had the shrimp sandwich with the red chowder; the sandwich was overflowing with fish. Both sandwiches were delicious and worth every step to this place. Servers were all friendly and attentive. Portion sizes were huge. Definitely a good value for your dollar. Portofino is a can't miss place!