Ports Cafe

Amazing food at this steakhouse. Avoid ordering dessert here. We tasted every dessert on the menu. Service has room for improvement.

Reservation is a must. Service was so-so, server was friendly enough but nothing out of the ordinary - didn't really delve into details about the food or if we really enjoyed it. I could get better service from a family diner. Food was nothing special. Eat here if you really wanna know what the fuss is about (it's always packed) but I don't feel like I got my $250 worth for 4 people. I feel like it's really just for the status and not the culinary experience 🤷🏾‍♀️

Food and service was good. I got the gnocchi and short ribs. My boyfriend got the mushroom pasta. My gnocchi only had 8 pieces. For $35 I expected more. All and all it was good. Nothing really we'd come back for.

What a phenomenal time I had with my friend on 7/9. Our waitress was well seasoned, knowledgeable about all items, and made us feel like we were regulars even though it was our first time there. I have extremely high standards for food and have to say this was the best tasting meal I have ever had. The gnocchi 10/10. Make sure you have a reservation.

We are locals and make it up a couple times a year. We always enjoy our time here and meals are fantastic. But we wanted to leave a review to mention our waitress, Haley, she was wonderful. We haven’t had top notch service like our experience tonight in a long time! Also the wagyu steak bites were incredible. The tuna was so good! Each visit tops the last!

Our experience was fantastic. The place is very cozy. We were lucky to get a reservation on the same day. Our server at Billsboro winery actually told us to come here over anywhere in Geneva, and we were not disappointed. We had the mussels and they tasted great. I wasn’t a huge fan of the “chunky”-ness of the sauce, I’m a fan of just a great broth with little extras when it comes to mussels. I chose the pork special and my fiancé had the gnocchi. Both were excellent but the pork was better. This place is worth a stop for sure!

Great find for dinner. Very good food. Not inexpensive. Bartenders were really nice while we had drinks at the bar waiting for our reservation time. Server was nice and attentive. Very busy. Loud. Thought we'd have a lake view based on Maps, but not really.

Ports Cafe was a very good restaurant during our recent Finger Lakes trip. The service was fast and congenial, and I appreciated the easy reservations and ample parking. The decor inside was standard fare, but it was lively on a weekday night. The food options were similarly fairly standard, but everything we tried was good to great, and the wine options were delicious.

Ports Cafe came up in my search from restaurants in the Geneva area... and I am so glad it did! We were blown away by everything we ate and the service was impeccable. To start, we each ordered a glass of wine. We shared the sourdough bread with garlic butter (specials menu) and I can confidently say it was the best bread I have ever had! We even asked if we could buy a loaf to take home with us, but it was so popular they were not able to at the time and suggested ordering ahead of time in the future. We also each had the soup of the day - roasted red pepper which was delicious and paired well with the bread. For my meal I ordered the salmon which was crispy and grilled to perfection. It came with saffron rice but we were very tempted by the garlic mashed potatoes so shared it as a side and we are so glad we did. They were creamy and flavorful. My husband had the prosciutto wrapped monk fish which also came with mashed potatoes. Our server was lovely and attentive. The whole atmosphere of the restaurant was welcoming and warm. We cannot wait to come back on our next visit to the Finger Lakes!

Amazing food. The winter salad was amazing and nicely flavored with the raspberry vinegarette. I got the mushroom papadelle with the steak. The steak was medium rare and perfect. The focaccia bread was okay. Not my favorite thing. The least favorite thing was the vegetables that came with the steak. The Napoleon was good with it's layered cream and strawberries and chocolate. Would recommend reservations here if you're in the area.

Sat outside on the patio under an umbrella and had a terrific dinner and terrific service. Terrific cocktails, yummy crab and corn bisque and a nice warm loaf of sourdough bread with homemade butter. Entrees were delicious and filling - though everyone had room for desserts. A blueberry crumble a la mode and a coconut crème brûlée. Everything added up to a lovely evening.

Love this place so much! It is the absolute only place I made a reservation for to be certain we visited on our long weekend. The staff is great, knowledgeable on their options and attentive. The setting is beautiful, we were seated indoors with a view of the lake. We set the reservation online several days ahead & the earliest time slot was 8PM, but we adjusted for it and knew it would be worth it. The day of, there were several time slots showing (that had not been there before), but could've been due to cancellations or opening outdoor seating due to perfect weather. We had already timed our meals out and kept our spot. The food.... That gnocchi dish is soooo delicious that we couldn't help ourselves and ordered it again. It was just sheer perfection and although other dishes were described so temptingly ... IYKYN & our mouths were watering in anticipation of that dish. No regrets! Wait, yes... I regret not taking their amazing chocolate torte to go! Last year I did and it was heaven!

Fantastic food and drinks! Their specials menu was so good! We will becoming back again.

Unfortunately we hit this on a BAD night (highly recommended by a friend that lives in the area). From being seated 20 minutes late to no waitress showing up for 15 minutes to drinks 10 minutes later to sitting in part of the restaurant with carpeting that needs replacing.. G&T was absent gin. Mussels and pear salad were good; their signature short rib gnocchi was not up to par, and the veal came out medium rare. We skipped dessert.. The manager was super sorry (staffing and kitchen issues) and comped about 1/3 of our bill. I expect it is a swell place most nights or it wouldn't be this popular.

We came here last night for the first time. It's hard to get into so make sure to have a reservation! We ended up snagging a 6pm reservation the day before we went, assuming someone canceled. We were greeted right away and seated right away. All staff was kind. We enjoyed our cocktails from their menu. We ordered ribs for an appetizer. They were tasty and had a good flavor but were tough to chew, definitely not fall off the bone. Our entrees were wonderful though, recommended by our server, Jennifer. I got the flank steak and scallops which was cooked perfectly. The sautéd veggies were tasty and the smashed potatoes so yummy! My boyfriend got the market code stuffed with seafood which was also cooked perfectly and delicious. We ended the night with the churro cheesecake which was also very good. Overall, great restaurant and we'd come back!

Definitely one of the very best places in the area. Cocktails. A+. Good selection, cozy bar while you wait. Food. Really good, definitely take their advice and go with specials menu, this is where they shine. Wine. Great local wines. Our server knowledgeable and put us on good stuff we might have missed otherwise. Host stand was a little scattered but apparently they take seating seriously and with care, but wait was a bit much, especially if you not looking to have multiple cocktails while you wait. Make a reservation.

A group of 4 of us came to Ports Cafe on a Saturday night after a day of exploring Geneva, NY. Though we didn't have a reservation, the host was very welcoming and told us to wait and see what he can do. After waiting about 10 minutes, we were seated. Ports Cafe is very modern looking and cozy. We weren't too hungry so we ordered a few items to share. We ordered the sourdough bread, calamari-shrimp fry, burnt ends, and bread pudding. All the food was delicious. The flavors were on point and just melted in your mouth. Service was amazing from the start to the end. The restaurant has a parking lot too.

Wife and I have been taking drives through the area for years. Driven by this place but never tried it until last night. Spot on! My wife had their flank steak and myself the Delmonico. Cooked to perfection and one of the best meals I've had in a long time. Service was excellent and Jennifer was great! Great spot for a dinner and we will definitely return!

A return visit for a much-anticipated dinner. We have had several of our best meals in Geneva at Ports Cafe. Tonight, service was (as it always is) really fine. The wine list is good (though make sure the vintage on the wine list matches what is being served) and the by-the-glass Prosecco is superb. Lobster Ravioli was ok - more about the sauce than the lobster it would seem. Halibut special was quite good. Pork tenderloin special was odd. Skillfully made, though with way too much going on on the plate. A profoundly complicated dish, that didn't end up doing service to any of the ingredients. Strange to have great pork that was simply covered up by all of the other ingredients. New chef or just an unusual combination of things that weren't to our taste? Not sure. We will be back, but this was not up to what we have come to expect.

Great place. Always have phenomenal meals. Service impeccable. Date nights in the winter with no corkage fee is a definite plus.

The Delmonico Steak and Lamb Chops were done to perfection. Our Server Jade S. was great , we went with her recommendations, and honestly she was spot on!!! The area we were seated in was very nice, almost private. I ordered an Old Fashioned with Jameson's Irish Whiskey "muddled" it reminded me of the Drink I had at the Distillery in Dublin. We will definitely be back. FYI make sure you make reservations, well in advance.

We love Ports! It's our first stop every time we come up to Geneva. Cocktails and food are all great.

We chose this place as our last dinner spot in the finger lakes area and we were pleased with our flank steak and scallops, bolognese, and short rib gnocchi. While the food was cooked well and the atmosphere is just shy of fancy, the bolognese left room for more to desire and the serving size among all of the meals were much smaller than expected. For the cost of the meals, we had expected about 15%-20% more on the plate, but other than that the service was also really great minus the longer wait for food. We went on a Tuesday night with reservations for four at 5:30pm. It got really busy after that and the food wait was long like I mentioned. I'd recommend making you eat something before unless you want to pay a lot for a little amount of food, but you'll be pleased by the taste and service!

Great food / small portions for price I don't normally post reviews for places we go, but felt this would hopefully help others looking for a decent meal in area. We were visiting lake Seneca area and found this restaurant on yelp and thought to give it a try. The waitress was great and the meals were well prepared excellent flavor. I ordered swordfish with vegetables and rice, and my wife ordered flank steak and grouper. When orders arrived, I looked down and there was a very small portion of swordfish maybe 3oz, with side rice and 2 pieces of broccoli and other vegetables. My wife's meal was normal sized portion as expected and was excellent. Recommendation to owner if you are going to charge higher prices for a meal, at least serve normal portions of the main entree. We will not be returning here on our next trip to the area.

From the appetizers through the creme brulee was outstanding we had reservations at 5:30 needed. Wait staff were friendly ran us through the menu answered any questions we had. Cozy atmosphere lots of windows. By 6:00 the place was filling up fast.

Food was fair, I had the pork schnitzel outside was way over cooked, but the pork was edible. I removed all of the outside coating and the waitress asked me if I wanted a box?? I told her that it was way over cooked and she said they just got a new fry cook (chef) he should have stayed at McDonald. The place is not worth the money... too many place to choose from in the area. my wife had a salad and soup, soup was bland/ no taste

Excellent service. Delicious food. Date night offerings were many and wonderfully tasty.

This place was amazing! We were given a recommendation to come here by a friend and are so happy that we did! The food was incredible. Service was good. Ambiance is classy but casual. Would love to come back again.

Very nice atmosphere, well trained staff, reservations were made & we waited 20 minutes which was annoying. Food was overpriced & not as tasty as our first experience 3 yrs ago. We were a disappointed & we agreed this was not worth the price we paid. by husband had a chicken dish he sent back -we were credited. Waitress said we were the 3rd ones who returned undercooked chicken dish ! Chef left early n & another employee filled in ! Very disappointed dinner.

We are visiting from California and found this restaurant on Yelp with excellent reviews. We booked a reservation online and we were not disappointed. The meal, ambience and service did not disappoint! If we lived here this would be on a favorite list of restaurants for us. The Mahi and Ribeye steak were both delicious!! We shared the cheesecake for dessert. If we make it back to Geneva we will definitely come back. Highly recommend!

We had an 8:30 reservation. We arrived early hoping that we can get seated early and they did accommodate us. The white sangria looked beautiful and tasty too. The short rib of the gnocchi was tender, the gnocchi was different, doughy, I wasn't sure if I like it. The peen with meatballs was good. Buffalo cauliflower was different and delicious. The beet salad was ordinary, can use a little bit more dressing. The midnight mocha cheesecake was great but taste more like a mocha chocolate cake than a cheesecake.

This place is highly recommended and has great reviews so we had high expectations and were sadly disappointed. The staff was very friendly to start off. We ordered the Calamari Shrimp Fry for an appetizer. There were 2 shrimp in it. It was just ok, nothing exciting by any means. We both ordered the special Flank Steak and Scallops. The steak was about 4 oz of meat, MAYBE 5 oz. While very tender, it was a ridiculously small portion for the price. There were 2 small scallops with it and they were so mushy, I had to spit it out when I tried it. I was excited to try an espresso martini (my favorite) for "dessert" but the waitress confirmed they do not have an espresso machine so there is no actual espresso in it. (because the machine is too expensive). With the outrageous prices they are charging for miniscule servings of food, they should be able to by 10 espresso machines. I have no idea why everyone loves this restaurant. It was not good, ESPECIALLY not for the price. We have no problem paying a higher price for a good meal. This was not it.

This was a lovely place to dine in the area of Geneva. We sat outside on a beautiful night and our server was one of the best. The food was spectacular and the quality, service, ambience and overall experience was one of the best. I highly recommend and so glad we chose this place while on vacation there.

Truly, one of the best meals I've ever had. I had the haddock with a creamy corn base which was melt in your mouth delicious. Husband had the shrimp over linguine with the sauce just to die for it. The bread that they serve with the fresh butter was great. We had muscles as an appetizer which were OK, but we soaked up so much of the delicious white wine sauce with our bread. We just couldn't stop.my only regret was we were two for dessert.

A lovely find that we have driven by previously. Thanks to Yelp reviews we tried it out and it did not disappoint. Can't wait to return. Food was great, service good, and enjoyed the ambience. A lovely celebration for our 58th wedding anniversary.

Still 5 star service. Knowledgeable,friendly,afficant. A bit noise sitting at tables. Booths are better, cuts outbthe noise of others having a grand time. View of the lake, large windows. It can be a romantic place to have dinner, I always orderbthe same dish and it always comes hot and fresh. I do not think we had any bad food here. I recommend making reservations. There maybe a spot at the bar. We eat here often.

Great service and OUTSTANDING food in a casual atmosphere! Vibrant house makes it a fantastic experience.

Tonight's meal was okay however, not the best. One of the evening specials was flank steak with lobster fritter. The steak was subpar and the fritter was not very meaty. The restaurant's atmosphere was extremely loud, buzzing with patron chatter, which made for a difficult conversation at your own table. Noah, our server offered recommendations along with drink pairings, we probably should have gone with his suggestions.

Excellent food, drinks and service! David Harvey is a great host and runs a tight ship!

The food is second to none in Geneva. Severs are professional and virtuous. You will pay a premium price but it is worth every penny.

The food is always fantastic and the menu changes with the season, although favorites remain. Service is great as well.

We made the trip from Ithaca for different scenery and upscale dining Father's Day weekend. I chose it more specifically for the Delmonico steak did my husband, so even though it's a nice looking place, I was very disappointed when my husband sent his steak back because it wasn't medium as he had requested. Everything else was fairly good overall. The desserts left something to be desired, the key like pie in particular was quite "runny" and lacked that firm/smooth texture that is usually expected. Also, my son's wagyu was overly charred and salty. I do wish it was a true waterfront location since Seneca Lake is so beautiful!

This was a nice evening with good food, wine and great service. The ambiance was relaxed but professional, and friendly. I had the Manhattan cut steak and my wife had the shrimp scampi with avocado. We split a great pear/baby greens salad vinaigrette and a bottle of Orin Swift Palermo Cabernet, and a crème brûlée. Definitely recommend them. Also advise getting a reservation a few days in advance.

We had reservations for 2 @830 and was seated promptly when we arrived. Very nice establishment as we walked through one dinning room to where we were seated. We sat down with our menus and water was brought out soon after. A few minutes later our server Melissa came to the table with the specials menu and explained how the items changed daily. My girlfriend wanted to look over the cocktails which were on the specials menu. Melissa said she would give us time to look over the menu and would be back. A few minutes had passed and another server ask if we had been helped. We said yes and waited patiently. Needless to say she didn't come back, but we waited till 915 and decided to walk out. By this time our section had cleared out. When we got back to our hotel room there was a message on my girlfriends phone stating that we walked out with the credit card receipt @834. How could that be possible. I'm sure this was an isolated case due to the outstanding reviews but first impressions do make a difference.

Pleasantly surprised with the food options in the Finger lakes area, including Ports. Ports cafe was recommended to us by the tasting room manager at one of the wineries we visited on Keuka lake, and we're glad we took her suggestion. We made sure to come on a Wednesday, when they have their date nigh special, which is an app and entrée or entrée and dessert for $38 per person. We started with the sourdough bread and garlic butter (on their standard menu) and a burrata app. Bread and butter was very good- would definitely recommend. Entree's we had were the Barbacoa Tostadas- very flavorful and spicy and the filet with a sauce that was also delicious. We couldn't help but order dessert- a churro cheesecake bar which was to die for. Will definitely return when we are back in the area.

Booked a reservation 1month in advance. Arrived on time. Wasn't seated for 40 minutes and restaurant was out of over half the menu items. Staff communication was non existent. Waiter was decent. I wouldn't go back on a weekend.

The whole experience at Ports was amazing. First off, our reservation ended up getting messed up, and the manager was so kind and still was able to get us in. Everyone in this restaurant was so kind and welcoming! The drinks were amazing, especially the espresso martini, and the food was wonderful! You can tell this restaurant is very well run & I couldn't recommend it enough!

From the outside this place looks like it could be a locals bar? Inside it is gorgeous! The mixture of wood,metal and glass are stunning. We had heard a few good things so we decided to check it out. Boy were we impressed! They have a regular menu and a specials menu, but it's not overwhelming. Our waitress informed us that they are known for their ever changing specials. We all ordered from the specials and everyone loved the special they chose. We also had a boil as an appetizer to share and it was delicious. Three of us shared it and the broth the seafood was in was amazing. We could have eaten it as a soup. We will definitely go back and try different things next time. Highly recommend.

The foods and service were fantastic and that is why they are always full. Be sure to make a reservation ahead of time and for the early time else they could do run out of items towards the night. Yes, the main dining room could get noisy when the room is full. We sat at the outdoor deck but it is located right next to a busy road. No umbrellas. No matter, we would go again just for their New England clam chowder. The chowder was that awesome.

AWESOME experience! Cute restaurant, super friendly staff, and AMAZING FOOD! Make a reservation. Had a drink at the bar while we waited. Awesome ambiance inside, it was too hot to sit outside. Our waitress was awesome. Wish I remembered her name. Food was sooooo good! Everyone enjoyed their entree and said it was the best they've had in a WHILE!

Mixed experience here but absolutely will not return and I would not recommend this restaurant either. Our steak was cooked perfectly and the potatoes were some of the best that I've had. The chef is truly top notch. Unfortunately the service was detestable at best. We arrived and were seated promptly in a small area with 6 tables. Our server had 3 tables and another server had three tables. Although we arrived first the other three tables had finished eating before our order was taken. We ordered drinks and our server informed us that they were out of Tito's, but could make the drink with another vodka, she did not tell us there was an up charge for this nice vodka, that was a surprise on the bill. We were there for a little over two hours, and while we were there we seen two tables walk out (assuming due to the wait) and one gentleman walked across the room screaming for his check because he had been forgotten. Either the restaurant needs to hire adequate staff or the staff need to prioritize better with transparency.

My first indoor dining experience in three months! Ports Cafe has set the bar high for me. 1) Staff are super hygienic, wipes down everything, and wears masks. 2) Ambiance was great. 3) Food was delicious. I did not make a reservation. The bar is available but the bartender was pre-occupied by this one group who was making a ridiculous cocktail. Luckily, there was an available table and we were seated right away. The waiter was great and showed excellent manners. For a group of 2, we probably over ordered upon seeing the many delectable items on the menu. Though the bar was occupied, we were able to get our drinks fairly quickly to start off the meal. We ordered the mussels, lobster gnocchi as starters. The mussels and the house focaccia was fabulous in their sauce. Gnocchi sauce was creamy. I was hoping the ravioli would be overstuffed with lobster... that wasn't the case but still tasty. For entrees, we got the short rib gnocchi and that was amazing, also came with their house focaccia! I took part of it to go since I couldn't eat anymore and it was still delicious the next day. The second entree was the monkfish and it was meaty and fulfilling. My partner was hoping to find the head but to his disappointment, the fish meat was plated and presented neatly.

This restaurant isn't what it used to to be. Last night was not our first time going there and we were looking forward to our dinner, but we were soon disappointed. The food took very long to come out and the portions were half of what they use to be. But the worst part was the food was flavorless, very bland, from the mussels appetizer to the seafood entree we had. The other couple with us also said there salad had no flavor, so it just want us. When we asked to speak to the manager she didn't bother coming to the table, we had to look for her, another disappointment since at first she said she doesn't have time to listen to us. Then when she finally did it was just oh well I don't really care. We will never be back and I will never again recommend this restaurant.

Love this place! Great food and great service. Make reservations ahead of time - it can get full. Order off the specials they have each day. In particular, we loved the hangar steak/scallops entree and this berry coffee cake type dessert. We also enjoyed the burrata appetizer. The sea bass special was great but didn't love the pork dumplings they came with - they had way too much ginger and we generally didn't love the flavor. We ordered tea with our dessert, which came with two small homemade shortbread cookies that were also delicious. Anyway, will definitely come back next time we are in the area!

Ambiance - 8/10 Food - 9/10 Service - 9/10 Value - 8/10 -------------- Total - 34/40 Steak!

Rank this as one of the best meals I've ever had. Everything was amazing. Food, service, atmosphere. Yes, and the food was incredible. Our server, AJ, was outstanding. Did I already mention the incredible food?

Excellent, been wanting to try this place for a while now and finally got the opportunity to do so. Everything we had was wonderful, atmosphere was nice, a little noisy but beyond that it was great. Definitely looking forward to going back in the near future.