Portobello Vegan TrattoriaFood great, service....My wife and I have been to Portobello twice. My wife is a vegetarian. I'm not a big meat eater, but not vegetarian or vegan. And we both LOVE the food here. The food and cocktails are really interesting and just delightful. Ten out of ten.
The service, though, could be a lot better. No rudeness, just a lack of focus. We had reservations, but were hardly acknowledged when we arrived - a little early - and then just left standing there. After we were seated - right on time - no one came to the table for a really long time. Cocktails came long after our appetizers arrived - that happened last time, too - and our wine came long after our main course. Awkward. Everyone was nice, but that timing thing is important.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMAnother delicious meal!I just love Portobello. The fact that it is a vegan restaurant is really just a glorious bonus - I don't have to scour the menu for what I can and can't have. Everything I have ever tried is just a wonderful exploration in flavor and texture. So creative! I am hoping the rumored cook book comes out soon - I'd love to try to recreate some of these dishes at home. Until then, we'll always come back to Portobello. We are so lucky they are here in Portland!6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMAbsolutely deliciousThe food was incredible and there were very few dishes on the menu that I wouldn't want to try, will definitely be coming back if we are ever in the area. The restaurant looks great but the music they were playing didn't really fit the atmosphere.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMYou'd never know it's veganI took my family here (traditional meat eaters) and they were very impressed. Who can miss meat and dairy when the food is so excellent and creative? We also loved the non-alcohol drink menu!6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing experienceAmazing dinning experience with fantastic food and service, would recommend to anyone!6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMSomething for everyoneWe were a party of 8 celebrating a birthday. We made the reservation the same day of the dinner and were a little worried when the phone message said that reservations had to be made online or the day before, since we didn't have easy access to the internet. But it all worked out, someone called us back later. To our surprise, they had arranged a private room for us! The table looked beautiful and the servers were very attentive. While they did not offer birthday cakes, they did bring a piece of tiramisu with a candle. We ordered the peppers filled with vegan cheese, focaccia, gnocchi, beet burger, portobello roast, tiramisu, fruit tart, chocolate sundae. I was the only vegan but everyone loved what they ordered. Will definitely be back.5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMColdThe giant door was open making the restaurant cold.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AM"Vegan": Nothing to FearMy party of 3 wanted to try a restaurant that has consistently gotten good reviews, and was a little different. None of us are vegan, yet we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner. We tried 2 staters, 3 mains, and 2 desserts. All were good, some terrific.
We got seated right away because we had a reservation. (At 7 PM, even on a rainy Wednesday, people without reservations were waiting an hour.) Waitstaff was knowledgeable, our order was taken quickly and efficiently served at proper temperature. After that, their attention waned a bit; beverages weren't refilled.
Be prepared for noise. Like most small, good restaurants in Portland, it's impossible to have a table conversation.5/22/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat for special occasions!I have been to Portobello several times now & generally love it. Because I live on the opposite end of town, I don't come more than a couple of times a year, and also because we always get appetizers & full meals, so it tends to get expensive. But I would still recommend it to anyone, vegan or not. This is one of the reasons Portland is considered so vegan friendly & definitely a gem to the city! The beet tartare is a must! The pizzas are fantastic, and so are the entrees...it's always a tough call on what to order, so my family tends to share a lot.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMBOOMI never knew I could love such a thing as a 'vegan trattoria' but it most certainly exceeded my expectations! The food was surprisingly delicious and the service was superior. I will absolutely plan to visit frequently, and appreciate that many gluten and soy free options were available. This place hit a home run for me!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMAn excellent mealIt's a BIG deal to eat deliberate vegan meals prepared by people who are into the spirit of the cuisine, rather than those fumbling passionlessly through a bunch of inharmonious substitutes, as one experiences at most omnivore venues still trying to figure things out. Delicious food, great drinks, attentive service, smooth pace, and just a generally nice ambience. Good fun, all around.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMyummy gluten/dairy free food!!I had never been here before and was recommended Portobello by a friend as a great location for gluten free/dairy free food. We celebrated my partner's birthday here and had a great time! The dairy free ice cream was the best we've had in town!!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMConsistently excellentWe have eaten at Portobello many times and continue to be impressed at how consistently excellent the food has been. In addition to preserving a few favorites, the menu changes frequently to reflect seasonal availability so that you could go frequently and never be bored. Portlanders don't know just how spoiled they are to have places like this. We were recently in San Francisco and at at 2 of the most 'celebrated' vegan/vegetarian restaurants there and i must say they did not compare to what we can get here at such wonderful places as Portobello.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Vegan OptionSo, two carnivores, a vegan and a vegetarian walk into a bar... Seriously, we needed to find an option that was close to the Aladdin Theater and would satisfy our diverse culinary appetites. Portobello Trattoria fit the bill nicely. We shared the asparagus fries to start, then the roast portobello with lemon-mint risotto, roasted spring onions and purple broccoli, the sylvetta arugula, beet and citrus salad, and a stuffed ravioli in a zesty mushroom broth. Yum. Service was great. Location leaves something to be desired (corner of 12th and Division) and parking can be a challenge, but it's definitely worth it.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food and service wereThe food and service were outstanding! The only feedback that we had is regarding the coffee and creamer...coffee roast was bitter, seemed weak in strength, and flavor is poor. The creamer didn't help...please get another coffee and try Wildwood Coffee creamer (soy creamer and delicious). The strawberry rhubarb tart was amazing and it is sad that the coffee couldn't keep up.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had the tasting menu whichWe had the tasting menu which is well worth the money. Between the two of us we had 6 different dishes and two different desserts. All of the plates were really good especially the arugula salad with beets and blood oranges, the gnocchi and the sea salt caramel hot fudge sundae. I was least impressed with the cauliflower steak. Service was slow to start in the beginning but it got much better as the evening progressed. I was very full following our meal! Great spot and we will go back again. Good idea to make a reservation if you go. They only have two outdoor tables that overlook a parking lot so there are no views but good people watching.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMCan't go wrong with Potobello!Consistently great. The food and bar menus change and evolve with the seasons, always to great effect.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMPortobello is small but makesPortobello is small but makes good use of space. We were impressed with the extensive wine list (though not necessarily the high prices). We chose the sampler menu and enjoyed all of the six entrees. The food, such as the beet tartare, was a revelation, especially for my wife, who is not vegan and had doubted she could get "full" at a vegan restaurant. The serving time was reasonable and the servers were friendly and competetent. It's possible to have a good meal here without breaking the bank, although we did make the more upscale choice on this special occasion because my wife will have only one 66th birthday. We enjoyed the overall experience immensely and will gladly recommend Portobello.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat place, wish we livedGreat place, wish we lived in Portland year-round.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMIm not a vegan, but love comingIm not a vegan, but love coming here, the food is always good!4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing food and service!I had been there once before at the old location, and at that time it was more the novelty of an upscale vegan restaurant that drew me there. Now, it is the food and the service that makes Portobello the best food I've ever tasted.
There is a wide variety of Italian dishes with a twist. My husband and I ate cashew cheese-stuffed peppers, asparagus fries, their famous cheese plate, asparagus pizza (best pizza sauce I've ever tasted), gnocchi with sugar-snap peas and Tunisian spices, and hot fudge sundaes. Everything made us exclaim with delight! Plus, the server was extremely knowledgeable and helpful beyond the normal duties of a server; she didn't make us feel bad about our indecision. The place was packed for a reason! Go here and eat!4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazing surprise- don't overlook itYou do not need to be a "Vegan" to thoroughly enjoy this restaurant. We are avid meat eaters but when this restaurant was recommended to us by an acquaintance that is a vegan we checked out the menu, found it intriguing and booked a reservation. We were not at all disappointed and were pleasantly surprised. We had the "Tasting Menu",a four course menu in which you have your choice of two different items in the first three courses and then your choice of many desserts. We ordered different items on each course and then tried each others selections to give us an excellent breadth of the menu. All items were notably flavor-able,diverse in ingredients,and perfect in proportion. The attentive service made this an overall outstanding experience.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMOverall the best food!Not only was this the best vegan good I have yet to experience, this was some of the best food I have eaten overall! I went with some friends and we ended up sharing each others plates because there was plenty to do so with and we could express how good or food was to each other without experiencing it. We had the Asparagus pizza with cashew creme, pepperoni pizza (which was the best pepperoni pizza I've ever had, not just vegan) and we had the kale and cashew cheese ravioli.
I would recommend this restaurant to all my friends and family, vegan or not. Can't wait to visit Portland again. This will definitely be a returned visit.4/11/2013 12:00:00 AMVegan Italian HeavenWonderful vegan food, good bartender, convenient location. The beet tartare is not to be missed, and the ravioli dishes are always winners.4/11/2013 12:00:00 AMThe 4 of us enjoyed the cheeseThe 4 of us enjoyed the cheese plate, beet tartare, salads,Portobella burger, fresh made ravioli. It was all good and we will go back. It's a great little Vegan restaurant worthy of a visit. The bartender is amazing!4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMHow did we miss this place?I took my wife (a vegetarian)here for her birthday. We had never heard of this restaurant until we saw it in Portland Magazine. The food is absolutely AMAZING! The staff is helpful and welcoming. We will make it one of our regular destinations for sure.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMSpecifically came to thisSpecifically came to this restaurant because it serves plant-based food and was not disappointed. The food was delicious. Appreciated the server recommending a wine to go with our dinner. Service was outstanding. We ate in a small booth and really enjoyed having that coziness. We would definitely dine at this restaurant again.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMI love the food! It makesI love the food! It makes being vegetarian so easy.4/2/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was wonderful! IThe food was wonderful! I am definitely going to come here again! The service was great!3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat restaurant. My wifeGreat restaurant. My wife and I went there for a date night (something that does not happen often) and found it really enjoyable. Almost all the food was great (basically out of 2 different 4 course meals, a shared cheese plate and shared dessert, only one meal was ok (not bad, just ok) and 1 dessert was OK. The coffee is horrible though... not even the extremely chocolate dessert we had could help the coffee. All other food was excellent. Service was a little slow, but extremely friendly. Personally, I love long slow dinners. Out entire meal took 2 1/4 hours to eat and it was the perfect length for a date night. If you want great food in a hurry, you will need to go somewhere else. If you want to enjoy your food slowly, this is the place.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMI recently dined there withI recently dined there with 8 others as part of a Meet Up group and as one person expressed to me that it was the perfect evening. At the perfect restaurant, at the perfect table with the perfect group and all the perfect food. It couldn't have been better!3/28/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is by far the best veganThis is by far the best vegan food I've ever had. I had the pizza while my friend had the pasta. Sooo good. The "cheese" in the pizza and pasta was fantastic. We started with an app of mushroom fries. I could have had another. The service was good but the servers could have been a bit more friendly.3/27/2013 12:00:00 AMBeautiful all around experience.Beautiful all around experience. Our waitress was attentive, and nice. Our food was perfect. We will return to look at the new seasonal menu soon!3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic vegan italian inspiredFantastic vegan italian inspired food. We shared the portabello mushroom entree and the ravioli. Though I would not normally indulge in so much wheat as present in the ravioli, it digested well and was simply delicious. The salted carmel sundae was a dream come true. The service was pleasant and prompt, not overly involved. I look forward to dining there again soon.3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMThey gave us our own privateThey gave us our own private little room for our birthday party and it was so perfect. Food, drinks and service were excellent. Great for foodies of the vegan and non-vegan variety.3/14/2013 12:00:00 AMSo yummy!Sweetie peps are amazing. Everything is fantastic, fresh, and yummy. Pizzas are big enough for two, and please, for the love of all that is holy, try the apple tart!3/13/2013 12:00:00 AM