Portofino Cafe Italiano

A true gem in Portland - this is one of my top three restaurants to visit. The food is always fantastic - the specials are top-notch, the service is always spot-on.

That is my best summation of this wonderful Italian restaurant that does everything right.

My food dish was not hot, had to be returned and come back fine. Other chicken dish was just not good as we expected. Yet the cost was at the high end as was the wine.

FOOD WAS POOR PREPARED, GREASY. ESCARGO WAS OK BUT MAIN DISH WAS FLOATING IN GREASE

Everything about our experience was wonderful!!! Especially loved the classy music and atmosphere. Will be back soon!

Love this restaurant. It is warm, inviting and charming. The wait staff is warm and attentive and they actually make you feel like they are genuinely happy to see you there and in our case back again. The food is comforting and the wine list exceptional. Believe it or not they have parking lot in Sellwood. I highly recommend.

Old standard in Sellwood.; being updated in good ways. Unpretentious Italian fare. Cozy feel.

Portofino Cafe is our favorite Italian restaurant in the greater Portland area. Everything is A+ at this Sellwood neighborhood restaurant. We go to Portofino's as often as possible and have had many family celebrations there. We can't recommend this restaurant enough.

Although the food was delicious, we waited for our entrees (which were two specials and two off their regular menu) for an hour and 20 min. and the place was only half full. We had to ask the wait staff twice to check on our orders. Added to that, there were no apologies, no explanations, no comps. Very disappointed, not worth it when there are so many other excellent restaurants with great service in Portland.

We have always found the food at this Italian restaurant to be outstanding. My only complaint was that my wife ordered a cup of soup that the waiter failed to bring. Other than that, the meal was great.

As long time fans of Portofino, sadly, this time our dining experience fell short. Although the front of the house appeared to be fully staffed compared with past levels, the service at our table was barely attentive, despite their availability with many open tables.

Whereas in past visits we looked forward to professional, well paced and friendly table service, this time service was uncoordinated, slow, negligent, and un-engaged. All of that might be overlooked if the food met the previous high bar, but sadly, a meal we had so looked forward to, paled in comparison to the past 12 years of dining here. What was a go-to special meals might only make the cut if we're feeling nostalgic for the location.

Always love the food and service. Lovely “date night” spot.

Service started out well and then went down hill. Took an hour and a half from our order to get bn our meal. Food was like warm and not great. Waiter did not apologize for the late meal. Very disappointing as the reviews were very positive. I would not go back.

We enjoyed our meals immensely. The food was excellent, our waiter was very nice and helpful and the atmosphere was quiet and friendly.

Consistently good food, and friendly service. The price has gone up, but still worth it.

They seated us right away for our reservation. Device was attentive and not rushed. The food was excellent, and we all enjoyed the overall experience. Would dine here again when in town.

For years, I have scorned folks who think Olive Garden is the summit of Italian cuisine. There are just too many fine Italian restaurants in Portland that put Olive Garden to shame. Unfortunately, Portofino is NOT one. Four of us dined and not one of the courses was better than nearly edible. The lasagna was burnt and tasteless, the gnocchi was heavy doughy and rubbery. The ravioli with shrimp was more like cardboard than a dinner dish. The best part of the meal was the bread, even without the non-offered butter. While the wait staff was helpful and non-intrusive, the dinner was a great disappointment.

Cozy ambiance, great service and delicious food couldn’t have been better.

Once again, wonderful food and excellent service - thank you!

We had a great meal at Portofino. We plan to go back again soon!

Small intimate place that had outstanding and reasonable priced entrees. The service and wine selection were both excellent.

Birthday and going away

Staff is friendly and attentive. Food is delicious, well prepared and seasoned. One of our favorite places to go!

Portofino has been a Sellwood staple for over 25 years. A great neighborhood restaurant that we have enjoyed for years.

First time for us to Portofino. Got a great wine recommendation from our waiter in the price range we were looking for. Wife had the braised rib, which was tender, and tasty, but not distinctive. It came over a squash filled ravioli with seasonal vegetables. I chose the Provencal sole served with chantrelles over smashed potatoes(read, chunky). The fish was excellent and the flavors blended very well. It was also accompanied by seasonal vegetables.
Atmosphere was quiet and peaceful, overall, a very pleasant experience.

We have been to Portofino's before but this was the best. Our server was excellent. ( and he makes a wonderful Limoncello!)

It was a very pleasant experience and we will certainly return when next in Sellwood. Food was beautifully prepared.

Wonderful Italian wine list plus many others to choose from.

Portofino is an Italian restaurant with real Italian dishes. Excellent value. It's better than going to the Spaghetti Factory, and better prices.

Haven't been in a couple years, was surprised to learn of new owners and even more surprised about the wonderful food and service! We will be making more visits to this wonderful restaurant.

Lovely restaurant with good service and delicious food. It’s a cozy atmosphere.

My husband and I go here frequently. The food is always delicious. I try to order something different every time I come! The service is always great we really like their selection of food and desserts. Their dessert wine isn’t to be missed!

Excellent service and appreciated the recommendation on wine. Food was well prepared and delicious. We’ll be back! I

Food was terrific as usual. Service and ambiance wonderful. Gave 4/5 simply bec I am begging you to PLEASE BRING BACK MUSHROOM RISOTTO!

Great date night in Selwood. Very romantic spot with lovely pasta (GF options!!) and delicious main courses.

The server was just OK this time,not the quality we are used to. We have a large reservation on Saturday for a 30th bday party,hope it will be better

We were a group of three with each of us ordering a different entree. We were all very pleased and shared bites around. We also ordered a bottle of white wine (the verdicchio) which was different and delicious. Finally, we each ordered different desserts which we also shared around; these were delicious as well. One quibble was that the risotto that accompanied one of the dishes was not really a risotto -- flavorful and creamy -- but more like a bed of rice. This should be addressed.

I would call the cuisine inspired Italian -- what one might find in a high end restaurant in Italy (we were just there). Our waiter was not terribly knowledgeable but cheerfully sought answers to all our questions. And, gratefully, it was quiet enough to have normal conversation! Be aware that, like other Italian restaurants that avoid Americanized Italian, the servings are not huge (which I very much prefer), but it would qualify as overpriced but for the fact that the food was so good.

Portofino is one of our favorite places to dine - a great wine list and a wonderful constantly changing menu. It is one of the few restaurants in Portland where the noise level actually allows conversation. We've had it with the off the charts noisy hipster spots. Give us prompt service, a good bar and terrific food anytime.

Have been there before for birthdays, never a disappointment!

Everything on the menu looked so good that it was hard to decide. Both entrees were great. Caesar salad was wonderful.

Food is always fantastic and so is the service! They have a wonderful wine selection and they really know about their wines.

Dinner was exceptional as always and service even better. I only wish you would bring back mushroom risotto!