Portola Bistro

Review summary

1. K

   Kathy

   San Francisco

   18 reviews

   5.0

   18 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent server and dinner for Christmas with our party of 7. Apps included, ahi, deviled eggs, calamari… Entrées of lobster ravioli, beef bourg, cabbage salad, burgers (they loved!) lamb chops for me - we all loved everything! Desserts, affogatos, and tiramisu, our server was so good, balance of friendly & professional, great work! Very memorable Christmas dinner! 🎄
   

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2. M

   Megan

   Seattle

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We were very happy to find this lovely place open on Christmas Day. They served us a lovely meal with generous portions. The service was impeccable. From the minute we walked in and throughout the meal staff were helpful and attentive. Hope to come back soon.
   

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3. M

   Michael

   VIP

   San Francisco

   5 reviews

   4.0

   5 reviews

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Lamb chops and lobster raviolis were good. Pizzas were okay. Service was good. Restaurant was nice inside.
   

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4. C

   Caroline

   VIP

   San Francisco

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined on December 13, 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   Trying to be fairly fine dining. Staff not trained to that level. Venue definitely not: very bright white with unattractive battery LED lamps on each table. Odd location opposite grocery store. Previously was more casual family fare which was much better suited to space
   

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5. L

   Linda

   San Francisco

   5 reviews

   4.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on December 12, 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Our waiter Max was terrific. My eggs royale were excellent. My guest had the beet salad and the roasted Brussels sprouts. I sampled a few of them, and we both agreed the sprouts were nice and crispy and cooked just long enough to be tender and neither too hard nor mushy. This is my second visit to Portola Bistro. My guest is from San Francisco so it was her first visit. Our only complaint is the NOISE! It’s almost impossible to carry on a conversation when the dining room is filled.
   

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6. a

   alan

   VIP

   Hawaii

   11 reviews

   4.0

   11 reviews

   Dined on December 9, 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   It was lunch. Nice not noisy conversation perfect. Drink and meal service a bit slow. Suspect kitchen slow. Had a burger.
   

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7. R

   Rosemarie

   San Francisco

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on November 29, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Food & service were excellent! Beet salad was especially amazing. Beautiful presentation & flavorful selections. Our waiter was exceptional! Definitely will return.
   

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8. a

   art

   VIP

   San Francisco

   17 reviews

   4.0

   17 reviews

   Dined on November 23, 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Very good food, excellent service, but the noise level was deafening.
   

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9. A

   Amy

   Hawaii

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on November 22, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Second time testing this anchor to the Ladera scene. The pappardelle with lamb ragu is excellent —enjoy the mushrooms and the surprise olives. The pizza is outstanding. Served piping hot but not burned, this is thin-crust pizza at its best. More ingredients on top than a true Napolitan pizza but an excellent compromise between Italian sensibilities and Silicon Valley taste buds.
   

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10. K

    Kathryn

    Hawaii

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 17, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3

    The food was very good at Portola Bistro, and had the service been better our review would have focused more on what we ate. We were seated for a long time before anyone visited our table to check on us or take our orders. The meal came relatively quickly, which was nice, but once our plates were cleared, we waited again and eventually decided against dessert. There seems to be a staffing or training issue, but weʻll likely try it again, hoping for better service to go with the food.
    

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