Portofino Pizzeria Ristorante

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Address

Viaduct Basin
13A Customs Street West
Auckland
Region: Auckland
Licence: Fully Licensed
Cuisine: Pizza
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Contact

Phone: 09-356 7080
Fax: 09-356 7090
Website: www.portofino.co.nz

Overall DineOut Score based on 82 reviews

Total		4.4
Food		4.4
Dessert		4.5
Presentation		4.3
Service		3.8
Environment		5.7
Toilets		4.7
Child Friendly	Yes

Review by: Gina Fanfulla (1) on 18th July 2010

Total		2.7
Food		3
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		2
Service		2
Environment		4
Toilets		1

I had not heard great things about this place before going, and now I know why! It all started off ok. Orders were eventually taken, but only half of them came out. We were offered no explanation and had to get the waiters attention to get any information. Even though our orders were taken all at once, somehow they had got the second half of our mixed up with another table. So some of us ate while the others had to sit there watching until theirs finally arrived 40 minutes later!
I had asked for my vegetables to be swapped for a side salad. No problem says the waiter. My meal came out and I had vegetables, no big deal right just bring me a salad? No.
I could see the waiter arguing with the chef and then a bowl arrives at my table with a mere pinch of rocket leaves and one quarter of a tomato. I eventually flagged down the waiter again as he had practically run away from he table when he put it down. I told him that it was a pathetic excuse for a salad and he could take it back and tell the chef that. He then proceeded to tell me that he had had to argue with the chef just to put the one tomato quarter in there! He calls himself a chef? A two year old could have done it better.
Pizza that friends had ordered were "light" on toppings to say the least and very small. And the pasta sauce had most definitley come off the supermarket shelf.
As for the toilets, they simply stunk of urine and had clearly not been cleaned.
So a very dissapointing experience and I will never go back there again.

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Review by: Anna5 (12) on 10th May 2010

Total		3.0
Food		2
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		3
Service		2
Environment		7
Toilets		5
Child Friendly	Kind of

Against my better judgement (I have had medicore food at various Portofino restaurants in the past) our extended family had Mothers' Day lunch here. "Service" was disorganised, with our table of 7 being forgotten by the wait staff and kitchen. It took nearly two hours to get our main course.
The waitress was clearly embarrassed and apologised profusely, but there was no offer of anything to help put it right. Once they (finally) realised we'd been forgotten there was not even a complimentary drink or snack offered to keep us going for another 15 minutes while the meal was cooked.
When the food finally arrived it was not worth the wait.
*Flaccid garlic bread.
* Rotten tasting chopped chilli on the (flaccid) chilli bread.
The mains were extremely disappointing:
* All tomato based dishes were based on a sauce that obviously came out of a tin (tasted like Watties tomato soup).
* Toppings: the most measley grating of parmesan - barely a teaspoon.
* The menu description of my mother's Penne al Aribiatta sounded deliciously chock-full of roast veges, olives and other vegetables. The reality was penne swamped with the aforementioned tinned sauce; about two olives and a couple of strips of cooked capsicum. An insult of a meal.
* My son's seafood pizza was flaccid and bland.
All up, a profoundly disappointing meal in every respect. And all up, an embarrassing representation of New Zealand food to the many tourists who must end up eating here.
I'd grade this restaurant an "A" for Always Avoid.

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Review by: Anthea (1) on 4th April 2010

Total		9.5
Food		10
Dessert		9
Presentation		9
Service		10
Environment		9
Toilets		9
Child Friendly	Yes

Awesome!! Visiting Auckland for the weekend. While there I took my daughter and her friend for a "Grown up" meal at Portofino's for her 15th birthday. The restaurant was busy when we arrived, however a table was made available for us. Sevice was excellent. Once I secretly advised our waiter that it was my daughter's birthday he made the night full of fun and laughter for the girls...Food came out and the presentation was exceptional. Spaghetti Marinara had loads of seafood, Linguini con scallope had more than enough scallops and the pizza ordered was tasty. Homemade cheesecake for dessert YUMMY! and to top it off the coffee was great. Thanks for a very enjoyable evening, I will definately be back next time I visit!!

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Review by: lindycee (2) on 21st February 2010

Total		4.1
Food		7
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		3
Service		1
Environment		1
Toilets		1

This restaurant is SHOCKING! I went there for my 21st birthday (a couple of months ago) to have a dinner with a group of close friends and I can't even begin to describe the absolutely HORRIBLE experience we had. My best friend booked a table a couple of weeks before we were supposed to eat there and confirmed via email a week before that the table had been booked. She also rang on the day to check on the reservation for that night at 7:30pm & the person on the phone confirmed our table. Much to our surprise when we went there they could not provide us with a table. The owner gave us various excuses (like I don't know who took the booking and someone must have got your reservation mixed up with another large table we had around the same time) and didn't apologise once while he left us standing out in the cold for half an hour while he went and "checked on things". When he finally told us (at around 8:05pm) they didn't have a table for us at the time we asked when the next available table would be and he said at 8:30pm. We decided since that was not a long time to wait and had heard such great things about portofino that it mite be worth the wait... it was not! We didn't end up getting a table until 9:10pm (40 minutes past when he said a table would be ready) and when we were shown to our table the waitress was rude and rushed us when taking our order. I must admit the food was nice (I ordered steak in a mushroom sauce of some kind that was delicious) but for it's $47 price I should think so! Then when we went to pay the bill we were shocked to see that they were charging us a $2 fee per person for cutting the cake (15 people in our group meant it cost $30 to cut a cake when i would have rather done it myself... ridiculous!). At this point my best friend who made the reservation was pissed off no one informed her of that "cake cutting fee" when making the reservation or when she dropped off the cake (as well as the earlier situation with the table) demanded to speak to the owner or whoever was in charge but the lady at the counter told us he had left for the night. She told the lady that we were not paying the cake cutting fee and was already furious about the earlier situation. The lady told us to wait and after a few minutes of asking the other people who were working there what to do, they must have decided to let the cake cutting fee slide...but not without having the nerve to say "I hope you understand that this is not our fault and you really should pay the fee". Overall a truely bad experience with equally bad staff. No apology and no "here's a free something to say sorry for everything". thanks portofino viaduct for ruining my 21st birthday with the memory of a horrible dinner!

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Review by: Black Jack (3) on 17th February 2010

Total		3.6
Food		2
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		4
Service		5
Environment		7
Toilets		N/A

I love Italian food but this place has got just the name Italian... nothing else! I went to Italy twice in my life, Im French, and I spent there quite a lot of time, so I know how good the Italian food is, the service wasn't too bad, but the food is just not Italian at all. They don't even looks like Italians, I think they are from east Europe, but this is not the point.
I ordered a Carbonara pasta, which I ate in Italy loads of times, and wasn't good at all. It wasn't even near the Carbonara I had in Italy...
I won't reccomend this restaurant to anyone.

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Review by: Christine Sheehan (3) on 12th February 2010

Total		1.1
Food		1
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		1
Service		1
Environment		2
Toilets		N/A

Our party of six, including two visitors from Australia, went to Portofino last night.
What a mistake. Having sat at our table for over an hour we asked what the delay in our food was, we were told that they only had one kitchen to deal with a packed restaurant. Diners on tables around us were looking very agitated at the wait. We asked how long the food would be, the waitress couldn't answer, so we asked her to find out. Nothing. Asked another waitress again nothing. Had we been informed when shown to our table that there would be such a delay, we would not have sat down.
I cannot believe this restaurant thinks it is acceptable to offer this level of service, no apologies, no nibbles/bread was put on the table to keep the hunger at bay. Water glasses were not refilled.
They must rely on the passing tourist trade off the boats to keep them going as I cannot believe they have regular customers willing to put up with the service there. Bad bad bad!!
Needless to say - we will never darken their doors again.

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Review by: jjsr (2) on 3rd December 2009

Total		1.4
Food		1
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		1
Service		1
Environment		4
Toilets		N/A

Went to Portofino today for a family birthday lunch - my husband said before I went 'bad choice' but I didn't choose it so there you go. You just go with the flow!! Made my lunch choice and from there on it was bad,bad,bad. All the meals arrived except mine which arrived a short time later. They all looked OK and apparently tasted OK - bland but OK. Mine however was a complete disaster. It was supposedly scallop risotto but looked like something a child would make.
It was a small oval plate like a bread plate, with tomato soup tasting sauce, dry rice in the little mound (about 2 cooked tablespoons full) and 6 rubbery scallops. It was lukewarm, only just and tasted terrible.
I ate the scallops as I was desperately hungry having been on the run and driven for an hour and half before hand. I then sent the rest back and said it was inedible.
The chef in the kitchen threw his hands in the air and stomped down to see me and basically said what's wrong with it?
Well! I certainly didn't want to ruin the birthday lunch and make a scene so I said I didn't want it and no I didn't want another meal as i was sure this angry chef would probably spit in it.
I then went to go and went to pay for my coffee and they insisted I pay $19.90 for my soupy lunch!!
I have never sent a meal back in my life and this was absolutely outrageous. I also didn't want my dining companions to be left to pay so I negotiated to pay half. The service was dire and I will never ever return ever!!!
Dine here at your peril and never go for a special event as it was ruined.

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Review by: Cuttsy (24) on 2nd December 2009

Total		2.8
Food		2
Dessert		3
Presentation		2
Service		3
Environment		6
Toilets		N/A

I was embarrased recently taking Melbournians to this restaurant for an Italian experience. They were shocked. The food is very ordinary and I can do much better at home (and I rate myself a medium grade cook!) Very dissapointing!

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Review by: bonsai (15) on 5th November 2009

Total		3.1
Food		3
Dessert		2
Presentation		3
Service		3
Environment		6
Toilets		N/A

Consistent bad reviews, and yet Portofino is still so popular. It really is a mystery!
I wouldn't have chosen this restaurant, but having had it chosen on my behalf, I went along hoping for the best. What I got was what I expected - not the best.
The service was incredibly slow. In fact, we had to summon our waiter every time we wanted to order something. The restaurant appears to be massively profitable, so why not employ some more staff?
First up, garlic bread, which was distinctly ungarlicky. Still, garlic bread does not an evening break. The main did that.
I can easily cook up a pile of mediocre pasta at home, throw masses of cream at it, then add a minute amount of sundried tomato, feta cheese, and spinach. Why I should be expected to pay good money for it I am yet to figure out. Though perhaps I shouldn't complain, as one of my companions (who ordered the same dish) didn't get any feta cheese in her exciting dish. It really makes me wonder whether there is a vat out the back with the pasta already made up, to be slopped (and it was slopped) in dishes and microwaved upon being ordered. It would explain the uneven distribution of ingredients.
So - bland main. On to dessert. Oh god.
This was supposedly a panna cotta, but it was unlike any I had had before. Rather than the delicious vanilla seed dotted mound I was used to, it tasted alarmingly like the vanilla instant pudding (can you still get that?) I used to have as a child. To make it even more appetising, it was served adorned with several little swirls of cream, the middle one topped with a glace cherry. Like something from Cobb and Co circa 1984, but less tasty, three times the price, and without the consolation of Cobb crunchies.
All in all - a shocker. Overpriced, bland food, non-existent service, too many people. A restaurant for people who hate food.

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Review by: steve jolliff (1) on 25th October 2009

Total		8.3
Food		8
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		8
Service		8
Environment		10
Toilets		9

came here for lunch Fri 23 Oct for anniversary had chilli garlic bread and fetta cheese to share for entree really good spicy but not too much,I had fish of the day excellant cooked perfect,wife had chicken salad which was also delicious too full for desserts,wine list excellant without having to pay a mortgage for a drink $35 acceptable only 100% markup.service was good and efficient all in all a great lunch reasonably priced at under $100 and the setting needs no mention fantastic.

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Review by: suezy (25) on 24th August 2009

Total		4.6
Food		3
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		5
Service		5
Environment		8
Toilets		7

We dined here on Saturday with a group of around ten people. The lighting and music created a great atmosphere especially with the restaurant being right on the Viaduct. Unfortunately that was the extent of the pleasantries. Our drink orders were taken about ten minutes after we were seated and there was only one drinks menu on our table. We had to go to the bar and ask for water to be brought over for everyone. The waitress was not very friendly and spoke to us as little as possible. Me and my partner shared a garlic bread and pizza. The bread was tasty and would be great for garlic lovers as you can really taste the garlic. For the price we paid, the pizza was very plain and not that tasty; we only had one slice each. One of our friends had to wait ten minutes longer than the rest of us for her entree and when she asked about it she was told she did not order one.......and then they sheepishly brought this out. All in all, the only good thing about this restaurant is its location and we will not be returning.

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Review by: Café Chick [DineOut VIP] (102) on 15th June 2009

Total		7.2
Food		8
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		7
Service		5
Environment		8
Toilets		N/A

Portofino has expanded and is now a very big restaurant, taking up both sides of a walkway in the Viaduct Basin. There is great ambiance inside with quaint lighting and dark panelling. I walked in for dinner along with half of the audience for the upcoming Simon & Garfunkel concert; needless to say, myself and several tables were probably feeling quite time-pressured. It was difficult to grab the waiting staff's attention on such a busy night but, apart from some anxious clock-watching moments, I made it through my meal in time for the show. The cheese pizza bread was tasty and I took the leftovers home. I enjoyed my spaghetti alla carbonara; the serving was generous with large pieces of ham and a delicious creamy sauce. I'd be happy to try Portofino again in less-rushed circumstances.

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Review by: Heather_SF (19) on 3rd June 2009

Total		6.7
Food		6
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		6
Service		8
Environment		8
Toilets		N/A
Child Friendly	Kind of

So I dined here my second day after moving here from the States. There is nothing amazing about the food at any of the Portofino's I have since realized but this is still my favorite location. The waiters here were really nice, attentive and cute too.

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Review by: Liz1 (16) on 14th May 2009

Total		4.4
Food		3
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		4
Service		7
Environment		6
Toilets		N/A
Child Friendly	Kind of

Dined here last Tuesday night, and judging from the people knew that this place was pretty popular... although to be honest, I'm not too sure why. The service wasn't TOO bad unlike other reviewers... they were attentive and answered our questions, took drinks orders quickly etc, but it was the food I was disappointed in. Ordered the pumpkin and spinach canneloni, and at $24.50 expected something quite hearty - instead was disappointed with a small bowl of the stuff covered in cheese. Not too sure if this is my canneloni inexperiencing coming into play, but maybe this is how it's meant to be presented? Who knows, but when tasitng it, all I could taste was that - cheese. And nothing else. It was incredibly bland, and needed large portions of salt and parmesan to make it taste like, well, SOMETHING.
My dinner collegues enjoyed their meals but I left still rather hungry and quite disappointed.
I guess I'd come back, and maybe order something else... but think it may be easier to just stay at home and make it myself. Probably tastier that way too.

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Review by: NMMum (47) on 29th April 2009

Total		6.9
Food		7
Dessert		N/A
Presentation		7
Service		6
Environment		7
Toilets		8
Child Friendly	Kind of

Backa again. Same sort of experience. Reasonably good food. Again lots of staff and not much business so lots of hovering.
Had pasta this time which was tasty. Best part about this place is the extensive menu to choose from.

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