Popular restaurant with cozy, old-world ambiance & a patio offering updated French & Italian food.
At a glance
#5 of 7 Italian restaurants in Carmel-By-The-SeaLocalGuideWorld score: 4.40
Rating breakdown
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5 ★68%
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4 ★17%
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3 ★6%
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2 ★4%
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1 ★4%
Quick facts
- What is the rating of Portabella?
- Portabella is rated 4.4 out of 5 based on 1,643 reviews.
- How does Portabella rank in Carmel-By-The-Sea?
- Portabella is #5 of 7 Italian restaurants in Carmel-By-The-Sea by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
- Where is Portabella located?
- Ocean Ave, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93921 — 0.1 km from the center of Carmel-By-The-Sea.
- How can I contact Portabella?
- Phone: (831) 624-4395 · Website: portabellacarmel.com
Very nice and welcoming place with shiny happy people… not snooty and intimidating at all.
Food is nice too. Not too expensive. The fish is locally caught…off Monterrey Bay. Steak is perfectly done.
Food is nice too. Not too expensive. The fish is locally caught…off Monterrey Bay. Steak is perfectly done.
Supremely fast service, great staff. The food tasted good, and the cocktail was especially strong.
The tablecloth and menu was sticky to touch that gave me the ick.
I ordered the mustard chicken and lobster ravioli, both tasted good and were of good quantity.
We also witnessed a live singer on Sunday evening.
The tablecloth and menu was sticky to touch that gave me the ick.
I ordered the mustard chicken and lobster ravioli, both tasted good and were of good quantity.
We also witnessed a live singer on Sunday evening.
Amazing!! All dishes were satisfying I ordered fish and loved it! The building itself is beautiful.
Highly recommended, we went there with our STAP group 24 people and all of us were happy!
Highly recommended, we went there with our STAP group 24 people and all of us were happy!
We had a lovely time at this cottage style Italian restaurant. The ambiance is lovely with a guitarist serenading the customers, the service was great and food was good. I wasn’t blown away by the pasta dishes but you can tell they’re made with fresh ingredients. It was a lovely experience but for us I think it’s a one time experience. Cheers!
Had dinner here on one of the nights during our trip to Carmel and let me just say this place delivers in all areas. The service, food, and atmosphere was something special and unique from any other Italian restaurant I’ve ate at before. If I could give more stars I would. If you’re thinking of eating here just let this review make your decision for you. 10 out of 10 from start to finish. All ingredients are local and freshly picked. Absolutely incredible! I will be making a stop here every time I come back to Carmel from here on out.
Enjoyed a wonderful meal and evening with our little one. The fish was fresh and perfectly seasoned. The seafood linguine was rich creamy and overflowing with seafood. The staff was very accommodating.
We had a really lovely dinner here! Arrived at around 6pm on Friday night and snagged the last walk-in table. Service was very friendly despite the fact that they were very busy. Loved the live guitar player who serenaded the room.
Food
1) Mushroom soup is a must if you love savory and truffle umami goodness
2) Beet salad was awesome. Super fresh l, light, sweet fruit, and not overly dressed.
3) Scallops and risotto were great. The lemon butter sauce on the scallops was so good. Cooked perfectly.
4) My boyfriend doesn’t eat seafood so he had the spaghetti bolognese. It was good but nothing special. I think seafood is the way to go here.
Prices were very reasonable for this neighborhood.
Food
1) Mushroom soup is a must if you love savory and truffle umami goodness
2) Beet salad was awesome. Super fresh l, light, sweet fruit, and not overly dressed.
3) Scallops and risotto were great. The lemon butter sauce on the scallops was so good. Cooked perfectly.
4) My boyfriend doesn’t eat seafood so he had the spaghetti bolognese. It was good but nothing special. I think seafood is the way to go here.
Prices were very reasonable for this neighborhood.
We were staying in the Monterey area and decided to try Portabella for our one date night out. We called the day before and the only reservation times were 5 and 5:30pm, so call early! The patio is adorable, beautiful flowers and trees. The tables are tight though, so be prepared to be close to your neighbor. Our server was around and responsive, although not super friendly or engaging. We had the lobster ravioli and the prosciutto/crostini for our appetizers. The lobster ravioli was very rich, but so delicious. The prosciutto was sliced thick and a little difficult to eat - a bit over priced for what we got. For our dinner we had the king salmon and truffle mushroom risotto. I liked both of these dishes, good but not incredible. At the end of the evening we finished up with the crème brûlée. Yummy. As we were wrapping up the table next to us came with 5 larger dogs (patio is dog friendly). We love dogs, and these pups were very sweet, but they could barely fit and barked at any other dog passing by. It was a little crazy. Overall we would return.
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